2 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Roo, lead out to space, anywhere, surprise us all.

Problem being Ds56 we don't play a game that

1) particularly leads or creates space ( very often) in the front arc.

2) if someone actually does its almost a certain they'll be burnt/ignored

I'd actually be curious if there is any video of Roo on the lead 🤔

1 minute ago, beelzebub said:

Problem being Ds56 we don't play a game that

1) particularly leads or creates space ( very often) in the front arc.

2) if someone actually does its almost a certain they'll be burnt/ignored

I'd actually be curious if there is any video of Roo on the lead 🤔

I live in hope, acknowledging your observations ... that is why I thought leading might contribute a new aspect to his game and contribution.

No, [censored] it.

If teams can’t announce their…teams(?) the Sunday before the next game, then I don’t wanna know.

And while they’re at it, just make it like fantasy footy and have a maximum number of changes each week. That might sort them out.

Edited June 8Jun 8 by DiscoStu17

16 minutes ago, old dee said:

That he seldom holds. Still living on the promise of 2023.

Still have faith in JVR, he’s just a baby 22yo key forward

I am absolutely loving the positive vibes on here tonight!

Glad to see everyone is so optimistic about selection and not at all already enraged a full 20 hours before bounce!

Really like the inclusion of the young ones. Finals are highly unlikely so good to give them some game time. Jeffo, very unlucky.

12 hours ago, praha said:

I'm enjoying a much needed break from the hustle and hustle in Melbourne, visiting family in the French and Swiss Alps over the next three weeks. The game starts at 7:30am here. I have never in my life felt less motivated to watch a game of football. I am quite looking forward to not watching it. It is seriously liberating to be in a place where it's so easy to break away from your own routine. I really look forward to reading through this thread, the game day and post game threads when I wake up at about 10am local time on Monday morning. I know absolutely no one cares about this but I have badly needed this trip from work and life, and after a week it has already highlighted how important it is to give your brain a break. Footy is just too much a part of my life to not be included in that "break" and so I have promised myself to just switch off and check in post-match. I am hoping for a win but I am not letting myself get worked up or too invested.

I am also meeting an old friend in Geneva for dinner on Sunday evening so there is a good chance I will be mildly hungover to such a degree as to be physically unable to wake up at 7am to watch the game so there is also that...

I take it from this that you don’t have any bustle in your life

Here is hoping you can find some bustle. And if you see Lionel, say g’day.

6 minutes ago, Billy said:

Still have faith in JVR, he’s just a baby 22yo key forward

Let's go with that....

( better than my thinking )

I like tomorrow’s squad! IMO it’s the best we could possibly field given all the circumstances.

Will we win against our old nemesis, and the team which currently sits atop the AFL ladder? I sincerely hope so, and I even have an inkling of confidence.

38 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Only semi Devils advocate.. what exactly has JVR done to set the world on fire ?

Seems to me he's sqeaking in on thin merit.

Well Roo, over to you. Might not be the best day to try pack crashing marks 😉

Might be a decent day for pack crashing. Nobody really expects you to hold them in the wet.

Even better if we have some crumbers front and centre.

Better still if Darcy Moore wears a knee in the kidneys.

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Why the Kolt? he has done little against what are probably the two worst sides in the VFL at present. Surely if you are dropped because of poor form you need the show you have improved at a lower level. Seems not.

Because of his pressure inside 50. A better option than Sharp or Laurie.

I fear Tmac may have caught a case of ATS.

Could be a worry.

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Where are you going to hide the Kolt? I would have him as the sub. The kolt is a low scoring forward player who doesn't seem to display the skill need at senior level.

He's a kid in his 2nd season, give it a rest

No issues with the ins and outs but can we please keep Windsor as far away from the backline as possible.

I don’t believe for a second the he was drafted as a defender.

Edited June 8Jun 8 by Bring-Back-Powell

Bill Laurie played another good game in the VFL last night. As always.

Dropped after not showing anything in his 10 minutes on ground after being sub last week.

