No Oppo Supporters The Melt Thread

[rodney hoo]

You not seen St Kilda this year? Membrey has been very good.

Been in and out of the firsts, has had good games but been average at times IMO.

 

[mike91]

It was reported at the time that RTB requested him, thought he had a bit of Steve Johnson in him. Membrey hasn't done that well either.

To take a small forward that we didn't need over a tall is beyond me. Membrey has been pretty good for the Saints and would easily be best 22 here.

 

[ydraw]

theres a certain thing called a psychological edge we lost it when we put mundy in as captain, guy doesnt know how to mentally inspire his team mates like pav could and i believe fyfe can in the future

Really the captain of the team is about the most irrelevant decision in footy.

It's not like cricket where they actually make decisions. I don't even know who the captain of any other team in the AFL is. It just isn't important at all.

 

[ydraw]

I felt that way most the season... seriously why do we bother flooding the backline? I have no idea in the purpose of it. You can't kick a winning score when you consistently flood the backline, especially when you're trailing by 20pts+.

The worst part is that every team has worked out our "flood the backline" strategy and just leave 2-3 loose players around the middle to chop off any kick coming out. Without Fyfe and Sandilands playing we have no reliable contested mark to target with those clearing kicks. You don't need to have 15 on 15 when the ball's locked in your forward line. If the defending team gets the ball they have nowhere to go and end up turning it over or kicking it out of bounds, which is what we have been doing all season trying to get it out of defense.

 

[Scham]

It was reported at the time that RTB requested him, thought he had a bit of Steve Johnson in him. Membrey hasn't done that well either.

Listening to Ross was their first mistake if that was the case.

Ross has impressed me in many ways but never as a judge of talent. He should let the cobblers do the cobbling.

 

[gungho]

I think people try to over complicate this game at times.
What is the one thing the team that is about to win their 4th premiership in a row do better than all others? Kick the football.
At the moment we are carrying too many average kicks in our club and therefore turn the ball over too much.
Of yesterday's game, Sheridan, D Pearce, Spurr, Sutcliffe, Dawson, De Beor, Mayne, Silvagni and to a lesser extent Ibbotson either need to improve their kicking skills or somebody should replace them who can. (These kicking skills include kicking for goal).

 

[gungho]

Neale isn't the best kick either, but does get 40 possessions a game and tends to favour hand balling to an outside receiver.

 

[balthazarthedonk]

This team reminds me of Melbourne last year. Every time I watched the Demons I couldn't figure out what the hell their game plan was. They just looked miserable. Then come game end, Roos was fuming in the press conference that the players weren't playing the game plan they'd been taught. However, Ross has been coach since 2012 so I can't logically see why his players would have suddenly stopped listening to him. So I end up thinking he was so successful in coaching his defence first mantra (and penalising any risky, attacking ball movement at training) that he just can't re-school his players to be more creative. This thought doesn't make me happy.

 

[nurries]

I would bet on Apeness coming in next week. Probably for Shane Yarran. ( Mayne is untouchable )

Mayne will play back on the human pez dispenser

 

[Redgum]

Found out today at training ( from the horses mouth ). Bennell has another full 8 months of recovery before his ankle is ok and he can return to full training. He was riding a special bike on the oval in scooter fashion, up and down the ground with one foot on the bike and the other on the ground , pushing it forward at pace.

 

[salim malik]

Found out today at training ( from the horses mouth ). Bennell has another full 8 months of recovery before his ankle is ok and he can return to full training. He was riding a special bike on the oval in scooter fashion, up and down the ground with one foot on the bike and the other on the ground , pushing it forward at pace.

Whats wrong with his ankle? Thought it was the calf. I heard that he would be right for pre season. Hard to know whats happening.

 

[Scham]

Found out today at training ( from the horses mouth ). Bennell has another full 8 months of recovery before his ankle is ok and he can return to full training. He was riding a special bike on the oval in scooter fashion, up and down the ground with one foot on the bike and the other on the ground , pushing it forward at pace.

I've heard the same and that even then, there are no guarantees that the calf will hold up. And if it does, he'll need to be highly managed to get through both games and the season.

It'd be good to know how bad his calf was before we got him. I suspect it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was after a few weeks of preseason with us.

 

[salim malik]

I've heard the same and that even then, there are no guarantees that the calf will hold up. And if it does, he'll need to be highly managed to get through both games and the season.

It'd be good to know how bad his calf was before we got him. I suspect it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was after a few weeks of preseason with us.

He didn't do any pre season.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Sounds like we just wasted our second round pick that us badly needed for this draft

 

[jedi mind tricks]

He didn't do any pre season.

Yes he did

 

[salim malik]

Sounds like we just wasted our second round pick that us badly needed for this draft

Don't believe everything you hear.

 

[Scham]

He didn't do any pre season.

So he fronted up for a game with Peel without any preseason? Yeah right.

 

[freoextra]

Totally agree. Tabs get solid leads on the wing, the mids then ignore him (quite often), forcing him to then turn around and go back I50. When he goes in, he's knackered and has two defenders to contest against. In any other team, Tabs would be on 25 or more goals if used properly. The hard work he is forced to do for little reward is damning. Is it the 'Pav-centric' obsession Freo has had for so long? Because right now Matt isn't looked at as a confident target and instead bombing the ball high and long to Pav with 2-3 defenders. Atm he is on 18 goals, having only being held scoreless three times. Who knows, maybe with Apeness/Tabs/McCarthy that will change and hopefully he gets to realize his potential.
Josh Kennedy, as an example, is similar in size and height and leads towards the player forcing a one-on-one or using speed to evade his defenders. Taberner should be doing that with his tank and burst he has as well.

Yep this will work itself out next year with the retirement of Pav. In some ways it might be good for the team to have 3 fairly even forwards instead of the one outstanding forward. But nothing will work if the delivery into the 50 does not get better.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Whats wrong with his ankle? Thought it was the calf. I heard that he would be right for pre season. Hard to know whats happening.

Different horse

 

[Fred Ziffel]

He didn't do any pre season.

Yes he did. In fact, early on we were all marvelling at his skills.
He blew his calf at the 3 km time trial post Christmas break then got back and had a player fall on his leg playing for Peel in Rd1.

 

[freoextra]

Found out today at training ( from the horses mouth ). Bennell has another full 8 months of recovery before his ankle is ok and he can return to full training. He was riding a special bike on the oval in scooter fashion, up and down the ground with one foot on the bike and the other on the ground , pushing it forward at pace.

Thanks for the info mate but saying 8 months and ankle does not make any sense. But if he was out there pushing a bike around the oval at pace then I would actually take that as a good sign.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Thanks for the info mate but saying 8 months and ankle does not make any sense. But if he was out there pushing a bike around the oval at pace then I would actually take that as a good sign.

That would be the shiny red scooter than Johnno was using two years ago when he ripped his calf.
Michael Walters loaned it to NIC Nat recently.

 

[Redgum]

Whats wrong with his ankle? Thought it was the calf. I heard that he would be right for pre season. Hard to know whats happening.

Yeah sorry about that, somewhere down there, I meant calf.

 

[Square Peg]

Don't believe everything you hear.

He said 'from the horses mouth' for goodness sake. Are you calling Bennell a liar or a fool?

 

[Purpletown]

Sounds like HB has got one of those floating ankle/calf/virus type injuries and is using an electric powered scooter (on loan from the million dollar palm tree) and is going to be out for the next 10 years! Bloody hell that's it, time to give up on this football club as they have no idea. Not sure how they finished on top last year but they sure as hell just jagged it.