Bring-Back-Powell

I often wonder what our odds were to win the flag at the start of the 2021 year, but I suspect it was around $26, which is incidentally what we are now. So I'd say the consensus was around 10th - 11th.

One top 10 and then a late first rounder IMO. He's still inconsistent (eg- near BOG against Port and then 4 possession the following week V GC) and has never been nominated in the All Australian 40 squad. He could easily get to that level though.

Because we lost 10 of our last 15 games. Some of them in quite frankly embarrassing and un Melbourne like and un Goodwin like (in terms of the majority of his coaching tenure) fashion. If you were a non MFC supporter or media pundit who had no skin in the MFC, it's only natural to go by the latest evidence that was provided to you. Last impressions last, as opposed to first impressions when we started 6-2. For example Hawthorn were 2-6 at the same time we were 6-2 in 2024. I seriously doubt people are going to take stock into that appalling start when predicting Hawthorn's ladder finish in 2025, just like most people won't factor in our impressive 6-2 start to 2024. As for your post, it's a very fair assessment IMO. And you're not wrong with the wider AFL community not rating us. In a sample of 75 predictions on the Bigfooty ladder thread, just 3 non Dees supporters tipped us to make the 8. Just 3!!

Lever looked like he was in the thick of things and must be close to full training. Hopefully we have 4 to choose from, out of May, Lever, T Mac and Petty, come our round 1 defence.

That I agree on for sure. The “I’m so desperate to get back home to WA, but I’ll only accept a trade to Freo” is a blight on our game.

Ok, that’s fair. Now point out to me examples of trades where clubs lost a quality player and received a quality player in return. Where we differ in opinion is that you think it’s fair and just that a gun player like a Young or Brayshaw should come back our way for Kozzie. My contention is that there has been no recent precedence where a gun player was traded for a gun player, and it would therefore be extremely unlikely to occur in a prospective trade between Freo and Melbourne.

My concern is that he’d be so desperate to leave later in the year that we’ll have no choice but to trade him for unders. Hopefully it won’t get to that.

It’s a not a dumb statement in the slightest because when was the last time a gun player was traded in return for a gun player: Dangerfield ❌ Bolton ❌ Rankine ❌ Barrass ❌ J Cameron ❌ Taranto and Hopper ❌L Jackson ❌ Horne-Francis ❌ the list goes on and on. Technically Port got Lukiousos in for Houston but that was a very convoluted trade I get that you want top value by way of a player in return but a club in contention will not be willing to give up one of their established players. Then the ball is in our court on whether we accept unders. We probably would if his future is untenable here.

Would rather him on the wing than half back, but definitely open minded to see how he goes down back. I can recall he turned the ball over a bit in year 1 so he needs to get that out of the game if he’s playing a quarter back type role from HB. A no to McVee in the guts. I know it was a one game sample size but they gave him a full game (or mostly full game) in the middle against Collingwood late last year and he couldn’t crack double figures in disposals, while the Daicos brothers probably had 85 between them.

IF: 1) our A graders can all stay injury free 2) we regain our hunger and pride that shockingly went missing as soon as the calendar flipped over to May last year, for many games; 3) Goodwin can deliver us a contemporary and sustainable game plan that’s better than #14 for points scored; Then I predict us to be 13-9 and clinging to 8th on percentage heading into the Collingwood away game at the G. What happens after that, you can choose your own adventure, but I think most of us know what will happen against a side that continually heaps misery on our club.

Yeah exactly, pointless crying over spilt milk. Rounds 1-3 will be instructional in to what a post Kozzie era could look like (although in fairness Mentha or even George might be Kozzie’s replacement and they obviously won’t be ready)

If (this year) they introduce future draft picks 2 years in advance, then this unfortunately will make a trade more workable/flexible if Kozzie is so desperate to leave. Freo will only give us draft picks. No chance we’ll be getting a Darcy, Brayshaw, Serong or Young as Freo will want to improve their list rather than going sideways. On the matter of Kozzie liking Freo posts, I didn’t see the issue in him liking the fact that his relative was trying out for the club. The other “likes” were obviously awkward.

Clarry had a woeful 2024 by HIS standards (not anyone else’s), but the guys’s a freak to get 35 touches and 3 Brownlow votes in round 1 off the back of a 10% pre season. That performance (and some of the club’s early season wins) sort of slipped through the cracks when assessing 2024.

I'm assuming training's at Casey today and Monday, and they'll be closed sessions. This time Last year on the Public holiday Monday they had an almost full scale intra club game open to the public. Guess that's not happening this year. Any idea if you can watch a closed session behind the fence in the outer wing at Casey, or you're wasting your time and they'll tell you to go away? Can recall in the pre season of 2021 they had no issues with supporters peaking through the fence.

I’m one of many that are banking on the fit and healthy quadrella of Gawn, Trac, Oliver and Viney to shoot us back on the ladder. However, it needs to be acknowledged that during our awful losses to West Coast and Freo mid season we had Gawn at the peak of his powers (all Aust), Trac at the peak of his powers (had an absurd amount of Brownlow votes by round 11), Viney at the peak of his powers (B&F winner) and Oliver who admittedly wasn’t as his peak, playing in those games.

What a sloppy error that was. That was one of our best wins of recent years and certainly gets overshadowed on how we finished last year. Infact we had some fine early season wins over the Dogs, Hawthorn, Port and Geelong but they seems like years ago.

Hopefully Aidan Johnson can be around the Hayden McLean mark, from Sydney. A very serviceable forward that helps out in the ruck, solid contested mark inside 50 and kicks 20-25 goals a year. Might be too much of a stretch to expect that from Johnson, but that could be his ceiling and we’d certainly benefit from it.

Good question on whether this is Kozzie's first absence from training or if he's been away for a few days. If it's the latter than the Herald Sun are in their rights to make a bit of a fuss out of it. You'd suspect the club is tailoring his pre season differently to others given he won't be seen until 4 April, down at the Cattery.

My bad. Read the wrong paragraph. Thanks for clarifying.

He also didn't mention McAdam when he was trying to spruik our forward line options.

Spot on. He just hasn't been afforded the continuity that a young player needs in order to cement his spot. Laurie's been sub in 7 of his 11 AFL games. He finally plays a full game against GWS in round 20 (the game where 6 people turned up) with a serviceable 19 possessions and then gets dropped straight away with no opportunity to back it up. Then he comes back for the dead runner against Collingwood and plays 20 or 30 minutes of footy coming on as sub when the game's basically over. With that being said, I doubt he and Woewodin make it the long run.

He also lit up a training session on Aust Day last year. There's something there but he just can't quite put it together at AFL level.

100%. No point burning the track down in January only to then eat a hot dog in the stands for the first 3 games.

Yeah I recall you wrote that we were playing North at Casey on 14th Feb. That date seemed a bit early for the first practice match,

Apparently we're off to Arden Street for a praccy match on potentially Saturday 22 February. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1262861/full-schedule-broadcast-details-tickets-on-sale-for-afl-practice-games-and-match-simulations-ahead-of-2025-season The last time we played North at Arden Street in a practice match, we had a bit of a minor pandemic a couple of weeks later....