Mel Bourne

Have also noticed that the AFL app gives us nothing but crumbs in terms of news coverage. Though Cornes did just utter (along with Mitch Clearly) that Petracca could likely win a Brownlow AND a Norm Smith this year. Not exactly faint praise.

Had a chat with an Uber driver who did crowd security at the MCG for over 20 years. Very illuminating. Worst fans were Richmond, followed by the Kangaroos. Richmond were so bad that extra security were hired for their bigger matches. Very difficult thing for a club to directly address though. Can’t exactly say “Hey we’ve heard our supporters are total [censored]. Can we do something about this?”

As much as I’d like to agree with this, Maxy isn’t afraid of a chat with the umpires from time to time.

In my defence, I did point out the “drunk” bit. Some of us are having a Friday night, Teach.

I might be looking at the diagram a little bit drunk, but wrapt to see Mark Jackson back in the team. Oi!

He’s done nothing to get dropped. There’s just an unfortunate reluctance around these parts to get on the Spargo train. I for one boarded a while back. I can see him becoming our Caleb Daniel (who at 24, has three years on our Charlie).

Yep, any talk along the lines that Richmond are not a threat is quite ridiculous.

If Fritsch does get named, steel yourselves for some horrible vision of Grimes punching at his hand off the play, all night.

He was a standout under-performing player in the team last week. There would be no discussion of that nature this week, if that weren’t the case.

Let me preface this by saying I have a depressive-personality disorder and am currently trying to wean myself off one type of medication to swap to another, so maybe shouldn’t be on Internet forums lol... It’s possibly down to some deficiency, or perhaps ascribed to just a different way of seeing things, but I’ve never found myself particularly moved by individual milestones in AFL. Further to this, have always viewed the particular importance humans attach to having a zero or two at the end of an amount or age as somewhat overstated. It’s not how we measure the actual worth of a life or career, so why the hullabaloo? Every year we live (and every game they play) is just as important as the last - basically it’s just a number. And in a team sport, the importance of an individual’s effort to keep themselves on the oval for x amount of years is, though highly commendable, nothing to get into a lather over (I’m unable to anyway) I’d be far more excited about a win over the Tigers without NJ in the team, than a loss with him in it. But sure, both would be particularly nice. I’m sure plenty of folks here will think I’m a bit crazy or miserable for saying such a thing. The first paragraph was merely to let you know that indeed I officially am, yuk yuk yuk. Anyway back to the couch... Ps. I also found it pretty odd that Goodwin effectively named him in next weekend’s squad straight after the match. Is there not a selection process to follow?

To the people who are suggesting we blood Ben Brown in one of our biggest games of the season: did you actually watch him play the other day? He is clearly not ready for a game like this. If we’re going to go for a sentimentalist approach by including Jonesy in our starting 22 this week, could we please not take any other needless chances?

I keep seeing this suggestion and cannot understand it. The best wing players have pace. Tom MacDonald does not.

Yeah I don’t think too many people actually watched him play. It was a great first game back in the 2nds. But he needs at least one more.

Really don’t think our wingmen need replacing.

Don’t think it’s fair to label Jones as “cooked”. But next week is huge and we need our best 22, and on today’s performance I’m not so sure he’s in that team.

Yeah, there’s this other ruckman who’s actually better than McEvoy....

Isn’t it more a dearth of dedicated forwards, rather than like-for-like physicality? Indeed, Melksham will have to step up (and it’s a big step) to fill the more nimble-forward role. But who steps in for Melksham to play the...whatever role he played last week.

Drag. Who comes in for him? Mitch Brown?

I guess the question here is who out of our other forwards is he getting a game OVER? Mitch Brown? Bedford? There’s a high chance he’ll be rotated off when Weid or BB become available, but when you look at who’s beating down the door, giving Milkshake a chance to prove himself isn’t exactly the insane option.

Anybody know how long Jay Lockhart has to rest, following that frankly horrific injury he copped in the pre-season? True. I guess the one main difference is the focus on him now. Everyone around him has lifted, and suddenly it seems he’s playing for his career. I doubt it felt that way to him last year. He won’t have much time to prove himself, though.

Melksham will play and will also lift next week. He’s literally the only guy in the team who walked off with a cloud of doubt lingering over him. He’ll be feeling that scrutiny, and will know it’s put in or get out. Could be a hard team to get back into, as well.

Highlight: Seeing those guys play like a well-oiled machine. We watched the team earn a level of respect we haven't seen in years. No passengers, except Melksham. But I'm willing to let him have a return game to find his feet. We deserve this feeling, my fellow Dees supporters. Lowlights: Losing May and... Brian Taylor - "You get the feeling this game is like a bag of sand hanging in the air above, and any second it's going to burst and spread itself all over the ground"

Insane that you can watch Kozzie Pickett play a game like he did today, but not see his name mentioned once in this thread. Why? Because there were several others that played EVEN BETTER. Gotta love it.

Don’t get me wrong. Not for a moment was I suggesting he doesn’t have a spot in the starting lineup. He does. But I don’t think his looming 300th should be a part of the conversation for “best starting 22”, nor should anybody’s ever be.

Nah, we’re definitely a better team this year. Skills are silkier. Players look in tremendous physical shape. Just look at the difference in somebody like Jayden Hunt for example. A few stories like that across the team. But I’m in agreement that it’s far too early to make any big calls.