Earl Hood

We look like a scratch team of guys who can play a bit but never have with each other. Just win the contested ball and hack it forward and hope. Unrecognisable from last year.

I noticed 2 frees paid in tonight’s game for holding the ball where a smaller player has not taken possession just bunted the ball forward with their open hand, then got grabbed and slung to the ground and been pinged for incorrect disposal. Gee wasn’t that always the smaller, mobile man’s advantage to just keep the ball in their control but never actually take possession? Seems that has disappeared at least tonight.

I wrote something factual about it about 4 pages back, not much detail but since then it’s been 4 pages of bashing Jones or Saty, Strange!

Lockhart! Is it panic stations?

Who do you think they are?

He wasn’t limping that I noticed. I watched him running with the rehab group and doing some sprints, he doesn’t look quick but I don’t think he was quick over a longish distance, more your explosive type over 5 to 10m. I am hoping he hasn’t lost that explosiveness with all these foot injuries.

Max had plenty of bandages on his leg but looked in good form. Plenty of one on one aerial drills. T Smith and Baker back in full training. Hore joined the main group after 30 odd minutes in rehab. So it was Lever, Louis, Petty and Jeff fulltime rehab. Melchum looked fit and was impressive in the one on one drills. Two Poms stood near me when the game simulation was on and they were talking amongst themselves trying to work out what game it was, how the off side rule was working, it’s like rugby but different and that the blues were trouncing the whites. When one said he was going to go to google to find out what sport it is I thought I better intervene; there is no off side, 360 degrees, you can go anywhere, the aim is to kick the ball through those tall posts over there and yes it is a full contact sport. Not sure what they made of it all. Then it was time to leave. Any questions I will try to answer.

Got there early to see the rehab group come out first, Lever, Louis, Petty, Jeffy, Hore, Viney and to my dismay May! No AVB, JKH or J Smith. the main group then appeared and thankfully May joined them immediately. Viney joined the main group after about 30 minutes running and exercising with the rehab group. He looks to be moving freely and was OK in the ball drills but who knows. Saw JSmith walking around not in running gear, not limping but not doing any rehab.

It’s on the website now, tomorrow 10.00 am @ Gosch’s

Looking at Seven news last night it looked they had a run on Monday morning so I am guessing they might be training tomorrow morning.

Hospitalised for something that sounds like a skin rash. Really? I don’t think so.

Sitting behind the goals yesterday and seeing how the ball was coming into our backline with stuff all pressure up field I am glad I wasn’t playing down back for us. Funny how your backman look like [censored] in modern footy when the team is being well and truly outplayed. OMac is no superstar but he is serviceable and needed assistance yesterday. We do need May in for Frost at this stage.

Outside run, can’t we work something out with what we have this year? Get everyone fit and we potentially have the following who could play spreading, wide receiving roles: AVB, Hunt, KK, Stretch, Fritsch, Joel Smith, Harmes, Baker, Melchum. But our game plan doesn’t put a lot on the emphasis on running wide receivers, but more on contested ball winners which is great as long as you win and control the ball consistently.

Bad day at the Office that is for sure. After watching multiple training sessions since January it was problematic to see our training ball movement go missing after the first quarter. I don’t remember one ball switch after the first quarter to the other side, to set up a play. Port did it relentlessly and caught us out every time. The point kick outs were so predictable and defensive, no new strategy at all. Kick deep to the flank where Max is lurking, don’t remember Max taking a mark off the kick ins. Our game plan last year depended primarily on winning the centre clearances and contested possessions around the ground. If we get done in possessions and contested ball it falls apart. Gawn, Clarrie, Viney, Jones all down on the day means we are going to get smashed.

I was there and saw that play too. I think you read far too much into that play. Oscar was committed to Ryder, not sure on Salem’s instructions, but it may include not manning up on 6’7” ruckman. Haven’t dissected it on replay but where was Frost? He should have been manning Westhoff.

I don’t remember Max ever saying that Dieter. Didn’t the German soldier guy say that on Laugh In? But you maybe right although with Pruess in we would have been even slower.

In answer to your first question - yes! The kid has talent, he has all the required tools but just can’t get an extended crack at it. Leaving him out there might not have changed the injury outcome but it is odd given that players are instructed to report the slightest niggle at training and they are usually off immediately to the rehab room but not in a JLT??

Fremantle can’t take a trick!

Yes I am missing my visits to preseason training, and yes my reports were sporadic at best I know. Currently living down on the Surf Coast while my Fitzroy place is being renovated. I was hoping to get up to training this week but now I am grounded, the Corvette has a radiator leak!

It’s a win just! No thanks to the umpire who pulled that rediculous in the back free to the Dogs at the end, could have changed the result.

Interesting game to watch but the skill level is horrendous!

I hope the coaches are thinking differently. There are issues that need addressing after 2 JLT hitouts. We thought 666 would favour our clearance dominance but we have been towelled up in the centre in both games. If we don’t win the clearances we usually don’t win the game. The foreword setup is struggling but that has much to do with delivery which has been horrendous. No forward 50 pressure, no forward crummers and a backline that has leaked 100 points plus twice but understandable given the 60 plus entries in each game. Yes no need to panic but there is a lot of work to be done. Positives - J Smith who managed 4 largely on one leg and according to some with no football IQ! Add Nev, Max. Thought May had some very clean possessions down back. Clarrie and Gus were good.

I watched the first three quarters on my phone. The first quarter was very impressive, we looked great and moved the ball how we train. The next two quarters, well we were totally outplayed and our play did not resemble how we train in any way. Very static ball movement, no system, reluctance to take chances. The delivery forward was deplorable and so it is not fair to critique TMac, JSmith or Weids to harshly. The setup did not provide much forward pressure either. I thought Preuss struggled in the centre bounces. Does not seem to know how to use his height and weight to his advantage at all. The tigers looked very slick in comparison. Once Dusty moved into the middle in the second quarter the game changed. He is a hard man to stop and in a JLT you are not going to tag him of course. In summary, no need to panic but plenty of potential weaknesses that need addressing. And we have 10 or so in the injury group that could help.

They moved dusty onto the ball that quarter and the whole game changed immediately.

We haven’t come up with anything smart for the new kickin rule, I note.