Leaderboard

If you haven't watched this mini doco of Kozzie going home don't miss it. It was amazing to watch Clarrie, Goodie and Shane McAdam enjoy the moments in Kozzie's country. It is very emotional and gives a great hindsight into our Kozzie's life before football and the influence of family has had. It was also wonderful to see the joy and inclusion that Clarrie had with the community. What a great idea to include Clarrie on the trip. He really connected with everyone. Congratulations to the Club. A great initiative.

I think Weid has copped enough. Let it go. He didn’t turn out the way we wanted but he did give us a couple of good finals appearances in 2018 and was part of something Melbourne supporters hadn’t seen in 12 years.

It’s an interesting one, Jaded. Little ‘avulsions’ of the fibula often happen when the lateral ligament is torn in a ‘rolled ankle’, and if they’re teensy, we tend to ignore them, so going by the ligament tear and how that’s responding. If it were a grade 1 ligament tear, they’d look to get Max up for this Saturday, so I’m thinking it’s more toward grade 2, hence the 2 games missed scenario. If Max is coming good tho into next week, they will however go by that (as per his own suggestion). The fibula chip is kinda irrelevant.

Taylor - Visionary or Over-rated - Part 2 (the 2014 draft) 2014 Draft: 9/10 Trading: 5/10 By this stage Taylor, Roosy and Todd Viney were all settled in and despite losing our AA full-back James Frawley as a free agent, the AFL felt some sympathy for us and dealt us pick 3 as compensation. The Hawks were fuming given they only got pick No.19 for losing Lance Franklin the previous year. The Frawley deal gave Taylor the trump hand of picks 2, 3 and meant that Roosy and Viney looked for more experience from our second and third rounders and swapped them for Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett and Heritier Lumumba (Harry O’Brien). Everyone knew Christian Petracca would go No.1 and Roosy was all over Angus Brayshaw having seen him at the Irish junior trip. Taylor apparently wasn’t so sure about McCartin and my understanding is that we were considering Brayshaw and Lever with picks 2 and 3. Getting Lever back then, rather than for two high first rounders in 2017 would have helped in hindsight. But just before the draft the Saints apparently decided Trac was full of himself (very few top kids aren’t I reckon) and went for McCartin. It probably goes down as the luckiest and best moment for us in drafting history – for once it wasn’t us making an error and the rest is history – two champion kids on top of two quality individuals (Billy Stretch and Alex Neal-Bullen) makes this Taylor’s key moment in resurrecting our list along with setting up the right culture. Overall the 2014 draft didn’t prove to be a ripper. The Giants had picks 4, 6 and 7 and only Caleb Marchbank (6) is still playing of that lot and that’s often for Carlton’s VFL side. Gold Coast got a bargain star with Touk Miller at pick 29, but didn’t fare so well with picks 8 and 15, while both Sydney (Isaac Heeney) and Brisbane (Harris Andrews) look inspired choices, but both were academy bargains anyway. The Dogs fared best with late-order picks claiming Bailey Dale (45) and Caleb Daniel (46). The rookie draft of 2014, by comparison, was one of the better ones – so clearly a lot of the experts got things wrong that year. 2 Christian Petracca – not a lot needs to be said given he has a Normie and very nearly a Charlie to go with it. He did take a while to become a star, but then again, it did take us a while to let him play in the middle and with freedom. He has a great profile, but more importantly seems to be setting a great example on and off the field for our youngsters. 