JimmyGadson

Can't see Brown coming back after T-Mac's game. And playing TMac and Brown in the same forwardline with Fritsch would be unwise imo given their lack of defensive pressure. (Although Fritsch has been surprising me with his chasing efforts of late). I think it'll be Hibberd out and Laurie in with Rivers to go back to defence. Laurie had a cracker in the VFL and was unlucky to go out and provides another point of difference as a mid rotation who can play forward too. Outs: Hibberd Ins: Laurie

This. Hope his personal circumstances are okay, but I think we look elsewhere going forward unless Harmes magically turns it on at VFL level. He simply doesn't do the basics well enough, consistently enough and tries to be Petracca 2.0 too often. I'm actually looking forward to adding a top 10 midfielder into our group at the end of this year, will be refreshing. Thanks Freo!

Yeh, I'm happy too. There have just been some posts that have been a bit over the top with 'how well we're doing' membership-wise, when really we're just seeing a slight bump due to being a contender which happens to all clubs.

Our growth has been solid, but so has pretty much every other club's who have been a contender over a 4-5 year period. The only way we'll break through that next barrier is by winning multiple flags over this period. I'd love someone to compare our growth to that of all other contending teams over the last decade. I can't imagine our growth would be the highest. Over time the AFL attracts more supporters given the population growth and therefor so do all clubs. And there's naturally a bump for a team when they're in a premiership window. Don't mean to be a debbie downer but I don't think our numbers are as amazing as some suggest. Just the norm for a club who has won a flag and is still in contention. As an example, St Kilda are at around 52,000 members, 5k less than us. And they've been bog ordinary for a while now. And the big boys just keep getting bigger when they perform. Carlton mid 80k and Collingwood over 90k. Generally, nothing has changed.

During in-season? I don't think so!

Unless Chandler has three or more shockers in a row, he won't be moving from his spot. And frankly, I think he'll be a mainstay for us going forward from here on out. Wouldn't be surprised if he was the next player to sign on for three or four years. A major part of our success and consistency as a club is the way we've developed our list and now our VFL program. It's just a well oiled machine now. Look at how Roy and Judd have come in and impacted straight away. Chandler is simply the perfect example of a player who has plied their trade at VFL for three seasons, has built great habits as a trainer, developed his tank and body and has a full understanding of what role he needs to play and execute at AFL level. You can tell how hungry he is to stay in the side and taste premiership success by the intensity and determination he plays with and passion he displays when a he or a teammate kicks a goal. This is besides mentioning what it has allowed us to do with Pickett. Goodwin is finally restructuring, tinkering and becoming more flexible which is super exciting.

Melksham really is the perfect sub at this point in his career. Great decoy forward, defensive forward or pure forward.

Jordan came in and played a solid role, but he's purely there as an extra number atm and will be the unlucky player to make way for Pickett. Not sure that can be argued given Pickett's point of difference as a player. I'd give Brown the week off as well and bring T-Mac back in to see how he responds after being dropped. Anyone else feeling sore simply shouldn't be playing. My ins: Pickett and T-Mac Outs: Jordan (unlucky) and Brown (managed)

I'm not sure the Grand Prix had much to do with 'our' supporters. I think the point in general is that we should be seeing far more dees fans at games given we're in the prime of our years and it's unfortunate. I watched the game on TV, (overseas atm) and to me it looked and sounded closer to a 50/50 support split. Tell me if I'm wrong and if I am, surely it would have only been 55/45 in our favour? In my eyes, that's rubbish. We're playing the Swans at home for christ sake. What the hell are our supporters doing? I think it's really disappointing as a club who is the premiership favourite. We know we have supporters, they always rock up in September. But it's obvious to those outside of the red and blue blinded demonland fanatics that our crowds have been disappointing. To say the least.

He plays VFL until he performs consistently and a spot opens up. Hopefully that doesn't happen because we look far better without him in our side imo.

The top 10 will be really strong this year. I'd much rather two inside 10 than pick 1 itself. Harley Reid will be a gun, but he's in the mould of Petracca/Dusty etc and we need more balance across the list. I'd rather us get two inside 10 and one inside 20 this year as it'll only add time to our premiership window. Jackson leaving will be a blessing in disguise and Freo's start to the season is just what we need. If we can manage a top 8 pick from them, we'll be laughing. Add our first and second rounder plus their second rounder and we have an unbelievable hand to play with. Gold Coast have academy players this year so will need picks and I can't see them making the top eight this year. The best thing about it is that our guys can start talks early with other clubs as we'll know roughly what picks we'll be playing with. We're in prime position for another draft haul at a time where we're considered one of if not the flag favourite. What is life!? What a far cry from the Neeld days!

