Hopeful Demon

The fact that NWM didn't get 3 votes for that game proves that the umps should never be trusted to judge what is meant to be the most prestigious award in the game.

Last year ANB tagged Daicos even more successfully and yet they still gave him a vote

Gotta hand it to Brisbane. They were a total basket throughout the 2010s but over the last five years I'd say they've been the benchmark side. And they call JDG a 'big game player.' Big lol. Has gone missing big time today.

It would be great for the competition if Brisbane can go back to back here

The lead up to the finals series in 2018 was unreal as well. We beat West Coast at their home ground in Round 22 after an entire week of worrying that we were on track to wasting another season. And our performance against GWS the following week was honestly my favourite home and away game I've ever attended. That entire game almost like a public celebration rather than an actual football game. We'd already confirmed a finals spot the week before and we played as if we basically had nothing to lose. Fast, aggressive, free flowing, attacking footy. I don't think I've ever felt as relaxed at a game as I was that day. That shocking preliminary final aside, the last month of 2018 was fever dream stuff. We couldn't have picked two better teams than Geelong and Hawthorn to knock off in the finals given the years of torture they used to inflict on us.

He's one player really wish I got to see in the flesh. I sometimes think about how watching Max Gawn in his prime as a teen/young adult would have been like what it was like watching Flower growing up. Two very different players of course but probably a similar vibe.

That was bad but I think the general consensus was that they weren't going to trouble Collingwood or Brisbane. From memory they were sorta flat track bullies anyway. Adelaide though... Before the Rankine case I was almost certain they'd make a preliminary final at minimum.

This surely has to go down as the worst finals campaign in modern history. Total dumpster fire.

I'm in a weird mood atm but I find this really funny. Our coach is named after a horror writer, we have a player named after one of his novels (Salem's Lot) and our second name symbolised horror. You can't really script all this 😅

Gawn was well due for another one. I reckon three best and fairests don't reflect how dominant he's been over the past 10 years.

What a horrific take that is. Compare us at the end of his tenure to what what we were when he took over. Not in the same [censored] postcode.

I [censored] hate how good the cats are every year

Any Adelaide supporter who participated in the booing last night is an absolute [censored] and deserved to watch their team lose. Honestly I'm completely turned off Adelaide now. After the way they've handled themselves over the past few weeks I want them to go out in straight sets. It's a shame because I love ANB.

If Collingwood end up winning the flag I think I will actually spew. Would top off what has already been an awful season. Genuinely looks like it can happen too.

This last quarter has been pretty painful I must say. Total scrapfest.

The gap between these two sides in terms of finals experience is really showing

Jesus ANB has been good. His ball use has improved dramatically over the past few years.

Please stop with this 'heat of the moment' [censored]. There were hundreds of other names he could have used and he would be playing tonight. A homophic slur should never be acceptable, provoked or unprovoked.

Oh please. He clearly knew what that word meant. You really are running out of excuses for him. And as for it being a 'harmless' word, have you even considered how members of the LGBTIQ+ community would have felt hearing that? You must live in a simple world if it's 'harmless' just because it didn't offend you.

Omg Pickett!! Yes!! [censored] that makes me so happy

Even as recently as last year I thought it was basically a coin flip between him and Dean Cox as the best ruckman of the modern era but I reckon Gawn has gone past him now.

Gawn is now just about the GOAT ruck imo. I find it so surreal that he has the same number of AAs as the likes of Ablett Jnr, Buddy Franklin and Robert Harvey. He could very well break the record next year given his durability.

With all due respect, the fact that it was in the 'heat of the moment' doesn't make the whole thing less reprehensible. I've witnessed and been involved in many heated exchanges where no one has even thought of making any slur whatsoever. He literally could have used hundreds of other names that would have caused far less backlash.

Oh ffs. A slur is a slur regardless of the person who was targeted. You can't be this obtuse, surely?

I can't emphasise how relieved I am that Pickett is in the squad. I would've been fuming if he wasn't.