Bring-Back-Powell

I’m flabbergasted beyond belief that people tipped Collingwood to miss finals. The most obvious rebound year imaginable.

Head over to the “Time to Go Goody” thread at 9:40pm local time.

Adelaide almost kicked half of our total season goal tally in one night. In a loss.

In fairness, the way Geelong smacked Freo in round 1 at GMHBA and proved their bona fides last night against Adelaide with a few best 22 out, I’d suggest a lot of teams would’ve lost by 6 goals to Geelong last week, like we did. Sometimes it all it takes is for a horribly out of form team to put in an improved effort in terms of being in the game for 3 quarters and they then reference that as a turning point going forward. We were objectively better last week for 3 quarters until our mistakes and lack of forward options did us in. However we just can’t kick a winning score with this current squad and don’t have the forward line to rectify this IMO.

A new day and the selections are still baffling. I normally don’t get too upset with selections but this week has gotten to me. We have the worst forward line in the league and he’s done literally nothing to address it other than drop Turner who is one of the rare players on this list that can nail a set shot to save himself. I’m assuming Petty’s playing forward this weekend. Otherwise we’re going to have a forward line that will contain literally zero key forwards when JVR’s rucking or on the bench. And they’ll be talking about the chronically maligned Ben McKay being the best key defender in the league for a week.

I still can’t work out the Fullarton non selection. What kind of message does it send that you can kick 10 goals and take a bunch of marks in 3 VFL games but still not get selected in the AFL’s worst forward line? Once again we’re setting JVR up for failure as he has to lead this impotent forward line. Yet, furthermore we also drop a player who actually has an ounce of goal kicking craft and isn’t allowed to string 2 games together while others like Sharp and Spargo have a golden pass off doing next to nothing this season. I’m really concerned where we are heading under Simon Goodwin.

Maybe Petty starts up forward. Been objectively bad as a defender the last 3 weeks and perhaps we only need 2 tall defenders for Draper and Caddy

A real “phone it in” effort at selections by Goodwin and Co. Tell me who’s going to be our key forward when JVR is rucking or on the bench?

And the AFL's love of Carlton sees them involved in the weekend's 9th ranked interesting game at Adelaide Oval.

If anyone left the MCG that day thinking we'd win a grand final by 12 goals that year after that scrappy round 1 win, then you need to play tattslotto more often than not.

Happy for Fritta to get another go. He was better last week and has kicked 0.6 the last 2 weeks. Whilst that sounds like a negative, it's only a matter of time until he starts punishing the opposition. I get the rationale behind minimal changes as we were slightly better last week, but it we lose the next 4, then he'll have to blow the entire side up. I hope Fullarton gets a go this week. Our forward line isn't working at the moment and lacks height.

I'm staggered we got centre court again this Gather Round after our poor end to 2024.

I’m giving all parties the benefit of the doubt here and assume that because the show was over in Adelaide for Gather Round there was no room for his segment this week. In the unlikely event that Goodwin’s already pulled the pin on the segment, then it tells me he’s feeling the pressure in the worst possible way. He’s already appeared to have canned his own post game MFC website segment after just one week.

Exactly. Our draw gets laughable after round 9 with games against Hawthorn, Brisbane, Sydney, St Kilda and Collingwood. Ouch.

It's going to be 27 degrees at opening bounce and 24 by final siren. Perfect conditions for a team that runs out last quarters as well as we do.

I see it more as 0-8 instead of 2-6 as the benchmark. I reckon the board and supporters will be doing cart wheels if we're 2-6 after round 8. The brand of football we've played the last 3 weeks simply can't win games of AFL. Against anyone (aside from maybe WC in Melbourne)

Even Harmes is a loss. Clearly in Dog's best 22 who are miles better than us as a club. A couple of poor games in 2023 and his papers are stamped.

Agreed. I wouldn't rush Tholstrupp back this week and I'd give McVee a week at Casey next week. Bringing in under done players who are a fraction off the pace (eg- Spargo) just hasn't worked well for us, nor should it for other sides.

That's great to hear. But should they look at bringing him back via Casey for 1 week to shake the cobwebs out. He's missed a lot of footy. I note that Freo brought back Hayden Young via the WAFL last week.

Not related to this week but Luke Jackson could miss our game with a hammy. Probably won't make much of a difference tot he result but it's hard to watch a former Dee dominate you game after game.

Hard to believe that this time last year THIS TEAM (only Lever and McVee out for Bowey and Melksham) had just beaten Port Adelaide and Adelaide at Adelaide Oval within 5 days, and then beat the league leaders in Geelong 3 weeks later. Out of all the horrendous on and off field happenings, these achievements just gets buried under everything. Heading to 5 of the 8 non MFC games. Pies/Sydney and Saints/GWS the pick of the bunch.

Is a key cog in the league leader's midfield, despite missing the last few games with injury. A yes from me. Not sure why he'd leave Hawthorn when they're on the cusp of potential premierships.

IN - Fullarton, Lindsey Out - Spargo, Sharp I get the want for Fritta and JVR to be dropped but they're supposed to be our major source of goals and it's only letting the opposition off the hook if we further deplete our forward line. So many players on severe notice it's not even funny.

I mentioned this months ago but I was reading the Brisbane Lions Bigfooty forum during grand final week. I was checking into to see who would replace Oscar Mac in the ruck. A couple posters suggested that Fullarton could've had the chance to play in a GF had he remained with Brisbane as he wasn't that far below Fort as an option to replace McInerny. Anyway, another poster chimed in and said that Fullarton and his Dad had a major falling out with the MFC during 2024 and they were most upset with the club at the time. Could be BS, but I'm not sure of the upside of someone making up a story like that on grand final week, on the Lions forum discussing ruck replacements that have nothing to do with Melbourne. If he doesn't get selected this week I dare say his papers are stamped.

No I don't think he'll add much to our team. However there's a thing called selection integrity. He's kicked 10 goals in 3 games in the VFL while our AFL forward line is worse than 2013. By round 4 2013 we'd kicked 48 goals. This year we've kicked 34 goals through 4 games. The point is VFL form should be rewarded while the senior boys aren't getting the job done.