Bring-Back-Powell

In order: 1) the Brisbane miracle thanks mostly to Melksham. You can’t describe that feeling when you’ve resigned yourself to a certain loss, only to be singing the song 15 minutes later. 2) beating the Pies on Kings Birthday. The atmosphere was phenomenal and we needed to exact revenge after numerous kings/queens birthday losses. 3) the comprehensive master class we put on Sydney in round 3 in a statement win against a bogey side. 4) The Sydney win at the SCG. Very enjoyable last quarter to attend live after it looked like we’d packed up for the home and away season. Only reaffirmed our belief that the club means business. 5) The Dogs win in round 1. After the 2022 finals collapse, it was extremely pleasing to start 2023 with a bang and prove to the league that we were going go be a serious player again. Hopefully there will be many more special moments to come next month across three MCG finals.

Gut feel says JVR’s going take a huge mark and nail a clutch late goal at the Punt rd end to win us a final. Maybe as soon as the Pies final.

A West Coast supporter just rung up SEN with a trade suggestion: Pick 5 and JVR to West Coast for pick 1.

Most of them are supremely confident of a win on Bigfooty. The main reason being that they’ll be fielding a far stronger side than Kings B’day which isn’t inaccurate. Looks as though their supporters are bullish off a big win over Essendon because they certainly weren’t the week before.

Genuinely surprised they brought him back on given the game was an absolute dead rubber and they probably knew Melksham’s season was over.

Do Carlton ever get on the wrong side of a tribunal or MRP decision that results in a suspension?

My understanding is the highest ranked team hosts the Friday night prelim. If Collingwood beat us, they will host the Friday night prelim. If we beat Collingwood, Brisbane (or Port) host the Friday night and we get the Saturday prelim. Either we’ll be playing the Saturday prelim should we get there.

Yeah look I know I’m an extremely funny poster but what part of the post amused you?

Geez Butters and Rozee are going to be an issue for us if we play them in the finals. We’ve already lost to them this year directly because of those 2. They weren’t just key contributors, they we’re the difference in round 10.

They’d rather not play Brisbane in Brisbane. Incredibly Port have lost 4 straight up at the GABBA and 5 of their last 6 encounters against Brisbane. They don’t match up well against Brisbane. And Port are playing like a team that knows it can’t play a week 1 home final, albeit with a small lead.

So in other words, the journos such as Jon Ralph and Mark Robinson’s crew have no idea when the game will be played, and we should wait until later tonight’s announcement before we chuck a tanty. I recall Drew Jones on Fox Sports was so adamant that todays Dees V Swans game was originally going to be scheduled Saturday 7:25 that he was willing to bet his AFL media accreditation on it.

Saints supporters would be barracking for us today. If we win, they’ll get a home final in Melbourne. If we lose, not only do they have to go to Sydney in week 1 (unless GWS win by 11 goals) they’ll also have to travel to the loser of Port or Brisbane in week 2.

I loudly hope he’s kept goalless.

I’d be concerned with our high performance department if they can’t get our players at peak performance off an 11 day break for an all important final. The only concern is a potential concussion to any of our integral players. And even then there’s nothing we could do about that. It’s not as if they’d reschedule a grand final if someone gets concussed in a prelim - bad luck. If there’s 3 finals at the MCG (provided we win today) then they’ll need to have a final there on Thursday night under the current week 1 system. Clearly they’re going to fixture the game that’s going to sell out on any given night. Conversely, they’ll put a low drawing St Kilda v Sydney in a friendly time slot to maximise crowd. I don’t like it but I understand it.

I’d say it’s implied that they’ll always have a Thursday night final on week 1 given the pre finals break and the flexibility it provides for scheduling. Richmond finished 1st in 2018 and played a big Thursday night qualifying final against Hawthorn in front of 91k so there’s precedent unfortunately. On the flip side, imagine going into work on Friday and the weekend to follow with the satisfaction of beating the filth in a qualifying final (on a Thursday night)

Didn’t even think about that, and channel 7 could promote it as the biggest Saturday of football on the calendar. However there’s clearly a commitment to play a Thu night game in week 1.

That absolute stinks and is unfair. However, Port, Carlton, GWS and Sydney also play on the Sunday so one of the 5 clubs including us was always going to draw the short straw in terms of a Thursday night final. And secondly, it’s no different to someone getting concussed on prelim final weekend. The AFL aren’t going go to suddenly make any exemptions.

Why can’t Pies V Dees be a Saturday twilight? Last year’s Geelong V Collingwood (1 v 4) was a Saturday twilight.

Adelaide probably aren’t in the head space to go 100% rat power to win a dead rubber after the injustice of last week. The way West Coast and North keep giving each other pick 1 makes me think both clubs are going to get exactly what they want with their respective first picks.

A Brisbane loss will be phenomenal for us. (until Port tonk Richmond tomorrow)

I wonder if anyone had our old friend in the Weid in the anytime goal kicker same game multi?

That was such an unforced error by us in terms of preparation. The Dogs did the complete opposite to us and had a solid win in WA the week after Gather Rd.

I can recall a certain top 4 contender last year leading by 11 goals in the 2nd quarter in the final game, only to prove to be a bust in the finals. Not too concerned about Collingwood’s uptick in form.

They actually looked slick, impressive and hungry when they played us in Gather Round. Compare that to the rabble on display tonight.

Can someone with far better footy knowledge than I explain why Tomlinson keeps getting dropped. We haven't lost a game with the May/Lever/Tomlinson combo since since September 2020 and further to that, we have a 21-4 record since round 17 2020 when Tomlinson plays in the side. Are the above stats an anomaly and he's therefore a complete liability in the side, or is he getting harshly treated at selection? Do I need to get over it and accept that he's a BOG ordinary footballer, not withstanding that he allows Lever to be an intercept king. I note that his replacement for this side got towelled up by Levi Casboult of all people in his one and only appearance this year. Hopefully he makes a better fist of it this weekend.