JLT Game 2

[laj]

Practice matches are exactly that.
However, it doesn't mean that what occurs in them gives no insight into what the season ahead could be like.

A team can lose, and have it not mean anything.
But a team can lose, and have it actually mean something.

If an U15's club went out and lost a practice match against the saints, sure, the loss itself doesn't mean anything.
However, the fact that they were not fast enough, fit enough, ferocious enough and their skill level was not up to par does give you some insight into how they might go in the regular season.

That is what people are worried about.
Our kids are just not up to AFL standard with their decision making, discipline, aggression and fitness level.
Our ruck stocks are thin.
Our key forward stocks are thin.
Our effort has been lacking.

So sure the result means little.
The above revelations do.

Plenty of merit there.

We know 1, 2 and 3 we have issues.

4th the effort can lack in pre-season games as long as that doesn't occur round 1. If it does then we have real issues worse than any of the three above.