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Gun Dee in uphill battle, Goody's heartbreaking chat to ACL victim Goody speaks about Gus and Viney availability and also Kozzy as well. Brayshaw to start playing VFL and Viney touch and go for round 1. Looks like Kozzy will come straight back into the side in round 1. Shows how highly rated he is by the coaches.

Last year I had the teams divided into four main groups: - Top 4: Port, Lions, Cats and Tigers. These teams were at a higher level and could beat each other on the right day. - Gunning for the 8: Dees, Saints, Dogs, Pies, GWS. Anyone of these 5 could have ended up in the 8 but 2 had to miss out. I had West Coast on their own. Definitely not top 4 but a cut above the “Gunning for the 8” group (context helped them). - Having a go: Freo, Blues, Dons, Suns, Hawks, Swans. Big group with some showing more improvement than others towards the end. - Hopeless: North and Crowd. Demons: When the FULL TEAM turned up to play FOUR FULL quarters, we could beat all the “Gunning for the 8” teams and give the top 4 teams a run for their money (but we weren’t at their level of skill, intensity, team work, strategy, etc). But when half our players made a poor effort and we fell asleep for full quarters, we’d struggle to beat “Having a go” teams. See Cairns. A lot could happen this season, but my baseline scenario: - Crows move up a group, hawks down a group. - Carlton and Freo move up a group, Pies and GWS to move down and Eagles to become part of the “Gunning for the 8” group. This group will expand. Some will miss out by definition. - Saints to move up a group, and Cats floating between top 4 and “Gunning 8” groups, like eagles last year. Where does that leave Melb? Realistically, we’re in the same Gunning for the 8 group as last year but if our forward line works and the FULL TEAM turns up to play FOUR FULL quarters EVERY week, we’re towards the top of this group and knocking on the top 4 door. That’s a big if. My two cents.

Mate of mine just rang and said Oscar has been named at CHF for Carlton in their pre season game. Ok, Hope he makes a go of it!

like Goodwins support of Neita. Full marks

Tried Google Translate with this and it couldn't detect the language. Anyone able to interpret?

Great to have Lever signed after a good season in 2020 where he played every game, so looks like his knee is holding up well. It's a confidence booster knowing he'll be there until the end of 2024. He is still young and already a leader and well respected at the club. Best of luck Jake!

Nobody rates us and why should they? Its about time this club got a chip on its shoulder and went out and proved the world wrong. More likely that hell freezes over but you just never know.

Well played @BigFez, you must speak fluent "Pub".

A good move to wait til Jack is 100% - in the past our midfield has functioned very well (and at times better) without him

Mistakes will be made with regards to the adjudication of this new rule but mistakes are made with all adjudications. That's the sport and if you want perfection and/or consistency you won't get it But I really like the new rule in terms of what it could do for the sport as a spectacle ... and that matters to me far more than a few iffy decisions More open footy and more scoring with less congestion & stoppages is what I want to see and so do many others So hopefully this new rule helps us get to that point. Those who like footy the way it is now need to remember that they used to watch (and enjoy) the sport when it was more open with less congestion and with more scoring

MY PREDICTIONS 1 MELBOURNE 2 RICHMOND 3 BRISBANE 4 WESTERN 5 PORT 6 GEELONG 7 CARLTON 8 FREMANTLE BROWNLOW : GAWN COLEMAN : B.BROWN RISING STAR : LUKE JACKSON WOODEN SPOON : NORTH BOLD PREDICTION : YZE WILL COACH COLLINGWOOD WHEN BUCKLEY GETS THE SACK.

Signed today

Hi P2J Yes-legends for sure. I was born in 1950 and sop lucky that Dad used to take me to matches at the MCG to see these guys-they have given me so many memories to carry through the years. I would love to meet some of them before we all pass on. :)

If we can go all season without losing a game I think we’re a good chance of winning the granny.

