Three things I've learned, edition XIII 2018 v Port Adelaide.

[Twodogs]

Just the three thanks.

[GVGjr]

Bump

[bulldogtragic]

1. Richards can be our best attacking defender and our best attacking forward all within one game. He's a gem, but needs others to copy his application and skills.
2. I'm now completely sick of midfielders constantly obviously overlooking either Boyd or Schache with a simple kick, when they do something dumb with the footy and burn the opportunity for us and in cases, turn the ball over for an easy coast to coast carve up.
3. JJ needs to put his heart into it or both parties can sound out trade opportunities. If we got a good offer I'd take it over 4 more years of highly paying for this pathetic excuse for 'professional' 'performance'.
4. The club, coaches and players, have thoroughly embarssed themselves on Prime Time games this year, such that I'd be thinking one Friday Night game in 2019 might be a good outcome now.

[westdog54]

1. Hayden Crozier has zero composure and terrible hands under a high ball.
2. There's little Ed Richards can't do.
3. We can't be in denial any longer over our injury/conditioning issues.

[Remi Moses]

1. Just be looking for some green shoots for the rest of the year . Ed Richards
2. Need a review of the medical and conditioning staff
3. Need to make some big calls at years end

[Bulldog4life]

1. Richards can be our best attacking defender and our best attacking forward all within one game. He's a gem, but needs others to copy his application and skills.
2. I'm now completely sick of midfielders constantly obviously overlooking either Boyd or Schache with a simple kick, when they do something dumb with the footy and burn the opportunity for us and in cases, turn the ball over for an easy coast to coast carve up.
3. JJ needs to put his heart into it or both parties can sound out trade opportunities. If we got a good offer I'd take it over 4 more years of highly paying for this pathetic excuse for 'professional' 'performance'.
4. The club, coaches and players, have thoroughly embarssed themselves on Prime Time games this year, such that I'd be thinking one Friday Night game in 2019 might be a good outcome now.

Was saying the same things to Mrs. BFL last night BT.

[Remi Moses]

I’d go with no Friday night games
We’ll be back at 4.40 Sunday’s

[bornadog]

1. Have been saying this all season - we need some hard bodied pacey midfielders to help the Bont, Macrae and Libba when he is back.

2. Webb and Honey have been given plenty of opportunities, but they can't cut it at this level. R Smith on notice, but give him more time as he has only played 5 games. Personally can't see him making it.

3. Tom Boyd needs to do more around the ground.

[Ozza]

1. Have been saying this all season - we need some hard bodied pacey midfielders to help the Bont, Macrae and Libba when he is back.

2. Webb and Honey have been given plenty of opportunities, but they can't cut it at this level. R Smith on notice, but give him more time as he has only played 5 games. Personally can't see him making it.

3. Tom Boyd needs to do more around the ground.

Have never seen a player fly in as many packs without getting within cooee of ball.

[bulldogtragic]

Was saying the same things to Mrs. BFL last night BT.

I just hope we can turn it around by the time Mercedes moves towards the end of their contract. They saw a premiership, Good Friday and about 11 night games. If we go back to the way it used to be, in many years we will be asking who that car company that used to sponsor us? And first prize in the club raffle will be a $4,000 coffee date.

[Twodogs]

First prize used to be a house and land package. They were easy to sell.

[merantau]

1. It's all gone wrong
2. It'll get wronger.
3. The wrongest is yet to come.
Seriously we are in deep now and it will take time and a thorough assessment of all areas to get back up again. The key point in our favour is- YOUTH. Hang tight Woofers. It's always darkest before the dawn.

[AndrewP6]

I just hope we can turn it around by the time Mercedes moves towards the end of their contract. They saw a premiership, Good Friday and about 11 night games. If we go back to the way it used to be, in many years we will be asking who that car company that used to sponsor us? And first prize in the club raffle will be a $4,000 coffee date.

They saw a premiership, but weren't our sponsor at the time.

[bulldogtragic]

They saw a premiership, but weren't our sponsor at the time.

Exactly. They may have thought they were going to be getting more for their money over their 3 future years before signing the contract.

