Earl Hood

6. Harmes 5. TMac 4. Oliver 3. Salem 2. Lewis 1. Jones

Worried about the 4 games in 18 days affect on our run! Just taken my seat at the Vulture street end ground surface looks great, conditions near perfect except for a swirly wind. The crowd is underwhelming. I thought there was a clown convention on as well but just realised they are Suns supporters in full gear!

Oh dear our Donald has now torn up the deal with Iran on non nuclear proliferation based on some dodgey info from the Isrealies that Iran is still developing a nuclear capability. This revelation is contradicted by the UN observers and the US intelligence agencies and US allies in Europe. For what strategic gain only Donald knows. Yes Iran is no cleanskin but it is engaged in a battle with the Saudis for influence in the middle eastern political vacuum created by Bush’s disastrous war in Iraq. Why are the Americans so wedded to the Saudi Regime, a medieval kingdom existing in the 21st century with a barbaric record of treatment of those who transgress their archaic laws. Who manned the planes in 9/11? Yet Iran is the problem. Now we have the possibility of an Israel vs Iran conflict (they are already shooting at each other in Syria) that will give the green light for US aggression. Scary times I think because we have too many testerone driven narcissists in vital positions of power in this area of conflict, Netti, Donald, Puttin, the Ayatollahs and worldly princes of the House of Saud, may God help us all!

Hmmm did Hunt train with the seconds? He was training with the ones and really berating himself for struggling with some one on one contested marking duels with Harmes/Melch/Neville. Later he was doing a drill with Stretch and a coach it seemed on body positioning to get a contested ball. This was after the firsts left. Not sure how to read it. He was really [censored] off with his efforts for the contested mark drills so he may have requested further advice from the coaches. Just an observation on my part. I got the impression we have a kid who really wants to be the best he can be and that is good news.

It’s a shame because Jeff has some leg speed, can kick accurately for goal from set shots and from impossible angles on the run, abilities we need more of. He brings some X factor. I think the way we have executed our game plan for much of this year has not helped his cause. He is a small and fast and plays best when he has some space to work his opponent over but this year he has usually had 30 other players in the forward line with him when the ball is coming in. The games against Geelong, Hawthorn and Richmond I cant remember us getting an intercept in the back half and unloading the ball into a near vacant forward 50, that scenario hasn’t happened for us much at all this season.

Only saw the last 20 minutes of the firsts training. Salem was involved in various drills but still has a guard on his hand and was favouring the other hand when handling the ball but then I remember last year he had something wrong with one of his hands at training yet played that week. So maybe? Viney was training with the seconds who kept training after the firsts left. Looks ready to rock and roll. didnt see Hogan or Lewis or the large stepladder that made a brief appearance last week!

Petracca? Explosive pace, good delivery, clean hands. Fritsch was training as an outside receiver last week. Stretch and Balic have trained in the receiver role at training as well.

6 Brayshaw 5 Oliver 4 Gawn 3 Hogan 2 Jones 1 Hibberd

Good theory Ernest but I think the ladder was made of aluminium!

Dropped by at training briefly today. I noticed Fritsch working with the mids with Gawn and Filpovic rucking against each other in boundary throw in simulations with 4 blues against 4 yellows trying to take the tap outs. The usual suspects, Clarrie, Jones, Viney, Lewis, Tyson, Harmes on the inside but Fritsch was playing an outside receiver role in the sims so maybe he will spend some time up on the wing? This group then moved to the centre to do simulated centre hit outs. For some reason a bloke carried a large step ladder and set it up near the centre bounces. What for I could not fathom. Anyway on about the third simulated bounce and tap down Clarrie ran into the ladder receiving a handball in traffic. The ladder was duly removed from the field??

And Jakovich!

TMac’s only problem will be AFL tempo. He is fit enough and has trained endlessly kicking for goal , circle work, repeat sprints, endurance laps but he hasn’t had to think and perform with limited time and space and that will be his problem. So hopefully we can create some time and space for him up forward.

No there is a pattern at least in our recent games, if we have the ascendancy, the umps will not pay anything regarding holding the ball, dragging it in or incorrect disposal and repeatedly ball up to add to the congestion. Then next quarter when the momentum turns against us, any attempts by us to hold up the ball will be called and a free kick given in the intetests of openning up the game. It’s quite simple really.

Senior leadership? We have Lewis, Vince and Jones then leaders like Viney, TMac. How much do we need? Quantity vs Quality is an area for discussion of course. Irrespective of leadership if Sloane or Gaff were interested yes we should investigate further. Gaff would be a great get for us but what chance?

Petracca bitten by a dog!!!

I agree I was watching an old film yesterday Custer’s Last Stand with Errol Flynn and it was like watching the last quarter of the Hawks and Tigers games! With Max Gawn playing General Custer!

6. Jones 5. Oliver 4. Gawn 3. OMac 2. Melksham 1. Hogan

Whoops sorry I meant Lindsay Thomas

How does Ryan Burton get off for the hit on Higgins? Knocked him into next week, but according to the MRP he didn’t mean it? If you choose to bump you wear the consequences. Higgins went to hospital so the the hit was high, deliberate and high impact. Yet somehow no issue. I thought the only way Burton would not get 3 weeks was if the MRP beamed that neither player saw each other before contact but that is not mentioned in the finding. They just say Burton could not have foreseen the consequences. Absolute rubbish. Yet Daniel Wells is deemed to be a dog for his hit on Selwood, yet he could also claim he wasn’t expecting Selwood to throw himself head first toward the ball. Wells should pay the price of choosing to bump as should Burton.

What’s up with Maynard? Was getting 30 plus disposals regularly last year, now struggling to get double figures. We seem to be struggling for ball magnets. JKH was one last year by the way.

Happy that Stretch gets a go this week but yes he needs to show something on the outside. Nibbler gets a go because we saw the stats, numerous pressure acts, distance covered, contests made, etc the stats that the coaches love. Frost out because there isn’t a matchup Weeds in, hasn’t done enough yet, I think it should have been Pedo tall again forward. Jeffy in because he does perform if the side/game plan performs. He needs space and time against one opponent and will win every time.

Re the Hawks, my thoughts exactly, the competition has evened out and outcomes depend on the intensity shown by sides, except the Dorks who just execute their game plan and rack up the wins. I thought GWS would have gone to another level by now but they seem to be leveling off.

Yes saw that but they will move on and concentrate on Lindsay Thomas. He will go down but I am not sure it was that bad. Need to see the replay a few times more.

For heaven’s sake! Why watch the footy then?

Did you know who were the targets at each of his kick outs?