Leaderboard

If Chris Scott wants to move the game to the MCG on Sunday then I am more than happy to face them with Patrick Dangerfield to test out those ribs.

I hate this man with the fire of a thousand suns

Goody just out-coached McRae so he may be improving his game day coaching maybe we should support him?

Big Footy Little confidence among their fans. Lots of criticisms of Cameron. Just play the kids now, we don’t have the spark to do any damage this year that’s a given. Season gone time to get games in as Port did last year. Season buster. Hard to call in Rd 15 but here we are. Firstly, let's just admit that the season is already gone. Things become a lot clearer and less distorted this way. 😅 We lose Dangerfield, they‘ll get Oliver back-it’s how the year has gone. I expect they will be favourites, still, I quite like us for this. Comon cats -we can win this. Melbourne on an off day aren't really any better than Bulldogs on an average day though, such as when Essendon and Freo beat them by 5 goals. We beat the Dogs by a few goals under the roof so it's not irrational to think we can take Melbourne all the way with a stronger side. With Danger and Bruhn likely out, and with others no sooner to return, I don't see this being particuarly close. Reckon they'll give us a relative spanking. Come on Clayton, give your body the extra week's rest it needs. Melbourne's midfield is elite. Even if Oliver doesn't play, there is Gawn, Petracca and Brayshaw. It's hard to win games with such a second-string midfield. It will be a great win if they find a way. We’re screwed if we dont win not losing % is crucial as it will be significant in the fight for 8th spot. A player doesn't get a pass for playing poorly because they've just had a child, that's ridiculous. I think night games in Geelong in general are no good. The weather + traffic makes it worse to get out of than the mcg. Accusations of laziness or softness - against the individual or the team - are the laziest intellectually that we see here. They are hunches fuelled by resentment and, i suppose, disappointment. Do we really know that the team partied too hard, returned to training unfit, are satisfied with last year's triumph, and thus are coasting etc etc? No we don't. The fact is from time to time any team can appear to lack intensity for a quarter, half or entire game. Ive heard some Geelong people complain that the noise from the crowd after we kick a goal interupts their reading/knitting time, if we do anything well it is having a whinge. I'm really worried about this one, Melbourne's strength is their midfield, not exactly something we are excelling with at the moment, they get goals out of the midfield as well, we will need to keep a serious eye on Petracca and Fritsch who seems to get heaps of opportunities to score Don't think Melbourne are that terrifying. Good team, but they've been up and down and a little like the Dogs (in a different way), their forward line can let them down. If they had a truly gun key forward they'd be much tougher. Don't see why this isn't winnable. If Tomahawk takes a pack mark they'll need a couple of ambulances ready to transport whoever he lands on, maybe a priest as well. My Favourite Our best if good enough to win it all still - but having only being able to deliver it for about 35 secs this season wont cut it . Dees by 6-8 goals but we will probably take our foot off the accelerator and win by 3 or 4.

Oliver out for another week gives Trac a great chance to pick up 3 more Brownlow votes. He has been in beast mode of late.

I was just about to remark about the lack of internet in the Geelong area, but I think they got a govt grant for that…

I’d love to spoil his 300th.

I dunno about you, but I always play professional contact sport a week after a 5 day hospital stay on a drip.

Thommo! Don't have to be dead to be stiff! Thought he was fantastic last week.

Tomlinson was instrumental to our win last week and cannot be dropped. Smith is improving with each game. Clarry back plus Bowser ( who was playing his best game for the season) Back means selection headaches🤯

Really? Our accuracy can let us down, but that's forwards and mids. And having a gun key forward is great, but equally makes you more predictable and easier to stop. I'd much prefer a system-based forwardline, with some x factor like Kozzy, Fritta and a resting Trac. It's no wonder opposition fans buy into this idea of our forwardline struggling, when all they've heard from the media is we can't connect.

awww the poor Cats fans. havent missed finals since the war and are giving up

Is that a bamboo handle? Too many hipster kettles on the market.

Petty is best 22. If he’s fit, he plays. Tough on Tomlinson but it’s great to have him as cover and know he can do a job for us and be relied upon if needed. We know what Tomlinson can do for us. Smith is 2 games into a stint as a forward. The experiment needs more time to see if a viable longer-term solution for us. I’m in favor of keeping him in for this reason. I’m a huge fan of Spargo but his form is well down this year. Hopefully a spell at Casey will help him rebuild his form and confidence. An in form Spargo would be great to have in the latter part of the season and finals. A lot of questioning of the selection committee in this thread. I can’t think of too many calls they’ve got wrong this season. There was a lot of calls for Salem to come back through the VFL but he has hardly missed a beat since returning. Like Salem I think Petty much more likely to find form quicker in the firsts than at Casey. I thoroughly dislike the cats and really resent getting sent to their sh*tpile of a stadium and ground every year. I hope we smash ‘em.

