1 hour ago, roy11 said:

I'm still scarred from last year though with that loss against GWS. They played opening week, we didn't. They were slightly sharper and fitter and stole the win from us. Hoping that does not happen again with the Saints.

Yep, a major disadvantage. They ran all over us late. It’s likely going to happen again this year, which is frustrating.

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

That was a blaring red signal that our last 2 minute drills and on field leadership was missing. It played out many times over the season. We learned nothing.

True, but we also got quite unlucky - the kick out from AJ’s point went to a contest and bounced perfectly for Callaghan, which led to the chain giving Keefe the mark. Who then kicked truly despite not being a renowned goalkicker.

29 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Yep, a major disadvantage. They ran all over us late. It’s likely going to happen again this year, which is frustrating.

True, but we also got quite unlucky - the kick out from AJ’s point went to a contest and bounced perfectly for Callaghan, which led to the chain giving Keefe the mark. Who then kicked truly despite not being a renowned goalkicker.

We get unlucky a lot!

3 hours ago, jnrmac said:

That was a blaring red signal that our last 2 minute drills and on field leadership was missing. It played out many times over the season. We learned nothing.

I thought that was a good feature of the recent practice match again North that we did several last 2min drills against opposition other than ourselves and won both drills in a fairly controlled way.

Granted our opposition was only North, but they did also go onto beat Collingwood in a close one in their second practice match.

I'm probably fairly biased, but I do think 1-5 is a pretty pessimistic assessment. Perhaps if I was a neutral supporter, maybe that is where I'd get to, but I'm not that

I actually think anything in the 2 - 4 wins range is more realistic. Looking at how we did perform against a supposedly maturing North and Richmond, I really don't see us a bottom 4 material and actually think we are at least in the group of teams that includes St Kilda, Essendon and Carlton, so would expect that we'd at least win a couple of those games and possibly one against one of the higher ranked sides from last year.

My honest oppinion is that the first 6 - 12 games of the season no one has a particularly great read on form and it's not until that mid way point of the season that things really start to work themselves out. Teams have [censored] starts to the season (us last season and I think Brisbane have been notoriously slow to get into there seasons). Some teams fall away and others do go through big step change improvements from season to season.

Being an eternal optermist, I'm putting my chips on that we've had a great off season, now being well coached within a system that the players have really bought into, are playing with added belief and enthusiasm, without the baggage that had built up over the previous two and that will get us over the line more than we might have at the start of last season.

On field leadership has been poor for us. The addition of Steele, Mihocek and Lever in the team should go aways to fixing that. For all their many fantastic attributes tactical nous is not a strength of our current captain and co captain. Before you scream and jump and and down look no further than the Saints last quarter.

Don’t think we’ll lose a game all year

2 hours ago, Roost it far said:

On field leadership has been poor for us. The addition of Steele, Mihocek and Lever in the team should go aways to fixing that. For all their many fantastic attributes tactical nous is not a strength of our current captain and co captain. Before you scream and jump and and down look no further than the Saints last quarter.

That Saints last quarter was a fair bit of anomaly though really and I think at times back in 2021, our on-field leadership was pretty dam good. Back in 2021, we rarely got ahead by big margins, but we were almost always able to keep control of the game and defend them to victory.

The failure of leadership in that last quarter wasn't the last 1-2mins or whatever it was, it was that last 10-15mins that after letting a 40point lead slide back to a 20point one, that we didn't find a way to shut up shop for them defensively and/or kick goals against them to end their run and effectively close out the game with 5mins on the clock.

Maybe it was because we had Lever for alot of 2021 and didn't last year against the Saints. Maybe it was because we were fiddling with playing a more attacking game that we forgot how to switch within a quarter and go back to that miserly defensive mode. I also think that St Kilda had nothing to loose and thus were in a box seat in a way, in that sense. Also from memory, think they were assisted with some pretty marginal/fortunate free kicks that went in their favour in those last 5mins that put them in striking distance.

I'd also add that in the last round of 2022, we came back from 32 points down against Geelong down at Cat Park, when they had Dangerfield and Selwood - was that a failure of Geelong not having good onfield leaders?

Anyways, the main point for me isn't the positioning, on field leadership in the last few minutes, it was that we let them get back so close in the first place.

Edited March 4Mar 4 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

6 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

It was 7-11 actually (not sure of percentage). 4 of the wins were vs West Coast, Richmond and North, too.

On the other hand, 5 of the 11 losses were by less than 10 points. Only 2 of the losses were by more than 30 (Hawthorn twice, one of which was level at 3QT).

So I worked it out. The last 19 rounds we went 7-11 with a percentage of 104%

We'll do OK this year.

21 hours ago, Dingo said:

On SEN on Monday morning G W was asking Simmo ? How teams would go in the first 6 games.

Melbourne will win 1 and lose 5.

So will Collingwood

We do have a tough early run, I think best case scenario is 3-3. This would set us up ok I reckon

On 03/03/2026 at 18:52, Dingo said:

On SEN on Monday morning G W was asking Simmo ? How teams would go in the first 6 games.

Melbourne will win 1 and lose 5.

So will Collingwood

Wasn't going to bump this thread for another few weeks, but with yesterday's win, I feel we've well and truly exceeded the expectations the external footy World had on us.

