1 minute ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

I used to think it was stubborness. I'm coming round to the idea he has very few other options.

He's slowly getting the team to move the ball a different way and lower eyes when kicking inside fifty. It's still not happening as often as we'd like (and even when it does start happening, every team kicks long and high at some stages during a game). For that reason, you need someone who can stand and grapple and make contests.

As many others have noted, Petty isn't great at it. But who on the list would be better?

I think many of us thought, or at least hoped, it would be van Rooyen now and for many years to come. It may still happen, but he looks a mile off at the moment.

Turner looks a conssumate key back to me. He's in terrific form. Why would we want to change it?

Jefferson? I haven't drawn a line through him like others, but I think he NEEDS that proper key forward beside him to excel. He can't be the one.

Johnson? Maybe. But now? It's a lot to ask of a bloke with six months of experience on an AFL list.

Kentfield? Good size but coming from a long way back.

Fullarton? I was hopeful when we got him. But no.

I would much prefer it if Petty was playing down back. I would be really disappointed if he was playing forward in 2026. For now, I understand why he's playing forward.

Thanks for this. You make some very good points. Regarding Turner, I agree he has become a very good defender. Although I thought May was back to his brilliant self .

But I don't want Petty fwd which means he needs to defend. So we would probably have to play Disco there ( fwd). Which is a clear loss to our backline but the gain up fwd probably negates this.

Was central to beating Freo. Our best lead up forward. Tends to get led footed however in some games and yesterday was an example. Needs to be in continuous movement.

Trade him. He is a lazy footballer that is still way too inconsistent. If we’re relying on him, then we’re stuffed.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

The issue with that backline is you’ve got 3 players who like to intercept more than they do really defend one on ones. And of the 3 only Disco is an above average kick or runs with the ball and even he probably needs to minimise aggressive kicks.

I haven’t seen terrific defender in Petty since 21 or 22 maybe

he's lost all confidence

his best form is when he's given a pure locked-in role against a tall oppo

14 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Trade him. He is a lazy footballer that is still way too inconsistent. If we’re relying on him, then we’re stuffed.

do you want to rely on Fullerton instead then??

3 minutes ago, jaydenh10 said:

do you want to rely on Fullerton instead then??

He can get delisted

21 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Trade him. He is a lazy footballer that is still way too inconsistent. If we’re relying on him, then we’re stuffed.

No way.

He is a wonderful defender who has unfortunately , consistently been played in a position he is not suited for.

8 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

He can get delisted

okay so you want a someone who has the strength and physical profile of a 17 year old to be our key fwd?

I hated him as a forward last year (and it's not his fault that they kept playing him there when it obviously wasn't working) but this season I've started to think if we had a decent full forward he'd be a handy part of the attack. He gets the ball up the ground and is our best chance of intercept possessions at that end, we just can't rely on him to kick bulk goals. Problem is we can't rely on anyone to do that either.

7 minutes ago, jaydenh10 said:

okay so you want a someone who has the strength and physical profile of a 17 year old to be our key fwd?

It doesn't have to be binary. Not sure why you're fixating on an or / or scenario.

Petty is not, and will not be the answer.

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

T Mc forward is a disaster, please, let it go. Jefferson will play when he demands a spot, we’ve seen him this year, he doesn’t offer more

Isn’t Petty a disaster?

4 hours ago, BLWNBA said:

If he's not down back, he is of zero value - and I say that by noting that since he's been thrown forward and returned back on the odd occasion, he looks nothing like the player he was seemingly developing into at the end of 2021. As it stands, we effectively play a body down with him in the forward-line.

If we don't see him as a backman, he should be moved on. Because he absolutely is not a forward.

2 first rounders Adelaide wanted to offer us

Seems a pipe dream now

1 minute ago, jnrmac said:

2 first rounders Adelaide wanted to offer us

Seems a pipe dream now

If the reports at the time were accurate, it was another baffling non-decision by the MFC and just to some of the perplexing list decisions (or non-decisions) we've made post 2021.

4 hours ago, jnrmac said:

What do we do with Petty?

His kicking is abysmal. 10m out and he nearly hit the post. 30m out and he misses a sitter.

Zero confidence, his run up and connection with the ball are atrocious.

His bad kicking is killing us (and he's not alone)

He's a confidence player. I said to my old man before he kicked his first shot, "we really need him to kick this as he's such a confidence player". Had he kicked the first one, he would have been on, and I would have given him a chance of kicking the tight one from the pocket that Mihocek kicked. In the lead up to his second shot at goal, I said, "he missed his first one, so he'll kick this on the full". Sure enough, on the full.

It's definitely a problem, which is why I'm sure we'll keep trying to land a KPF.

7 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

2 first rounders Adelaide wanted to offer us

Fact or oft-repeated speculation?

2 hours ago, Roost it far said:

Who replaces Petty that seriously makes us better?

My answer is no one so he needs to stay where he is.

