Bring-Back-Powell

Is Jed Adams close to a game yet? With Tomo gone we're down a player in the defensive depth chart, and we're going to need coverage for when May and/or Lever are unavailable. Despite Petty's ordinary season, he's a key re-signing as we can use him as defensive cover.

Port or GWS would disappoint me the least. Absolutely no interest in Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Carlton and to a lesser extent Geelong winning it. Brisbane and Sydney = meh.

You guys can rejoice for another 3 years. It should but won't be happening until Tassie enter the comp. The Wild Card round doesn't reward mediocrity. It rewards high performance by guaranteeing the top 6 teams qualify for finals. The top 8 essentially becomes a top 6 after round 24 is completed. How is that rewarding mediocrity?

The boys on the Tackle last night were egging Melbourne to be one of the teams, setting us up for another media lashing. The Petracca narrative. The Oliver narrative. The Goodwin narrative. As I've said before, happy for the Dees not to participate in OR next year, and focus on a low key round 1 match up. They also mentioned that Wild Card round probably won't be happening until Tassie come in.

The club needs to fly under the radar early next year after all the negative PR it’s copped for a long while now. Therefore I think it’s best we don’t participate in OR and risk the media sinking the boots into us if we lose yet another prime time game and further upsetting the fan base. Plus it does nothing for membership as the game would be interstate. Another factor is that won’t be tempted to rush players back who aren’t ready, like we did with Spargo. A WC or GC on Sunday 1:10 at the MCG in round 1 proper would be ideal for the club .

His failure to kick from 40 metres out was staggering in his brief appearances with us. I recall he nailed a shot on the boundary at Kardinia Park in 2022 or 2023 where the 50 meets the boundary line. One of the toughest kicks in footy. I'm not giving up hope, but if he's in and out of rehab again all summer, then it will be 2024 all over again.

I am truly staggered by the lack of interest around here in Houston. "we dodged a bullet", one poster said. If missing out on a genuine A grader is "dodging a bullet" then I need to follow another sport. Do people not watch Port games? This guy is a genuine star of the game as validated by his back to back All Australian blazers. We're not just talking about sneaking into the squad like a Massimo D'Ambrossio. We're talking back to back starting 18. He will dramatically improve the MFC next year and he's in the age bracket which suggests he's in the peak of his career. His ball use is exactly what we need. If you need anymore convincing, check out the below:

I hope not either. But still, Houston is a reigning two time All Australian who can nail the passes from half back that nobody in our side can dream of doing, and would also solve our deplorable inside 50 entries when given the opportunity. He would transform our side I believe, and assist greatly in our offensive game plan. he would set the field up with his kicking from defensive 50. Something that Salem and Bowey should be doing consistently but don't. Pick 5 will likely (but not 100%) be a great player for our club. Houston will 100% be a great player for us.

Is that new for Opening round next year as Richmond were involved this year and they didn’t play finals in 2023?

I reckon that’s pretty fair. Port will gamble on us being bottom 6 again, so essentially pick 6 and 22 valuation for Houston.

Jon Ralph has joined in the chorus that we’re still in this. We absolutely should be chasing Houston,

As we shouldn't. We're not crying out for a player of Houston's ilk. We're screaming out for a player of Houston's ilk.

I don't think we're a snowball's chance of winning a premiership. We simply don't have the skill level required. Our goal kicking is league average and some weeks can be really good. However our field kicking and decision making is atrocious and getting worse under Goodwin. Our pressure isn't up to scratch unless our backs are against the wall and/or we've had a poor loss the prior week. Our pressure is generally conditional while at other club's it's generally unconditional. Most of this year's final 8 have both of the above ingredients in spades that we have lacking.

I know you don't rate him, and he had a poorish season, but he should be picking himself and causing all sorts of trouble for the opposition. I don't know how to get the best out of him at the moment, but he should be beating the oppo's 3rd or 4th defender considering Petty and JVR are probably copping defenders #1 and #2 - eg Harris Andrews and Jack Paine.

No. I believe their most off broadway game was against North in Canberra, 2001. They've never played in Darwin, Hobart, Launceston or Alice Springs. They probably feel insulted when they cop Gold Coast and Giants Stadium.

Others will disagree but I hope we're not involved in Opening round next year, particularly against Sydney. I think the club needs to try and fly under the radar early next year rather than play on the prime time opening Thursday night, where if we lose the media will find the earliest opportunity to sink their boots in. Therefore an ''off Broadway" winnable 1:10 game against a West Coast or Gold Coast at the MCG in round 1 proper would be an ideal way to start the season and get the club feeling good again. I also hope we don't cop a tough first 3 weeks against contenders, without Kozzie.

Any truth?

Despite the trio of JVR, Turner and Petty going to town on GC with a combined 10 goals, and Goodwin continuing to spruik this attack in the last 2 months, they came back to earth with just a combined 2 goals against the Pies. I'm not sold on this forward line, and to have one of them kick 9 goals for the entire season would suggest that it's simply not working. I don't know on what metric Simon Goodwin would claim that a permanent key forward (aside from 1 or 2 games down back) kicking 9 goals in an entire season is a success and should be continued into next year. I also don't like what this combination has done to Fritsch. Prior to round 12 when this combination wasn't full time, Fritta kicked 27 goals. From round 13 onwards he only managed 14 goals in 11 games (including 3 goal less games) and quite frankly looked a bit lost as he was chasing kicks up the field. In theory he should have been taking the opposition's third best defender and subsequently having a field day. There's been no speculation to suggest that our forward line is going to be improved next year by way of opposition trades.

I was pleasantly shocked on how ready Windsor was for AFL footy (compared to Kolt, who at times struggled with the intensity when the game was hot) He was unleashed in the Carlton practice match and kicked 2 silky goals which prompted Cal Twomey to tweet a Chris Judd comparison. Then in game 4 he's kicking a 52 metre sealer against Port in hostile territory. Tremendous first year IMO, despite a few quiet games throughout. We'd have to have one of the better winger combos IMO heading into next year with Langdon and Windsor.

Agree with Kane Cornes on this one. The player should be nominating the state rather than a specific club within that state.

Hope we play a couple of poor teams in the first 3 rounds as we don't win when Kozzie misses.

If Trac still wants out by 30 September, we’ll acquiesce to his request to leave the club by trading him to to the draft pick rich Gold Coast Suns where he can play in front of 9,000 people in the Saturday 1:45 and Sunday 4:40 slots. And he can take his brand to Darwin for 2 games in May in front of 6,000 people in oppressive heat. “Trac, you can depart the club with our blessing, but it’s 100% on our terms. Are you still convinced you want out” But I suspect we’d trade him to the club of his choice with two high teen picks as the bargain price.

Harmes 35 touches today in the VFL final. Must be right on the border line for a finals gig next week.

Unsustainable accuracy and an amazing ability to convert our chances that night. ie - BBB nailing a shot from 50 on the boundary. Still, it was an inspirational win against the odds and was my favourite win of the year. Hard to believe we knocked off Dogs, Hawks, Port and Geelong given the second half of the year.

I stopped reading when I saw the likes of Kemp, Silvagni and Kreuger offered up as fair value.