Going over the Port team for tomorrow I’m surprised how inexperienced they are, no wonder they are struggling this year. I know it’s always a danger to take a team lightly but we really should do a number on them tomorrow all things being equal.

1 hour ago, monoccular said:

Smith "Health protocol" is "convenient" for Lever's return.

Or it’s just the truth.

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I'm really disappointed to see BBB out.

The pressure is now on Weid to back up his performance from last week and thereby cement his place in the side for a while.

The pressure is also on Tmac to perform. I had him listed as an out if BBB was available. 

On the other hand great to see the Romsey boy back.,

Me too Uncle 

To borrow from another Poster who said, quote

"Lever and May being back together just makes me relax and generally feel good"

Uncle .. a bit like you at the Manor EH  LOL??

A bit like '' Just Pull LEVER and it MAY make me relax and feel good"

1 hour ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Port have a habit of physically targetting our players, especially Max. 

Lycett worked him over when at the Eagles in the 2018 Prelim.  He and others did they same in round 1 2019.  Even debutantes crashed into him at every opportunity.  They repeated the dose in 2020 when we came off a 4 day break.  They also targetted other players in that game. 

I hope Max and the team have not forgotten. 

Would love to see a few classic May, Viney et al tackles in the first 10 minutes ala the WB GF, to knock the stuffing out of a few players.

All that aside, Port are missing their bookends (Dixon and Aliir Aliir) and their midfield aren't playing with a lot of confidence.

Dees by 35 points.

Totally agree, and very ready to see the team protect the Captain.

7 minutes ago, DEE fence said:

Totally agree, and very ready to see the team protect the Captain.

Just SERRMASSSSH THESE WANNABEES NEVER WASSERS

10 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Me too Uncle 

To borrow from another Poster who said, quote

"Lever and May being back together just makes me relax and generally feel good"

Uncle .. a bit like you at the Manor EH  LOL??

A bit like '' Just Pull LEVER and it MAY make me relax and feel good"

It's time to get off the shiraz picket

22 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Or it’s just the truth.

Sorry - maybe I didn't word it properly.  I wasn't suggesting any form of subterfuge, just convenient that they don't need to make the hard call this week (but knowing that they would have made it if they had to).

Hopefully Brown isn’t playing because they thought it was risky to fly him out tomorrow after a week at home, and not because he now has Covid. 
And hopefully Smith is just a close contact and not actually suffering from Covid. 

1 hour ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Port have a habit of physically targetting our players, especially Max. 

Lycett worked him over when at the Eagles in the 2018 Prelim.  He and others did they same in round 1 2019.  Even debutantes crashed into him at every opportunity.  They repeated the dose in 2020 when we came off a 4 day break.  They also targetted other players in that game. 

I hope Max and the team have not forgotten. 

Would love to see a few classic May, Viney et al tackles in the first 10 minutes ala the WB GF, to knock the stuffing out of a few players.

All that aside, Port are missing their bookends (Dixon and Aliir Aliir) and their midfield aren't playing with a lot of confidence.

Dees by 35 points.

Maybe because it was all tv viewing last year ( and getting the close up) but I was astounded by the amount of whacks to the head Max received in a number of games.

They are clearly high contact but most times no free kick.

I just don't understand how this continually occurs without penalty.

Here's hoping the Weed can back up last week's performance. Port have some pretty decent tall defenders in Jonas, McKenzie and Clurey. It'll be much tougher you'd imagine.

Might be an evening Fritta snakes 🐍 his way back into the goals.

What's with all the "hope Brown doesn't have COVID" stuff? Is there a rumour I missed?

Given we've already flown over, I suspect the answer to the Brown situation is that he couldn't fly with us today and so couldn't take part in adequate preparation. So we give Weid and TMac another game and unless both dominate, one is going to make way for Brown next week (IMO Brown is a walk-up start).

I've never been much of a Smith fan and thought his game last week was poor in patches, but even I can acknowledge how unfair and harsh it is for him to be forced out due to COVID. He deserves to come straight back and pressure will be on Tomlinson and Hunt, you'd think. 

Having said all that, so great to see Lever back.

2 hours ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

It is crazy just how much bad luck Joel Smith has had in his short career. I would be surprised if he has ever managed more than 6 weeks in a row before something has forced him out of the team.

Smith has never played more than four games in a row, which he has only done once: Rounds 15-18 in 2020.

He's otherwise only played three games in a row a few times, including just now.

