Carlton now Collingwood.

Now we just need Essendon to roll the Cats tomorrow and the big three will be supposedly be back in town.

The Saints have doomed themselves long term with their recruiting policy. They’ve recruited to win now with all their mature players, but most of them are good ordinary players at best. Their ceiling is low and nowhere near premiership standard.

Collingwood’s endeavor was good, but their skills and finishing a work in progress. It’s understandable considering the new system they’ll be implementing and their first preseason together. 

 

They say defences wins flags.  The stats for conceding scores from inside 50s so far:

1. Melbourne 35%
Daylight
2. Richmond 50%
3. St Kilda 52%
4. Collingwood 53%
5. Carlton 58%
6. Bulldogs 60%
 

8 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

I’m just here for the Mason Cox fashion show. 
Loving the matching knee high socks and elbow bands. Chanel is turning in her grave. 

His shorts look like a netball skirt. (no offence ladies).

 

2 hours ago, MT64 said:

His shorts look like a netball skirt. (no offence ladies).

 

Mal, at our advanced years its been a while since either of us offended any ladies, verbally or literally, they just smile and think silly old bugger.....

All day football today

2pm, 5pm and 8pm

TBH my max is 3 games a weekend and even then some are with the fast forward button.

Has the AFL over exposed the product with its "big splash" approach. Add to that every game is a 50/50 and I'm feeling slightly manipulated

Saints have a long injury list and so I expect them to improve their skills massively over the next 6 weeks. But they need more goal kicking options than long bombs to King, or Jo-the-goose over the back running into an open goal. If opposition lock down on these 2 options, the Saints will rarely win. 

The Pies look like they have 20 midfielders and then Cox and Moore. This lack of variety will kill them when they come up against teams that have fully functional backs, mids and forwards. 

11 hours ago, DubDee said:

Man, I cannot wait until Queens Birthday

That's what I thought last year.

Brisbane/Port should be a cracker and I'll be watching the swans giants game hoping to see Buddy get his 100th. 

As much as i dislike Chris scott I hope they [censored] the bummers. 

Hawthorn/Nth should be interesting tomorrow or it could be a snooze fest. 

Gee Buddy's going to kick a lot in this game.

12 hours ago, Winners at last said:

The filth was the only team that the Demons didn't beat last season.

Didn't need to as it turned out. Maybe it was their Grand Final, Eddie?

In round 1 I am always stuck watching every game and this arvo it will be between 2 sides that I hate  intensely.

15 hours ago, picket fence said:

Another question is Mason Cox Touche Turtle in disguise??

For some reason I immediately thought Dum Dum instead.

When you see a game like this you understand how well structured and disciplined the Dees are.

It might only be round 1 but because of the contrived AFL scheduling they are almost all 8 point games against close rivals.

Glad we got our win on Wednesday. Bulldogs are definitely top 8 if not top 4 so that's one big notch.

From an MFC perspective it's hard to hypothesize on what could be the better result from today's two interstate games.

I'm hoping for a draw between Cats and Essendon. Being a cats home game I had assumed it was at Kardinia park but of course a power house team like Essendon doesn't travel there

5 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

It might only be round 1 but because of the contrived AFL scheduling they are almost all 8 point games against close rivals.

The AFL is on a hiding to nothing here.

If they scheduled top teams against bottom teams, people would whinge about one-sided games.

 

15 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

 

How was Hawthorn any better then Richmond if you say that Richmond won theirs against interstate teams?

Hawthorn won all their premierships against interstate teams.

Did Whorethorn get the “armchair ride”fixturing at the MCG that Richmond got…No wonder Hardwick hates playing anywhere else. 
The 3 Interstate sides that Whorethorn played did not fold like a beach chair.

That is out of Richmond’s control, i get that, but it makes them look better than what they are. 
3 in 4  years is a top effort, but i rate them well below as a Dynasty 

11 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

The AFL is on a hiding to nothing here.

If they scheduled top teams against bottom teams, people would whinge about one-sided games.

 

Most rounds have around 4 meaningful games. It's part of the natural ebb and flow of a season.

Let interest grow naturally without attempting the artificial TV hype.

It has already cost the MFC about $200k in no away attendees at the GF replay

13 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Did Whorethorn get the “armchair ride”fixturing at the MCG that Richmond got…No wonder Hardwick hates playing anywhere else. 
The 3 Interstate sides that Whorethorn played did not fold like a beach chair.

That is out of Richmond’s control, i get that, but it makes them look better than what they are. 
3 in 4  years is a top effort, but i rate them well below as a Dynasty 

Absolutely they did.

Again, not sure if you're backing up your argument all that well. I've highlighted your this part in particular. 

2013 -  they won by 15 points against Freo who never looked like winning on the day. The first half Fremantle kicked a total of 1.6 which was horrible display on the big stage.

2014 - Hawthorn smashed Sydney by 74 points. Folded like a beach chair as you say.

2015 - flogged West Coast by 46 points. Game was pretty much over in the first quarter after Hawthorn kicked 5 goals straight to West Coast 1.3. At 3 quarter time Hawthorn were in front by 50 points. West Coast absolutely folded and were cooked 25 minutes into the first quarter.