3 Angus Brayshaw – a player with all the right principles, hence a huge loss this season. We all loved him in his first year when he helped us beat the Cats at Kardinia Park and after a few head knocks, he came back to lead our charge to greatness in 2018 and then ‘21. Would we have won the flag if he hadn’t been knocked out by Maynard? After 167 games will go down as a club great. As to the draft, Roosy was also keen on Isaac Heeney. It would have been interesting if Taylor had to choose between the three of them – Trac, Angus and Heeney – but back then Swans could Academy him. Time shows that only Jordan de Goey (5) can match the Angus choice. And ironically the Pies also got Darcy Moore (9), who was eligible for us as well, and Maynard (30) who we were across (via his dad being at Casey) but we didn’t have a pick around then having traded out of the second round. 40 Alex Neal-Bullen – SA’s under 18 side had won the junior champs and there was plenty of talent (if ever you want to see junior highlights have a look at how good Caleb Daniel was). The Crows were into Harrison Wigg, but I think Taylor had been over to watch Billy Stretch play for Glenelg seniors a few times and liked what Nibbler did for them as well. Ultimately he rated him higher than Daniel who went at 46 because of fears about his size. I think Dee fans are now aware what ANB brings to our club, although Daniel is a Doggie great as well (just don’t ask Bevo lately!). 42 Billy Stretch – was very impressive on a wing for Glenelg, so an easy choice as father/son for us. Ultimately probably needed a bit more of his dad’s height and athleticism to become a regular and I often wonder what might have happened with his career had he held on to the mark or been given a free kick for what would have been a matchwinner against North down in Tassie. Great workrate, just a tad small-bodied for AFL level. Great kid as well. 53 Oscar McDonald – I never have a problem taking successful brothers with picks this late because in most cases they are cut from the same cloth and may just take time – Dylan Grimes was a case in point. Oscar took too much time though. His kicking skills were elite, but he was just a tad slow and I wonder if an early head-high collision with Darcy Moore at VFL level in a match at Olympic Park, impacted his aggression. Amazingly, given his kicking skills, we rarely tried him as a forward, and he eventually got delisted and knee injuries have prevented him making headway elsewhere. Ed Langdon went to Freo with the next pick (54), so choosing him back then would have been inspiring, but with four young mids already taken by us that year, I imagine a fifth didn’t feel quite right back then. As for the trades, Lumumba looked good in his first year before falling to concussion syndrome, Jeffy was super first year and not bad in his third year, while Frosty made sure we got out of our seat to make sure he hit his intended target. He’s still going at the Hawks, so he wasn’t as bad as some of you make out I reckon. But thank christ, the top order lived up to the billing and our impressive culture was established. The other new addition down at training was rookie Aaron Vandenberg, who was so left field, most of us had to check he wasn’t a doorman. He had a 50-possession game with Ainslie which apparently excited Tubby, so he was taken with pick 2 of the rookie draft. He was a late starter with injury, but once he was fit, he played a practice match and looked way better than half our list – quicker, stronger and more confident. We also took a stab on Mitch White, who was a nice left-footer but a tad slow across the turf. He is probably playing his best footy now as our Casey skipper. It was a great rookie draft for a handful of clubs. The Saints got Jack Sinclair, Jayden Short and Jason Castagna were premiership players at Richmond on top of a Kane Lambert upgrade, Reilly O’Brien, Brayden Preuss (we got him via trade four years later) or Ivan Soldo would have been way better back-up rucks than any we have tried in the Gawny era and Gold Coast took Adam Saad at pick 23 (now at the Blues) and his pace and kicking has always amazed me. Throw in Sydney’s Nic Newman (also now at Blues) and it may have been the best rookie draft ever. COMING UP: 2015 - Taylor's most inspired choice but also possibly his worst draft in his 11 years.

