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I believe that’s Kye Turner, our SSP from this year. Daniel is uninjured I believe.

Great post! Collingwood are a great team, and McRae seems to have created a positive culture very quickly. I think their game plan relies on constant and immense pressure on the opposition. Because they attack so aggressively through the corridor, they really rely on each player rolling off their direct opponent to pressure any player that gets goal side of someone further up the ground. Brisbane showed how much it can hurt them when you don’t allow implied pressure to cause panic. The lions could have won by more if they weren’t so fumbly (like us). There’s two parts to whether Collingwood win it all this year - can they play at that intensity all year, and have they shown their hand too early that teams will have time to work out how to beat them.

On Kayo, about 10 storeys above Main Beach Rd, Main Beach Qld 😀

I think we need to pick the best 22 players and use our sub for the type of cover we need. The team is clearly very fit based on final quarter performance, so I don’t we’d be at a disadvantage to have Turner or TMac as sub. Gawn and Grundy offer us some flexibility in terms of attacking and defensive cover. If it’s dry and Brown plays I can see him getting some good looks leading back to goal. Port attack quickly and if we get our typical strong amount points from turnover, he will be given the type of space he thrives in.

It's important to remember that Brown was looking sharp before he was injured. The FD may have him on a modified program to get him cherry ripe for the second half of the season. TMac was also (according to reports) looking great in the off-season but it seems like the intensity of games has shown his ankle isn't quite right. Interestingly, the Gabba and Optus grounds were very hard at the respective dates we played there, so that probably hasn't helped. It may be that these two players can't influence games anymore, but it's also possible that they will find fitness and form at the right time of year. The great thing is that we're the highest scoring team without these two having much of an influence. While it sucks that Petty has been injured, it gives us a look at how well other combinations and strategies work. It's over to TMac, BBB, Schache, or Smith to grab whatever opportunity is given them and cement their place over the next 4 weeks.

Before he was injured Brown had 9 goals in 2.5 games. If he’s fit we could bring him in and make McDonald or D Turner sub for extra defensive cover. JVR can play Petty’s role leaving BBB as the deepest forward. There is also Schacke and Smith who offer different dynamics. To make lemonade from lemons, this will at least show us alternative forward setups and how well they work. If Petty being injured for a month derails our flag hopes…they didn’t exist to begin with.

JVR taking some great marks and breaking open packs. Once he develops AFL level endurance he's going to be amazing. He's now kicked a goal in everyone of his 7 games 😊 Regarding centre bounces, I'm confident they set up to get a clean clearance out the front of the stoppage for maximum impact. Teams are working really hard to try to disrupt this at the expense of it being less structured. Around the ground, we are beating teams on turnover and giving up clearance to do this. In 2021 we were a turnover team until Round 20 when we started to score from stoppage, and we saw the effect of that in the PF and GF. I think once we get the centre clearance chemistry right - be it through exposure for the rotating players, or by allowing the big 3 more time there later in the season - teams will have to contend with multi ways we can score against them.

I tore my bicep but it was worth it

When I heard the good news I literally flexed like JVR did after he goaled against the tigers!

No, but yes, but, no, but yes

Definitely not. They’re going to be a very good team in a year or two. But it’s nice to be the experience team that finds a way to win against a plucky young team, instead of the other way around!

A few minutes after the siren went I thought to myself "Gold Coast will get smashed next week". They went at every content like their season depended on it and they had many tired and sore players at the end of the game (we probably have a few too). But as you say, that was their out of the box game and we won. They will often knock off one or two big teams each year (nearly got the pies last year but for a couple of non-calls). It wasn't great, but I'll definitely take it given how much the Suns threw at us.

I noticed someone calling himself @binman messaged in to ask Hoiney about team fitness statistics - there couldn't be two binman's who follow AFL could there?

Full credit to Collingwood for how they mentally approach every moment of every game. But I have doubts that they can play with this intensity for 26/27 games. They strain every muscle and sinew to pressure, smother, spoil any contest, and it took that level of commitment from most of their players - as well as Adelaide kicking atrociously - for them to win this game. It's such a long season, and I just can't see how they can play such a high tempo / high risk style AND seemingly play in so many close, long games AND stay fresh. If I am wrong, it'll go down as one of the best seasons of footy from a team in the modern era.

I think I've realised that my loathing of Collingwood is almost as high as my love for the Dees. I was feeling sick with anxiety watching the game because I want them to lose so bad. I turned it off because I don't need that on a Sunday night :D

I wonder if this part was to reiterate the strategy for how they will setup for D50 ground balls? Clarkson may well look to utilise low, scrubby kicks to generate the success the Tigers had on Monday.

I imagine some time back Stevie made a slightly positive comment about Essendon, and another Dees fan said “if you love Essendon so much, why don’t you marry it?”… and so he proposed and Essendon said yes 😂

Spot on! You’re ready for a career as an AFL commentator.

I also loved the fan who could be heard screaming “you filthy cheats”, a few moments after the game was confirmed to be over with no score review 😂

It bothers me how she really tries to force these clever little quips or play on words all the time. They’re terrible and it massively detracts from the game. Instead of trying to be comedians, can they just try to add insight beyond what we see on the screen?

The last two seasons Jordan has had late season injuries that ruled him out of finals and meant he was sub for the grand final in ‘21. The FD may be being cautious with him and letting him work into the season. That’s the only reason I can see why they’d drop him after his game last week.

The AFL has just gone back to how it was pre-Covid. Games played Friday and Saturday have the starting team announced on Thursday night. Sunday and Monday games submit their teams 48 hours before the game.

A good insight into Clayton’s mindset as well as how cruel the AFL industry can be for young players looking to get drafted. Also some good insights on life inside the club.

That was a precession! We could have won by 150 but kicked really inaccurately (18.20 to 4.6). We kicked 1.6 in the final quarter.

Seeing the tactical and personnel changes the coaches made before and during the game, do you think we will see this tactical flexibility continue throughout the season? Or will we revert to being predictable when Max returns from injury? I imagine the coaches will see what and who works during the first half of the year, and then rotate through those options depending on the opponent and in-game situations later in the season.