Preview Changes/Preview – Round 8 vs. Geelong

[Bluelegs]

Agree totally.

After headless did that poll to vote on the period demon fans liked the best, and most came in with 2015-18 I’ve been rewatching a lot of those games. Oliver is magical at his own thing. Trying to tell him to be Chris Judd, or Fyfe, or whoever is unhelpful.

Who even cares if he doesn’t have enough of an all round game to be called the best mid in the comp? It’s media who create that crap. Oliver hasn’t weighed into the debate. He’s plenty good enough at what he does well, and has some awards to go with it.

This vid from his early days sums up what we're talking about. That relentless pursuit of the ball in the contest, he was just bouncing off other players. The one against Richmond where he wins it twice and hands it off to Garlett for the goal. Like who cares if he isn't kicking it at that point?

 

[Topkent]

I think that's a pretty arbitrary distinction. Like saying Buddy can't be considered an elite full forward cause he couldn't mark over his head.

Oliver did plenty of damage when he was only using it by hand. That ability to create a play by beating several opponents was worth more than a few extra goals a different mid might have kicked.

I think most teams would take Oliver at his best over 90% of the mids in the comp at their best. My fear is that we won't see him reach that level again.

I think that Buddy comparison is a bad one legs.

I agree every team takes Oliver at his best as a clearance mid but as we've talked about this year clearances are way less valuable than they've been for a while. Tigers won 3 flags while being terrible at them.

 

[Topkent]

This vid from his early days sums up what we're talking about. That relentless pursuit of the ball in the contest, he was just bouncing off other players. The one against Richmond where he wins it twice and hands it off to Garlett for the goal. Like who cares if he isn't kicking it at that point?

I agree with you but either he's read the media or heard about it or the coaches have or whatever but he's tried to become something he's not and I don't think form aside he's a better player now than then.

 

[Topkent]

Not sure how this is relevant though? The only angle you could be going for here is implying his contract is a bad one, but just say that if that’s the case.

I have said that numerous times.

 

[Bluelegs]

I agree with you but either he's read the media or heard about it or the coaches have or whatever but he's tried to become something he's not and I don't think form aside he's a better player now than then.

Yeah that's my entire point.

 

[schmuttt]

Yeah that's my entire point.

TK reminds me of my stepdad sometimes, I’ll agree with him and he will think I’m arguing his point.

 

[Topkent]

TK reminds me of my stepdad sometimes, I’ll agree with him and he will think I’m arguing his point.

No doubt he gave you a clip around the ears for being a smart ass aswell. Good man

 

[Topkent]

So we're all in agreement

 

[Toump Ass]

Damn, watching this... he really is miles off at the moment.

 

[Topkent]

Damn, watching this... he really is miles off at the moment.

He still looks over weight to me. I think he looks noticeably thicker than in previous years.

 

[schmuttt]

This vid from his early days sums up what we're talking about. That relentless pursuit of the ball in the contest, he was just bouncing off other players. The one against Richmond where he wins it twice and hands it off to Garlett for the goal. Like who cares if he isn't kicking it at that point?

That assist to Garlett is just so ****ing good. There’s also a play in the 2018 EF where he competes for a ball against Selwood and (legally) smashes him while collecting the ball. Would kill to have him back in that sort of form.

 

[tomcruise]

He was so fun to watch back then.

He's a fair way back on fitness now and probably won't get up to it this season. Still playing alright, but I definitely miss old Oliver.

 

[Proper Gander]

This vid from his early days sums up what we're talking about. That relentless pursuit of the ball in the contest, he was just bouncing off other players. The one against Richmond where he wins it twice and hands it off to Garlett for the goal. Like who cares if he isn't kicking it at that point?

His 2nd efforts are unbelievable. Just won’t give up

 

[Crusty Demon]

Can’t believe we are 4th.

Changes won’t matter. Papering over cracks with changes. Geelong will win by 50+. Stewart will have the easiest game of his career.

We're 5-2 with decent percentage. Why wouldn't we be sitting in 4th?

 

[Lord Nev]

It's a free country. If I want to complain about my football team I shall.

