38 minutes ago, smurf said:

I have a strong suspicion that Max will be rested/managed this week and Grundy will ruck.

I think Viney's shoulder could do with a week off too.

Sparrow and Grundy in.

Max and Viney out.

I have a strong suspicion that Max will not be rested/managed this week.

I’ll be listening in from Athens on Sunday.

6:20am is a good time to be playing with 36 degrees predicted.

Oh … wait …

1 hour ago, smurf said:

 

I think Viney's shoulder could do with a week off too.

….

Nah, you can’t just give his shoulder the week off.

His whole body or nothing.

37 minutes ago, layzie said:

We've got this obsession on here lately that everyone has to be 100% cherry ripe all the time. It's AFL footy and it doesn't happen, players play with knocks and niggles all the time. Otherwise what the hell is the point of the pre-finals bye?

I know we're fearful of a situation like last year but from all accounts the level of banged up that we were was from another post code. I'd be shocked if we pulled out 3 or more regular starters for the sake of rest, May and Viney yes if actually hurt, and that's a big if.  

No cherry ripe all the time.

Cherry ripe on Grand Final day. 

20 minutes ago, binman said:

No cherry ripe all the time.

Cherry ripe on Grand Final day. 

That I can get around!

On 8/1/2023 at 4:24 PM, Grand New Flag said:

I am told the decision has been made to hold Oliver back until the Carlton game.

It is also my understanding that we studied Geelong's run to the finals last year and compared that to the Dees.  We went in banged up, literally half the team was carrying an injury, we tried to play all players through their niggles.  Geelong on the other hand rested their older and niggled players over the season and had them all fully fit for finals. Not managing our players and playing too many injured players cost us a Premiership (in my view).

As such I expect Melbourne to rest players in the final month as they have during the season (eg Hibbert).  My view is we must rest Gawn.  He has been unbelievable for 3 weeks; we want him playing like this in finals he is pushing 32yo he needs to be rested particularly since we have Grundy ready to go.

I expect Sparrow to be brought back in, a bit of a lottery who goes out for him and I expect Grundy for Gawn. Not sure what to make of Hibbert, I would have brought him in for Dusty when forward last week. In the end our rookie Juddy struggled on a sublime Dusty. Perhaps moving forward Hibbert is a match-up player.  In saying that Juddy does not get dropped.

There will be players that have niggles that we are unaware of.  Don't be surprised to see some unexpected "managed" outs particularly against North and Hawks.  I get the argument about flirting with form, I just think this is a risk that the match committee are happy to take to get our boys full fit for finals.

Serious question GNF and you do not have to answer, and i will make it as easy as i can, but is it conceivable that this is Max's last year?

Could we have two EX TWSNBN Players in Finals?

 

On 7/30/2023 at 7:08 PM, Hellaintabadplacetobe said:

I'd be resting Viney for Dunstan this week. He's been a battering ram for 5 weeks and copped another big stinger today that troubled him.

Get him primed for Carlton 

Agree with this.

Give Schache a go too, why not?  Rest Max for Grundy.  Other things not sure.  Oliver shouldn't play either yet.

9 minutes ago, Willmoy1947 said:

Serious question GNF and you do not have to answer, and i will make it as easy as i can, but is it conceivable that this is Max's last year?

Could we have two EX TWSNBN Players in Finals?

Max's last year?  Is this a real possibility??

It is important we don't underestimate the Kangaroos.

However, I agree that Viney and Gawn are a bit "banged up" and a little bit of a rest wouldn't be such a bad idea.

On 8/1/2023 at 3:43 PM, layzie said:

I'm sick of seeing the word 'rest'.

The rest of the world might disagree

3 hours ago, ben russell said:

I have a strong suspicion that Max will not be rested/managed this week.

I have a strong suspicion that I have no idea whether Max will be rested/managed this week.

North have lost 17 in a row

they’re due a win

Goodwin is not into resting players.  He respects every opponent and there is no doubt that North at Blundstone are not easy beats.  Gawn will play.

4 minutes ago, DubDee said:

North have lost 17 in a row

they’re due a win

How do you think a win vs the current inform and 4th place side would look for their case of a priority pick application? 😉

Won't get within 9 goals of us or win another game this year.

7 minutes ago, DubDee said:

North have lost 17 in a row

they’re due a win

we’d have to play extremely poorly to allow this to happen 

We will destroy them and anyone else who gets in our way

Edited August 2, 20231 yr by Roost it far

If any player is struggling with  knock/knocks i hope our fitness dept have learnt lessons from the past faliures 2022 and manage the situation with the big picture in mind.

Lets be the smart club this time round and not be brave and to ultimately pay the price finals time, that's my two bobs worth.

I have faith in the people who run our club, the right decisions will be made with big picture in mind.

🤞

 

Rule of the Week 

 

Norf are thugs and will go the knuckle like last year at Marvel. Shame we can’t elevate Mitch White and Moose 🫎 from Casey and give them some ‘park footy’ back. I’d rest Viney for Dunstan and just tell him he is there to crash bodies and extract the pill, stay out of chains….

We need eyes at Casey Fields this morning.

13 hours ago, Melb-A-Toast said:

The rest of the world might disagree

Thanks dad. 

On 8/1/2023 at 8:25 PM, chookrat said:

I wouldn't be against rotating 2 - 3 players that could do with a light week but also wouldn't want us to take this game lightly. It's Clarko's first match back and North will likely play with emotion on what is essentially a suburban ground with a howling wind. North will keep us honest and we will need to bring intensity early to control the game and make sure we don't find ourselves playing catchup. Melbourne by 60 - 80 points.

2km winds predicted

8 hours ago, Demonland said:

Rule of the Week 

 

Only the AFL could produce a diagram which defies geometry.  They show the behind post following the curve of the oval and then 9m of the protected zone is in line with the 9m edge of the goal square.   Impossible.  But the truth is that the behind posts are not on a curve but in a straight line with the goal posts, so there is no special relativity effect required. (Sorry to nit pick - well not really sorry.)

The tweet says the player on the mark will be instructed to come back to the 9m line.    Sometimes they are, sometimes the player gets pinged either without any instruction or without time to move. And sometimes where 9m actually is is unclear to both parties.

They need to paint a line of some sort across the ground so players know where the 9m is and then no instruction should be needed.

43 minutes ago, loges said:

2km winds predicted

Is that a long or a short wind? 🙂