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Can't fault the effort, proud of the boys. Just lacked polish..

Good effort. But Christ almighty we are a really poorly skilled team. And some of the decision making is mind boggling. I really am counting down the days until this season is done. It’s been painful.

The Billings haters need to open their eyes. He had 23 disposals with 7 marks and 3 tackles. Our 4th highest on the AFL fantasy points… He clearly isn’t the reason we lost!

A lot of rubbish spoken already. A very good effort overall against a top 2 team. We led for most of the game. Billings played his role well! Max was supreme. Kossie was outstanding. Excellent pressure acts by almost every member of the team. I could go on. Disappointing to lose a game we might have won. A few mistakes in the final three minutes was the difference.

Some of you really are miserable [censored] who should become Bummer fans.

To sub Van Rooyen is a sackable offense

People demanding that we "play the kids" can't now turn on them when they stuff up or are outclassed.

Lost 4 games to top 8 sides by under a goal. Our best footy is still competitive with the best, we've got Petracca to come back, Oliver surely to find it again, and young guns like Kozzy and Mcvee who are yet to even hit their prime age. There's still hope for another flag.

How many bemoaning the coaching were saying pre-game that we wouldn’t get near them? If you can’t react to a loss with anything other than “poor coaching” or “sack Goodwin”, just don’t bother. Our set up, effort and intensity is what had us leading the side sitting 2nd, fresh off beating the side sitting first by 100, all night. We lost this game because we’re woefully unskilled, incapable of executing basics under pressure, unfit and panic in close games. Billings drops a chest mark then panics and misses the snap. Kolt misses from 20m. TMac turns it over under no pressure. Langdon fumbled his first touch how many times? We’re carrying unfit players. We’re not aerobically fit enough and so we have players unable to spread or close down space in close games as needed. Despite all that, we kept ourselves in it. Our defensive set up and our brutality at contest for 3.5 quarters, coupled with Kozzie and Gawn masterclasses, was fantastic. But all for nought when we cannot sort out the basics. I’m glad we used McVee in centre bounces more. Should keep doing that now that we’re done. Bring in Bowey or Woey or AMW to cover and run him through the middle more. Time to “manage” Oliver. Get him off for surgery if he needs it or otherwise just start his pre-season ASAP.

It has tonight been decided that a review will be undertaken post season to ensure we have the staff most capable of maximising the talent within the club. It is believed there is a lot of player support behind the current regime but there are others associated with the club who believe changes are neccesary.

You reckon leading a top 4 team that just beat the flag favourites by 100 points all night with no fit mids, the backline full of plodders and probably half the side sick was out coached? Goody put on a defensive clinic and we had more than enough chances to win.

So predictable lol You just knew it was coming. We are officially the worst skilled side in the competition and some of the errors that was on tonight was utterly pathetic for full time athletes. Horrible and dour game plan that has duck the absolute enjoyment in watching this footy club. Time to officially put Oliver on the market. No more [censored] weak excuses. Paying this guy a million a year to dish up that performance was the last resort for me. Gawn battled manfully and was a clear BOG for us alongside Pickett, unfortunately he went to ground in the last crucial minutes of the game that got them going forward. Kozzie is a star. Great performance. Daniel Turner needs a huge summer to work on his fitness. First half had 8 disposals and 4 marks and was playing like Jonathan Brown. Only had 3 touches in the second half with zero marks. Was waiting for him to stand up. The effort was there but the skill level was genuinely appalling. Its incredibly disappointing the way we're finishing this year off.

Some need to ease up on Kolt. Yes he should have kicked it but you can name 50 other crucial moments where some of our more senior players were poor. Take Jake Lever for instance. How on earth can you let a 182cm small forward just take a relatively easy mark like that. Good learning experience for Koltyn.

Port, GWS, Carlton, Brisbane. Four games we lose through just dumb football. Like why are you hanging back defensively with 1 minute left? Push up! Put pressure on them. Anyway, good riddance this season. Let us never talk about it again.

I think we'll be a bloody good side next year

Well done Dees. Way undermanned and nearly had them.

