1 hour ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Thanks NC. I just watched the whole interview which they crossed to after the Pies v Geelong game. It's only a few minutes long but it then leads into the panel discussion of the Melky mark / McGovern concussion contest so worth a look. For anyone else that might be interested just forward the replay to 3 hours 35 minutes on the Kayo replay to see both.

Melky is in the clear

7 minutes ago, Dingo said:

Melky is in the clear

NID

11 hours ago, Mike said:

I wonder if a spell down back has been what has ignited his form. I've really loved seeing him play defence lately. He's looked really solid, but obviously his three goals might push him forward again.

Turner is great.

I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned that his attempted smother on Waterman's 'goal' led to it being overturned on review. Great desparation. Bravo young fella!!

17 hours ago, Sydee said:

That’s just unfair on a guy that’s been at the club 5 minutes you seem to set very different standards for certain players on the list

He doesn't like him because he shows up Jefferson's lack of intensity.

On 03/05/2025 at 23:05, Pates said:

I'm not saying this is actually the case but I swear it feels like it's always a Melbourne player that the media try to make an example of for a suspension. Melksham did an act that Riewoldt would've done hundreds of times in his career, he didn't shove him into a contest to hurt him, he tried to out body the guy.

The fact he didn't use his hands to outbody the Guv and marked the ball should be case closed but this is the afl

18 hours ago, Macca said:

The new-look forward line (mostly medium) looks far more dangerous than how it looked earlier in the season

What stands out is how less crowded we look up forward but that might have something to do with not having 2 or 3 talls all attempting to mark the same ball

Turner is more of a utility forward than a tall whilst the other forwards are not getting in each other's way. So when the ball hits the ground we're active

Playing just the one tall (Petty) has a better look to it when considering that we're rapidly becoming a non-bomb-it-in-team

We need to make it work with AJ or JVR next week as I see our forward craft as more team orientated rather than constantly kicking it to the talls

What stands out to me is that we actually have fwds at home not chasing up the the wing and leaving oppo defenders alone.

13 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

What stands out to me is that we actually have fwds at home not chasing up the the wing and leaving oppo defenders alone.

We made the switch in the Freo game where the MC decided to have less players around the ball (or at the contest) ... thus, more players in the actual forward line (that need to be manned up of course)

I saw one bit of vision in that game (that was highlighted) where we had 6 forwards each with an opponent but what was noticeable was that all 6 forwards seemed to be equidistant from each other

As an aside, just 3 weeks ago many of us were concerned that Viney was becoming a bit of a liability but since he has been assigned as a tagger, he has turned his season around and is now playing very well

21 hours ago, binman said:

Kolt is a lock in our best 22, even with his middling numbers.

He leads up hard has good hands is good on the ground and brings great energy.

He has an X factor and just seems the sort of player who if he gets his end up he can do a lot of damage.

Break out games are a bit of myth I reckon, or least rare, but I could see kolt having a massive breakout game - lots of quality score involvements and a bunch of goals.

Kolt is definitely not a lock. I am a fan, but that's hyperbole. He has had player ratings of 3.9, 8.4 and -1.7 in the last three weeks.

Sharp has had player ratings of 2.9, 3.5 and 5.5 in around 30% game time.

21 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

Easily the best game of Daniel Turner's career to date.

19 touches (career high) at 84%

7 marks (3 inside 50)

6 intercepts

3 goals in the 2nd half

Just to highlight how well Turner played, he had a player rating of 24.0 and Gawn had a rating of 24.1.

2 hours ago, Macca said:

We made the switch in the Freo game where the MC decided to have less players around the ball (or at the contest) ... thus, more players in the actual forward line (that need to be manned up of course)

I saw one bit of vision in that game (that was highlighted) where we had 6 forwards each with an opponent but what was noticeable was that all 6 forwards seemed to be equidistant from each other

As an aside, just 3 weeks ago many of us were concerned that Viney was becoming a bit of a liability but since he has been assigned as a tagger, he has turned his season around and is now playing very well

The fwd line definitely looks like it is structured a lot better. Petty has definitely helped with that, playing in a similar role to what BBB was doing - closer to goal, contesting and even snagging a couple.

I would have thought that Kozzie playing in the middle more would have hurt us an equal amount up forward, but it seems you can have you Koz and eat it too.

Spargo has worked his way into form after a poor start (and 400? days off), while Sparrow has been excellent defensively and with pressure up fwd. Chandler is obviously benefiting from playing further up the ground. Can kick and pressure is never in doubt.

While I'm chuffed for Disco kicking 3, I don't know if we can rely on him to do it every week. Getting JVR back to form is needed, as is getting more out of fritta.

I really hope Kade keeps his level of intensity. Past seasons he has started very well then IMO has dropped off and become a liability. He seems better this year playing the whole game out. Is he attempting to replace or take the same position AnB did so well, Ho Dee’s Stuff these hawks

In the whole of last season we had four games where we cracked the 100 point line. We've now had two in three weeks.

Nevermind the opposition - that applies just as much to last season.

I'm beginning to be hopeful that we can indeed learn to really attack in unpredictable and opportunistic ways. 12 individual goal-kickers is a nice sign. We really want this wave of young players to learn to other find a teammate or go after the goal, and never step in the chasm between them - the pointless long bomb.

Particularly interesting given that we basically went into the Eagles game without a single classic full-time key forward target.

Touch wood we may now even have two tall swingmen, in Petty and Turner, with all the appropriate caveats until one or both of them really put together a solid stretch of form.

Also interesting to have seen Chandler rolling right back into defense at times. I think there's a rule against calling someone a swingman if they are under 180cm, but any versatility that allows us to switch and bait our forward line without sacrificing other areas of the ground is valuable.

It takes zero imagination to picture a future where each of Windsor, Tholstrup and Langford can move between other roles and forward time, offering entirely different match-ups and maybe maximising their effective time on ground.

A lot of ifs and buts. The seeds of a really effective whole-team attack are there.

Turner is going to be a very good player for us and already is.

I actually prefer him down back, though he has shown he is very competent as a forward as well.

I have just watched the replay and it was a very friendly game. Lots of chatting between opponents and pats on the back.

Our kids played well.

On 04/05/2025 at 16:09, Maldonboy38 said:

Viney as a tagger/defensive mid is a coaching stroke of pure genius. This single change is a bigger part of our winning that we realise.

The best thing is that he seems to have worked on his delivery, as he pretty much hit every teammate that he was targeting against the Eagles.

31 minutes ago, Fritta and Turner said:

I have just watched the replay and it was a very friendly game. Lots of chatting between opponents and pats on the back.

Our kids played well.

I particularly noticed (and enjoyed seeing) the chat between Hewitt and Bowey after Hewitt 'kicked' that accidental goal.

I also enjoy seeing the players of both sides congregating after the match and shaking hands. And even hugging at times. Of course, I know that many of the players are friends and/or played junior football together, but I'm sure that's not always the case.