Hopes for 2025

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,791]

One thing I don't want to see again in 2025 is Turner played as the starting sub.  Too impactful as a forward to have sitting on the pine for 3/4 and seems mobile and adaptable enough that he could play a bunch of roles even if we looked excessively tall in our forward 50.

[Fanatique Demon 2,642]

19 hours ago, manny100 said:

AH - MU coming on board

Who is/are AH - MU, please.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,791]

On 03/09/2024 at 08:12, The Taciturn Demon said:

I'd love Tom Sparrow to work on his agility and become a really strong midfielder who can hurt oppositions when resting forward. 

Totally agree. 

Strong as an ox and has a great penitrating kick on him.  Showed so much potential in 2021, but has flat lined and probably even gone backwards since (being demoted to Casey at a time we are down in the mid is evidence of that).

I don't know what the dynamic is between the two at the moment, but I think if Trac so desperately wants us back up there, he should take Tommy on as his pet project and pull him up to the next level.

Maybe then, we can have some more bang bang bang on the last day of September.

[DubDee 25,446]

luckily there are no gun teams at the moment so if any team in the top 14 gets everything right for 12 months you can win one

First step is a low finish and a soft draw and players heading into surgery early

[Adam The God 30,065]

1 hour ago, Fanatique Demon said:

Who is/are AH - MU, please.

Our NGA next year.

Plays for Dandy Stingrays.

Forward/ruck. Big lump of a lad.

[Deemania since 56 6,605]

On 03/09/2024 at 12:48, Roost it far said:

Midfielders at the draft/trade table

The Flag at the G they owe us

Caulfield agreement

Get it Done

😂

 

Our midfielders could do much better if they were capable of better acceptance of responsibilities. They need to:

*read and attack the fall of the ball, no matter which ruck wins the tap-down or if the melee squirts down on the ball

*learn how to reciprocally spread in an instant to receive chain handballs/taps accordingly in 360-degrees 

*draw up at least one halfback defender to cover surprises of ball entry into the opposition forward zone whilst our midfielders challenge opposition ball carriers (if that be the case)

*learn to keep eyes down for forward line progress should these players learn to spread and lead out providing positive options

*go harder at each engagement with the game, pace, aggression, power, recovery, making space, 2nd & 3rd attempts.

 

[Farmer 875]

On 05/09/2024 at 11:30, leave it to deever said:

I have zero hope we will win a flag in 25.

I think we won't even make the finals.

Our fwd line is still a mess.

Our midfield has imploded. Oliver's form all over the place. Tracca and Viney's murmurings about leaving. Injury cloud over Tracca.

Anb moved on. 

It's hard to fathom how much we have fallen in three years.

Id like to be positive but it's extremely hard to do so the way we finished this year and all the off field antics 

Playing for the Mfc is a privilege and a few players need to recognize this. 

I hope the club is lethal in it's pruning in the next few months. And despite our lack of depth, I hope next year players are relegated to the twos after insipid efforts and not constantly gifted games they don't deserve.

 

I think that u overlook the crop of new payers we introduced this year. My rating is 

Windsor 200 games plus

Tholstrup 200 plus

AMW and Howes 100 plus

I also think that Laurie will become a good player if he can get time as a mid, rather than a HFF

and I think u might be underestimating the likes of JVR , McVee ( a star already) and Turner all of whom I expect to play 20 games next year . And I think the caution shown towards Jefferson may well pay off .

we DO need a second ruckman. I just don’t understand the Fullarton position 

[Fanatique Demon 2,642]

2 hours ago, Adam The God said:

Our NGA next year.

Plays for Dandy Stingrays.

Forward/ruck. Big lump of a lad.

Thanks. Just looked it up. Tairon Ah-Mu.

[old dee 23,699]

7 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Deakyn Smith won the Casey B&F in 2023 and still got delisted.

Sestan averages 11-12 possessions and less than a goal per game.  He had some strong games 3-4 but missing below par in many others.  

Not a senior level player.

[old dee 23,699]

We need  to replace Gus ( not easy he was top rank) get a top level KPF Vander is useful at best probably better if he didn't ruck 35% of games. I have watched a number of games over the last month, Vander isn't in the top 25 KPF's. Petty and Turner are backmen pure and simple. They will give us good forward games against the bottom  10 teams but little against the top 8. Those two as kpf's won't win us a flag. 

The biggest one is a low injury list. Pies won the flag last year and injuries turn them into average this year. 

Edited September 8 by old dee

[Adam The God 30,065]

So many Melbourne supporters I know refer to JVR as VDR or Vanders. It's very strange.

His name is Jacob van Rooyen. 

I'm surprised @Demonstone lets this pass.

Edited September 8 by Adam The God
Good spot, DS

[Fanatique Demon 2,642]

16 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

So many Melbourne supporters I know refer to JVR as VDR or Vanders. It's very strange.

His name is Jacob van Rooyen. 

I'm surprised @Demonstone let's this pass.

Is it really that common? I honestly never noticed this until @old dee posted above.

[Adam The God 30,065]

3 minutes ago, Fanatique Demon said:

Is it really that common? I honestly never noticed this until @old dee posted above.

One of my mates says it, and I've seen it written at least twice in the last fortnight. It's very strange.