The crack in the captain’s ankle might be very small but the repercussions of the injury are enormous. The aftershock of the news that Max Gawn will sit on the sidelines for the next two or three weeks has provided Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin with a giant headache, not unlike the one he faced after the Kings Birthday when another Demon superstar Christian Petracca suffered his season-ending injury. That headache is magnified by the fact that Goodwin is facing a month of tough encounters against other finals contenders at a time when his team’s fate hangs in the balance. First cab off the rank is Essendon which few would have predicted would be sitting inside the top four at this stage in proceedings after such an abysmal end to its 2023 campaign. This year, the Bombers’ favourable draw and some narrow wins against lowly sides have them in the top four with a percentage below 100. However, with a number of players in career best form, they present problems for Goodwin and his team. Notable among them is Bomber skipper, Zach Merrett who has been the catalyst for the Bomber revival, but he hasn’t been alone among a playing list that spells danger for the Demons. Their defence has tightened up and is stronger with the return of Ridley who joins Ben McKay in career-best form. They have a bevy of players like Jye Caldwell, Nic Martin, Sam Durham, Jake Stringer and Dylan Shiel who are standing up to be counted. Last week Merrett and Caldwell each notched up 30 disposals to throttle Collingwood's premiership midfield. Their influence must be curtailed. Then there are their talls like ruckman Sam Draper who has managed to avoid a direct confrontation with Gawny for the second time in as many years. Two Metre Peter will also stretch the Demons’ defence. Which brings us back to Melbourne’s giant ruck headache, exacerbated when the club agreed to part company with Brodie Grundy at the end of last year. The club chose Brisbane’s 200cm Tom Fullarton to replace the former Magpie, but he is designated on the club’s website as a “key forward” and hasn’t played an AFL game since the 2022 semi final against Melbourne when he managed just four hit outs. As the club’s General Manager of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said during the week: "While Max is the calibre of player that can't be replaced easily, it provides an exciting opportunity for others to come in and play their role in our side." It remains to be seen what rabbit the Demon selectors pull out of their hat but that has been the story of their season so far. Just as the loss through the premature retirement of Angus Brayshaw, the well documented off-season problems of Clayton Oliver and the seemingly never-ending investigation into Joel Smith have all caused grief, the club has soldiered on without complaint. The coach moves players around like chess pieces, changes tactics and strategies, and all the while he manages to keep the club’s finals prospects alive as it moves deeper into the season. Each turn of an unfriendly card presents a challenge that must be confronted. The mother of invention has caused a major upheaval at Melbourne during 2024. The previously rock solid midfield foundation stone of Petracca, Oliver, Viney and Brayshaw has been split. That midfield no longer dominates the clearances at the feet of Gawn as it did in the past when it overwhelmed the opposition with offensive momentum smashing the inside fifty count. We now have something different; the excitement of new, young faces and names making their mark over all parts of the ground, a mix that might not make them immediate flag contenders but they’re always a chance to win on any given day. Trent Rivers in the middle is one example of change, Jacob van Rooyen up forward and pinch hitting in the ruck another and Judd McVee down back a third … and then there’s Caleb Windsor and there’s more. As some might despair the absence for a few weeks of a six time All Australian heading for a seventh, one or more of the personnel within the team are expected to step up and help repay Gawn for his outstanding contribution as captain over 100 games. The three aspects of his absence that demand attention are leadership, ruck craft and marking, especially down back where Gawn would drop in to intercept when the key defenders needed a chop out. Suffice to say on the leadership score, there’s captain Jack Viney standing at the ready with Steven May, Jake Lever and a rejuvenated Tom McDonald down back and how timely is Jake Melksham’s return to the forward line after his ACL injury to add experience in the air, on the ground and around the goals? The merchants of gloom and doom have short memories. Last year, when the teams met in Adelaide, the Bombers were rank outsiders but they approached the game with ferocity and intent against a complacent opponent and they surprised with a win. The Demons have upped their intensity over recent weeks and that mix of youthful enthusiasm together with their list of experienced big game players can be infectious and promote winning momentum. I think it will be just enough to surprise the Bombers by a small margin, say four points. This would honour the current wearer of the club’s #11 guernsey in a game to support the Reach Foundation co-founded by its previous owner, the late, great Jim Stynes. THE GAME Melbourne v Essendon at the MCG Saturday 13 July 2024 at 7.30pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 86 wins Essendon 131 wins 2 draws At the MCG Melbourne 48 wins Essendon 67 wins 1 draw The last five meetings Melbourne 3 wins Essendon 2 wins The Coaches Goodwin 0 wins Scott 1 win THE LAST TIME THEY MET Essendon 15.14.104 defeated Melbourne 11.11.77 at the Adelaide Oval Round 6, 2023 In a shock result, Essendon dominated the Melbourne on a wet Adelaide day in the inaugural Gather Round. The Bombers’ big men took advantage of Max Gawn’s absence in a game where things were not helped by the absence defence of Jake Lever and the late withdrawal of Ben Brown in attack. They maintained the pressure all day and it was quite an achievement to exceed 100 points in the wet and woolly conditions. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B T. McDonald, S. May, J. McVee HB T. Rivers, J. Lever, J. Bowey C E. Langdon, C. Oliver, A. Neal-Bullen HF K. Pickett, J. van Rooyen, T. Sparrow F K. Chandler, B. Fritsch, J. Melksham FOLL H. Petty, J. Viney, C. Salem I/C A. Moniz-Wakefield, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, C. Windsor SUB T. Woewodin EMG T. Fullarton, B. Laurie, A. Tomlinson IN H. Petty OUT M. Gawn (ankle) ESSENDON B J. Ridley, B. McKay, D. Heppell HB N. Martin, M. Redman, A. McGrath C X. Duursma, S. Durham, A. Perkins HF M. Guelfi, H. Jones, N. Caddy F J. Stringer, P. Wright, K. Langford FOLL S. Draper, J. Caldwell, Z. Merrett I/C N. Cox, J. Gresham, J. Kelly, D. Shiel SUB N. Hind EMG T. Goldstein, J. Laverde, W. Setterfield IN D. Heppell OUT J. Laverde (omitted) Injury List: Round 18 Ben Brown — knee / test Harrison Petty — hamstring / test Max Gawn — ankle / 2 - 3 weeks Charlie Spargo — Achilles / TBC Christian Petracca — ribs, spleen, appendix / indefinite

