I donāt know of any other major sport that thinks they can replace a third of the ground less than 10 days before the season startsā¦ I really donāt see how it is safeā¦
Just waiting for the first injury due to uneven ground and/or slippageā¦
We apply manic pressure on them for the majority of the game and we win simple as that. We have the team capable of beating any side in the competition. However, do we have the mental capacity? Time will tellā¦
I did notice in this last game that the team as a whole tried to get a hand in when not in position to mark. Also pressured a whole lot better and harassed the opposition when they had the ball. Wasnāt as good as Richmond but at least they seemed to be moving in the right direction. In the last quarter they managed to put Selwood off playing his regular game using this tactic.
I am somewhat optimistic about this game. I thought the pressure we brought to the Geelong game was a great sign. Granted we gave away a lot of frees (Farkhead umpire factor didnāt help) but id rather see that then a listless effort.
Pressure on the ball carrier is the key to beating the Crows, if you donāt do this coming out of our fwd line and especially though the midfield it wont matter who plays down back. We will be slaughtered.
If we can keep the pressure levels and intensity up we are a good chance to win.
Our only option for ruck was a barely fit Bellchambers who would have blown up late in the first quarter. Jacobs would have pantsed him. I can understand why weād concede the ruck (which we would have lost anyway) and tried to gain an advantage around the ground.
FWIW NLM and Hooker did a better job rucking in that final than Belly did fully fit against Sydney in our last final. 3 possessions and 4 frees against in a full game playing on-ball and some putrid efforts.
And Iām very interested to know what advantage āaround the groundā we were going to get? Was Cale Hooker gonna run Maric off his feet so badly, that Maric was gonna be done for?
Or was the advantage of making the late change of Bellchambers out, Michael Quinn in, that Quinn was gonna dominate āaround the ground.ā
Literally the dumbest selection decison Iāve ever seen a coach make.