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I'm tired of the excuses. Collingwood had a nightmare of a year with injuries and while their situation did come good at the right time they mostly got through it. Their most important player was missing for their final against us, it was all laid out perfectly and people still want to winge about our circumstances. If the team actually thought like this then it shows mental fragility which I've said all along can be changed but needs to be checked. I know people are getting tired of hearing this but when you lose 4 finals at home then I see no problem asking these questions, you don't continue to sit there and make excuses. You do that after 1 or maybe 2 tops. Do I think we got unlucky? Yes of course, especially with the Petty injury. But there are plenty that will point out that our gameplan stacked up and that we only lost by single margins and if we were more accurate blah blah. What's the excuse for that? I'm beyond caring about hurting feelings or putting noses out of joints with this view. If you don't like it, please yourselves. When clubs like Port and Brisbane have exited finals like this in the past the overwhelming view here is that they choked. Use the same brush. But the question is about the window and if it is closing, no it is not. Ib my view we could take a little step back this year but in the era of free agency and smart drafting we can very much put ourselves back up near 12:00 by acquiring new pieces. Our core is still strong.

My analysis is that we are too predictable going forward, we just hack it in like banging our heads against a brick wall instead of taking time to be more creative with the footy. Is this coaches or players? A bit of both I think. We do need to change our style, and we didn't. That's where the whinge comes from. Kozzie needs to spend more time in the middle, he has speed and creativity which we sorely lack. The cultural issues need to be knocked on the head. The team seems either too complacent or they have a soft underbelly. They talk a lot about wanting to have a great culture and being ruthless but actions talk and they have floundered when it mattered two years running. Can we turn it around? Yes absolutely. Will we? I think that's yet to be proven especially with teams like Adeliade, GWS, Carlton and I think Freo pushing for a flag over the next couple of years.

Excuses. Fact is when push came to shove we were found wanting two years in a row. This team needs a reality check, they are wasting a golden opportunity and seem to be content with 2021. That's a long time ago now and they seem to wilt under the pressure of big, hostile crowds. 2024 will tell a lot about the character of the players, coaches and club as a whole. Another flag with this list is non-negotiable.

Hey chaps, as I'm currently working on the site at the moment I can confirm the inner part of the track is several meters lower than the track it self, but the more interesting part is how deep they dug an area called the 'parade ring' which is part of work package 3 (WP3). See the photo below which shows the parade ring which is about 6-7m below ground level and had no problems with water table. The upper level is ground level. They have installed a massive concrete pit at one end which is another 5+m deeper again as a collection point for all the stormwater collected on the lower levels and I don't believe they had too many issues with ground water at that depth, but I'm less sure on that. Have also added a photo of the mounting yard which ramps down from the track. The horses are housed in stalls around the outer edge of the parade ring then get walked through an underground tunnel which connects to the mourning yard where the jockeys mount up. Patrons can stand on the upper decks and look down onto the horses in both areas. Currently work packages 1, 2 and 4 are complete with work package 3 coming to an end. More work packages to start later this year which will involve demolition and replacement of the main grandstand which is not heritage listed. Check out this video which takes you down into both the parade ring and mounting yards. https://mrc.racing.com/mrc-masterplan/latest-videos Cheers, coach

So the problem was that we didn't adapt our game style to suit our personnel. 69 inside 50s vs 37 to Collingwood. Besides that we clearly didn't turn up to play in the QF and/or were spooked. We allow ourselves to be bullied (and I'm not talking about the Maynard/Brayshaw incident). That is either down to complacency or a soft underbelly.

To me here's your conundrum re FB... At Caulfield there's a huge tract of land that's been underutilised.....for a while. It has very limited roles suited to development going forward. Rediscovering this acreage as a sports mecca is its ideal new persona. Over at FB ?? The most expensive use of land in any redevelopment is as open recreational use. Any developer will only ever allocate the barest of minmums according to what ever overlays and caveats applicable. $ for $ anything at FB will be horrendously expensive as compared Caulfield. I can understand some might look at it...but to be frank FB has no logic . The very same reason Waverley disappeared... it was worth more as housing... FB is same same. The ONLY thing the inside of CRC is suited to is Sporting and low rise event use. It's a no brainer imo

I don't know about that, but I can share the results of a recent University study. The research discovered that women who carry a little extra weight outlive the men who mention it.

A news grab on Ch 7 says that Clayton Oliver completed his own running session at Gosch’s. A two hour session with a friend. Sounds like good progress

So essentially we agree. And it's the major issue (F50 entries) However, it's a complex issue as no one thing is to blame It's on the midfield coach, the forward line coach, the head coach, the midfielders & the forwards I disagree, our energy, enthusiasm, attack on the ball and never-say-die attitude is first rate. Where we fall short is on application & efficiency Having 30 extra F50 entries in the QF final backs up my argument. We got a lot of the ball and we got it forward but it was the way we got it forward that was the issue. Plus, the style we have played requires quality forwards because that style leads to crowded forward lines and a lack of space for our forwards to lead into. And a lack of space for the midfielders to kick to So ordinary forwards with our style have very little chance Collingwood by contrast have an extremely efficient style going into their F50 so their personnel up forward don't have to be that good Average forwards just have to create separation as they've got heaps of space to lead into As for culture issues, we've got 2 players with some issues. It's not the whole club and as far as I can make out, it's no more than just 2 players So let's not tar & feather everyone on the back of 2 players transgressing

I'm not saying Max has to play aggro but he does have to play smarter I feel.

