Bring-Back-Powell

Excellent summary. Without T Mac our forward line doesn’t function as well, the evidence is overwhelming and the losses are starting to stack up. Fritta has only kicked 6 goals in the last 4 games which suggest he’s struggling without T Mac as the opposition have the Luxury of putting a serious defender on him.

Neither set of supporters will be going home overly happy tonight.

Hope Tomlinson puts in a better performance than his last start when Sam Reid of all people taught him an absolute footy lesson.

Why are we persisting with a small forward line when Alir Alir will mark 75% of our inside 50 entries.

It would probably help if two of his forwards didn't have a combined season goal tally of 10 goals/22 behinds between the both of them, despite one of them playing every game and the other missing just the Hawks game with COVID.

Particularly for a bloke that's probably going to finish about 19th in the best and fairest later in the year.

Did not Adelaide lose a game with Scott Burns in charge?

This is the second time Petty’s missed through COVID.

Oliver last missed round 14 - round 19 2016. Has played every game since.

Fair request for a player that’s played a bunch of 4 out of 10 games this year. As opposed to others who laughably think that we’re going to get Andrew Brayshaw in return.

Yes it was. And remarkably didn’t get the 3 votes that day. The 3 went to ANB on the back of a couple of “Joe the Goose” goals.

I would’ve thought it does…

$750k a year is probably a bit too much for an ageing injury and suspension prone player, albeit legendry player. I would imagine he'll be at Sydney next year. If they don't have confidence in T Mac's body next year, then a readymade mature key forward is absolute priority next year if we bow out meekly in the finals.

Oliver had surgery on a fractured thumb, but is still a chance to play. Same injury would have Fantasia on the sidelines for 12 weeks.

Wouldn't mind avoiding Sydney and/or Collingwood in the finals. Our record against those two sides has been absolutely atrocious and embarrassing. We have a 2-10 record against Sydney since 2012. From round 23 2017 until present, we have a 1-5 record against Collingwood, and the only win came in one of those micky mouse shortened games during 2020 in which the Pies were on a 4 day break versus our 6.

But just one of those short ones please. Not the ones that extend through to October like the last 2 years.

I thought he looked 7 weeks off in the brief video clip. But great to see him on the track.

Not a chance we were our standard home strip in an Alice Springs game.

Yeah, anyone else and I'd say no way, but Clarry strikes me as a player that would hate to miss a game. We need to prepare for him to be out, but part of me thinks he'll be there. A 10 day break should really help him here.

Unlikely I would've thought.

Agree that whilst is hasn’t aged well, our defensive intent that night would’ve beaten every club. Any danger Collingwood can lose a game anytime soon? At this rate they’re going to make the grand final. They just simply find a way to win regardless of whether the opposition is excellent or poor.

North winning today would go someway towards making up for Thursday.

Does it count that he extended his contract for one year, with that year being 2022?

I can’t be sure, but the only noticeable tactic we employed compared to pre the Brisbane win was the use of one less key forward. There didn’t seem to be too much distance from the status quo. The narrow wings probably didn’t help our structures but that was largely out of our control.

If Goodwin and Co were supremely confident we’d go 5-1 to finish the season (despite a loss last night) and hence a certainty to finish top 2, then the answer to your question is no.