Bring-Back-Powell

How long until someone in the media (ie - Cats supporters in Whateley, Clark etc..) campaign for the grand final to be pushed back until 4 October so Stewart can play? With respect to Hawthorn, they’d be genuinely disappointed in conceding 16 goals in 3 qtrs of a final given they opened the cheque book for Battle and Barrass to address their defence for their 2025 finals campaign.

Absolutely spot on. The minute he was appointed with the MFC job, he became a Melbourne man. The guy was so clearly elated and proud to have won the job. And then he goes back to enemy territory. It’s just a bit weird.

You know it’s a diabolical September when you’re quietly happy Geelong won a prelim final.

RIP The pre finals bye. 2016-2025

2021 wasn’t a patch on 2018 for the majority of MFC supporters that got to experience the Geelong and Hawthorn MCG finals in 2018. Back to back 90,000 MCG finals wins > watching finals in lock down.

I’m supremely confident Hawthorn win this final, and win it well.

Ladies and gentlemen you have your first grand finalist for 2025.

With Stewart out concussed that’s the last you’ve seen of the pre finals bye.

IF injury free, I have him down for 13 goals in 12 games next year.

If St Kilda can land Flanders (which I hope they don't) I think the absolute minimum expectation should be top 8 for them next year. TDK, Silvagni, Flanders, Alir, Ryan and the critical retentions of NWM and Windhager. A pretty good haul for a team that's done next to nothing in 15 years. Add in a healthy Max King. Wilkie likely will stay. At absolute worst they let Marshall depart who may be surplus to requirements if Max King returns to the forward line. Questions will need to be levelled at Lyon if he can't get them to finals.

My one positive recollection of him in the seniors was when he nailed a set shot against North in an early season game when every man and his dog couldn't hit the side of a shed that afternoon. Kind of forgot he was on the list to be truthful.

I'm even more devastated.

I hope we pick him up. Unlike your Sharps, Fullartons, Schaches, Derksens, Dunstans etc..this guy's a serious AFL footballer with classy disposal. He'd be our first meaningful acquisition from another club since Langdon and Tomlinson from 2019. I wouldn't be trading out Trac if know I'm getting Flanders in.

In the MLB there is a stat called "Wins Above Replacement". If you're in the positive, you're helping your team. If you're in the negative you're actively harming your team due to the mistakes and low production. The best MLB players are worth 5 or more wins per season. So in essence if they didn't play all season, their team would be 5 losses worse off. In the AFL, I'd suspect the likes of N Daicos and Bont would be a worth a few wins to their side. For example, the Dogs W/L ratio improved when Bont returned from injury. Onto Trac: I wonder how many wins Trac was worth to the side this year? Or to reframe the question, how many wins would have we had if Trac played 0 games this year. If the answer is 6 instead of 7 wins, then you'd contemplate moving him on. If the answer was 3 wins, then you'd have to consider keeping him. Post the Trac injury in 2024, we lost 3 close games to GWS, Brisbane and Port. I thought Trac would have been the difference in those close losses. However we continued to lose close games in 2025 with his presence this time. In conclusion, how valuable is Trac to our side next year in terms of tallying wins?

Quite a workload for him to be preparing for a prelim with one club and sorting out list management with another. I'm stunned Geelong have kept him on to be honest.

This is precisely why the Wild Card weekend should and will come in.

Chances are neither player will play more than 16-18 games next year due to age, injury and management so I'd say there will be numerous games that it will be one or the other, and you're building a good forward line depth chart.

It's a yes from me as we won't have to give up a draft pick (I assume he's a free agent). Pies supporters online are surprisingly supportive and unfussed if he goes. Says he deserves to be rewarded for his services. Kicked 0.5 against Adelaide in the qualifying final which is both impressive (plenty of opportunities in a final) and unimpressive (conversion) at the same.

We gave up our most points against in a season since 2015 so I won’t exactly be crying myself to sleep over this particular departure.

I should be shattered with this news, but he finished second in the B&F and we still came 14th.

They lost far too many role players last year in Peatling, Cumming and Perryman. Perhaps that's why they dug their heels in. I long for the day when the Dees are "that" club that can find a diamond amongst the rough (eg - Lawson Humphries or Shaun Mannagh) but I can't see it happening with Derksen.

Would Kozzie qualify for WA?

I saw and heard that from Dimma but I sensed a bit of resignation from him that Flanders is definitely keen to move. I would consider Flanders. It would be hard to get recognition in that midfield where Rowell and Anderson get all the plaudits.

Definitely not a fairytale premiership on the docket this year from the list you’ve provided. Although Hawthorn have come along way since the first 2 rounds of 2023 when they lost by a combined 140 points and had a percentage of 40.

Going to be strange see King celebrate a potential premiership 5 minutes before he takes over the reigns. Geelong are a professional unit and we’re not in a position to rock the boat, but I still think there’s a very outside chance he parts company with Geelong next week. No info, just my opinion.