How my mind works when I see posts by @dpositive lobbying for Fishermen's Bend/Port Melbourne ...

Full stick.

Is there an echo in here?

World of Sport around 1978 Jack Dyer: Welcome young son. Your name’s Andrew Moir isn’t it? Moir: Yes, that’s right Jack Jack Dyer: And you played a beautiful game down there for Melbourne against South at the Lakeside oval yesadee Moir: Yeah – managed to snap a few Jack Jack Dyer: - now this is your first season – where did you come from? Moir: They recruited me from Mentone Grammer Jack Jack Dyer: (giggle) that’s pretty swank (under his breath . . . typical Melbourne) – now son what’s your height? Mior: six foot Jack Jack Dyer: now you're 11 and a half stone, how much do you weigh Son? Moir: errrr . . . 11 and a half stone Jack.

December 2012, For the first time Six and his camera decided that it would be good to head down to training at the mighty Demons. Back then we were the ultimate nomads, no home base (what's changed) we didn't even have Gosch's paddock which was the domain of the Magpies. We trained on the rugby fields assigned to the Storm and even headed down to Linton Street Moorabbin which had already been abandoned by the Saints. Eleven games into that season Neeld was sacked with one win and an average losing margin of 77 points. The demons went down to the Saints in round 3 of the Nab cup at Casey Fields 2.7.6 (66) to 2.10.13 (91). The quality of the footage is not as good as I no longer have the original shots, but it should be OK if viewed on a phone or tablet. The only men standing from back then appear to be Jack, T.Mac and the skipper. Please enjoy ==> https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-h9VFff/i-SNMX97x/A

face palmed by bluey means i must be on a good thing 😁

Agreed. A no nonsense, excuse free, reality check of a post.

He maybe this year pf.

If his foot injury was an issue why wouldn't he be off it? Instead of that he's running and jumping around and it's mid January More so MFCSS and people who delight in thinking the worst Hanrahan's

I'd say worse than Fitzroy in their death rows. We paid up everyone and had lots of moolah where as the Lions were broke There was no 7 cents in the dollar payouts or anything like that. Everyone got their money including the coach getting a $1.3Million payout (nice work if you can get it) Dark times and an example of how far you can fall if not switched on There were very few redeeming features until PJ saved us 10 years later and we're cooking with gas with a very healthy bottom line, good coaching and good admin and an excellent list of players And 70,000 members? What a loyal bunch of supporters we have putting up with all those crud years And we aren't going to win every flag each time we're in contention so we need to be patient and hope that luck is with us (as it was in 2021 when we had an injury free season

Andy Reid's moustache has iced up!

I disagree, the way we came out against Collingwood showed that our endeavour was wanting. For a team that had a point to prove after 2022 it was extremely disappointing. We have allowed a 3rd rate hack in Cox to bully us for years and it happened again at the very first bounce where he ran straight into Max with his knee. Our endeavour in the Carlton game was much better and we came out breathing fire but we didn't capitalise. I'm not so fussed about the Carlton game to be honest because other than the ignominy of going out in straight sets our dash was done in the QF.

It's hilarious how this very minor issue has triggered the "Old man shouting at clouds" brigade.

Collingwood play a different style which allows them to keep their forward line open (they are a counter-attacking team) Their delivery forward is miles better than most as well (and that includes us) With our style of bombing it in, we really need quality forwards who can win their own ball. And that style did deliver a flag But no longer in my view, we need to change our style but we still need quality forwards as why wouldn't you want quality forwards (?) My main concern are forwards creating separation and the delivery forward plus, I'd prefer a quality forward line So I don't make excuses, blaming umpires is an excuse

On top of that there seem to be cultural/behavioural issues which have not been managed properly. Oliver, Smith and the smoke around Goodwin, there seems to be leaking from the club to push narratives in the media - the governance seems to have slipped since Jackson was at the club.

The face of Caulfield Racecourse has changed dramatically over the years. In the mid 70's many clubs used the back straight for pre-season running. Queens Ave had lots of parking, and markers let you know what was 100m, 200m and 400 m for those dreaded repeat sprints and you ran on lush grass. To get access to the commons was under a bridge of Glen Mira & Kambrook. It has always been a seriously underutilised access parkland. Where there were 2 major carparks there is now a massive high rise of so-called student housing. From this thread, I think it is obvious that this is the site to make our home base. There is so much infrastructure there, facilities and what will draw the funding is coupling it with a sports complex that welcomes other sporting tenants. From other articles, it is a reasonable assumption that AFLW and to a lesser extent AFL need a 25K seat stadium for certain games. Let someone else build them. Without knowing the club plans in detail I think Caulfield is fit for purpose for world-class training facilities, housing administration and being accessible to players staff and supporters. Get in before someone else gets in or someone decides we need wetlands for birds and fauna (like Glen Eira have done to the old Elsternwick golf course)

Disagree, I think Geelong, Adelaide, GC and Fremantle will be a significantly greater threat to the top sides and Essendon and Hawthorn could easily win as many as they lose. I think the comp is in for a super even few years.

