On 27/05/2025 at 22:01, Adam The God said:

Let's hope we get our way, @old55 😉

Somehow, I have visions of Tholstrup developing (but where on the field) into a midfield / forward utility; body in there, reasonable foot skills, attitude to take 'em on, reads the drop quite well.

SHarp has to be sub still he's been a great sub. Proven. Laurie would just be an emergency which is exactly how it reads at the moment.

I think selection is very good!

Sunday weather in the Alice looking even better

20 degrees and light winds

No excuses

L.Birch does NOT like Melbourne (see today's Age tipping).

(I'd be interested if anyone here has insight on that...)

26 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

L.Birch does NOT like Melbourne (see today's Age tipping).

(I'd be interested if anyone here has insight on that...)

i listened to her on the real footy tipping podcast

she makes her disdain for the mfc clear

More Aidan Johnson Effect on Sunday please!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKQhhi5SFVi/?igsh=ZDNqNjdmamQwNW12

31 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

L.Birch does NOT like Melbourne (see today's Age tipping).

(I'd be interested if anyone here has insight on that...)

She's got a perpetual chip on her shoulder that we traded her out. She was cooked and playing awful footy in her last year with us and she wasn't alone - we did a big list turnover that year.

She needs to be a bit more professionally objective if she wants a media career I reckon. Oh....that's right....

2 hours ago, Dee Boys said:

Because he’s shown next to nothing when he’s played from the start mate.

His energy shines through when he comes on for a quarter when the opposition’s tiring.

yeah, so let's do that again Harry

55 minutes ago, Deemented Are Go! said:

She's got a perpetual chip on her shoulder that we traded her out. She was cooked and playing awful footy in her last year with us and she wasn't alone - we did a big list turnover that year.

She needs to be a bit more professionally objective if she wants a media career I reckon. Oh....that's right....

I think it was more than that. When we played north this year the girls nailed her in some tackles. You could tell there was no love lost. It was personal. I have no inside info but something definitely happened between her and our playing group.

20 hours ago, binman said:

I reckon there's a reasonable chance you're right - it would make sense on a few levels.

One, as you suggest the timing works in terms of the breaks they have.

Two, again as you say they can afford to risk losing a game or too (just as we could in 2022 and 2023)

Three, and this one hurts a bit - they might have assessed us a game they could take that risk and still win.

As i noted above it would be ironic if we are cherry ripe in that game and they are fatigued from loading.

Binman this conversation got me thinking about our plans for the season and if the 0-5 start would potentially change the high performance teams thinking?

With that start we essentially had no wriggle room regards to dropping many games, so I wonder if we would forgo heavy loading phases to an extent to give us the best chance of winning every match to make finals.

It also brings up an interesting argument about whether it is better to do some loading in the hopes you peak in September and miss finals completely vs not doing it and actually making finals.

Keen on your thoughts!

58 minutes ago, BDA said:

When we played north this year the girls nailed her in some tackles.

Releasing resentment at having carried her for four years as she incomprehensibly got All Australian gurnseys while consistently beaten one on one and falling over more than late-career Jordan Lewis.

2 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

i listened to her on the real footy tipping podcast

she makes her disdain for the mfc clear

Yes, I was going to bring this up. She said we were “pretenders” and backed it up with no reasons (she is saints supporter tho). She is an arrogant and salty individual. As a big AFLW fan, I cannot stand her. Doesn’t seem to have any insight into the fact that she has left two clubs on bad terms (maybe you are the problem?!). Trashes our culture every chance she gets as though she hasn’t been gone for over a year and was never part of the men’s program.

She is also insufferable as a commentator - overly critical of any team deviates slightly from perfection. I have never come across such a critical commentator.

8 minutes ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Releasing resentment at having carried her for four years as she incomprehensibly got All Australian gurnseys while consistently beaten one on one and falling over more than late-career Jordan Lewis.

apart from her final year she was very good for us

1 minute ago, godees said:

... overly critical of any team deviates slightly from perfection.

Perfectly suited to a lot of modern media then. 😆

1 hour ago, whatwhat say what said:

i listened to her on the real footy tipping podcast

she makes her disdain for the mfc clear

Out of interest i just listened to some of the podcast.

Firstly, leaving aside her feelings about the dees, after earlier saying in a different context that the saints only had 2 decent players, she picks the Saints to win.