If we bring our best, we win. Over to you Melbourne. We're without a player who is arguably the most important link to our side. This game will be won on desire at the contest, ball and man with ball. Nothing else. How much do you want it Melbourne? And what tinkering will you do this week Goody that will catch the Swans off-guard? If we are just expecting to play our way, without Gawn and the Swans bring the heat you know they'll bring then we simply will not win. I can forgive a number of our top performing midfielders for one bad week. However players like Harmes need to simply be dropped. He is so underwhelming it's unbelievable and has just never consistently improved enough over the years. 2018 is one consistent year, that's not enough. He runs around with half arsed efforts at the man with ball giving away soft free kicks and doing nothing of value with the ball in hand. Not only that, he had zero impact checking a Brisbane mid. Bizarre. Throw Rivers back into a mid rotation as a point of difference, bring back a hungry Hibberd and May. Harmes and T Mac you're both out and it's time to Blood JVR. Calls for Jordan coming in are premature and off the money. We are coming up against a speedy and classy swans outfit. Jordan was great for our boring long down the line play last year but this year we cannot carry another predominantly inside and slow decision making mid in Jordan. Viney is enough for that. Intensity and passion. Bring it Melbourne, no excuses. You know what Sydney will bring.

On a negative note, 48,000 is poor start for us. Seriously

What a win given the outs. And also given how scrappy we were at times and how many silly decisions we made. Great start, next week is a huge test. Kosi will be missed for the next 3 weeks.

Chandler will be a starting 18 player all year. Brings others onto the game, makes smart decisions, pressures hard. Great game tonight, regardless of his soda shots. Will only get better and better.

Please don't!

Werridee with the comedy gold. Rivers on Darcy lol.

Chandler will be a revelation for us this year imo. He has mastered his VFL apprenticeship and is chomping at the bit to play and he'll play like a madman to keep his spot. Crafty, smart, tough and skilled. What he lacks in elite speed he makes up in all other facets. He has a desire to defend and pressure and what this will do to allow Pickett to get off the chain will materialise through the course of the season. I love him, always have.

The only reason that he was picked ahead of Turner surely! Good luck to him anyway. Mids and Gawn need to take the load for this one. Go dee's.

Hawkins is a better match up for Tommo over Darcy or Jamarrah. And that is what I'm worried about. I would have much preferred the Turner match up. He is taller, has a longer reach and is more agile and athletic. If our midfield pressure is not to standard, I fear for Tommo. This game will be decided by the midfield clearly. I just would have thought Turner over Tommo would have been the way to go given the type of talls that the dogs have. My two p.

On the whole, the crowd averages you pointed out for the last few rounds of 2022 are completely misleading due to the sides we played as FearTheBeard rightly points out. Regardless of your optimism and red and blue glasses. Melb home crowds were on the most, disappointing last year. We turned up in round 1 for our unavailing of the flag and for the Qualifying final against Sydney. Aside from those games, the big crowds were most obviously helped by playing big club who are also on the up or competing. (Carlton and Collingwood). This year I'm hoping we turn up more often, in part due to ticketing going back to normal. But also because covid is less of a thing and we'll have a point to prove. People underestimate the influence a crowd has on a game. Just ask the Collingwood footy club what it feels like to have that noise behind them in the last quarter of a game when they're a goal or two down. Time to turn up this year.

Round 1 team selection is always tricky. We look primed, slick, fit and hungry, Enjoyed watching out hitouts and loved our more aggressive ball movement and willingness to work angles and move the ball on. Great to see a greater spread of midfield rotations even though we'll tighten that up going into Round 1. Hunter will change us, such a great addition. Love Brodie, think it'll work but I fear for the position of Ben Brown and see him potentially missing early on once Fritsch is back if his form remains the same. I'd also prefer Van Rooyen given his appetite to chase, defend and bring the ball to ground. Harmes kills me and is just a weak link for us imo. He's in prime age bracket and for whatever reason is so inconsistent in his ball use and decision making year after year. Can't wait for round 1, I'm overseas all year so it's bittersweet if we make the Granny as I won't be able to get back! We look formidable, go redlegs.

Lever loves a rolled ankle, srsly.

We saw a response. Good sign, no doubt it would have been addressed during that third quarter. No injuries positive. Mcvee looks great. Hunter going to change us. Grundy will work into it.

Lol. Any more cliches?