rpfc

It’s three weeks after we had to travel to Sydney to play a Qualifying final because we didn’t win enough practice matches, and two weeks after we were sent out in straight sets by Collingwood because we had to play a semi final against a team too early because we didn’t win enough practice matches. Fitness-wise, the boys are peaking watching Geelong and Sydney play so the cones and [censored] should go down real good on GF day.

You want a ‘Plan B’ - you want a completely different way of playing? Do it over the summer. You don’t have time to train the intricacies of a gameplan in season. Oh, and that plan then becomes Plan A with no other plan because it is a ridiculous notion to coach two ways of playing to a group. Our players are not playing well enough to the gameplan; the plan is sound.

They play the same as the seniors. With one way to play so it is understandable and followed. Tactics change but not your plan of playing. There is no plan B.

That ‘ship says otherwise.

But this other player that is leaving is giving you genuine distress. This player you can’t remember.

Sparrow and Harmes are going to go missing from time to time because we have a set midfield who dominate minutes in the middle. Therefore, mids outside of the big 3 are always going to have another role that is their dominate role. It’s like the back up ruck - they have to be a good forward THEN a decent ruckman around the ground. Same with the flankers that alternate into the midfield - they have to be good forwards AND good mids. That is such a hard trade off and makes any progression from Kozzi into the middle valuable and what ANB does for Petracca (blocking, defensive running) invaluable.

Objection. Sustained.

I would say so. Most demanding spot on the ground is CHF. If ever a first year player is going to do what Bowey did - it would be off a HBF.

Nah, I like what I said. Case closed.

Of course they are but the specific allowance for ‘sign and trades’ are good for smaller clubs to get *something* for this player that is leaving.

It’s not ridiculous. The NBA calls this a ‘sign and trade’ and they have are very mature when it comes to movement of players.

The only way I can see us not matching is if the price tag is so outside of what we would want to pay him that if a trade falls through we would be stuck with a contract for Brayshaw that upsets our pay structure. Also, we might just say - “you want to go? Ok, thanks for your service - see you at the reunion.”

We have a glut of ‘speed forwards’ as Stafford calls them. Toby has a huge decision to make as he can set up his future with his next deal. Will he usurp one of ANB, Kozzie, or Spargo in the next two years? Maybe. I am more confident of that now than I was 3 months ago. But what about Chandler and Laurie? And then we will more recruits too… Also I have heard Essendon have had some internal questions around why they have very few indigenous players after being trailblazers under Sheedy…

It would not be ideal - I think we will try to tee up a ‘Hogan into May’ like swap. BUT if we don’t have the player lined up, we should just take the draft capital and get better. You don’t want to force yourself into a Dan McStay when you’re looking for a Ben King.

Hey Tom! Hope you are happy post footy! rp

We have a healthy and talented list. Outside of a tall forward in their prime - any recruitment isn’t going to ‘needs based’ but you have to do it.

Our role players are so good precisely because you play the position you train in and when there is an opening, someone who has trained in that position will replace them. If Angus wants to test himself as a mid in the comp that is his prerogative but it would be a damn shame. We just can’t give him the midfield minutes he wants as he is our 4th best mid and Harmes and Sparrow can’t do what he can do in other roles. But even those latter two don’t spend much time as pure mids. And I don’t think a game here and there is going to placate him. His concussion issues also play a part in just throwing him around being irresponsible - the midfield is the coalface - it can get hot in there even for the best prepared. If he stays, he stays knowing his 4th in the Brownlow is the remnant of what could have been, an unfulfilled promise ruined by circumstance.

Ward at the end, Greene is a brain fade away from being locked up in a Thai jail, Coniglio is on a $1m to be HFF, and Whitfield should be a milk carton he goes missing so often. Kelly and Green…

Understandable.

“Might and Power might not be able to speak English or converse in any way but jeez he knows more about horse racing than all these shielas!”

Well, that was something. She is so smart and thoughtful. And did they say Derm gave Huddo a drive by during the commentary of a game on the weekend about ‘playing zero games of footy’? Lol, love these blokes losing their minds as people who aren’t former footy players talk about the game better than they do…

This x 1000. I know there will be ‘bang bang bang’ t shirts soon… We are Melbourne supporters, we shouldn’t be so enamoured with neanderthallic rantings during our apogee. We should have a few more years - let’s hope we have another moment with a better soundtrack to define our re-emergence.

You do realise that when they look like idiots, we would have got nothing for Jackson? … Because we would look like idiots too…

You’ll get used to it the more you talk to women… I believe in you!