Bring-Back-Powell

Not surprised with that stat. We’ve had our best run with injury in decades.

Clarko’s parting gift to the Hawks - get as high up the ladder after some late season meaningless wins and cost themselves a mint draft pick after a mostly lousy year.

Not exactly the tastiest of menus today in terms of what’s on offer. Geelong V St Kilda the pick of the bunch, but that game could go south in a hurry if the “bad” St Kilda rocks up.

Beers on you this weekend with those odds?

BT querying as to why Dustin Martin has to do 14 days quarantine in Melbourne when he’s just came out of a QLD hospital… Umm, pretty sure he’s been out of hospital since late July. https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.afl.com.au/news/654025/dusty-out-of-hospital-but-not-heading-home-yet/amp

All things being equal I’ve got us beating Adelaide and losing to Geelong - hence finishing 3rd and getting on GWS’s side of the draw in week 2, in the event we lose week 1.

It’s a massive IF mate. And I’m not expecting it to happen. Just pointing out that GWS are carrying some brilliant form and could very well beat Sydney in week 1. Meanwhile we’ll be playing a high quality side in week 1.

Any chance Gws can extend the margin past 90? 89 was the margin of the 2019 GF.

We’re so playing GWS in the semis if things go south in week 1 finals.

We’ll be well and truly cooked if that happens. Has the potential to derail our premiership dream. Remember in rounds 12-15 of 2017 we went Monday-Sunday-Saturday-Friday night. Sure we one the first of those 3 games but didn’t have anything to give in that Friday night game Vs Sydney.

Geelong V Melbourne almost a certainty a to be Saturday night. Back to back 6 day breaks. If we finish top 2, Pert wants the qualifying final at the MCG, even in front of nobody.

Port are winning that game I reckon.

Anyone concerned about the removal of the pre finals bye? Our players aren’t robots, and after the insane amount of travel and quarantine and 60 minute quarters, the boys needs a physical and mental refresh week off IMO. We’re not Geelong who pretty much haven’t left their house for 3 weeks.

Yeah I agree with that as all members will be catered for after the corporate fat cats are catered for first. However I can’t see the members allocation being anywhere near taken up due to draconian border rules and thus plenty of GA will be available.

I must say there were a couple of games on the run home that year (WC, Dogs and Saints) when we we had a lead in the last Qtr or had all the momentum only to be run over. I’m not giving your tanking claim any credence (unless you were joking) but we certainly flushed some potential wins down the toilet in late 2019.

Unless 50,000 tickets go to corporates, I wouldn’t be surprised if the game is open up to the general public at Optus after members have been catered for. Normally in a grand final each club gets about a 15-17% allocation of club members. So at the very least that’s about 9,000 MFC members that will be catered for. But here’s the thing - how many MFC members reside in Perth to go toward that 9,000. And with the border closures, how many more are coming from interstate to get to that 9,000. Then throw in the oppositions 9,000 allocation and you’d have much the same scenario. Furthermore, 40% of the GF allocation go to AFL and MCC members, which obviously won’t be happening at a Perth GF. So I’d say the tickets will go to the general public.

The AFL and government have continually shot this thought down because of supply issues. If Brendan Murphy and the government had of put a bit of urgency on this rather than sit back and deny it was a "race", we may have been in a situation where the fully vaxed across all age segments, not just the over 40's could attend an MCG grand final. We'll leave our race too late. We'll no doubt be COVID free by mid September, but it will be too late.

I know you're referring to me with that comment and fair enough. I said I was "Quite" comfortable with a potential honorable prelim loss, but certainly not satisfied. There's a difference. "quite"" Comfortable means that I take into account a pathetic 5 win season, followed by an inconsistent 9th place finish. To go from 15th to 9th to 3rd/4th is s clear tangible improvement and a very good performance, and a great stepping stone in 2022 with our list profile. That's my definition of comfortable, and you'd be a tough critic if you were angry with a solid prelim loss given we're come from. I'm supremely confident and bullish that we'll be finishing top 2/top 4 next year and right in the mix. So just missing out on a GF this year won't be the end of the world for me like it may be for others. Satisfied is a different meaning altogether. That in my mind means that I'll spend all summer with a warm and fuzzy feeling that we didn't make yet another grand final. No way. Confirming that I certainly won't be satisfied/happy/content with a prelim loss. Being disappointed that I can't attend the grand final, despite having GF guarantees, is fair enough in my book. That's the fundamental purpose and ambition of a keen footballing fan I would've thought - to watch your team live in a grand final as opposed to watching it on TV in lock down 7 or 8. Sometimes it's ok to think of yourself and your own happiness and mental wellbeing on the back of 200 odd days of lockdown.

100% agreed. And Optus stadium is only 5,000 more capacity than AO. It's the media that are pushing the Optus Stadium and not giving any love to Adelaide Oval. The media were infatuated with Dream Time in May.

I would've thought the club were craving a week off (physically and mentally due) to the extremely challenging fortnight we've had to endure. Meanwhile Geelong stroll into finals with 3 straight games at home. I prefer the not to have the pre finals bye as it's frankly boring not having footy that weekend, but it would be good to freshen the side up.

The posters who have suggested this idea of "no jab no entry" are surprisingly fully vaccinated due to their age eligibility and claim that the under 40's have many more opportunities to see a premiership.

That comment was from Caro Wilson, who is the best in the business, so we have every reason to believe that Pert did say it. Having said that, Pert may have been referring to just the week 1 or 2 finals. I’m sure if it was the GF, his opinion would probably change.

Just to clarify, I want the Dees to win the flag just as much as anyone around here. I’ve been on this forum long enough to suggest I’m a passionate paid up Melb supporter. If given the choice between watching the Dees live at the G or at home during lock down with nobody to celebrate the win… I’d probably choose the former if I’m being honest. As for the vaccine argument, yes you’re correct. I did think it was unfair to implement a no jab no entry policy when demand exceeded supply. I have had an A-Z jab as I want to be protected ASAP, irrespective of footy.

Really hoping T Mac’s injury isn’t ongoing and he can be right for the Geelong game. I wonder if he’s had an issue since the bye? His form has been nowhere near as good as the first 12 weeks, aside from the Port game.

Eddie suggested exactly this.