Chook

This guy seems to have a great head for footy. Has someone tapped him to become a coach at all or no?

Exactly, hence us being miles off. Saying we're not as bad as you might think is all well and good. I'd rather look at where we want to be and talk about how we get there than look at where we don't want to be and talk about how we're "not quite as bad as all that." One lens gives you a goal to aspire to and the other breeds mediocrity.

I'm not comparing us to other sides. I'm comparing us to ourselves c.2021 We're miles off.

Do you reckon Xerri wants to be known as the best ruck in the AFL and can't hack that he isn't?

I would shake my head and wryly laugh if/when our backline actually functions better with Tom McDonald.

He won't. He needs multiple pre-seasons if he's to make it.

Isn't Mark Williams our kicking coach. He's about 20 years past his use by date. I understand he's a respected figure and likes the job but I actually don't think he can do it.

I just think he's nowhere near physically ready, and may never be. Some people just can't build the strength and fast twitch muscle to play AFL at the top level. He still looks like he has the puppy fat of a high-schooler. Can he even grow whiskers? If he doesn't have any stand out attributes (he doesn't that I can see - other than perhaps a good footy brain), and can't build the AFL-ready body, he's going to have a bad time. I'm happy to wait, but he'll need another couple of ripper pre-seasons at least.

Trent Rivers.

I love him too, but people are too easy on Gawn as a leader. They're much happier to criticise Petracca or Oliver or Goodwin (who of course all should bear the responsibility too). Gawn is such a good bloke and great player that it's not possible for most people to actually consider that he isn't perfect, especially as an on-field leader.

And what's he doing before the game to motivate his team to switch on? What's he doing during the week. We all love Max but he has been captain the entire time we've nosedived since 2023. "Trying his heart out" is for followers, not leaders.

Gonna be annoyed when Max Gawn trots out the old "We can't be giving up 6 goal starts to teams," line again after this game. No s-- Sherlock. As captain what are you doing about it?

Be the noise of affirmation you want to see in the world. Meanwhile I'll be balancing my cheeseboard on my knee and calling out "Go number nine," as the good lord intended.

Good kicking is good footy.

Saw some footage of Garry in his prime, pre back injuries. He was svelte, bounding around the half forward line and wings like some kind of eternally 5 o'clock shadowed adonis. Almost looked like a different person. Time robs us of many things, but Garry has found a way to persevere in the media if not in coaching (where he could have achieved real immortality if he wanted to), so well done to him. Everyone who knows AFL knows who Garry Lyon is, and there's not many you can say that about, much less from Melbourne.