old55

I agree there are role players in every team but ANB's fundamental football skills are not AFL level and a key to his role, his tackling, is poor. It's something about #30 - Hoppy, Godders, ANB ... The problem against Geelong was not preventing them from scoring, it was us converting scoring opportunities. If we had played some combination of Weid and Bennell along with Kosi we could have won.

Talk about damning with faint praise. We'll never win a flag with players like ANB in the team. I agree that there's a question mark on AVB too, he's not a lock. Kosi's flag material and unless he's out of petrol tickets, and he shouldn't be by now, he must play.

One Kosi tackle is worth 5 ANB "tackles", one AVB tackle is worth 10.

That's true but since then they've been horrible and Bennell and Kosi are a massive upgrade on them. They've only played one game together so far. I'm looking forward to Krakouer brothers-style magic coming up. Yes it will be fascinating to see whether we are on a roll.

OMG that just totally confirms my view that you are a terrible judge. Kosi directly created Harmes, Fritsch and Bennell goals against GC. He is an absolute gun.

On the ABC last night Gladys said no return to lock-down in NSW - they have to learn to live with case spikes. Definitely time for MFC and the AFL to get out of Dodge City. Likely that Queensland (if they close the NSW border), SA, WA, NT and Tas will be the only available hub venues for the second half of the season. Expect MFC to be on the road for a long period.

I'm feeling bullish about our line-up, assuming TMac gets up and with Weid and OMac back in, we're looking similar to the line-up that played the Hawks in the 2018 finals, but I think our personnel is clearly improved: In: May, Lever, Lockhart, Langdon, Bennell, Pickett Out: Frost, Lewis, Jones, Tyson, ANB, Spargo Clarkson is a great coach and will bring all his expertise. He has a very experienced line-up - clearly second oldest and most experienced behind only Geelong - the Hawks believe they are in premiership-mode now. It's going to be a great test.

It's racist to say that Australia is a racist country.

"I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees Down to the crossroads fell down on my knees Asked the lord above for mercy, "take me, if you please" I went down to the crossroads tried to flag a ride Down to the crossroads tried to flag a ride Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by"

I'll take it

Should start working on his bid for a place at Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Shameful question about him at last year's Members' Info night too - if you are here then you know who you are - hang your head!

Viney, Petracca, Oliver, Harmes, Melksham (cameos), Salem (has almost never played there), Tomlinson (has never played there), vandenBerg (has never played there), ANB (good VFL player), Sparrow (untried - unproven), Jordon (untried - unproven), Dunkley (untried - unproven), Jones (if this year isn't his last year, next year will be) all capable of playing in the guts. We've got 5 capable of being regular starters in the centre square: Viney, Petracca, Oliver, Harmes, Brayshaw. We're already consistently playing a younger and less experienced team than the opposition. We need to use the relative strength and depth we have in this area to our advantage.

We're in win mode, not development mode yet.

They are on level 2 so they can't touch the ball if it comes over the fence.

We don't need another KPF. We have TMac, Weid, Petty, Jackson and even Bradtke developing. And we have Brown as depth.

It's not possible to judge defensive running watching on TV.

We need midfield depth. Trade Brayshaw and next year the depth is Jones, Sparrow or Jordon.

Good win. GC are much improved and will do some damage. It's a pity TMac went off and we didn’t get to see the return to traditional structure play out. Everyone made a contribution at times.

Brayshaw was fine. Needs minutes in the square. Won important penetrating clearances when in there.

We've lost to 1st, 3rd and 5th from last year and in each game it has been off the back of one quarter where they have gotten on top of us. I note that the much lauded Lions in this thread got spanked by the Cats and Clarko's Hawks managed 3 goals last night. "Stubborn" Goodwin has clearly tried to be innovative since football resumed with a smaller, dynamic and athletic line-up and while it hasn't worked out as he would have hoped, but he is trying novel approaches to gain an advantage. This week we've returned to a more traditional line-up with the addition of talls at both ends. I'm looking forward to seeing how we go against the Suns. It's the first time this year we are putting out a line-up that is older and more experienced than the opposition. I've been an MFC member and keen supporter since the 60s, I think the best decision I made along the way was to not let the results of a football match affect my overall mood for the rest of the week. It's worth a try.

indeedy-doody - I'm with you there Uncle - if 33 are going, I make that 12 didn't go, so we need 4 more names. If, as you say, Sparrow and Jordon have gone then that narrows the field. Not going: Injured: KK, Nietschke, Hore, Petty, "Players including Braydon Preuss, Oskar Baker, Josh Wagner and Corey Wagner have been left behind to conduct intensive coaching with several assistant coaches." I think it's almost certain one is Bradtke. If I had to guess the other 3 they would probably be Bedford, Chandler, Dunkley. But it would be nice to know for sure.

Is there a definitive list of which players are in the hub? Not going: Injured: KK, Nietschke, Hore, Petty, "Players including Braydon Preuss, Oskar Baker, Josh Wagner and Corey Wagner have been left behind to conduct intensive coaching with several assistant coaches."

I know it has been raised that lists may be cut to as few as 35 next year i.e. your mooted 10-15 player cut, but I don't think the AFL will be able to achieve this without some clubs needing to delist contracted players and as you say that will be a last resort. According to @Lucifer's Hero list we have 22 including Rookies out of contract at the end of the year: Not that I'd be happy, but I can see 13 or 14 I'd delist ahead Petty and at least 4 in the 2021 expiry list. Hopefully it doesn't come to that and the AFL reduces lists to maybe 40 total overall and we only need to delist 10 or so.

Petty will be a good AFL player. I could 15 delist ahead of him.