Pre Anzac Day match. Pies v. Dons - all comments please

[Johnno75]

They were woeful tonight the bummers. Don't know if this is good or bad for us, they are now facing 3 losses in a row........Who better to deliver the hat-trick of losses than us on ANZAC day

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

They are shite and Daniher is the most overrated 'father son' in history. They look slow

[Piesnchess]

Can never take these druggies easy, but the aints showed they are not a top four side, like they think they are. Oldies like chapman, goddard, fletcher will run outa gas as the season wears on, age will weary them. That daniher is overrated grossly, frost will defrost him nicely. We would have learnt a lot tonight, watching the aints beat em, and we are well prepared for these peptide bummers. we should win fairly well I reckon, if we bring our best game, which we will. !

[EBB]

lol @ Essendon

[AN_Inkling]

Flu has been through the team and they were coming off a 6 day break after playing in 34 degree heat. There are reasons for the poor showing. We have seen them play much better and they won't be an easy beat next week.

[Mossi]

[Tannin]

I am a bit concerned that, every match, we pull the same tactics: we play someone (usually Maxy) in the Jason Cloke role, floating across half-back as the seventh defender. This is a huge plus for us, and our rebound out of defence is responsible for a lot of our scoring. It wins us games. But soner or later, probably sooner, an opposition club is going to regard it as a problem for them and do something about it.

Thus far, the standard tactic against us has been to copy us, betting that their 7th defender will hurt us more than out 7th defender hurts them. It's a good theory, but it mostly fails: we are simply better at the loose man defence game than they are, and we have several different players who can successfully take that role on if Maxy (the master of the art) is tied up doing something else. Harry has done it off and on for years, Reid excels at it, we even had Clinton Young do it for a while (was it v Sydney? Can't remember now). Point is, we do it better than just about anyone.

Trouble is, sooner or later, some side is going to realise that and try a different tactic. Most likely, they will simply man our 7th defender up with a 7th forward and play 5 defenders against our forwards. That opens up our forward line and clogs theirs a bit, but they will know that we play the 7 v 7 game very well, so why not try something different?

Anyway, it's something to watch out for. Bound to happen. How willl we go with that? Will it suit us? Will it clog us up and blunt our attacking setups?

[Mossi]

Good points Tanin. The bombers should let us play the loose defender. They will put their extra man not in defense but immediately behind the contested ball area Godard is the usual suspect.

[woftam]

Agree Tannin, we play the loose man back very well. But most teams allow it because they don't want to allow Cloke to play 1 on 1 down the other end. Was also interesting that when Sydney sent an extra one forward in the last quarter to man up Maxy a couple of weeks ago, we sent another one back. Bucks countered their move & they gave up trying to cover the spare.

[HAL]

Did up trying to cover the spare keep it?

[yin-YANG]

Cloke (a confidence player) usually does well against the roos and did so... and usually does well against the dons!

They will be aware that Cloke has found some form and will find it hard not drop the extra guy back compared to manning up and overcrowding their forward line.

No doubt Bummers will play better than last night because of the flu, missing players, interstate travel, playing in the heat etc and general Anzac spirit - but they have no booster this year and besides all that... our best is BETTER!

[GoWoodsmen]

Aside from the Bummers losing full stop I think the best thing about last nights game is it has shown if they are pressured they will crumble. So if we bring the same pressure we've shown the past two weeks and score off turnovers like we have been - LOOK OUT!!

Loving where we're heading, just hope we don't have a 'down' week on Friday.

[collie dog]

This is the match to set up our season. Successive wins over Essendon and Carlton will see our premiership odds come crashing down. Get on the Pies now I say because the price will never be this good again.

[Dave The Man]

In: Brown Dwyer Adams

Out: Langdon Blair Thomas

[Brown26]

Geeze Dave, that's pretty rough - 3 changes for a side that played about the best half of football I've seen from a Pies side since 2010 / 11!

I didn't see the reserves game but maybe Dwyer in to give a bit more run, but not sure who can come out, and I don't think we need so many talls against Essendon so I wouldn't play Frost, Brown and Keefe but I wouldn't drop Frost or Keefe at this stage either!

On last nights game, Hurley got out worked by Rievoldt - note to Cloke / White - and they did crumble under pressure which is excellent for us. the down side is they'll be up and about for Anzac day, so we can't expect such a lack lustre performance.

Having said that, wow we were good in tight against North. We will have a lot of confidence from that. I'm expecting a cracker! And as pointed out, a win would really set our season up...

GO PIES!!

- Ben