Reckon Joel Smith will continue to improve and show us all that he might just be an important part of our forward line in the games towards September. We focussed on BBB, Tmac, Petty and Gawndy for the first half of the season, and Smith is hardly a gorilla forward, but last week he presented well, got up the ground and was a good target. Hope he finally takes his chance and locks down a regular spot. Go get em, Smithy!

A few pionts..... 1 I smell a HUGE RAT re Oliver missing, Goody on one hand several weeks ago declaring that he would play after 21 days of rehab before his hospital episode,only for Richardson to say... he still rehabing his hamstring today?? Nup not buying this, somethings going on! More Red Herrings than a Norway delicatessen here! 2 Tomlinson gets the Axe after a great game vs filth for a really underdone Petty, I dont like it at all! 3 Bowey was almost BOG before his concussion and should have been an auto inclusion, if I was Chandler and Kossy, BOTH Better perform tommorrow if they want to play next week! STRANGE SELECTIONS AND NON ONES

I’m feeling really sorry for Tomlinson after his last couple of games. I’d have thought a run at Casey would be the sensible way back for Petty

One of mine is: "Set the structure" while everyone else around me is yelling to man up 😄

And on a wet night. Goody wants him forward, so why would he drop Tommo, after 2 good games that have helped Lever and May.

We're 10-0 since round 1 2021 when May, Lever and Tomlinson have all played in the same side. I wouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of Tomlinson. Petty should return to the forward line.

I'd be shocked if they dropped Thommo after his best game for the club. He is perfect for Cameron as he has the elite endurance to go with him Petty how ever you look at it will be underdone. In any case he is more likely to play fwd if he is brought in. And May always takes Hawkins. Can't see why that would change.

yep, back your players in. Cannot omit Smith or Tommo after their recent winning efforts. No change to team unless Oliver is given green light by medical staff. Petty to VFL for a game or 2. Didnt Bowey get tossed around by cats last year?

Very true. While their gun forwards have served them well, Carlton's gun forwards aren't doing much good without the ground level support. Too easily defended.

What great game of cricket

This. At club land they no doubt don't worry about media noise, and the Pies for instance would be under no illusions about who are the key rivals and the threat they pose. But it can't hurt to have the whole footy media, and therefore most footy fans too, think the Pies method is the template for success that all other clubs have to find a 'blueprint' to defeat. And so the starting point for every single analysis of who might win the flag is that the Pies are unquestionably the best team and ipso facto have the best method. And therefore the starting point for the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of any contender, us for instance, is what they have to do to counter the Pies. As opposed to what weapons and strategies they have the Pies might have to worry about (which if they ever get to that point, is almost an afterthought). So, for example, where is the discussion about whether, when the whips are cracking come finals, the Pies can physically match the power and strength of the lions and the dees' mids and flankers? I mean after all, they lost two finals last year in part because the Swans and Cats were too tough in the clinches. And they have lost to two of three games this season against key rivals in the lions and the dees - and in both games they were physically outmatched. We had to deal with that constant scrutiny last year - how do you beat the dees? By mid season, the consensus was you simply can't beat the dees if you play slow and allow us to get set defensively. Playing fast was the only avenue to beating us. And that is where the game has gone - fast transition. Teams like Carlton who were slow to that party are now desperately trying to retool their method. Slow won't cut. The pies are being lauded for introducing a 'new' exciting method, which is fair enough i guess. But it was the dees that forced that shift in footy because it was clear we were nigh on unbeatable if we were allowed to control the tempo and oppo transition was slow. The big difference between the focus on how to defeat our method in 2022 and the focus this season of how to beat the Pies' method, is we were coming of winning a flag in one of most dominant finals series EVER. And the Pies are coming off a 2022 season where they lost two of three finals and failed to even make the Grand Final, let alone win it. The Cats, basically took our territory, forward half footy, contested ball game plan as the template and tweaked it a bit - and won the flag. Meaning the last two flags have been won by teams with very similar methods By the by, it's worth noting that the Cats, like us in 2021, really got rolling in the last two months of the season and again like us, starting playing much faster and really hammered teams. In their last three home and away games, the Cats smashed their opposition, scoring 110 points against the Saints, 119 against the Suns and 131 against the Eagles. Then come finals they scored only 78 points against the Pies, but scored 120 points against the Lions, smashing them by 71 points before destroying the Swans in the Grand Final scoring 133 to win by 81. The last two GFs have been won by teams playing a very similar method, which in turn is based on the uber successful Tigers' method. The tigers won the flag in 2020, 2019 and 2017. Meaning you could make a case that five of the last six flags have been won by teams with relatively similar methods and game plans. Why then is the Pies method the template for success this season? It defies logic and history (replicate what flag winners do). But i'm sure Goody is fine with the Pies being held up as the templar.

