John Demonic

Speaking of that match mate and if the Kangas can get up for it, let's have a look at the Eagles run. HOME V ESSENDON (WIN) HOME V NTH MELB (WIN, But maybe UPSET) AWAY V CARLTON (WIN, BUT MAYBE AWAY GAME "UPSET") HOME V MELB (WIN, BUT IF WE'RE TALKING THE 8, THIS IS OUR MUST WIN ) AWAY V CWOOD (WIN) AWAY V FREO (WIN) AWAY V GWS (LOSS) HOME V HAWKS (WIN, BUT MAYBE UPSET LOSS?) AWAY V ADEL (LOSS, UNLESS ADEL ARE RESTING) (Scuse the caps, i was excited) We are in it. There's a reason people have been doubting the Eagles and Kangas over the past month, they're in danger of falling out if they don't step up and play finals type footy to earn their spot, assuming the teams outside the 8 also step up another notch and play consistently good footy. Even if they win all of their expected wins, that still leave 2 losses. It only takes one or two upsets on top of those 2 losses and any team outside the 8 on 24 points has a chance to leap frog them if they can hit 7 or 8 out of 9 (or all 9) Slim chance but who knows. Richmond did it in 2013 AFL Travel Preview TV & Radio

We know which defence turns up each week

Rockliff? Really? I reckon he's a bit full of himself in an egotistical nobbish kind of way and shares some blame for some of their clubs problems. No doubt he can play but I don't think he'd fit in at Melbourne. We have leaders, and i think anything less than being king dick of a football club is what he wants, i don't think he knows humility.

I think we'll need a lot more than Viney and Gus hitting their best. As good as Viney has shown this year, and may continue to show. I don't think he has a higher ceiling for improvement as other potential a-graders in the AFL because I feel he has only one gear at the moment, and that's full throttle. Which is fine, we definitely need an aggressive barometer as an inside mid and a spirited player, but we also need footy smarts, composure (Knowing when to not rush in) and a high amount of skill with the possession. I might be wrong but I can't see him being an elite of the competition like Petracca might be, and will Petracca be in the midfield or up forward? Oliver is the wild card

I was assuming that Hurley can walk out as an unrestricted free agent and they don't get compo. And we'd basically give them T-Mac and ANB for Pick 1. They will need a kp defender, if they want to play Hooker up forward to save their forward line from the 1 man Daniher show. Pick 1 > TMAC + ANB/Another average player. The extra player is a bit of a sweetener, an act of good faith for Hurley walking to us for nothing and not going through the [censored] show of fighting it. Obviously if you had to trade for Hurley AND pick 1, to get Prestia, then you sure as hell need to trade TMAC and something of very good value for that to happen. I rate Prestia higher than what is apparently a pretty even draft pool with no stand outs. Maybe it doesn't make sense. It's late.

Pick 1 and 2018 1st Round for Prestia and Pick 10 (Melb/GCS 2017 1st) ? Ok I realise this could probably go on all day so just leave it at that. Probably needs something better from Gold Coast in your opinion?

Tom McDonald and Alex Neal Bullen or [Average player with potential] for Hurley and Pick 1. Pick 1 for Dion Prestia. Assuming Hurley can get out without wanting his beloved old club to receive compensation but I doubt it. Bombers would absolutely hate this trade I suppose if they don't rate T-Mac, but need a Hurley replacement to challenge. Am I way off the mark with this one guys?

You're probably aware, but he obviously meant Victoria. For anyone that missed it and is now reading the name of our club and city.

A win cements our spot as favourites to make the end of season bye round 8th vs 9th play-off. Now we just need the AFL to legislate it. Completely off topic comments aside, I think We desperately need Brayshaw to return to add to our midfield stocks, we can smash them in the midfield if we put a hard tag on Sloane. Physically target him as well. It will go along way to beating a side that doesn't have an amazing form record when they're playing away. Maybe we should look at re-training some of our mids to play a defensive roll if called upon so we have a more mobile defence like the Doggies. Jenkins, Lynch and Walker: We only need one of Wagner/Frost/Omac and we can bring back Dunn and give him a crack. He has a lot to prove and play for. What about Mitch White?

It's also possible that St Kilda are slightly ahead, but on the same trajectory as us: because they actually stepped up a gear when a top 8 team hit their best form in the third and fourth quarter, but held and on found a way to win in a very mature fashion. I'd like to see us do that as well as beating the Saints, before declaring us the same.

Aren't you doing precisely that by mentioning a team in round 1 playing away that hadn't gone anywhere near their top gear ?

No ones saying its I believe the point is that St Kilda are showing they're slightly ahead in pace because they've beaten a top 8 team this year. We can step up and beat one and then we might be "around the same" pace

If Hawthorn genuinely throw everything at them, and GCS fight it out tooth and nail and overrun them then you could mount a case for saying their best is better than ours at present, IF they were genuinely down in the first half of the year because of injuries and are now only putting together their best squad. But I don't think they will. Were you asleep in 2014 when they were on track to make the finals before Ablett went down?

I'm glad St Kilda are a topic of discussion today. Their best has definitely surpassed our best in my opinion. Nick Riewoldt is probably the difference in terms of leadership, not to put nathan jones down but he is not a finals proven captain yet, which is not his fault. They played better than we have for a decade last night. I don't think they got Geelong at a worse time in form, as we did last year. But we're definitely not far behind, just have to polish up with some of our rough around the edges inexperienced errors that will come from becoming more mature.

I literally hear the benny hill music in my head whenever he gallops

The thing we also need to realise is that a lot of the exciting aspects of (Mens) Football come from all of the backstories behind all of the players and their histories, the intricacies of jockeying for positions in the finals and a lot of other things, and then carrying over from year to year, watching the development of various lists and their strategies and patterns. Context is key. Can't just judge womens football on isolated exhibition games

Some of you guys need to edit out some of our classic songs to include "MEN" otherwise you're just plain lying. You don't love footy.

Who cares, let's try out this one before deciding "i won't watch it" considering that "footy is the greatest game". I only watch world cup soccer infrequently outside AFL as the other sport I like, but i don't care for the mens game enough to watch the womens too.

Why have people decided that they won't watch it? Just open your mind and watch a few games in the regular season before you've decided you won't watch it?

I can see Max Gawn overtaking them.

Is it so hard to believe that a Brisbane player jokingly asked if he was staying knowing it's a big media issue? How many players do you think jokingly asked Danger if he was leaving last year at the end of the game with him shrugging them off with a "p.iss off mate" ? Anyway, thread is being clogged up with [censored]. i regret backing up citydee by saying I saw that shot.

I'm just backing up CityDee in that after the game there was a shot of a Brisbane player shaking hands with Hogan and he asked him something with Hogan reacting and saying something. Not implying anything but considering its the big issue, i can imagine the player jokingly asking if he was staying and Hogan saying "[censored] off mate" - Obviously nothing to see here. Of course he wouldn't tell them, i just thought the way Hogan reacted that the brisbane player asked him for a laugh. I think asking for "backofthehead readers" went over your head as a joke, how can you take that seriously?

Bugg was a huge tick on Monday

Actually I saw this shot too and thought the same thing when it seemed like the Brisbane player asked him a question, I'm not a lip reader so I don't know what he said. But it seemed like a shake of the head and a 'naah mate' - So was the question "are you staying?" or "are you leaving" - Do we have any backofthehead readers?

Collingwood will beat us if they're on song and our defenders and mids push up too regularly and don't run both ways. They out-played us in the 2nd and 3rd in round 3 or 4 so we know they are capable, granted we had a lead and could defend it but still. We actually have to bring our best game to win this if they bring theirs.