What a crazy weird year.

We search and search for the right combination, finally find it and lose a key forward with a foot injury.

We lost  T Mac with a foot injury as well , and our best forward in Fritsch with another foot injury.

Shattering news. Pretty hard to win a flag without a mature key forward that can take a grab, and more importantly, stop elite defenders taking a grab.

Has been our problem since the end of 21 and will take some significant doing for us to win it from here. The poster who said the 23 flag hobbled off the ground in Hobart is odds on to be correct from here. 

Smith the best of the remaining options, and he has been injury prone his entire career as well. 

We may be calling on Schache out of pure need, or reverting to the problematic two ruck setup.

Trac and Melk as the keys cannot work - against the best full backs and defences they just won't be able to compete in the air. Melk is good at it, but even on the weekend he had a number of marks taken on him by a larger key defender.

Promising two forwards on the way back in tmac and fritta. Tmac if he is unhindered could fill the petty void.

BBB unfortunately is done. Injured in the Casey bye round. That knee is just not going to get better. Wouldn't surprise if he pulled the pin. Been a great player and a premiership one at that. 

So frustrating going one for one with Collingwood on key injuries 

 

If Tmac can pull a rabbit out of the hat it would be a much needed miracle.

Like Melksham, Petty’s bad luck could be Tom’s golden ticket to a second flag and more than likely his last opportunity. That is perhaps all the motivation he needs to push through and bring back the Tmac of old for the last month of the season. That’s all we need. 4 good games. 

I feel for MFC, I feel for Petts, l feel for us supporters, and I feel [censored] right now!!  
None-the-less, we will band together, and overcome this setback.  That’s what good teams do, and we are a bloody good team!  Go Demons.  We will overcome!

Bitter blow but someone has the win the premiership this year and we still have the talent to do it….never easy taking out the flag

Ok, just for context, Harry played one good game forward. He looked great, but we also won a lot without him - including wins against Brisbane and Collingwood. 

All this stuff about how we can’t win a premiership now is just not true. Our system is ultra competitive. Our best player hasn’t played for 10 weeks, is about to come back fresh, and ready to tear the competition apart.

It’s a speed bump, but have some faith. This is a great team.

Meantime Murphy’s injury at the Pies has gone from 3 weeks to 0 weeks. What is this magical luck? 😭

Significant lisfranc...can't help but think of the Mitch Clark experience. Hope I'm wrong.

  On 08/08/2023 at 09:54, leucopogon said:

Significant lisfranc...can't help but think of the Mitch Clark experience. Hope I'm wrong.

I hope medical science and treatments have come a long way since and Lisfranc is no longer the footballing death sentence it once was. Hey @Webber?

  On 08/08/2023 at 09:53, Jaded No More said:

Meantime Murphy’s injury at the Pies has gone from 3 weeks to 0 weeks. What is this magical luck? 😭

Murphy isn’t Daicos. That’s huge for them.

Good news Bad news.

Petty finished for season. Bad news.

T/Mac and Brown might be ready by R 24. Good News.

Fritsch possibly R24 but likely the QF . Mostly good news.

Richo doesnt talk BS.

Relax...look out pretty boy Carlton  !

  On 08/08/2023 at 09:20, Jaded No More said:

If Tmac can pull a rabbit out of the hat it would be a much needed miracle.

Like Melksham, Petty’s bad luck could be Tom’s golden ticket to a second flag and more than likely his last opportunity. That is perhaps all the motivation he needs to push through and bring back the Tmac of old for the last month of the season. That’s all we need. 4 good games. 

Personally, I would be happy to carry his bags to each game, as long as he brought his best to the last game of the year.

I am sure the team could do likewise, but Grundy is not as injured,  Go Dees.   

One bag of lollies now,   really we should have gone for the long view.  We are forced to do that now.

Not sure if anyone caught Clayton Oliver’s interview on Fox News this evening. Doesn’t instil a lot of confidence that he’ll be back next week let alone this week. Unless he is taking the [censored]. “He hasn’t finished a training session yet” 

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:05, Gawndy the Great said:

Not sure if anyone caught Clayton Oliver’s interview on Fox News this evening. Doesn’t instil a lot of confidence that he’ll be back next week let alone this week. Unless he is taking the [censored]. “He hasn’t finished a training session yet” 

He hates doing media, always has. 

Don't look too much into it.

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:05, Gawndy the Great said:

Not sure if anyone caught Clayton Oliver’s interview on Fox News this evening. Doesn’t instil a lot of confidence that he’ll be back next week let alone this week. Unless he is taking the [censored]. “He hasn’t finished a training session yet” 

Obviously you don’t know Clarry. The man has all the media nous of a turkey. I love him but god he is not Shakespeare is he? 

Club said he will play if he gets through training. That has come from both Goody and Richo. So baring another disaster he plays this weekend. 
 

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:09, dazzledavey36 said:

He hates doing media, always has. 

Don't look too much into it.

That’s why it was worrying. if we take him at his word, I’ll say it’s more likely than not that he won’t be. There were not too many other ways to interpret the message.

Edited August 8, 20231 yr by Gawndy the Great

He was considered for the North game. Oliver will play. Stress less.

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:15, Gawndy the Great said:

That’s why it was worrying. if we take him at his word, I’ll say it’s more likely than not that he won’t be. There were not too many other ways to interpret the message.

He said he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself as he’s had too many let downs already. I think it’s his own defense mechanism that he doesn’t want to be disappointed in case something goes wrong. But he also said he’s feeling confident in the hamstring. 
He will play. 

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:15, Gawndy the Great said:

That’s why it was worrying. if we take him at his word, I’ll say it’s more likely than not that he won’t be. There were not too many other ways to interpret the message.

I wouldn't worry too much.

English isn't his first language.

And he doesn't have another.

  On 08/08/2023 at 10:15, Gawndy the Great said:

That’s why it was worrying. if we take him at his word, I’ll say it’s more likely than not that he won’t be. There were not too many other ways to interpret the message.

But i did see it too.

I thought it was bizarre.

But it clearly wasn't a club organised thing.

A door stopper on the way into training- which was at Junction oval (which is frustrating- the media knew it was there obviously but fans didn't? Or at leastvi didn't- I would have gone).

Oliliver looked and sounded [censored] off.

As sad as the Petty news is, I’m more worried about how much we will all pump him up over the pre-season and get upset when he doesn’t kick 6 in round one. 
 

He’s been a revelation and we’re worse off without him, but being injured he won’t play any bad games this year. So we’re left remembering 8 goals across 1.5 games.