Red and Blue realist

I'd like to see Tomo back with both May and Lever in the team, that hasn't happened this year. I thought his game against the Dogs was very good, and he wasn't horrible against the Lions or Dons, but height beat us both times but we were one of May or Lever down in both those games. We need 3 talls at the back, and while I think all our smaller backs have played well individually this year, as a team we play better with the 3/4 mix, rather than 2/5. Not sure who misses out, but unless we play Rivers as a full time mid, then I'd be tempted to rest Hibberd off a 6 day break or McVee.

Talk that pitonet has broken his hand and is in doubt for Friday. We just have to beat up on them

Got to stop both Aliir in the backline coming across and intercepting, which is why they might have picked TMac over say Melksham, with his height he demands more respect so should be trying to force Aliir away from the contest as much as possible by continually moving (Tom's old strength). Isolate the resting ruck and JVR against Jonas and McKenzie and there should be plenty of scoring opportunities. Also got to stop their mids scoring, with their outs, their forwards are inexperienced or mid-sized (outside of Finlayson who May could easily take) so I think we'll have them pretty well covered, but Butters, Rozee and even Boak can be very dangerous going forward so we need to beat them defensively at the source.

In the NAB system the bottom 3 (they call them seeds) all have the same % chance of getting the No1 pick. So I like the idea, but maybe it could look somethin like this instead: Team that finish 16th-18th get a 17% chance; 15th 14%; 14th 10%; 13th 8%; 12th 7%; 11th 5% 10th 3% 9th 2% So there's little to no incentive to finish last, while even bottom 4 has no guarantee of getting pick 1. They then give better odds on the top 10 picks for those teams that finish lower on the ladder, so in this example pick 2 is more like to go to a team in 15th - 18th than 9th, but it remains a lottery for all the top 10 picks.

I'd be shocked if we weren't fully involved with the Gold Coast's 1st pick this year. They'll need plenty of points for their academy kids, and we've got the 2nd rounders to offer up - along with the 2 1st rounders. I know we've got little after that and we'll need something for Kynan Brown but he's projected to go in the late 2nd/3rd round at this stage (from what I can see). So we could have 2 top 10 draft picks based on current ladder positions!

I wonder if Schache offers more flexibility given he's got a lot more recent form down back, if we need cover down there. Maybe even with TMac as the sub??

Thanks Kev!

Was Harmes training? Just interested to see that he's not even on the emergency list this week?

Our early season fixture certainly won't be helping our membership growth - 5 out of the first 10 games are interstate (I know everyone gets the gather round). However, that is the same as the Lions, Freo, GC and Eagles, while the Crows, Power and Giants have only played interstate 4 times only the Swans have played interstate more than us! But compare that to all the other Victorian teams who've all played 3 each, we've been dealt an interesting early draw!

I wonder what the financial impact will be on North with no more Tassie funding? While they've been long out of pokies, and have a better deal at Marvel now the AFL owns this, they would be the most vulnerable in my eyes with a major income provider now dropping out. So will the leagues wait to see what happens there, in particular if they continue with poor results over the next 2 - 3 years before Tassie joins. Maybe it'll be back to 18, rather than a 20th coming in?

With the Tassie team coming in and suggestions that there could be 3 years of compromised drafts, we'd be thinking long and hard before trading a package of 3 first round picks for 1 player. Realistically in 2027, the first compromised year we'd be fine, the core of our team would still be around and only 30/31/32 - (Trac, Brayshaw, Salem, Oliver, Lever, Langdon, Fritta, ANB, etc. with Kossie, JVR, Spargo, Bowey and Jefferson etc hopefully hitting their prime). Including the guys older than them there'd be a list turnover of at least 21 before/during those compromised drafts. Most of whom sit well within our best 30 at present. So the years after that are when the struggle could really hit - like any successful club that's not Geelong! So we'd want to be making allowances earlier so we're not going backwards when the new team comes in. I know we'll have Brown, Yze and White as potential father sons during that time, and Taylor is great at getting the 2nd round picks right, along with being excellent at trading, so hopefully it's a non-issue, but giving up 3 firsts could have a longer term impact.

A little more mongrel, or even arrogance, and I think he could be our version of Tom Papley - who most opposition supporters hate but Swans fans love. Papely makes most teams nervous but then can bring his teammates to life running around like a excited toddler after he kicks a goal. If Chin can bring that into his game he'd also help the likes of Kossie because there's automatic extra attention paid elsewhere.

