Comments on: AFL round 15 ‘expert’ tips

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:56:28 +0000

They weren’t at the G, Baldrick – another indictment of the supporters. Saints struggled today but won it with 15 minutes of top footy at the start of the last quarter. Obviously both Geelong & St Kilda were feeling the effects of last week. Geelong more so.

By: Baldrick

Baldrick — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:09:28 +0000

Melbourne two wins in a row, Geelong two losses in a row. Might go skiing next week as all the Dees supporters will be at the game to watch a hat trick.

By: Bertus

Bertus — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:15:43 +0000

Oh dear: 1.7 -13 from Freo. Deary me. That is tragic. Looks like the Swans are gorn. Ah well…

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:59:42 +0000

Training drill? They were a rabble. I know they had a lot of players out but Geelong’s decision to ‘take it easy’ this week just sent a message to every other team that they’ve taken their foot of the pedal. I’d call that poor coaching.

Loved the Adelaide-Freo result though. One goal for the whole match – go Freo !!!

By: Baldrick

Baldrick — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:21:26 +0000

Another training drill for the Cats

By: roxannatas

roxannatas — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:35:57 +0000

How can you disown a bloke whose place is called “Mortgage Downs”?

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:25:01 +0000

Disown him.

By: roxannatas

roxannatas — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:57:00 +0000

It is Ray – I had to look it up. I’m not that rabid. Aren’t club songs awful? And the “singing’ is worse.

I have to confess something. My cousin is a Collingwood supporter – they all are around where we came from, as the local footy club is the Magpies. His picture was in the Melbourne paper some years ago, as he went to a Pies game, vaulted the fence and kissed the MCG.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:17:08 +0000

Let me guess, Rox. That’s from Essendon’s club song, right? OK, I was way out in writing them off. They just keep surprising.

By: roxannatas

roxannatas — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:13:10 +0000

Our boys who play this grand old game,
Are always striving for glory and fame!

I will say no more on this, unless provoked. For a while there I thought Richmond were going to give the Blues a real run.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:58:27 +0000

Oh good, 1 out of 3 so far (for both of us). At least Carlton kept their end up but how bad are Sydney? They’re 6-9 now and no hope of the finals. Yeah, we really need a 2nd team up there, they’ll go real well.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:55:12 +0000

St Kilda plays Footscray in round 18. They don’t play C’wood again. Sure, it’s possible they could lose that game but I reckon C’wood are too suspect in defence and that the Bulldogs have no real forward structure to be a real threat to either Geelong or St Kilda in the finals.

By: clubwah

clubwah — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:49:52 +0000

Does St Kilda play either Bulldogs or Collingwood in coming weeks? It will be good to see where the top four are at in relation to each other. I think any of them will beat another on a given day.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:49:56 +0000

They will, Rox. In fact they’re still 3rd after last night.

For a while there I was thinking, “Geezus, how good are Collingwood?” but then they’d let Footscray back in. The Pies are all style and no real defence. They don’t know how to close a game out and in the end they were out of legs and should have lost that.

As for the Bulldogs, well they have no key forwards.

By: roxannatas

roxannatas — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:16:18 +0000

Very disappointing. I was hoping the Dogs would make the final 4.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:54:42 +0000

What a crazy game. Collingwood absolutely dominated for 3 quarters, got out to a 41 point lead, but didn’t know how to put them away. Footscray were a rabble for 3 quarters then dominated the last quarter but didn’t know how to win. They got it down to 1 point with 4 or 5 minutes to play and then fiddled around with the ball until they gave Collingwood their only goal for the quarter. Then, with 20 seconds left they finally work out that you’ve got to attack and they bring it back to a one point margin again. And then … the siren goes. Neither side is a threat to the top two.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:32:51 +0000

The only “high placed draft picks” are:

Taken @ 1: Riewoldt & Goddard

Taken @ 2: Koschitzke & Ball

I don’t think there are any other current players taken in the top 10. What’s your point? We could have had Judd instead of Ball and there are quite a few other clubs running around with no 1 & 2 draft picks in their sides, like: Carlton, Richmond, Melbourne and even Footscray & Hawthorn.

By: Baldrick

Baldrick — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:13:18 +0000

Can you clarify whether some of those present listees at St.Kilda are courtesy of the draft situation. If my memory serves me correctly the Saints had a number of very lean years and is it the case that some of the better players for them are a result of picking up high placed draft choices?

By: clubwah

clubwah — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:38:41 +0000

Lyon inherited a good list, but he has players with several years experience playing the best football of their careers – he deserves credit for that.

By: Ray Dixon

Ray Dixon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:45:27 +0000

OK Rox:

Building lists is an entirely different facet of coaching and is assisted (sometimes entirely run) by people other than the coach. Some coaches have nothing whatsoever to do with recruitment leaving that to their recruitment staff.

Anyway, my point on Thompson (and coaches like Pagan) is it’s been more good luck than good management that has bought them success. And pretty much the same goes for St Kilda’s coach Ross Lyon, who inherited a pretty good list himself.

There’s no need, in my opinion, to say that’s “full of crap” and “stupid” – it’s just a difference of opinion.