Mel Bourne

I’m not sure if I’d label it “class and poise” as much as I would “opportunistic”. The “opportunity” being that Trac and Lever decided - for god knows what reason - not to stand the mark and allow him to play on.

My history of posts would tell you I’m neither believer nor denier. I simply care very little for withdrawn battles of conjecture. I don’t like seeing this site descend to personal grudges/snipes against other posters. Feel vindicated as much as you need to, but are the many “told you so” posts really that necessary?

Why would you put someone so hell-bent on making the highlights package instead of playing the actual game into the midfield?

Did I say it wasn’t? I’m just sick to death of the “Loading Wars”.

Dude really, this is so tedious.

Not even the most optimistic, supportive poster on this site can deny how putrid the team was today. I will calm down eventually but right now I am disgusted. Pickett, Harmes and ANB need to all make room for different players next week, and I don’t give a [censored] which players those are.

Let it go.

Grundy constantly dishes off poorly thought-through handballs to players in danger. Something I’ve noticed all season.

As far as our decline in accuracy is concerned, we have a case fairly contagious yips. It’s been hard to watch, but I’m not concerned that it’s anything to worry about. These things tend to move through like waves. What I’m more concerned about is the lack of connection, the lack of viable one-on-one options, the cluster-fudges of pack contests that produce too-little fruit, and the lack of crumbers at the foot of these contests. As far as this list goes, ranking-wise there’s a pretty decent chasm between 1st-6th and the rest. Interesting that Trac is in there, given he’s the only midfielder on the list. You’d like to see Bailey and Kossie higher, obviously.

Aside from everything else being said (I have no opinion on loading, except to say that it would be quite a blessing to actually get a player/coaching staff tell us what exactly is happening in this regard), this aspect of Kozzie’s game really does my head in, sometimes. I get that wet-weather footy tends to ask players to keep on their feet, so I was willing to let it slide last game, but it’s a general technique he employs in most matches. You’ll see it work for him on occasion, which probably keeps enough heat from the coaching staff at bay, but I get really frustrated watching Koz stick his feet into the packs hoping to pluck out miracles when four out of five times he should be getting his hands dirty.

That’s our year? Dear, oh dear. I think not.

Four pages of ridiculing Mason Cox with absolutely nothing of any real substance to anybody’s posts whatsoever. I’m all for it.

Brian (Damage)Taylor was very quick to label Fritter as a stager after the first replay (and his peanut gallery all concurred). They show the zoomed-in second replay which shows that there was definitely some force behind it, and it was met with a stony-silence. I wonder how many other professional sporting leagues around the world have as many hacks in the commentary box as the AFL does.

It seems I’m one of the few people here that doesn’t mind Dangerfield. Hope he recovers well.

SEN played a snippet from his podcast and he said in no uncertain terms that Trac had apologised to him and they’ve moved on. So if he’s lying it’s incredibly blatant. As for whatever censored word you used to describe him, I wholeheartedly agree.

Yeah he’s not exactly on my Xmas card list. But in this instance Trac seems to have put his hand up for being at fault.

Mason “Bag Of” Cox said on his podcast today that Trac apologised to HIM and he’s accepted it. SEN just discussed it. What was said will remain between the players.

Sure, but I’m seeing his game yesterday and most of his games this season for what they’ve been, not what they could have been. Like everybody here, I love watching the kid play when he’s on, and want nothing more than for him to progress as a player, but I think he’s still lacking some basic small-forward craft (specifically where he positions himself). His pressure is usually impressive for sure, as is his inside-50 tackle count. But if I wanted to be cynical for a second, that stat suggests to me that he is the hunter more often than he should be the prey.

Hunter was a helluva lot better than “some iffy disposals”.

Indeed. Both Spargo and Kossie racked up a mere six disposals and three tackles each today. Kossie's few pressure acts made the slim difference.

How can people seriously discuss dropping ANB? If anybody is under the pump right now it's Kossie.

My heart is full.

DROP PICKETT!!

Umpiring has been ok. Joel Smith’s “dangerous” tackle was a garbage call though.

Look, this game could blow out either way, or more likely, come down to the wire. But I’m proud of the way we’ve played so far.