Bring-Back-Powell

Yep spot on. Good correction. Adelaide weren’t really that awful in the 2017 GF, comparative to Sydney the other day, but were hot favs to beat Richmond and accordingly haven’t recovered since.

Anyone but Sydney. Clubs that dish out a shameful performance in a grand final fall away badly the next year and/or don’t win a final. Examples: Dogs - 2021 into 2022 Gws - 2019 into 2020 Adelaide - 2018 into 2019 Sydney - 2014 into 2015 St Kilda - 2010 into 2011 Port - 2007 into 2008 Collingwood - 2003 into 2004 Melbourne - 2000 into 2001 Sydney won’t be in a grand final next year.

Should’ve played more senior games this year if the club exercised selection integrity.

Agree about the West Coast game. I’m staggered we didn’t rest half a dozen players that day. West Coast had about 11 of their best 22 out and our club should’ve easily backed its depth to beat a depleted bottom 2 side at their lowest ebb in club history. I recall Hawthorn in 2013 having lowly GWS, Melbourne and GC three weeks in a row (about rounds 9-11) and they went public in their intention of resting players. Another of a long list of questionable selections and injury management.

Swans will fall away next year, as per every other club that embarrasses themselves in a GF.

Apparently Holmes will be a late out according to channel 7. Heading to the game today. Nothing could possibly go close to seeing the boys play a GF at the G, however after no grand finals here for 2 seasons it’s still exciting to see one live.

Tend to agree with your large margin. 8 of the last 12 grand finals have resulted in that comfortable 5 plus goal margin as the winning team gets on wave of momentum and the loser loses the will to remain in the game. There is that sense of destiny and inevitability about Geelong this year, while I was very unimpressed with Sydney’s second half last week. They played to not lose the game rather than winning it. That won’t cut it today.

It was absolute amateur hour Layzie by Gawn, the club or a combo of both. The injury was quoted as 4-6 weeks post Queens Birthday (Rd 13) and he was already talking up a comeback for round 16. He ended up coming back in round 17 V Geelong and played one of his worst games in years. I really hope the club goes to school on our injury management (or lack thereof) and put a bit more faith in our players at Casey rather than flogging our stars who were clearly injured. Geelong integrated players from the VFL in the latter rounds and it didn’t hurt them.

Partially agree. However the 'never ending' Premiership celebratory caravan were for the majority of Melbourne people that missed out on seeing the GF and/or experienced the Sunday celebrations. Had it not been for COVID, it would have been done and dusted by the start of November.

Since 1998 we've been the designated home team in the final round just 7 out of a possible 25 times. Since 1998 we've travelled just once interstate in round 1 (in fairness)

You make a well made point. The only thing is he wasn't dropped after round 18. He played the following week against the Dogs in the absence of Lever and was part of a defence that leaked 17 goals. Then he got dropped. On Petty, I'd like to see him trialed up forward to start the season next year, but mindful that we'll lose his excellent contested and intercept marking down back. Is Turner ready to step up and fill the Petty void, or indeed AFL standard? Or can we bank on J Smith to actually stay on the park and be a staple down back?

I'm sure Geelong and Sydney are taking in at least 6-8 injured players tomorrow. It's a very long season and players are going to be inevitably banged up by September.

I expect Geelong to win this and win well. But if they don't, I don't think they'll win another under C Scott. Will be very hard to for Selwood, Danger, Hawkins, Smith and any other of their pensioners going back to the well are perfect 17 weeks (round 9 - prelim) season only to lose the 2022 GF. Should Sydney lose, the probability of them backing up and winning next year's flag is extremly low (15% since 1990) if you're a believer in history.

Wasn't a fan of his in the early days but clearly he's developed into an excellent line coach. Will probably be in the frame for a senior coach in the coming years.

I wouldn't mind rectifying our embarrassing record against Sydney at the MCG. 2 wins against them at the MCG between 2002 - 2022.

Excellent response. There will be AFL games on Saturday, just none on FTA for the first 8 or so weeks of the year.

Is that the Dangerfield that wants shorter seasons and shorter games for more money? On that basis alone, I can't see another game introduced. If the magic round was in WA or SA where else would they play games other than Optus and AO respectively? The 2020 COVID season/festival of footy showed that the AFL had no real interest in playing games at never before used venues for points, in favour of flogging Metricon Stadium with 4 games in 2 days. Can definitely see this happening in Sydney where they can use the SCG, Giants Stadium, and Accor Stadium. SE QLD could combine games at Metricon and GABBA.

Can't see a magic round happening in Perth or Adelaide. They would need to play 9 games over 4 days at the one venue. Surely this happens on the East Coast.

The fact that posters here were concerned about how our defence would cope going forward when Tomlinson did his knee in round 7 2021 would back up the above stat. He was a key part of our early season success of 2021. He was solid in the early rounds this year too. Then lost his spot to Petty and came back for a mid season game against Sydney and then dropped straight away. He wasn't afforded any continuity this year. There has only really been one game where he's been completely dominated as a defender and that was Sam Reid/Sydney in round 12 this year.

Yes please. More footy the better. And also bring in a wild card weekend between round 23 and week 1 finals. 7 V 10 and 8 V 9. The week off sucks.

Yes, against Sydney and the Dogs that was evident. The other games he played this year he held his own. Would prefer to keep him for depth but can't blame him for seeking better opps.

I know he's not as good as Petty as a defender, but he could replace Petty as a permanent defender and Petty move forward. (Turner the other option) I thought he was solid in the early rounds of 2022 when were missing Lever and Petty and played an excellent game against Port in NT in round 18. Was very quick to be omitted after ordinary games against Sydney and Bulldogs where as others were immune from an axing. But yeah, for the betterment of his career, he probably needs to find a club light on for key defenders.

If we end up getting Grundy, I hope we get the 2019 model. 23 brownlow votes including back-back-back 3 vote games. Had games of 25 possessions/8 marks/2 goals/ 50 hitouts/ 3 brownlow votes. Elite.

Agreed. Not one player gave a yelp in the second half or remotely looked like arresting the very heavy Freo momentum. No MFC player deserved a vote that evening on the back of a 1 half effort.

I hope for Goodwin's sake it was his call rather than May's. Petty was responsible for literally every score involvement which gave us a faint chance, and therefore I assumed it was good coaching by a coach that didn't have a great 2022.