7 hours ago, picket fence said:

Which one is A.J?

I think that was Skull Murphy on the left

10 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Agree there is competition for that spot, which is great. I'm going off a small sample size, but from what I saw of marking contest work between AJ and Jeffo, AJ won a fair few. I actually thought he is considerably shorter than Jeffo, but 193cm Vs 195cm isn't much of a difference really.

The other thing I'd add into the mix is form and injuries. Having AJ in the mix gives us another reason not to throw Petty forward for extended periods, which I think we need. Which could spawn another question about competition for our key defensive posts, with all of May, Lever, T Mac, Disco, Adams and Petty to pick from, but that's another discussion again. Bring on the practice matches to give us a better glimpse of how things might line up I say.

On another point you raised, given we have a guy in TC capable of adequately competing in the ruck, do we get more proactive with the management of Gawn throughout the season? P.S. I haven't seen that much of TC in recent times to know what his around the ground type presence and maybe that's where the calculation has been made previously.

Amen to Petts going back!

TC does a lot around the ground at VFL, but I think AFL will be too fast.

Kentfield could be the best of them

31 minutes ago, DiscoStu17 said:

Amen to Petts going back!

TC does a lot around the ground at VFL, but I think AFL will be too fast.

Kentfield could be the best of them

Agree DiscoStu17, TC should be “break glass” if Max is injured, I’m hoping the coach can find a spot for Max Heath in the 23 to provide fwd/ruck support rather than Rooey or AJ. All three may have to fill the gap at different times which may free up a forward spot for Jefferson/Kentfield. At least we have options.

1 hour ago, DiscoStu17 said:

Amen to Petts going back!

TC does a lot around the ground at VFL, but I think AFL will be too fast.

Kentfield could be the best of them

Max - the lesser - Heath?

I can’t understand how for a team with really mongrel except for Viney, how people here would say we don’t need Johnson.

Sure, he can polish some aspects. He’s not a star of the game, but at the end of the day he will break packs, bring the ball to ground, back his team mates, and always give it 200%.

We certainly need that right now. I hope he plays.

Like for most of MFC Players this year, the team will be judged, because of our definite lack of talent, on our "in the contest" level of consistency FIRST.

AJ appears to be hellbent on being ...in the contest. Let's see who else does.

10 hours ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

I can’t understand how for a team with really mongrel except for Viney, how people here would say we don’t need Johnson.

Sure, he can polish some aspects. He’s not a star of the game, but at the end of the day he will break packs, bring the ball to ground, back his team mates, and always give it 200%.

We certainly need that right now. I hope he plays.

No! Moose Heath will be our Tom Lynch type!

Edited Friday at 21:262 days by picket fence

You don't have to like him but I think in times like the ones we're in right now you need an Aidan Johnson on the list. The pack splitter type that can get you through those boghole type games and also protect the Jeffo's and JVRs.

Give me an honest toiler that works his butt off over a wasted talent right now.

Edited yesterday at 05:161 day by layzie

On 02/01/2026 at 22:07, GawnOfTheDead said:

I can’t understand how for a team with really mongrel except for Viney, how people here would say we don’t need Johnson.

Sure, he can polish some aspects. He’s not a star of the game, but at the end of the day he will break packs, bring the ball to ground, back his team mates, and always give it 200%.

We certainly need that right now. I hope he plays.

There's a base level of talent a key forward needs to be worthy of selection. I don't see Johnson as having that base level. He's not a great contested mark and he's a chronic fumbler. His admirable aggression doesn't make up for his lack of skill.

If Johnson had even Brad Miller's level of talent he'd warrant AFL games, but he's a rung or two below Miller's level.

With Mihocek, van Rooyen and Heath why would Johnson be getting games ?

Brisbane just won a flag with a mobile and skilled forward line with only one goal from a tall forward. Subject to injuries I'll be mildly shocked if Johnson gets selected.

Edited yesterday at 05:291 day by Gator

11 minutes ago, layzie said:

You don't have to like him but I think in times like the ones we're in right now you need an Aidan Johnson on the list. The pack splitter type that can get you through those boghole type games and also protect the Jeffo's and JVRs.

Give me an honest toiler that works his butt off over a wasted talent right now.

Think you are 20 years out of date with pack splitters.

We need to deliver the ball forward accurately & stop turning it over with hack disposals. This has been our MO for the last 4 years.

3 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Think you are 20 years out of date with pack splitters.

We need to deliver the ball forward accurately & stop turning it over with hack disposals. This has been our MO for the last 4 years.

No I don't think I am Crank. You still very much need physicality as a key forward. If you didn't then guys like Jefferson wouldn't be on the verge of being cut.

In most of those 4 years it was exactly what we needed. The moment we didn't have a competiting forward who brought the ball to ground it fell apart.

We'll have a different approach to goal and while we want great ball and forward movement but there will always be a need for the enforcer type.

Sorry but your comments on Jefferson make no sense.

Unskilled crash & bash forwards went out of the game more than 20 years ago.

The last however many flags have been won by quick ball movement & precise delivery.

3 hours ago, Gator said:

There's a base level of talent a key forward needs to be worthy of selection. I don't see Johnson as having that base level. He's not a great contested mark and he's a chronic fumbler. His admirable aggression doesn't make up for his lack of skill.

If Johnson had even Brad Miller's level of talent he'd warrant AFL games, but he's a rung or two below Miller's level.

With Mihocek, van Rooyen and Heath why would Johnson be getting games ?

Brisbane just won a flag with a mobile and skilled forward line with only one goal from a tall forward. Subject to injuries I'll be mildly shocked if Johnson gets selected.

Mildly ?? Your assessment is spot on!

Whilst respecting all the opinions above re brawn v skill etc, there are clearly people in our beloved club’s management and administration, with far greater inside knowledge of our aims and plans, who feel that Aiden remains on the list to play his rôle towards our ultimate goal

6 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

Sorry but your comments on Jefferson make no sense.

Unskilled crash & bash forwards went out of the game more than 20 years ago.

The last however many flags have been won by quick ball movement & precise delivery.

A crash and bash type forward by the name of Daniher won the GF the year before last for Brisbane, boys

7 hours ago, Willmoy1947 said:

A crash and bash type forward by the name of Daniher won the GF the year before last for Brisbane, boys

He's not crash and bash. Not even close but a very good forward just the same

11 hours ago, Willmoy1947 said:

A crash and bash type forward by the name of Daniher won the GF the year before last for Brisbane, boys

Daniher crash & bash ??? In your dreams.

Next you'll tell us Hipwood was a crash & bash or maybe Ben Brown

I could have sworn one game I saw Benny go up around the middle but he could have been lost.

Hipwood was too scared of his own shadow to even say crash and bash.

Daniher was up the ground quite a lot and he definitely had a presence