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Messages - Mav

2986
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: ELIMINATION FINAL : Blues V Tigers (Pre-Game Patter)
Finals experience is one advantage we hold over the Tigers.  It's a long time since Hardwick was involved in the Port finals games, and that was only as an assistant.  And our boys have mostly had a taste of finals in 2010 and 2011 as well as the NAB Cup GF at the start of this year. 
2988
The Sports Desk / Re: NFL starts tomorrow!
Quote from: ElCapitan on
Who do you follow Mav?
Never really adopted a team.  Pittsburgh Steelers have been good to watch with Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu and SF 49ers will be interesting with Kaepernick.  But the selective broadcasts mean that you don't really get to watch any particular team each week, and the bizarre conference and divisional system makes it a bit harder to equate to an AFL ladder.  The NFL offers a subscription service which gives you internet access to every game, every week (and you can even put them on multi-screen).  I guess if I bothered subscribing to it, that would make following a team more practical.  If you lived in, say, Pittsburgh, your local channel would broadcast every Steelers game and it would be much easier to become partisan. 
2989
The Sports Desk / NFL starts tomorrow!
The season opener pits the Broncos against the Superbowl winner, Baltimore Ravens.  Peyton Manning's boys are red-hot favourites. 

For me, this season will be much more enjoyable.  Last year, although some games were broadcast on OneHD (as they will be this year too), problems with reception meant I had to try various ways of putting tension on the antenna cable to get things working, and often I'd have to give up altogether when the scores were tight at the end of the game.  This year, I have Fox and I can IQ ESPN.

One tip I picked up from a US sports journo is that you have to temper your enthusiasm for sides with 2nd-year QBs such as Colin Kapernick, Andrew Luck and RG3.  He pointed out that Cam Newton had a great first year, but he didn't follow it up well.  The reasons behind this US version of 2nd-year blues are:
  • Coaches tend to keep things very simple for 1st-year QBs, but then they tend to throw the whole playbook at them in the offseason and they find it difficult to cope.
  • Opponents have seen much more of these rookies and know what they want to do on big plays, meaning they're much better at negating them.
He did, however, suggest that Andrew Luck is a football genius and isn't likely to be overawed. 

This guy also suggested that there's a strong trend to do away with huddles after each play and the hurry-up offence is more common, meaning more plays throughout the game.
2990
The Sports Desk / Re: Time for Fed-Ex to retire?
Yep, the idea that it's better to go out at your top so that everyone remembers you at that level is fine for supporters, but it's Roger's choice.  It isn't the same as in boxing - Muhammad Ali is a cautionary take there.  If he's happy to compete rather than dominate, then that's fine.  Lleyton Hewitt is still playing some 5 or so years after his prime, but obviously he's getting some enjoyment and financial rewards from it. 
2991
The Sports Desk / Time for Fed-Ex to retire?
Hmmm ... Federer was beaten in straight sets by Tommy Robredo.  This is the first time in 10 years that he hasn't made the 4th round of the US Open.  Prior to this match, Federer had a 10-0 record against Robredo who is 31 years old and is ranked no. 22 in the world (with an all-time high ranking of No. 5).  Not looking good for Roger.   
2992
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: ELIMINATION FINAL : Blues V Tigers (Pre-Game Patter)
Judd says he's ready for finals, the Age, 2/9.

Quote
Blues defender Zach Tuohy admitted playing Judd under an injury cloud would be a risk, but was confident the dual Brownlow medallist would make the right call for the team.

''He's been running, but I think it's just going to come down to whether or not he feels like he can train this week, and it's a decision that is going to be have between him and the medicos,'' Tuohy said on Channel Nine on Sunday.

Key midfielder Brock McLean, one of the match winners for the Blues in their 10-point victory over the Tigers in round 21, is also due back from a quadriceps injury.
The article also suggests there are injury clouds over Newman, Riewoldt and White, but all are likely to play. 
2993
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: ELIMINATION FINAL : Blues V Tigers (Pre-Game Patter)
It's more his speed and agility that would be exposed.  It's the Holy Grail to have a ruckman who can actually ruck but can run like a mid.  Kreuzer was the guy who was closest to the pin for a while, but now Nic Nat has taken that honour.  He really does have the Kouta-like ability to grab the ball like a big kid playing with little kids and sprint away from the pack. 

