Rodger is back to stay!!! (Swoon.)
So is Cairnsman. (Where have you been?)
‘Black Bradman’ has reincarnated (again, again, and............)
SS now has movies! (And crack cocaine - apparently.)
Whilst Big Footy has Plugger and Joffaboy.............
Not pleasing:
Where’s St Bratty?
Where’s harry?
Where's Mart?
And still nothing from Sainter K.
Not even here https://lovingafl.wordpress.com/about/And the same goes for BakesFan.
Plugger’s parents have stopped posting. (They were such nice people.)
And with Rodger back, the question now shifts to..........wherrrrrreeeeeeezzzzzzzz...................Johnny??????????
Things could have been worse:
Sure, it can be argued that Richmond took the foot of the gas in the second half, but the stats received show that Richmond hasn't conceded >1 goal in a final quarter in Melbourne this season.
Things could have been better:
Footage is still being studied, but what I want to know is, who of our players was responsible for who of theirs, and bloody when???
Too often they had a myriad of blokes in those funny looking away jumpers running unchecked. Make no mistake! Richmond have a lot of bog-ordinary paper tiger players who are being covered up for by their ‘big 4’ stars, and by good team discipline. Run with them, make them accountable to earn their kicks, make them sweat, and watch what happens when paper gets soggy!
Back to the Sunshine and Lollipops:
Basically, we looked noticeably better when we took the game on more. As saintsRising points out in this excellent incisive field report viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95842&sid=136c51f28 ... c#p1743484 when we go backwards our team goes backwards! When we go forwards, (preferably fast, and preferably without the 'the opposition's backmen, you do know that they're waiting for it, right?' long bomb
), then our team goes forwards. Combine this with unmasking the opposition's spuds rather then letting them get away with hiding under the cloak of a well drilled game plan, and look out!
We can do better than Friday night! We still have a lot of structurally key players out. And we had to play a Richmond side without plodder Houli in it. Richmond have peaked. We have significant upside.
The week before we humiliated the Mafia Money mob. Proves little I know, but bloody hell, it’s good to do!!!!!
(Opposition Player to Bag award. Had to be Daisy Thomas. Still ‘contributing’ little beyond clogging up their salary cap. Actually, on second thoughts, how could you bag a bloke for that??? So no OPTB award for that game.
)The week before that, against top poor side in Port. On their own dung heap. With their own cheating scumpires.
With most of our key position players out injured. Us playing One Man Short again. Us playing crap. Yet, we still got to within three goals of Kochhead's port winos. (I discount those three junk time goals when that great underachieving, downhill skiing hipster cashed-up bogan Charlie Dixon finally decided that he really should do something, considering the ball was down there so often, and considering his much smaller opponent was worn out from all the times he made the beard look silly. How poor was Charlie Dixon??? He beat the usual odds-on certainty Jack Dudds out of the Opposition Player to Bag’ award. That’s how laughably bloody poor Dixon was.
)The week before that, we called-out a side fielding ten year’s worth of tanked-for top ten draft picks.
We should have beaten them by five goals. Next time will!!! OPTB award goes to each and every one of those ‘top ten draft picks’. If you’re so damn good, why is your side still so damn mentally soft, petals??? 
We will make top four before you do, tankards! You read that first here, folks.
Things that could be uncertain:
Now the only question that remains. Is Richo’ the man to make all this happen?????
And if not, two more questions remain.
Who is available to replace him?
And even more importantly, who might become available at the end of 2019?
*And to anyone thinking of suggesting names like Ayres, Choco Williams, Eade, Roos, Alfred E Neuman, Knights, Donald Trump, Voss, Jade the Spade Rawlings, or anyone recommended by Malthouse.......... we will find you!!!! And may a (highly trained) mob of emus turn up and kick your dunny down! You bastards!!!
Player assessments:
*As mentioned above, this is often hard, when one doesn't always have the up to date intel as to who of ours was responsible for who of theirs, but...
- Stuv
- Gears helped stem the bleeding. The knocks on his disposal, whilst at times having some validity, are none the less, excessive.
- Sav' wasn't bad for us, and that included when under pressure.
- Clark kept at it. You can see what he's trying to do. Give him a couple more pre-seasons and a bit more experience, and he'll be a star!
- Marshall reminds of Members when he first started with us... lacking confidence in his own ability. We need to play him! And we need to holler to him to just, "Go for it Marshall!!!"
- Once again, Gresh showed he can run through the mid field. Will get even better as he builds fitness.
- Seb was very good! Stood up all night. And certainly stood up when we were all at sea in that first half. Did not look slow. Kicked it very well.
- Billings. Lifted. Another much maligned player. Is young. Has already shown what he can do through several match winning performances. But what many analysts are missing..............even in his perceived poor games, he still gets pretty good stats.
(But Jack. What the bloody hell is still going on with your set shots on goal???? Aarrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!!!
)- Mav! Surely, surely, surely, next week he is replaced by a much much better version of himself........ Acres(!)
- Connellan and Freeman. Must(!) come in over the next couple of weeks. And unless one of them fragrantly fails to follow instructions, must(!) be given a run of games to 'acclimatise'.
- Thank gawd Billy was not playing!!! He may not have been present on the field, but his presence was not diminished by that fact.
Regardless of who Lazar’s report may rate as the winner out of Hickey vs Nankervis, Hickey gave us soooooo much more that One Man Short ever has. But most importantly, Hickey gave us sooooooooo much more than one man with no possible upside ever could. Billy has as much upside as Trump's relationship with telling the truth - zero.
