Skuit

I hate being a stick in the mud sometimes but whichever teams make the finals probably deserve to be in the finals. Channelling Ethan here, but if we lose an elimination final then we likely don't deserve to be in the finals anymore.

We will be doing so.

Summary here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-afl-finals-afl-grand-final-premiership-odds-predictor-champion-data-premiership-profile-2020/news-story/d1ce45ef3111bb82cad8d2157664b922

Just that it's seldom recognised that the Port teams while offensively creative were between roughly 2015-2019 actually the hardest to score against. I would have to go back and look at some footage to pick up on any notable pattern though as to defensive set-ups. It may just be a result of fitness, belief and two-way running. The shortened quarters muddy the sample, but we do seem to be developing a 2015 Port last quarter vibe.

Yep. The super-high-press was both exhilarating and wildly frustrating. We backed ourselves in in a shoot-out and accepted leakage - with the notion that if we could shave off a couple goals defensively we would come out on top. One issue is that we never had our preferred back-six in together (and we were obviously recruiting accordingly), so we won't ever really know if we could have pulled it off. Goody already loosened it in mid-2018, and with our early-season offensive impotence this year he's had to remodel completely. I like where we're now at. It's curious though to look back at the Port teams when Burgess was at their club and after. I think we have scored some- back-door Hinkley IP.

I've been a backer of Goodwin (and remain so) since day one - despite having reservations about some aspects of his game-plan. Because type A. He sold me on a vision and I want to see it play out even if I'm not sure it will ultimately work. It's true that the brains-trust on here is usually at least a few matches ahead of Goody on the required adjustments, but these are probably the easy calls. He may come across as stubborn, and it's probably cost us some H&A games, but that's the mark of a successful innovator - to give any idea room to grow. When it hasn't worked out, he has in the end made the right changes.

In a rare instance on Demonland I've come around on Aaron (noting, again, that I once thought he was the second coming of Carey). Didn't think he was much chop. Clichés such as the team standing taller, barometer etc. didn't persuade me against kicking efficiency. Now I'm completely sold. I want this bloke in my team. Not only his hardness but his persistence is probably inspiring for teammates.

Going to bed with Vanders is a frightening prospect. Get crunched in a hug and then he probably misses the intended 'target'.

Gave me the serious love-vibes* https://www.carltonfc.com.au/video/797688/eddie-s-special-afl360-montage?videoId=797688&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1597792488001 *For lack of a better place to post.

Haha. AVB knocks a bloke out and then starts making moves on his girlfriend. Old-school legend.

Which one is Josh? I remember once thinking one of them was okay. I think it was at the start of 2016.

Did Gil or his minders respond bin? I have a few suggestions around the holding the ball rule and could do with an inside line.

The potential list-size squeeze is not just a challenge but a huge opportunity. Chances are a number of mostly untried players will get cut (think Baker for example). I'm not remotely across it. Anyone on here have any idea of who might be in that category from other clubs and worth a delisted free agent looksie?

I once read some scientific reasoning behind this phenomena but have forgotten the basis. Something to do with cars from memory. Can't be bothered googling but it's probably in the internet aether somewhere for those keen to investigate.

I agree with this thread. Binman has been getting unfair plaudits for being the concept originator. I knew it was someone else who first floated the idea and actually thought it was me. There's no evidence to support my own case though. I'm mostly too lazy to post what I think half the time without the encouragement of whisky. Anyone want to hear my radical finals shake-up idea again? I posted it on here once for time-stamped posterity if anyone else ever hit on the same idea or stole it.

The talk-back radio people on here should push the agenda for longer quarters during the finals. There's no good reason for the games to remain shortened come the finals and the AFL might cave if there's a ground-swell of public opinion and the broadcasters catch on (with opposition fans unaware that there's a good argument to be made that it will significantly benefit us sinister laugh).

Collingwood occupying their usual top-two spot. Which is why it feels weird that we had the absolute run against them not only in the last match but once or twice in other games over the past few years. The 2017 Watts-game I recall as being one other instance.

Will always be quibbles - but you just said a whole bunch of stuff that I agree with wholeheartedly but could never actually be bothered with typing. Kudos. Fantastic write-up. Go get yourself a beverage on me.

Magnanimous of you Nash, as I think you've been all over the (admittedly from his perspective) odd Preuss trade from day one, as much as you're keen on minutes played. It was a mighty kick. And he took a few contested marks which is my equivalent thing.

Watching just the highlights and I'm embarrassed by the favouritism we received from the umpires. It's not the first time I've said that vs. Collingwood. Strange. But I don't know how you could live with yourself being a West Coast fan. Also Spargo everywhere. Watching the actual replay and Lockhart has a long way to go still. Love his endeavour but he was out-positioned or -manoeuvred on multiple occasions and cost us in my opinion at least half the Pies' goals. Still happy for him to stay there. Or get Rivers in.

Whichever way you shake it we still have the definite potential of an AA first ruck gong together with two starting mids. Unprecedented.

I didn't get tickets but Eddie Betts jogged past me tonight.* I thought he was maybe an old friend and gave him one of those non-committal maybe-recognition nods. He returned it with a friendly wry smile. I think he had been doing a decent job of going incognito until then. I only realised it was Eddie a few seconds later. He's older-looking and taller than I imagined. And then it clicked they were playing here on Friday. I wish I got the chance to ask him about his shorts. He was jogging along an uneven cement footpath beside a busy road. Seems strange to me. *For lack of a better place to post.

Hard. By appealing to the points that Moonshadow raised. Points that surely formed part of our initial pitch. People seem to have forgotten the knee-scare Max had during the pre-season. That fright was tempered somewhat by having Preuss around, who subsequently went down. Weid back on ruck duties now and our season would be finished.

For the same reason he joined us in the first place?

My MFCSS antenna tells me this will end as cruelly as possible for the greatest stalwart of our club during its darkest era. Stranded on 299 games after another preliminary final's flop feels about par.