Exactly this. There is simply no one else who would be performing Petty's role better.

I thought he looked off all day, heavy legs, wasn't able to get separation at all, and just got locked in wrestling contests. We kicked it on top of his head time and time again with predictability leaving their third tall or ruck to come and pluck it.

Petty didn't finish well yesterday but was fine otherwise I thought considering the circumstances. People expecting the natural key back to play as a dominating forward who kicks bags each week are delusional. He's there to contest, create spaces with his physicality and hopefully kick a few which he missed yesterday.

4 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

petty role as a forward is to compete in the air and not allow intercept marks; he failed in that regard yesterday

he's a terrific defender and i firmly believe that our backline is looking strong with petty - turner - lever beyond 2026 once may has retired

petty is not the issue from a forward line perspective; jvr and el jefe and their drop-off and / or lack of development is a far bigger issue

Agree to a degree, but if you kick 10 gls 2 in two games and don't get play in ANY team on the weekend, i'd sure as hell call that Shizzen development would'nt you old Dee?

2 hours ago, BLWNBA said:

It doesn't have to be binary. Not sure why you're fixating on an or / or scenario.

Petty is not, and will not be the answer.

neither is jeffo in his current state, that only leaves petty since the back 6 is more then full

2 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Agree to a degree, but if you kick 10 gls 2 in two games and don't get play in ANY team on the weekend, i'd sure as hell call that Shizzen development would'nt you old Dee?

Firstly, I'm still on board the Jeffo train although my seat is a lot closer to the door than yours.

Agree that not playing him at all this week was a mistake.

With regard to his 10 goals in two games, you should balance the numbers with a bit of context. The Preston team he played are abysmal at VFL level. Yet to win a game and are made up of chippies, sparkies & wannabe influencers. You probably played against better teams in the ammos.

The Sydney team are little better. To Jeffo's credit, he got his goals when the game was in the balance rather than the final quarter avalanche. Pleasingly, in both games he got goals through his tackling efforts, an area in which some have questioned him.

Personally I'd like to see Jeffo perform at a high level against some of the better, more mature VFL sides before rushing him back in. Get his confidence & belief up. Like it or not, he's still developing. Some take longer than others.

I'm pretty sure that it was @Axis of Bob who posted what I believe to be a fair and accurate summary of where Jeffo is at. I cbf finding it but if you can, have a read

Right here, right now, there's no way Jeffo could do Petty's role. Simply not mature enough

4 minutes ago, jaydenh10 said:

neither is jeffo in his current state, that only leaves petty since the back 6 is more then full

That doesn't "only leave Petty". We're not playing finals; it's moronic to suggest that you keep playing an individual, who can't fulfil a role, for the sake of playing him.

In his 'current state' Jefferson has kicked 10.3 over the past two weeks. Petty has kicked 10 for the year. It's a complete fallacy for people to trot out this line that Petty "is there to compete", because he doesn't even do that. He's a plodder at best and is shown up every week.

I'm not a huge fan of Jefferson based on what I've seen in his AFL games, but you need to have selection integrity. We don't and haven't for years.

1 hour ago, BLWNBA said:

If the reports at the time were accurate, it was another baffling non-decision by the MFC and just to some of the perplexing list decisions (or non-decisions) we've made post 2021.

You don’t trade the only prime age key tall on your list for 2 late first round picks in a thin draft when you’re already taking a Windsor and Tholstrup with earlier picks. What were we going to do with those picks? We’ve had the picks and cash for a key forward and haven’t found one.

Those crows picks have become Darcy Wilson who can’t get a game for St Kilda right now and Charlie Edwards who’s not doing a lot in the sanfl. Crows probably wanted a second rounder back too.

So many bigger issues with our list management than hanging on to a tall who still helps us play a lot better as a forward (look at our scoring before and after he went forward this year) and is a decent defender too.

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Agree to a degree, but if you kick 10 gls 2 in two games and don't get play in ANY team on the weekend, i'd sure as hell call that Shizzen development would'nt you old Dee?

Picket, do you think that Jeffo wasn’t selected this week because it was the pies, and that he is being saved for the next game only 6 days away?

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Agree to a degree, but if you kick 10 gls 2 in two games and don't get play in ANY team on the weekend, i'd sure as hell call that Shizzen development would'nt you old Dee?

I watched the Casey game V Collingwood. Jefferson would have completed a thorough training session over the weekend. That will serve him better than playing in the dross that was Saturday night. The club aren't amateurs even though you seem convinced they are. Almost forgot the capitals and exclamation marks......ASDFGHJ!!!!!!!

9 contested possessions

2 contested marks

Annoyed the backline all game and brings the ball to ground

Kicking an issue for sure but he has shown in the past he can kick straight

He is our best tall fwd atm and could use a friend up there in addition to Melk to help him out

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

2 first rounders Adelaide wanted to offer us

Seems a pipe dream now

was never offered

a myth of kornes' making