Bring-Back-Powell

Because it wasn’t at the MCG. Pure and simple. I haven’t heard the media devalue it but many of the average fan on social media has.

He's been a very solid coach of the Melbourne Football Club. That is not up for debate. I've been impressed with how he adapted to injuries in the second half of 2023 (Fritta, Petty, Melk) and how he's dug our club out of an absolute mid season hole this year. The way the under 23's are currently performing is an absolute credit and endorsement to Goody and his development staff. To call him an MFC legend is, however, up for debate in my opinion. As it is for Bevo and the Dogs who are both comparable coaches IMO in terms of the ultimate success and quantity of finals wins.

It’s a good question. You’d imagine Trac resting up for the entirety of July and most of August would be sufficient recovery time to have him back training in September. However he’d be so un match fit for a final so one would think we won’t see him again. Whether we can go anywhere without Trac remains to be seen. Our injury list is in otherwise good shape, touch wood.

So it basically confirms that Gawn will be available for GWS which is massive.

Does he get first crack on the "starting to get into a bit of form" Toby Greene next week?

None of the lads on First Crack have predicted us to make the 8. That includes Joey Montagna who's been our number 1 fan and defender the last 2 years and King who was the first analyst to jump on the MFC bandwagon (and the first to jump off) in 2017/2018. I think this group will enjoy the tag of under dog going into the final weeks. We already saw it in the first 5 weeks of the season when everyone wrote off us due to our culture, but we responded with a 4-1 start and a magnificent Adelaide Oval double. I can't explain what went wrong between the Carlton game through to Kings B'day. If we are to make the finals, and play an elimination final (particularly interstate), I think there will be less pressure on the boys this time around. There won't be that fear of going out in straight sets and that might help in their conversion around goals which was the main reason we didn't win a final. If the Freo game doesn't work out, then the GWS game is essentially last chance saloon due to our percentage.

Hopefully we change the script this year but the Dogs typically get us in the return game (2021, 2022) of each year

Agree with the OP. Is only signed to the end of 2025.

I reckon he's been a good replacement for Joel Smith who probably would've been a fixture of our 2024 forward line had he not been rubbed out. Both players are fantastic set shots for goal. Smith kicked 11.4 in 14 games last year while Disco has already managed 11.3 in 9 games.

Would slot in nicely at half back for us.

Harley Reid looks on early. Go Eagles!

Confirmed in the 8 🎉

After last night’s brilliant effort we could still end the weekend outside the 8 if Port win. Clearly GWS will beat Richmond and Brisbane most likely over WC. So let’s go Suns! Probably going to need 13 wins plus a good % to make the 8 this year.

And after a week off from weekend works, replacement busses will return just in time for our GWS game in 2 weeks.

A Freo Bigfooty members opinion of Luke Jackson: Good spoil Jackson, you absolute waste of money

Pretty much agree with this with respect to our injury list. Our injury issues have been quality rather than quantity, and we’ve been able to plug holes. Whether we can plug the ruck hole will be answered tonight and next week.

Luke Jackson absolutely copping it on the Freo forum. Can’t take a mark for peanuts.

The only reason I hope it rains is because Gawn plays his worst games in wet weather, so in essence we wouldn’t really be missing him. However, you’re right in relation to hoping for a dry game. Our performances last year in wet weather as well as the Carlton game this year have been largely deplorable. We’re not a highly skilled side at the best of times, and wet weather only exacerbates our skill issue.

For those into good luck charms and superstitions, we’re 15-3-1 for Saturday night games since round 1 2021. Already 3-0 this year.

Yes absolutely. Geelong after round 17 2000 had a percentage of 96.8, and had a 9-7-1 record. Yet they were 4th on the ladder at the time.

They’ve got Fremantle, Sydney and Brisbane away in the last month so there’s no where to hide for them. I’d imagine to finish top 4 they’ll certainly have to win one of those 3 games. So eventually they’ll have to finally beat a premiership contender to earn their top 4 spot. Arguably they already have by beating GWS. I suspect they’ll be a North Melbourne of 2007. Get spanked in the qualifying and prelims while sneaking over the line in semi.

That selection was literally Simon’s worst moment as coach of the MFC. Fancy not utilising a fresh sub on an unseasonably warm September night. Carlton bring on a fresh Ollie Hollands who was instrumental in the winning chain of play then ended in the Acres goal and heartbreak for us. Meanwhile we have a 201cm immobile player warming the bench for the entire game. We can’t afford to have these selection shenanigans.

Remember that 2022 game well. We were all panicking that Gawn and Jackson were both out and had Weid as first ruck and Mitch Brown as his back up. But we ended up beating the Crows away despite losing to them the prior year with Gawn in the losing side. And last year Port had to call up an 18 year old kid that was absolutely not ready for AFL footy with about 4 hours notice to head up their ruck department. The game was against Essendon on a damp early July night at the MCG and Port beat them after the siren. Gawn’s bail out contested marking around the ground is absolutely irreplaceable. However the last 2 weeks there has definitely been more energy, spark and commitment to pressure to suggest that we can takes it up to the Dons and register one of our best wins of the last couple of years. And lastly, we strangely have a superb Saturday night record since round 1 2021. It’s something like 15-3 and a draw. And one of those losses was the controversial Trac touched call against Carlton last year.

Given Essendon were kind enough not to select Goldstein we could win as many as 5 centre clearances on Saturday night.

I would’ve thought Weid would be literally the last AFL listed player behind BBB to cop a suspension. And sure enough both have copped suspensions over the last 12-18 months.