Bring-Back-Powell

JVR and Jefferson are theoretically our future 1-2 key forward punch and should be getting games together after the bye, in what’s clearly now a “reset” year. (It’s amazing how one loss can sink a season) Unfortunately they both played together V’s Hawthorn and it was a bit of a disaster. But we should persist with these two once finals are unofficially shot after Kings Bday.

Probably Elliott because he’s in such hot form but Hill would probably be a more suitable option for McVee.

I know it’s been suggested many times but it’s time Windsor ceases being a small defender. We can’t know for sure but it appeared as though he was manned up on Butler for much of the day who schooled him with 4 goals. Put your hand up if you thought at the start of the day that Dan Butler was going to kick 4 goals? He’ll likely spend some time on Bobby Hill this week given the in form McVee will take the in form Elliott. Windsor on Hill doesn’t take my fancy. Go and watch the Geelong win of last year and you’ll see what position he should be playing.

No chance we play 11 home games at the G. Two would be at Marvel with the Marvel tenants now begging for and the AFL granting them games at the MCG. That’s why our MCG home game allocation has reduced from 10 to 9 this year. That doesn’t change the fact that I want us out of this venue and have the home game transferred to Marvel with full awareness that it won’t be at the G. I keep thinking it’s ground hogs day when I sit down and watch an Alice Springs game - every time we put in a sloppy, careless, NIL attention to detail kind of performance full of arrogance and a complete disrespect to the opposition and the set shot.

A blessing in disguise IMO as it will force the club’s hand in bringing JVR back in the side whom we need to get going again. 5 or so games at Casey is plenty. Surely JVR will get more than 4 touches and 0.5 marks a game and provide just as much as AJ does in the ruck?

Get rid of it. It’s an absolute liability and a black hole in our fixture in terms of on field result and membership engagement ie -the rank and file not being able to attend a home game. Furthermore, there’s absolutely no home ground advantage feel about it. Sure you see the demon army up and about to the left of screen goals but there’s more than a healthy roar when the oppo kick a goal. St Kilda were distributed $3 million more than us last year from the AFL and some of that would be due to revenue forgone by not selling a home game. Sadly, and unless Guerra agrees with most of us, I think the game is engrained in the club and is a major part of our business and cultural model. Thus we’ll need to suck it up for at least the next 5 years.

It was only 12 months ago that JVR had a near career best game against Darcy Moore with 3 goals and 9 marks. Was an absolute shining light that day and looked like that genuine young key forward we’ve been crying out for. I’m glad he’ll back in the side. Far more upside and skill than AJ and now needs to be back in the side and work his way into form. AJ getting suspended is actually a good thing IMO.

Ch 10 news just then. Had a scan today. I think it will boil down to whether he’s prepared to play with the pain.

Melksham in doubt with an AC injury and technically Kozzie hasn’t been cleared yet of his gut punch yet.

Agreed. Maybe we could look at instead hosting an annual pre season fixture, spend a week up there in late Feb and net a $250K sponsorship, and then ask for an increased AFL distribution to recoup the shortfall. Play the 11th home game at Marvel. Yesterday was an immature performance against a team that shows up and plays solid footy 1 in every 3 weeks. The club should aim to win 5 of its last 10 games and end the season at a mediocre (but not embarrassing) 10-13.

At the time of the announcement I really liked what Ross Lyon and St Kilda did with respect to the conclusion of selling home games, and I like it even more now. St Kilda last year received $3 million more of AFL distribution than Melbourne did. Nathan Buckley, who knows a thing or two about the inner runnings of the AFL, suggested that the shortfall of NT sponsorship dollars that we would concede if we stopped the arrangement would be mostly or fully recouped in increased AFL distribution like St Kilda have received as a result of them not selling a game. The venue, city and occasion clearly does not work for us. The proof is in the pudding that Goodwin can’t motivate the players for this annual fixture, the players lose focus after kicking the opening 1 or 2 goals of the game (same thing happened against Freo last year), the dimensions for some reason don’t suit our game plan and the opposition seem to always bring their best footy. We’re also incredibly inaccurate. I hope our new CEO Guerra seriously considers a move out of Alice Springs and either forges a new home away from home where we can foster a genuine competitive advantage like Hawthorn do in Launceston, or we bring that 11th home game to Marvel (clearly it won’t be the MCG). It’s wonderful that we receive $1 million for a fixture that has sunk our 2024 season and and has probably also sunk our 2025 season.

Whomever was on Butler can have a spell in the 2’s.

Was Kozzie’s deliberate punch in the guts a fine or a 1 weeker? Don’t expect any MRO marginal calls to go his way.

A lot of people were critical of our second half inaccuracy of 1.12 today but it was nowhere near our worst ever half of 1.15 back in 1979 against Hawthorn.

Has the club released the “all of the behinds” video on the MFC website yet?

No. If last year was an indication.

What’s to stop the AFL next year scheduling us in an away game against Gold Coast in Darwin in round 9 and then our home Alice Springs game in round 12? Agree with you that it’s strange we’re playing St Kilda up there as opposed to a Freo or Port but that might be a good thing??

Agreed. Would’ve been awesome to head to the G on back to back sunny Sunday arvos with the vibes as high as they’ve been for a long time. However, It’s no point sooking it up as we’ve shown no indications we’re going to leave the Alice anytime soon, unless Guerra has other ideas.

It’s way too early to scoreboard watch but it’s annoying that both GWS and Freo won on the same day. Teams in the 6th to 10th region are going to need to slip up which GWS almost did or not be causing shock upsets in the road in Freo’s case if teams below them are going to make finals. GWS are way too inconsistent this year to be a threat. It’s as if they needed a 3 quarter time speech by Cal Ward to dig them out of hole over lowly Richmond.

Did anyone listen to the DeeBrief podcast with Robbo's Rundown the other day? Robbo said we're doing absolutely everything we can to keep him and the podcast's host "Naughtsie" was told second hand from a Melbourne best 23 player that it's clear and obvious that the club is going absolutely above and beyond for Kozzie. Robbo has us at a 60/40 chance of keeping him. But my question is: was he talking about 60/40 keeping him next year, or 60/40 extending him when his contract expires. That part wasn't clear. Robbo also revealed that he personally received offers from other clubs that were so far in excess of what we offered him back in the day. He brought those offers to the attention of the club, the club refused to budge and yet he remained loyal to the MFC. The MFC treated him like family since he moved over from Tassie and he therefore couldn't leave them. I'd post a youtube link of the episode, but I feel as though the podcast producer is a competitor of Demonland so I decided not to.

I recall that too. There was some fascination in getting Maynard to the club due to his talent and the fact that his Dad played for the club. Prior to the Gus incident he didn't receive much or any vitriol around here. In fact he was commended for diffusing a post game Kings B'day 2023 incident between Trac and a Pies player (Cox?)

What would you do if we sign Maynard up as a free agent at the end of the year?

I reckon the entire channel 7 team will be there as it is a designated CH 7 game. The Foxtel calling team till be calling from a studio aside from the designated boundary rider who will be at the game. Apparently the callers at the studio have access to vision that the viewer doesn't while they're watching the game live.

I hope that's not the case I'd be prioritising the game we have a better chance of winning, otherwise we run the risk of losing both games.

Collingwood have also beaten both of last year’s Grand finalists.