Well, I for one will be much more concerned about how farmers are going to find wives in this bleak future.

From Inside Trading's AFL Article this evening: TALKS have opened on a new deal for Melbourne premiership player Ed Langdon. The flag-winning wingman has waited until later in the season to get to his contract discussions as he comes to the end of the five-year deal he joined Melbourne on at the end of 2019. But as the 28-year-old comes to the latter stages of the season, talks have kicked off on an extension for Langdon, who has been a crucial pick-up for the Dees' success under Simon Goodwin. The former Fremantle midfielder played 24 games, including the full finals series, in the Demons' breakthrough premiership in 2021 and has played 104 of a possible 107 games for the club since being traded back home to Victoria. One of the games he missed was earlier this year when he attended a family member's wedding overseas. – Callum Twomey

Mate, sometimes is best not to post anything, rather than revealing ignorance

Why are you providing a rating of trades in a thread ostensibly about Jason Taylor, who is our recruiter? It's like complaining to the bootstudder about corporate hospitality. Taylor has been on record before saying that the top 3 were McCartin, Petracca and Brayshaw, and we would have selected whichever players were left at 2 and 3. Lever was going to be the target, AFAIK, for pick 10 which we were trading Trengove to Richmond for (but subsequently failed his physical).

AFL cheese platters are a disgrace.

That is a beautiful story and just another one of those things this club does so well. We seem to do a lot right for a club with a suspect culture. For those critics of Clarry, look at how invested he is in this club and how we look after our own, we don't try to offload them. It's hard to believe that not that long ago our indigenous brothers could go into town after 6 pm. I congratulate the club for putting this together. I am overjoyed to see how happy Kozzie is and Clarry as well. To the critics and the press who continually look for an angle to bring this club down all I can say is you are wrong. This playing group are as tight as any I have seen and we are a club that looks after its own and a lot of that stems from our coach Go Dees

Essendon fans hated him. Nothing would please me more than a big win with Melky BOG.

It’s heartwarming to see where and how Kozzie was raised by his very close, very loving family, and then to see the beautiful reunion. Clarrie piggybacking Kozzie’s Nan up the hill… 🥹 Goody cradling Bellanie and shading her from the sun… 🥹 The kids at Kozzie’s old primary school running and jumping into his arms… 🥹 Thank you, MFC. ❤️💙

Link to the youtube version;

Grundy isn't in great form. He has been beaten (quite badly) in his last two games against Darcy/Jackson and then on the weekend by Marshall, who completely took him apart. And in case you've forgotten, he got flogged last year by Draper and Phillips. It was embarrassing watching his lack of ability to defend as the Bomber rucks kicked 5 on him. I get the angst about the Schache selection as sub in last years finals, but don't make Grundy out to be something he wasn't.

It's a strange one; stadium food logistics doesn't seem to have been figured out. Some of the vendors seem barely better organised than a Hume Highway truck stop. Hmm, actually, that's not a surprise now I think of it because those truck stops are often catering for sudden rushes as a tour bus or intercity bus pulls in with 40 people who all need to drop a Maynard and have a snack before they get back on the bus. Seems to me the key problem will always be that if you try to 'elevate' food you always get the penalty that slightly fewer people will want a particular item. The fewer potential customers per item becomes a serious problem when the potential buyers are trying to make a decision and complete a transaction in 5 minutes, and there is a lot of geographic segmentation of the 'marketplace', so to speak. I'll make the trip to Petersham for a Portugese tart on a saturday morning, but would I willingly miss the start of the second half because I'm circling the concourse of the MCG looking for a Portugese tart? Anyway, I think we can all agree that the answer is gozleme.

Danni Laidley has had her name dragged up as a possible replacement to help makeover the team.

