titan_uranus

To be fair, at least Carlton have wins of some substance, beating a top 4 contender (Dogs) and a top 8 contender (Richmond). Collingwood's beaten what look to be a bottom 4 certainty (Adelaide) and a side who would probably do well if they escape the bottom 6 this year (St Kilda).

Adelaide started 3-1 last year, then only won 4 more games for the rest of the year. Richmond started 2-0 and missed the finals. Brisbane started 1-3 and finished top 4. Essendon started 1-4 and made the finals. GWS started 0-3 and won a final.

Sydney is a premiership contender this year. A seriously good side. I can't help but feel Geelong are pretenders. Many were fooled into thinking they'd made major strides after Round 1. In reality, I suspect that was just a case of Essendon being putrid. Up against a genuine side, they went to water.

I love 1.45 when Langdon spoils Schache in a one-on-one at full back, and then clears it.

For so long as we are going into games with four first choice defenders out, including Lever and Salem, we are going to be at risk of conceding scores when we otherwise wouldn't. We did great against the Dogs last week but that was in prime conditions, not in slippery tropical conditions. And although we have come off one of the best seasons any side has had in the last 21 years, we dropped games to Adelaide and Collingwood and drew with Hawthorn, as roaring favourites each time. There's no objective reason to be concerned. We're the best team in the competition. But we won't get through this year without losing games.

I just came on here to post that I'd heard the same thing from someone who has a relatively good connection to the club.

So I suppose it's Rivers in for Salem, TMac going back to the forward line.

Yes. Those are total games at the MCG. The continuum is right there.

Wasn't that Nathan Vardy?

Interestingly he was for a long time the AFL's preferred advocate for Tribunal hearings. This year he was appointed by the AFL to sit as its sole chairperson for Tribunal hearings. So they took their advocate, planted him into the Tribunal seat, and then on their first real test he found against them. It's kinda funny in a way, but not because I think he's got this one very wrong.

OK. 2017 - 11 2018 - 14 2019 - 13 2020 - 4 Total = 42, but to be fair it was 38 in three years prior to 2020 being wrecked by COVID. We had 35 in 2017-19. So only a gap of three. How does that reflect a lack of integrity? And I know you think Hawthorn's three flags were significantly harder won than Richmond's. So compare with Hawthorn 2012-15: 2012 - 13 (plus 4 at UTAS Stadium) 2013 - 9 (plus 4 at UTAS Stadium) 2014 - 11 (plus 4 at UTAS Stadium) 2015 - 9 (plus 4 at UTAS Stadium) Total = 42, but 58 games at the G and UTAS Stadium.

I honestly reckon we might have 2 of the top, say, 10 most under-rated players in the comp in Langdon and Salem. What Langdon does is freakish and I'm not sure there are many other wingmen in the game (Gaff maybe?) who can do what he does.

The Rioli decision is the latest disgrace in what is an ongoing disgrace: the state of the AFL's MRO/Tribunal system. I can't use the word broken enough.

No, I don't think we're going to go into any game this year with all four of them in the backline. But swinging Petty forward would IMO be a move of pretty much last resort. I think Tomlinson will have to play pretty strong football prior to Petty's return to hold him out of the side. But if TMac/Weid are playing well in the forward line the discussion will be moot as there won't be a forward spot anyway.

I'm not sure he will, though. Like, are we really going to bring Petty in to play forward whilst keeping TMac down back?

I suspect TMac will stay back if Lever is not ready to come back. Once Lever is fit, I think TMac returns forward. If we want another tall in the interim, Weideman gets that spot. Personally, I think we should be going in with Brown, TMac/Weid, Gawn/Jackson and Fritsch, so I'd be bringing Weideman in if TMac has to play defence.

Could also be that Naughton and Brown were both 4/2, Smith was 3/1, Oliver the other 3 and Langdon the other 1.

Brisbane impressive? If one quarter is enough then you can add Gold Coast to your list of impressive sides. Melbourne, Sydney, Carlton and Geelong the four most impressive. The first two beat known quantities (Dogs and GWS). Reserve judgment on the latter two until we see how they go in Round 2 (Richmond wasn't very good and Essendon was appalling).

Meanwhile Gold Coast's team in this game was quite different to their team last night: Last night they had Weller, Ellis, Holman, Casboult, Rankine, Chol and Witts, none of whom played last time.

We should respect GC like we should respect all of our opponents this year. Rowell looked good last night, Miller is an A-grade midfielder, Rankine's just put up 4 goals from 23 possessions, and they have Witts back in the ruck after struggling to fill that position in 2021. Of course, they did just play West Coast's seconds, so that has to be taken into account. And we match up against GC well, we've won our last 9 against them.

100% agree. But because Rowell walked away with seemingly no injury, the AFL's broken MRO system will deem it a fine or something.

The answer to the OP's question is the same as the answer to many questions about current day AFL practices. TV.

Meanwhile Draper round arms Ratugolea in the guts and gets a fine.

Libba played forward rather than back, didn't he? At least in the second quarter he was forward and was involved in a couple of their quick goals. Agree re: the defence and the 60 point marker (is that something you read about? I hadn't read anything about that before). It's all the more phenomenal given the side we played is a high scoring side. On the music during breaks, I thought it was louder than ever before! Maybe I'm getting old...

Not just his marking but I reckon his fitness too. To me, he is more mobile and agile, covering the ground better than in 2021 (to be fair of course, he didn't exactly set a high bar on the mobility/agility front).