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I think this game also has the potential to turn into a blood bath for the Pies. With the young talent that GC has and assuming Matt Rowell is back, then I'd love to see an upset win and deprive WCE of a home win, which they rely on.

I'm happy we're playing at the G, but that opening round (aside from Pies V Bullies) is an out and out snore fest. Rich v Carl - traditional opening mismatch Pies v Dogs - tick Adelaide v Geelong - 2nd v 18th last year - yawn Ess v Haw - battle of the has beens Bris v Syd - wake me up when it's over North V Port - prolong the agony GWS v Saints - might be a good contest but who cares WCE v Gold Coast - excellent reason to go out Who isn't looking for a big footy fix in Round 1 after months of nothing? Well not with this line-up.

A must win for our Dee's, as already mentioned we really need to nail all our wins at the Gee, we don't want to be 6/5 at the half way mark I am expecting 7/4 or 8/3. let's hope that we can all get to the ground and cheer them on, I am hanging out to sing that song..!!!

Kobe might not become as good as his Father however that is ok He would have to be special if he was to be as good. If Kobe happens to be half as good then he will turn out an excellent player for our club. I am hoping that we pick him and lock him in and within time he will get bigger and we just might have something. l am sure he has good footy genes. A Farmer running around at the Dees would be something special.

Australia is not rolling out the vaccine until March.You need 70% of the population vaccinated. It's a 2 jab process where immunity is given around 15 days after the second jab. Simple maths tells you that the vaccines will not be effective to reach heard immunity until around August at the earliest. By the way they do work and the safety tests have been enormous. As of today over one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine has been given for example. Was reading a fascinating stats paper the other day by a US statistician. Assuming herd immunity is achieved at 70% of the population and no vaccine the US would take 5 years at its present rate of infection to achieve herd immunity. With a vaccine take up rate of 40% it takes 15 months. Jump that take up rate to 60% and you get there in 6 months. Please take the vaccine and get your friends to take it as well. Otherwise 2022 won't be much better.

Cough ****Steve Hocking**** Cough

Coll vs WBD: Friday Night, FTA - AFL and broadcasters wanting to 'cash in' on the Treloar trade debacle. As an aside, not expecting much prime time, FTA exposure. With last year's top 8 teams to accommodate plus the AFL perpetual need to give Carlton and Ess maximum exposure we will be well down the pecking order. We will be in the bottom 8 in the tv stakes at least for the early rounds of the 'moving fixture'. Hopefully we start winning and earn better exposure as each fixture block is date/time scheduled

Not counting any chickens by any means, but this is a must win game for the MFC. So sick of the excuses rolled out by sucessive MFC coaches in recent years (including Roos) that Rd 1 is just another game. Getting on the front foot and off to a winning streak of 4 or 5 games first up would setup our season entirely differently to the usual MFC act of loosing 4 or 5 of our first six games and playing catch-up for the remainder of the season to make finals.

I think its great we’ve drawn an inter-state side and don’t have to share a ticket allocation. Hopefully we can keep a lid on Covid infections and get 25,000 Dees supporters into the G for the game.

I agree with the blood bath potential and I hope the bullies smash them. A pie slide down the ladder, caused by the knock on effects their fine trading efforts, would make me very happy. I also agree that GC could be much improved as should the baggers be v Richmond, but fair dinkum, the preseason games look more inviting than Round 1. If the season kicks off with Richmond drubbing the blues, then just kill me now.

Great l expect us to be off to a good start for the season with a solid win against Freo. Looking forward to playing on the Gee on a Saturday and singing the song afterwards. That will certainly make my day.

The Kobe Farmer story has been shrouded in a bit of mystery from my perspective. A few months ago, the word was that he was likely to go to Freo as a father/son or NGA ahead of Melbourne. Then he suddenly appears here in early December, nominates for the draft and misses out entirely. Our romantic side tells us it would make a great story. The return of the prodigal son of one of our legends is here to mesmerize us with the same magical exploits of his father. I hope it happens but a couple of things do bother me — why have the Dockers fallen off Kobe and by the way, did I miss something else like his measurements? It took a bit of searching but I eventually found these statistics from the Peel Thunder site. They appear to be recent and, if correct, put him at 2cm shorter than Kozzie. The stats suggest he has an uphill battle to make the grade. Caleb Daniel at 168cm is the only player in the AFL shorter than him and even Brent Daniels is taller at 170cm but they are both extremely accomplished players. Anyway, good luck to him!

Saturday afternoon at the 'G? I'm in SHOCK!!!

The Dorks versus Essenscum could be interesting. There's a strong chance one will loose by 10 goals. Imaging the angst.

Next year is a win/win situation. We either play finals or Goody gets the sack. I’ll happily take either outcome.

Something big is brewing.

well at least we won't have to worry about socially distancing for this round assuming we get to go. The latest NSW outbreak shows that 2021 isn't going to be normal by any stretch. Will the players put up with another bubble season?

If we don’t come out breathing fire to atone for our monumental ****up this year, then 2021 will be more of the same mediocrity.

I think training at Casey will be good, because of the MCG size ground. Freemantle I think will actually go backwards next year, they still rely on a old Mandy and even more aging Walters, to play well

Simply having them out there will do it for me.That and a win. Besides, the opening round usually throws up some surprises.

better win it by 20 plus definitely send the B team to Freo in the practice match if we're smart Mind you we never are

Challenging first up test for the Dees. Freo are well coached with some excellent young players. They'll be no push-over. I reckon we will atone for the Cairns debacle. Saturday afternoon at the G. Can’t wait.