Knowing a deeply engaged Carlton fan who loves telling me all about it, I can verify. Carlton supporters generally see the whole period since Malthouse took over up until last season as a serious underperformance of what could and should have been an incredible squad. Firmly placed in the hands of Malthouse and a deeper club culture problem very similar to what we on Demonland referred to with variations on 'Messiah complex'. In short, they had their set of absolutely unmistakeable guns like Walsh, Cripps, Weitering, Curnow, Docherty and McKay, and a sense of 'they are the ones that matter' crept in. This meant that it was 'okay' for Saad to just do the thing he was good at and be a little slack defensively, etc etc etc Throw that together with the lack of depth, which they tried to fill by rolling the dice on all kinds of 'not premium' recruits, and you got a very brittle team that was constantly being exposed by 6-goal bursts against them. I'd say things started to turn from about the time Cerra came in and did exactly the job he was recruited for - being a very good but not 'gun' midfielder, and then things started to click thanks to the likes of Hewett, Kennedy and Newman all building some confidence and consistency. It'll be interesting to see how things hold up - their 'gun' players are mostly 24-27yrs but many of their solid citizens are 28+. Just to add a strange quirk - Melbourne's fielder a significantly younger team in the game against Carlton than they did, but at the same time Carlton had only 4 players with more than 150 games and NONE over 200, in contrast to our 6 and 4.

Weid had talent! But no mongrel.

I never buy food at the footy. It's never good and the prices are wild. Very very rarely get scolding hot jam donuts outside the ground, and immediately regret them when I burn the roof of my mouth and cover myself in jam.

$18 for an acorn??? That's nuts! @Bitter but optimistic brings his fermented clam bun to the footy every week. It's why there's always spare seats around him

I just put together a sample menu of some of the things I’d like to be served around the ground.

I've been taking my own sandwiches/drinks/snacks etc into the 'G all season so far. At some point, you just have to ask yourself if it's worth lining up for 10 minutes just to spend $6 on a lukewarm pie. The only exception are the jam donuts outside the G following a win!

I agree with your general sentiment Picket but I don't think you can leave Petty out just as a he starts to show signs of solid form, especially for a first gamer in a must win. He should have been dropped 6 weeks ago but he wasn't, the time has passed and his stats v Brisbane suggest he may have finally turned the corner 🤞

TBC = NFI

1. Let’s not forget a similar action fractured Mays cheekbone and he didn’t plant for a couple of weeks. 2. This get ms a week and I hate to bring it up again, but Maynard get zilch. [censored] how putrid is this game becoming. It’s a freaking laughing stock.

What gets me is the inconsistency. Hogan gets off Pendlebury gets off That bloke from Collingwood gets off. And this gets a week?

Read the report of the Tribunal. ” Front on vision shows Webster bending forward lowering his head, the first contact was to Webster’s hand and then the side of Heeney’s hand was deflected to a glancing blow to Webster’s nose”. That is not a suspension or unfairness that should rule you out of a Brownlow. This offence didn’t exist when “best and fairest” was coined for the Brownlow. Would Cripps or Daicos have been found guilty?

I agree. If he was Cripps or Daicos he wins. Webster went low and Heeney appears to try and push away his arm, as he said in his evidence. It’s a light blow and he doesn’t deserve to be put out of a Brownlow for a light blow that was never, ever, an offence when the Brownlow was first awarded. Modern offences should be re classified as to whether they constitute being unfair as per the Brownlow criteria. What happened to the “ good guy “ defence?

Lots of thoughts ran through my head watching that! Isn’t privilege such a tiered thing - Kozzy had a disadvantaged upbringing compared to Oliver or Goodwin, but compared to Nan he might as well have been raised in a palace. It’s so hard to fathom the idea of having to be out of town by 6pm or getting locked up. That was THIS lifetime, not some ancient history. Far out. Love that Goody, Clarrie and Shano took the time to head there with Kozzy and connect. The bond will run just that bit deeper with every step like that.

Hibbo and Chunk, how good seeing them in the rooms.

warms the cockles

New Laws: https://www.accc.gov.au/business/selling-products-and-services/payment-methods Quite right it adds up!! I reckon it is easily costing $5-$20 a week !! Many people aren't even aware it is being added to the cost. My friendly Mazda dealer said a fee is charged only when a Debit card is swiped but no charge if it is inserted into the machine, using the PIN. Tested it several times this week and he is correct. Not sure if it is the same with a Credit card. Will give an update tomorrow after trying it,

Just a reminder about the Reach Foundation: "Everyone go to reach.org.au, donate $11 just to keep Jim's legacy alive, and keep us working with between 40,000 and 50,000 young people every year, developing them into a stronger mental position to tackle life."

