I don’t mind it, but I also think Tommy Mc is going to have bad days by foot (he was looking shaky late against GWS) and have days beaten for agility.

So the first thing I’d do is get May in down back and have Tom as depth. 

That said, if May’s up forward you can always make the swing.

Hopefully the young key forwards can hold their own and the backline keeps playing up tempo aggressive footy to get more supply to those talls. May’s kicking (at his best) is a vital part of that attacking backline play, if we can bring it back out of him. 

  On 18/03/2025 at 14:25, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Absolutely encouraged by Petty's performance down there against GWS though and also rapped that T Mac can step up as an emergency and more than hold his own. 

Yea agreed it was great to see Petty playing where he is so much more suited. It didn't work with Petty playing fwd so it may not work with May.

Also our backline wasn't really stretched too much with the likes of Hogan not playing and the inclement weather.

However people forget that May has played fwd before with the GCS. Also he is much stronger than Petty and would not get moved out of position as easily as Petty was at times.

I just think it wouldn't hurt giving it a try.

Thanks RbG.

Edited March 19Mar 19 by leave it to deever

  On 19/03/2025 at 00:39, DeeSpencer said:

May’s kicking (at his best) is a vital part of that attacking backline play, if we can

I think this a very valid point I didn't consider.

Although he can be a tad predictable.😀

Cheers.

Edited March 19Mar 19 by leave it to deever

  On 19/03/2025 at 01:09, leave it to deever said:

I think this a very valid point I didn't consider.

Although he can be a tad predictable.😀

Cheers.

He's become predictable as the team has, and was also dead scared of getting tackled last year so was getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible.

I still think there's a good ball user in there, just got to encourage him and more runners in the backline and more midfield spread makes it easier to do that.

Terrible idea, defense misses his leadership every time he isn't there and if was playing on Toby Greene like he normally does we would be 1-0.

  On 19/03/2025 at 02:17, DeeSpencer said:

He's become predictable as the team has, and was also dead scared of getting tackled last year so was getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible.

I still think there's a good ball user in there, just got to encourage him and more runners in the backline and more midfield spread makes it easier to do that.

it you think mcdonald's a turnover merchant, what're yr thoughts on may

when he tries to pinpoint those 25m stab passes i have conniptions 

  On 19/03/2025 at 02:28, whatwhat say what said:

it you think mcdonald's a turnover merchant, what're yr thoughts on may

when he tries to pinpoint those 25m stab passes i have conniptions 

He was coughing it up by foot and hand a lot last year and it was terrible to watch but then he took one good tackle and his ribs were stuffed. So I'm going to assume he was playing with the bad ribs all year and knew he couldn't get tackled.

He looked really sharp kicking the footy in the All Star game and wasn't bad against Freo. 

If his kicking and general ball use is as chaotic as last year it adds to the argument to give him a run up forward.

I’m all in on this suggestion.

Mays just about cooked, how old is this guy 35?

It worked for Ray Biffen .

Only if we are 100 points up in the Grand Final with 5 mins to go

  On 19/03/2025 at 00:14, jnrmac said:

He's a left footer

Oh yeh.   A hook then 😄

I am a firm No, until they try it and he kicks six snags (and we win). 

Hell no. He keeps the backline in check. He would have been handy on Greene instead of Howes. He would be handy this week on Zuurhar. I can see us trialling at a point TMac, Petty. May and May takes the mid sized leading forward where there. 

  On 19/03/2025 at 06:45, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

Hell no. He keeps the backline in check. He would have been handy on Greene instead of Howes. He would be handy this week on Zuurhar. I can see us trialling at a point TMac, Petty. May and May takes the mid sized leading forward where there. 

How's didn't go well but I'm not sure May id a good match.  If Jvr and Fritta keep playing like they did, and we use Jvr in the middle, something will have to give.

 

  On 19/03/2025 at 03:06, DeeSpencer said:

He was coughing it up by foot and hand a lot last year and it was terrible to watch but then he took one good tackle and his ribs were stuffed. So I'm going to assume he was playing with the bad ribs all year and knew he couldn't get tackled.

He looked really sharp kicking the footy in the All Star game and wasn't bad against Freo. 

If his kicking and general ball use is as chaotic as last year it adds to the argument to give him a run up forward.

You wouldn’t play him forward. 

  On 19/03/2025 at 02:28, whatwhat say what said:

it you think mcdonald's a turnover merchant, what're yr thoughts on may

when he tries to pinpoint those 25m stab passes i have conniptions 

Agree.  I've seen May have a few games where he turns it over again and again.  But I think those are mulligans.

Conversely I actually think T Mac is a much better kick out of defence than people give him credit for.  I do think there is a bit of perception bias at work here from 1 - the days we were getting pumped and the backline was constantly under pressure with a lack of good outlets and 2 - his lumbering movement and kicking style. 

I actually think T Mac's kicking out of defence these days is pretty good and something he regularly executes well are almost pin point 50m passes which clear the defensive zone and put us on the way into attack.

Edited March 19Mar 19 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

  On 19/03/2025 at 03:34, bluey said:

I’m all in on this suggestion.

Mays just about cooked, how old is this guy 35?

It worked for Ray Biffen .

