ArtificialWisdom

I'd be surprised if any of Garlett, Lewis and Maynard got extentions. Lewis I suspect would retire anyway. JKH I'd like to see play in the second half of this year but ff he doesn't impress then it's time to pull the pin on him too. Stretch is right on the borderline but I think when we are up and about he is good outside depth. Everyone else I'd keep on 1/2 year deals, the exception being Frost who I'd he happy to see sign for 3 or 4 years cementing a Frost - Lever - May key backline for the next 4 years would be a good outcome in a disappointing year This year we saw what happens when you lose too many depth players at once, all of Tyson, Vince, Pederson, Bugg and Kent would have played so far this year if they were still on the list. Change is necessary but we don't want to throw everyone out at once.

Well that's disappointing. Who's next on the list then? A kicking coach for Trac?

I would love to get this guy in. 25, just past 100 games and reliably hits the scoreboard every week. Exact type of player our forward line needs... along with another genuine crumbing small.

Put him on the plane to Alice. That's as good goal kicking form as anyone on the list

Jones is the other one. He has spent more time in the middle over the past month and it has coincided with Brayshaws fall. Brayshaw was averaging 28 touches a game in the first 6 weeks, he was moved out to the wing and that's crashed down to 19. I know disposals aren't everything but Brayshaws is an accumulator, that's what he is best at and they've taken that off him. I'd trial Jones or Viney as a defensive forward. Gives Brayshaw more pure midfield minutes. Even Oliver could benefit with some time forward, especially when he cops a heavy tag. We need to find alternative options for the likes of Oliver, Viney, Jones and Brayshaw, 4 players that can all only play in one position

This has my attention too. I've been hearing allot about this guy for the last 18 months but in the guys games at AFL level I haven't seen much to excite. Hore and Baker have both come in and shown enough to suggest they could become regulars. Pettys still young and I haven't given up on him, but he still looks a long way off AFL level.

Just in case anyone was still worried they would risk Lever

Pettraca was 2 straight kicks away from being the best forward on the ground. His finishing is extraordinarily frustrating. But he is far from our biggest problem. I'd like to see some more improvement Infront of the sticks but in every other way he has improved this year. He is involved in games longer, his defencive pressure is up and he is elite at ground level. He needs to be greedier sometimes but I think that stems from his troubles finishing. Case and point him trying to handball that shocker of a miss And side note anyone who continues to push this myth that he is overweight is insane.

No change if possible. But I'd expect to see Lewis come in if fit. Maybe for ANB given he seems to be the 22nd player this year Given Friday was Gawns best game of the year and if Mumford is rubbed our he will get a full game at a NEAFL ruckman this week I don't see why we'd stress about bringing Pruess in for Smith. Of course if concussion forces him out there's not much we can do about it. But idk if it's just me but Smith doesn't seem to be getting the credit he deserves for his job on McGovern. There's no coincidence half McGovern's touches came in the last qtr when Smith was concussed.

Competitive, skilled by foot and comfortable on the wing? I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've seen what happens when we try to put players like Jones or Brayshaw and before them Tyson on the wing. The wing is the place inside ball winners go to die.

Frosty mightn't be our most reliable kick but he can get onto a good torp once in a while. Including the first kick in of the semi final Trac also brings one every few weeks including Saturday night with a few minutes left he got onto a little one. Managed to hit TMac but as was mentioned they're tricky to mark Hibberddid it a few times last year with mixed success. Even Gawn got a decent torp off in JLT 1 2018. I think he did one during the H&A season to but I can't remember which round it was

You know things are going well when you come to demonland and find medical diagrams. I can't help but think Melksham and Lewis fighting through the pain to play on was key to us actually having a chance to win. Way I see it Melksham did nothing after the original incident to cause a break which means it was always there so he was always going to miss weeks, even if we didn't know it at the time. I can understand people's frustrations particularly with the Joel incident in JLT 2. But this time 4 points and what slim hope there is left in the season was on the line. It will most likely amount to nothing.. but if we do want to try and scrape into 8th this year this could be the difference.

Imagine If we won all four!! I'd be on the premiers 2019 bandwagon then

We have 4 weeks until the bye after which we get a few players back. We need to win 3 to give ourselves a real shot in the run home. GWS and Adelaide at the G and NT are both genuine chances albeit only 50/50 at best. But WC in Perth and Collingwood. Geez it would take one out of the hat to win either of them. It's not impossible. But finals are little more than wishful thinking right now. Then again, if we learnt anything from Saturday night it's that miracles can happen

He played on the wing in the first JLT. Game but with injurys to... Everyone. They have been forced to play him as a defender. With Hibbard, Lever, May and Jetta fit I'd like to see them release him up the ground

System broken? I don't think so. The tribunal as actually a proper hearing with varied results now. Unlike the past where it was a complete waste of time. The removal of the extra week when challenging is best change the AFL has made in the last decade. You go in get your case assessed and an outcome is determined. The problem is MRO seems to be a little trigger happy on suspensions. Taking who he is out of it, the incident was obviously careless and not intentional. Should have been a fine in the first place.

