deespicable me

Well Clarries second half of the year was his poorest on record (in my opinion) and against a sensational last 4 years of great years. His return from injury and finals were underwhelming and I thought one of Goodwins tasks during the off season was to not only change the game plan or focus of our chaos ball attack, but to get Clarrie to buy in and get re-energised within the team. Not necessarily an easy thing to do.

Add to that Yze going, who the midfield team apparently loved and theres plenty of space for clubs and journos to see a chance of jamming a wedge into our fragile team ethos after straight set double exits. We can be guaranteed these sort of stories continuing to be shoved down our throat, just as sure as the feelgood stories will continue for the next 12 odd months about Collingwood. It will be MFC who will be held to account for Brayshaws concussion issues, not football hero Maynard. 

Finally Oliver has yet to become an adult. He might be off-side.

These are big issues for us going forward and Kate Roffey through to Goodwin and Max and the whole playing list need to spend time and energy healing, re-focussing and uniting into a strong and driven club. We are in for a wild off season.

Whether it's an unfounded rumour or not, it's our response that will count.  

McKay, Lobb, Shache, BBB and TMac. Come on Melbourne. Sorry, no offence, but that's 5 NQR's right there. Lets fast track our slide into oblivion

I liked the venue. The timing was fine. Lots of kids. I've never been there before and it was pretty and the afternoon sun held a little warmth, before the night closed in and it got very cold. 

I felt privileged to go and watch the girls. They are a brilliant team. There is a strong chance (touch wood no mozzez) that they'll go through undefeated. They are a beautifully balanced team with a number of stars on every line. Their tall stocks are the envy of the league, their midfield has so much depth and their wildcard players aren't just role players, they are better than that. Kate Hore is an absolute star of the competition. 

Just a note on the umpiring. I thought it was really good. The girls at this stage of the competition take pretty good care of one another. There are very few snipers out there. None on Melbournes team. So if everyone is trying to play the game properly as they mostly are , the need for over umpiring falls away and really they mostly let the girls sort things out and just balled it up when needed. I reckon there may have been as few as 15 - 20 frees payed, with an increase in the last quarter when the game got a bit ratty. It was a good spectacle.

Well done girls. Keep it going. You can set some records that will stand for a long time.

2 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

Newsflash, they do an internal review every single year. 

Or do you think they've packed their bags and gone off to Bali?

So little credit being given to a club that has finished top 4 for three years running, and won a flag just two years ago.

I don't understand your anger to a bunch of posters asking questions around why we have had double double sets losses in the last two set of finals. Also your Newsflash could be a little more caring around people who care just as much as you about the club and obviously while not being in the same stratosphere of intelligence as your good self, maybe try educating us all rather than intimating we are all a bunch of fools.

Hello Gents,

I came to this podcast late in the year. Binman had posted after a loss to Geelong how we would win 8 of the next 9 games and go into the final series as favorites for the flag ( or words to that effect ) and I replied suggesting he's kidding himself and how could you put such faith in a team that are so disappointing. 

So when we went on a winning streak just as Binman said I thought hmmm I better start listening to this podcast and wow, how great it has been. My personality is like Andy and if the sky isn't falling down then it is surely imminent and Georges tales and Binmans statistics offer me a safe and nurturing place for my wretched and tortured soul. 

Well done to you all I am now a deevoted fan and look forward to anything you may get up to podcast wise in the off-season and hopefully into next season. 

My question is mainly to Binman. I have grown to trust the side a lot more from listening to you and your statistics showing how we play a good brand of football, the right brand for finals and I know the team were unlucky and a victim of circumstances with injuries etc, but I think we have to recognise that there is something weird about our group, not quite right. A certain lack of synergy combined with an almost nervous mental condition. It was as if we lost the two games rather than our opponents winning. Big crowds. Two suspensions in finals. Carlton were really just waiting for the death blow that never came. Obviously recognising our dominance and flag winning exploits in 21, can you please discuss this ability we have to " not achieve " when it is within our grasp.

Thanks again for a great show and of course "Go Dees"

ps sorry Andy for the long post, its my first. I'll try to be more succint in future

I saw the side on footage for the first time yesterday and I was very interested in how vertical as opposed to long Maynards jump was. It was long. It was impressive. It was a very long jump. The second thing I noticed was how quickly and smoothly he moved from his hands up in the air to the tuck position with which he then cannoned into Gus.

