Bring-Back-Powell

Next year we need to shore up our depth as we probably won't have as good a run with injury next year as we did last year. Having Tomlinson and Petty fight it out for a spot is fantastic. Are Melksham and Hibberd contracted for next year? They'll be devastated if they miss the GF this year given the services they've provided to us since 2017.

Gunston in for T Mac?

I believe the main reason is that all players can quarantine for enough time in order to attend a live Brownlow count.

Anyone that calls you selfish probably attends 4 or 5 games a year, hasn't got a GF guarantee so was going to watch the game on TV regardless and probably wouldn't have bothered rocking up to a game in the Bailey and Neeld era. In other words has no idea what you and other loyal MFC members are going through. We are being denied what Dogs, Richmond and Geelong supporters got to experience when they broke their long droughts. If that's viewed as selfishness (which I was accused of by a Western Australian based poster) then they are completely out of touch.

So players can self isolate in time to attend the brownlow.

I know it's fabulous and exciting for most interstate members that can attend the GF but this is a dark day for a lot of the MFC faithful who are being deprived a possible once in a life time opportunity. Bring on the 2022 grand final when most of us are allowed past our letter box at 9:01pm on grand final day.

Want to play GWS as their more cooked than Geelong. They could barely string a possession in the last qtr. Would be stunned if we're not playing Geelong in the prelim.

I totally agree with that. If we repeat what we did against Brisbane in the next 2 games (inaccurate but far more scoring shots) we'll go onto win the flag and be the second premier since 1990 to kick more behinds than goals in all finals of a campaign. The point of the thread and stat is that if we're to win a flag, it's almost certain that in at least one of the finals this year, we would've gone 50/50 conversion at worst.

The stat is the stat. You can't argue with a fact. Only 1 premier since 1990 has gone an entire final series by kicking more behinds than goals in each final of that campaign. I'm not saying we can't win the flag if we're inaccurate in all 3 finals. But it would be rare.

Yes, since 1990. So 30/31. Should get the calculator out next time.

If Port have an emphatic prelim win and we fall over the line, I get the feeling Port will almost be favourites to beat us. They’d be on an 8 game winning streak including beating the Dogs at Marvel and are full strength and playing brilliant footy. Like us, I get the feeling Port are on a mission this year and have well and truly bought in after blowing it last year.

I agree with you. Would rather play Port than Dogs in the GF. I know you shouldn’t base everything on one game but the Dogs were too good for us in round 19 in all facets.

I'd be flabbergasted if Pert didn't make the cut. Having said that he's not the one kicking the footy or moving the magnets, so you can never be too sure. If the president of Melbourne didn't make the cut, there's absolutely no way that any other MFC member from Victoria will be able to get an exemption to isolate for 14 days.

Apparently Gaddy Lyon is quarantining as we speak. Essential media work apparently.

The point I'm making is that if you look at the scores of every finals series since 1990, only 1 side has got away with kicking more behinds than goals in every final of their premiership campaign, and that was West Coast. I see your point that there are way too many variables in a game of footy to just pin success down to accuracy. Nonetheless, it's an underrated and irrefutable historical stat that I've raised. Just like the fact that at least 2 teams will always drop out of the 8 despite the media cutting and pasting their top 8 from one year to the next.

Agreed. We can probably get away with having one more final where we kick more behinds than goals, but history might catch up with us if we go all 3 finals of inaccuracy (assuming we win the prelim). A crisp 14.10 against Geelong will be fantastic.

Excellent win on Saturday night with next nothing to concern ourselves with. However, it was another night of inaccuracy and history proves that 20 of the last 21 premiers go at least one final where they go 50/50 at worst eg -14 goals 14 behinds. We easily got away with it on Saturday night as we outscored them comprehensively and had complete control, but it's a stat we need to be slightly aware of.

Hats off to Kate and an absolute shambles that only 55 can attend. No doubt blokes like Eddie McGuire, Tom Browne and Damien Barrett (who's already quarantining) will somehow find their way over there.

Agree that Hunt has been clearly best 22 all year and has been a good contributor. I personally think he should be back in the side. The question is whether they want to make a change to a recent winning formula. I fear that Hunt has got injured at the wrong time and may have lost his spot for good this year. Who knows?

I wouldn't be surprised if there's no change for not only next week but for the remainder of the finals series. I can't recall too many premiership sides making involuntary changes throughout a final series, but happy to be proven wrong by posters who can recall examples. We certainly made an involuntary change in 2018 when we dropped a regular (Fritsch) for an irregular (J Smith)

Victorians can’t even quarantine in WA for 14 days unless they have a special exemption.

Because Mark McGowan.

I honestly don’t think you can even if you were willing to commit. I could be wrong but it looks as though people from medium risk states such as VIC must receive special permission just to enter the state prior to their 14 days quarantine. Victoria won’t be downgraded to low risk by 11 September.

I think WA will open the border to QLD once they go 28 days without community transmission. I think you’re every chance. At the moment you can at the very least do 14 days quarantine. VICs won’t even be afforded that luxury unless they have a special reason to enter the state.

Well done on the commitment. Was it hard to get the G2G pass? The below website says only those with special circumstances can get in to WA and then quarantine for 14 days. This is reference to medium risk states such as VIC. https://g2gpass.com.au/apply