Chook

Brisbane are not a bad side. Came up against a juggernaut last night.

That Weightman free kick for in the back on the boundary is just about the softest free I have ever seen. To pay that on the boundary in the wet in a final after the ball was disposed (i.e., the push didn't even affect the kick) is disgraceful.

I reckon the Dogs are cooked for the year. Just need a total mental reset and to go hard in the trade period to fix up their list gaps (most notably in the ruck). Bombers will win this, but can't see them getting further than that. (Secretly hoping they take all before them somehow and give us the chance to pull a reverse-2000-gf-smackdown on them.)

Good summation. Off-the-ball impact aside, McDonald could very easily have ended up with 2 important goals. He was on a red hot lead to ANB that missed him due to no fault of his own (ANB skill error), and had an easy shot at goal curtesy of Brown that he missed (plenty of easy misses across the board last night). Needs to lift, and hopefully will after another 2 weeks to get his body right, but there's no way he's going out of the side now we're deep into finals and actually look to finally have a decent forward structure that is capable of kicking goals. The McDonald vs Wied vs small debate is over for this year. It'll come up again next year no doubt, but it's over for now.

My hope is for an Essendon dream run that gets them into the grand final only to come up against a brick wall that in retrospect everyone agrees that no one was beating that year. Either that or for them to never win a final ever again. Either option works for me.

That is…horrifying.

He was amazing on the Rewatch. He is going to be an absolute monster when he is 23-24. Huge frame already and a fantastic tackler. Next-gen Viney, and absolutely built for finals.

Geelong. I greatly fear the way the Giants moved the ball against us last time we played.

Anyone who thinks Brayshaw is a poor player has no idea. This is by far his best season ever. 3rd in the Brownlow can get stuffed. Give me 15 years of this from any player and I'll be rapt.

I hear this game may be played in Perth despite us having the right to a home final. I think there's some health regulation behind the ruling. A bit unfair my fellow chaps, but I feel the Dees may take this in their stride all the same. Go number 9 (has he gotten smaller?)

"Watch it on tele XOXO — Mark P.S. Buy Aussie coal."

I have vague memories of 2000 and only truly got interested in footy in 2004, but since then this is clearly our best team. I'd be very interested to see what 2018 Melbourne in the middle of the 19 quarters of footy won in a row (with an average of like 18 goals a game) would be able to do against this side. I expect they'd kick about 7 goals and lose by 4, as every other side this year has.

Trac!!! We're in a prelim baby!!!

Max looks so ready for the week off... Let's hope we can get it.

Sparrow is growing by the minute. Inspired decision to pick him going into this finals series.

Hibberd has to come in for Smith surely, no matter what happens this week.

Dudded in the sense that he did all the right things and took both marks, just touched.

Funny that Jackson has 2 of the biggest front teeth I've ever seen. They're bigger than me, so no wonder he's lost them both in his life time (or the same one twice).

Ben Brown absolutely dudded by 1 not-15 and 1 touched call...

After last week vs the Cats, 4 goals in front feels like a lot less than it usually does...

We're playing very Geelong-like right now. I don't like it.

The boys need to reset. This game is not over. We beat Geelong last week from 3 goals further down than the Lions were at half time this game. Game on now.

Rivers brilliant smother!

Bowey again. When you get it young fella, get rid of it immediately because if you get tackled you're gone.

Bowey is composed, but he needs to understand he doesn't have an AFL body yet. If he gets caught in a tackle, he won't get away. Needs to dispose quickly every time.