Got my tickets! Hitting the Medalion Club, doin it classy Can't wait. first time seeing the boys play since 2019. and it's not a proper game so I might relax and enjoy it!

The reduction in revenue incurred during the COVID affected season of 2020 could have caused a reduction in Ben Gibson's working days from five days per week down to three days per week as well.

Surprised about Kossie, I wonder if it will be alongside Chandler? If Chandler has another good outing against the Dogs it will be hard (dumb?) to exclude him from the round 1 side.

... and listen ... the inputs and influences of both Yze and Chocko will be the keys to success ...

Bah !! It’s all frog****e until we play some football [censored] the experts!!

John Time to get over IsaacSmith. NEver had him won't miss him !! Mark my words Fraser Rosman will Be there when the whips are cracking with Choco and Ooze guiding him. We are getting a list of solid and fast running players with skills which will stand us in good stead.

One would have to establish it being the best of the 6 flags In the glory years then compare with the single ones in 1900 1926 and 1948 and also the three peat in 1939,40 and 41. There wasn't much difference in the1955 56 57 59 and 60 teams and 64 was an end of successful era one that is a bonus for us. If a reunion was not achieved last year of the 1960 flag then I would encourage it to be held during this season.

Brilliant recruiting, hampered by knee injury, about to become one of the best defenders in AFL.

the mfcss is strong in you, young padawan

Melbourne will finish 3rd and win the Premiership

I'm moderately surprised at the lack of love for the Dees ......... but at least reading these predictions won't provide a lot of bathwater for our boys to drink.

Declase to add some Dee class?

I really hate autocorrect. It's become my worst enema.

I know last year was a right off but last year was 60 years since the 1960 premiership and I'm unsure if they still have these events with the surviving members. I can't recall any mention of it last year, not criticising, but thought I'd open it up for discussion. In my view, line by line, perhaps our greatest ever team?

Figuratively speaking, it may be another way to indicate that Chocko knew more than most about this recruit that he valued and respected, with an eye to further but time-appropriate recruitment to a worthy team. Chocko is too wise to merely expect recruitment solely at his maintenance of 'happiness'.

18 of the last 20 Brownlow medallists came from finals sides. Some have Petracca as the winner , yet Dees miss the 8. If he wins, we make finals.

Good news! Gus and Kozzi right for round 1 and Vines for round 2 Maybe Harmes plays on the ball for round 1 and tags Fyfe.

I think the Dees should have really tried to grab “the Eggman” after he was delisted by the Tigers. He has shown the skill and composure at AFL level. He showed his capabilities again last week. Is it too late to do a “reverse David Williams” and snatch him away from the Tigers.

Exactly. I think we identified the forward firepower as the area of improvement. Sure the midfield skill and pace and delivery needs to get better but our forward line setup and conversion will be our key to where we finish in 2021.

We are now not a “slow” team. Even Balme & Gale acknowledged the fact after our practice game both saying “we were noticeably quicker”. That was without Pickett. You seem to be pedantic for the sake of it. I think ANB is a solid contributor & also seems to be a very popular team mate but unless he has a form resurgence...I can see a few other up & comers replace him. When Tim Lamb was talking about Sparrow, Chandler & Jordan ..he mentioned how they are now 3 year players with lots of upside . Pickett is just coming into his second season & I believe he has enormous upside & can’t understand the harsh judgment so early . I would prefer to take Jordan Lewis’s opinion than someone who spouts pretty meaningless stats !!

Which would have been heavily front loaded to get him over the Border.

Fingers crossed that Kade Chandler has another strong game this Monday. The trio of Kozzie/Spargo/Chandler is something that can cause Freo serious problems, and I cant recall a time when we have gone with 3 small forwards. Exciting!

Nostradamus and BigFez have never been seen in the same room.

