Gawndy the Great

If he is disgruntled and requests a trade, it will make it easier to trade with. They will no doubt ask for the world and cite his AA credentials. Reality is, form this year is so-so and he will not likely make the AA and finish in the lower end of top 10 B&F. Question is would you be willing to give up a F1 for him and would Port accept it. I wouldn't hand over this year's first unless we finish top 4-6. Anything outside the 8 im taking to the draft.

Oh I’m with you re playing this year. However he is a leader and should still be in and around the club. I’ll admit I’m not sure where he stands from a medical perspective, but the lack of his social media presence online in footy matters is a bit worrying. Knowing his character I’d expect him to be trolling (in a good way) everything written about MFC online - inc his mates posts etc. But I don’t see a whole lot of activity, which is why I’m a bit worried. It’s not him to be this absent.

IF you take away some of the controversial opinions made, he is actually a decent listen. I think he does go over-the-top at times for click-bait - whether that is his character or manufactured, i don't know. His analysis on the game though and the way he talks and breaks down issues, is actually pretty good. Better than most in the industry.

Trac has been awfully absent/quiet on social media lately. ANyone have any insight as to where he is at with recovery? I would have thought he may have showed up to the box on Friday night - perhaps that is unrealistic given what he has gone through (inc his appendicitis)

Who is the young lad that assists Goody on the bench with stats? I want his job.

He’s a very good player. Upgrade on Salo and/or good replacement for Brayshaw. He’d demand a first rounder though. Worth it IMO.

I actually think their list is pretty good and is under delivering. They are just lacking hugely in system and defence. They match us in the midfield and have us covered in the forward line. Their defence really lacks a versatile interceptor and they don't really have a Petracca equivalent.

Thats the media spin at play. But there's also an element that our list was primed to be a dynasty and it fell short given our dominant 2021 finals display - there hasnt been any other like it in recent memory. Everyone could see the holes in Geelong and Collingwood with their age profile so probably dont have the same expectation. Whether the list was truly one worthy of multiple flags is up for debate, many on here think it is/was and that is probably where a lot of the disdain for Goodwin originates from. I think we lack(ed) the list balance (key forwards / outside) and game style (turnover / ball movement elements) to be a dynasty team, but still think we deserved at least another flag.

There are no easy games in the run home. To go 3-3 will be an absolute achievement and perhaps just get us through. Its an incredibly difficult feat playing Freo in Perth and with no Gawn will make it even more so. We are on a bit of a roll and i hope we can cause an upset, but being realistic (with a sprinkle of MFCSS), i cant see us getting within 6 goals. I sense one of those snap-back-to-reality with a bit of kick-in-the-guts MFC specials coming up.

you are not wrong, but what i meant to say is that using Pick 5 for the F/S would be a complete waste. They ultimately need to decide on whether they want Draper or Petty. I don't think there is a world where they get all 3 unless they split the pick with GCS and hope Draper slips to 8-9 and trade the other one with Melbourne for Petty - but that is extremely unlikely to happen.

the one above has stolen it mid-flight.

Agreed - ive read some positive things and we can allow his development under May and co for 2-3 years. Would be the almost perfect transition. Key is whether we can snag pick 5 from the Crows for Petts. It is way overs IMO as Petts has shown zilch this year. But then again Crows next pick in Round 2 of the draft is also way unders. The trade goal this year (If Petts does not commit beyond 2025) has to be Trainor plus a silky plus an athletic and mobile midfielder inside the top 10.

Also there needs to be strict rules around what constitutes an NGA player. Will stop the power houses just running through every prodigious talent into their NGA program.

If this happens this year, it’ll get walked back 2 months before next years draft so we can get royally screwed for the 2nd time.

I think it also depends on what our game plan becomes. Our HB line is void of any serious playmakers that can break lines or punish teams or midfield / wing turnovers. Keeping McVee and allowing him to develop his talent more on the HB line can become a real weapon and compliment our contest game. Our turnover game that has been letting us down for quite some time and it is really easy pickings if you can your structure and ball movement right as we saw at times over the past 2 weeks. For me, leave him at HB for now and push Riv into the midfield rotation. Trac i think becomes a 60/40 Forward/Mid player as a result.

He's an RFA so either this year or next, the balls in our court. Given Adelaide have a F/S at ~ 10-15, they don't need their Pick 5 so we could give them Petty, 38 and 42 (for points) in exchange for Pick 5. They could alternatively try to split #5 with GCS 8 and 9, and use one of those picks for Petts whilst holding onto a pick for points, but it requires more from Adelaide to make that work. We are winners either way i think. Either hold onto Petts, which will be better for it in 2025 with a full pre-season or we get a top 10 pick.

Ironically the one thing that probably separates Reid and Windsor is the game Reid had against Melbourne. Otherwise it has been relatively on par. Given where the Eagles are, i can see Reid dropping right off and Windsor just needs to chain another 2-3 solid games, preferably with some coaches votes.

I agree. I think its also possible that this was a planted rumour to just give Clarry and his management more of a hard-nose reminder of the reality. They can be all cuddly warm in person - because that is what helps him from a Mental Health perspective - but in the cold light of day, we will not tolerate his prior indiscretions

We dont need more VFL players struggling to break into an AFL squad from -frankly - lesser clubs. We have plenty of NQR's already sitting in the VFL. The exception to that is a backup ruck. Ladhams isn't great but probably better than whatever else we have. Would he come to Melbourne? Possibly - he is 3rd in line at Sydney as Mclean takes the 2nd ruck duties.

We are one game from 2nd right now. If we had some umpire decency we win the Lions and Blues games, we’d be outright 2nd.

Take your goggles off for a moment and look at this objectively. We have given Clayton a massive massive get out of jail card this year. He has been average at best, well below what the figures suggested are. There is no denying this. I’d like to think that Clayton has put the worst behind him and that most of the club would have known the output we were going to get from Clayton at the start of the year. So having said that - and I’d say this for Neale, Cripps, Daicos or any other star player - you’d be silly to put him up for trade this year only because it probably would take a fair bit out (F1 or F2 or salary) with Clayton to get a deal done and we’d get nothing back in return. So what to do? This holds true for any star player that found themselves in a similar position and that is give him another preseason and see what he can do in 2025. If it’s another year like this year then I’m afraid you just have to get him out and accept that we may have to pay some of his salary or offer up picks. I don’t think it will be and I still have my doubts that 2025 is going to be Oliver back to his best, but he’ll play much better.

I like it!

Generally speaking 16 wins gets you top 4. We are on 10 and have 6 games to go. Also this year the comp is a little more even so it maybe that 15 games is a lock for top 4. Other than Sydney, the run home is wide open. We have a very tough draw, which ultimately what you want. However our run home form of the last 2 years has not been great. Still think we'll struggle to make the 8 with a 2-4 or 3-3 the most likely result. I think this year 13 wins is top 8.

Just hold yours horses there HT. The kid is just playing his 2nd year. Looks allright, but many a year to go. Champion gets thrown around all to easily round this place.

Wasn’t he a rookie draft ? Seriously the guy is a jet off half back, but is more damaging as a 3rd tall.