BW511

Us chatting about Simpkin suggests Trac is almost certainly exploring an exit. You could not possibly dump that much $$$ into another mid with Trac still there.

I think Mihocek would spell the end for Melksham, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. Melksham has had a good year by his standards and has kicked less goals then Mihocek, plus he’s not growing any taller or getting any quicker

As the game opens up, older forwards with some nous are as valuable as ever. Not a single person would have picked Gunston kicking 60+ this year? I’d take him, Kentfield and JVR into Round 1 with a mosquito fleet around them and tell all of them to never stand still.

I’m throwing a lot of chips on Walter having a breakout year in 2026, he’s right on the precipice

Completely agree

I’m of the belief that Judd wants to play a role that doesn’t suit Judd, hence why he’s not played there. I’ll be very happy if it turns out to be incorrect and he flourishes, further up the field

Isn’t that the point, you get what you pay for

I’d value AMW as a far more attacking player than Judd. Judd is becoming very Salem like with his ball use, it’s safe but not damaging

He's played to a level that Sharp, Billings, Spargo, Handerson, Sparrow, Brown, Kolt (yet) & Woewodin have not. We need players from somewhere to fill list spots and an actual AFL player is far superior to a good VFL player. We can’t have AA players on every magnet, so upgrading these guys is a major step forward

Not what I expected at all. Exciting times

Wow, the Tassie offer must be immense!

The club would be learning a lot from the ‘process’ too. I’m sure they’d be asking each prospective coaches view on the list, where the improvement comes from and how they would go about it. If it ends up being Buckley’s gig to lose, he’s also gaining a host of new ideas from highly regarded external voices along the way - albeit, via the club

I was specifically referring to this part ‘Both players are around the same age & ability although Martin has played more.’

Jack Martin was the number 1 draft pick from years out, prior to being drafted. Apples and oranges comparing the two players

I think I saw a graphic pre-match that said only 3 crows players had played in a final. Collingwood had 20. That’s a big difference to overcome, no matter how good your season has been.

100% We’ve already got backroom politics going on with people trying to undermine Guerra, this isn’t a job for a new face

Captains run the day before a game is not bothering anyone, it’s standard practise to get the body moving. Recreational enthusiasts (think runners and cyclists) would be doing a hell of a lot more hours than our guys can imagine, so it’s just the sequence that seems off to me. At a guess, I’d say the main session being so close to games is an attempt to bring the training stress levels up, so we are not going backwards from a numbers perspective, although I think it hasn’t worked out - to the eye at least.

Even if it’s between the ears, there is absolutely no question we are not as ‘fit’ as we were in 2020-2021-2022. Burgo was all about pushing players when they were ready to stop, giving them belief to go again and again. Adelaide have recruited well but they are looking super fit and strong, much like we used to

I bet Tasmania was genuinely appealing to Bucks and he was heading in that direction, that was until we came and stole his attention (like that classic meme with the guy checking out the girl walking by) Buckley can scratch every itch he would in Tasmania, without leaving home, leaving his family behind and not to mention, isolating himself from all the other opportunities Melbourne (the city) presents.

If we want to get to finals, I’m taking Merret every day of the week. If we need to win a final, it’s probably Trac. Unfortunately, we need to get back to finals before we start winning them. By that stage, Langford is likely winning us more games than Trac and Merret combined.

Would love the hawks and Trac to fall in love, so we can go very hard for Zach Merret. More reports that he (Merret) is disillusioned today. I know it’s not ideal for the longer term but he’s that good, I’d still do it.

Most of this is a case of good timing, rather than anything Kelly did himself.

I’m more than happy for Brisbane to take on Allen, Draper and Ridley. They might get 10 games combined from the 3 of them.

Buckley > Bevo every day of the week

Also, elite mids can’t win games on their own. Bont and Ed Richards are the #1 & #2 rated players in the game and they still can’t make finals. They even have an AA HBF that everyone would kill for. I think the dogs prove how hard it is to win a flag. Their forward line and mids should well and truly eclipse their defensive deficiencies but yet, here we are.