rpfc

Grundy should come in and share ruck duties.
Gawn was immense in the ruck. But now he has to sacrifice for the team to get the most out of someone else possibly at the (hopefully minor) expense of his own game.

Can he do it? From his rhetoric, he will ask Goodwin for Grundy to play - I just hope he knows that what that means for him. 

Those that want the Grundy Experiment to continue into next year - this is it, and it is on Max to make it work.

23 minutes ago, YearOfTheDees said:

Surprised by the opening odds quote for this game, expected a 50/50 $1.90 each opening. I do how ever expect us the belt them, just hope I'm right. 

Like I said before the finals - the way we move the ball, enter the forward line, and the lack of forward craft and structure down there means that we just won’t ‘belt’ good teams. Unless Carlton don’t show up, expect another low scoring slog. We won’t be out of the game, but neither will they - we just are not efficient enough. Look at the Inevitable Premiers of 2023 Collingwood; we have smashed them twice and won by 4 points and lost by 7.

We need a forward line of actual forwards, in their prime, in all structural positions. We are making do with resting mids (CP5), out of position defensive runners (ANB, Spargo), youth (Chandler, Pickett, JVR), and injured talls (TMac, Brown).

And before anyone tells at me for ANB - he is playing a box to box role that is inherently played away from the forward line…

So Fritsch is a bit lonely as a forward who is actually a forward, in his prime, and (relatively) healthy. 

We are just so easily bottled up.

Forgive the pun, but it would be petty if we didn’t play Grundy now.

Grundy for JVR

Tomlinson for Brayshaw

Rivers into the middle. Wouldn’t bother with JJ. Give Trent the time in a big game. 

And we just look better when Lever is free to intercept with AT there. 

You could look at TMac for Laurie/Spargo but I wouldn’t do that. TMac will play an important role.

It’s more than just ‘being offensive’ or getting a tall fwd in; it’s a team ethos of how to move the footy, we are a Rolls Royce with the handbrake constantly on, and then when we have to rev and go - it’s haphazard and sloppy. 

I talked about this earlier in the year, I think we need to move away from being ‘defence first’ into something more nuanced. By the end of next year, our best player in the backline will be Rivers. We need to not allowing Lever and May to dwell on the ball and remodel around Rivers and McVee and get aggressive and quick and allow our best forwards 1-1 time in space (Fritsch, Petracca, Pickett).

Defence gets you in the top 4, not certain it wins premierships anymore.

I want to know how Gus is. 

Team selection is secondary 

If we simply forced a point for every bomb I50 we would have won by 9 points.

This is what I feared. The better team undone by it own lack of connection, forward movement, and inspiration.

17 minutes ago, old55 said:

JVR?

We've selected 6 marking "talls" if you count Fritsch and I do. We can play 3 forward and 3 back if necessary.

Ah yep, slipped my mind, I was just replacing Melksham with TMac in my mind. Still don’t think we are that tall and as you say seem balanced. Also Smith can go back at a moments notice.

42 minutes ago, Cheap Seats said:

Haha nothing to say, thats what i thought

I have said my bit, you’re the one with only nonsense to add. 

14 minutes ago, Nascent said:

Like these little guys?

Cheap Seats does remind me of those woodland creatures. 
 

And yes, I have seen that episode…

27 minutes ago, Cheap Seats said:

 

You're implying the other argument is wrong because the MFC will do what's right by Grundy. Fact is they don't need to, they can keep him in the VFL for 4 years.

Im not speaking for the MFC and what they will do, but the argument keep him in the VFL has merrit becuase if that's where the MFC sees teh best value for him so be it.

you're correct in your point though the highlighted point is a small detail. I would argue the contract holds the most weight in this argument.

 

If you’re going to fix the ‘grammer’ you might want to do the spell check too…

And, no, the ‘keep him in the VFL’ argument does not have merrit.

Unless ‘merrit’ is a small woodland creature or something.

Melksham replacement who can do a bit more than him. His smarts are good, not as good as Jake but who is.

Also might mean Spargo finds it even more difficult to get a spot in the 22.

2 hours ago, binman said:

Unless it becomes clear we need a third tall at some point in the match, Smith wont play back (IMO).

Why would he?

Hibbo comes in for turner as a defender so they don't need anyone else to go back.  

