old55

Collingwood has their full list available and it's very strong, well balanced and experienced. They have an excellent backline at least the equal of ours; they may not have the very top end talent of our midfield, but they bat measurably deeper; and their forward line is at least equal to ours. The only area we are superior is in the ruck, but a serious question remains whether we can convert that advantage into a result. There's a difference in method and that's the intangible come finals time. Their time is now though with Pendlebury, Howe, Sidebottom, Cox, Elliott, Mihocek and Mitchell all north of 30yo. There's a Geelong 2022 feeling in the air for me.

Harmes or Dunstan - it's not going to make the difference between winning or losing. Not really worth discussing. Hibberd in for Dusty and Rivers to the midfield at least has a potential to be influential on the result and genuinely experiments with Rivers midfield capabilities. A more worthy discussion.

did you BYO saw?

It's the most straightforward explanation though and is fully consistent with how MFC operates following AFL rules e.g. Jordon not coming on in the 21 GF. Why say "Goodwin just playing the media with naming him each week." when there's a simpler more obvious explanation?

Interesting - I was 65.

As posted above, Grundy is named on the extended bench in case Max gets an injury ahead of the game and he needs to come in. Are you happy to personally pay the fine if we have to bring in someone not named?

Most likely Petty for Brown and Harmes for Sparrow though. They might select Hibberd and rest McVee, there might be some concern about McVee getting beaten in successive weeks by Rankine then Dusty. It will be interesting to see. I'd like to see Smith for Woewodin to add more forward defensive pressure and aerial threat but I doubt we'll see it. I think Grundy comes in for a small when Clarrie comes back.

Potential for an enormous amount of egg on face if we win this year's flag with Brodie.

Yes and North are seeking a double whammy here. First to add Sanders to their Next Gen Academy late - I think there is a case for this because AFAIK he has been involved with them for a number of years and has only recently officially established his Aboriginality. Second, to bypass the updated rule that (apart from NSW and Qld teams) you can only bid on Academy players selected after pick 40 - I actually think that rule is too restrictive if you have invested long term in the player, maybe fairer would be no points discount up to pick 40. But nevertheless it's the rule and North are trying to bypass it. FWIW, I think they'll get their way. Sanders genuinely said on Gettable he was happy to go to North, he's very god friends with Harry Sheezel and there's talk that North will select McKercher, also from Tasmania like Sanders. North need KPs, even more so if McKay leaves. Maybe they're hoping that delivers pick 3 and they can take Curtain there. That would pose a risk and problems for any trade of our Freo pick to WC for pick 1 because they wouldn't get Curtain. A fair bit to play out ...

Don't win the flag = Disaster OK

I think a big part of the reason for less turnovers in our front half is, as you intimate, because we are trying to be more attacking. Kossie is playing higher up the field so we have lost our best pressure forward deep, and Brown and Melksham coming into the team hurt us in this area because they don't add any forward pressure. Even Petracca forward hurts a bit I think. In @WheeloRatings stats post he was our highest pressure acts and points player but IMO he a surprisingly poor tackler who seems easy to wrong foot. As I posted elsewhere, it's a bit of a left-field idea, but I'd like to see Joel Smith come in for Woey and Grundy for Brown, both of whom would give more forward pressure and we'd also get more aerial threat.

I've got some very good friends who are Richmond and Collingwood supporters. Every club has annoying supporters, I think it's because Richmond and Collingwood have a lot of supporters overall, that they seem to have a greater number of annoying supporters.

If Grundy doesn't come "back into the team in coming weeks", he'll seek a trade. No [censored] Sherlock! But that's not going to happen because he will be back in the team.

That is incorrect. It's based on finishing order at the completion of finals

err ... Brayshaw and Melksham?

Good interview with Ryley Sanders on Gettable - he seems very level headed and switched on. I got the impression that he's enthusiastic about going to North via their Academy play, and he also said it would be great if he and fellow Tasmanian Colby McKercher can end up at the same AFL club - maybe an indicator that North might draft him? Would be a big investment to go for both Tasmanians with the new club starting in 2028.

All true. Both posts.

They weren't soft losses, we should have won both but for inaccurate kicking, vs Freo 10.12 to 12.7, contested 157 to 141; and vs GWS 5.15 to 7.5, contested 187 to 143.

Our Sheman Demons are reigning Premiers.

channeling @Demonstone - that's the Dogs you're thinking of.

Look I'm the "beaten up" culprit and I'm guilty of generalising Jack Viney to the entire team. Jack has been monumental across the period Clarrie has been missing and he just looked justifiably spent at the end of the Adelaide game. I think we need to persist with the attacking move of Petracca forward and that places more load on Jack, although happily this has been mitigated by Angus really stepping up in the midfield - some pretty good depth there, and Kossie playing higher. I do fear that Richmond's midfield might get a hold of us this week and will be glad to see Clarrie back and Jack get a break when it's possible. Other better judges think I'm jumping at shadows, let's hope so. "Happy to be wrong" 😀

Wrist / Hand, there's a lot of small bones in the junction between them, I suspect it's something in there.

Yes very impressed with what JVR has done but I just feel that a tall forward set of JVR, Smith and Gawndy is a stretch for the flag, even with Fritsch there. TMac just gives some experience and forward craft, but I acknowledge it's going to be hard for him to get back and get firing by finals' time, he does start slow after injury. Maybe it's impossible. I don't think BBB can deliver for us. If not TMac then like I said, JVR. I had him in my line-up until I made a final edit for the reasons above.

OK "He's finally doing what I said all along" 'chute.

Grand Final day: B: McVee May Lever Rivers Petty Salem C: Gawn Oliver Viney Langdon Petracca Hunter F: ANB J.Smith Kossie Chandler TMac Fritsch I: Bowey Brayshaw Sparrow Grundy S: Melksham This means 7 worthy players miss out: Tomlinson Hibberd Jordon Harmes Brown JVR and Spargo I'd really like to fit Hibberd in but I have McVee and Bowey ahead of him. Sub could be Harmes or Hibberd. TMac may not get up, then it's JVR.