John Demonic

Given these weekly threads usually come with street names: - Where's the road out of here?

He was frankly quite cranky, Cranky Franky

Wouldn't mind JVR kicking 5 on their Captain too 👍

I wonder if Schache is the kind of player that will one day, out of nowhere, have an out-of-body experience and play possessed (out of necessity) like Tom Boyd in the 2016 GF in the ruck. Both players not too dissimilar as very high draft picks that did not live up to expectations, but still had/have the talent to stick around on the list with their potential to have that one off out of the box performance that can turn a match. That's why im pretty glad we have him on our list as as a back up when needed to contribute again, but the option is there. He might be crucial in a final, who knows.

Collingwood will be top 4 come end of the year, or in the 8 at the very least. Its assured. Although it's natural to want them to lose every game, my thinking on these close ones switches instantly to 'Well they've knocked one of our top 4/8 competitors and prevented them from getting 4 points" the moment the siren goes and the deed is done. Some may think Adelaide, Stkilda, Essendon, Port will fade as the year goes. But where they finished last year will make their fixture easier to stay contending for our position in the top 4. Every loss to the Pies is fine in that regard. Even though it's irritating seeing Maynard carry on like a pork chop.

26 kick outs. Geelong were very wasteful in front of goal

I'm still bitter at Goodwin for beating the Tigers last week.

The Tassie announcement just added 5 goals to Freos scoreline, the Hawks are racing to add the talent before the draft becomes compromised. Sam Mitchell is smart enough to lose competitively to Freo next week

I expect today to be a very calm and easy death ride.

Agree with that. It's just morbid and weird at this stage. I only mention state of origin, because I still remember that visceral feeling in the early-mid 90's as a kid, watching not only origin games on TV, but Adelaide games on TV - there was an intense hatred from the crowd towards visiting victorian clubs, and as a victorian, i barracked for every visiting club to get an 'upset' win. Because even dislike of Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong, Carlton or Essendon was transcended by a hatred of Adelaide, when it came to games at Footy Park on TV. So whenever JHF got the ball and was boo'd, I got the impression that an older generation brought up on that state of origin diet, combines with the media click bait news cycle about him leaving North, combineswith people boo'ing because other people are booing. And now i wonder if this will be confirmed if he does not get boo'd outside parochial Victoria. But maybe there is just no reasoning or logic to try and understand about it!

Well that was an interstate vic-game, hence the state of origin angle. So I was curious to know if he was boo'd against Adelaide, or over in Sydney? And will he be boo'd interstate outside victoria?

On the booing topic, I wonder if he will get boo'd in an interstate non-vic game? And if the boo'ing is some kind of left over remnant of the VICvSA state of origin hatred? Call me crazy, but a lot of dumbo's in the crowd might be in that 40-80 age range that grew up with origin, and carry a feeling that he jumped ship from a VIC to an SA club. Just a thought. EDIOT: To go alongside the whole pick 1 leaving after a year media circus going on. So an easy target.

I was told St Kilda were some kind of defensive juggernaut? Small sample size I guess. TBH first time ive watched them for the year, and while I was impressed with their discipline, run/speed and fight at the contest, they really just reminded me of the same middling team that reached their ceiling back in 2020. Same with Port. 5-8 teams at best. Although that's what we are: if we're ever off our game, carrying injuries, or playing complacent footy. Comforting Friday night footy really.

Our big 'rival' in terms of manoeuvring ourselves up the draft order is GWS. They'll be the ones that will probably get two top 10 draft picks with theirs and holding Richmond's. They might even both be picks lower than Freo's. Edit: Right now its #3 and #7, but I think it will end up being #5/6 and #8/9. Freo I think will be #5/6

Attempt the key word. The [censored] would have to really fall out from Freo to get a high enough pick to make it enticing for an 18th placed Hawks or Eagles. As in Pick 3-4 packaged with our 2x probable Pick 15-18's. If its Pick 5-10, there's probably no chance with Hawthorn at least. WCE probably more interested due to WA player angle.

He'll end up on a Cob

Kick boxing enthusiasts

As revolting as it was to see Collingwood win. It's for the best. Moving ahead of them is in our control with a win on Kings Bday. Essendon now below us! It's important that we build on this and bank some breathing space at the top of the ladder. I can see there being a huge logjam of clubs from 3-11 this season alll within a game or two of each other coming into the final month of the regular season. We don't want to have to burn ourselves out just trying to make the top 4 again. Saints, Bombers, Crows and to a lesser extent, Port, Carlton, Dogs will have an easier fixture than any of the top 6 bracket from last season due to where they finished.

Great seeing Petty provide a contest, but he understandably has little forward craft or a set shot routine. Can't wait to see Ben Brown back out there alongside JVR

Or two groups of 8 going around the circle in different directions, one group hopping the other doing silly walks in weird syncopated timing

And Steven May was close to 30 when we won a flag, the same age Frawley would've been in 2017/2018. Our biggest weakness was having Frost and OMac as our key pillars. We got monstered by the gorilla key forwards every year (Hawkins especially) - Frawley would've been a massive help in us being good enough to go a little further each season. We might've made the finals in 2016, 2017, and gone further in 2018. Only point im making is that one timeline lead to trading out Hogan for Steven May, due to our dire need to shut down the influence of the op's best key forward, the other timeline maybe not so much. This is getting into Marty & Doc territory now Not sure I'm downplaying that year, when I say it failed against better teams, because we lost to WCE, Collingwood and Richmond that year, the 3 teams above us, all in the same fashion.

I don't begrudge Frawley or Howe for leaving anymore. They may have set our defence back a few years, but their absence ultimately shone a massive light on how permeable our defence was, and led us to prioritise the recruitment of May and Lever, and also shift to the strategy to keep teams to 60 points, rather than the all-out-attack strategy, which could beat lowly teams by 50-100 points back in 2018, but failed against better teams.

I'm sure he's 'blocked' it from his memory All the Pies fans claiming a free, didn't realise it was their hero Pendlebury who was to blame for letting Sheed run off him and get the easy 2 on 1.

Would require one of GWS, GCS or NM to leap frog them. Freo have two games v Hawthorn and another v WCE, so GWS or GCS will probably need 7-8 wins realistically to get us a pick 5. Then we have to hope Rich, Port and any other middling team do enough to keep ahead of em and prevent it being a pick 8+

Their backline is missing and its at GMHBA. I don't think this says anything about our win