Firstly this smooth movement doesn't fit with his evidence. He states that all of a sudden there is Gus so I have to take evasive action in order to protect myself or something similar. There is no way the vision matches this. There is no hesitation of thought. It's as if his flight is predetermined before he leaves the ground.

I'm further interested if there are any sports science guys out there or guys who did long jump as a sport as to when long jumping that you can just jump without knowing where you are going to land. In other words is it more likely he knew what he was doing before taking off.

I'm pretty sure his hands in the air were just a smokescreen to his actual intent. The speed at which he pulls his hands down into the tuck position would to most observers suggest this was a deliberate act. Look at the footage. He is a liar. It wasn't a football act. It was an act designed to cause hurt to Gus.

I suspect we've all watched a lot of football over the years. With that people have seen a lot of smothers executed. Lets say on average there has been say 5 smothers a game. Thats over 1000 smothers in a football year.

Has anyone ever in their life of watching football seen an attempted smother end with a bloke knocked unconscious for 2 minutes. Serious question. I've seen some great goal saving smothers. Ones where the smotherer has got kicked or hit with the footy and everyone refers to the players bravery. Sometimes the kicker gets a sore foot or corky as their kicking action gets impeded. Ones where the player gets a fingertip to the ball and turns a goal into a point.

Just a couple of points here. Brayden did none of these. He didn't touch the ball. But he didn't miss Brayshaw. Plan B was executed perfectly. People have mimicked what Brayden said on the night that it was a "football act". But in all my hours of watching football I've never seen this before. 

Conclusion. This wasn't a "football act". It was thuggery. Pure and simple. 

The worst part is next week when Collingwood take to the field he, Maynard, will get clapped and cheered every time he goes near the ball. For the thuggery he commited. 

Terrible AFL, I mean what an outcome.

Come on guys , we can beat Carlton this week. Lets get on with it. We need to look forward. We are still alive.

Carlton will be missing Martin who was good last night and McKay, both from their forward line which gives us a chance to close them down and get the game on our terms (as they say). Cripps is as banged up as he could be . 

Pittonet and De Koning are a pretty good combo. We need Grundy in the side. TMac has to go out. Has to. He was very poor. Slow and if we try to play the same way he'll just look terrible one out down there. Have to play small and run the ball through the 50. Spargo must come in. I also think Carlton have a physically strong mid field. I think given how beat up Cripps is, yet still important for them, Harmes has the strength to match him. Cripps is also slow so should be able to be tagged by Harmes. In the Sydney game Mills and Cripps played on each other and it was a loss/ loss result. A nil all draw between Cripps and Harmes is a big win for us.

Out Brayshaw, JVR, TMac

In Grundy, Harmes and Spargo.

Martin has to get suspended doesn't he.

I like him. Very aggressive (has white line fever) and is also very dangerous. Should be good in a good side. 

He reminds me more like a Josh Kennedy from West Coast.

Kennedy is originally from Melbourne but grew up in Northampton, Western Australia. He played football for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) before being drafted to Carlton with the fourth pick in the 2005 National Draft. After two seasons at Carlton, he was traded to West Coast at the end of the 2007 season as part of a deal involving club captain Chris Judd. Kennedy soon established himself as West Coast's leading key forward. He has led the club goalkicking six times, first in 2011 and then in five consecutive seasons from 2013 onwards. In 2014, he briefly served as acting co-captain following the retirement of Darren Glass. Kennedy won consecutive Coleman Medals in 2015 and 2016 as the league's leading goalkicker, and was runner-up in 2017. He was also named in the All-Australian team in each of those years. In 2022, Kennedy kicked his 700th goal, becoming the first Eagles player to reach the milestone.

This guy was a serious star of the game. Look at the dates from when he was drafted to when he won the clubs goal kicking. 6 years after being drafted. First Coleman in 2015 10 years after being drafted.

Kennedy had skinny legs and a slightly stooped back and a very long reach just like Jefferson. Had similar issues with strength but ended his career with super upper body strength and a massive chest.

Jefferson could become that player.

6 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Max needs to be quiet on things like this, and the Grundy future. Just inviting unnecessary pressure.

Listen to the press conference. He speaks beautifully. Always with the team and his teammates at the fore of his thoughts. Even managed to excuse the All Australian selectors for their obvious disrespect to him  and at the same time made them look fools for overlooking his captaincy of the squad with his eloquence. 

