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Angus Brayshaw Concussion Indefinite Lochie Filipovic Hip 4 weeks Colin Garland* Knee Season Jeff Garlett Hamstring 1 week Jesse Hogan Testicular cancer Test Nathan Jones Quad 4-5 weeks Pat McKenna Hamstring 4-5 weeks Christian Salem Hamstring 3-4 weeks Joel Smith Shoulder Available Tim Smith Navicular bone Season Aaron vandenBerg* Heel Season Jack Viney Shoulder Available Jack Watts Hamstring 1 week 13 players are out... what do you expect?

This gives me enormous faith in the direction of the club. Didnt use it as an excuse before, during or directly after the loss. Gave those players a real whack when it would have been easier not too. This will be the making of us as a footy club. Successful clubs act this way.

Great time to do that with our injury list the way it is. Especially disappointed in JKH who was on fire in the VFL and no doubt would have played vs Sydney. Also a nice way to repay the club for giving you a contract next year.

There are a lot of pathetic posts in relation to Bugg. He is one of our players. He gives his all. He tries to play on the edge and last night he crossed the line. It was a bad mistake no question. He will pay for it. Not the least because, unlike Houli, everyone is happy to pot him. He clearly doesn't get the 'good bloke' discount. The commentary last night was disgraceful. They were happy to let their lickass friend Buddy get away with a hip to Hannan's head but they stuck the proverbial boots into Bugg. I support Buggy because he is one of ours. You should too.

- Hinted that (obviously) it was our physical state that hurt us last night. - Gave the players a big wrap for winning the 4 in a row in tough circumstances (injuries, fixturing) - Solid re: Bugg hit. Unacceptable, not the image we want, etc. But also finished with saying he's a good kid who [censored] up. - Maintained upside for the season without using the 'F' word. Said its ok to embrace a bit of the expectation that comes with more success. He speaks as though he's in complete control; calm, measured and realistic. Edit: worth noting all presenters (Huddo, Dermie, King) agreed last night didn't change their outlook on MFC. I think its universally accepted we've been cruelled by circumstance.

Not depth issues. INJURY issues. You can't replace your best players and as of the second half we were down Watts, Garlett, Hogan, Jones, Salem and Viney. Good depth is a misnomer. You. Cannot. Replace. Your. Best. Players.

Name one club, other than GWS, that could cover the injuries we've had to this point? I'll answer for you - none. It has nothing to do with depth issues, it has everything to do with losing a host of key players, not to mention others like Brayshaw and AVB who could easily slot into the side as well.

Simon Goodwin I take my hat off to you. To be going into your 4th game in 18 days, undermanned, under enormous expectation and pressure, with a great deal at stake and to take the hard road by not allowing these fools to be selected speaks volumes of you and your principles. For all those questioning this decision, you are witnessing the very thing that is making this proud club great again. As a coach of elite swimming, I for one am awe of this guy! Keep it up Simon, we are privileged to have you as our coach.

Fake news, what's a drinking session, couple of pots, wasn't that long ago standing around a barrel on Sunday was mandatory!

With a full strength to near full strength team we would smash the Swans. I'm not disappointed with the loss, just disappointed with the injury list.

This beggars belief. The guys who can actually grab their opportunity when the club really needs them and they go bugger it up. Then Casey get smashed against Port today with (from my understanding) little impact from the players involved, who would surely be trying to make amends!? Strong from the club, though. Indicates a real shift in culture and setting standards. Take the positive from the negative.

Jetta

Let me say this. We are not missing 6 of our best 22, we are missing 6 of our best 12! No team in the comp can cover 6 of their best 12, none!!

Wow, fringe players during an injury crisis and a series of 6-day turnarounds, and they're on the [censored]. Most people aren't interested in trying to be great, and that's fine, really it is. But if you want to play in the best 22 of a rising AFL club on the fringe of the top 4, when everything is at stake, then yeah, a slice of greatness is what you need to want, and need to be prepared to commit to.

Jetta was by far our best under trying circumstances.

Guys, we won 4 in a row in few days with many out. We've lost some more. Now's not the time for unforced changes. Stop ranting & keep your cool.

I don't like losing as much as the next bloke and I don't believe in the cliche " the loss we needed to have." Reality is, Essendon gave the Swans a lifeline last week and tonight was always going to be a tough assignment against a seasoned outfit at full strength. We have to consider the fact that not only our players out are easily the first picked, they are also match winners on their day. Petracca looked the only one tonight that could win it for us. Most of the boys looked cooked and I don't blame them one bit. I found the second half somewhat admirable to be honest, I might be in the minority here but after watching the captain limp out of the huddle and straight down the rooms just prior to the second half commencing, it sent a dagger through my heart. It was 3.7 to 6.4 in the second half and a lot of teams would have completely got themselves blown off the park at this stage without any true leaders out there. Plenty of footy ahead, just hope the footy gods are kind to us soon.

