Gator

Average Attributes Melbourne Attribute Gold Coast 186.7cm Height 187.1cm 87.3kg Weight 82.6kg 24yr 11mth Age 23yr 3mth 94.0 Games 65.3 Slightly shorter yet nearly 5kg on average heavier. Total Players By Games Melbourne Games Gold Coast 5 Less than 50 11 10 50 to 99 8 3 100 to 149 1 4 150 or more 2

My point is it's an anomaly more than anything else. These "better teams" are bog ordinary. Just like us. We're at about 40% of what we'll become.

Having seen others quote you I had to unignore you to respond to this gem. You must have a special kind of hatred for Nathan Jones to inflict more pain on him at this stage of his career. Not happy with him finally starting to enjoy the fruits of his labour, and maybe even a flag, you want to send him to the AFL's biggest basketcase for him to spend his remaining years wallowing once again at the foot of the ladder. For someone to either hate someone else so much, or to be so totally unaware of what you're wanting to inflict on another human being, you have my undying admiration. No-one could either be so cruel, or so stupid. Well done.

With 3 rounds to go there won't be a team below us who is within 20 goals of our percentage (assuming we win by 5 goals or more today). That leaves 3 games for either Collingwood, Hawthorn, or Geelong to close a 20 goal gap. To play finals we'll need to win at least one of our remaining 3, so in all likelihood we cancel out one of the other teams 3 games. An injury depleted Collingwood will need to catch up 30 goals in their remaining 3 games. Hawthorn will need to catch up 20 goals and they play Geelong and Sydney in Sydney. Geelong will need to catch up 27 goals in their 3 games, including a game against arch foe Hawthorn. You make a valid point, however, I'm very comfortable suggesting that no team below us after today's game will have a hope in Haiti of catching our percentage.

For the life of me I can't fathom why anyone would be concerned by a winning margin when it comes to the Dees. Other than the St Kilda game we've pretty much smashed who we should have. You do realise we've got the second best percentage in the league ? You do realise we're the only team in the league to average 100+ points per game in 2018 ? If we win by 100 points or 40 points I won't think any differently about Melbourne come 7pm tonight. The fact that you will I find extraordinary. Our last 3 games will tell me much. This game won't tell me anything.

Melbourne won't win it this year, but salivate over the next few, my precious petal ...

28 more inside 50s than Port. We beat Adelaide in Adelaide and Port couldn't. Twice we lose to Geelong by under a goal without Viney and the first time without McDonald. They're hardly a scary proposition. Hawthorn have lost to Brisbane twice. Wow, scary. When will people realise that there are no truly great teams. There's not a team that worries me.

How confident are you he'll be a Dee next year ?

If we can't beat Sydney, who are awful, we don't deserve to play finals. I'm relaxed either way.

Win today and we get to roll that top eight team (Sydney next week) people carry on about. A misnomer though, as every team in the top eight is vulnerable and, in my view, ordinary by historic standards.

It has been an incredible round. One that should make the dopes running the AFL think twice about radical changes, such as an 18 metre goal square.

Our bottom six-eight players are interchangeable depending on form. vandenBerg is one along with Hannan, Spargo, Kent, Kennedy-Harris, etc. Bottom tier players can hit a rich vein of form and become very important. vandenBerg strikes me as a player who could make us better if he hits his straps. He had a limited preseason when he first came to us, so his only full preseason was prior to the 2016 season. I also don't know when this most recent injury occurred. Could it have affected his form in 2016 prior to post season surgery ? I don't know the answer, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was a little lame. At 26 his body may be in the best nick it's been in since he came to the club. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do.

Bugger me. Bugg will never play another game for the MFC. If he does I'll change my christian name by deed poll to Hack.

Phew.

I don't agree with much of that. I sense he's far more rounded already. More importantly, you and I aren't really in a position to judge from afar. I place great stock in his role on game-day. For me he's the perfect captain. I don't buy into a mid trying to do too much.

I don't even know what I said. But I'm sure it was right.

McDonald is an enigma. He's always had this ability for the ball to follow him. I used to tear my hair out when he constantly found a way to get the ball in defence, because the last thing you wanted was to see the ball in his hands coming out of the backline, but it's a great trait in the forward-line. The best gumby in the league.

I'm now getting posters tell me some of the things he does, as though this is some sort of revelation to me. It's not. Jones is a great and loyal servant. He was a godsend when everything about him was crumbling. We've been lucky to have him lead us from the abyss. But I don't think he's ever been a great on-field captain. I've never ever seen him directly influence the result of a game in a particularly tangible way. Viney will be a far better on-field captain. Chalk and cheese. Another year as co-captains would be fine. And most definitely the last.

I'm happy to provide an unpopular voice when it comes to Jones and his ability to drag his team across the line. I do think Jones has grown into a good leader, but I don't think he's a patch on Viney. Players walk taller when Viney is alongside them. I have never, repeat never, seen Jones drag his club over the line in an important game. I've seen Selwood and Dangerfield do it countless times. I've seen Hodge and others. I've seen Jack Viney with 26 contested possessions will his team over the line against West Coast with some help from McDonald. Who'll forget Viney ironing out Shannon Hurn late in the game ? I don't think Jones is inspirational at all. It's just not his go. For me, the sooner Viney is the stand alone captain the better.

He said on an interview on Saturday that he's "still a few weeks away".

Why Lie ? He started on fire against Freo and ended up with 19 disposals, 7 marks and 2 goals. He had 5 scoring shots and should have kicked more. The next week against Footscray he had 18 disposals, 9 marks, and 4 goals. He was very good. He's been poor the last 2 weeks. But he's structurally important for the team. If he's injured or sore he should be rested. He has not been "very poor for at least a month" as you assert.

Only in a bad way. Carlton have already passed our QW in 2013 with 4 games to go. What an odd thing for you to say.

First I've heard. Thanks.

Thanks Ethan. For the life of me I couldn't see it on the coverage. I'll edit my post. They're still a soulless cheeseburger club though.

Adelaide are a soulless cheeseburger corporation.