- We are missing the Bruce!!! Bruce, Members, Battle, Marshall, Hickey/Peirce are the taller/tall forwards I want for us. Also Goddard, if he makes it, will be as a forward, as all reports indicate that he's too immobile to be a key defender. (And with Carlisle thrown forward occasionally also.)
- McCartin. Was not missed! I've given up on Paddy. (Sorry Doc Spay-che-man.
) Paddy is showing (virtually) no signs of progress, and is showing (absolutely) no signs of ever being able to stay out on the field on a consistent basis.But it was the Port match that brought home the realisation. A couple of times Paddy finally got clear. The shots on goal were very gettable. The key forward should be kicking those! And we needed him to kick those goals! Paddy never even looked like kicking either of them.
So goal kicking is the other area he's showing no signs of improving in. His action is poor. Sure, the likes of Bruce, Members and the G-Train (before them) display/ed periods of inaccuracy, but they can also be right on-song. Paddy has never ever looked remotely on-song with his goal kicking. From reviewing footage, and reading the available intel, this won’t change.
If it's true that Geelong are high on (medicinal) cannabis once again, and so are interested in Paddy, I'd try and get their first round pick for him.........in a heartbeat!!!
- If it's also true that Geelong are high on (medicinal) cannabis once again, and so are interested taking Billy, I'd also do that deal in a heartbeat. The only concern in doing the Billy deal though..........would Geelong actually consider our 2018 pick 5 (or 2) as being enough compensation for them........?
This week’s Opposition Player to Bag:
Would have been that paper tiger plodder Houli. (Where was he all those years when the Tuggers were playing crap???) But unfortunately for us, Houli didn't play. Bummer.
So it's Rance. Yes, yes, he's a good player, but, he's also very overrated. A modern day Paul Roos.
And a special (un)worthy mention to those Richmond players sporting the Ned Kelly hipster beards and/or those silly partially shaved heads."Well, I hate to be the one to take the flyswatter to Tinker Bell, but...Lauded to be the great key defender, yet, very rarely actually plays on a key forward! And funnily enough, when he actually does... often as not, gets beaten."
~ Kinky Friedman
You blokes know who you are! Shame on you! Your fines for bringing the game into disrepute are in the mail.Next Week’s Team:
OUT:
Weller.
Con’s report sums it up. It’s been nearly 2 seasons now, and Mav’s output has not picked up. Mav’s output does not look like picking up. We have other players with more upside who are being denied senior exposure/development. The time has come to correct this. It’s a no-brainer. (Just like your average Richmond cheer squad member.)
ON (notice):
Newnes. (See Weller, but dial it down somewhat.)
Armo.
Like Farren Ray, Armo' looks great, till you see where his filed kicks go.
Poor field kicking now makes Armo’ a mid field liability. But all is not lost Lizzierrrrrrr. Stay chilled. Armo’ could still have a role as a small forward. He can take a surprisingly good overhead mark, and his kicking for goal remains reliable.
IN:
Acres. (See Richmond cheer squad reference.)
Will Jimmy Webster be fit? We missed you Jimmy. (And shame on whoever hacked jaxon's account. The emus are looking for you!)
IN WAITING:
Connellan.
Freeman.
Peirce.
GONE FOR NEXT YEAR:
Lonie.
- Sorry Jack. You are to be admired. Never die wondering. Never a backward step. Unfortunately though, too small, and not the blistering pace to offset that fact.
Billy.
- Again, see Richmond cheer squad reference re Billy leaving us. But Billy, there will always be a soft spot in our hearts for you after you showed the scoreboard to that Freo clown, Bozo Clark. One of football’s finest moments................ and your football’s, finest moment.
Wright.
- See Lonie, only you are fast.
Paddy.
Gilbo.
- You’ve been a criminally underrated player Sam! And at your best in and around our 2009/2010 era, you were a genuine star! But it could oon be time champ. So thank-you for the memories, and thank you for the rugby side-step.
The Linton Street Pokie Bandits
- They’ve cost our club much way too much already in terms of moral currency, net monetary currency, and sheer lost opportunities on and off the field. (Refer to Richmond cheer squad reference.)
Stevens.
- Really sorry about the on-going concussion issues mate. Best wishes for the future.
Robbo’
- *In danger of being an out, however I’d be keeping Dylan on the list next year regardless (even if in hope).
IN FOR NEXT YEAR:
Bailey Smith!!!! (No to Luscious. No to the WingDing brothers. No to Walsh - Smith is better!)
Otherwise - Rankine.
Rookie list Sandy’s Beau Bailey. (Will take time, but is simply that rare entity - a born natural footballer.)
Look at rookie listing Sandy’s Seccull and Lambykins.
FA and poaching
- Gaff is the only one this year, but if we're going a bit silly with the $$$ to get him, front load the contract.
– Don’t give up draft picks to secure any blokes who will be available as FA’s end of 2019!
- In 2019 go really really bloody damn super bloody damn hard for as many of these blokes as we can greedily grab - Lachie Neale, Dylan Shiel, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly (not a FA), Billy Hartung (relax, I 'misspoke'), Chad Wingard.
then,
IN FOR 2020:
Sunshine and Lollipops - and our second premiership cup!
Take it away once more Ljubljana and band......................
Thoughts, Rodger?
Thoughts, Johnny?
Thoughts, Saintsationalists?