Throw as many stats around as you want, they are mildly interesting.

I do not enjoy watching our brand of football. On current form we not playing well, and haven't really done so for some time.

People like to complain because it's cathartic and because they are passionate. As long as it's not crossing any lines I don't see the issue.

That's fair, and I'm by no means saying we're in ripping form, I probably just hit a point of being really over the same posts over and over again, it's incredibly boring. That's me having a complain as well then I guess. This board is as much an echo chamber as Demonland is tbh.

 

[Lord Nev]

I don't know what to tell you, there's inside 50s and there's inside 50s. Last year we were very good at locking it in our forward half. That meant we got games where we continuously bombed the ball into a crowded forward line and turned it over when it came back out.

Structurally impressive but it's boring as s**t to watch and ended with the two most frustrating finals I've ever watched us play in.

That Geelong Carlton game was one of the best games of footy I've seen in years. Definitely haven't seen us play in a game that good since 2021. You can throw out all the stats you want but sometimes it's just the eye test that tells the story.

Yeah that's a fair call re inside 50 direction - I wouldn't say we're doing that this year though, pretty clearly the inside 50s have a different trajectory.

I guess my point is, we have a pretty average (at best) forward line and maybe that's why we've had these particular strategies in place which have seen us perform ok in terms of forward efficiency this year? We're in the top 4 while having 3 badly out for form key forwards. That's not 'entertaining' but that's at least keeping us in the race.

 

[melbun]

while having 3 badly out for form key forwards

Three? Only three?

 

[melbun]

Pickett and Disco are the only two forwards that you could say have some form.

 

[Crusty Demon]

We're a defensive side. That's our strength. Sure, be nice to kick some more goals, but who's gonna kick them? Our front of centre is one of the worst in the comp, so we're gonna focus on stopping the oppo from scoring more than trying to outscore them. Our best goal scorer is a medium forward who gets most of his goals from opportunistic play and our mids are mostly contest built. I just don't think we have the list to play successfully the way some want us to.

 

[Scythe94]

This board is as much an echo chamber as Demonland is tbh.

 

[Jamurp]

Can’t believe we are 4th.

Changes won’t matter. Papering over cracks with changes. Geelong will win by 50+. Stewart will have the easiest game of his career.

50+? We rarely get genuinely spanked anymore, probably be more like the Brisbane game where Fritta will kick a few late out the back and keep the margin respectable.

Hopefully we can pull a 2018 and blow them away though, Weid 20 and 3 incoming.

 

[Jamurp]

We're a defensive side. That's our strength. Sure, be nice to kick some more goals, but who's gonna kick them? Our front of centre is one of the worst in the comp, so we're gonna focus on stopping the oppo from scoring more than trying to outscore them. Our best goal scorer is a medium forward who gets most of his goals from opportunistic play and our mids are mostly contest built. I just don't think we have the list to play successfully the way some want us to.

We feel a bit like Ross Lyon Freo when they were decent, think then finished top in 2013, but it was like, they have no firepower up forward and don’t blow teams away so you’re always going to be vulnerable at the pointy end of the season.

 

[melbun]

This board is as much an echo chamber as Demonland is tbh.

Honest and wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Is that an echo?

 

[Bluelegs]

Yeah that's a fair call re inside 50 direction - I wouldn't say we're doing that this year though, pretty clearly the inside 50s have a different trajectory.

I guess my point is, we have a pretty average (at best) forward line and maybe that's why we've had these particular strategies in place which have seen us perform ok in terms of forward efficiency this year? We're in the top 4 while having 3 badly out for form key forwards. That's not 'entertaining' but that's at least keeping us in the race.

I agree we're trying to change things up but I do think we still make things hard for ourselves. I still think we're too tall down there and it feels like we're trying to force a three tall structure that doesn't work. Like Petty is clearly still hampered by his foot injury and hasn't fired a shot all year but we keep playing him. The best we looked was against the Dogs when we were forced by injury to only play two talls.

 

[melbun]

The best we looked was against the Dogs when we were forced by injury to only play two talls.

The weak dog defence might have had something to do with that.