Bring-Back-Powell

1) Goal kicking accuracy in the crunch games. It's all well and good to kick 22.7 against North or 19.12 against West Coast in low pressure early season games, but when the heat's on we were found wanting in this area. Badly. The only finalists that got away with inaccuracy were GWS in the semi and Collingwood in the GF but they had midfielders and forwards that kicked the clutch goals that we could not in our finals. 2) Midfield accountability. Two games we lost directly because the oppo's star midfielder took direct control of a game of footy. One of them was the 3 point Port loss in round 10 where Butters had 41 touches and 2 goals in driving wet. The other was the Carlton 2 point semi loss where Walsh had 34 touches and 2 goals (insane stats for a high stakes final) including allowing him to kick a goal within the first minute of the last quarter which erased out third quarter ascendancy. If neither of these events occur, we win these games due to the close nature of them Beat Port and we finish second. Or failing that, beat Carlton and we're off to Brisbane. So very costly. I'm sure there is a shopping list of other items we need for next year, but these two stick out for me.

I’m tipping we’ll get Sanders or O’Sullivan as our first pick.

Happy for the ladies to take the majority of the $250K, if not all, available to all players. They’ve represented our club with absolute aplomb.

Good summary to read. Does the weakest premier equate to a team that are the masters in winning the close ones? Since round 1 2022, they're 13-3 in games decided by 6 points or less, while we're 5-4 in the same period. That close winning habit paid massive dividends for them this September. Until they lose that ability, they'll likely win next year's flag too, unless their group of 30+ year olds fall off the cliff. They also have blokes like Sidebottom, De Goey and Crisp that nail 55 metre goals from the set shot and on the run in high pressure moments, while our leaders such as Trac and Gawn spray them all over the place. I don't buy into the notion that we're better than Collingwood until we start beating them on a consistent basis.

Gone are the days are all of Trac, Oliver and Gawn having a mortgage of the top 10/15 of everyone's list but well done to Viney for cracking #7. Never thought I'd see him that high! The umpires loved his season too.

Pass mark is to win a final. We might benefit to finish 5th or 6th rather than 3rd or 4th to get some of that straight set exit pressure off our shoulders and then make the GF the long way. I don’t think any MFC supporter could handle another two MCG finals losses without a September win. It’s humiliating.

I reckon they’ll use Reid as an investment. He’ll no doubt want to come back to VIC in 3 years so WC can ask for trade of the equivalent of what Collingwood would get for N Daicos. Say 3 first round picks with 2 in the top 10, or an established super star with a first rounder attached.

^^^ Quality movie.

Unless he's a culture killer and St Kilda couldn't wait to get him out the back door, then I can't see one ounce of downside in getting a player who once had a 30 possession/5 goal game and recorded 12 Brownlow votes in one particular year, for a future 3rd rounder. At worst he's simply replacing JJ or Harmes in the depth department at maybe 250K a year?? Sounds like a good bit of business at this stage.

Josh Jenkins has been the first media bloke to actually talk up Fullerton. Said he’d be a really good fit for the 85/15 forward- ruck role. If Fullerton’s good enough to get a consistent game he’ll allow JVR to focus as a full time forward to partner up with Petty.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as it was an informal spur of the moment chat with channel 9 as compared to a pre-planned press conference, and he may have gotten his words mixed up. But, yeah, you can definitely sense that he wants to play for Adelaide as early as next year. I have no issue with players seeking a return home due to homesickness (although one wonders why they embarked on a vocation that could involve interstate relocation in the first place), but I have an issue with the home sick player picking and choosing which club he wants to play for in that state.

Many had the same concerns about Hunter this very day last year, but we managed to get 24 games out of him. I'm confident we've done our due diligence if we end up getting him.

Hopefully Jack Billings 2024 = Tom Mitchell 2023. (4th best player on ground in a winning GF wouldn't be too shabby either)

Or in poor Ollie Henry's case, 45 minutes down the Princes Hwy.

That was definitely a fun season of footy highlighted by 2 memorable MCG finals wins over the highly fancied Carlton and 13 goal thumping over the Dogs. Our forward line was so potent on its good days. However we were too inconsistent that year. Started like a house on fire at 5-0, but then somehow ended up losing 8 of their next 10 games with one of them being to Sydney who hadn't won a game at the MCG since 1991. We were then forced to play "elimination finals" for the rest of the H&A season going 4-2 in the last 6 games and ended up nudging out Richmond by percentage. We did the complete opposite in 1995 losing our first 6 games, winning 9 of our next 11 and then losing our last 5. We were too inconsistent under Balme in his first 3 years (1993-1995) and then injuries and in house politics in 1996 and 1997 cruelled he and the team as he was sacked in round 9 1997.

I know this occurred back in 2017 but how many other current players aside from Billings have joined the 30 + possession/ 5 goal club in a game? He also scored 162 dream team points which is absurd. I'm not advocating that he joins us on the back of one game 6 years ago against a poor Carlton, but it speaks volumes of the talent that is there. If we get him, hopefully he'll provide a solid Lachie Hunter style 20+ games. We couldn't realistically ask for more.

Given Kozzie is unavailable for round 1, I'd say that increases his chances that he does walk into the starting line up. I would think that the club views him as a locked in best 23 player to start the season but I could be wrong.

The club might be happy to be involved in this as it gives them prime time exposure when the footy world will be starving for footy, with only 2-4 games on that weekend. As I mentioned above, there are conflicting reports with relation to who is involved. One source suggested we may not even be involved on that weekend.

Good. 60.28 since 2021 (2023 was injury and suspension riddled) could/should result in some much needed reliability in front of goal.

It reads as if Collingwood actually want to go up there in round 1.

Proposed week 1 scenario according to Sam McClure who seemed very confident: Gold Coast V Richmond Brisbane V Carlton Sydney V Collingwood GWS v Essendon

McClure suggesting Melbourne won’t be involved in the weekend. And a couple of games will be in QLD on the same weekend.

If this comes to fruition, it would be our first ever round 1 game interstate that wasn't in Perth. Strangely, we wouldn't have the following week off. Hopefully it will be the week before gather round as we look gassed in Adelaide last year.

We will definitely be going to Alice next year, though it's unknown what round. I used round 16 as an example of when he could potentially return in 2024.

Given Melksham's in the twilight of his career, they may be inclined to rush him back a bit quicker than if a kid has done his ACL. Hopefully he's fit and available by round 16-18 and he can replicate his 2023 season - i.e. - return for the round 16 Alice Game and then make an extremely large contribution from that point onwards. We missed him dearly in the finals. Even in the round 24 Sydney game before he did his knee, he had 2 goals to his name and was causing havoc to Sydney's defence.