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If Dom finds himself on the wing at any point, I'm convinced Goodwin isn't a good coach. Tyson is one dimensional and contested, can win the ball and should be in the guts 100% of his time on the ground. leave him there.

He was touted as a top 5 pick at one stage as a junior, we got a steal with him and he’ll develop into a beauty. He has one thing many of our players lack and that is footy smarts

Ah, the AFL. Such a professional organisation. Actually an amateur organisation paying themselves 'professional' salaries.

I am staggered he hasn’t got a rising star award yet, given his performances this year and especially since a few of the winners had far less impressive games than Charlie, in the particular round they were nominated.

Just watching Scott's pre-game presser and Geelong have had umpire Troy Pannell down to Geelong to "help" them with some of the rulings and how they're applied. My tip is we'll not even be offered KY from the Umps this weekend.

There's no shirking the obvious - this is a massive game for us. We know we haven't beaten anyone better than North. We know we haven't won the "big" games we've played this year. And we also know that if we win this game, and we end up two games and percentage clear of Geelong, our path to finals gets significantly easier, whilst if we lose it, our path remains tricky and with an enormous question mark hovering over it. They don't have a decent ruckman so hopefully Gawn can get on top and help our midfield beat theirs. If we can get enough ball inside 50, and our press can hold up on a narrow ground (which should be precisely what we want), then we can definitely win this game. The pressure will be enormous, though, so it remains to be seen how we cope.

Not sure he is technically a ruckman. It’s more appropriate to refer to him as a AFL player that plays a variety of roles very badly.

I've a shockingly innovative idea I hope you will all share a favourable amount of zest with me for. Win games. Disregard falling into the 8. All else is irrelevant.

So he’s definitely talking about Marrara Oval, where we spend 4 hours s year, and there’s absolutely no chance he’s talking about our training ground, where our players spend a dozen hours a week, which was recently described by a Demonland member as being rock hard? I’ll never understand why people choose the conspiracy theory over the simple and logical conclusion.

His kicking hasn't been as good this year but his two-way running, his bursts from the backline, his man-on-man strength and his zoning are impossible to replace with one player. I suspect we'll play Smith or Wagner in his role but whether it's one of them, or Harmes, or Fritsch, it's a major downgrade and right at the wrong time of the year. Absolutely medicine/science-free rubbish, @praha. Do you have any medical or scientific knowledge to link Lever's ACL injury to playing in 22-degree warmth the week prior? Or Viney's sore toe to playing humidity? Or a quad pulled 1.5 weeks afterwards, in which time Hibberd had played another complete game? Where Goodwin refers to "look at our grounds", he could quite easily (and IMO much more likely) be referring to the firmness of the turf we train on. I reckon you've completely lost it with this one.

Did you see Geelong play last week? Their defence was mistake-riddled when rebounding and their forwardline looked one-dimensional. Their much talked about midfield has lost contested possessions and clearances most of the year. I just came from the 'Mr Jones' thread. The negativity about our own players is incredible. Jones and Viney bagged and now Hogan can't lead. I think most here think a team can only win a premiership with 22 super stars. Plenty of role players with obvious flaws have tasted premiership success. We're a pretty handy team that is getting better. Sure we have a few deficiencies and a few players who can turn it over but so does every team. We also have the most impressive contested ball winning midfield in the league, two quality key position forwards and the form ruckman of the competition. We might just be ok.

The last time I created a thread like this it was last year and we went on to smash the Crows in Adelaide. Will it work a second time? Let's cross everything and hope so.. Anyway, when we beat Geelong, I will... be wondering why I didn't tip us.

Sick of looking at himself in the mirror I reckon

What's brilliant is that it no longer matters if our new draftees are tearing it up straight away and getting accolades like this. As long as they are playing their role, I'm sure all the accolades that matter are heralded within the club. There is also far less pressure on guys like Charlie to come in from Round 1 and perform. They're given a few weeks in the VFL and 'earn' it first and from there, as long as they are doing the team things, that will keep them in the team. This is a far more sustainable and better way of approaching development, than throwing kids in from Round 1 and heaping pressure on them to succeed in the high intensity of an AFL midfield role.

I understand the inclusion of Tyson, especially with Viney out. If he's just played through the guts then he can have an impact for us, and he at least brings some experience and ball winning ability with him to the side. The Joel Smith selection is a little perplexing for me, even though others seem happy with it. Hibberd is good both defensively and offensively, and while Smith can give us something defensively, I don't trust him with the ball in hand, nor do I trust his ability to get the footy and do something with it. I feel like Wagner is a more rounded player at this point and could give us a little more than what Smith would bring to the table. Time will tell I guess, and I'm hopeful that Smith can prove me wrong on Saturday night.

I would have accepted St. Kilda.

Port Adelaide game

Said this in another, but look out for Jeff Whites kid Kalani in a few years. Only 12 years old but has been upgraded to under 14a footy and dominating! Pretty tall for a 12 years old also! Future ruckman hopefully!

13 will get you in. 12 and a draw may just be enough also. I think we're cooked and won't make it anyway.

I love it when people drop a comment like 'Jetta in doubt...' and then don't back it up in any way, shape or form. It's ridiculous. If we're talking the report from Misson, then he said he expects him to play. I've yet to see anything that contradicts this.

Sacking Norm Smith is more likely the cause.