He turned 33 in January

  On 19/03/2025 at 02:28, whatwhat say what said:

it you think mcdonald's a turnover merchant, what're yr thoughts on may

when he tries to pinpoint those 25m stab passes i have conniptions 

If I were coach for a day I would tell:

- May he is only allowed to kick the ball 50 plus metres 

- Rivers he is only allowed to kick the ball 50 plus metres

- Billings to hand off any shots at goal

- Salo he is only allowed to kick the ball 20 metres (with a wink and a smirk given 40 metres is about the longest he can kick

- Mcvee, Lindsay, Koz and Melk they can take on any kick they want

Are we trying to trade him to Hawthorn? 
If not, no.👎 

ive been saying this for the past half a season and until i see it fail i reckon its promising.
May is slowing up and can get exposed on the quick transition these days, however hes still an elite contested mark, kick and 1v1. we still and will forever be liable to bombing the ball forward which would suit May in a contest.  Harris Andrews always mops us up, playing May head to head on the intercept defender would reduce the amount of intercept/rebounds. AND hes a dead eye kick from 40 plus, if he gets his eye in he would flush them.

JVR-May at full forward would stretch a teams 2 best defenders, Johnson 3rd tall and rucking with Petty/Tmac/Lever down back looks solid.

Do it goody!

  On 19/03/2025 at 02:22, FearTheBeard said:

Terrible idea, defense misses his leadership every time he isn't there and if was playing on Toby Greene like he normally does we would be 1-0.

I think most of the backline leadership comes from Lever. He makes the most noise. Though it's quite possible that May leads by example. He certainly displays a lot of courage much to his own detriment. He's got the battle scars to prove it.

We also have Tmac down back who brings a cornucopia of guts and marshalling so we could utilise May's leadership in the forward line where it is much needed.

Goody was flexible enough to trial Petty for a significant long time after its use by date. I don't think May would be that different an experiment. With Tmac, Lever and Petty firing we certainly have enough talls  and muscle .

As opposed to our fwd line stocks where we have a dearth of power. Fritta is highly skilled but a light weight in the pack efforts. Jvr is your classic run and leap. Although he crashes packs well. I think he will be get stronger and hold his own in the pack marking department . Jefferson...see Jvr...but no experience.

That's it. Melksham is iffy. We can't afford to play Tracc there full time. Id suggest Sparrow.

An out of form Fritta who is not a classic full forward and Jvr who is an athletic type CHF.

We have no real big Full forward. Oh wait I forgot Disco

Turner is tall enough at six fet five on the old scale but only comes in at 88 kg in the new. I'm not sure if that last stat is correct though. He looks bigger than that. l l We desperately need a big fwd in both height and weight. 

Charlie Curnow comes in at an inch taller than Jvr and 6 pounds more in weight.

Like Curnow Jvr has a great leap. Turner not so much. More your stand and deliver type player.

Jvr is as yet, not a complete certainty. His 24 season didn't continue on the same 23 trajectory. This year is a must breakout one for him and I think a lot of our success will depend on him. 

Alas it shouldn't be this way. Especially when we kept pulling him into the middle the poor bloke can't really establish his fwd credentials further.

Something has to give. 

So we have four unknown commodities in our fwd line and one big time out of form and one midfielder we can't spare.

#Jvr....still developing.

#Disco....has shown promise. Very little senior experience.

#Milkshake.... questions over his body.

#Jefferson....one gamer.

#Fritta....body language says it all lately.

#Tracca...can't spare him and very inaccurate.

I guess there is certainly on paper, a high amount of talent.

Ithink it's going to happen one way or another. With Max aging we will see Jvr in the middle more and a glaring hole up fwd. 

Maybe Goody will go back to Petty but I think that would be a mistake.

Is there any real harm in giving it a trial in a game we may have already sown up or an easy match up?

Edited March 20Mar 20 by leave it to deever

Apologies above for I mistakenly quoted Curnow's height being higher than Jvr. It's not. One inch differential.

  On 19/03/2025 at 22:17, binman said:

- Mcvee, Lindsay, Koz and Melk they can take on any kick they want

Add to that Winsor given licence to take on players and have a shot at goal whenever he wants as well (I think this licence has already pretty much been handed out by the coaches).

Why can't we have both , play him up the same end of the ground that is favoured by the wind . Back, forward , back, forward. 

Sicily does a good job as a swingman. May would be good at it as well.

  On 18/03/2025 at 14:25, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Would love to see May through forward in bursts here and there as a circuit breaker if we are dominating forward 50s, but not putting it on the scoreboard, however IMHO he's too valuable as the rock of our backline to move away from that role perminantly.

Absolutely encouraged by Petty's performance down there against GWS though and also rapped that T Mac can step up as an emergency and more than hold his own.  Thought Salem also looked back to a good level.  Great to re-establish that elite backline again.  Now just to get McVee back in 3 - 6 weeks (know the injury report might say less, but I'd rather not rush him).

Intermittent rotations of Maysie into the fwd line might make a bit of difference to our score line, plus he is not short on giving advice to those in some need during match play and additionally, the present form increases in TMac more than cover any shorter-term loss of May in the backline. Just sometimes, I tend to think May is under-utilised at full back, offering far more in talent and experience, including marshalling teammates, creating blocks and tackles to advantage that would all auger well for our underperforming forward potency.