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1
The Sports Desk / Re: Formula 1
Last post by kruddler -
Quote from: LP – on
Quote from: Thryleon – on
I dont get all the fuss.  Sure, Piastris fortunes were somewhat out of his own hands, but he had a bit of an ordinary run that saw him back back to the field. 

Its as much a bottle job as anything else.
Yes, I tend to agree, which is why I was barracking for Max in the end.

But it's stuff like the below image that is the slightly distasteful residue, keeping in mind other drivers were penalised for the same or less, some you may recall were even penalised for this happening after contact while cornering, they hadn't voluntarily driven off the track.

Runoff zones and margins are there for safety, not a shortcut. If Norris hadn't regained that place by driving off the track, Max wins the title! My concern is that Norris has done similar several times and not been penalised, while others have a one strike policy applied!

Tsunoda was lucky to not be given a harsher penalty for that. Reckless driving, against the rules and the spirit of the competition. There was no analogue for that this season.

Lando did go off track 'voluntarily' but running up his backside was basically the only alternative. Slamming on the brakes unexpectedly while turning with DRS active is a recipe for disaster.

Personally i hope the McLarens are no good next year and then Oscar will have the pick of the bunch on what team he can jump ship too and hopefully win his championship there.
2
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by kruddler -
Quote from: shawny – on
Quote from: kruddler – on

No its going back to the original point.
Our list got weaker.

The opposition to this justify this by saying we got younger as we were too old.
I'm pointing out relative to the opposition, we got older.
The players we recruited, half of them were older than our average age.
That flies in the face of the arguement that we are rebuilding/rejuvinating and getting younger.
THIS was the justification for destroying our prelim list and the reason we are nosediving.

I'm calling BS on the rejuvination of the list as a viable strategy given we've barely moved the age needle, and done so less than most who are not doing the same thing.

All this falls back to the same question which i can't get a straight answer on.

WHY does everyone have so much faith in the current list management team?
The reasons i've had so far are contradictory at worst, and weak at best.

i can’t believe how much your position has changed especially in the last 6 months

You were always one of the very much glass half full over the last decade and now what seems in a very short time have flipped.

do you agree?

Yes and no.

I've been pretty consistent on my messaging over the years.  Draft kpps before you need them.
I've given the recruiters the benefit of the don't (against my better judgement) for a lot of that time.
Every year i hear, we didn't have the picks, we didn't have talent available etc.
Well this year beyond a shadow of a doubt we did.... and we still didn't do anything about it.... including attempting to cover the loss of Charlie.

As frustrating as that is, people are now congratulating them and saying our list had improved on top of that?  I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone or something and everyone else is brainwashed by the club (most, not everyone)

I feel like Al Gore trying to earn everyone about climate change but nobody is listening and they won't listen until everyone else stays talking about it too. In the meantime I'm just a negative crackpot.

So yes, I've been much more vocal about it because of run out of patience with our team and have no faith in what they are doing. No, i hasn't changed my thinking process though.
3
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on


Both unlucky, particularly Neser after his five for.

I don't mind Bazball - both as a concept and a spectacle - but you do need a plan B.
Bazball is an excuse for poor technique and a lack of willingness to grind when necessary with both bat and ball which also indicates poor/lazy application. Throwing the bat at everything vs good line and length bowling works 1/10 times and having a plan B bowling strategy of 6 bouncers an over might work vs hapless teams like the Windies but wont vs the better teams.

The basic philosophy - removing fear of failure - is fine, but that doesn't compensate for poor technique, tactics or decision-making.

Apparently, Warnie is the inspiration for Bazball, but the way the Poms are going about it lacks Warnie's understanding of the game situation and appreciating the nuances of the game.  Jim Maxwell summed it up with his "Baz Bollocks" comment.
4
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Neser and Doggett, need the specialist spinner and extra pace/bouncer ability on a flatter track which will help England's flat track bully batsman more.
Bazball might be history by the end of the series along with its architects...

Both unlucky, particularly Neser after his five for.

I don't mind Bazball - both as a concept and a spectacle - but you do need a plan B.
Bazball is an excuse for poor technique and a lack of willingness to grind when necessary with both bat and ball which also indicates poor/lazy application. Throwing the bat at everything vs good line and length bowling works 1/10 times and having a plan B bowling strategy of 6 bouncers an over might work vs hapless teams like the Windies but wont vs the better teams.

5
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
Adelaide is usually a batting wicket, they may swap Doggett for Cummins and bring Lyon in for someone like Inglis, Inglis is wasted at 7 anyway and Cummins isn't a spud.

That leaves them Lyon with a chop out from Head for the spin variations.

Of course maybe Starc needs a rest, but to do that you'd have to be willing to load up Cummins.
6
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
Quote from: DJC – on
I don't mind Bazball - both as a concept and a spectacle - but you do need a plan B.
Yes, they've mistakenly taken the Dougie Walters / Adam Gilchrist "100 in a session" spirit and tried to turn it into the default game tactic. But you just can't ride your luck for that long, especially given that the bowlers are now better prepared than ever before to deal with such tactics.

Also, Test Cricket does not get played on ODI or T20 pitches, so for me the Bazball style should always be selectively applied.
7
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Neser and Doggett, need the specialist spinner and extra pace/bouncer ability on a flatter track which will help England's flat track bully batsman more.
Bazball might be history by the end of the series along with its architects...

Both unlucky, particularly Neser after his five for.

I don't mind Bazball - both as a concept and a spectacle - but you do need a plan B.
8
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Quote from: DJC – on
Comprehensive win as was always the most likely outcome. 

Excellent bowling from Neser in the Poms' second innings and Steve Smith certainly seemed to have an important engagement that he he was keen to get to ASAP.

Pat Cummins will be back for the Adelaide Test and Lyon will probably pass the drinks tray to someone else.  Which two bowlers will miss out?
Neser and Doggett, need the specialist spinner and extra pace/bouncer ability on a flatter track which will help England's flat track bully batsman more.
Bazball might be history by the end of the series along with its architects...
9
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Comprehensive win as was always the most likely outcome. 

Excellent bowling from Neser in the Poms' second innings and Steve Smith certainly seemed to have an important engagement that he he was keen to get to ASAP.

Pat Cummins will be back for the Adelaide Test and Lyon will probably pass the drinks tray to someone else.  Which two bowlers will miss out?
10
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by DJC -
It's easy to underestimate the importance of our NGA in building our list. Yes, we have two highly-rated draft picks in Harry Dean and Jack Ison who are yet to play a game , but they're not unknown quantities.

Dean, in particular, has been at Princes Park for years, spent much of his rehab from a broken shoulder there, has had Nic Newman working with him on his video reviews and has been following the club dietician's eating plan for a couple of years,  He knows most of the players well and has taken part in training drills and match sims for years.  Ison hasn't had quite the same exposure, and he doesn't have a club legend father.  He is still known around the club, knows the players and the training drills and has been mentored by Sam Walsh. The fact that neither Dean nor Ison are newbies walking into Princes Park for the first time gives them an advantage over Talor Byrne, and many other youngsters who were taken in this draft.  The club also knew exactly what it was getting when if committed to both lads, and that's another advantage.

They still have to put in the work and hope for good fortune but they're ahead of the field.

Cody Walker is following a similar path to Dean and should have a seamless transition to senior footy - provided the AFL doesn't screw us with its changes to father-son rules.