Bring-Back-Powell

My first excuse for Thursday night is we’re tired and badly need a bye after 6 games. And yet last year we played 13 games without a bye and beat a couple of last year’s top 4 sides in the 12th and 13th game after 5 interstate trips. Last year in our corresponding 6th game we gritted out a win after coming home from a Perth-Adelaide double and had a total of 3 interstate trips as per this year. Why are we in so desperate need for a bye this at this time of the year, where as last year we went on a dominant patch between rounds 6 and 9 (albeit against lower teams). Or are we just too quick to use it as an excuse for our poor loss the other night? Max played like he didn’t need the bye.

Brisbane's pressure was the number one factor and then you can work your way backwards with your factors which are all correct. I can't recall a game which we've been pinged for holding the ball as much as last night and it happened from start to end. They would not allow us any easy possession whatsoever and inevitably stopped any promising MFC chain until the last quarter. I would be surprised if we encounter such high pressure again for the rest of the year. And I would be surprised if Brisbane bring anything near that pressure next week.

Not that affects us but Charlie Cameron got a week for his tackle on Lever. I reckon they can argue that down to low.

If we're half serious we should be winning this one by 6+ goals with all their injuries. They have an obscene injury list at the moment.

- 33 in the pressure rating (Fritsch with 1 pressure act in an entire game of AFL footy) - 29 in tackles. That's a disgrace on our behalf but it showed how much this game meant to Brisbane. If Brisbane applied half the pressure they did last night in the 2023 grand final, they'd still be celebrating a premiership. Instead they were minus 20 tackles to Collingwood and conceded a ridiculous 63 points in the first half of a GF.

I would be flabbergasted if he left Brisbane. Rock solid citizen that appears loyal to his club. Plus there's been absolutely no noise that he's looking around. Zurharr from North (who isn't having a good year) might be gettable and could solve some of our forward line woes.

Anyone know the record of holding the balls paid against a side in a game, because I reckon we witnessed history tonight. Speaks to Brisbane’s hunger tonight. Unfortunately it was a statement game from them.

What did he do?

The boys must have thought the game started at 9:30 rather than the scheduled 7:30.

The TAB has the line at 26.5pts so if we can get the final result under 4 goals then the night won’t be a complete disaster and we’ve salvaged a bit of percentage.

Was thinking exactly that. Gotta make a move when absolutely nothing is working up forward.

Petty, BBB, JVR and Fritta a combined 0 marks between them.

Shaping up to be our worst performance since the Port loss in 2020 at the Gabba.

You would imagine so with May, Lever and T Mac in defence. We still have smalls to contend with such as Cameron, McCarthy, Rayner and Bailey, so no need for Petty down back. I think our forward line needs a maximum of 2 of JVR, BBB and Petty at the one time while the third player is either in the ruck (JVR) or on the bench.

And for those looking for an MFC weekend game in Melbourne, sorry none available in the month of April.

Think you've nailed that. If the Pies are in the hunt, I can't see that round 24 game being anything but Friday night. The AFL will need weigh up the following Friday night options as follows: Round 20 - Carlton V Port or Melbourne V GWS Round 22 - Melbourne V Port or Sydney V Collingwood. The Eagles game will clearly be an off Broadway Sat arvo or Sun 1:10 game.

Given the common sentiment that debutants shouldn't debut as sub and Woewodin badly needs minutes, I can see these changes: In - Tholstrup, Laurie (sub) Out - Pickett, Woewodin. However I'd prefer either Woewodin or Tholstrup to start as sub and Laurie to remain at Casey. For such a big game this week, Laurie simply hasn't shown enough evidence that he's up to the task yet. If there was no bye next week, I reckon BBB would have been rested.

Lachie Neale's 250th. He's 4/4 in milestone games.

That seems logical given the need for Woewodin to get some much needed game time. He's averaged 14% of game time this year in the seniors. Unlike others, I'm not against a debutant starting as sub. Whatever works best for the team and I'd imagine Kolt would rather start as the sub on the big Thursday night stage as opposed to playing a full game at Port Melbourne on the weekend.

Off to the appeals on Thursday.

I assume Anderson got JVR and/or Fritta off as i couldn’t imagine why they’d go back to him otherwise.

He won’t get off, but can we bring back the defence bloke who got Fritta off in 2021 vs North.

Highly recommend going over if you enjoy seeing a couple of neutral games in addition to the Melbourne game. The city has a great vibe and everyone’s in a happy mood and having a ball (except for a couple of Collingwood ferals who were picking verbal fights with Hawks supporters outside the AO post game) I would suggest seeing the Saturday Adelaide Oval double header as the break between games is quite short. Norwood and Mt Barker have the novelty factor about them as it’s hard to fathom they’re actually playing genuine games at these venues. But I hope we never play at Norwood as the viewing is sub par.

This win really stacks up the more you think about it. I get that statistically we perhaps shouldn’t have won, but stats don’t account for the last quarter’s tenacity, determination and nailing the clutch moments that we did. I would be surprised if Port lose more than 2 games at AO this year.

I agree it was bitterly disappointing that we blew that final and it leaves a more bitter taste than the Collingwood final who were the better team on the night aside from the last quarter. However, Carlton lead for much of the second and third quarters so it’s not as if they came from the clouds to win the game, and they handled the final two minutes far better than we did. Will unfortunately hold them in good stead for future close finals in front of a packed MCG.