Bring-Back-Powell

Can only imagine this is the week Petty finally returns to defence and T Mac is shifted forward. Nobody in their right mind would keep playing a key forward who’s averaged 1.6 marks and 0.4 goals a games in a 5 week stretch.

That was Goodwin's single worst moment as coach of the MFC. Intentionally playing one man down in a high stakes final. Carlton bring on a fresh sub in Ollie Hollands, on a warm night, who was instrumental in their game winning passage of play with 45 second left. Meanwhile our sub was a 200cm maligned player with absolutely no intention of bringing him on.

GW and Robbo on AFL 360 also mentioned the massive fall out that would occur if we lose to North. But in reality, what's actually going to change? They're certainly not going to sack Goodwin and/or the assistant coaches if that's what the media are inferring in terms of "fall out"

The suggestion of Goodwin going to Adelaide or Port has their respective BigFooty posters petrified. They don't want anything to do with him.

I think we need to play him down back for the rest of the year and going forward. He, Lever and May should form a good three pronged defence next year (with Tomlinson likely gone and T Mac probably out of contract) and all played well in our great win over Sydney late last year. He and Petty are not working up forward in the slightest. We need to find other options, whether that's T Mac, BBB or Melksham in a few weeks - natural forwards please. For some reason he reminds of me of Howes.

I’m guessing Brown’s in for Chandler who’s had a grand total of 0 goals and 4 tackles in the last 2 games. Terrible output for a small forward. At least in the WC and Carlton games he was laying 8 tackles a game.

Mid season recruit Brynn Teakle to kick 5?

You don't have you numbers wrong. And I think we can all safely guess who the oppo was back on that Sunday Avro in 2017.

Just terrific. This game just got even tougher. Ashcroft got the 3 votes in his second game of footy in round 2 last year against us.

Who would've thought that a player that's been taken away from his natural position, a position that objectively made us a better team from 2020 onwards, has gone backwards.

Best results for us (assuming we also salute). I'm no longer coming from a top 4 perspective, just top 8. Carlton to beat Geelong. Brisbane to beat Port (although Lions winning is also problematic) Sydney to beat GWS WC to beat Essendon GC to beat Freo Combo paying $66. Even that combination probably only gets us to 9th, but it would see GWS, Geelong, Port, GC and Melbourne all on 8 wins.

Just realised it's the pink lady match which will increase the numbers. Maybe to 30K. Can't see many North fans turning up even though they'll fancy their chances as you suggested. They certainly didn't turn up to last year's game.

Even if we beat North, can anyone honestly see us getting near Brisbane at the GABBA the week after, now that they've turned their season around?

18,600 is the lowest MCG crowd between the two sides in the AFL era. That occurred in 1992 on a wet day where we ran away with it in the last quarter. Is that under threat this Saturday?

Good observation. I thought Bowey was going to be a massive loss in the early rounds but it turns out the only part of the season where we’ve been decent was in his absence. Not sure if it’s a coincidence or if he’s providing nothing to the side.

Lever definitely not a certainty this weekend according to his media interview today.

He's been one of the mysteries of 2024. After polling 25 odd brownlow votes from a superb 2023 season, and then starring in opening round, he's form has been nothing on last year. He's gone from 26 touches a game to 20, with an alarming amount of sub 20 possession games post Gather Round. I keep reading he's got an injury issue, but is it possible he's just out of form? Here's hoping he physically and mentally freshened up over the bye, and comes out firing with an inspirational 28 possession/1 goal game on Saturday night.

He's not wrong about Max having to carry the can every time something bad happens on or off the field. Which is ironic given he's the club's highest achiever week in week out.

Agreed in that opposition's accuracy is somewhat dependent on our defensive pressure. But still, for Carlton, Collingwood and Fremantle to all go over 70% in accuracy, which so far above league average it isn't funny, speaks to a bit of bad luck for us. For example in the Carlton game, if they went at a more expected 3-3 or 4-2 instead of 6-0 in the first quarter, we probably win that game.

The one thing that might see our fortunes change for the better is nothing to do with us. It's actually to do with the opposition's accuracy. From rounds 1 to 8 when we went 6-1, the opposition scored a combined 61.78 (43%). All but one team scored double digit behinds in our wins and teams like Adelaide and Richmond were absurdly inaccurate against us. However, from rounds 9 to 13 when our season has fallen off the rails, the opposition has kicked a combined 73.36 (67%). No team, that's right no team, scored double digit behinds in that run of games. That accuracy is just plain sick and unsustainable from the opposition. I realise Freo and Collingwood beat us fair and square but think about how many of their shots just snuck in the right side of the goal post. Once teams we play become more inaccurate, and they will, I expect us to win some games again. Clubs ain't going 71% against us every week like Freo and Collingwood did.

Jon Ralph had a red hot crack at her last week on Foxtel's mid week tackle. He said you never hear from her in the tough times.

Fair enough. I would be thinking the same if my team was in genuine flag contention, which sadly we're not (11th favourite to win it) I think we've seen enough evidence that Sydney are head and shoulders above the rest, and it would take a Geelong 2008 epic choke for them to drop a GF or prelim. That's not to say Carlton haven't been impressive lately, and are every chance to make a GF.

We’ll be doing super well to go 3-7 to close out the season. Aside from West Coast which I think we’ll knock over, every other side we play looks to have gone past us like an absolute freight train. That includes a North Melbourne who are clearly taking advantage of a horribly depleted Collingwood, something we should’ve precisely done this week. And despite Goodwin giving us a rave review post game last week, don’t underestimate how poor a loss it was to a team missing their entire premiership centre square. The last two weeks have been the worst under Goodwin.

It’s always great to see Collingwood lose, but at the same time I’m not sure I want to be playing a North Melbourne next week sky high on confidence with nothing to lose.