One week at a time I know and for as putrid as they looked against North, Essendon at least put up a fair show on the scoreboard against the Dogs and won't be a push over, but I think we'd have to be favourites against them and now be viewed as at least some chance against Brisbane the following week.

Not sure what to think about 'Gather Round' (South Australia Rd). In one sense, it interrupts our momentum of being MCG specialists, not having lost a game at the home of football all season, on the other hand, I think it could be good for the team to perform in what is more of an away game environment.

Well done and full credit to Kingy and all the team so far for doing the work, committing to the new game style, each other and giving us something more than just hope for the future. Anyways looking forward to the next couple of weeks ahead and then seeing what we can turn this season into (probably the topic of another thread in its self).

Edited 20 hours ago20 hr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

On 03/03/2026 at 21:32, biggestred said:

I d be delighted with 3-3

Now ill be upset if we aren't 4-2

32 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Wasn't going to bump this thread for another few weeks, but with yesterday's win, I feel we've well and truly exceeded the expectations the external footy World had on us.

One week at a time I know and for as putrid as they looked against North, Essendon at least put up a fair show on the scoreboard against the Dogs and won't be a push over, but I think we'd have to be favourites against them and now be viewed as at least some chance against Brisbane the following week.

Not sure what to think about 'Gather Round' (South Australia Rd). In one sense, it interrupts our momentum of being MCG specialists, not having lost a game at the home of football all season, on the other hand, I think it could be good for the team to perform in what is more of an away game environment.

Well done and full credit to Kingy and all the team so far for doing the work, committing to the new game style, each other and giving us something more than just hope for the future. Anyways looking forward to the next couple of weeks ahead and then seeing what we can turn this season into (probably the topic of another thread in its self).

32 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Wasn't going to bump this thread for another few weeks, but with yesterday's win, I feel we've well and truly exceeded the expectations the external footy World had on us.

One week at a time I know and for as putrid as they looked against North, Essendon at least put up a fair show on the scoreboard against the Dogs and won't be a push over, but I think we'd have to be favourites against them and now be viewed as at least some chance against Brisbane the following week.

Not sure what to think about 'Gather Round' (South Australia Rd). In one sense, it interrupts our momentum of being MCG specialists, not having lost a game at the home of football all season, on the other hand, I think it could be good for the team to perform in what is more of an away game environment.

Well done and full credit to Kingy and all the team so far for doing the work, committing to the new game style, each other and giving us something more than just hope for the future. Anyways looking forward to the next couple of weeks ahead and then seeing what we can turn this season into (probably the topic of another thread in its self).

Adelaide Oval has similar dimensions to the G', doesn't it?

I think the location shouldn't hinder our game style

30 minutes ago, biggestred said:

Now ill be upset if we aren't 4-2

I am already feeling angry we couldn't come back against Flogmantle.

1 hour ago, ElDiablo14 said:

I am already feeling angry we couldn't come back against Flogmantle.

We did though. We were actually pretty good after the disastrous first quarter. Just can’t give Fremantle a 40-point headstart at home

IMO we’ve only played two “bad” quarters so far - first vs Freo and first vs Carlton.

8 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

We did though. We were actually pretty good after the disastrous first quarter. Just can’t give Fremantle a 40-point headstart at home

IMO we’ve only played two “bad” quarters so far - first vs Freo and first vs Carlton.

We were reasonable and competitive after that start yes.

If Essendon can get some credit for one decent quarter against the Dogs last night then I think we can see the positives in that game away from home.

i was hoping for a 2-4 start. And given the rubbish we dished up last season and all the chnages in the offseason, a case could easily be made for 0-6

No question we are well ahead of schedule but one game at a time should be our mantra

With some luck with injuries we can have a really good season

On 03/03/2026 at 20:43, Jjrogan said:

4-2 with K. Pickett 3 best on grounds.

'Ageing well'

Seriously, we will start favourites in 3 of the next 5 games and then probably another 4 or 5 throughout the year based on current form. Bookies would have us around even money now to make the top 10. But loooong season ahead. Given his focus on run and gps data, will be very interesting on how King and the MC manage the byes, injuries and resting of young and senior players.

7 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

'Ageing well'

Seriously, we will start favourites in 3 of the next 5 games and then probably another 4 or 5 throughout the year based on current form. Bookies would have us around even money now to make the top 10

$1.57 (was $3.75 pre-season)

9 hours ago, ElDiablo14 said:

I am already feeling angry we couldn't come back against Flogmantle.

It was 10 goals to 9 after 1/4 time. We played OK

8 hours ago, BDA said:

i was hoping for a 2-4 start. And given the rubbish we dished up last season and all the chnages in the offseason, a case could easily be made for 0-6

No question we are well ahead of schedule but one game at a time should be our mantra

With some luck with injuries we can have a really good season

I'd have absolutely taken 2 wins from the first 6. Pretty much any results that would keep King off the front page in a Neeld style.

Is he destined for success? We don't know. Will we do well this season? Again we don't know. However you would much rather prefer this than the alternative for a new coach.

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

It was 10 goals to 9 after 1/4 time. We played OK

It was a bit tongue in cheek 😉