Hold on, are you having a dip at Hibberd? Thought he was one of our best.

Missed jones and Viney in that 2nd half badly! Most of all, seriously missed Salem. Disposal out of the back half was terrible. We looked cooked. Consecutive 6 day breaks, coming back from Perth, undermanned, sore... Im proud of the effort. Always a bridge too far.

Too many NQR players in this game. I overestimated the ability of the likes of White and Wagner to plug gaps. All the footsoldiers struggled. Bugg, the less said the better. Viney out really hurt, and will hurt. It's disappointing the be so comprehensively outplayed, but we weren't going to go the whole season without losing again. If we were going to have this game, it might as well be against the rampaging Swans, at the end of 4 games in 18 days, with a third of our best side out, including our two skippers and our three best forwards. We dust ourselves off and get on with it I think. And hopefully get a few footballers back soon.

These guys don't like the work place policy then they can go get a a 9-5 job on jack all pay that let's them drink. i would prefer professional Athletes representing the club.

Idiots. Have done nothing all season and right when the side needs them they f' it up. I liked Kent but in my opinion I'd be happy to see him leave now.

No afl club with our recent fixture or injuries would have gotten near the swans last night. God I hope Viney isn't our for very long

We had two of our best contested out of the match for either a half and the whole game. We had a 2nd game back, no match fitness, Big Maxy who was spent by half time. Wags a turnover King playing in the position where Hunt should have played. Coaching error. White simply not up to this level right now. T-Mac spending too much time in the ruck....see Big Maxy issue above. Clarry, probably our best contested inside player this year, spending the first 15 min on the bench?? Handing the contested momentum to Sydney early. Another coaching error. No genuine small forward. Our best ball user, JW, sidelined. A 3rd match with a six day turnaround, probably resulting in many of the youngsters being out of the contest for much of the night. Take absolutely no notice of this match. If we get Watts, Jones, Jeffy, Hogan, Salem and Viney back the next time we meet, we will pummel this mob. The only thing standing in our road to success from here are injuries.

It is pretty obvious JKH, Kennedy and Kent must have done something as there is no way Dion Johnstone would be ahead of them as an emergency. Tonight was not unexpected. We didn't lack effort but lacked spark and were 3-5 steps off our normal spread. This meant they had plenty of short kick options to use and we had no options out of the backline or into the forward line so just dump kicked on most occasions. Gawn seems to be lacking his attack on the ball in the air and holding position since his return and I hope it returns quicker than his beard grows. Whilst it's great we have won 3 of 4 in 18 days the injury toll has killed us and I expect will ruin our second half of year more than we hope. If I look for good points tonight, we never dropped our heads. O-Mac is getting better and better. T-Mac could actually make a serious foil with Hogan on return. You realise how good Salem is when he's not there. You realise how good Petracca will be the more you watch him. Rest up. Reset. Go again.

Really thought the the biggest loss we had was Salem. We missed his calmness and silky skills.

Garlett Jones Salem Hogan Watts Viney for half the game 4 games in 18 days Travelling across the country. Was always going to happen. If anything, I am surprised we did so well in keeping them to just 6 goals. Watts, Garlett, Hogan back in 9 days after a good rest. The hardest part of our season is done and we came out of it 4-1. Not fussed at all about tonight, we all knew it would happen, Bugg, yeah disappointing, the leadership group will speak to him about that but take the good with the bad with a player like him, he is an antagoniser and will overstep the mark like that at times. We are still 6th and will still be in the 8, the worst loss of the year ant it's only 35 points against last years premiership runners up and our Casey squad. Go Demons, we are still one of the top 4-5 teams in the comp but you can only do so much.

Gawn got done for that years ago and was whacked by the club, which he acknowledges as the making of him. Jesse was at home watching his father die as a 21 year old. If any of these 4 have that as an excuse then I will accept that as highly unusual and stressful circumstances. Hodge got banned by his teammates for his last 2 indiscretions. So that tells you we handled this right.

If you look at his posting history so far you'll find that @Elegt is obsessed with the notion that our depth is total rubbish. He can't fathom how some of that depth has already helped us to multiple wins this year, but you can't talk sense to a muppet.

No they shouldnt. Good on them for putting Buggy on the front foot and they probably wanted him to do it so he could be seen to be remorseful. If just hid him away then he'd be hassled at training by the media where he'd probably wouldn't say much. What Bugg did was just stupid and no need for it. Make him accountable for his actions.

Sydney are a team of scraggers. They scragged harder, and got away with more terrible footy and rugby. Umps were gay for Sydney. B team for us Move on.