I just hope he makes them look even more foolish with his deeds this final series.

I would think we are about to be a part of a record for a Thursday night match

De Goey has a week off and was just spotted on a plane to Bali!

I would rather we win and play whoever. I even have a preference not to play the Pies.

The Pies at the G will be a formidable task and I would suspect that whomever they are playing they will get off the leash at some stage and go on a goal stomping run and with their feral fans it will be hard to overcome. Not saying it would be any less at Ports ground but really with almost every Demon supporter having the game at the G as their preference it is becoming a classical case of "Beware what you wish for."

Maybe Bobbie, not saying you're wrong but offering an opposing point of view, is depth overrated at times?

We took a while to cover Oliver but when we got a mix back in the middle that worked it's arguable to think we were better. This week Newcombe and Lewis were out for the Hawks yet Worpel stepped up and others from the Hawks helped out. Would they have beaten us with those two in the team. I doubt it. Last week my Carlton mates were carrying on about their outs in Cerra, Walsh, McKay and others, would they have actually won the game (coz they didn't) with those players in the team? Not sure. 

Fritta who is our best forward over the last 3 years by a fair margin comes back in to the team hopefully this week. I thought we were just starting to cover Petty in the second half against Hawthorn. Will we be better with Fritta back? Certainly in the long run but again it may take a while. 

Of all Collingwoods outs I think maybe the one they missed the most this week was Bobbie Hill.

Some teams can cover loss well if they have a ready player. Some players are irreplaceable and no amount of depth can cover their loss.

Could maybe try and get Darcy from Fremantle as he and Jackson don't seem to be working that well and they can't give up on Jacko. In an ironic twist we could give them back their second rounder. Darcy is at least a better forward than Grundy.

From what I've seen Verrall is a long way off.

I blame myself for falling in love with such a stupid game.

Its exciting, has great skills, tough. The game has everything, but is ruined by umpiring.

Saturday night was great and in the end the Blues fans were delirious with joy. So many of them singing the song at the top of their voices. It was their turn to get the "rub of the green".

What is sad and frustrating yet comical is watching fans shouting for frees that aren't there. Umpiring has become so random that anything goes. The Blues crowd next to me were shouting and complaining when on the far side of the ground Hibberd punched the ball out of play. I'm shouting at them, they're shouting at anyone. It's a mess.

Hmmm! Maybe random umpiring is good for the game. At least we don't have a ground announcer come over the public address system "Quiet Please". I hate tennis.

I was talking to a footy dude who barracked for Essendon and I said they have once again been a dissapointment. He disagreed and said Scott has 10 wins which is good for their list which is poor.

Anyway long to short we both thought it would be interesting who rises first, Hawthorn or Essendon. Long time rivals and completely different list management strategies.

I secretly hoped we could see both clubs in a Carlton v Melbourne "Kreuzer Cup" style scenario. That'd be a good year.

Not sure where the play for Harley Reid sits and whether we were only dealing with West Coast but maybe we could tank and lose so North finish 17th rather than 18th and dealings with West Coast could recommence!

A reverse tank!

I think he is still a year or two away from his peak as a footballer so I'd keep him if possible.

If you look at him up close he still looks like a kid, he still needs a good pre-season to develop further strength in his body. I hope we have seen the last of Harmes in the seniors and I also don't think Laurie will make it. It will be nice to have Jordan coming into the peak of his career in a year or two. I would hope and suggest he is a required player.

I quite like the media bias. I can hate on them, talk to them, laugh at their stupidity, see something that they've missed and shout and carry on as they go "what happened there"

What I really can't stand is umpiring bias.  

That thug should have got 6. Most other cases we've seen this year were mis-judgements. They weren't malicious..... His was

Theres a clear and simple answer to this.

White ant Geelong until they win 3 spoons in a row, then no-one will care playing down there, no one will go and there'll be 8,000 adoring Cats fans watching their team lose by an average 186 points across the 3 year period.

Well I can dream can't I.

2 minutes ago, A F said:

Mate, you realise the orange wave is back, right? We need to ensure exits are blocked and we retain territory. Best way to do that is smalls. We've lost one small already in Spargo, so this should give us the best chance to nullify them.

It's not a very sexy word Nullify. Great word though. To nullify, make zero. ANB the Nullifier. I'm going to nullify you.

There should be more 12 year olds wanting to nullify their opponent. Instead they all just want to kick goals after the siren and win the game.