Invited to train on with Carlton - it's not over until it's over ...

I’m “Optimistic or misty-optic” (as Dennis Cometti would say). Strike rate ok so far. Mansell has the attributes imv. He’s not a superstar by any means but if you read all the new draftees bios, they are all deadset 200 gamers ahead. But half will be delisted after 2-3 years. I do think sometimes you get good value from a 20-22yo youngster who missed out in their draft year but pursues their footy dream and keeps going. In state league and even moving interstate and trying to make it. Plenty of examples. Not all good players get drafted as 18 year olds in the top 20. And not all top 20 picks become stars (as we know).

Great to see Dees giving Kobe the opportunity with the group. It would be a great story for the Dees if he could make it. The Wiz is one of my favourite players ever. Such a talent and so entertaining.

for mine talls will start the year as May, Lever, Tomlinson in the side and Hore, Petty, Smith TMac in the magoos. but by the bye i think we will see Petty go past tomlinson or push him back to a wing and see Hore playing regularly too. for smalls Rivers, Salem, Hibberd, Lockhart (7th) to start in with Nietschke, Chandler, Bowey and Nev in the 2s but same deal, by mid season Hore in for lockhart or hibbo potentially helping shift salo or riv up the ground. Bowey will play games, nev will probably get between 5-10 games but shouldn't be too many more and nieta probably gets a debut but i'm not sure how much more of him we'll see. So ideally i'd like to run a Lever-May-Hibbo Salem-Petty-Rivers Hore

Any person who gets onto an AFL list and gets to play senior footy deserves respect - OMac included. He has achieved more than most. Good luck to him.

Good luck to you O Mac. I reckon you'll get picked up and carve out a decent AFL career. A change is a good thing I reckon Key Defenders best years are usually 27-31

Friday 26 Feb 4:10pm local - Fremantle V Melbourne - Fremantle Oval Sun 7 March 4:10pm local - Melbourne V North Melb - Casey Fields Full pre season fixture below. Rounds 1-6 of the Home & Away season should be due out any day.

Is there any chance that this poxy excuse for a website might be updated some time this millenium? The AFLW draft was more than 10 weeks ago and we still don't have pictures of the draftees on the website. The men's page has not been updated for any post season player movements, although it is good to see Oscar McDonald still on the list. I get that clubs are working with a skeleton staff, but surely someone can spare five minutes to add some pictures to the website.

Hi Soupless. I had always wondered about the origins of your avatar. Today in France’s cold and wet lockdown I watched some old Seinfeld episodes. I think I discovered it. Right? a bientôt.

Yep ! amazing win. Burns holds on this time for the next test well done to him. Wade ? I don't know with him possibly will stay in. Pulkovski will have to wait his turn and learn to duck and weave which seems his weakness however concussions won't help his cause for now. I cannot see Warner missing the Boxing day test no way not him. Green will probably make way. All out for 36 who could believe it

I do get tired of the perfect weather and fantastic nightlife though.

Still think a community series game in Airlie Beach would be a good idea. (not being selfish at all)

Invited to train with us

6 cm is a fair height on an opponent and a big advantage l hope he can use his speed , stamina and athletic ability to the maximum in his game.

Not sure what all the angst is about. Good sides win no matter where or when. Poor sides look for excuses. We will win both.

MFCSS suggests we will play in this first game in Perth, back to Arden St, a week off, Round 1 in Perth, Round 2 at Kardinia Park, second wave of COVID and off to Broome to Hub and play the remaining 18 games in the desert.

Doubt it. Knowing our luck we'll back in Perth for round 1 to face Freo and then round 4 to face West Coast - both in the middle of a scorching late March/early April Perth afternoon. Not sure how clubs in any professional sport can stump up the motivation to fly 4 hours across the country for a meaningless trial match - but it is what it is. I feel for Geelong. They're making their big road trip to Moorabbin.

What a crock... not even the real season and already shafted with a trip to WA. Typical.

Great result for us WA members. It’ll be 49 Celsius and I’ll be drinking $16 mid-strength beers from plastic cups.

Not really a fan of driving to Casey but willing to leave on the Friday before the North game just to beat all of you there. They will let us in, yeah?

Negative - On the road again Positive - We play two weeks in a row and we get a Friday night game ( telecast into VIC)

Yippee... a trip to WA in February what a pleasure

Binman in mourning...

Curious how did he nominate for this years draft? The news article (video) on the previous page said he'd be eligible in the 2021 draft. Was there some for of change that allowed him to nominate a year earlier?

I really don't understand any of this father/son stuff... so, if no one places a bid and he can only be rookie listed, in the case where he is eligible for f/s at two clubs (Melb and Freo), which club has first dibs?

It is weird, given who his father is, that it hasn't generated any press. Even if he's not AFL standard, you'd think there'd be an article on Fremantle and MFC 'rejecting' the son of a former champ. Perhaps there's a bit of Jake Lovett about this one; people really wanting/wishing a son of a gun to be better than he is. I do love the romance of the Father/Son rule and it would be great to see Viney, Woewodin, Farmer and White don the red and blue together again one day!

velly interesting