Earl Hood

Let’s go to the draft for some early pick potential talent for a change.

Can’t blame Taylor completely but our trading strategy is starting to look second rate. We have coughed up 3 first rounders for key defenders obviously believing we had the other bases covered, e.g. no need for some leg speed, outside run, I.e. quality wingers, small defensive forwards. We now seem to have deficiencies everywhere and with our injuries, no depth at all. Looks like it is back to the draft and hope to find a first round gem.

Yes interesting that we always had issues up forward and down back but our midfield kept us more than competitive last year but it too has now collapsed into mediocrity, no cohesion, just every man for himself.

He might get angry but a lot of this is sitting on his shoulders. Our game plan, systems, cohesion is [censored]. Professional, full time footballers playing together like they are a group of wheat farmers up in the Wimmera who are lucky to get to training once a week during harvest time.

Frustrating to watch full time professional footballers play like suburban amateurs. They are trying but the skills are deplorable and they work together like a group of tradies that get to train once a week together, if they have the time. There are no systems down back, up forward and now our midfield group doesn’t seem to have any cohesion.

YES!

Flood gates will open in the third I am afraid. No system at all that quarter, just hanging in there.

Can we sustain this intensity in the second?

Over ran a ball, then missed a handball, otherwise going well for his new contract negotiations!

What does connect mean? When your key forwards can’t take a mark and you have zero crumming ability when the ball hits the ground and no defensive ability to stop the ball comming straight back out, you will always fail to connect.

Both captains on notice also.

Desperate times, season all but over, time to see who we have on our list. ins: Stretch, Lockhart, Jeffy, Sparrow TMac goes back or out, Fritsch to a wing or half forward outs: Lewis, Spargo, the Wagners

That reminds me of Brian Wilson kicking 6 against us in 91 and they beat us by a few points. Don’t think he played another game. That said Kent asked for a trade for more opportunities. We did the right thing by him, not sure about our club.

Not so sure he failed, he was injury prone usually just as he got some form. I did qualify my praise by saying he could be good in a dominating side. He always had some defensive deficiencies. But gee we have some small forward deficiencies at present, no crumming, no forward pressure. Forward set up is a mess and Goodwin seemingly won’t pick Jeffy because he doesn’t meet our contested ball at all costs mantra.

Wrong call, yes I want too see more but he tried today and was the least of our problems.

Spot on JM we had a win against Sydney only because it was on a smaller ground against a similar contested ball side. That win changed nothing in terms of our inability to play the wider expanses of the Gee against quicker sides. Yes We have no crumbing forwards and no defensive composure. The game plan is not working at all. Last year we dominated contested possession, clearances and inside 50’s, we depended on this to win. This year it’s the same plan but we aren’t dominating the midfield, we aren’t defending well through the midfield and our backline is a mess.

Normally playing for us, Kent would have pulled a hammy by half time or had some collision injury. Just our luck, he was always a potentially dangerous half forward in a dominate side, but he always got injured when he looked like hitting form.

And talking of draft picks we have coughed up multiple first rounders for highly rated defenders but have just been taken to the cleaners by a well organised Saints defence made up of newbies and triers apart from Geary. No stars there today but they totally out played us as a very competent defensive unit, working as one. Hmmm maybe at least one first rounder for a talented outside runner instead!

Coughing up 2 goals in the last 2 minutes sums it up.

What happened to our midfield in that last 10 minutes? Dominated first 20 m than Saints took over.

Backline set up is a shambles, no one at the fall of the ball up forward but somehow we are still in it. Umpiring is diabolical by the way!

Saints beat us last year at the Gee when they intercepted on half back and just ran the ball forward at all costs along the wings. Made us look slow and unaccountable. Looks likely to happen again this week.

Really think he should have been given another chance. We need some leg speed, instead we bring in 2 slower types. I have no issue with Jetta and Lewis, it is more about who gives way.

Has his management been approached by the Pies? All unofficial of course but potential $ discussed. Leading to this tripe!

Which is the case, no one is silencing him. Rugby Australia is just not happy, that is all.