Skuit

I'm bored of this bye already and the weekend hasn't even started.

Martin, Saad and now Cera - is this some elaborate MFC plot to drive up the price of Carlton recruits, get in the ear now of some young player we liked but couldn't draft (why not let Carlton deal with Kemp's rehab, right?), and then swoop when the Blues ultimately go the way of Collingwood last year?

Hate to say it, but I'm pretty convinced the knee injury he picked up at our miserable 2017 pre-season camp caused the steady decline in his career after so much early promise. His kicking penetration and agility in close never really looked the same again.

Listening to the opinions of plenty of ex-players in the media makes me think that most of the current players probably aren't that bright in actually analysing the game either.

I would prefer our president to be in Perth right now. For what is a seriously important commercial opportunity should we get the chocolates. I love that our squad are all there bonding, but did we really need Austin Bradtke et al on the bus?

Was surprised to read he has kicked 30.22 for the year. I recall about two of those goals. If he kicked at 2017-18 accuracy he would have bagged 40-plus. But unfortunately only seven of those have come in the back half of the season.

Did you write an electronic mail to AFL.com.au? I answered one and got a red mark and frowny face with no other explanation. Also, what was it was it like seeing those 1928 and 1948 draws live? Must have been crazy.

I don't personally think this is a particularly nuanced write-up, considering what might amount to be one of the boldest rebuilds in modern times. Roos had a simple task of stemming the bleeding and setting the basic cultural foundations, but while some peripherals remain we spent a lot of draft cookies in doing so. That includes Vince, Dawes, Lumumba, Kennedy, Frost, Melksham and Hibberd all for picks effectively in the early to mid-20s while sacrificing decent young talent - some who have been serviceable and helped lay the foundations but are not in the current team. The current crop is a post-Roos mini-reset, built on the strategic nous of Goodwin, Mahoney and Taylor (and probably others who should receive some credit), together with some good and bad luck. First step was to rebuild the engine room, in which we scored two serious hits (eventually) in Clarry and Trac, but they were landed on the back of high draft pics. The real genius has been in the MFC's manipulation of future trading, with a trade-up, get-em-in-early strategy for high-end talent. The willingness to then spend big on two KPFs was a masterstroke, and unheard of until now. Goodwin devised an exciting but flawed game-plan in his first two years as a senior coach, and then immediately identified how to fix it - almost completely flipping the script. Get rid of two two beloved members of our high-scoring forward-line and replace them with what has turned out to be two AA defenders, with the team now boasting the most staunch defence in the league. That done, with the structural basis in place, we went back to the talent pot (admittedly helped by bottoming out in 2019) and have plugged other gaps since. Taylor has nailed a number of later picks along the way. I'm not sure what my point is now. Maybe that the Roos era of rebuilding list-wise is still questionable (but maybe somewhat necessary). And that the actual rebuild of note has occurred in just the past three to four years, with Goodwin the visionary, Mahoney the master at the table, and Taylor getting the selections right both high and low? Consider this, 14 players in our last outing arrived at the club post-2017, with I think 9 finals debutants. This is a quick-fire rebuild.

(!) I bought mine for a $108 each way from Cairns with Jetstar a couple of days ago - which I'm assuming is the longest domestic leg in Australia. Looks like I might struggle to get a gf ticket now though - but definitely don't cry for me, just making a point about airline extortion. Maybe Adelaide/Hobart to Cairns to Perth would be a cheaper option, however insane that sounds. Anyways, happy to discuss putting anyone up on the way through if that's the case. Go Dees!

Yes, indeed (although compared to Jack the others had arguably greater extenuating circumstances - one of which will cause a life-long sadness in me). Just to be clear though, I've bagged JV many times on here, but never for being a 'wasted' talent or not getting the most out of himself - his career ambition and commitment was always entirely up to him. I'm fiercely competitive when it comes to sport (often to my own physical detriment), so I never warmed to Jack in that sense. But the notion of being paid well to play competitive sport and not worry about putting in the extra yards and just enjoy the swimming and [censored] that comes with it sounds pretty pleasing to me also. And I'm probably a wasted talent too - just thankfully not the most ever scrutinised and badgered individual in my field. So I'm not without empathy for Watts. But as a fan I have a different agenda. Goodwin's clear-out of probably our two most beloved players was highly ballsy, and is now reaping the rewards in more ways than one.

As an outsider I will never know the sequence of events and how they panned out with respect to his move to Port. But I got the feeling during that interview that he is still rather delusional, as it doesn't at all accord with my memory at the time (and those aforementioned press conferences). He says Goody invited him back if he wanted to stay, and then he got an amazing offer from Port - where he 'felt wanted'. I doubt these two statements to be accurate in the way he presents them. The former is probably akin to what TMac experienced last year - if you can't find a home you'll remain on the list, but are not part of the current plans - and the latter I think was his only offer. Then sounds like he got coddled at Port as well.

Don't even know why Brayshaw, or Jackson or Rivers for that matter are coming up in conversation. It just doesn't work like that anymore - Tyson for Pruess was one of the rare recent examples (maybe Aish?), but how often do you get direct player trades these days? You look at potential outgoing currency, and then see what might satisfy a trade elsewhere with the packaging of pics and pick swaps. No point trying to push a trade for Brayshaw to Fremantle, when he might be more valued at Adelaide for example (not advocating pushing him anywhere - just that you maximise your outs and ins and try to come out on top overall).