All I know is after they won the flag in 2006 they were down the bottom of the ladder by 2009 with us when the choice of draft pics was Nic Nat and Jack Watts. And then 4yrs after winning the 2018 flag they were down the bottom again scooping up 1st rd draft pics again and have been doing so since. They're habitual tankers. Or their coaches aint that good at keeping their lists motivated.

It’s a good point. I would say that May will play on whoever is deepest, which is likely 2m Peter. Lever to take Caddy, Tmac Langford and Tommo could take Stringer. On another note Would love to see Viney do a hare tagging job on Merrett. Really physical

Bun Bun? That place is the best! Not sure how the roll survives all the way from Springvale station to the MCG though. Mine wouldn't get far beyond Westall station 😁

Gold.

If we set up any deeper, we won't be on the field at all. Our defensive zone for most of the year has been deep because we've been trying to slingshot into the space created the other way. I'd actually like us to go the other way and play a more aggressive, in your face style against Essendon. I'd rather us play the more explosive, combative style that we played against Brisbane. The old Richmond style, take territory with the ball, and push up at the ball carrier when not in possession. The difficult thing to predict is what sort of effect does not having Max have on our contest game. Does it make it easier to play the combative game or harder? I'd say harder because we don't have the ascendancy in the ruck, so to play the percentages, we may well sit our zone deep and look to intercept and go the other way. The wet weather won't help those attempts though.

It's certainly true it's taken him a long time to pull in one of those speckies but I'm sure he will get better. But the thing with Kozzies high flying attempts is even if he doesn't pull them in, they are often against one or two tall defending opponents who who have probably marked the ball had he not flew In other words his ability to leap often results in him playing as a tall and at least getting the ball to ground ( yes...I know that's where we want him) and is a part of our forward pressure.

Kozzie’s 100th & Chin’s 50th this week. In terms of banner, it’s a good thing Lachie Hunter’s not playing since he’s on 199. Would be a tight fit having all three of them. 😊

I really don’t care about other teams, just glad it wasn’t kozzy. He would’ve got 10 weeks

Well said Deestar. My take is that if we play how we did vs Brisbane, which I rate as our best game of the season against a very good side, then we give ourselves a good chance of beating any side.

Probably posted elsewhere but warm your heart:

You inspired me to check. Cyril 189 games for 275 goals, or 1.45 goals per game; Kozzie 99 games for 150 goals represents 1.51 goals per game. Impressive. And special.

Pound for pound the most skilful player on our list. Some of the stuff he does is beyond ridiculous. His consistency is remarkable, not just for a player of his age, but considering how hard that small forward role can be, especially in our sometimes dysfunctional forwardline. He will be one of our all time greats, both as a forward and as a midfielder. There is not another small forward in the game I would trade him for, not even close. Love the pure joy and aggression he plays with. Long may it continue.

Lets not forget he coached the Eagles to a flag against the pies by under goal. Glorious day. We all should love him a bit

In: Fullarton, Petty Out: Gawn, Woewodin Sub: Turner Initially wanted to keep Turner in the team, but struggling to find an alternative sub and he provides flexibility forward and back.

Some absolute junk comments. “100 games for just over 100 goals”? He’s kicked 150 goals in 99 games so ‘just over’ is doing some real heavy lifting there. Of the top 20 in his draft Koz is: #1 for games played #1 for goals, ahead of Cody Weightman on 119. #2 for goals per game behind Weightman, 1.75 vs 1.52. Georgiades is the only other to average >1 per game. #4 for tackles behind Rowell, Serong and Tom Green. #5 on tackles per game as Hayden Young sneaks ahead of him. #1 for goal assists overall and per game. #2 for marks i50 overall and #3 for mi50 per game. He’s elite, and he’s going to get better.

I think some underestimate how lucky we are to see a player of his calibre, The much lauded Cyril Rioli kicked 40 goals twice in eleven years of AFL. Kozzie has done it twice before he was 21. Last few years 40 goals, 41, 37 and 25 so far this year in 14 games. He is an outstanding talent that will go down as a melbourne great.