It’s going to be harder than last year. Collingwood, Brisbane, GWS, Port, Adelaide, Carlton, Sydney, Geelong all have the ability to win the flag. Then you’ve got St.Kilda, GC, Richmond, Fremantle, Hawthorn and Essendon all capable of beating anyone on their day. It’s going to be a gruelling year of football and if we’re not up for it mentally we’re cooked.

Petty is contracted for 2 more years. It is his foot that is the current dilema.

So, how much would it cost to arrange a return charter flight in a light aircraft every second week during the season and a few extras during pre-season? Call it 20 return flights a year, at $10k per round trip. Probably get a discount for regular business. Bonus points we can collect the Tholstrups first and refuel at Wudinna on the way. Actually, it would probably work out cheaper for the club to just fork out $2m and buy ourselves a Cessna Grand Caravan and have a contracted pilot. Throw in a bit of fun with taking people on tours for the NT games, and we can even offer pilot's licence courses as a bonus for players and staff, we're golden. Would we be able to recoup the half million a year financing and operating costs? Um... maybe? I suggest we should name it the Petty Wagon.

what next? no height, no age, no clanger stats, no frees against stats, no disposals ....... won't matter in another 20 years as all afl teams will be droids with an ai bot as the coach

I wish my scales at home complied with this policy.

Six and his Camera travelled down the highway in the hope that it might be open session. Alas not, until the back gate was opened for Gawny, Gus and a few others to head over to one of the other ovals for some special training. I took the opportunity to meander on in for a closer look but was swiftly told to stop taking pictures, go figure. So, I headed back out behind the fence a took a few more. Enjoy ==> https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-h9VFff/i-MLzjBHb/A A few more from Thursday = >https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-h9VFff/i-KdGnrDT/A

As opposed to Collingwoods formidable forward line 🙄 Hill Mihocek Elliott McCreery De Goey J Daicos Kozzie wasn't able to have stints on the ball because the coaches refused to play him there. After his round 1 suspension he spent very little time in the centre other than attending bounces at the start of quarters.

Sounds a bit Mick Malthousey to me. Pete is a coach!

Inexcusable.

Best Melbourne footballer I have seen in their prime.

That season was so bad that a 25 point loss to St Kilda at Casey Fields (who were woeful themselves that year) would have been considered a meritorious victory. I hope we never have to deal with a season like that again.

Don't forget the 1.3 for Tim English.

Do you think i should have gone harder?

I think this is a wonderful move by the AFL. I say this as someone who has conquered anorexia.(Very successfully).

Last time I tried weighing myself on the talking scales, the machine said "One at a time, please".

Tom Hawkins likes this.

Hi Tim Lamb, it’s actually 6 hours and 7 minutes, not 6 hours and 5 minutes. What else have you got wrong?

I forget how young he is. I have a theory I plucked out of..... Players are at their best @ 25 years of age so watch out.

dp while i admire your enthusiasm, do you really know what's required to mount an alternative option to the Club? Do you know what physical facilities are actually required by the Club? Do you know how much physical space would be required to house these facilities? These are the very first steps before you can look at any possible alternative site. I'm guessing you don't really have these basic ingredients yet. Only then can you go out looking for suitable public land. I say public because any privately owned land would have a price tag that we could never afford. Then the hard part begins. Looking for public land that does not have heritage issues (ie the MCG Precinct); does not cause a loss of public visual amenity (ie the Yarra Park proposal); does not make homeless other sporting or recreation bodies, does not take away much required public open space; a site that can provide public benefit from some of the proposed works; a site that is easily accessible etc etc etc. Then when you think you have all that nailed down, you have to find the financial backing for that site. Therefore, it ain't as easy as seeing a vacant block of land and declaring that would make a good site! I'm afraid dp, that without having these basic initial criteria in hand, the Club - while they might appreciate your effort - will not take you seriously. That is most likely why you have not had a number of your questions answered. But on a more positive note, the Caulfield site really excites me as a proposal - much, much more than anything we had previously proposed in the MCG precinct. (I've been in the Master Planning game for a long time, so i do have some knowledge of these processes). I think we will all be extremely happy if we pull this proposal off. It's almost like we have waited 20 years for Caulfield to come along.

If Josh thinks we’re finishing 11th then lock us in for the flag - one of the worst footy ‘analysts’ going around at the moment

No. 2022 was crueled by injuries and we did not allow for recuperation and recovery during the season. 2023 was crueled by losing Petty and Melksham (who surely would have been worth 1-2 goals) and the illegal hit on Angus that affected our options in the first week of the finals. Maysie was right - we are as good as them. Let's hope that better injury management and greater fortune with the timing of injuries will enhance our prospects for this year.