No. 31

Or a third possibility, a more youthful team with a new coach and a new style are still finding themselves and oscillations will occur ... footy growing pains 🤔

Awesome goal by P2 !!!

Onya Bayley 👏

Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the last quarter of Pies v Freo. I rate Freo this year, they have a great list but not sure Justin Longmuur can take them to their first Flag. We will see ...

Sacking Voss wouldn't be about turning this season around, it is shot already and even going into the season a wildcard spot was thought to be the ceiling for this year. If Vossy is sacked and an interim is appointed it will be so the younger players on the list can be given games and tested out. One of the biggest criticisms of Voss is he has not given some of the younger players a decent run, even when more experienced players were not performing. Selection integrity has been an isdue for along time. Its obvious young players Jagga Smith and Harry Dean (and maybe even Harry O'Farrell despite not being a high draft pick) are elite talents but it is the second tier of young footballers like Flynn Young, Billy Williams, the Caporeale twins, Ashton Moir, the two Irish rookies etc that no one really has a handle on whether they are AFL material or not. An interim coach like say assistant coach Josh Fraser (who only came on board this season) could be given a brief to test out the younger players and get games into them so that this season is not a waste. Simultaneously the search for a new coach for 2027 commences behind the scenes (probably already has tbh). Alternatively, they could come to an accomodation with Vossy where he is told he won't get a contract extension but can stay on until the end of the season to actually test out these younger players and get games into them. It is difficult to make calls on younger players when they haven't even been given a shot at senior AFL football.

The Pies are definitely weaker than they have been in previous years, so it is no longer a fantasy. Lets see how they go against Freo tonight 🙏

The list is not a top 4 list. But it is not a bottom 4 list either. The coach is most definitely underperforming and hasn't been able to steady the ship for the last 18 months. As much as I like Voss the legendary player and a genuinely good bloke he has always been a one dimensional coach who is only good at getting his team playing contested stoppage football. Was the wrong choice as coach, mistake made. It is what it is. Time for change and a reset.

I agree with Malinauskas. He is spot on. Call 'Opening Round', Round 1. Have the Northern teams have their local derby for some guaranteed local interest, good crowd and media attention and the rest of the AFL can have its first round with no idiotic byes littering the first month or so of footy. Its not even complicated, just commonsense.

I actually think Carlton played solidly save for the first 10 minutes of the second quarter. Adelaide are simply a better side (even more so at home). I was half expecting a flogging which fortunately did not eventuate. The umpiring was bad and heavily favoured the Crows but they would have won in any event so it did not change the ultimate result. Every loss means Voss won't be re-signed and improves the Blues draft hand so it is not necessarily a bad thing (adopting a longer term perspective). I just don't want to see the Blues cop a pounding. I wrote this season off after the Richmond game (even if it was a win). The Michael Voss era is a bust, gave me about 12 months of excitement and a prelim final appearance but not much else. The draft, trade moves and the next coaching appointment is what will shape the Blues medium term future.

I watched the replay yesterday, best game by the Dees so far this season as it was consistent 4 quarter footy. Kozzie on the middle was awesome, players I never rated that highly like Sparrow and Sharpe are making really good contributions.

Construction costs are what they are. They won't be cheaper at other locations.

At a family Easter lunch so can't really watch much, checking scores on Kayo, Carn the Dees! [looking good from the snippets I have seen] 👍 Happy Easter Demon Land 🐰🤘

Nothing wrong with going for a little trip to get away from the mid winter footy blues. Sure some Dees fans may go to the snow, some Blues fans might head to the Mediterranean and some Pies supporters will go visit uncle at Barwon Prison.

Cheers Rab. Maybe I can invite Vossy over for a vino at Casa No. 31 by the Adriatic Sea and catch a Blues game on the clunky Watch AFL app🍷😁 Or alternatively, Wrighty keeps him coaching out the rest of the year knowing a bottom 2 finish is likely and then Carlton can nab Cody Walker despite the AFL's best efforts to stiff CFC via last minute draft rule machinations 🤔😁 But I am happy that the Dees bounced back after a poor day out visiting Freo last weekend, it gives King more breathing space to keep working on improvements as everyone can see that despite some hiccups, the trajectory is upwards.

Cheers 😁 Not really surprised how Sunday transpired. Similar pattern to Sydney and Richmond games and much of last season. I never like watching my team lose but in this instance there are positives: Great day for Max Gawn on his 250th, one of my favourite players and he with Kozzie and Fritsch were (and admittedly a couple of dodgy decisions leading to goals helped) instrumental in this great comeback win for the Dees; A big nail in coaching coffin of Michael Voss. He simply can't continue coaching the Blues in 2027. I have immense respect for him as a legendary player, a good bloke but he is not a head coach for the current style of football being played. He either is too stubborn or hasn't been able to adapt to the changeing nature of modern footy. He can't make rapid in game changes on the run either. In another era where contested footy was more crucial it might have been different but we live in the here and now. Hoping this Iran nonsense dies down so I can then go on along Euro holiday and avoid a chunk of the rest of this season 😁 [being a sucker for punishment I will still probably watch games online]