old55

I'm willing to go back-to-back, win wherever this year and then have the full smorgasbord as you describe above in 2022.

ROB is a very good player but they are super thin in the ruck after him. Strachan, skinny and 1 game; Thilthorpe first year fwd-ruck. Maxy is putting on the bib tor a feast.

Please can Freo finally do the right thing and knock them off next week!

If all finals are played in Perth it would be so fantastic if WC missed out. Winning the flag in front of those campaigners the only time it's ever played there would almost compensate for not being able to go.

[censored] fantastic win with everything against us - location, Covid, fired up opposition, umps, lightning -thats the win that galvanises the team for the flag. Bring it on -try to stop us!

If Weid doesn't make it as a KPF he'll make it as a KPB. We could do with that flexibility. Petty has been very good this year as a KPB but he has also shown some ability forward. Three years from now we'll probably have vacancies at both ends.

Rono Rides Again

How well is Schache back going now?

How good is that kicking for goal!?!

Gold!

I'm really not sure what you're whinging about. One win from 3 and we're top 4. Port won't finish 1 or 2. We'll win one of the next three minimum.

Maybe Melksham is in to play a negating role on McGovern or Hurn.

Do you think that it being wet was the problem?

Wet weather didn't hurt when we beat Geelong, Richmond and Sydney earlier this year.

Strongly agree. It's possible to drive to Adelaide. Drive to Perth is a big ask. Flights will be impossible to get.

I see Tom Green at GWS has done his hamstring and is out for 2-4 weeks. Luke Jackson picked a nice time to kick 4 goals last week and gets a big chance to enhance his reputation in his home state this week. Dogga for Rising Star!

I'm not sure on the logistics of flying 15,000 MFC members to Perth for the GF. 30,000 if there's another Victorian team involved which looks likely. At 300 people per flight - that's 100 flights. I find that hard to comprehend ...

I'm amazed at the relatively low Adelaide number - surely that is capped somehow?

I'm a reasonably keen MFC supporter who lives in Bayside and Casey is "too far away" for me to visit on anything more than an occasional basis. I think a more central location is more accessible for the majority of players and fans. I'm fine with Casey as a component of our set-up. The ground is full-size, the surface seems good and the gyms etc are apparently state-of-the art. But I don't think it's an attractive primary location for player attraction and retention. I think Geelong is a special case. It seems St.Kilda couldn't get Frankston to work and have moved back to Moorabbin. I think somewhere like Caulfield racecourse would be fine in that arose but AAMI Park is the best alternative.

Yes good point, it was the year before.

I think the training ground upgrade is important news for a number of reasons: A full size is required for effective drills and zones Re-surfacing should help remove the injury risk that the current compressed surface presents - I heard from a very good source that this was the direct cause of injuries to players last year I think that training mostly at Casey is a long-term negative for attracting and retaining players because it's too far away. I think it's fine to be part of the program but not the core of the program The location reinforces the concept that we'll ultimately be in the MCG precinct

I think Geelong are rightful favourites for the flag. They would have won last year but for Dusty and I think they are improved this year with Cameron, Smith and Higgins. They value contested football which wins big finals and they have vast finals experience. They have a nice run of 3 games at Kardinia Park into the finals, but I think this is also a bit of an Achilles' Heel because football is different there from at the MCG and so I expect them to campaign extremely hard for a final down there. I think the Dogs are rightful 2nd favourites simply off the back of their unparalleled midfield depth of class - I can't recall a team that bats deeper. They also have the current best player and a match winner in Bont. This week is likely crunchtime for us in Perth. Win there and we can win the flag this year, lose and it will be all uphill. The Eagles will be stung and I think they historically don't rate us so will come out confident of redemption. I fancy the Swans are the other team with credentials. I just can't see Port winning 2 big finals away from Adelaide.

That's total BS. He has pivoted on the spot at speed to execute great hit ups to leads in both the past two matches

All except the ones who beat Richmond at Marvel just 4 weeks ago. Just before beating GWS at Ballarat the week later and then losing to the rampaging Dogs by only 11 points.

I expect WC has a similar preparation since they've been in Melbourne too.