2 hours ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

It is crazy just how much bad luck Joel Smith has had in his short career. I would be surprised if he has ever managed more than 6 weeks in a row before something has forced him out of the team.

Yeah he's played a total of 24 games since he debuted in 2017 and the most he's ever played is 7 in a row.. unlucky!

4 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

What's with all the "hope Brown doesn't have COVID" stuff? Is there a rumour I missed?

Given we've already flown over, I suspect the answer to the Brown situation is that he couldn't fly with us today and so couldn't take part in adequate preparation. So we give Weid and TMac another game and unless both dominate, one is going to make way for Brown next week (IMO Brown is a walk-up start).

I've never been much of a Smith fan and thought his game last week was poor in patches, but even I can acknowledge how unfair and harsh it is for him to be forced out due to COVID. He deserves to come straight back and pressure will be on Tomlinson and Hunt, you'd think. 

Having said all that, so great to see Lever back.

I think the concern for Brown re covid  is that he was in a house for seven days with someone who had covid.

If it was his young child it would be hard work to avoid getting it. A lottery really.

Just now, binman said:

I think the concern for Brown re covid  is that he was in a house for seven days with someone who had covid.

If it was his young child it would be hard work to avoid getting it. A lottery really.

I’m fairly sure it was his wife who had it. 
Doesn’t mean the kids didn’t get it either.

I shared a house for 7 days with someone who had Covid (mild dose) and didn't get it. Three vaccinations helped.

2 minutes ago, mauriesy said:

I shared a house for 7 days with someone who had Covid (mild dose) and didn't get it. Three vaccinations helped.

I know a few people who had Covid and their other household members didn’t get it. 
However I don’t know a single family who had small snotty Covid positive children who didn’t pass it along to everyone else in the house. It’s super hard to avoid having contact with small kids who you are trying to keep alive. 

12 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I know a few people who had Covid and their other household members didn’t get it. 
However I don’t know a single family who had small snotty Covid positive children who didn’t pass it along to everyone else in the house. It’s super hard to avoid having contact with small kids who you are trying to keep alive. 

An ugly image has just implanted on my brain ( or what remains of it ). No amount of shiraz will give me rest.

Feel guilty Jaded!

8 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I know a few people who had Covid and their other household members didn’t get it. 
However I don’t know a single family who had small snotty Covid positive children who didn’t pass it along to everyone else in the house. It’s super hard to avoid having contact with small kids who you are trying to keep alive. 

Very true. Our 3yo has COVID after it spread through our family. He’s been hardest hit assumably because he hasn’t been vaccinated as yet. Nothing on earth could stop me cuddling him while he vomits everywhere, has a temp of a million degrees and is in distress. Pretty hard to not get whatever they have in that situation.

47 minutes ago, —coach— said:

Very true. Our 3yo has COVID after it spread through our family. He’s been hardest hit assumably because he hasn’t been vaccinated as yet. Nothing on earth could stop me cuddling him while he vomits everywhere, has a temp of a million degrees and is in distress. Pretty hard to not get whatever they have in that situation.

Sorry to hear Coach, hope you guys get through it ok and have some support to around you. 

Edited April 6, 20222 yr by Cards13
Supper is out

3 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Sorry to hear Coach, hope you guys get through it ok and have some supper around you. 

Doubt they feel much like a tea and biscuit before bed time.

22 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

An ugly image has just implanted on my brain ( or what remains of it ). No amount of shiraz will give me rest.

Feel guilty Jaded!

You chose well Uncle.  Things could have gotten really grotty had you gone with...

Just feel BB not playing will come back to bite us.

Its a matter of luck if you have to pull  out  due to health safety protocols . Brown started last thursday . Had it been been 3 days earlier he would have played this week

9 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Maybe because it was all tv viewing last year ( and getting the close up) but I was astounded by the amount of whacks to the head Max received in a number of games.

They are clearly high contact but most times no free kick.

I just don't understand how this continually occurs without penalty.

But, the AFL repeatedly go on about the head being sacrosanct, umpires will protect the head, etc etc.

Pack of absolute  hypocrites. 

8 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

I know a few people who had Covid and their other household members didn’t get it. 
However I don’t know a single family who had small snotty Covid positive children who didn’t pass it along to everyone else in the house. It’s super hard to avoid having contact with small kids who you are trying to keep alive. 

My 1 and 3 yo grandchildren had it, isolated with their very hands on mum and dad for a week, and they didn’t get it.  Bit of a lottery.