Conditions would’ve probably suited him tomorrow.

Oh well.

Jeff needs to pick up another few bags of 5 goals in the VFL before he’ll be trusted. Looks like it’s just because he can’t play as the second ruck?

He probably could. He certainly couldn’t do any worse than AJ in the centre bounce. Surely pressure players should be small and mobile and able to tackle, and, well, pressure.

53 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Petty has proven himself at this level 100 times over Jefferson, and gives us the flexibility to send him down back if one of their talls gets off the leash, or we want to swap him and Turner around.

Unfortunately Jefferson has no versatility. He can’t ruck or defend, which is unfortunate, because on form the last two weeks he deserves a game.

This!

6 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I'm actually happy that Cox played VFL and not an inclusion. Cox has played some blinders against us and he always goes in hard against Gawn almost with an intent to injure.

McStay will be severely underdone and I hope they select him.

At least we won’t have to listen to that moronic USA chanting. It does my head in.

38 minutes ago, Billy said:

Still have faith in JVR, he’s just a baby 22yo key forward

Ditto.

Very much so.

He's had his downturn early. It happens. Watch him come back and be a more than a solid player for a good deal of time.

Has the skill, attitude and the passion.

Probably needs to just find his enjoyment of the game and take off what could be self imposed pressure.

At 22, he's been written off well too early by a few here. Not like he hasn't shown what he can do . And credit to him for fighting back in the twos.

I think he just needs to improve his marking a little. Not hit the ball so hard with his hands. It's just timing and technique. He certainly gives his all. Tackles, chases leads , crashes packs well and runs miles.

At 22, he will still fill out a little more and hopefully get some of his confidence back.

I get the feeling from his body language at times, he feels he's let his teammates down at times and then he starts to fade out.

Maybe I'm wrong but I think it's mostly a mindset with the bloke because he certainly has been very good in his first season.

So much so, we have all been waiting for his breakout season. Okay, so it hasn't happened. Sometimes players even great ones, take a while to get there. Max didn't set the world on fire in his early days. And while they are worlds apart, it's not to say Roo can't start all over again and be a much better player.

And maybe he got the nod over Jeffo to help Max out, but I'd argue that Jvr having to keep changing positions in a game has probably interfered with his development as a fwd so there's that.

So he also adds a lot more than just a fwd. He could quite possibly become a good player in both these forms and there would be a fair bit of pie to be eaten around these parts when it happens.

I do wish AJ and Viney were playing this one.

So excited for tomorrow.

Still seems strange to call it Kings birthday.

This and the Anzac eve Tigers becoming almost as big as the day game are two premier events of the season. Let's own them both.

I'm happy with the JvR inclusion. He really troubled Moore last year in this game. Although tbh more forwards troubled Moore last year.

Not quite sure about the Howes inclusion. Only thing I can think of is allowing us more flexibility with Turner or it's to move Windsor back to the wing.

2 hours ago, old dee said:

That he seldom holds. Still living on the promise of 2023.

Bloke kicked 30 goals in the 2024 season, two more than he kicked in 2023.

Thirty goals in a season for a 21 year key forward, in a year we didn't make finals, playing as second ruck, is outstanding and compares favourably with the very best key forwards in the last 20-30 years.

But sure, still living on the promise of 2023.

Edited June 8Jun 8 by binman

Still mystified by Howes, been Ok at Casey but nothing more!

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

If you reckon May should be dropped watch last weeks game again

Lever was poor but has enough runs on the board to keep his spot imo

he gifted two goals to an overrated teenager in the first 5 mins, did okay after that, as a I said a few weeks ago sit them both out for the year and have them ready for next year also gives a chance to see turner, tmac and adams/petty- this combo has been 10x better and they look so much more settled than may and lever even tho most of them have barely played back and/or together they are the future of the back 6

2 hours ago, jaydenh10 said:

may and lever still in 😑😑

What a shock that the best key defensive pair we’ve ever had were selected.