Earl Hood

No such rule as the front on spoil apparently, you can just be taken out while you are facing the ball.

U pairing is [censored]. Boundaries can’t throw the ball in. Field umpires always looking for a soft over the shoulder to the Swans and if we get a free they bring it back everytime allowing the Swans to manup. Front on contact to our forwards doesn’t exist. Anyway we are still in it. Petracca stand up mate!

Amazing we are still in it, no help from the umpires either, they are [censored]. Max dominating the hit outs but always finding a Swans player but in that quarter I am not sure it is his fault, our mids just aren’t at his feet. Are our guys just dumb? They can only take one instruction at a time, they have been instructed to concentrate on the defensive side of their game during the week, so now they have forgotten about getting the ball first.

This is going to turn ugly, we are now playing without a midfield.

My hope is that it could be that simple. Just instruct the backline to go man on man and forget zoning. Then instruct all others to go man on man when they have the ball but if we get the ball, then run into space, spread and look for the pass forward. It should be that simple but if it was why are we so [censored]? Is that basic plan too hard to follow? At least until we win a game or two.

The ruck coach is Gregg Stafford who has grey hair and would be a bit shorter than Pruess. But Greg is the ruck coach so who was the other guy?

Baker not showing much, pity.

I would be interested in the thoughts of other track watchers but when I look at our full ground match simulations at training I see ball movement more akin to the “control and possession” game style described where we switch plays from one flank to the other, look for the player in space or on the lead. I don’t see this on game day. We don’t play how we train in my opinion.

What’s happened to Petty’s marking? Seems to be misjudging the flight of the ball.

First quarter over, we easily won the clearances, won the contested footy and inside 50’s so naturally we are 24 points down!

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.