fr_ap

Lindsay has red flags all over the place imo. Highly unnatural in the contest, panics under physical pressure and makes poor decisions, and for a highly touted kicker, misses a lot of targets. I swear people see a left footer with a nice action and they start crafting a story that he's a slingshot half back who can open up the game. Watch more closely

Unreal

My thought too

Feels like the inverse Jordon

Lalor clearly the best player in the draft. Clearly.

We could have convinced Meek. He looks up to Gawn...and guess what happened to his form this year when Gawn started mentoring him on the side? Lamb is just incompetent - has no idea what the squad genuinely needs, is a poor judge of footy talent, character and chemistry

To be honest, I think the AFL has totally missed a trick and doesn't quite understand the secret sauce they had their hands on. They've opened up the game, it's never been quicker or more skilful, but it's far less engaging to watch. Teams just march the ball down the field and the structures lead to so many over the back goals you may as well be watching a training run. What made the sport so unmissable was the toughness, the tension, the unpredictability and haphazard-ness (if that's a word). Where it came down to crucial contests, high pressure, scrap and the will to win. Yes it's messy, but viewers respond to visible/visceral effort and commitment far more than kicking skills. The combo of that toughness/contest in a 360 degree game was very unique to our game. There are still games and moments that fit this mould, but far less as the rules have encouraged teams towards the opposite style which is being set up to succeed.

The criticism isn't always about shortened quarters...it's also about doing it away from the cauldron of the MCG and without the distraction and pressure that the normal week brings. Even though we absolutely [censored] it in, I do wonder whether we would have got it done at the G. We'll never know but there's enough fragility about this group to suggest to me the forced relocation and togetherness was actually an advantage rather than a hurdle.

I agree mate. It was both one of the best and saddest days I've had. Obviously very thankful and grateful it happened and I was well and healthy to see it (on the box...in lockdown), but not being able to have the week - the special, quintessential Melbourne week - that I've seen others have just sucked. I just want that week - that the pies had, the tigers x2, the dogs, so many cats fans, so many older Hawks fans - and to attend the game with my brother in the flesh.

Might just be me but I don't see it with Langford

Hawks playing very well and are the flavour of the month...doesn't necessarily mean it ends in a flag. Although it is a particularly weak year. Reminds me a lot of us 2018 - we were fun to watch, young, having fun, stormed through the first two finals. That year certainly put us on the path to a flag though we had a few more bumps to navigate first. Hawks may be similar.

What possibly makes you think pick 5 is not a gamble? It has a chance of landing a 'plug and play midfielder' - it also has a chance of landing Jimmy Toumpas. Don't get me wrong - I like the draft pick - but this is a classic case of opting for the mystery box over the known quantity In relative terms - pick 5 is at least as much of a gamble as Dan Houston

Pretty effing bizarre if you ask me. Did they honestly expect it not to get out? Or that clubs would find a way to make it work? Super weird thing to do to your employer who you supposedly respect

Look I suppose it's good news...but honestly sounds like we held him captive in a room to write that statement haha. Compare to Vineys's....he needed something equally as passionate - probably more so given what has happened. Will do nothing to calm the media storm. We now get this circus for another year, buying time for everyone to work out a trade and more pertinently see if he can actually return as the same player....hope for our sake he does!

Mate he had a horror year and couldn't get the money he was offered last year. He's taken the $ and security and will back himself to get back to that value...and then request

Agreed. But how will we know it's occurred if the leaking stops?

Yeah it was a long time ago - I'd need to scour the net for every interview McVee has ever done. Might have been a pod actually from memory, early on in his career. Said he'd like to return to WA one day. Could have meant post footy and he was very early, but pricked my ears at the time.

McVee already flagged he wants to return to Perth. It was a very early interview before he'd found any success. But I expect it to happen one day once he has adequately increased his worth to be able to make the request

Didn't WCW tell us she spoke to his partner and they were beyond happily settled in Melb?

Can you read? I didn't say I was happy about it. I'm just pointing out that when you're putting a $10m contract in front of someone in an industry that can change quickly ....that the commute and crowds are not a major factor. Signing the contract guaranteed him financial security. If he's good enough, which he is, the entity that contract belongs to can change if he wants. Contracted players change teams all the time. I'm not happy about it at all and back the club over him every day - but it's naive fan thinking that he somehow 'owes us' and that $10m buys loyalty and honesty (when really, every club would pay him if they had him)

Seriously why does no one get this by now? No - signing a long contract did not indicate he was accepting of the Casey commute or our low crowds. When he signed for 7 years, it provided him financial security. That is the ONLY purpose of a contract to a player. Contracts have rarely prevented a player from leaving as once they lodge a trade request, very few clubs would destabilise themselves or set the precedent for future player retention by holding a player against their will, and instead will work to get what they can.

He's a ball hunting mid imo. Not sure why the FD haven't seen it

Despite all of that...you're missing the point. He elected to bump. How circumstances turned against him after that election are irrelevant. He elected to bump and concussed a player. It's a textbook suspension, everything else is irrelevant

Thanks mate

You're right to raise it, but most are not capable of thinking from anyone's POV other than their own. Especially within an emotionally coloured hypothetical. The true answer is yes - if it was Maynard, they'd be baying for blood.