Polec for $700,000 https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/07/18/north-melbournes-massive-offer-to-a-port-adelaide-midfielder/ Dusty, Kelly, Lynch, Fyfe, Sloane, Gaff and probably many more I can't remember..... There doesn't seem to be any consistency in what they're doing, just throw cash in a desperate bid to lure any big name. Good on them for trying, but it's starting to look desperate

I think some need a dose of clarity come understanding September. The goal of any club is to win the premiership. To do so you must be in the finals , but that alone means nothing. It just gets you a seat on the bus. If your form going in is so-so it's rare that it improves. Invariably those who make up the numbers are the first victims of the September cull. Other than getting to play another game there's not much to shout about. You need to be going into finals with form, with as full a list as possible....and with fanatical endeavour. Finals isn't a goal...it's a path. A slippery path. If you're not in the business end of September then you've no real business being there.

Pedo ... but everyone knows I would say that. He hurts people and puts them off their game. He takes on anyone and with ground support, turns adversity into winners. Just for one week in the backline; he didn't make it again, so it's goodnight from me and goodnight from him.

Probably not leather poisoning

My first thought was just a simple 'nope', it doesn't seem credible at all. Certainly from our perspective, where winning only two of the final 6 rounds would feel like failure almost regardless of final ladder position. But hmm, currently 4 teams on 9 (or 9 1/2) wins, two of those teams in the 8, two out of it. Look at it this way - if Geelong win 3 games to finish on twelve and preserve their percentage, then the chasers North and Hawthorn would have to win 4 games out of 6 to climb over them. Mind you, only one of them would need to do it, obviously. Oh it gets better. It's Catch-22 time! Beat Geelong, then it is less likely we'll need the thirteenth win, but more likely we'll have it. Lose to Geelong, then it becomes basically certain we'd need that 13th win, but much harder to get there. Saturday night is just getting bigger and bigger. I swear I just saw my MFCSS physically manifest as a dark shadow along the back of the couch.

No way 12 will be enough. 13 might not even be enough without a strong percentage.

Lol...so you want to fall back into the 8...then get your botty summarily spanked on the way out again ? If you've only won 12...well you haven't beaten any other contender most likely. If we haven't won 14...we haven't really done squat.

Pffft! Won two flags on the back of pilfering teams in the 70's under new rules, and two on the back of Sydney giving away a young Carey. Other than that they've been a bigger joke than St Kilda. I hope that while they case every skirt in town Brown takes an offer from someone else.

Oh great. Nothing is surer than the Cats getting an armchair ride form the umps Saturday night, and nothing will be done about it just like West Coast being looked after every week.

I'm really looking forward to this game, Cats are out of touch, ageing stars, a few sore guys and their disposal was quite poor last week v us, trying to beat the old dog and make a name for ourselves with a half decent scalp. Huge game for both teams, we can't blame injuries as much as they hurt, other clubs have the same or worse. Saturday night we see who stands up, who leads, who wants it more. Going to be a ripper, can't wait.

Hope that is true. He’s kicked 12 goals in the last 3 games we’ve played Geelong. Menzel has absolutely owned us!

It’s like putting a towel on a poolside sunlounge at a hotel resort, then going out on a morning shopping tour.

Viney is not our best mid...just sayin...

It’s probably a controversial opinion but I reckon his ball use when at full tilt (ie creating run and drive) is often sub-par. I’ve seen him kick it directly to the opposition as often as not. I honestly think Smith or Wagner can cover that aspect of his play. It’s his contested work and support for his teammates in the back half that I think we will miss.

Flashing red light contra indicator no ruckman of note ao called aging stars if ever there was a high probability MFC thrashing scenario this is it

Clarrie speaks well and looks like a level headed person. Thank God we have a young Super Star . Gawn , Clarrie, Viney, Angus and Petrac. It is happening. Star studded.

It really does seem like their method of recruitment is stick every free agent on a board and throw a dart at it. Whomever it lands on gets offered a huge contract. If they knock it back they just take another dart and throw it again. Rinse and repeat.

My thoughts exactly. I think he's got himself in the perfect position to make a real impact at AFL level this season and prove himself. Also is currently is best place to replace Vince/Lewis in near future with very similar attributes. Hope he gets selected tonight and really proves himself.

Do you understand the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual research? This is not the first time this week I’ve seen you call on your very narrow personal experience to draw a very wide conclusion.

I dont want them to tinker to much with the line up. Tmac doesn't get moved down back. Omac and Frost are the two defensive talls. Vince follows Danger everywhere and Wagner comes in for Pig. Not ideal but you work with what you've got and play your boys where they are best suited. On the smaller ground I'm not against Tyson coming in for Hannan

Pretty incredible that a 51 game 20 year old player (21 tomorrow I think) is equal no.1 in Champion Data player ratings as discussed by Glenn Luff on 3AW tonight.

Harmes

We basically need to do the third quarter v Bulldogs again, to all future opponents... so the defence is not needed.

Move Salem or Fritsch into Hibberds role. Please no Wagner.

It seems that the word “realistically” should be removed from the title.

It's not that clear cut. Tyson is unarguably a better footballer, but Hannan fits our team better at the moment. Tyson "only" averages 2.4 clearances this year because he's been played out of position on a wing. If he played in the centre to replace Viney he'd rack up clearances like he used to, as he's a good inside midfielder. With Viney going down, he may be called upon to play in his natural position where he can thrive. Hannan is struggling recently. He's still chiming in with a goal every week, but he's really not impacting games. He just doesn't lay enough tackles or contribute to enough goals. There are others that could perform his role better on form. I'd actually be keen to bring Bugg in to play Hannans forward role. Bugg lays more tackles, wins more hard ball, gets to more contests, generates more scoring shots, is part of more scoring chains, and has the versatility to play tagger/midfield/back pocket also. Don't mind his pest attitude too, that sort of niggle and hardness will be useful come finals time. He should be in the team IMO.

I am not a fan but I actually think he is worth another contract as a depth player.