Dee Boys

I love Max as much as the next man. Criticising him feels like shooting Bambi. But there’s absolutely zero doubt that the most important person for the “culture” of the football club is the captain. People are so quick to blame Roffey, Pert and Goodwin for the downfall of the club the last few years. But the President has very little to do with the players. Ditto the CEO. The coach isn’t (often) with players in their social time. When people criticise the “culture” of the club, it’s not the culture of the front and back office team they’re talking about, it’s the culture of the playing group. Max is a terrific trainer and a great clubman but off the field he’s also a lad. I won’t go into any further details other than saying he likes a good time. And not just when he’s with his fellow elder statesmen. The culture of the club, and it has been under the duration of Max’s watch, is that they train hard but also that they “play hard” and that’s indoctrinated into the young players when they join. He’s taken us to the promised land but I wonder how we’d have fared under a Selwood or Jack Steele solid citizen type skipper. We’ll never know. But people blaming the board and the administration team are naive. The buck stops with Max.

His decision making under pressure is poor/panicked and he had the worst missed tackle percentage this season of any footballer in the competition to have played a senior game. He’ll do a job in the midfield but he’s nowhere near the level of those aforementioned.

I think he’s much better at half back.

Look at other mids his age - Rowell, Anderson, Young, Serong, Green, Day etc. There's no way Rivers is anywhere near their tier. He's got too many deficiencies but will be a nice B grader.

Lindsay sounds like a clone of his namesake?

Heart says no, head says no.

True, but the supporters didn't. The patience and love he received from us went above and beyond and should be acknowledged, but I won't hold my breath.

He's a twig mate. We've also got a huge amount of tall depth now. No chance we see him in his first two years.

Have heard a couple of people saying this about Salem and I wonder whether they're watching different games to me. Had a really solid season and deservedly finished 5th in the BnF.

It was pretty perfunctory but at least he did one. Wouldn't surprise me if Clarry didn't. Which would be a huge slap in the face after all the love and support he received over the years from the club and supporters.

Agree. We've got huge KPD depth now. If our first choice lineup is Petty/Turner/Lever then we've got May/TMac/Adams in the 2's. Reckon he'll start as a forward with pinch its in the ruck seeing as Heath/Campbell will take the majority of the ruck minutes. He's a long term project and I'd be amazed if we saw him in the seniors before 2029.

You get the sense we'd only be interested in taking two guys in this draft plus White and Sinnema. So maybe we'd be getting their future 1st back (which wouldnt be too different to those mid 20's picks this year that they need for the academy picks)?

Just goes to show that the Oliver trade is entirely linked to off field stuff. Because on-field, he's a much, much, much better option than Jack Steele.

They finish top 4 next year, as they should with their list, and it's a pick in the 20's. Even in a shallow draft you're taking 11 or 12 over one in the 20's every day of the week.

Because Gold Coast's first rounder next year will be around pick 15-20.

Damian Barrett’s said he expects the Petracca trade to go through today, for picks 7&8 with a pick in the 20’s going back.

7 & 8 are no good to them come draft night as they'd just get swallowed up by their academy players.

Why? Literally nothing that's been said in the media or by Tim Lamb has even remotely indicated this. I'm happy to bet you $100 to a charity of the winner's choice that Petracca is a GC player by the end of the trade period if you're keen.

Sure - all I’m saying is that I’m pretty sure no club has ever given up two top 10 picks for a player before, no matter what the rest of the trade looks like.

Yep and GWS gave picks back to Geelong too. Cameron went for 13, 15 & 20 with Geelong getting two second round picks back from GWS. So all in all not nearly as much as GC would be giving up for Petracca.

He’s just turned 21 mate.

Probably because he’s one of the best young players in the competition. Flanders has Adam Cerra type potential. Humphrey has Trac level potential. There’s a reason just about every Victorian club dropped everything to try to accumulate enough draft ammo to throw at the Suns to get him when it became clear he wanted out.

Yep that’s all fair mate.

I was hopeful of Humphrey too. But probably time to accept it’s likely not going to happen. But people saying 7&8 aren’t enough, and that we should keep Trac if that’s the offer, are wide of the mark too. No player in AFL history, as far as I can remember, has gone for two top 10 picks in a trade. Yes it’s a compromised and weak draft, but it’s still an excellent haul for a bloke who’s about to turn 30. No point jumping off the West Gate if that’s what it ends up being. Just have to back JT in to do his thing.

Ah well. Was fun while it lasted 😞