Bring-Back-Powell

Buckley's 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons impressed me. In 2018, they were projected to miss the 8 but ended up 3rd. They played the #2 seed West Coast at Optus Stadium in week 1 and lead for most of the night only to fall short. However, 2 weeks later his crowing achievement as a coach was flogging Richmond in the 2018 prelim whereby nobody gave them a chance. In 2019, they won 15 games (like 2018) and finished 4th but in week 1 finals they went onto beat the minor premiers in Geelong by 10 points in a game I'm sure they were underdogs. In 2020, they snuck into 8th and were expected to be no match for West Coast at Optus in the 2020 first elimination final. The reason being is that it was COVID and the Pies had to fly from QLD to WA under COVID pressures and instabilities whilst West Coast were settled in their own state. Buckley/Pies pulled a rabbit out of the hat and won by a point in a boilover. The point of the above is not to fawn over Collingwood's memorable wins but to highlight that he's proven that he can motivate and then steer his group to win big finals whilst being the under dog. We need a coach that can take the next step from honourable loss to upset win (aside from the Brisbane win this year).

Off topic, but kind of on topic (Parking/Hawthorn theme) but Jeff Kennett's parents were die hard Melbourne supporters and he was willing to lead the club as president some years ago due to the connection.

A bit like Lachie Hunter’s tenure at the Dees. Year 1 he was a productive regular best 22. Year 2 he fell off the face of the earth from a footballing perspective.

I'm in full agreement and suggested this here a month or so ago. There was a video interview on the club website over the summer with Turner and he aspired to be a leader for sure. Fits the age, talent and onfield actions (the May/Max diffusion) profile. Having said that, Lever would have been the obvious choice at the start of this year, but that landscape may have changed.

Out of all the close 1-10 point losses we've had to good and bad teams alike, this one stung the less. It didn't have the "one that got away" feel about is as we kicked 11.3.69 in the second half meaning we took most of our chances in front of goal and left nothing on the table from a conversion perspective. (our accuracy has really picked up since round 16) I was impressed that we hung in there after conceding the first 2 goals of the last quarter and to kick the last goal of the game showed we were never interested in rolling over. Unfortunately for us, their current/future champions such as Richards, Bont and Darcy stood up in the key moments and got them over the line. Plus they picked the wrong quarter to start fluking goals from the boundary when the game was on the line. The performance gets a tick from me, and hopefully we repeat the dose the next 2 games.

I was really disappointed with Langdon's on field attitude early in the game last week. The tackle he missed where the Dogs player simply brushed past him tells me where his mindset was post Goodwin, and his mid week presser wasn't just words. Plus, the fact that the younger brigade have taken his starting wing role.... Have seriously rated him as a player though.

I've thought about Ollie Henry as a forward option, but he poses a major home sick risk (apparently left Collingwood because his home city of Geelong was too far away)

If the mark and subsequent set shot goal he kicked on the angle in the last quarter isn't enough to get you excited.... I also like that when things don't quite go his way or he makes an error, he doesn't drop his head, he gets on with business and will do something seriously brilliant not too much later. I'm thinking of the one-on-one contest he lost at the MCC members half forward flank yesterday. Conversely, Kolt doesn't have that ability or confidence yet to build into a game if he makes an early error.

Fair point. It was telling that in the final centre bounce of the game with 50 secs left, we had the old firm in Gawn, Trac, Viney and Oliver and we couldn't get it done (albeit against a very good Dogs midfield). This game, and the two previous GWS games where we had a centre bounce in the last minute and we didn't look remotely like winning the all important clearance, is disappointing by the leaders.

Winning close games is definitely the final piece of the puzzle (that is either missing or has been vacuumed up) that could see up return to the top 8 next year. Definitely getting tired of the opposition's top 9 coach, such as Luke Beveridge, praise us as being highly competitive and being made to earn their wins. I want us next year to go from making contenders earn their wins against us to beating contenders and condemning them to disappointment rather than relief. Having said, it's not the close losses to good teams that have disappointed me most this year. It's the losses to the North's, Essendon's, St Kilda's and Carlton's where our heads were not in the game. So next year, we need to win (more than losing) the close games irrespective of the quality of teams, and we need to win all the games that we start $1.50 at against the mediocre sides.

It’s improved significantly since the bye.

Genuinely thought we’d get 40K today, but now I get the rationale as to why they’ve closed a fair portion of the stands. I reckon a smaller crowd than the North game the other week.

Collingwood will be playing for top 2/4 or 6. He’ll be right and they’ll be on their best behaviour.

According to the MCC website: Level 4 of the Warne and Ponsford stands closed despite this fixture averaging 50,000 at the G since 2022, the Pink lady game and plenty of Dogs supporters in attendance due to their finals chances.

Danny Daly is a happy medium between experienced and untried. Sure he hasn't coached an AFL game, but he's had experience in assistant coaching and administration so he knows how an AFL football club is supposed to be run. He's also obviously been instrumental in Brisbane's rise to become a perennial top 8 contender for the last 7 seasons, as he and Fagan have been a tremendous duo for that club. But the thing I like the most about him is his media interviews. He comes across as respectful, knowledgeable, transparent and full of common sense.

Yes, he certainly doesn't toe the party line when it comes to interviews. But massive respect for him for being the poor soul that had to do the MFC website post game interview after the Saints disaster the other week. I wonder if it's a roster rotation of players that are interviewed or if he was good enough to offer himself up to the comms department that evening. I remember watching him during Freo games in 2019 and wishing we'd pick up a wingman like him. Boy was I stoked we picked him up at that time, and still am.

Unless Fremantle go all "Freo" on everyone and lose their last 2 games of the year. No way Longmuir is coaching Freo next year if they miss finals.

Feeling good. The correct decision was clearly made IMO and we move on. We beat St Kilda at Marvel in Goodwin's first game in 2017 and the vibes were good. If someone said to you walking out of the ground that day that the coach would be there for 9 seasons with a flag, three top 4 home and away finishes and a prelim appearance despite not finishing top 4, you'd more than sign up for that. So a job well done to Simon.

He’s had a lousy 2 years and would benefit from a change of scenery. If someone like a Carlton feels the need to recycle a Francis Evans for the third time, then there should be a club willing to give a proven premiership player a second chance, even if it’s just as SSP bargain pick.

Nothing in the Newcombe incident that should warrant a suspension. If it wasn’t for the May incident we wouldn’t even be talking about this. Having said that I actually want him suspended only because we play him next week.

His presser was a ripper tonight. Opened it by apologising to the supporters. Then started yelling and shouting because he was so frustrated. 100% authentic.

People aren’t serious in thinking Newcombe’s going to get suspended are they? I’m all for King getting rubbed out against Whitfield, Fiorini on Petty and Pearce on DBJ. But this one was a genuine accident where both blokes made simultaneous contact.

I'd rather keep him than Oliver. He's absolutely regained his confidence, looks injury free for the first time since early 2023 and is the classiest player on the list behind Kozzie. I get that hard calls are there to be made, but I don't think it's in our forward line's best interest to move on from a 40 goal a year player. This year he'll kick at least 37 after accounting for a horrendous opening 4 games where he kicked just one goal.

It's good I guess.... Get the pain and misery out of the way early. Hopefully we dish up a better display than the corresponding Friday night fixture against Collingwood last year. (although in fairness had we won we probably don't get Langford)

Surely we can do a little better than Kenneth HInkley.