COPYCATS ALREADY OUT OF THE BAG

Dan Silkstone in the Sunday Age, 25th April 2010:

Dees lapping up sweet taste of victory

Not so long ago some wondered if Dean Bailey had a gameplan. Any blueprint, imperfectly implemented, will look haphazard. But when the targets are hit, the ball skilfully shared and the opposition virtually surrendering, the plan becomes obvious and obviously effective. There was more than a little Geelong about the way they ran in packs, drew the tackle and dished the handball. It was a game won in transition and the transition was lightning quick. The goals and honours were well shared out. Davey, Sylvia, Petterd and Trengove all bagged two. All were excellent.

Rohan Connolly in the Monday Age, 26th April 2010:

Copy cats

Much of the football world will blanch at any comparison of the Demons with the peerless Geelong, but you simply cannot escape the similarities in both how Melbourne plays and the assortment of personnel it is assembling to do so.

[Melbourne] is clearly, and rightly, using the Cats as prototype for its own model.

The mere suggestion of that seemed laughable after the Hawthorn debacle. But some gritting of teeth from the senior heads in the Demon line-up and the spark of youngsters like Scully, Trengove and Grimes is giving Melbourne an infectious energy. And so rapidly is the momentum gathering that who is to doubt just how far it could lead?

Tony T. in the AGB, 31 March 2008:

Rot Socks

[Melbourne's] game plan looks roughly similar to Geelong 2007: have most (give or take full back and full forward) of your players move up and down the ground bunched within a kick of where the ball is at any one time. This means you always have loads of players around the ball who can a) put maximum pressure on the other side when they have the ball; and b) "run and carry" the agate down the ground en masse when you get your hands on the ball. It's what Geelong do perfectly. Melbourne's not insignificant problem is that we don't have Geelong's players. No Ablett, Bartell, Ling, Corey, Enright, Kelly; all hard running, strong over the ball, experienced, talented players. Melbourne, on the other hand, are a light, young side not yet used to said plan or physically capable of such a contact-intense style of footy.

Incidentally, just as Geelong struggle to beat Hawthorn's cluster, which clogs up the central running lanes, Melbourne will also struggle to deal with Hawthorn. It's no coincidence that it was the Hawks who spanked Melbourne in round one.

Comments

[m0nty]

Don't the majority of clubs play the cluster now?

To be honest, Tony, anybody could have beaten the Tigers and Crows. Everybody has. Black and Brown being restricted by injury always makes the Lions look terrible, and they often put in shockers away from the Gabba.

Having said that, you're a big chance against North next week. That DVD of The Streak could extend to four discs!

[Tony]

I'm not making any bold claims about how good Melbourne might or might not be; I don't even think Melbourne are good things against North this week, especially in light of the inevitable increased scrutiny; I'm just saying Melbourne's style is heavily modelled on Geelong's style.

[Big Ramifications]

Mate, there's a few coaches in the last 5 or so years that I thought were gonna be long term under achievers.

Bomber Thompson
Alistair Clarkson
Mark Harvey
Dean Bailey

Still early days on the latter two, I suppose. But jeez, maybe there's something in that "5 year plan" malarkey, after all.

Then we had Woosha who somehow got the Eagles rabble into the finals in his first year, winning a flag soon after. And yet now he seems like he's forgotten how to coach, and is a sulking defensive wreck at his post match conferences and in interviews. Comes across like he's gonna go home and top himself, sometimes.

And how long have media experts been writing off the Swannies? I distinctly remember the deafening consensus that their 2005 flag was a bit of a ring, how Roos got an ageing list over the line [or 3 o'clock as Mick Malthouse would put it] and how it was all gonna be down hill from there.

My point is that I've given up trying to predict teams' performances until round 20!

[Tony]

If you have an on-ball brigade of Cox, Cousins, Kerr and Judd you don't need to be a good coach to look good.

On the flip side, Bailey has so far had rock all to work with, so he's looked like a goose. But now he's starting to get a team together.