Jack ain’t playing for 3 more years. He’s already got his mind on life after footy as per his summer internship at Deloitte. I wouldn’t be surprised if he retired by the end of 2025 or 2026. Carried this midfield? He’s had his worst season in years. He’s part of the problem as to why we’ve been so bad in the middle this year. Our starting midfield next year should be - Trac, Oliver, Rivers and McVee. I really can’t see Jack winding back the clock next year. We need speed and skill in our midfield mix.

An uncomfortable question - Max is the oldest captain in the league, with the next-oldest being Witts who works in tandem with another. Most teams' captains are from the 2013-14 drafts, and Max is 4-5 years older than that. I love the man. Best Demon since the 60s in my view, but could it be time to move on. I have absolutely no issue with him personally. Four factors make me ask this question: 1. He's reaching the point in his career where most greats slow down significantly. He'll be 33 in December, and has now gone down with niggling injuries for weeks at a time on a number of occasions since the flag. He really is one bad knee injury away - and he did two ACLs years ago - from having to give it up. As it stands, he feels compelled to play through pain and return early because he's the skipper. 2. Most great players give up the captaincy, and all that comes with it, in their mid 30s to focus on lengthening their careers - Cotchin, Fyfe, Walker, Pendlebury are all recent examples of this. 3. The level of effort across the board this year has been uncharacteristic. I'm not talking results, I'm talking pure effort. Max not included in that, his standards are elite (reminds me of Jonesy during the bad years), but he's the guy who leads the others. Could a fresh voice at the top be an option? Max's comments after last week were telling - "I don't care about finals, I care about putting some pride back in the jumper". Some people felt he was being cavalier there, I didn't. I feel like he's struggling to deal with the poor showings from a number of our players who just don't look invested some weeks. Tonight's game will be telling - will they do what he's asked? If not, and they show up as they have against Freo x 2, the Pies, the Dogs...we'll know they're not listening. 4. This one is painful, because I think he's the best media performer of his AFL generation and has every right to both play and be a regular media personality, but I listen to Max every Monday and Friday on MMM. He's on there to have a laugh with Wil Anderson and get himself primed for what he'll do post-career, but there's now been multiple weeks where we get belted on Saturday/Sunday and Max is laughing on the radio on Monday. He never excuses poor efforts, he more says things like "oh we were terrible, yeah" before moving on, but perhaps its for the best he's doing regular segments like these whilst not also being the skipper. I reiterate that I've got no issue at all with Max. I'm just wondering whether its time to look to the future and let Max just play footy, keep himself fit, and carry on his slow transition to his post-footy life whilst still dominating in the ruck for a couple of years to come. I'd probably favour a Lever/ANB or Lever/Petracca ticket to replace him, but there's definitely no obvious candidate.

Goodness me Clayton was super super poor tonight. Just a lost & unfit player right now… & who would ever had thought it would’ve come to this after season 21’ He was just about the best player in the game 2 years back

Lever is a panic merchant.. does well when he is not accountable, but when he has to defend one on one he is hopeless

Bad miss at the end but Billings wasn’t bad tonight . Kolstrup will learn, he’s ok. Lever awfully disappointing all year

great effort by the boys. Billing’s and Tholstrup terrible misses … you can’t afford that in close games.

He is one of my most hated players, in fact he’s the only ex Melbourne player I despise beside Scully. Both were/are disrespectful [censored]. But at least Scully was a number one pick who was offered insane money. We plucked Howe from his electrician apprenticeship and total obscurity, only for him to sook it up because he didn’t wanna be a defender. Have a [censored] rest of your career Howe. [censored].

Wonderful morning. The filth carp the bed, an unpaid 50 m , lost by 3 points , GOOD MORNING to you all,

Sorry to disagree and have a different opinion and I won’t LOL at yours btw. Brayshaw getting taken out rattled our side and we got jumped. We then used our sub Lawrie, taking away the fresh legs later in the game and who was totally ineffective. I believe Gus, who was a far better player, I think averaging over 30 possessions at the time, would have helped us breach the 7 point loss difference, as I recall it was. I also feel some players lost focus after the Gus ko, like JVR, who got suspended for trying to even up, or whatever he was doing. Imo if JVR or Gus played against the blues, we reverse that one point loss and make the PF, either by beating the Pies or later the Blues. You are welcoming to disagree, no one can prove who is correct anyway. It’s just an opinion.

