Gator

I don't expect other posters to remember my views on players but let's just say I'm a Harvey Langford fan. But I was quite underwhelmed with him on Sunday. I don't know whether it's just his manner but for me he lacked urgency and intensity around the contest (obviously not late in the last quarter near the boundary), he dropped marks he should have taken, including a 15 metre sitter kicked by Campbell, he has a weakness with ground-balls, no better epitomised than when a rolling ball clean bowled him through his legs, and he fumbled numerous times in tight at stoppages, including CBAs. He's a first year player, so you accept he's got a lot to learn, but it wasn't a performance that would elevate him to the senior team for me.

That's not the reason. He's soft.

I tend to agree. I think our best 18 is pretty strong, especially the backs and mids, but we fall away quickly with some very average players. I can't get excited by Jefferson, Turner, Johnson, Chandler and a few others.

Didn't you spend your life defending this bloke and his performanaces ?

I'd leave Petty back, but wouldn't be averse to McDonald trying to replicate his Plugger days up forward.

Last year on a Sunday at the exact same starting time Richmond played the same team and had 4,000 less people at the game (19,040). Richmond have a huge supporter base. And there was no grand prix to contend with. Perspective.

Neale-Bullen replicated the Kane Lambert role.

AFL debutantes or MFC debutantes. Sharp is one, but not the other.

Apparently he enjoys the actual training, as in on the green stuff, but doesn't enjoy all the little extras that the pros do. Some call all that extra stuff training too and consider it super important to ever maximise your potential. I suspect it will come in time.

This has been discussed ad nauseum. He's 200cm. A while back, a reporter - Sam Edmund - incorrectly converted 6'7'' to cm, another journalist repeated the radio comments in print, and here we are.

@adonski link won't load for me. I'm sure it's enlightening.

Pythag isn't infallible. In 2022 they were out on Collingwood by over 4 wins and Port by over 3. Collingwood won 16 (against a prediction of 11.9) and Port were 3 less (10). In 2023 they doubled down on Collingwood saying, 'We’ll say this: it would be absolutely staggering if Collingwood won more than 16 games next season.' ... there is essentially zero chance (16 wins) it will be repeated... Collingwood went on to win 18 games in the home & away and, of course, the flag.

The omnipresent Windsor.

Unfortunately, I won't be there. As for Jefferson ? He has no presence or urgency. I'll be mildly shocked if he makes it at AFL level. Some players scream ''I'm the man''. I wasn't keen on young Caddy in his final junior year, because he dropped sitters and looked fumbly, but he did have aggression in spades. Even at just 19 he thinks he's the man at AFL level. At age 17 Jesse Hogan playing for Casey knew he was the man. Jefferson is the opposite of ''I'm the man''. That's OK if you can still attack the contest like your life depended on it. I see that with van Rooyen, I don't with Jefferson. Someone else said he'll never be a pack crasher. If you're key position size at AFL level there's a level of competing in packs that's a non-negotiable for a forward. I don't think he has that level. Sorry to hurt people's feelings.

Do some supporters think if it isn't spoken about it might go away ? That's hysterical. Nothing has changed. It will be discussed in the media most days for the rest of the year. The MFC will do what is best for the MFC. I wouldn't trade him under any circumstances at the end of this year. The end of 2026 you'd have to consider it.

Just fleetingly. In the sessions I've been to Langdon has lined up on the wing, half-forward and in the middle. At a guess, 80% of the time he's been in the middle. And looked great.

Ruckman often say stupid things.

But only 4 players could be interchanged at any one time. So players in the 30 had to be subbed on or out of the game.

You're basing his career on Demonland posters ?

Culley isn't as far away as some think. It's a long season and Culley is perfect if there's an injury to one of the bigger bodied mids, or players need a rest. It might be Langford, or they may look to rest Viney, Petracca, Rivers, or Oliver later in the year.

I'll be amazed if Rivers plays defence. He's played every minute as a mid and has thrived in this role. With Windsor, Salem, Howes, Hore, and Bowey, the defence is covered. Lindsay played a lot of half-back as a junior, so it's not beyond the pale for him to go back if needed. The last thing I'd be doing is sending Rivers back when he's looked great through the middle during preseason.

Campbell rucked against Xerri and the 193cm Johnson rucked against skinny kids.

That team is missing 9 of our starting 18, including some all-time greats of the MFC, and it's still better than some Melbourne teams I've seen run around this century.

It's very impressive that you didn't say ''chomping''.

I highly doubt that May, Lever, Petty and McDonald will all play against a Giants side that loves its small pressure forwards. At Casey, during one of the intraclubs, it was Howes who went to Pickett late in the game when he went to full forward. There may not be a huge difference in height between Howes and McDonald, and yes, Harley Reid made Howes look silly, but I'll be very surprised if Howes doesn't line up in round 1. I'll be just as surprised if McDonald does. Btw, McDonald has been good in the sessions I've attended, but the balance just doesn't work.