I'm tipping Smith plays on murphy and looks to negate his intercept marking 

Yeah, I don’t see why he starts back. He can move there if things aren’t working and allow us to go smaller and quicker up forward with Laurie. But I don’t see Fritsch, McDonald, and Smith too tall…

Like far from it…

11 minutes ago, Cheap Seats said:

Yeh... except for the fact he's contracted and not the best player in the team at that position.

Just a small detail i guess.

Sure he can leave, but he can't walk out. I mean he can but he won't be playing AFL or VFL if that's the case.

Who is saying he is going to ‘walk out’ other than your strawman argument? My point is against those that say ‘what about if Gawn is injured?’ Are essentially saying ‘He needs to stay in the VFL for 4 months of the year including finals’

These are people. People who the club cares for like any good employer. 

Small detail I guess…

5 hours ago, Binmans PA said:

That's all lovely, except Grundy is an AA and isn't going to hang around in the magoos until Max gets injured.

We will not keep him unless something happens to Max during this finals series.

We've told him to look around. Listen to Goody's presser today. He was asked what he thought of Brodie exploring his options with a competitor of ours and Goody said our list management team were across it.

Yeah, it’s really disappointing how many just don’t seem to care about Brodie’s position here; he’s an amazing ruck in his prime - he shouldn’t be playing VFL.

35 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Congratulations to Joel and his partner. What great news and I’ll even excuse him missing training!

That’s soft rah rah. He needs to get back out there with the boys rah rah fart.

Just now, Jaded No More said:

Are you trying to kill me?

 

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

Genuinely curious why those young Casey players are still training and not having an early start to their pre-season to freshen up? It's not like any of them will play in finals.

What if the flu ravages the team similar to Geelong 2021??

22 minutes ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

Stupid capitalism 😔😂

Jaded at 8.45 walking toward Swan St:

14 hours ago, beelzebub said:

Jeremy..  Who ?? 

Nah, it’s it’s spelled ‘Howe’

If we don’t win on Thursday then our side of the draw becomes a group of death with Melb, Carl, and Bris in Bris. The other side will be GWS/StK, Coll, and Port… 

Another blow out GF coming…

Execute on Thursday night and life is easier.

17 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

JT’s philosophy has almost always been to get as high in the draft as he can. Every year he’s trading up or attempting to. The 2021 flag was almost all first and second round picks or players traded for them. So whilst he has found a couple of rookies in the best team now (McVee, Chandler) overwhelmingly he’s favoured nailing early picks. 

I remember thinking we overpaid massively for Pickett (until we did the second part of that deal getting the Riv pick). North fans were celebrating the home run. Now it looks a great deal.

Unless it’s a team that’s guaranteed bottom 6 next year (North, WC) I wouldn’t trade pick 5 just to get a haul of lesser picks and wait a year. The time to add high level talent is now so they’re ready to make a big impact sooner than later.

And a tall is less likely than a mid/small. I just wouldn’t rule it out because best available is always smart and the good ones can impact early (Ie. JVR, LJ). May and Gawn are our best big impact talls and a replacement for one of them would really help us from 2025 on. 

No, Taylor and Lamb go up to get someone. Like they tried to Humphries last year and like they did to get Oliver and Pickett. It’s not going up for the sake of going up - it’s to get a specific player.

9 hours ago, Roost it far said:

We’re all scared of losing. It’ll be a nightmare. Picture yourself at the ground with the Collingwood chant ringing out as DeGoey bursts out of the centre and kicks truly from 60, putting the game out of our reach. It’s just you in a sea of filth frothing and singing and cheering. There’s 1000’’s of them, all of them delirious and laughing at you with those toothless smiles. Mocking you and your team as the final seconds tick by, you clinging to the forlorn hope that the boys can kick 5 goals in 90 seconds…..The siren sounds, the crowd erupts as spittle and froth fly through the air and the song starts………….

This is what keeps me awake at night. 
 

6 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

 Just go and get that forward who can ruck. Got plenty of cash (if Grundy leaves), picks and clout - just get it done.

So easy to say, so hard to do. 
 

Who?

Even harder to quote.

I don’t know - anyone who is a chance of playing in the team would be a start.

2 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

Awesome. Let’s make AFL fixturing even less equal! 

While we’re at it, let’s just make the trade period permanently open so the rich clubs can trade guns in each week to play the opponents of their choosing too!

Modern sport changes for the sake of change and supposed excitement are braindead. How good is the stand rule?!