Bring-Back-Powell

Tomorrow’s been reported as the big day for all the fixture nerds.

Training in an outer South Eastern suburb does not explain Fritsch missing a goal badly from 15 metres out on a slight angle and Windsor missing the most elementary 30 metre set shot directly in front on a perfect windless early afternoon game before the dew has set in. A lot of the boys couldn't handle the pressure on Saturday.

A player hasn't been suspended for years for a tripping offence.

True, but if fit and available he'd be their number 1 key forward. I'm sure Hawthorn are planning for Lewis in September. We had the biggest drop off members in 2024. Two years in a row is a massive concern.

The 7 Hawthorn players that would easily play in Hawthorn's first final that didn't play on Saturday are: Day, Scrimshaw, Nash, Lewis, Dear, McKenzie and Barrass. I've asked Hawthorn supporting friends and colleagues and then checked on the Hawks Bigfooty Forum. They were all in furious agreement that all those players are clear best 23, or in Lewis's case best 23 when fit.

Fair call for sure. We invested a high draft pick on Jeffo, so its fair to give him a block of games to see (a) whether he's up to it and (b) hopefully fast track his development with AFL rather than VFL experience. It's just that he didn't show a thing on Saturday. Perhaps he might perform better with more experienced forwards such as Petty and Melk along side him this weekend. (but he probably makes way and JVR retained)

I've been dead against dropping Fritta as it feels as though we're gifting the opposition by allowing them not to face a 50-60 goal a year forward (at his best) that can nail a devastating goal at any point of the forward arc. However, Saturday was one poor game too many in what's been a really poor season. 4 touches, 1 mark and 2 regulation misses - one an absolute joke of a miss. He was a liability on the weekend, needs to go to Casey and probably needs a new club next year as his form slump is now 12 months old (barring a nice fortnight against West Coast and Essendon in July 2024) In - Melksham, Petty, and one of Laurie or Sestan (to debut) Out - Fritsch, Jefferson, Kolt

A loss to the Hawks with 7 of their best 23 players out, all of whom would absolutely be in their side if a final was played tomorrow. Another last quarter fade out. Continued inept inaccuracy on the most perfect day of footy. The same old deficiencies rearing their head on our biggest test of the year to date. He's simply out of form as a coach and has been for a long period of time.

Our accuracy has been an absolute disgrace this year, headed by the best player in our side. Real bush league standard garbage. Interesting that in 4 games where we've kicked more goals than behinds, we're 3-1 and that loss was a good effort V GWS. Conversely, when we kick more behinds than goals we're 0-5. Clearly a coincidence right?

Harvey Langford received 8 coaches votes if you don’t mind.

That's extremely pleasing news. Just assumed he'd be back around King's b'day or thereabouts.

If he was technically good to go against the Hawks, I have no idea why he was "managed" for a season defining game when we had soldiers already down in Petty and Viney. We certainly do not have the luxury or have earned the wins in the bank to start resting players. If necessary, they could have rested him for a probable road trip loss to Brisbane and have him fit and fresh for a winnable game against Sydney the following week.

GWS lost some absolute best 22 players in Perryman, Cumming and Peatling who would have objectively have made them a better side this year, and might explain why they've dropped out of premiership contention right at the moment, even accounting for their win obligatory/annual Geelong win yesterday. They probably couldn't or wouldn't let yet another player depart their building whom they saw a future in. If this guy continues to progress in the VFL but overlooked in the seniors , then we should be able to acquire him as he's out of contract at the end of the year and GWS would be unable to play hard ball this time.

Berry's a good player who plays well against the Dees, and seems to pop up with a clutch goal against us. It's something I guess...

Not sure I'd be calling someone that's recently averaged 21 brownlow votes a year a spud.

I get your conspiracy theory but he won’t get suspended for that. A silly match day report from the umpire considering they seldom make them anymore.

Weid would be serviceable in our forward line this year. At least he can take a contested mark unlike JVR and Jeffo.

I thought we were also comprehensively outnumbered (at least from a noise perspective) at our Anzac Eve home game. 50,000 was a good crowd number yesterday considering most crowds between the two sides have been high 30’s - low 40’s over the last 10-15 years.

Respectfully disagree that we were the better team. We lead for about 3 minutes of the game, Hawthorn kept responding like a good team does whenever we applied a bit of scoreboard pressure and destroyed us in the last quarter. Sure there were some positives today, and we had them on toast at times, and Langford and XL were exciting.

Hawthorn’s last quarter dominance rendered our countless blown opportunities and the Kozzie umpiring debacle irrelevant. Today 100% confirms that we simply don’t have the requisite AFL fitness to play out a game, specifically against quality oppo. And hawthorn were gettable today. 7 absolute best 22 out today and they played like they were gettable throughout a lot of the game.

Who’s responsible for 8 out of the last 9 last quarter fade outs?

Sharp's either been a starting sub or subbed out in the last 5 games. Surely it comes to a point where he needs a full game in the seniors or at Casey?

I'm predicting a pretty ho-hum fixture when the balance is announced in 2 or 3 weeks. GC V Melbourne - Sat 7:40pm (PFS) Adelaide V Melbourne - Sun 3:20pm (AO) Melbourne V North Melbourne - Sun 1:10pm (MCG) Carlton V Melbourne - Sun 3:20pm (MCG) St Kilda V Melbourne - Sun 3:20pm (Marvel) Melbourne V West Coast - Sun 4:40pm (Marvel) Melbourne V W Bulldogs - Sat 4:35pm (MCG) Hawthorn V Melbourne - Sun 3:20pm (MCG) Collingwood V Melbourne - TBC (MCG)

100%. Battle's an intercept marking king and had an absurd 33 possession/12 mark game last week. I would've like Melksham to have played a role on him as a defensive forward. Sicily could get thrown forward at some stage.

Add Mitch Lewis and Nash to the list of clear best 23 players missing. So they have 7 players out that they'd love to have in a final. We have Lever, Viney, Petty and Melksham missing from ours. From a quantity point of view you'd say Hawthorn are more depleted, but it feels like our outs hurt more. Time will tell. I suppose Hawthorn bat deeper than us.