Bring-Back-Powell

2012 was a stinking bad year, after a somewhat promising 2010 and 2011 (prior to 186) In answer to your questions, we beat Essendon once as the only non expansion team, GWS twice and GC once. The GWS win in Canberra felt like a loss.

Will be interesting to see how much of level 4 will be open against the Hawks given the heavy rain that's forecasted. They're clearly not thinking of the supporters if they close level 4 of the southern stand in the pursuit of saving a a couple of bucks.

I understand streaming is the way of the future but it would be disappointing if Fox Footy no longer had the rights to show every single home and away game live under the next deal, and one had to pay for an additional service to watch Thursday night footy.

Rivers. He’s been our worst performed player this year.

After a shaky first 2 rounds, Hunt’s getting better by the week and should be in our side for the rest of the year. I’ve noticed his one on one defending has been excellent this year. If you’re getting the points over a tricky opponent in Bolton, you should be considered a key staple in our defence.

What ever happens, we must finish top 2 to avoid a potential Brisbane week 1 GABBA final. The club needs to aim for a 19-3 season which would guarantee a top 2 spot. No issues dropping the odd game here and there, particularly against Geelong in Geelong as we know finals won’t be played there. The idea of 22-0 is nonsense at the moment considering we haven’t played anyone of note at the moment. (I thought the dogs win in Rd 1 was a genuine scalp but not so sure at the moment)

Dunstan was concussed so will probably miss regardless. I didn’t mind his performance and he’s a very good hand baller in tight. A good insider player. They won’t drop him but ANB has played more average/poor games than good ones. How many times has he been done for holding the ball this year? Selection is easy this week: In - Lever, Viney out - Dunstan, Smith Goodwin in his presser mentioned Smith stepped up last night but I thought he was a bit of a liability and that handpass straight to Lynch was cringeworthy.

55-60K

Two random observations: 1) Dermott is the only person on the planet to call Brad Johnson “Bradley” 2) Holmes is an impressive young player. Not surprised Taylor and Co were really keen on this kid in the 2020 draft.

Looks pretty good to me. Honestly forgot about Sydney. Quietly going about their business, racking up wins and will likely finish top 4 and keep the Dogs out of that top 4.

I think the Dogs may eventually work themselves into the top 4 (see Brisbane’s slow start last year) assuming they go on a massive run over the next 7 weeks, in which their fixture is easy on paper. So I’d have the dogs in, and Freo out of the top 4 from your above scenario. Saints to finish top 4.

Everyone probably said the same thing about us this time last year when we beat mostly mediocre sides in Freo, Saints, Hawks and GWS and look how that turned out. Everyone around here will laugh St Kilda off as a chance this year but I think they’ve got the defensive traits to at least make a prelim.

St Kilda have the offensive weapons and defensive traits to win this years flag. I understand they play Sydney, Brisbane and Geelong twice this year but I’m getting the sense that they’ve got the team buy in that we had last year, and could be on the road to something special this year. And they will have chosen a good year to break their drought, post lockdowns.

What on earth has happened to Whitfield?

I love BT’s attention to detail: Mentioned this is the first AFL game in Canberra for 2 years, since before COVID. Pretty sure GWS played Dogs in Canberra on a Friday night in round 6 last year. A game which BT himself would’ve commentated, being a Friday night game. https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2021/072120210423.html

Dunstan debuts and T Mac axed..

Surely Viney would be the first player in the league to be sidelined twice by the heath and safety protocols. (First one was the practice match V North)

T Mac down back please.

Hopefully a long sleeve (for both the Anzac and Indigenous) will be ordered for Langdon or Hunt or those gents won't be happy. Last year they didn't have one for either.

The only way BBB doesn’t get selected is if they’re simultaneously punishing Brown for getting rubbed out in a meaningless VFL game while rewarding T Mac and Weid for playing in 3 good wins in a row. Surely if BBB is in our best 22, he gets selected?

Dons got 23K to their Marvel game which is way below what they historically get at Marvel.

Let’s call a spade a spade. The crowd of 20,000 was quite frankly pathetic from our supporter base. We can’t blame GWS because they don’t have any supporters. 1) It was on one of the best April Melbourne nights you will ever get from a weather perspective - 24 degrees at 7:25pm. 2) We’ve started the season magnificently to the extent that the media have us so far ahead of the second seed. 3) We’ve finally won a flag so I would’ve thought Melbourne people would be desperate to attend every single game imaginable after being denied a once in a life time opportunity to see a flag live, as well as two other finals. 4) I can’t accept or believe that 35,000 odd Melbourne members were out of town. So I’m not using the Easter holidays as an alibi for our supporter base. Pert and Co would be disappointed by such a small crowd on a marquee time slot that is Saturday night. Still a long way to go if we want to be consider a Melbourne based power house club.

I went a bit early with Carlton in saying they’re a flag chance. I don’t think it’s a sustainable model to require 7-8 goal leads at half time against poor-average sides only to fall over the line because a McKay or a Weitering took a match saving mark. St Kilda and Freo look like they have more substance to them and we may have to face of these two sides to get into a GF.

Absolutely no doubt they will be bigger. My predictions: 30K to Carlton v Port 25K to Essendon V Freo.

For perspective, Hawks got 17K to one of their games against GWS at the MCG right in the middle of their dynasty. I would’ve thought Dees fans would be treating every game like it’s their last given what most of us missed out on last year, but not to be. We’ve had 27,000 (2016) and 37,000 (2018) to previous GWS games so last nights crowd was disappointing. So to was the Essendon game in round 3 Suspect we’re under the budgeted home attendance thus far.