JV7

Sucked me in... Tmac back is hardly huge news, not a surprise stevo you moron

Mark Stevens reporting late out for us

Very rarely in my 28 years following this mob have I missed a game I can get to. I sat through almost ever Neeld mauling to the end, usually after a bad loss I vow not to return next week but as the week draws to a close I always give in... Short turn around has me still [censored] off so not going tomorrow night, unheard of for me. Travelled to Sydney only 2 weeks ago, they’ve lost me & will take a lot to get me back in the short term Which is such a shame, I suspect I am not the only one, this game at the start of the year should have been pushing 100k, club hasn’t held up there end. Be lucky to get 70k

They were put on the fixture due to the anzac day breaks. They had to play Friday so they and collingwood could have similar breaks... Only alternative would have been Richmond/Collingwood Thursday night & us vs Essendon on Good Friday which has been Norths game. Will be interesting if Essendon are scheduled next year

1. People bagging Spargo over Stretch. Do you realise they are not the same type on player ? Spargo the small forward & Stretch a midfielder. They are not comparable, Spargo may not have had a lot of footy last week but we have had issues of retaining the ball inside 50 which was better last week, forward line functioned better. May not be all to do with Spargo but why change a successful forward mix from last week. 2. "Saints beat us with leg speed last year cry cry cry". No, they beat us on merit, we had an off day & they were better on the day. 3. People saying Lewis isn't best 22 or why is he been picked... He is still be 22, his direction & ball use across half back is hugely under rated, please tell me who takes his place ? May & Lever will take Frost/Wagner/Hore. Plus he hasn't even played a game in 2019 yet so how about people give him a month to see what he's producing

F$#k Leigh Matthews is tough to listen to. First he says "that's efficiency with a capital "I". Then says the game flows better with more free kicks... STFU & retire you dumbass

Surely we put him on ice for Anzac eve. Tough for anyone backing up on a 4 day break let alone a 33 year old coming off a hammy.

In short no. Completely different, Lions playing last years runners up at their first sellout in a decade. Beating Collingwood would be a massive scalp on field & off, particularly given where they are coming from. Us, well prelim finalists vs a side many tipped to be bottom 4. My view of the saints hasn't change, they've had 3 lucky wins & found out against an average Freo on the road. These games are the worst, win & it's yeah well done only St.Kilda. Lose & all hell breaks lose. So this game is huge for us just to get the 4 points, build some momentum & try to even the W/L ledger up. Should we win Saturday, anzac eve will be the test.

Don't speak too soon.. Hearing Lockhart out for ANB

Would take a proper pre season & good conditioning/fitness ?

Went looking for the odds with betting agencies absolutely staggered to see most have the odds around the mark or Swans $1.75 to Dees $2.10. I was hoping for some $3 plus value on us. My feelings before each game has come to fruition this year but I’m confident of a win this week... Maybe more hoping because I’ll be up there

100%. Throw him to Parker this week & the oppositions best mid for the next month. We are lacking a defensive mind set in the middle, he’s done run with roles in the past (back in 2014 when Roos started) if he can’t or doesn’t want to follow then the writing is on the wall.

People calling for Maynard ? Seriously. If there is one issue we have it is having all our mids as ball winners, lacking spread. Exactly what Maynard is, only way this bloke will ever get a game is if Oliver/Brayshaw/Viney is out... He is exactly the player we don’t need in the side on top of the above mentioned players. I’ve read none of the Casey reports nor watched the game but Stretch would be one player I’d like to hit form & get in the side for his outside game

I was thinking the same thing Friday night, he’s form has been well below his 2017 season. The down fall of having a breakout year as he did in 2017 is that sides find ways to shut your strengths down, Hibberds is his ball use & over lap run. I think sides have worked out to corral his left side as he has no right foot. You wouldn’t think this would be the cause of such a dramatic form lose but couple this with our defence been all at sea, you look at his 2017 stats and is a stark reminder how good he can be. Don’t think he can play forward, just got to hope he can turn it around. Problem is he hasn’t played great footy for over 12 months.

You'd like to think we did & the club just thought they could turn around his fitness base or May just didn't understand the condition he had to return in between end of season & start of pre season. My contact said usually every player shows up in peak condition to a new club which has happened in the past at Melbourne. It was a combination of May not understanding the level required & coming from GC where they are a little behind in their programming

That is actually the most dangerous kick in footy, if you don't mark that ball or lock it in you open yourself right up to be counter attacked. I'm of the opposite, if your going to bomb it inside 50 do it long & deep and try to create repeat stoppages inside 50. At the moment our ground ball work inside 50 is deplorable, we bomb it in, dont mark & then let opposition sides run it out.

I know there has been a lot of talk about the condition Steven May arrived at the club and I am probably only repeating what has been said but I have a contact at the club who told me today the state May showed up in was nowhere near AFL standard. The club was staggered at the state he was in, he was overweight & unfit. The club had to literally halve his workload to the rest of the playing group because he's body couldn't cope with the program. Apprently the current situation is they are having to start from scratch and rebuild & condition his body before he can play again which could be 5 weeks away

What's the alternative ? Keitly ? Petty ? You've got to be realistic if Petty is a long term prospect as a 3rd you can't throw him to wolves without Lever & May, may do long term damage. We clearly have the answers but both are out injured *** TBH I've had it with both of them but our hands are tied while May & Lever are injured

100% miss his leadership, on field coaching & foot skills in the back half

Who honestly gives a flying f$#k

Season is absolutely gone. I wish I could say I'm done with this mob but I'm off to Sydney next week, what a waste of time, money & effort. So [censored] off.

What is worse than 1 Wagner... 2 Wagners ? It is funny how we suddenly have no depth. Lewis, Hannan, VDB, Lever & May are all best 22 for mine. J.Smith not too far off it but we couple this with losing Tyson & Kent who were good depth. I’d much prefer Kent on HFF then Lockhart or C.Wagner & Tyson would almost certainly be going through the midfield atm. It wasn’t until I saw the side on paper round 1 & thought “really ? Is that best we have at this stage” Honestly feels like 5 years ago where we shuffled deck chairs & felt no matter who came in it wouldn’t make a difference

I am really torn as to how I feel about tomorrow night. The new part of me who believed in this side for the last 6 weeks of the 2018 season says: “it’ll all be ok, we’ll get miles into the legs, we had 100 tackles last week, we had so many inside 50s, the tide has to turn.” Old & torched me: “we are gone, won’t beat Essendon & it’s season over, why bother even going tomorrow night” This club has turned me into some sort of psychopath with a split personality. I must admit we were slow out of the blocks last year; Round 1 - should have won but Geelong weren’t that great last year Round 2 - jumped out against lowly Brisbane before they reeled us back, didn’t look overly convincing Round 3 - Slow start, jumped by North & won comfortably but didn’t look all that great Round 4 - Flogged by Hawthorn Round 5 - Flogged by Richmond So there is still life (I must be in the new me personality this morning). We must simply win this week or it’s curtains & I’m going to Sydney next week so I don’t fancy the trip with the season basically gone. Cmon Dees

Have I been transported back to 2012-13 where we would look for anyone on the list to give us a spark or some glimmer of hope ? 3 debutants already... Not ideal **Wagner not debutant but close enough

What has me most annoyed is... All I wanted was to start the season well. Chances are we weren't going to win the flag, obviously only 1 team can but I just wanted us to start the season well & believe we can win it, after 7 or 8 rounds be 6-1 or 7-1 & feel like we can win it even if we don't. Now it feels like unless something drastically happens we won't be contenders this year, season that promised so much is shot down in 2 rounds