Great Northern Summer

Correct

Under the current Final 8 system (since 2000), happened in: 2003 - Lions 2005 - Swans 2006 - Eagles 2015 - Hawks 2020 - Tigers

Spot on! Or better still, we will be playing the Semi Final next Friday night and the Preliminary Final the following Saturday twilight if we make it - both time slots regardless of who our opposition is.

Of course he hasn’t but two of them will be forced. Salem hasn’t done anything useful for months. McDonald was nowhere near the level required. Same for Laurie.

We genuinely could have had Taylor Walker if we offered him a multi-year deal at the end of last year. The club clearly didn’t want to go near him because of the racial incident that happened last year. If we had him, we’d win the flag. Agree, we need to get creative with the use of our good draft picks. We don’t fix this forward line issue up, then we butcher this window we are in. There are already a heap of teams on the up that will challenge for finals spots next season and could do damage very quickly (ie Adelaide), which worries me that we’re genuinely wasting our opportunity which may be over before we know it.

Out: Van Rooyen, Brayshaw, Laurie, Salem, McDonald In: Turner/Tomlinson, Spargo, Jordan, Grundy, Schache

If we acquire him, could it be that Spargo asks to break his contract and head elsewhere? Would we stand in his way?

A number of people want Hibbard in the side to match up against Elliott. I watched a reply of our Round 21 match against Collingwood last year. Fair to say it left me with some concerns doing this. I suggest everyone else recommending this move also re-watch that game and assess whether this is a good idea.

As it stands, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3, 5 plays 8 and 6 plays 7. From a match up perspective, there’s nothing unfair or untoward with those match ups (particularly looking at it from the Minor Premier’s perspective as they get the lowest finishing top 4 opponent). The main issue is the Preliminary Final matches. If all favourites win in Weeks 1 and 2, the Qualifying Finals opponents essentially reverse, meaning in theory the team that finishes 2nd gets an easier opponent than the team that finishes 1st. This is all for the purpose of avoiding repeat match-ups from the Qualifying Finals, which is somewhat farcical. It’s at this point that either the Qualifying Finals match ups should arguably be repeated, or at the very least, the team that finishes 1st (or is the highest ranked side) gets to select their Preliminary Final opponent.

I suspect both teams may still make it to the GF. If so, the team that has the week off next week will be advantaged, getting rest and also avoiding a a road trip the week before the GF.

Some dodgy umpiring calls arguably cost us the Port game. The bump ball mark in the last quarter; a few questionable high tackles on the 1/4 and 3/4 time sirens... That being said, Port had enough chances to put the game away in the first half before we switched on in the 3rd quarter - we were lucky to still be in the contest at 1/2 time. The Essendon game - I just put down to it being 'one of those games'. Probably the only game we've played in the last 3 years where we were never in the game. Happening in Round 5 is no big deal. There's no other side that's only had 'one of those games' in 3 years. We were all over Geelong up until 3/4 time. I suspect we were following a heavy 'loading' program around the time that game was played, and the reason we ran out of legs in the last quarter. We won every single aspect of the GWS game, bar the scoreboard in the end. If that same game was played again, we would win it 9 out of 10 times the way we played that day. Unfortunately, our forward line wasn't functional, GWS kicked goals against the run of play and from very difficult positions (namely, the Josh Kelly winner), when we couldn't even compose ourselves to win the game in the dying minutes (Neal-Bullen just kicked it nowhere with no pressure on him when he had teammates free 15 metres out from goal). We may play better in the dry, but I wouldn't be too worried playing in the wet. The 'contest and defence' ethos aligns itself with more chaos ball movement, which means skills are never going to be pretty anyway. It'll be congested throughout, like finals generally are. I watched the replays of the Swans and Lions finals losses last year - they were exactly that way. We just have to play four quarters and run the game out and we will be ok - something we couldn't do in the finals last year and the only reason we lost both games.

I know a bit more about this from an insider, someone who lives in Perth and is close to the Naitanui family. I was reliably told he was desperate to be drafted to an interstate / Victorian club because he wanted space from those around him, and ideally, Collingwood. if that's the case, i'd say he's saying this to suit the situation.

It better not rain from about 1.30pm to 4.30pm while i'm waiting in the MCC line to get in! I sense I speak for others here too.

Correct

What's your theory on Dunstan getting another year if he couldn't break through this year, and barely played a game last year?

Not sure why everyone is writing Melksham's career off. An ACL is generally a 9-month injury, meaning he will be ok theoretically by June, before mid-season

What sort of Premium membership? Problem is there is a waiting list for most premium membership packages these days. I’m an MCC member and pay an extra $200-something for a MCC/MFC premium membership (which gives three MCC guest passes which I use), which then enables me to buy a guaranteed grand final access (a further almost $300). That only helps for the grand final, doesn’t help me buy MFC tickets for any other final.

Walk up on the day. Can get better seats that way anyway if you get there early.

Are you planning to go up to watch Collingwood play?

We will put him through rehab but if he couldn’t get a game all year, I’m not sure he was ever going to win a new contract. I agree with you, I have no idea why he wasn’t given any opportunity whatsoever this season. It just smells of potentially some personality clash, which reading between the lines, ended his St Kilda career.

Montagna is one of the best. Connolly tries to push his politics down peoples' throats. I was amazed how aggressive he was with it in the lead-up to the last state election. I might sit on the other side of politics to him, but at the same time, I'm apolitical almost always, respect people for their own individual views even if they aren't my own, and don't drain things down peoples' throats and get aggressive when people have different views to me. Unfortunately, Connolly isn't like that.

Hi, I'm also looking for one extra barcode. My elderly mother would love to go with my father, who is a member and has a barcode (I'm MCC so covered). If anyone can kindly assist if not going, that would be amazing. Thanks in advance

Thought it was Montagna that gave us the pump up. King just nodded his head. King had us number one seed last week, but when asked to give his GF and Premiership tip, said Collingwood would beat Lions in the GF. The man changes his mind on everything for no good reason every week. Only a few weeks ago, he said Collingwood couldn’t win the flag. They’ve not beaten anyone of note since, but all of a sudden, he thinks they’ll win the flag again. The ‘expected scores’ only had Collingwood beating Essendon by 30-something points. Essendon were terribly inaccurate and Collingwood vice-versa. Essendon probably also have the worst form out of any side atm. Not sure you can flip an opinion or change a view based on Collingwood’s win. Essendon literally shirked at contests, it was unbelievable.

He's the Ricky Stuart of the AFL. Treats the media with contempt.

It's kindof good our game is first up, because we'll know who to barrack for along the way in the other games. I agree - I generally hope the Swans win, esp if we lose. If we win, I'd half want Carlton to win, so they can knock Collingwood out in straight sets (which I can't see Sydney doing), then they can get smashed by Brisbane in the Prelim.