ANB, Keilty, Hore, Stretch, Omac, Lockhart, Garlett, Lewis, Wagner, hell even TMac himself. We still have plenty of either underperforming or depth players to drop. I like what I've seen of Lockhart and I think we look more dangerous with jeffy but they're far from guaranteed once we start to get players back. I'd like to see keilty get a 2-4 week run at it though.

I don't buy too much into when in the year we win at the G. For example last year we only played our fellow MCG tenants in the first half of the year. I'm sure losing to Richmond and Collingwood after the bye this year as well as before will shift the balance to a much simpler awful record throughout the whole season But comparing us paints an ugly picture. They all finished in the top 4. With the following H/A season records at the G. Rich: 14-0, Coll 8-6, Haw 7-3 Obviously Richmond is a freakish outlier but at 5-6 that still puts us a long way back And we were 0-3 against them by an average of 51... We play them 5 times this year.. Last year our away record was nothing short of spectacular. We won every game away from Vic except the Port game. That is a premiership quality away record. It did a good job covering for our MCG flops.. but winning away is unsustainable. The best teams a feared at home, simply put, we are not. The teams with winning home records play finals, and the ones with winning away record make top 4. Somehow we managed to do the hard part and failed at the easy part. Ironically despite the popular campaign to ditch them, our interstate wins in NT were the difference between finals and disappointment.

We don't need it, but the league? Yes, of course it does. Every year I go to every game Melbourne plays in Victoria, I try to get to an interstate game and I'll usually get to 3 or 4 other games as a neutral supporter each year. All this marketing crap is not meant for me nor for others like me (likely anyone obsessed enough to be on a footy forum). It's just noise. I didn't like the Thor jumper I think that was a step too far. But I think too many footy fans take marketing to heart. They're not trying to get diehard fans to the ground, they know we're going. They also know we couldn't care less what's happening before the game or in the breaks. Outside the demon dash and Hogan's Heroes which happened every week. I couldn't tell you anything Melbourne did last year. But if there are people out there who went to a game because of a marketing campaign and came again because the game caught their eye. Then the AFL is doing their job. That's not to say they can't do a little more to support the long term fans. Priority access to finals tickets for 10 or 20+ year members for one. But for the most part I think we need to just let it go. It's not hurting anyone. I'll be there this week, marketing or not.

Josh played well last night, anyone who says otherwise either didn't watch the game or their views are completely clouded by previous performances. Clearly with Lever, May, Lewis and Jetta fit he won't be playing but I don't think anyone is suggesting that. My likely unpopular opinion is that he is performing better than Hibberd right now.. Corey had a solid game. He's unlikely to ever be a superstar but he's the exact type of player we want to play the ANB 2018 role. Is he can put the pressure on he will remain in the side. Unlike ANB, Corey doesn't butcher the footy. We could do alot worse than him right now.

I think he showed why be needs to play every week. Did some nice things then slotted an important goal late (comfortably from 50 which a certain Fremantle forward persistently struggled with at the Dee's). Weids can't be relied upon to carry the team but that was a good development performance.

In: Lewis, Lockhart, Jetta(hopefully) Out: Stretch, Spargo, J Wagner (unlucky I thought he showed some good signs last night but Hore was better) Lewis back frees Salem to move up to the wing like he was playing early in JLT. I'd like to see his ball use going inside 50. Spargo was ok but little more than that. If Lockhart is fit he deserves to play again

I said at the start of the year if we can get to 3-3 after Anzac Eve we'll be able to build a solid season. We're taking an unorthodox approach to getting there but until becomes impossible I'll hold out hope... But I have to admit it would seem more fitting for us to win tonight then lose to the Saints at the G.

As long as Casey keeps developing VFL players into AFL standard we are going to be in the box seat to pick up some gems. But we can't pick them all. We have already got decent footy out of our fair share of VFL recruits. Fritch and Hannan are both best 22 from VFL and we picked Hannan out from under the dog's nose. Lockhart and C Wagner have shown little bits in a struggling side. And there's a case to be made Keilty might get a chance if not this week then soon. We really shouldn't be complaining about our VFL recruiting.