[Twodogs]

Alan Mance will always stand in if necessary. We'll be fine.

[The Doctor]

1. We won't win any games with a midfield comprising of Dalhaus, Honeychurch, Daniel & Maclean. they are not big enough or good enough to be a frontline midfield. They were too easily pushed around by bigger and stronger opponenets in Wines, Rockliff, Powell-Pepper & co.

2. Our recruiting has been lopsided and without balance. this is why we have the predicament above. Injuries have played their part no doubt but we haven't addressed midfield depth, adequately.

3. We have to recall Dunkley and Jong. Whether we like it or not at least they have some size and more chance to hold their ground in a contest. Wallis has to go to midfield

[josie]

A top 5 draft pick very likely so that’s a silver lining
I think Trengove and Crozier will be ok pickups - we are awfully impatient with our recruits from other clubs
Richards looks like something very special

I am going to focus on the positives and young ones from hereon in, as although our future for next year or two might be a little bleak I think with good players across every line and a couple more midfield guns and a straight kicking crumbing small forward we will be in contention again not too far from now.

[Twodogs]

1. The touches that Schache gets show that if we can get the ball in his hands more than half a dozen times a game he will influence games. I learned that I think he will make it.

2. When we mere mortals have nightmares it'd be standard stuff, trying to outrun something or in front of a crowd in our undies sort of thing. When AFL players have nightmares I imagine it would be something like Biggs' first quarter shenanigans. I learned that it's possible to forget how to play football. Poor Biggsy, that was brutal.

3. I learned that Richards might be a goalkicking outside mid. He's conquered defence, he conquered attack, he could be one of the the mids we desperately need.

[The Doctor]

3. I learned that Richards might be a goalkicking outside mid. He's conquered defence, he conquered attack,

yep so lets throw him into the ruck

[Twodogs]

yep so lets throw him into the ruck

He could be the new Andrew Purser.

How would you love an Andrew Purser right now Doc? We have been blessed with some outstanding ruckman in the time that you and I have been watching the team. Dempsey, Purser, Darcy, Wynd, even Hampshire and Round (Really he was just blossoming with us when he went to South) and while I think English is going to be right up there with all those players it's frustrating that you can see bits of his brilliance but we will have to wait a couple of years in all likliehood before he starts dominating games.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

1. We won't win any games with a midfield comprising of Dalhaus, Honeychurch, Daniel & Maclean. they are not big enough or good enough to be a frontline midfield. They were too easily pushed around by bigger and stronger opponenets in Wines, Rockliff, Powell-Pepper & co.

2. Our recruiting has been lopsided and without balance. this is why we have the predicament above. Injuries have played their part no doubt but we haven't addressed midfield depth, adequately.

3. We have to recall Dunkley and Jong. Whether we like it or not at least they have some size and more chance to hold their ground in a contest. Wallis has to go to midfield
Agree with your sentiments but would also like to see Campbell take over the ruck.
Based on hitouts this year we rank last with 275 hitouts. Leading the hitouts is Melbourne on 567, Collingwood 566 and WCE 554, who just happen to be 3 of the top teams. Both Roughead and Tom Boyd have been below par.

[Mofra]

Agree with your sentiments but would also like to see Campbell take over the ruck.
Based on hitouts this year we rank last with 275 hitouts. Leading the hitouts is Melbourne on 567, Collingwood 566 and WCE 554, who just happen to be 3 of the top teams. Both Roughead and Tom Boyd have been below par.
Probably worth an entire discussion in it's own right - since the third man up rule, you need a dominant ruck to even be competitive.

Imagine Geelong with a decent ruckman, their second tier midfielders are phenomenal compared to almost every other team.

[S Coast Simon]

Three great goals from Richards. That one on the boundary fifty out was sensational. Good little player on our hands here

tough to win games of footy with half your team out. Look at Adelaide they are crumbling as well. Don’t think we should judge to harsh when you look at our outs

we got caught out with the third man up rule change. It seems you do need a dominant ruckman again and we just don’t have one. Cambell seems our closest old school ruckman. He should get the number one ruck spot for the rest of the year and just bash his way through the game. We need a Mummy type bash and crash ruck to protect our mids