Bring-Back-Powell

I always find Gary Lyon's weekly MVP players on AFL 360 interesting. This year he's expanded it from the best 3 players to the best 5 players of the week. Interesting that he gave Naughton votes but not JVR despite both kicking 6. However I'm glad that he gave Max 4 votes as he had a tendency without fail last year to give a Melbourne oppo the 3, 2 or 1.

Not surprised to hear this. In his original press conference he showed (what I thought to be) genuine gratitude and appreciation on not only landing a head coaching role but landing it at the MFC. A fantastic first up result but mindful that we have some genuine tough games in Freo, GC and Brisbane coming up.

How many players have been nominated for goal of their year with their first goal?

Tracs’s got the Brownlow sown up. Another 3 goal haul.

Has the round 0 club actually had that much of an advantage over the team that didn’t play? 1) Richmond objectively outplayed Carlton in the second half which is completely at odds with what people are concerned about - the rested team being out gassed towards the end. 2) does anyone actually think Essendon would’ve beaten or come very close to beating Hawthorn had they also played last week? 3) Adelaide completely debunked the theory by knocking off the match hardened Collingwood in a statement win. Whilst the Pies came back in the last quarter, the Crows were able to get that second wave of energy and kick a couple of late sealers. 4) the one game that may support this theory is Freo fading against Geelong. However, if Longmuir can’t defend a 35 point lead, he has bigger problems than AFL fixturing. Furthermore, we played GWS in round 1 last year in the same scenario and took them all the way to the finish line in a fine performance, albeit a loss.

Was appalling today.

Interesting comment by Longmuir. 1) they were one of the rare teams to beat a round 0 team in 2024. 2) in 2025 their opponent Geelong actually don’t play round 0 due to the canceled game in QLD. 3) you had big enough lead. It’s on you to protect a 6 goal lead.

Meanwhile Adelaide (in the exact same scenario as Freo) got the job done against Collingwood despite being outsiders. If you’re good enough, you’re good enough.

Karma for his smug post game interview last week. I can’t see any bitterness in his and club’s pathetic performance today. (In fairness Clarry hasn’t done much wrong but hasn’t helped his team either)

Bulldogs: how do you go a half of footy without one player scoring a behind?

Agreed. A player improving by the week and appears to be a regular in their talented best 23. Has started well today with a goal.

Yeah that’s my only query on selection. Sharp was awful in his last 7 games of last year only managing 0.5 while Melksham was nailing 52 metre goals against Collingwood on the Friday night stage. There’s no substitute for class. It’s a new season and chapter so we’ll see how it pans out.

Sam McClure says the club is expecting 50,000 on Sunday. He also mentions that we’ll be coming out of a different race before the game. We should also be expecting an NBA style atmosphere. Guerra is livid with our pathetic membership numbers and is promising a totally different game day experience to attract membership.

King said we gained 2,000 during Tuesday's membership drive.

I think I read that we're about the third or fourth oldest list in the league when you combine age and games played. Melksham, Steele, T Mac and Mihocek certainly do the heavy lifting in that department.

I'm not fussed about the concept of songs after each goal. I attend other games and most home teams have songs after each goal so I'm accustomed to it. But geez, that's a BOG ordinary list of songs...

I was worried Richmond would look super rusty and under prepared against Carlton who had the supposed advantage from playing the week before. Aside from a poor start, Richmond were the better team for 3 quarters and you honestly couldn't perceive any advantage. If anything Richmond looked fresher and more rested? Or maybe Carlton are genuinely woeful?? Hopefully the Saints playing the week before won't be the advantage a lot of us may think it could be for Sunday's game.

The fifth bench spent Is perfect for an underdone Melksham, who can ideally play about 50% of game time. Petty a little lucky to get a gig if his role on Tom Lynch (2.3 in a half) iwas an indication of things to come. T Mac, Heath and Sharp to miss is my tip.

How good is it that we have a full round of games. checks fixture and finds out the next time we have 9 games in a round is in round 5

For some reason I reckon North V Port might be a decent game. Probably close. Agree with the Suns V Eagles game. Will likely be one of the worst one sided games of the year.

It hurt like nothing else being at that game. The humiliation walking out of Marvel while St Kilda supporters were celebrating harder than their 1966 premiership will be hard to forget. The coach had to be sacked after that game as the entire "on field" component of the club lost the plot in a quarter of footy, after a prolonged period (30 odd games) of poor results and downward trends. However, things happen for a reason, and as you said the club was crying out for a fresh start.

I think that's a good idea. Langdon did a good job on Nick Daicos keeping him to 19 touches last year and the latter's lack of influence went a long way to us almost pinching the game despite us being in the midst of a horror month of performances. A good job on NAS this Sunday and we're in with a shot. NAS must receive a close tag IMO. St Kilda will only go as far as NAS will take them this year. Last year he averaged 32 possessions in both games against us and single handily beat us in the round 20 Marvel game. Had he not played that game, we 99.99% win it and Goodwin might be still coaching us.

You can aways get an indication of the crowd the day before the game, when they release the GA areas on the MCG website If they close the 4th level of the Warne stand (which has only become a recent thing for MFC games) you’re looking at a sub 40,000 crowd. I expect high 30’s based on previous games between the 2 sides at the G.

Two per year but it’s understood Gold Coast are trying to reduce that to one game or even none.

The media are raving about his game because he's set the bar so low over the 2024-2025 period compared to his halcyon days prior to mid 2023. Does anyone remember the day he had 38 touches and 3 goals against Adelaide in a rare 2021 loss? You couldn't get a more complete midfielders game than that one. Last Saturday was not in the same stratosphere as that one. With that being said, he was second best on the ground from the people that know the game the best - the GWS and Hawthorn coaches.