That was actually a good effort. Umpires did not reward our tackling pressure - so many Port players dropped and threw the ball and play on was called. I'm glad they put some pride back in the jumper. Observations: - How many times do we get the ball on the 50 arc and none of our forwards present? Stafford just has to go. Its disgusting how much they've protected him because he's one of the boys. Its a clear and obvious issue that costs us games every week. It has nothing to do with him having once been a ruck, playing position is irrelevant to being a coach. He just has no [censored] idea how to set up a forward line. People need to be more upset about this. - Tigers fans will tell you that their midfield was never at its best under McQualter. We should have listened. A little better today but not by much. Sad to waste a ruck like Gawn. - Billings dropping that mark and missing the snap sums up his career. No idea why we thought bringing him in was a good idea. - Subbing JVR was bizarre, especially as he got the call right after a big mark. Minute he comes off, the Power put more men into Gawn and Petty and wrestled back momentum in the air. - Love and respect Melky but the last two weeks show that its time to get him away for conditioning and let him have another go next year. Ineffectual when he came on. - TMac struggled against Dixon and is fortunate Dixon is barely mobile. That's three weeks in a row he's been dodgy by foot too after a great season. - Pickett was awesome - McVee was awesome - Cannot afford to give up pick 6 for Houston. We have three quality kids under 23 and the rest are iffy at best. - Howes had a good start to the year but it is panic stations now. IMO he isn't a defender, but three years in as a mid-sized players and I have no clue what role he is best suited to. Doesn't appear mobile enough to intercept. Maybe back to the wing? - Hate digging into a kid, but Tholstrup doesn't show any clear strengths to his game. That miss from 35 on a slight angle wasn't even close, he didn't look like he wanted it. 0 tackles too, which should see him back in the VFL for Brown or essentially anyone else. Lots of time to improve but I'm not convinced trading 27 and 35 to move up three places and claim him won't come back to bite us. Would look better in a good team. Needs to work on his skills for Casey. - Viney was much better. - It is tragic what has happened to Oliver. I am close to giving up hope for him and I almost want him to request a trade and start again. I hope he's doing okay in his personal life because he doesn't front up like he's interested.

I absolutely hate Port and I hate seeing us lose February match simulations let alone real games, but in terms of 2024 I’m reasonably pleased with what transpired tonight. We showed we can match it with a good side with lots of players missing or out of form. And by losing Goody can finally give up on that ridiculous hope of making the 8. We now have two ‘free hit’ games to start prepping for 2025. I would personally send Clarry in for surgery, Gawny in for some rest and give Jefferson a debut. K.Brown and Laurie can get proper game time too. May and Windsor can stay in cotton wool. Our draft hand is improving by the week (please don’t waste it on Houston). There’s honestly a lot of 2020 about this season. We will be back!

Have no idea why the wrist slashing from some on here. A superb performance from an incredibly undermanned team against a now top 2 team who trounced the ladder leaders by 20 goals last week. If someone said to you at the start of the season May, Brayshaw, Smith, Bowey, Petracca, Spargo, Hunter and a massively underdone and injured Oliver we're going to be missing we'd settle for a competitive 8+ goal defeat. The team we're brave and unlucky. Add the fact that a narrow loss is more than creditable and with the Suns winning we go 12th and will probably stay there I'm rapt. Don't like losing but this is different. Praying we rest some guns for the next two weeks and see ehat Jefferson has got. We are not the spent force like many suggest. So like forward to to draft and trade period and an early return to the track after a well rested off season.

Great effort night were very undermanned. And our skills are so bad. But we had plenty of heart and that counts. Not sure what some posters expect. Very hard to please. go dees

Based on that alone simply cannot give our first pick for him. This draft is jam packed with gun midfielders. Cal Twomey saying that any of them could be considered puck one. Lunacy to give that up for a half back. Yes, his kicking us elite but we have viable options there already. I will totally lose faith in our recruitment department if we cave on thus one. Having said that not sure how the deal gets done if we're hellbent.

Fumbling cost us the game. Constant fumbling. Great effort with an undermanned side, but the lack of ball handling skill kills us.

