4 minutes ago, Greg Schneider said:

Picket, have you ever considered coaching at an AFL club? I think you’ve got one of the best minds for modern footy I’ve seen on this site

You need to go to your local Shrink, there would be NO ONE on this site that would think that! So taking the peeez works both ways😂

Edited Thursday at 07:071 day by picket fence

18 hours ago, Longsufferingnomore said:

DId I hear 15,000 extras from NWM. Can we do that with Latrelle😁

Maybe in a few years. Exciting +++ prospect but as yet unproven at top level.

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

Yes correct I iterated this in a previous post. We imploded with Grundy coz Max couldn't or wouldn't make it work! We would have won in 2023 if Grundy played rather than dud Josh Schache. If we get this two Ruck setup right we will have an astonishingly good year. MAX and Moose or Max and T.Mac is a possible setup that will make other teams think hard at selection.This is Kings first (of many) litmus tests

48 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Zakostelsky is not a ruck, played there at WAFL Colts level but not big enough to play the role permanently at AFL Level, well known amongst recruiters he will pinch it to give Fort a rest,

Brisbane are using him as a pinch hitter and have been converting him to a key defender long term, great athlete same as Cody Curtin

Maclean again a pinch hitter who is a forward

With Gawn as #1 we will use a second mobile tall to pinch hit

Let’s hope Luker gets back quickly and continues his preseason form (v Norf).

Question - did Heath ever stay on the ground up forward when Luker took the ruck role?

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

We would have won in 2023 if Grundy played rather than dud Josh Schache.

Grundy (who was out the door by then) refused to play as emergency.

For the first time since 2022 the pressure is off us and I am loving it. I haven't entered a season feeling so care-free in many years!

1 hour ago, bing181 said:

Grundy (who was out the door by then) refused to play as emergency.

Bulltish!

4 hours ago, dice said:

Wrong.

Round 0 confirmed rucks (so far):
Carlton - Pittonet, Reidy
Brisbane - Fort, Zakostelsky
Swans - Grundy only at this stage (Ladhams and McLean are the first 2 emergencies)

A 2nd mobile ruck could be the way to go. Gawn has to suck it up and stop sooking

So basically every team has a recognised ruck & a non recognised ruck. I can see Freo & Saints with 2 recognised rucks but who else ?

13 hours ago, Simmo0911 said:

Is there going to be an intra club game this weekend?

I just posted about this on the Casey Practice Match thread…

A friend who was at Casey today was told that at 8am on Saturday, before the Casey practice match, our seniors are playing an intraclub match. I don’t think this sounds right, though. But they are training there beginning at 8am.

4 hours ago, bing181 said:

Grundy (who was out the door by then) refused to play as emergency.

3 hours ago, picket fence said:

Bulltish!

It’s true, PF.

3 hours ago, Deestar9 said:

So basically every team has a recognised ruck & a non recognised ruck. I can see Freo & Saints with 2 recognised rucks but who else ?

Lee Adam’s, Blues mids coach was interviewed before tonight’s game and when asked why they went with 2 Rucks his response was

They went with the 2 as their pre season form was hard to split Pittonet and Reidy and they went with both who they would use sparingly and try to work Grundy over.

Adam’s further said they would see how it worked and review after the outcome.

Sydney absolutely ran the Blues off their feet, which is why sides will go with 1 recognised ruck and a hybrid mobile tall to chop out.

The speed of the game and repeat running required has changed the way teams will lineup

14 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

The speed of the game ...

Everyone's doing it, sink or swim. Going to catch out a few old-guard coaches/teams.

14 hours ago, bing181 said:

Grundy (who was out the door by then) refused to play as emergency.

Refused to play as emergency or refused to be selected in the 22?

Was under the impression it was the latter.

16 hours ago, picket fence said:

No...! Jai Culley in the ruck i

Agree. I don't want a bloke who missed more than a season with a ruptured ACL jumping at centre contests. TMac can't jump. Max needs to rest. JvR needs to play as a full-time KPF. Either Heath plays (5th on the bench) or maybe Gawn plays a la Stanley. When Blicavs plays Stanley doesn't leave the square.

