Bring-Back-Powell

I’ve noticed you have a fascinating interest with umpiring in each postgame thread. I can assure you 10,000% that the umpiring department do not get together on a Tuesday night to formulate a strategy on how to rob Melbourne of the 4 points.

North Melbourne: 13.6.84 If they kick a little less accurate today they lose to Carlton. One game where they’ve kicked more behinds than goals for their first 15 games. ACCURACY is everything, Melbourne.

Isn't getting anywhere near enough of the pill of late. 6, 9, 6, 10 although he did have a good 25 possession game against Sydney. Is perfectly suited to the modern game with the pace and metres gained he could offer us going forward, so it's up to the coaching staff to get the best out of him and play him in a position where he can flourish. Watching an 'over the hill' Dan Butler kicking goals on him isn't doing anyone any favours. I'm pleased he's spending more time further up the field in the last 2 games.

More horrifying facts: Since the Brisbane game: FOR - 59.78 AGAINST - 64.38 35 more scoring shots than the opposition. How we came out with a 2-3 record instead of a 4-1 record is an indictment on all parties. We've thrown our season into the bin in two tranches: 1) Incompetent football between rounds 2-5. 2) Gross inaccuracy between rounds 10-14. Heads need to roll inaccuracy if we're being honest.

0% chance I see him coming to us. Fremantle are that talented I honestly I don't think JVR and Rivers would be in their best 22 by both of their 2025 standards. McVee probably would be in their best 22. We'd have to trade Clarry and Trac in exchange for a first rounder per player. Say mid first rounder for Trac and very late first rounder for Oliver. So then you'd have 4 first rounders (2 of them being our 2026 and 2027 first rounders) spread over 3 years plus McVee to even have Freo's attention. Based on last night that's probably not enough.

Yep, I think you're correct.

Jeffo was drafted at the end of 2022. What I’m not sure of is whether we used Freo’s future first rounder on Kolt or Leb?

Did we get Jefferson and Tholstrupp with the picks received for Luke Jackson?

Given we have one of the worst forward lines in the league on paper and we have a bunch of midfielders in Trac, Viney and Oliver (although in fairness the latter two are decent set shots for goal) that slaughter the ball, should we be surprised that our conversion is beyond disgraceful. What intrigues me is why the opposition are also supremely accurate week after week. Our combined “against” score is the most accurate in the comp. So therefore on a given day we’ll be terribly inaccurate while the oppo will be the complete opposite. It’s killing us. The only solace I’ll take is that you can’t argue with law of averages, which means that we’ll start having games where we kick more goals than behinds and vice verca our opponents…well at least I hope so!

Since the Brisbane game we’ve generated 26 scoring shots (including rushes) per game which is more than what Collingwood are managing on the season. I’d love to know what would happen if we kick a scoreline of 14.12.96 against GC. I’d suggest we’re winning that game. Last year the bye rejuvenated us as we went 3-1 the next month and the loss was a terrific performance against Brisbane at the GABBA. Hopefully we see a similar effect this year.

Agreed. The Collingwood 2023 final was one that DIDN'T get away. Collingwood were comprehensively the better team for 3 quarters and deserved the win IMO (putting aside the Maynard circus), as much as I hate saying that. I think people gloss over the fact that De Goey kicked a goal to put them up by 27 points at the 23 minute mark of the third quarter. No team was coming back from that margin against Collingwood in a final that year, particularly given the heavy rain fall that preceded the game. Within a catalogue of failures and missed opportunities, the Collingwood final was not high on that list IMO. And I reckon May was completely out of line to imply that we were the better team.

If only we could’ve been in a position to utilise that advantage.

That’s terrific praise for Harvey. Interesting that according to Hoyne, Fritsch had one of the best debut years of anyone since 2010, and Langford is on track to also have one of the best debut years too.

Looking forward to seeing Petty, JVR and Disco kicking 10 between them again at Gold Coast. Bring back T Mac to stiffen up our defence. If the club was giving him a mid season rest to recharge his batteries, then that's totally understandable. However he'll be needed next week.

Is it possible the media are constantly getting stuck into us because they have high expectations of us each year and expect a consistency of excellence from this list?

How’s this for the most anti Melbourne performance ever: In the correspondence game last year, we kicked 15.6, had 3 less scoring shots and 21 less inside 50’s… but won.

What’s even more damning for Goodwin is that we’ve barely got an injury. Aside from Spargo and McAdam (who never plays anyway) we had a full list to choose from on Sunday and still delivered that slop. There’s a lot of clubs that would kill for our injury list at the moment.

Unusual to be on the right side of the MRO or tribunal. Thought McVee was gone for all money.

Since 2000, the most inaccurate side has been Gold Coast in 2018. They kicked 181.222 for a percentage of 44.9% We are currently 152.179 for a percentage of 45.9%. A few more gross performances in front of goal and we WILL be the most inaccurate side this century so far.

Last week we blame the umpires for losing the free kick count 29-20. Yesterday we win the free kick handily by +8. Yet we still blame the umpires. I'd suggest we're all deflecting from the fact that we've been an unacceptable footy side since June last year.

Channel 7 news article suggested Gawn will come under scrutiny for a tackle on Sweet in the first quarter. Anything in that? Clearly McVee will be rubbed out.

I’ve raised this before about North Melbourne but if we had their clinical accuracy we’d be $1.02 favourites to win the flag. Out of 14 games they’ve had one occasion whether they’ve kicked more behinds than goals and they still managed 10.11.

To borrow a useless comment from Dwayne Russell, we could be sitting at 10th at 6pm tomorrow if we get the points. A bit at stake even though realistically finals are likely done.

Voted Petty. Petty was surprisingly awful as a key defender in the North and Geelong games before he was permanently moved forward in Gather Round. He's been serviceable as our number 1 key forward but we're not going anywhere if he's our #1 in years to come. Turner has played his best footy when played exclusively as a key defender this year and should remain there all game, unless we have an injury to a key forward - per the WC game.

Assuming Viney's finally in, it will be interesting whether they go the obvious out in Howes or whether they want Windsor to have a full game at Casey this week to regain some form and confidence. Windsor announced himself as a serious talent at this exact game/oppo/venue early last year with that phenomenal goal left of screen.