Could have kicked around the corner too, end of the day he’s a kid my whole point is people focussing on individual things when there were so many turnovers that killed our momentum. overall happy with effort and the fact the season is done but we still have a crack. Very different club from the Schwab days

People getting stuck into Jsck Billings who had s fine game and giving an out for Oliver is laughable. Whilst Billings was working his [censored] off along the wing Oliver was happy to just jog in between contests and have zero respect for his opponent. It was appalling to watch. Honestly wish Goowdin had the guts to sub him off instead of JVR. Send a message.

And Kolt missed a very easy shot Lever out marked by Narkle endless fwd entries not to advantage but let’s focus on a whipping boy ffs he’s not the reason we list we lost because we lacked composure with ball in hand including Mcvee who is generally good

Well I’m very proud of our boys tonight. Severely undermanned, but we took it all the way down to the wire!

We can’t score. Total Football Department Cleanse this offseason

Umps refused to pay us HTB. What a bunch of cheats.

Would pay really good money to punch JHF square in the nuts. Arrogant porn-mustache wearing [censored]

Love the endeavour from Kotlyn but he’s definitely gotta get to work on gathering that ball below his knees

I've reached that calm moment where I accept that the team is depleted and the season is not going to end in triumph. I'll be watching for the small things; little glimpses of talent from the kids which build anticipation for the future, simple moments of football beauty, and surges of sustained pressure and effort which might not last quite long enough but do affirm that we still know how. And in that state of mind, we'll probably win and then I'll have to think 'mathematical possibilities' for the final two rounds like 2005 all over again.

I hope Eddie was watching those final minutes in Paris.

Kentfield is a ‘big boy’ forward who does his best work when he can physically dominate opponents. These types of players usually take a lot of time because, no matter how big you are at 18, you can’t play like that against mature players until your body matures as well. It’s different for a key forward like Cadman etc who can rely on athleticism to get separation from his opponent. He’s much more akin, in style, to Tom Hawkins where he’ll likely have a long term strength advantage over opponents but it will take time until that eventuates. Until then you’re likely to get good effort, small glimpses and inconsistency based on his match up. This is what we saw with Hawkins, who was a dominant junior and much more developed at the same age. Most of these types of players will require more development to be AFL players than athletic key forwards like, say, Jamarra or Cadman. Judging this type of player based on two months is silly.

5 stars for effort 1 star for skills

One to watch for the captaincy in the future is JVR. not for our next captain but maybe the one after that

Lalor is the one I've had my eye on. Will go around our first round pick according to the phantom drafts. https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/sam-lalor/

I feel like being his wife means that he should just do whatever I say, but annoyingly it’s not always the case. So rude 😂

Talk of a dynasty and our great culture post our 21 flag turned out to be hot air/hubris. Foolish remarks in hindsight. Flags are very very difficult to win. We were banged up in 22 and our forward line was decimated last year going into finals. Yes we should have beaten the pies but who's to say we would have been able to win a PF and granny from there given our makeshift forward line. Talk of winning more than one flag overrates our list imv. We finished 4th on the ladder last year remember so we weren't a standout team by any stretch of the imagination. And are we really better than Carlton, Brisbane, GWS etc. I don't think we are. we're about to finish 12th or 13th for Christ's sakes. I'm delighted we won one flag and disappointed we weren't good enough or healthy enough to challenge for another. If we're smart this trade period, freshen up the coaching team and have a chunk of luck we might be able to snare another one next year. Possible but we need a lot to go our way. and it wouldn't surprise me if we go into rebuild mode either.

Great result, Collingwood have had so much luck in close finishes the last few years, about time the boot was on the other foot. They've actually won 4 games this year because an opposition player has missed a shot at goal late in the game. Shouldn't be anywhere near the eight.

It sums up the soft mentality that supporters like you carry. Happy to accept and be proud of mediocrity. This isn't even about Gus at all. In fact if you really want to pin point the significance the loss of a player then I would say Melksham was a far bigger loss then Brayshaw.

It’s funny, Cornes’ article is getting all the attention but earlier this week on SEN Brad Johnson had the counter argument which AFAIK hasn’t been mentioned on here. Collingwood tonight have become very likely to miss the finals. Which, if it happens, will confirm that we are the only one of the last four premiers to make the finals the following year. It’s time we stopped going on about “wasted dynasties” and started acknowledging that in the current era of AFL-driven hypercompetitiveness, winning a flag is difficult, and being successful in back-to-back years is even more so.