11 hours ago, Turner said:

blurbs in here on both, academy all get a run at afl level during preseaosn, usually assigned geographically

Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central

26 in 2026: A look ahead to next year’s top prospects

The budding draft crop of 2026 is offers plenty of promise, with two club-tied talents leading a diverse pack of prospects.

So the two to be training with us are not tied to us......

1 hour ago, Greg Schneider said:

Clayton’s not been traded for wins grandpa, he’s been traded because it was the best thing culturally, and to open up spots for young guys in the midfield. People were calling for Sam Mitchell’s head when he traded O’Meara and Tom Mitchell at Hawthorn, looks like a genius now as it opened up spots for young guys and now they’re in flag contention, that took a couple of years, we’ll go down before we come up again, don’t have to be a genius to figure out the approach King is taking

Walk out the front and tell that to the front wall, the response and ability to comprehend the sanity behind what you have correctly outlined will be similar

3 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

It's true. Statistically, we were the second fastest ball movement team on rebound for most of the season according to Champion Data. That measures how quickly we played on from a mark or free kick, and how quickly we moved the ball from the defensive 50 into the middle third of the ground.

Fast doesn't mean effective or good though. The players would often get the ball and immediately bomb it long with little effect. In the games we won, we were hand balling more to create more effective chains of possessions.

Speed isn't necessarily a good thing. IMO the best teams control the tempo of the footy and rarely let the other teams get effective possession. If you can't control the ball, you can't control the game and the game's result is therefore beyond your control and will require luck or your opponent blowing their chances (see us 2022-2023 when we were dominant).

Based on seeing that training footage and what we've heard from King about wanting to move the ball fast and be high scoring, I'd expect a few patches of really exciting play this season mixed amongst mostly getting burnt on turnover by disciplined teams. I'm expecting a bottom four-six finish again. A pass mark is finishing 8th-12th.

Agree with much of the above, except for the notion that our players would often bomb it long. We def turned it over a lot but we were not a bomb it long team.

There are plenty of stats that can be misleading - one such oft cited example is disposal efficiency (eg inside mids dispose of the ball under more pressure than say a half back flanker who get the opportunity to chip kick the ball around the back half under little pressure).

But some stats are less misleading, one being metres gained from kicks.

If in 2025 we were a team that often resorted to long bombs, you'd expect to see that reflected in the data - we'd be near the top of the table for metres gained from kick.

But we're not - in fact we were 12th in the AFL for metres gained per kick (26.2 metres gained per kick).

By way of contrast teams there are number of teams above us on that table that many would imagine don't bomb it long (eg Freo is second for most metres gained per kick, the Pies 5th, the Hawks 6th and the Crows 7th).

The premiers were 17th for metres gained per kick (25 metres - only 1.2 less metres gained per kick than us).

Interestingly, i think I'm right in saying that last season the average metres gained per kicks increased across the board from 2024 as teams started kicking longer to get over the top of zones, look to win the contest head of the ball and mitigate the impact of turnovers (ie better to turn it over in your forward half than miss a short kick at HB) - so perhaps we needed to bomb it long more often!

Edited yesterday at 03:141 day by binman

4 hours ago, picket fence said:

King has definately started on the wrong foot with me for trading Clarry, and before anyone tells me to shut up and or get over it, the proof of redemption or at least part of it will be in WINS! You give me wins and I'll shut the furg up, and if Clarry has an outstanding season, then I'll start again.

Clarrie is no longer our player and the reason he is elsewhere is because of his own doing

Look at the reasons ... only one club was really interested and they got him for half price along with not having to give up any worthwhile picks to attain him

He was damaged goods and he needed a new start. And we needed a new start without him

And in my view, his offloading was a MC and FD move ratified by the Board (that happens by default)

Certainly, King would have had a say but it should be remembered that we were trying to offload Clarrie long before King was even thought of as the Head Coach

But I bear no ill will against the bloke at all. In fact, I hope he can get it together again. It's pointless holding grudges

Along with Petracca, he'll forever be remembered as an integral factor in the 2021 premiership

Edited yesterday at 03:171 day by Macca

19 hours ago, Macca said:

Clarrie is no longer our player and the reason he is elsewhere is because of his own doing

Look at the reasons ... only one club was really interested and they got him for half price along with not having to give up any worthwhile picks to attain him

He was damaged goods and he needed a new start. And we needed a new start without him

And in my view, his offloading was a MC and FD move ratified by the Board (that happens by default)

Certainly, King would have had a say but it should be remembered that we were trying to offload Clarrie long before King was even thought of as the Head Coach

But I bear no ill will against the bloke at all. In fact, I hope he can get it together again. It's pointless holding grudges

Along with Petracca, he'll forever be remembered as an integral factor in the 2021 premiership

As Ive said before Macca, and I dont disagree with what you say, and I certainly dont know all or perhaps any of the reality of the past, the future will tell. The club will need to improve .

If Clarrie and Tracc thrive in their new environments and become a match winning force then I will regret that our club did not have the ability to find and use that force.

In any circumstance I will still support the Dees as I have always done.

The issue isn't just 'long' bombs - the short ones do just as much damage.

Players often were quick to kick the ball without looking and just 'bombed' it roughly towards f50 or i50. Consequently, our turnovers were awful all over the ground.

Reduce all types of 'bombing' and things will improve dramatically.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by Lucifers Hero

20 hours ago, binman said:

Agree with much of the above, except for the notion that our players would often bomb it long. We def turned it over a lot but we were not a bomb it long team.