Dont know why the love for Petty, TMac has him covered in defence and has been really solid in praccies and training (from reports).

Petty can certainly play both back and forward and has shown he can be reasonably mobile. I reckon he makes an excellent emergency as he can fill most spots.

Im not sure how he goes as a burst player as he always seemed to need time to get used to patterns but i would be concentrating on that aspect in training.

2 hours ago, layzie said:

Refused to play as emergency or refused to be selected in the 22?

Was under the impression it was the latter.

It was the latter. He didn’t get a say in whether or not he was selected, no player does, but he made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t going to play in any capacity. You can lead a horse to water, etc.

Anyone know if Bailey trained with his gnawed off stump today?

Hi everyone was just saw you can purchase guard of honour tickets $50 pp to games you can select. I was just wondering if anyone has been in the guard of honour and how was the experience is it worth it also where do you have to meet up before hand/ where do you gather? Was thinking of doing it fir st Linda home game round 1, thank you everyone !

Just saw on instagram that at every home game we will be playing songs(picked by players) after a goal. I don’t mind it. Gets the kids up and about. After a few bevs I’ll be up and about too! Haha

Not really to do with this thread but I am surprised that the club has not got a scratch match organised against one of the other none Opening round participants this weekend

48 minutes ago, Dees051321 said:

Hi everyone was just saw you can purchase guard of honour tickets $50 pp to games you can select. I was just wondering if anyone has been in the guard of honour and how was the experience is it worth it also where do you have to meet up before hand/ where do you gather? Was thinking of doing it fir st Linda home game round 1, thank you everyone !

I’ve been in many guards of honour. Mainly for our W matches (and once for the Suns when they were short of numbers).

The club will let you know beforehand where to meet. It’s usually at the bottom of the race. There’s a GOH rep (an admin staff member) who stays with the group the entire time.

GOH participants come out on the field just before we raise the banner. They stand in two lines beginning on the boundary line at the top of the race, and they wave small flags and cheer as the players run out.

I’ve never had to pay for being in a GOH. Imho it’s not really worth paying for. But that’s just my opinion.

34 minutes ago, Demongirl35 said:

Just saw on instagram that at every home game we will be playing songs(picked by players) after a goal. I don’t mind it. Gets the kids up and about. After a few bevs I’ll be up and about too! Haha

I’m not a fan of this. It’s all fine and dandy if we’re winning, but for mine it looks silly when a team’s being thumped and a player’s song comes on. I believe music belongs in many places but the footy ain’t one of them.

On 04/03/2026 at 22:24, WERRIDEE said:

Culley will not be used as a second ruck. Heath shouldn't play if McDonald is playing as well too tall. I think Culley will have to play a VFL match before he is considered. The second ruck will be McDonald.

B: Lever, Petty, Salem

HB: Jiath, Turner, Lindsay

C: Langford, Steele, Langdon

HF: Chandler, van Rooyen, K.Pickett

F: Fritsch, Miocek, L.Pickett

FOLL: Gawn, Rivers, Windsor

IC: Sparrow, Howes, Tholstrup, Laurie, McDonald

EMERG: Culley, Sharp, Heath

looks like a pretty good team for mine I am quietly confident

Just now, [email protected] said:

looks like a pretty good team for mine I am quietly confident

as long as fritta and Miocek are fit

I fear that too many supporters are going to come back to earth with a this.

We will be very ordinary this year. We have just started a major Reno.

16 hours ago, Salems Lot said:

Not really to do with this thread but I am surprised that the club has not got a scratch match organised against one of the other none Opening round participants this weekend

Nup tempting fate, best to get training miles instead

15 hours ago, [email protected] said:

looks like a pretty good team for mine I am quietly confident

St.Kilda play 2 rucks, if we dont we will lose, simple as that!