Of course he didn't. He flung out reactively. He did clock him a cracker but that was more luck ( bad ) than intent or aim. Agree...the vitriol, the hyperbole, almost laughable.

Maybe it's because I have a soft spot for him, but I don't feel as though Buggy intended to get him as he did. A whack to the neck/top of the chest may have been his intention, but if you take the risk then this is what can happen. Doesn't excuse what he did and he will get weeks (4 sounds about right), but doesn't deserve the high level of criticism on here at the minute. Buggy will be back.

Please no one state agan that either McDonald are poor kicks. Showe'd tonight (as they have many times before) that they are anything but. Thinking particularly of Tommy - has kicked 9 goals 3 this year and nailed a perfect pass tonight into the forwardline that shows he has the goods. Was poor with some decision making early in his career and probably lacked confidence and needed to perfect his craft, but he certainly has now, so MOVE ON McDonald haters.

Jones, Watts, Hogan, Garlett, Salem and Viney are all top 10 players. No team carries depth which replaces that.

Neville Jetta BOG for mine tonight. Having a cracking year.

Anyone with a pulse - and that's optional

That's what happens when you play 4 games in 18 days. It takes it's toll and it did. This was the result I expected tonight but convinced myself it wasn't going to happen...

WTF, what a load of BS When we were winning all these blokes looked the goods and we're kicking goals metaphorically (and literally). Pretty tough call to single out these guys when 3/4s of our side looked spent and lathargic tonight. Oliver had a [censored] night, perhaps he's a VFL player also. Gawn was ok, but still not hitting his A game (with good reason). If anything, I thought Harmes and Melksham were a few that actually showed a bit of energy and drive tonight. Yes Harms missed a soda early in the second half, but that's hardly what lost us the game tonight (not to mention the clutch goal he kicked last week to keep us in the game in the fourth). Let's not forget that a number of those you list are still essentially developing players who have continued to improve and pretty much all normally fearlessly and relentlessly attack the contest, hunting the ball and the opposition and take on the gamr in a manner that our game plan/style which has been so successful over the previous four weeks demands. I'm quite prepared to put this game down to 3 X 6 day breaks, No Watts, Garlett, Jones (& Pactically Viney) and comming up against the other form side in the comp who are at close to peak fittness/personal. Even then, we hardly discraced ourselves. If next week's game is a disaster, the things would look more ominous for some, but let's wait and see there, so far this year we have been pretty good at backing up after a loss.

Interesting about selection, as with the 4 games in 18 days I have been banging on about bringing in fresh legs. Goody has proved me wrong until this game, where ( and being overseas ) I only heard the last half and have read DL and AFL site, but it appears we were dead on our feet. We had players in JKH, Kent and Kennedy who had good form at Casey, yet they selected 2 back flankers. Our spread and uncontested possession was horrible and these two weren't going to help that. Anyway the obvious happened , but unfortunately with the addition of more injuries. When you add Joel Smith, who was in the senior side when injured and who I think will become a regular, to the 8 players named several times on DL out already, that is half the side out , including basically our whole forward line. To have 8 wins up and be in the 8 at this stage of the season given the last 18 days is a great effort. We are on the improve and now need real luck with injuries for the rest of the season.

Can always call Lumumba and see if he is free. Would walk into the side based on tonight's performance.......... .....jokes

Wagner needs to come out surely.

That wasn't my point at all. I used Brayshaw and AVB as examples of players who can slot into the side when we have injuries and play to a standard higher than the others. I never said he was best 22 so don't go and put words in my mouth.

Its a Bugg problem. He did the wrong thing and has taken account. Primarily the club needs to do the best thing for the club. This is the best thing for the club. Bugg did the wrong thing, and he had to face the music. You can't reward Bugg for this by protecting him. We have a whole list to think of. That list doesn't need to distraction of T.Bugg. Now the spotlight is firmly on Bugg and not MFC. Well played by whoever allowed Bugg to get interviewed.

That was good, wasn't it. It's hard to work out how he can hold the binoculars when his hands are otherwise engaged.

Fair assessment. And Bruce has now become a parody of himself.

Not blaming the scheduling in isolation, but 4 games in 18 days, including one in Perth? Just nothing there that would have helped. Feel like we left it all out on the park in Perth last weekend, and not enough foot soldiers left. Fringe players were exposed tonight, some more than others. A few positives, and even some positives amongst the negatives, but time to move on from this one. We get a decent break to refresh and rebuild, hopefully can get some players back to push through the last part of the season.

Disappointing but I'm not overly suprised. Take Buddy, Parker, Kennedy, Reid out of the swans, and see how they fair. Essentially who we are missing. 8 day break and on to the Blues. On a positive, thought Oscar was good again in a well beaten side.

I like Bugg