Vociferous Anti-Neelder from day-dot (well, from our first outing against the Lions), but let's not gloss over Crawford laughing during that interview about Clarkson - considered the greatest coach in modern football - also punishing the soon dynastic Hawks with early-morning ice-cold swims. It was another era. Neeld was a rookie coach with a mandate to toughen the team up (and it was a talented young team) - from the board and selection committee down through to the supporters, and took that role on because he had no other ideas. Many of those same supporters hoped to see the back of Goodwin last year. As for Jack - sure, our development was a serious issue in those early days, but he had the opportunity under Roos (who coddled him a bit, but is also considered one of the modern-day coaching greats) and then Goodwin and McCartney to get involved with a serious and focussed program - and he effectively chose not to. I was admittedly never a fan of Jack either. While accepting it was his prerogative in how much he wanted to get out of his career, it's aggravating knowing I would go harder when it came to my team than some of our players. Jack was being disingenuous in that interview about why he was rejected by Goodwin. Credits Simon with having the greatest influence on him getting the best out of himself as a player, and then repays that by rocking up to training out of shape (along with later discretions) right when he should have been stepping up in maturity and leadership. Goodwin rightly had no time for him. That's on Jack, not the club. I've made my feeling clear on Goodwin from the very start - and those who still don't want to see it have no idea about football and its context in the modern world. Every one of our players who gets some praise credits Goody - you don't even hear that with Hardwick or the other top clubs. Jack chose to bail out to where he was 'wanted' - read; where it was easy.

Great, respectful discussion. Keep it up guys. Demonland at its best.

I bought a four-game membership mid-year (I'm a [censored] fan for full membership, but have lived overseas most of my life, and did buy the AFL access pass thing through the club previously), right before the Melbourne shut down. I was hoping to pass it on. I don't recall there being a grand final option. Is 'Access Membership' the same thing? I recall paying about $120.

I tipped this.

I have enough confidence in this team and system now that Jones in or out won't make the difference. Except that it may make our current leaders stand taller. The last game I saw him play in the VFL was an absolute blinder, but he was admittedly slow. Yet, on a HFF I think he could still contribute - tackle, tackle, tackle, and take a shot if the opportunity presents - he's pretty reliable in that regard. Would have in ahead of Vanders and probably Melksham (although the latter is tempting). Would be one of the greatest football stories in recent memory.

Just bought flights to Perth from Cairns. Then found out Qld is still on WA's naughty Covid list, despite the distance of no-case Cairns to Southeast Queensland being about the same as Norway to Portugal. Back to Darwin for a couple weeks, I think.

I've been a 'hater' for most of his career, and had to eat my words a number of times - including this season, but not as early as some give credit for. Had a great sting of matches mid-season though, hat tipped. It's not just being ineffectual again that worries me, it's that he gets in the way and is such a slow decision-maker (and over-estimates his capabilities, which he has been admittedly better at this year, and I think is a Roos hangover). A couple of our goals yesterday were roved off his poor attempts, where it would have been easier if he just summed up the situation and palmed off. That said, I think he should stay in, as Brown-Jackson-Tmac (plus Fritsch) looks our best KPF structure.

Clayton Oliver has played in all of the Goodwin-Scott era clashes against Geelong and averages 33 disposals including 101 kicks - the most against any opposition in both categories. Also the most 1%ers and second-most clearances (noted that Geelong used to be confident to concede them), and top-3 in a bunch of other stats. Gawn also maxes out in a few categories vs Geelong, including hit-outs, kicks, i50s, and contested possessions (according to AFL Tables). Bring on the prelim!

It just occurred to me that Max was a key feature of the 2017 match vs Geelong as well - his going down with a serious hammy likely costing us a finals berth and himself six consecutive AA blazers.

Our last finals run I lived in Amsterdam. Wake up, make coffee, watch match. Had no idea how I would cope this year in Australia waking up twelve hours before the game started. Cracked the code and ended up as a bunny at a shibari event. Will be tied up until kick-off with no other choice. Recommended remedy.

The lead-up to the 2000 grand final (followed closely by the buzz at the end of 1998). My super-cute girlfriend wore red and blue short shorts and found some matching pom-poms, and then life turned to crap really quickly. But the morning was fun.

The Redlegs are the reason I support the Demons. The 1984 SANFL grand final vs Port Adelaide as mentioned above is possibly my earliest memory, with the 97' victory and 99' loss against the same foes close to my happiest and worst days as a football supporter (and as a human in general). Possibly the coaching connection between the clubs is the strongest, with Neil Balme, Neil Craig, and Peter Rohde all coaching Norwood to some success in recent times (would still love to add Nathan Bassett to that list), and Jade Rawlings currently in the role. As for current and recent players, the infamous pair of Dean Terlich and Alex 'Uber' Georgiou are recent players for both clubs, as well as Michael Newton and Jace Bode, while Dom Barry is still running around for Norwood, alongside Jack's cousin Harry Viney. Harrison Petty flies the flag in the other direction. For some reason I have lost my hatred for Port in it's Power guise, but that may well be rekindled this year. Norwood were the first to push for an AFL licence, and I still have no idea who I would support if that had eventuated. Probably both teams.

Happy to take this conversation to personal messages if you wish to share some of your work dieter.