[Dan Silkstone]

I didn't steal from ya, I'd never heard of you until I just vanity googled myself, looking for an old story of mine. FWIW I don't mind the accusations of plagiarism in the slightest but don't mess up on The Wire. Thats serious business.

It's "Proposition Joe".

[Tony]

G'day Dan,

I wasn't accusing you of ripping me off, I was boasting that I was first off the mark with the Geelong vs Melbourne comparison. But I trust you had a go at Rohan Connolly for ripping you off.

And yes, it's Proposition Joe. PREPOSITION JOE in the other post is a pun. As it happens, I was also first off the mark (in Straya) for boosting The Wire, which has its own category here at the AGB.

PS: Did you find the information you were looking for about Ricky Petterd?

[Tony]

To plagiarise myself:

"Make no mistake. If you haven't gotten into The Wire by now, you are a complete dickhead."

[Big Ramifications]

I lost 4 days last month thanks to your recommendation, Tony. Watched the first 2 series on DVD in a marathon.

Began watching series 3 and after five minutes "nah, I'm all Wired out." Gave it the flick and, like, went out into the sunlight just for something different.

[Tony]

You are a complete dickhead.

[Dan Silkstone]

it seems,after a cursory poke around this joint, I can't take too much issue with a bloke who wraps both The wire and Alex Chilton. Hipster cred established, though i' sure I was well into both some time around 1978.
Was I looking for information about Ricky Petterd? What would it have been?
Like 'Does it bother you that you appear set to be one of those players who,regardless of how good you become in the cut-throat world of AFL football, at least 50 per cent of people will always be unsure of how to pronounce your surname?'

[Tony]

Your Google search was "dan silkstone petterd".

'Does it bother you that you appear set to be one of those players who,regardless of how good you become in the cut-throat world of AFL football, at least 50 per cent of people will always be unsure of how to pronounce your surname?'

See Trengove, J, MFC.

[Big Rammer's mum]

And how long have media experts been writing off the Swannies? I distinctly remember the deafening consensus that their 2005 flag was a bit of a ring, how Roos got an ageing list over the line and how it was all gonna be down hill from there.

Didn't they teach you anything at school, son?

Just doing some rough-as-guts maths on the back of a ciggie packet… the average ladder position for the Swans since their premiership has been a respectable 6.5th.

If you use years as the x-axis then this represents a DOWN HILL gradient of 1.625.

[Big Ramifications]

Thanks mum.

I'll let that "dickhead" comment go thru to the 'keeper, Tony. You're obviously back on the sauce.

[Big Rammer's mum]

Notice how I didn't say "DOWN HILL gradient of -1.625"? That would have been a double negative.

A "gradient of -1.625" would have sounded too officious, plus I wanted to use the words "down hill" just to rub your nose in it.

[Big Ramifications]

You are a complete dickhead.

Just to clarify.

I don't mean "I'm all Wired out for evarr". I just meant I was temporarily all Wired out after watching 25 straight episodes of The Wire. I still love The Wire, Big Tone. I promise I’ll watch the rest!

* kowtows to Tony, meekly shuffles out the room backwards *

:)

[Cam]

I gave up during the 1st series when i saw two gay stick up artists kiss.

Sailer on The Wire:

http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/its_so_authentic/

[Big Ramifications]

I gave up during the 1st series when i saw two gay stick up artists kiss.

The only slight problems I have so far:

** GOOFY COMPUTER SOUND EFFECTS when a computer is thinking. That is so 1990.

** Urkel cast as a ruthless killer? Hmmm, still trying to get my head around that one.

On the positives, I rarely have a LOL moment when I'm watching TV by myself, but I've had a couple with The Wire.

When the cop has to extricate his drunk, cigar smoking cop partner from his house. The wife answers the door and says "he's set off the fire alarm twice."

To which the cop replies "that good, huh?"

[Tony]

Sailer:

In summary, the reason that so many pundits swoon over The Wire is because the message Simon is preaching to blacks—Be like me! Be a nice white liberal!—is, deep down, their solution for everything.

I'm not "be a nice white liberal" I just like a good story.

Pity there was so little Urkel: Brother Mouzone shoots Cheese