So 14 wins guarantees a finals spot whilst 13 wins probably gets you there. A team needs to be above average and consistently good just to get to 13 or 14 wins. You've got to win 2 out of 3 ongoing We can get there if our forward line fires ... the midfield & defence can be improved upon but it's the forward line that needs to improve dramatically (as a collective) In modern footy it's easier to defend well (flooding helps enormously) but conversely, it's much harder to have a functioning forward line these days. Coaching the forward line plays a big part especially specialist coaching so Greg Stafford has the job ahead of him. I reckon he needs help from others as it's a big job for one person An example of the standard required is how Richmond play total team footy within their own forward line ... something we need to aspire to and achieve

I've just spat my corn flakes all over my computer screen reading that! I think this should read BOLD PREDICTION : YZE WILL COACH MELBOURNE WHEN GOODWIN GETS THE SACK.

I haven't read a local paper or watched a Werribee game for 2 years so I don't know anything about him I do know someone that's into Werribee I'll have to ask him what he is like.

So many things wrong about this post that again you need to be called out once again. This also proves time and time again your lack of footy judgement and knowledgeable I find it bizarre that you continue to pot a first year player in Kozzy Pickett, yet more then willing to accept a plodder in Alex Neal Bullen the benefit of the doubt. He is a average player who like Oscar McDonald has been gifted far too many games time and time over the journey, and one of the key reason we've been an average side of the last few years because we continue to carry average plodders like ANB and Oscar. It's only last year that Goodwin finally woke up to Oscar, hopefully he'll wake up to ANB. And for your information, ANB did not play midfield back in 2017. This was the year Goodwin played him in that high half forward role. You're making up stuff just for the sake of it and have the stats and proof to provide that further. At the end of the year I expect the likes of Bailey Laurie, Charlie Spargo and Kade Chandler to go straight past ANB because that will mean we've improved further as a team. I didn't name Kozzy because he's already sped straight past him as a player.

Part of the other side benifit of this is that if we can rely on Lever and May to take more intercept marks and rebound out of the backline, it should also free up big Maxy to get involved and take marks further up the ground in our attacking half.

was going to raise a thread about leveraging Lever but this is as good as any. We have to get a tactic going that takes advantage of the intercept. By himself his disposal is suspect but the time when he takes the ball is when the other team is committed to attack and are at their most vulnerable. Perhaps there needs to be a plan allowing him to lay off the ball quickly to a designated player or spot

McLachlan's terrible, just terrible. Brayshaw is actually OK when he just focuses on calling the game, but he drifts off into bufoonery and "bloke-ness" too much (it's ingrained in him from his Triple M work). I can't stand Basil, but that's in part due to some of his non-AFL-related behaviour. If Adam Papalia from Fox was available to switch over, I'd be happy to hear more of him.

A 24-year old, 195cm mature wingman that is good overhead. Sounds like the club have identified a pressing need!

I think a huge factor this season will be aerobic fitness. And it is a factor that works in our favor. We were super fit coming into last season. Unfortunately the 20 min quarters took away our comparative advantage. I think it is a reasonable assumption that we have at least maintained, and hopefully improved our fitness. If this is the case we will be well prepared for the change back to 30 minute quarters. 20% more game time, 10 minutes a quarter of 'red time' and a reduction in interchange rotations will make a huge impact. You could see it in the tigers practice game how the game opened up at the end of each quarter. And just as was often the case last year, even with the shorter quarters, we were at our best late. I thought the Cats would do ok last year, in large part because the shorter quarters would mitigate against having such an old team. I predict the converse will be true this year and they will be found out big time. I don't think they will make the eight.

Some nice impartial commentary as he lines up for his 9th for Montmorency - 'sucked in Hurstbridge'.

I don't see all the gloom and doom about this season.We will have a very stable backhalf and a what i think will be a very dominant midfield.The forward line is a work in progress ,even with BB and Weid there was no sure solution.Who ever plays forward should be able to kick enough goals with all the supply from the mids,there is another brown playing for us and I think given the chance might surprise a few people .It's up to Goodwin to coach and tweak the team as needed.

Not really a 'Wow' though, is it?

hopefully we get more information once its declaseified.