Realistically how is this any different to Richmond?

Edited March 19, 20223 yr by dazzledavey36

Wednesday night was fantastic, i'm not complaining but it would have been great if we were playing our game in the 2pm slot today. A beautiful Saturday afternoon at the G to unfurl the flag, bring the kids, perfect conditions for footy and enjoy a few beers while watching. And i'm sure we would have got even more Dees fans along.

15 hours ago, BDA said:

I don't know which is more impressive. His game or the bowl cut / mullet combo he's sporting

Question is who’s head rolls first, Sweeney Todd or Brett Ratten? Given the saints propensity for appalling haircuts and diabolical skills. Tim Burton should be co-opted to document the saints season with the working title “Nightmare on Linton Street”

1 minute ago, BDA said:

Wednesday night was fantastic, i'm not complaining but it would have been great if we were playing our game in the 2pm slot today. A beautiful Saturday afternoon at the G to unfurl the flag, bring the kids, perfect conditions for footy and enjoy a few beers while watching. And i'm sure we would have got even more Dees fans along.

You'd think so..

But Gil doesn't operate that way.

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

You'd think so..

But Gil doesn't operate that way.

I think you will find that the first game of season was granted to us thanks to hard lobbying by Pert, not sure why Gil is copping it (hate defending the fool!)

Man, I’m already angry thinking about Geelong and they haven’t even run out yet. 

4 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

All day football today

2pm, 5pm and 8pm

TBH my max is 3 games a weekend and even then some are with the fast forward button.

Has the AFL over exposed the product with its "big splash" approach. Add to that every game is a 50/50 and I'm feeling slightly manipulated

I 100% subscribe to this.

The AFL, and Channel 7, are going to cook the goose that laid the golden egg by repeatedly scheduling football on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights.

For now the ratings are probably good enough but if they keep doing it people are going to find better things to do with their lives than watch football on any night that isn't Friday/Saturday.

If they want an example, they can look at how Channel 7 and Cricket Australia took a ratings machine in the BBL and turned it into a dud product.

42 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

It might only be round 1 but because of the contrived AFL scheduling they are almost all 8 point games against close rivals.

Glad we got our win on Wednesday. Bulldogs are definitely top 8 if not top 4 so that's one big notch.

From an MFC perspective it's hard to hypothesize on what could be the better result from today's two interstate games.

I'm hoping for a draw between Cats and Essendon. Being a cats home game I had assumed it was at Kardinia park but of course a power house team like Essendon doesn't travel there

It's ridiculously unfair.

Last year Hawthorn, Collingwood, Carlton and Richmond all missed the 8 whilst Essendon didn't win a final.

Not a single one of those sides is being sent to Kardinia this year. Instead, the Victorian contingent is yet again made up of us, the Dogs, North and St Kilda.

At the very least, Essendon played there in 2021 and Carlton played there in each of 2018, 2019 and 2020. 

25 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Did Whorethorn get the “armchair ride”fixturing at the MCG that Richmond got…No wonder Hardwick hates playing anywhere else. 
The 3 Interstate sides that Whorethorn played did not fold like a beach chair.

That is out of Richmond’s control, i get that, but it makes them look better than what they are. 
3 in 4  years is a top effort, but i rate them well below as a Dynasty 

12 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Absolutely they did.

Again, not sure if you're backing up your argument all that well. I've highlighted your this part in particular. 

2013 -  they won by 15 points against Freo who never looked like winning on the day. The first half Fremantle kicked a total of 1.6 which was horrible display on the big stage.

2014 - Hawthorn smashed Sydney by 74 points. Folded like a beach chair as you say.

2015 - flogged West Coast by 46 points. Game was pretty much over in the first quarter after Hawthorn kicked 5 goals straight to West Coast 1.3. At 3 quarter time Hawthorn were in front by 50 points. West Coast absolutely folded and were cooked 25 minutes into the first quarter.

Realistically how is this any different to Richmond?

Not a good argument here, @Sir Why You Little.

In 2013 Hawthorn only played four interstate away games. The other 18 were either at the MCG, Marvel or their Tasmanian fortress.

In 2014 and 2015 that figure rose to five, meaning 17 games were at the MCG, Marvel or Tasmania.

They also faced less resistance from Sydney in the 2014 GF and West Coast in the 2015 GF than Richmond did against Adelaide in the 2017 GF.

@dazzledavey36 the only part of your post I'd disagree with is that I think Fremantle put up a pretty strong show in the 2013 GF and if Fyfe had kicked straight in the first quarter that game I reckon could well have turned out very differently. 

6 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

You'd think so..

But Gil doesn't operate that way.

2 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

I think you will find that the first game of season was granted to us thanks to hard lobbying by Pert, not sure why Gil is copping it (hate defending the fool!)

From memory, and this might be wrong, Pert simply asked the AFL if we could have a home game vs the Dogs in Round 1 to unfurl the flag (e.g. see here).

I'm not sure we asked for it to be a Wednesday night, and indeed I reckon if we'd been given the choice we'd have asked for a Friday night.

As to Gil, he will do what Channel 7 want him to do, because the AFL needs Channel 7's money. 7 want more night games, so 7 will continue to get more night games.