[Demonstone 22,202]

33 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

I'm surprised @Demonstone let's this pass.

I'll let it pass, but not your superfluous apostrophe in "lets".  

[The end is nigh 366]

8 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Deakyn Smith won the Casey B&F in 2023 and still got delisted.

Sestan averages 11-12 possessions and less than a goal per game.  He had some strong games 3-4 but missing below par in many others.  

For a guy recruited for kicking over 20 goals in a game, he spent way too much time covering the midfield for a lack of capable bodies in there. Won’t have done him any harm building a tank but hopefully we balance the list better and he can shine in his natural position. 

[Foopy on the telly 529]

On a side note, I went for a run this morning, and ran past Jake Lever going for a walk. His arm was in a sling. Did I miss news of him getting injured again or something?

Hope we’re not gonna see him with an interrupted preseason for next year.

[Palace Dees 2,266]

Back on topic:

Hopes - less former MFC listed/Casey players playing finals for other clubs and less trade ins playing 99% at Casey. 

[Ungarieboy 429]

We should be advantaged by a far essier easier draw, for as a bottom 6 side we should play 2 of the bottom 4 twice and one at worse 2 top 8 sides.

I'm predicting Richmond (due to Anzac eve game) and West Coast. 

We are likely to volunteer for (Adelaide/Port again in gather round.) so expect the Crows as a double up 

Then it's two of the next group outside the 8 - we host Collingwood this QB so they're likely to be one ( plus the AFL likes a potential drama story) which would leave one of the lower ranked teams - I'm expecting Gold Coast but would prefer the Saints.

Lastly two sides in the 8 (1 from top 4) probably Port or GWS for the Alice game

And then bulldogs, though as we have potentially a lot of interstate double-ups, we'll likely request a bigger club (for crowd revenue) so perhaps carlton or Essendon.

Tigers, Eagles, Crows, Pies, Suns, Port, Bulldogs double ups: 

In theory this is as hard as the draw should get.

But it could easily be

Tigers, Eagles, Suns, Saints, Dockers, Pies, Hawks

[Ungarieboy 429]

An easier draw can also reduce the wear and tear on players (opposition intensity and maturity not as high) and can help build confidence (young players and out of form).

[dice 692]

Beat our average attendance this year of 34,929 at home games

[old dee 23,699]

20 hours ago, Adam The God said:

One of my mates says it, and I've seen it written at least twice in the last fortnight. It's very strange.

It's just using the Van part of his name. However seeing it is causing grief I will try to do better in the future. Oh what is your opinion of his ability? 

Edited September 9 by old dee

[Adam The God 30,065]

6 minutes ago, old dee said:

It's just using the Van part of his name. However seeing is causing grief I will try to do better in the future. Oh what is your opinion of his ability? 

Haha, sorry to be a pedant, OD.

I think he's going to be a star.

He'd be one of the best forwards in the game if he one grabbed more often.

I'm a big fan. You?

[old dee 23,699]

Just now, Adam The God said:

Haha, sorry to be a pedant, OD.

I think he's going to be a star.

He'd be one of the best forwards in the game if he one grabbed more often.

I'm a big fan. You?

Not so much, appears to have no markings ability in packs which is not uncommon in footy of the 21st century. Perhaps I am being hard on him because without another KPF he gets the best defender every game, then spends a third of every game in the ruck which severely affects his out put as a KPF. . I just don't see him as in the best dozen KPF's. Being a kpf in the Dees team doesn't take much we have two defenders trying to fill in that role. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,683]

6 hours ago, Ungarieboy said:

We should be advantaged by a far essier easier draw, for as a bottom 6 side we should play 2 of the bottom 4 twice and one at worse 2 top 8 sides.

I'm predicting Richmond (due to Anzac eve game) and West Coast. 

We are likely to volunteer for (Adelaide/Port again in gather round.) so expect the Crows as a double up 

Then it's two of the next group outside the 8 - we host Collingwood this QB so they're likely to be one ( plus the AFL likes a potential drama story) which would leave one of the lower ranked teams - I'm expecting Gold Coast but would prefer the Saints.

Lastly two sides in the 8 (1 from top 4) probably Port or GWS for the Alice game

And then bulldogs, though as we have potentially a lot of interstate double-ups, we'll likely request a bigger club (for crowd revenue) so perhaps carlton or Essendon.

Tigers, Eagles, Crows, Pies, Suns, Port, Bulldogs double ups: 

In theory this is as hard as the draw should get.

But it could easily be

Tigers, Eagles, Suns, Saints, Dockers, Pies, Hawks

I think you've got a few too many sides outside of the top 8 that we could play twice.

Freo finished 14th in 2023 and played the following sides twice in 2024 (# 2023 ranking)

#5, #6, #8, #9, #13 and #18.

Not overly easy. 

[hardtack 10,506]

I’m hoping that whoever is our new forward coach (nothing announced yet, is there?), understands the modern game and can teach our forwards effective leading patterns, and that whoever coaches the midfield, works in tandem with the forward coach so that they’re all on the same page. No more just bombing it into the pocket and hoping.

I’m also hoping we can bolster our midfield depth in the draft, or through trading, but only if we retain our pick 5.

Edited September 9 by hardtack