Earl Hood

Great 0% goal from Dusty but why are Richmond continuing to bomb the ball in high when the Hawks have gone into the game very tall?

Free kicks just about even but it helps when you get them inside 50, especially when you dropped the ball in a tackle and another dodgey 50m penalty for a little push that did not impede the player.

Whoops the umpires have intervened big time. 50 meters for a little push in the back but not for a punch while Vlaustin is lying on the ground. Then Roughy drops the ball in a tackle but gets a free for holding. Two goals gratis.

Yes it is hard to want either to win. If we happen to win I would rather play the Tigers as I just know the Hawks would stitch us up as they nearly always do. As usual the Hawks go into a final series with zero injuries to their top 30 players, except for Cyril non football related absence. Many experts apparently were not surprised at Howe’s late inclusion, forget Achilles soreness, more tactics. They are in finals year after year but just about always have a full list to chose from come the pointy end of the season. Good luck to them but why do we manage to loose players on a regular basis season on season.

Fritsch was doing drills with the backline squad, Lewis, OMac, Frost, Nev, Salem, JSmith, Hunt.

Got there late - Nev was there so was JV and Lewis JSmith and Hunt doing drills with the backline group TSmith working with the forwards?? And Hannan didnt see AVB

Careful Saty your training thread might get locked for no informed reason!

Good to see Robbo there kicking a ball with his young son and Hassa Mann and I have just discovered, Steven Icke at training today. Wandered passed the Pies training, a lot more fans at their training but then I realised your average Pies fanatic is more likely to be unemployed and able to attend than our hard working Demon followers!

Hi Kev interesting comment on J Smith participating in the firsts squad simulations. When they first split out the Casey players I definitely noted that 44 JSmith and Hannan were in the group running laps. Was Smith taken back out of the Casey group to participate after their first lap? Must admit I was diverted by a conversation for half that simulation drill.

Dropped by training this morning, got there late but the whole squad was doing ball work drills then they split out the Casey squad for the firsts to do 3/4 ground contested ball movement drill. I noted that both Hannan and J Smith did not participate. Tyson and JKH were with the firsts. If there are no injuries and Tyson gets up I am predicting one change Viney for Kent.

Sorry replying to tiers here, sorry got that wrong.

No argument, look at all the statistics we should be second but we are not and that is due to the reasons you state, although forget Max’s miskick, that can happen. Look more at how we got behind dispite a huge advantage in inside 50’s etc.

Seems the Saturday Paper agrees with this hypothesise. Morrison set the whole thing up!

Just finished having a coffee down at Jan Juc with Cam Guthrie sitting opposite and boy was he carbohydrate loading, pancakes, maple syrup, ice cream, and then attacked his girlfriends fry up lunch as well. My wife kept whispering to me kick the chair out from under him! Very unsporting of her.

That Smith guy from the All Stars could be worth a look for a late mature aged recruit. He hasn’t done much tonight but they showed his highlights reel at the half time break, great aerial skills and he is obviously just having a bad night.

I thought it odd that Viney trained on his own the day before and didn’t at least do some limited drills with the squad on Thursday just to reacquaint himself with Max and the mids and ball movement etc. makes me wonder if he will be ready for Friday Night?

I am assuming we are hoping to go into next week with one change, Viney for Kent, hoping Tyson gets up. JKH was training on Thursday morning with the players who played against GWS. There were 19 players doing drills, missing were Kent, Tyson and VDB. Vince doing laps, Baker doing rehab. No Viney, no JSmith or Hannan. So after seeing the VFL selection I am surmising that they are going with one change

We have won most game stats this year, contested possessions, inside 50’s, quarters won, hit outs, hit outs to advantage, clearances? etc. we should be on top but we aren’t and that is due to the one quarter in a game we have lost often outstripping the 3 we won, losing 5 close ones because could have won with some intelligent play and more accurate goal kicking, some poor selections at times and deficient game plans, e.g. the back press too high, bombing the ball forward to a depleted forward setup because we have an extra one or two down back and on and on... The good news is we seem to have improved our one dimensional, often mindless attack at all costs game plan incredibly in the last 2 to 3 weeks. Now maybe we are in a position to reap the full rewards of our statistical domination in games. If we dominate hitouts and clearances and inside 50’s we will start to see that reflected on the score board. But we do need to convert in front of goal, that has cost us in several games this year. We must kick those set shot opportunities from 30 to 40 metres that we set up so regularly.

Bernie was running laps at training this morning so he might still think he is a chance!

Dropped by Gosches this morning, the boys were doing some light training, ball movement drills, then goal kicking practice from all angles. Max is very good from the boundary lines both sides. I didn’t see Frost kick a goal from any angle, better stay down back. Counted 19 players training, no Kent, Tyson or VDB? No Hannan, no JSmith, no Viney today, he trained yesterday. TMac moving well, not sure why VDB was missing. Thought a couple of fully fit next in line backup players might have been training with the 19. Melbourne Victory training next door, good to see Honda cruising around the pitch, looks very good with a ball at his feet. Oh and Vince was running laps even though he announced his retirement?

Interesting discussion with my neighbour this morning. I asked him if he was missing the cut and thrust of life in Canberra as he was a minister in both the Hawke and Keating Governments from 1983 to 1996. He put forward the proposition that in his opinion ScoMo may have encouraged Dutton to take on Turnbull so he could come in as the compromise “Jim Hacker” candidate with no blood on his hands, leaving Dutton as the fall guy holding the bloody knife. Who knows he could be right.

Que? Please explain!

Used to love Slamming Sammy Kekovich in the 70’s now I have another Slamming Sam. Did a great job today but has to be supported in the finals so he can play to his strengths.

6 Harmes 5 Gawn 4 Brayshaw 3 Petracca 2 Jones 1 Salem apolgies to so many, TMac, Frost, Oliver et al.

The improvement in footy IQ in the last 4 weeks or so has been amazing. We are now playing some tempo footy, moving forward but lowering the eyes and looking for options, thinking our way forward with possessions rather than just bang it forward at any cost, and at times just chipping the ball around to retain possession. Although we could get much better at this, retaining possession and soaking up time.