JV7

Chargers, Cards, Rams

Having a couple beers & watching the 2021 GF at the moment... Savouring the last hours as reigning premiers!

Philly, Chiefs, Saints

Orignally I was against going after Grundy however when your game is built around stoppage & contest & you have the best on ball brigade in the comp only furthering strengthening is with another All Australian ruckmen can only be a good thing... We'd lose absolutely nothing when Gawn has a rest & can balance the load more between Gawn & Grundy... I actually think this should be a ploy to get Gawn back to playing that kick behind the play to help shore up our defence rather than forward. Not to mention we don't have another ruckmen on our list, if Gawn goes down next year who rucks ? Weid ? If we get 2 first rounders for Jackson move the later one on for Grundy & keep one I don't think it's the worst result. We will be paying him peanuts & in reality is the best option for a 2nd ruckman out there. We are in window, we need to ensure we have all bass covered & if we lost Gawn through injury you can shut that window. People laughed when we used pick 3 on Jackson saying why would we need another ruckmen... I'm backing the club in on this one to have a solid play that sees both capable of playing in the same side. 3 years ago Grundy was rivalling Gawn for the #1 ruck in the comp, we could have both.

I have regularly thought about how after so many years waiting for it we were dudded into the drought been broken in Perth while we were locked up at home however I always remind myself that season 2021 played out the way it did for a reason. Our MCG record of late proves that we have deficiencies there, who knows what happens if we play our finals there last year or for that matter we roll Geelong in round 23 with a packed Geelong crowd, I suspect a 40 comeback with a full house would have been harder to arrest. I look at the fact we got to enjoy last season for what it was, yes it wasn’t the fairy tale we all dreamed off yet it still happened & it happened the way it did for a reason. Let’s just hope we can see one at the G from this group because it’s our best chance for awhile.

Bucs, Colts, Vikings

Ravens, 49ers, Colts

Agreed, we don't have a plan B. I heard a Sydney player interviewed on the radio post game & he said when a side gets on top Longmire instructs to go old school man on man to arrest the momentum, once they get the game back on their terms they revert back to their brand. Goodwin & the coaching panel appear to go down the same plan & path each week, if it works it works if not then they'll accept getting beaten by the opposition playing our brand. Our issues are obvious as we all know, we have been beaten in almost identical fashion all year. Not potting Goodwin or the coaches because this plan & style has won us a lot of footy over the past 2 years but not sure if others feel the same but at HT I could just feel it, everything looked such a slog & so hard for us, especially scoring. When we are challenged we struggle to arrest momentum back the other way.

Not sure why the coaching panel continually persisted with Gawn forward & Jackson in the ruck... Jackson was getting absolutely torched by Hickey & it was evident that when Gawn went in there that we go back on top. You've got the 6 x All Australian ruckmen & one of the greatest of all time not to mention your captain starting a game at Full Forward in a final, Gawn needed to start in the middle & set the tone (yes first quarter was good but still). 3 QRT time & we were on the ropes & Gawn starts at FF again.... Makes no sense. It's as if the coaches are waiting for Jackson to replicate one of those 3rd QR GF bursts but he just isn't playing well at the moment or the season for that matter. Next week has me nervous, banged up Trac, Brisbane knowing they are our bunnies, their MCG hoodoo, Zorko factor... They will bring the heat, we would need to improve significantly to win next week.

Yep count me in! Might be the only thing to keep me interested this year... Falcons will go 2-14 at best

He's gone...

Must win next 2 if we are going to secure a double chance

Massive danger game IMO tomorrow... Port are 7-3 over their last 10 & played some good footy. Neutral venue is a tick for them... We just need to get the win tomorrow by any means necessary, drop tomorrow & we are in real strife for top 4! I'm a big believer in needing to time your run as we did last year, no point playing your best footy now as Geelong are. Problem is we may be coming from a long way back & need to produce & sustain our best a little earlier & for longer than expected if we have any speed bumps between now & September.

Agreed, Gawn isn’t a natural forward hence he’s leading patterns are not great. Quiet often you will see him float forward & just stay stagnant & stick his hands in the air & gesture to get it into him to which he is just a sitting duck waiting to get picked off. I would be interested to see his ruck/forward % this year vs last year & also over the past month where suggestions he was carrying a niggle. We also miss Tmac massively, his ability to work up the ground & create space inside 50 is highly underrated, he also has great leading patterns & leads up at the kicker which gives the kicker confidence to lower their eyes & hit him up. Weid is the opposite to this so how we structure our forward line post bye is going to be very interesting.

Call me crazy but I think the loss of Gawn may actually help our forward line connection... Many times he is flying for the mark with Brown & Fritsch and he invites our long bombing inside 50... As strange as it may be his absence may be the catalyst to fixing our forward entries & connection.