old55

Not in a PF

AA Tom Stewart vs 2 gamer JVR - do I have to spell it out.

We're trying to win the flag. Geelong and Sydney's intercepting defenders will eat JVR for breakfast, we've gotta stick with Melksham.

In his press conference Simon Goodwin just sad that max played "64-65% ruck time last week" as he has consistently, he played 91% game time, so 91% - 64% = 27% forward time.

I much more optimistic about our the young component of our list. It's hopefully true that we won't have access to early draft picks for the foreseeable future because we'll be contending and all our best players are locked in on long contracts, but we'll still have a first rounder each year and Jason Taylor has a proven track record with later picks. Assuming absolute worst case scenario that Luke Jackson goes to Freo and we convert him into Brodie Grundy and a replacement for our missing 1st rounder this year, our 18-22yo list is looking solid. Future AAs (2): Pickett, Petty. Proven premiership players (5): Spargo, Bowey, Jordon, Rivers, Sparrow Likely AFL-level (6): Bedford, Laurie, JVR, Howes, Chandler, Turner Development (5): Rosman, D.Smith, Woewodin, McVee, AMW I'm assuming Baker will be delisted and it's probable that Bedford or Chandler will leave for more opportunity this year. Even if only half the "Likely AFL-level" and one of the "Development" players make it, we've got 11 players or half a team in that list. We should also be able to free very significant salary cap and be heavily involved in the FA market. As has been posted elsewhere, we need to continuously turn the list over to make sure that the young players are getting AFL opportunities and stay the journey with us. From @Lucifers Hero excellent contacts thread, we have the following players coming out of contract over the next 3 years and I think we can probably move all of them for cap and list space. Maybe recontract some on short-term deals and bring forward the trade of others. That's 11 off the list with a hell of a lot of cap money freed up. 2022: Hibberd, Melksham, Hunt 2023: Dunstan, ANB, Weideman, Tomlinson 2024: B.Brown, Harmes, McDonald, J.Smith I think there's every reason to expect that Max and Steven May can play into the 2025 season, Max is already contracted and I expect May to get a solid contract extension next year. Our 2025 22, taking those changes into account and not adding any new draftees or FAs, looks very competitive: B: Rivers May Lever HB: Salem Petty Brayshaw M: Langdon Oliver Jordon R: Grundy Petracca Viney HF: Spargo JVR Bedford/Chandler F: Pickett Gawn Fritsch I: Bowey Sparrow Howes Laurie In 2026 we've still got Turner in the hopper as a potential replacement for May and we've got 4 draft, trade and FA years to find a ruck/forward replacement for Max.

So far we are infinitely ahead on the selection with Jackson a crucial contributor to our premiership while Young would not have improved the flag backline. Jackson's market value is higher than Young's, if he does leave let's see what we turn that into. We've got Bowey outside the 22 and Freo seem to rate Jackson very highly. If I had the choice between Jackson and Young in our 22 this final series there's no doubt I'd pick Jackson.

Brayshaw went into the midfield partly to enable Petracca to play more forward. With Petracca on one leg it's unlikely Angus will come out of the midfield rotation.

As @La Dee-vina Comedia points out, Freo have to trade for Jackson, so they don't end up with Young and Jackson without cost. Hogan to Fremantle for May and Rivers, both MFC Premiership players, along with Jackson. Two from WA and one from the NT.

Harmes = Careless, Medium impact (Lloyd got up and kicked the goal), Body = Fine

Posts (pun intended) on BigFooty show it was definitely a behind. https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/goal-or-post-a-pole.1329324/#post-76443961 https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/goal-or-post-a-pole.1329324/page-2#post-76446034 A pity really, would have been even more fun if it was a goal, a la Wayne Harmes tap - #TigerTime

The goal umpire at the opposite end did magnificent positioning work for the Daniher goal - no review required.

If the post extended up to the level the ball went through I'm very confident some part of the spinning ball would have touched the post. It doesn't have to flush the post to be a behind. I think the ARC made the right decision on the evidence.

Expected a Bentley ute at least, edit: kudos @John Crow Batty - way ahead of me

Yes mine was on QB this year and on the QB Watts debut debacle.

I really like Chandler but I'd prefer to retain Bedford of the two, because he has more X-factor like Kossie. Like you say, maybe Bailey Laurie can cover Kade's loss which would be good. AMW seems to have more X-factor like Toby but he needs another season of development to be ready for top level AFL which is where we are at. Adelaide were keen on Kade last year but with Rachele and their other small forwards plus Rankine, they are fully stocked in that area. It will be interesting to see what other suitors come. He is contracted, while Toby is OOC and already has one offer from Essendon.

Young was taken at 7 so that North pick would not have got him. We took Jackson with 3 ahead of Young at 7.

Every player under 25yo in the top 25 of that list would easily nett at least a first rounder.

Pretty good OP, some observations ... The two Smiths are already recontracted. We can't afford to lose both Bedford and Chandler. As posted above - one small forward injury and they're in. It will be hard to retain both. We didn't take Kossie and Rivers ahead of Young. We took Jackson ahead of him.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_rankings?year=2022&rt=LA&st=CM #21 in the league for average contested marks per game and among some pretty good company.

I can't see Carlton letting de Koning go, it would be madness if they did - he's a contested marking machine.

If I have to commit then I think MFC vs Sydney. I think Geelong win another easy uncontested game this week and then get a rude surprise in the PF.

I was thinking about the permutations for the GF if we make it. Week 1 any of the other 7 could make it against us, in week 2 only 3 of the 5 remaining can be our opponents - that's a big drop. PF week - 2 possible opponents of course.

I would like to see us draft or rookie Corey Ellison.

It depends on whether we win on Friday - likely to be our biggest test.

Geelong, Melbourne or Sydney will win the flag. Collingwood can't win it with their uncontested style. They'll have to get through at least two of the three above to do it and that won't happen. Richmond may win this week but will find it too hard against Sydney or Melbourne the next week. The rest are making up the numbers.