Earl Hood

Not looking good for this season. Give us another 4 weeks and if we are still zero points we might as well look forward to an early draft pick and look to next year.

I have officially hit the panic button!

Umpires have officially lost the plot!

Great quarter but still worried by how open we are on the counter attack. And that is what Port and Geelong have done to us big time. Fingers crossed for the second half. We played better but I am still worried about how we play as a group.

At least it is a contest and there have been clanger frees given to both sides but really I have given up on what the rules are! Holding in a contest only involves the the last line of defence and then it doesn’t actually mean grabbing a jumper, just putting your arm across an advancing player, but yes you can grab a player by jumper anywhere else on the field and you can meet someone front on and hit them in the head and play on (Jetta). Otherwise I think I understand the new rules, can’t touch anyone in a contest, it’s all a bit NBA.

I was thinking that today, the Dorks were banged up after a big campaign in 2008 so struggled in early 2009. The trouble with the comparison with MFC 2018 is that the Dorks managed to win a flag 2008 that they should never have won, not sure.

Yes OMac was the problem....not! By the time the sling shots got down his end he was either out numbered or the ball was flying over his head. We are not dealing with the deficiecies of individuals but rather a big game plan problem in my opinion. This is a rerun of last season where we played dumb footy, I likened us at the time in boxing terms as Rocky Balboa trying to slug our way to victory. It intimidated some of the bottom teams by sheer force but we got taken apart by teams that had a bit of talent and a sophisticated, adaptable game plan, e.g. boxing ability. Example early on the Hawks and Swans worked us over big time. Somehow we worked through this to become a force. It seems to me we have regressed to last year for some reason.

When is holding your ground, blocking? Poor Nev has been done twice in two weeks for blocking, ending in goals and all he did was have front position in a contest and hold his position with a ball coming in. This forced his opponent to try to jump over him to touch the ball. Pinged for blocking!!! Don’t get it.

Highlighting to me that we are not playing like we train. All preseason I have watched our game simulation drills where we are free flowing, hand balling to running players and always looking to switch the play to kick to a loose player on the other side of the ground. It all looks good but come game day it doesn’t happen. They all look too frightened to take a risk, so it’s pick it up and kick blindly forward.

Had a shocker that is for sure. I think he is the type who can excel if we have control of the pill. If we don’t he struggles. Not sure what his problem is, he has all the tools.

Why did we always seem to be receiving the ball facing in the wrong direction, so having to turn and get tackled or just hack it forward to the opposition. Plenty of grit but no system. Too many players down on confidence Jones, Fritsch, OMac, Hibberd. Max going OK but not linking up well with Oliver who put in a blinder and Viney, so to no effect.

We are not dominating hit outs and centre clearances and from there contested possessions so we are struggling. Familiar story.

Not sure they are the real problem, it’s bigger than that.

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.