TeamPlayedFine39

Something a big personality like Williams does is he takes a lot of heat and media attention off players and coaches. The media love him and he’s happy to give the big, flamboyant interviews. Why interview Goodwin, when you can get great quotes and soundbites from Chico..? It’s similar to when Roos was at the helm. We got a very easy run with the media because Roos was held in such high regard.

This is a very, very good get by the club. Well done Pert and co.

I see Sparrow, Lockhart, Jackson, Pickett and Rivers playing plenty of senior football this year. Injuries and some veterans slowing down will allow plenty of opportunities.

It is weird, given who his father is, that it hasn't generated any press. Even if he's not AFL standard, you'd think there'd be an article on Fremantle and MFC 'rejecting' the son of a former champ. Perhaps there's a bit of Jake Lovett about this one; people really wanting/wishing a son of a gun to be better than he is. I do love the romance of the Father/Son rule and it would be great to see Viney, Woewodin, Farmer and White don the red and blue together again one day!

Darren Burgess is such a huge asset to the club - I get Hogan/Scully level stress about him leaving. Welcome to the MFC Selwyn!

David Neitz was not awarded an All Australian as a backman and a forward. Jordan Gysberts had all the makings of an excellent player and should have been retained. Never warmed to Jesse Hogan. Jeff Farmer was/is a highly overrated player (still love him though). Trading pick 2 in 2013 was the right thing to do. I love Alistair Nicholson.

Would rather see Rivers move up the ground and Salem stay put.

Can't access the article, but it's hard to see how it (romance aside) works. Hobart, with a population of 206,000 and Launceston with 106,000 is going to struggle to attract enough members. Then, you have them being 2.5 hours apart, so it's a matter of picking one or the other. Tasmania has the lowest population and smallest economy of any Australian state. I'm pushing 40; I'd love to live in Tasmania. It's quiet, there's plenty of good food, cheese, wine and scenery. It'd be a much tougher sell to convince 23 year olds earning hundreds of thousands to live there.

Bringing a list clogger out of retirement?

No doubt in my mind that we got the better Jetta. Lewis' 2012 was exceptional, seems to have been treading water since then. Had a very solid career though, 200 games and 2 flags.

Very sad to see someone cut down at such a young age. Hope he can recover and improve his quality of life.

Personally, I've always been a McKay fan - really wanted him in his draft year. Spot on about Hipwood though. There's a lot of Fritsch about him - does so much right and pulls of the freakish things, but his finishing sucks the life out of the team. It's tough when the defenders and midfielders work so hard to get it to them, then they miss what they should get. Frisch kicked 22.24 this year.

Weideman's 2020, holds up well or even exceeds his draft class. (2) Schache 2 goals. 2 games. (9) Weideman 19 goals. 13 games. (10) McKay. 21 goals. 13 games. (14) Hipwood. 24 goals. 19 games. (16) Himmelberg. 15 goals 16 games. We're probably marking him harshly because he showed so much at the end of 2018, and had a disappointing 2019. His progression this year has been on par with his peers, some of whom are very overrated when you look at their actual output.

If you were Buckley or Fagan, who would you send your best tall defender to from our 2020 team? Weideman was our best tall forward and would demand the best defender. I'd say our acquisition of Brown has more to do with Tom McDonald playing poorly than Weideman. The conventional wisdom is a team needs two KPFs - Brown is there to partner Weid.

Think he was very good this year and has caught up with the pack of KPFs from his draft year. Was surprised by his speed and agility more than anything this year. In past years he seemed to have lumbered around a bit, but he looked more relaxed and loose when moving this year. He still gets to the right spots and once those ones he get his mitts to start to stick, watch out! I’m a believer.

I'm backing in TMac to turn it all around this preseason and reclaim CHB. Lever to thrive when freed-up as a genuine third tall. Rivers to develop into a pacey wingman/outside mid. Lockhart to build his tank and confidence and lockdown the small defender position. Harmes to return to the HFF and take Petracca's old role, with the occasional run in the middle. Weideman, being released by a stay-at-home Brown, to play further up the ground. Sparrow to cement his spot in the 22 at the expense of Jones, who we may only see when injuries hit (which they 100% will) Brayshaw to play primarily as an inside mid. With further interchange restrictions, Tomlinson to shine as one of our premier runners. He might not be lauded as a star, but he can stay on the field all day and play in any position on the ground. A fit Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Harmes and Sparrow - all six rotating through the center square to cause headaches for opposition coches. LOCKHART. MAY. LEVER. SALEM. MCDONALD. HIBBERD. LANGDON OLIVER. TOMLINSON. HARMES. WEIDEMAN. MELKSHAM. PICKETT. BROWN. FRITSCH. GAWN. PETRACCA. BRAYSHAW. VINEY. SPARROW. RIVERS. JACKSON.

I was optimistic after his preseason and even Round 1 performance. Not so sure now. Struggles to find the ball and isn't damaging enough when he does. Kinda needs to be one or the other.

Sometime the bumping of these threads are unnecessarily vindictive. I always love reading through them (especially ones where I haven't made a goose of myself.). It's great that people are willing to offer their opinions and no one is right every time. These threads are always a good read to put yourself back in the time and place and see how views change (some very quickly).

Wasn’t overly excited by his addition to the list last year until he put in a very, very good final game against Essendon. Some of his efforts to make contests were inspirational.

Anyone with plans ready to go are going to have state and federal governments throw money at them over the next 18 months. Hopefully we have a well developed plan in the wings or we may miss the stimulus-train.

I assume his management took the one year, while the cap is low, then will look for a real payday when he’s proven himself this year and next. If the economy improves by end of 2021, his next contract could be huge.

Is it overly simplistic to say that it’s the sad, lonely and unsuccessful that hold grudges against athletes who they somehow feel superior to..?

It's always a bit of a mystery why some players of limited ability are embraced by fans, whilst others become the subject of total derision. There's a fine line between 'cult favourite' and 'scapegoat'. Oscar wore way too much abuse over the years and became a scapegoat for many of the teams overall failings. It was almost comical at times the things he was blamed for - even when it wasn't his opponent, he wasn't even in that part of the ground. Every goal Melbourne would concede would somehow be pinned on OMac. Wish him all the best. Always a Demon!

I'm hoping that he stays and there's not a last minute fire sale like in 2012. Hopefully he can get a new lease on life over the preseason, get his body right, drop some pounds and move down back again. This would completely free up Lever and offer May to play a more attacking role as well.

Must be awesome to be 200cm tall.