31 minutes ago, doomsday dee said:

Just telling as i see it

Yes I suppose anyone monikered "sunnydaysDee" would probably be locked up !!

Out - May, Jefferson, Tholstrup

In - AJ, Petty, Kentfield

B - Bowey, Petty, McVee

HB - Windsor, McDonald, Turner

C - Langdon, Petracca, Langford

HF - Chandler, Fritsch,

F - Pickett, Johnson, Melksham

Ruck - Gawn, Oliver, Viney

Int - Lindsay, Kentfield, Rivers, Salem

23 - Sharp

Edited July 24, 2025Jul 24 by SthSea22

Do we need a third tall defender against St Kilda? I would have thought Howes for May might be a better option than bringing in Petty as a key defender. However, Petty could play forward instead of Jefferson, although Johnson could be preferred because he's a better option to assist Gawn.

Why drop Jeffo, showing some good glimpses, A J needs to show he can do it again, Petty not a forwards bootlace, Kentfield only if he does it again. Jeffo took 3 games kicking 12 goals to get back into the team. None of these deserve it yet!

Jeffo has now been given a pretty good crack at AFL level with seven games this year.

He has shown a handful of good glimpses - last week he took a couple of nice marks, kicked a low flat set shot goal from about 45m and made a nice smother. And he has shown he has enough pace on a lead to get free of most opponents.

But ultimately he has been a complete liability in every game he's played and some of his kicking and handball howlers have made a mockery of the entire team.

I have no problem with us trying to speed up his development especially in a dud year like this one, but the same leniency should be shown to some of our other draft stabs to see if a game or two at AFL level helps or speeds up their progress.

Right now another speculative draft choice in Luka Kentfield has shown signs that he is getting closer to AFL level - like Jeffo he's realistically still a mile away, but our desperation to find tall options means that we need to try him out with 2026 in mind. And it's pointless playing him alongside Jeffo because then you have two weak links in the same forward line which is easy fodder for any team and soul destroying for our midfielders when the ball comes back from attacks with interest.

So if we are looking longterm as we should be, then send Jeffo back for a couple of weeks and play Luka then switch again for the last couple of AFL games.

What else can you say in a pre game thread a few days out these days?

"Please pick a good team tonight"

Final acceptances are in.

This week's trifecta at Dapto.

Charlie Spargo, Harry Petty and Captain Sparrow

Gamble responsibly

Edited July 24, 2025Jul 24 by Tarax Club

Debut Adams and Culley you cowards

Disappointed for Kolt, but Sparrow plays that half-forward role far better. Have Kolt ply his trade and gain some confidence in the VFL for the rest of the season and hope he takes the next step next season.

29 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Adam’s and Culley SHOULD BE GIVEN A GO but I bet they won’t. What a surprise that would be.

Hard to pick from the extended bench.

Langdon and Adams seem to be the locks. One of Petty or Jefferson is a third.

Two of Spargo/Lindsay/Howes/Culley to make up the 4th + sub.

Guessing Laurie has been told to clean out his locker.

34 minutes ago, Demon Jack said:

Disappointed for Kolt, but Sparrow plays that half-forward role far better. Have Kolt ply his trade and gain some confidence in the VFL for the rest of the season and hope he takes the next step next season.

DJ

I heard a fascinating discussion with Nathan Buckley last night. He was talking about a type of player like Kolt. He said the very best have 5 or 6 ways to get the ball and get out of a pack. A good player has less and then there are players, as example Kolt who at this stage has only one way. Charge at ball , get it and tgen try and get out through the pack. He is a passionate player who needs to learn a lit of tricks to perform at a high level. But do we have the coaches?

This will be hard to see from the stands but the boys will see it as they run out. We took it upon ourselves to add it to the banner…

AJ stiff. But games into Jefferson makes sense.

Edited July 24, 2025Jul 24 by Purple77

Prediction

Adams replaces May

Petty for Jeffo

Sparrow for Kolt

Spargs for Sharp

1 hour ago, Random Task said:

Hard to pick from the extended bench.

Langdon and Adams seem to be the locks. One of Petty or Jefferson is a third.

Two of Spargo/Lindsay/Howes/Culley to make up the 4th + sub.

Guessing Laurie has been told to clean out his locker.

IF PETTY PLAYS FORWARD INSTEAD OF JEFFO I WILL🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

11 minutes ago, picket fence said:

IF PETTY PLAYS FORWARD INSTEAD OF JEFFO I WILL🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

Jefferson is a spud Petty 5 times the forward he is and Petty ain't that good.

Considering there is no mention of debutants I expect Adams and Culley are not playing. I expect Jefferson to be dropped because he's a spud and Petty to come in.

2 hours ago, demoncat said:

Debut Adams and Culley you cowards

I Agree, as Adams was previously named and didn't get a gig in the team.

its absolutely shameless by simon

sparrow spargo petty in

sharp kolt may out

i dont get it, have any of them done enough to come back in, not really you have to say.i hope petty is down back and stays there and mcdonald goes out when mays back.

spargo and sparrow get gifted games like no one else and with no repurcussions anymore, sharp genuinely offers more than them both and hits the scoreboard more regularly

and honestly why did we recruit culley and henderson in preseason to play them for 0 and 5 games, if theyre so not at the level and youve had one of them training for preseason and has 4 years afl experience and the other is 25 with years of exposed vfl form, you just have to get those picks right who impact at afl level otherwise why are we not adding two more 18 year olds who we can actually develop to be better players in 12 months than they are now

13 hours ago, Random Task said:

Guessing Laurie has been told to clean out his locker.

He's contracted for 2026.

9 minutes ago, seventyfour said:

He's contracted for 2026.

He can still move clubs.

My gut feeling he won't be at Melbourne in 26. Chances are he'll ask for a trade. Not much more he can do in the 2s for no reward.

If the coach has any considerations other than saving his job he would give Culley and Adams a go this week.

More likely it will be more of the same old has been's and never was's that have stunk up the joint for the past year and a half.

You just know Spargo will come in and contribute 10 disposals and 0 goals, but half of Demonland will rave about that one kick inside 50 that he did in the third quarter.

On 21/07/2025 at 14:08, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Is Dan Butler available to kick another 4 or 5 against us? Or will it be a Higgins, Owens or Wood to kick a handful?

My tip is a Moir-type young or no-name player who we don't bother to do our homework on, who then runs amok - Collard for mine, then Sharman if Collard doesn't play.