Nothing wrong with that on its face - as I've noted earlier in this thread it's definitely a danger game.

Given it supposedly a podcast focused on tipping the winners in the upcoming round I had expected some analysis, and certainly the rationale for selections.

Birch's rationale for setting the Saints? That the our record on the 10 games we gave played ar the Alice is four wins, six losses.

I mean c'mon, that makes zero sense - for one thing those games cover a 10 year period.

Perhaps, at a strech, you could say last year's flogging by freo is relevant (she didn't) but any further back has zero relevance to our chances this week.

Actually, it probably does a little - but in a positive sense for the dee as we have 10 years experience of travelling there and all that entails. Surely that's an advantage over the saints who I dont think have ever played there.

And that was it. That was her sole reason for selecting the saints - that our record at the Alice is 4-6.

Though she tipped her hand as to the real reason a couple of minutes later.

One of the other hosts said he thought Melbourne were 'starting to play really good football.....' before Birch completely cut him off to say contemptuously 'oh, they're still pretenders'.

The co hosts were surprised, noting the dees are her former club, and after expressing their surprise, one asked for her 'analysis' as to why she thinks that given our current form

Her response?

Because, and this is a direct quote, 'the only reason they are playing well is they have nothing to lose'.

I mean please, that's pub level rubbish.

Edited Friday at 09:152 days by binman

Something that I haven't seen discussed in the 2025 season so far is one contest where greater minds may correct me, but am I wrong in my observation that Max is yet to lose a coin toss?? I believe he's 11-0. (Well, technically 10-0 but Kozzy won last week, so I'll give it to Max). A good omen, for mine.

5 minutes ago, binman said:

One of the other hosts said he thought Melbourne were 'starting to play really good football.....' before Birch completely cut him off to say wearily 'oh, they're still pretenders'

The co hosts were surprised, noting the dees are her former club, and after expressing their surprise, one asked for her 'analysis' as to why she thinks that given our current form

Her response?

Because, and this is a direct quote, 'the only reason they are playing well is they have nothing to lose'.

I mean please, that pub level rubbish.

yes, absolutely rubbish analysis

12 minutes ago, BDA said:

apart from her final year she was very good for us

Always found her incredibly frustrating. Terrifyingly poor kick of the footy.

Dee Spencer loves Birch 🤣

14 hours ago, picket fence said:

How could Sharp NOT be in the starting 22?? If he aint the sub and Laurie gets a gig... selection is STUFFED!

we’ve just beaten both grand finalists from last year in the past 2 weeks

I reckon selection is going alright

Birch Please!

I remember her on the Real Footy podcast earlier in the year talking about our culture - really sticking the boot in and saying we have a lot of work to do (might have been before we'd won a game). When asked more about it, she referred to after the AFLW Dees won the flag, their time in the sun was overshadowed by the drama from the mens program and culture issues. I got the impression that she felt the mens program had too many egos and didn't get behind the women's team like they had for the mens team when they won in 2021

Having read what everyone else has said above, maybe most of this is more about her hurt from being traded etc. But I suspect there is (or was) some truth in what she had to say. From memory she spoke glowingly about Mick Stinear and Daisy so she wasn't potting everyone at the club. Wins paper over cracks (for every team). Clearly the mens team did a lot of work on culture, connection and game plan in the off season. I hope part of this is also translating to better connection with everyone else at the club - including off field staff and the women's team. There is great power that comes from the whole organisation pulling together.

10 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Dee Spencer loves Birch 🤣

she was one of his favourite players along with Jordan Lewis

2 hours ago, Doug Reemer said:

More Aidan Johnson Effect on Sunday please!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKQhhi5SFVi/?igsh=ZDNqNjdmamQwNW12

If we keep it public that we think AJ is going to improve with more gametime, and have been pleased with aspects of his game, then I hope this support reaches him; building his confidence to provide that little extra week by week then getting a nickname like "Crusher' of something to that effect as he rises in form, contribution and with the process of dismantling an opposition affront against the Demons.

2 hours ago, BDA said:

I think it was more than that. When we played north this year the girls nailed her in some tackles. You could tell there was no love lost. It was personal. I have no inside info but something definitely happened between her and our playing group.

Same when she left the Doggies. Some bridges burnt there as well.

@DeeSpencer marked her cards early in her career with the Dees. He was spot on.