I just want at least one game with Smith, Petty, Jvr, Fritta, Kozzie and Chandler up forward. With a ruck popping up now and then. Some hard match ups that all show great agility and athleticism.

Say what you want, but this man is a treasure

Yes but he has dropped away significantly in the last 6 games 30 goals in the first 7 games 9 goals in the last 6 games

I'm in A11. Hopefully you can't hear my commentating from A10.

If we’ve dropped Tomlinson and then Petty plays forward then the selection committee are as dumb as dog****. It’s been proven time and time again that we need the three tall defenders for our structure to work. We’ve played our best football over the last three years that way and struggled when it’s just been May and Lever. Petty has to play back. Petty was having a poor year both up forward and in defense and should’ve been dropped prior to injury. On form this year, Tomlinson has been better and had a ripper against the Pies. Bringing in an underdone player who was in poor form and dropping a fit player who was in form is poor selection. Petty is better, but not right now. Would’ve liked to see Bowey in again too. He was killing it before the concussion. Hopefully he showed good form in the VFL and gets promoted again. Although form apparently doesn’t matter to our selection committee…

Who cares about his AA chances if getting him right increase his chances of getting another premiership medal tho right?

I'm a huge Spargo apologist, but he needed to go for Jordon

I was late to this news but I am strongly opposed to dropping Tomlinson for Petty. It just feels wrong. Tomlinson’s game against Collingwood was too good to warrant Petty being an automatic inclusion. The harsh result should have, as unfortunate as it may be, been imposed on Petty, not Tomlinson. Jordon for Spargo the correct call in Oliver’s ongoing absence.

Good luck to young Verrall on his return from injury - hopefully gets through the game and starts building some good form

what they are saying at kardinia park cast, row 1, knit 5, purl 29, knit 5, row2 ........................................zzzzzzz

Do not believe that Mitch Cleary would have any idea who is in and not in Thursday night. Will wait for the team to announced tonight.

In fairness to him his sources has been generally very accurate. Though, I will say I am a bit mystified that they now throwing Petty back after hearing Goody being hell bent in wanting to trial him forward over the next few months. If this is the case then this is really strange decision considering Tomlinson has been really good since he's come back into the team.

Don't like this one bit. Goes against everything they preach about in terms of continuing to reward good form whether that's at AFL level or VFL. This has a hint of Goody once again sticking to his favourites..

Squad mentality, I guess. Tommo stiff but assume its for lack of a matchup and he will get more games (and will have been assured as such) Interested to see how Smith - Petty swing machine might operate

From the website: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1362539/round-15-team-two-inclusions-for-cats-clash Clayton Oliver, who has spent time on the sidelines in recent weeks, will not make a return for the Thursday match, with Richardson providing an update on the midfielder. “Unfortunately, Clayton will miss tomorrow’s night match as he continues to rehab his hamstring,” Richardson said. “Clayton was close to being available for selection, but we have decided to instead take a conservative approach. It’s very likely he will be fit and ready to go for our match next week.” So based on Richo's comments, likely the time off legs has meant missed rehab time for the hammy.

JJ getting a full game… who had that on their team selection bingo card?

"Bring it to ground!" "Win ground ball!" "Don't give them a +1 there!" "We've got them here. Great transition." 🤣

I'm doubtful of his long term viability but they just can't drop Joel Smith this week after his performance last game. We're crying out for someone in the forward line who can lead up at the ball, hit the contest and provide some tackle pressure. We've tried a stack of options. And Smith has been on the list for years waiting for a sustained go in the side too. That might be unfair on Tomlinson, or it might mean Petty has a week in the 2's, but they are the options to me. I certainly prefer Petty and it's up to the footy department to make sure he's 100% ready to go.

That's pretty tough. I would have thought giving Petty a run in the two's and giving Tommo another week to really prove himself would have been a better option.

Come to a music festival with me and you might meet buzzing binman.

And Hazmat suit ;)

What on earth are you on about??

His body is unfortunately not up to the rigours of playing Aussie rules. Feel for Aaron, as he obviously has the desire and drive, body just lets him down.