This is a big tick for the game plan. We've been great at getting inside 50s over the last few years, but there seems to be a a greater focus on finding a player who's going to decent shot on goal, not just bombing in. I went to the footy on Sunday with a Sydney supporting mate, and he lamented a number of times that their entries were always scrappy and never looking for a free player, the opposite of what we were doing. He said that's why it looked like we'd never miss, we take the best option in the forward line, so few lose gathers and snaps, mostly mark and goals. It helps when guys like Fritsch and Chandler are great set shots from an angle as well, plus ANB looks a lot more comfortable this season.

I thought Rivers was one of our best yesterday, and the best game he's played. Given how tight spots are it's good to have another half back (including Brayshaw in this) who can run through the midfield. With Kossie and ANB (maybe Sparrow as well) who can do it as well from the forward half, it's nice to see we can change how our midfield looks during games.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with lessons from last season around managing the team. For mine, I'd be brining in Kossie, and making Sparrow the sub. Melk to have a full game at Casey. Then BBB and Hibbo out, with thoughts of both coming back in Adelaide the week after. I'd actually bring in Schache to provide ruck support (along with JVR) and Howes to debut. Ideally we'd have a decent lead in the 3rd quarter and then bring Sparrow on for one of Trac, Oliver or Viney. Gives us a look at what Schache can offer, and a new guy to bring into the extended squad, I think we need at least 32 - 35 guys who are capable of playing at AFL level this year, and with only Max, Salem and Harmes out injured and TMac, Tommo and Laurie having played but now at Casey we're still sitting at 29 who are known quantities so far.

Thanks DW!!!

Yes, I got the same, but no code to be able to use on either???

Each year as members around this time of year an email comes through with a discount for New Balance - who've been a great sponsor! However, I've got the email this year, but there's no code attached, so the ability to obtain the discount doesn't show up when looking to checkout. When clicking on the email it takes me through to a page that welcomes Melbourne members, but there's no discount applied, even when getting right to the end of checkout. Has anyone else had this issue? Also, they offer this if you renew, so there's an extra incentive if you're waiting to sign up again!

I know father sons retain their status, do academy kids? As in, if he had a good year next year would we have the same access or is it just a 1 off?

Not in the AFLW!

I wonder if it's more a thought that if the player we are really after is gone at pick 13, we slide that back to pick 19. Say pick 13 and 37 for 19, 31 and either 58 or their future 3rd?

May was originally recruited as a forward (to Gold Coast) while Petty - despite a popular narrative on here - was a back man as a junior. May would potentially make the better swingman, if needed.

From all the phantom drafts and ratings it seems like 13 is way to early but 37 will be late - unless he slides even further. maybe we try and deal 13 to a side with 2 picks in the 20's and look at him there? Maybe something like 13 & 37 + future 2nd to St K who give us 28 & 32 and their future 1st. We still use the same amount of picks this year and enhance next years hand, while being able to go after a player like George. Of course the danger is we do something like that and end up without the player we traded down for, but it could be a draft night trade.

This is spot on, with TMac down for the majority of the year and BBB clearly hobbled both ANB and Spargo both had to provide more pressure up the ground, limiting their effectiveness to lock the ball in, which they did so well in 2021. I think that they might have delayed bringing in JVR to ensure he has the tank to do the running TMac and BBB were doing and will also be a big reason we went and got Hunter. Hunter is the exact player to perform the role Spargo and ANB were doing in 2022 out of necessity, so it should make them both much more effective next year. I still think he's got a far bit of growth and if he can increase a few of his stat lines - disposals, tackles and score involvements by around 10%, and doing that in the 2021 role, that'll make for a huge improvement to the team.

I can see us potentially trading this pick if the player we want is gone and there's not a slider. I'd think the teams most likely to want to trade a future 1st are those with new coaches - Nth, GWS or StK, with Nth and GWS holding other teams 1st rounders. So it could be something like Melb give pick 13, GWS give picks 31 & 57 (2022) and Rick 1st (2023). Guys like Keeler, Lemmon, Barrett could be still available at 31 or 37 (I haven't factored in the academy moves) to help top up our talls and then there's always a slider who was predicted to go earlier or the ability to get someone who adds the x-factor (like Munkura) at 37 and it wouldn't be far off the right spot. We'd then have an extra pick up our selves if a bid for Emile-Brennan comes earlier than expected. Hopefully he'll slip through to Cat B rookie.