Kreuzer is really only able to demonstrate those qualities when his direct opponent is an old-style big ruckman whose strength is his tap work and his ability to drop back into the hole in defence.  He has a great tank and can therefore lose his opponent when he runs forward and this can leave him free to mark or gather loose balls in F50.  Put him against Nic Nat or Patty Ryder and he's the one who finds it difficult to keep up.  Play him in the midfield opposed to Pendlebury or Swan and there's no contest concerning who'll do more damage in the midfield.  Does anyone think that Kreuzer would be better than Simmo on a wing? 

And when he plays as 1 of 2 KPFs, he attracts a quality key defender on him when he's 1 of 2 tall KPFs, those key defenders have good closing speed and usually have better agility than Kreuzer.  Against a disciplined key defender, he can't maintain separation on the lead or find free space.

He's still young and will be good for us, but the early fantasy that he would reinvent rucking has faded.
2995
Robert Heatley Stand / Judd apparently has hand up for finals
SEN reports that Judd is back in light training and has declared that he'll be good to go for the elimination final, if we get there of course.  That fits in with previous suggestions that the injury wasn't as bad as first thought.
2996
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: R22 Carlton vs CheatsFC Pre Game
Dyson Heppell's in doubt.  He's having scans today on a foot injury which saw him subbed out on the weekend. 

Kommer and another guy are also having scans. 

Supposedly, Hurley's ready to come back.
2997
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: R22 Carlton vs CheatsFC Pre Game
Don't agree.  The Essendon fans weren't taking the p1ss out of their own club, they were trying to treat the Mexican story and the surrounding media scrutiny as a joke.  This is the co-opting strategy - take a perjorative term, name, or link and try to turn it into a positive one or a badge of honour by humour or otherwise.  The name "the Untouchables" was supposedly co-opted by that squad when a crook mocked the fact they thought they were untouchable.  The Wogs Out of Work shows were an example of that, gays have tried to claim Queer, women have tried to take over Chick, and even black Americans have tried to appropriate the N word.  But it still cuts to the quick when those outside the particular subset use them - Jennifer Lopez found herself in trouble when she sang a rap song written by a black American who used the N word liberally in the lyrics. 

Make no mistake, the Mexican hat thing was a feeble final act of defiance from the fans before their club applies the lube and bends over.  It won't seem so funny to them then.

And there's no way the syringe thing will meet with mirth from the Bombers fans, any more than the wooden spoons being produced was met with laughter from Carlton fans.  Who knows, they may try to act as if it isn't getting to them, but we know it will.  Indeed, the only good reason not to stir them up with a few syringes would be the likelihood that it will end up in brawls. 
2998
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: R22 Carlton vs CheatsFC Pre Game
If anyone has kids in Auskick, your kid(s) would have received a ball pump in the backpack that comes with registration.  It just so happens that it's an entirely plastic hand pump (including a plastic needle).  That means it shouldn't be difficult to get it into the ground and it would be perfect to wave around to taunt the Bombers supporters as it has a fair resemblance to a big syringe  >:D
2999
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Federal Election 2013
He'd be hoping that Essendon doesn't get rubbed out of the finals.  Part of the psychology of scheduling elections in the middle of finals is to capitalise on the euphoria of supporters, but there'll likely be a lot of angry Bombers fans looking to take their frustrations out on someone, anyone.
3000
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Rd 19 - Carlton vs Fremantle (Pre Contest Conundrums)
Interesting to hear Cam Mooney saying that they always were told when playing against Carlton that if you beat them in one-on-one contests, their mids won't run back into defence with much vigour.  That's an area he says MM is working on, but it is still an issue.  More specifically on Bryce Gibbs, he notes that he has to get far more ball on his own.