There are plenty of stats that can be misleading - one such oft cited example is disposal efficiency (eg inside mids dispose of the ball under more pressure than say a half back flanker who get the opportunity to chip kick the ball around the back half under little pressure).

But some stats are less misleading, one being metres gained from kicks.

If in 2025 we were a team that often resorted to long bombs, you'd expect to see that reflected in the data - we'd be near the top of the table for metres gained from kick.

But we're not - in fact we were 12th in the AFL for metres gained per kick (26.2 metres gained per kick).

By way of contrast teams there are number of teams above us on that table that many would imagine don't bomb it long (eg Freo is second for most metres gained per kick, the Pies 5th, the Hawks 6th and the Crows 7th).

The premiers were 17th for metres gained per kick (25 metres - only 1.2 less metres gained per kick than us).

Interestingly, i think I'm right in saying that last season the average metres gained per kicks increased across the board from 2024 as teams started kicking longer to get over the top of zones, look to win the contest head of the ball and mitigate the impact of turnovers (ie better to turn it over in your forward half than miss a short kick at HB) - so perhaps we needed to bomb it long more often!

20 hours ago, binman said:

Agree with much of the above, except for the notion that our players would often bomb it long. We def turned it over a lot but we were not a bomb it long team.

There are plenty of stats that can be misleading - one such oft cited example is disposal efficiency (eg inside mids dispose of the ball under more pressure than say a half back flanker who get the opportunity to chip kick the ball around the back half under little pressure).

But some stats are less misleading, one being metres gained from kicks.

If in 2025 we were a team that often resorted to long bombs, you'd expect to see that reflected in the data - we'd be near the top of the table for metres gained from kick.

But we're not - in fact we were 12th in the AFL for metres gained per kick (26.2 metres gained per kick).

By way of contrast teams there are number of teams above us on that table that many would imagine don't bomb it long (eg Freo is second for most metres gained per kick, the Pies 5th, the Hawks 6th and the Crows 7th).

The premiers were 17th for metres gained per kick (25 metres - only 1.2 less metres gained per kick than us).

Interestingly, i think I'm right in saying that last season the average metres gained per kicks increased across the board from 2024 as teams started kicking longer to get over the top of zones, look to win the contest head of the ball and mitigate the impact of turnovers (ie better to turn it over in your forward half than miss a short kick at HB) - so perhaps we needed to bomb it long more often!

Most stats are misleading, and I don't know what games you were watching, Trac, Clarry, Viney, Sparrow, and Rivers. The list goes on. Just put it on the boot: long bombs into the forward line without looking, and you can blame the game plan for that, as forwards mainly went to the same spot. Even the Kangaroos figured that one out. Even in the last quarter of the Saints game, they went back to long kicks into packs. Goodwin served well, but in the end, he was coaching for his own position instead of for the team.

1 hour ago, dpositive said:

As Ive said before Macca, and I dont disagree with what you say, and I certainly dont know all or perhaps any of the reality of the past, the future will tell. The club will need to improve .

If Clarrie and Tracc thrive in their new environments and become a match winning force then I will regret that our club did not have the ability to find and use that force.

In any circumstance I will still support the Dees as I have always done.

I'm not sure that all involved at the club knew how to deal with success. All the rest of what happens, if that occurs, follows down a similar path

An example of how to do deal with success might be our very own Norm Smith and the club, back in the day. But even that went all pear-shaped in the end

Not sure about regrets though. It is what it is and you move on and start again

2 hours ago, dpositive said:

As Ive said before Macca, and I dont disagree with what you say, and I certainly dont know all or perhaps any of the reality of the past, the future will tell. The club will need to improve .

If Clarrie and Tracc thrive in their new environments and become a match winning force then I will regret that our club did not have the ability to find and use that force.

In any circumstance I will still support the Dees as I have always done.

Don't forget that every player, and staff member, is an individual. For all we know there were too many personality clashes and too many unforgivable incidents that meant Tracc and Clarry would never slot in ever again at the Dees. That also means that potentially that all three of Melbourne, Petracca and Oliver - ALL now unburdened - have great seasons ..... that NONE would have had even if Goody stayed or King turns out to be the best coach ever.

9 hours ago, Macca said:

I'm not sure that all involved at the club knew how to deal with success. All the rest of what happens, if that occurs, follows down a similar path

An example of how to do deal with success might be our very own Norm Smith and the club, back in the day. But even that went all pear-shaped in the end

Not sure about regrets though. It is what it is and you move on and start again

hopefully learn from the experience and there is enough corporate memory to not repeat any errors. It is the hope with King.

7 hours ago, Go Ds said:

Don't forget that every player, and staff member, is an individual. For all we know there were too many personality clashes and too many unforgivable incidents that meant Tracc and Clarry would never slot in ever again at the Dees. That also means that potentially that all three of Melbourne, Petracca and Oliver - ALL now unburdened - have great seasons ..... that NONE would have had even if Goody stayed or King turns out to be the best coach ever.

Again dont disagree, but we dont know. It just adds another dimension to the season.

I too hope King is the best coach ever

10 hours ago, demon3165 said:

Most stats are misleading

Got any stats for that?

On 14/01/2026 at 14:08, binman said:

There are plenty of stats that can be misleading -

90% are misleading, and another 40% just don't add up