JTR

Salary cap is a valid reason when we already have several players on big coin, and lots of youngsters coming through who will need to be paid more. Also have to consider available list spots and trying to put together a sustainable list that will carry us forward for years to come. Since 2021 our focus has clearly been on taking our top picks to the draft. Senior 2 Jacob van Rooyen - pick 19 4 Judd McVee - rookie draft 6 Caleb Windsor - pick 7 12 Koltyn Tholstrup - pick 13 14 Jack Billings - trade (3rd round pick) 19 Harvey Langford - pick 6 20 Xavier Lindsay - pick 11 21 Matthew Jefferson - pick 15 22 Blake Howes - pick 39 23 Shane McAdam - trade (2nd round pick) 26 Jed Adams - pick 38 29 Tom Campbell - free agent 30 Harry Sharp - trade (3rd round pick and swap of steak knives) 33 Tom Fullarton - trade (3rd round pick) 40 Taj Woewodin - father son Rookie 28 Will Verrall 38 Oliver Sestan 39 Ricky Mentha 41 Kynan Brown 42 Aidan Johnson 43 Jack Henderson 44 Luker Kentfield 45 Andy Moniz-Wakefield 46 Jai Culley Obviously a few misses there, but all of the top selections are ok. Would you rather we didn't have some/all of JVR/Windsor/Langford/Lindsay and instead throw everything at 28yo Houston types?

Unpalatable then, or unpalatable now? I don't recall many being too upset at the time. Very easy to say now.

List changes since 2021 Out: Senior 2 Nathan Jones 4 James Harmes 6 Luke Jackson 10 Angus Brayshaw 12 Toby Bedford 14 Michael Hibberd 19 Fraser Rosman 20 Adam Tomlinson 22 Aaron vandenBerg 26 Sam Weideman 29 Jayden Hunt 30 Alex Neal-Bullen 33 Oskar Baker 39 Neville Jetta 41 Jay Lockhart 44 **** ***** 46 Austin Bradtke 50 Ben Brown Rookie 23 James Jordon 27 Aaron Nietschke 28 Majak Daw 34 Deakyn Smith 38 Mitch Brown 40 Kye Declase In: Senior 2 Jacob van Rooyen 4 Judd McVee 6 Caleb Windsor 12 Koltyn Tholstrup 14 Jack Billings 19 Harvey Langford 20 Xavier Lindsay 21 Matthew Jefferson 22 Blake Howes 23 Shane McAdam 26 Jed Adams 29 Tom Campbell 30 Harry Sharp 33 Tom Fullarton 40 Taj Woewodin Rookie 28 Will Verrall 38 Oliver Sestan 39 Ricky Mentha 41 Kynan Brown 42 Aidan Johnson 43 Jack Henderson 44 Luker Kentfield 45 Andy Moniz-Wakefield 46 Jai Culley Definitely a few outs that set us back and somes misses with the ins, but it's not like we have been sitting on our hands doing nothing. We are rebuilding on the fly, which to me is a much more palatable route to take than completely bottoming out like West Coast, North or Richmond Edit - these are players that were on our list in 2021 compared to now. Haven't included guys like Grundy who have come and gone during that time.

Just curious, cause I've noticed you've been conspicuously on Sharps case for most of the season. What's your knock on him exactly, and why do you feel (as a relatively young 22yo) that he can't develop like some of the other young players on the list? I didn't know anything about him when we got him, other than hearing he was an extremely good runner and that he was an emergency in last years GF. From what I saw in the pre season games and have seen so far this season, he doesn't seem the worst? Disposal not the best and a bit fumbly, but can run hard and is not bad around the goals. Reminds me a bit of early ANB.

Demonland: "the season is over - play the kids!" Also Demonland:

Anything actually come from the club or Fritsch himself, is this just another media thought bubble claiming to be news?

🤔 Again, are you having a laugh? My view - which I am also entitled to - is that you are wrong and this "analysis" is at best, extremely premature. Is that ok with you sir, or are you only interested in the opinions of those who agree with you?

Have you had a read through your own thread? Surely you're having a laugh. At a time where there are numerous far more pressing issues for you hand wringers to be gnashing your teeth over, we have a collective pile on to write off a just turned 20yo, 2nd year player who has had an interrupted preseason and played a grand total of 18 games. Yep sure, I am the one who is off the mark... 🤣

You've got to be [censored] kidding me with this thread. The kid turned 20 two [censored] weeks ago. What is the obsession with you sad sacks always needing to have someone to write off?

In my view there are plenty of valid mitigating circumstances that have have lead us from the first half of last season to where we are now. If seeing it that way, rather than buying into the constant hand wringing sessions that dominates most discussion makes me a "happy clapper" (I assume that quip is just around the corner? Or maybe the old "supporters like me are what is wrong with this club"? ), then so be it. Lets just leave it at that.

The win-loss record is undeniable, but if you're telling me this place is not hyper-reactive, particularly when things aren't going our way, then nah, don't agree at all. Do you think this thread even exists if we'd won the two finals in 2023, games which we lost by a combined total of a kick and a half? What about the recent 1 point loss to the Filth or any other close loss and how all those post game and subsequent spin off threads read? The entire mood towards the club, coaches and players would be completely different. If the narrative and general sentiment around here can swing so drastically based on what is sometimes a single moment in a game—which is what a loss by under a kick is—then yeah, that's reactionary.

Cartlon have Curnow and McKay to kick to. How have they been going lately? A new shiny KPF is not the golden ticket. We need to fix the way it's getting to them

The fickle nature of opinions after a loss (or a win, to be fair) is why I don't buy into these "sack everyone" hang wringing sessions. We lost our best shot at a flag since 2021 in 2023 after being cruelled by terribly timed injuries on the eve of finals, and Maynard. It was ours for the taking. Win that and this thread probably doesn't even exist and opinions/views on various players, tactics and so forth would be completely different, even though the various players, tactics and so forth are exactly the same.

Not against us they didn't. We made them look ordinary for most of the game. Our defensive work would have been lauded if we kicked straight and got the result.

If #32 didn't have such hilarious pigeon toed flipper feet, maybe he wouldn't be getting in everyones road so often when penguin-ing his way out of a centre bounce?

This probably ties back to what was said earlier about trusting the same group of core players with the new methods, when they themselves might be incapable of doing it. We can only work with what we have. As for our forward line talent, I've mentioned elsewhere that if we plonked JVR, Petty, Turner, Fritsch, Kossie and co infront of a different midfield who get it in fast an to their advantage (rather than Oliver/Viney/Petracca method), they'd be completely different players and significantly more effective. No key forward in the game would make a difference in our forward line, given the way it goes in. Except maybe Darcy who can mark anything anywhere, whether its to his advantage or not.

While I agree that our connection inside 50 has been a persistent issue, I would still argue that being a leader in this new metric - during an era that favours fast ball movement - has us much better positioned than people think, or at least want to acknowledge whilst we are in the depths of another hand wringing phase. We're excelling in many other areas across the ground, yet struggle with that final phase and putting points on the board. I'd much rather that than getting smashed in all facets of the game, or persisting with an old game style like Carlton. It's clear we're on a challenging path, but there's definitely merit in what we are trying to do.

Where was that said anywhere? Have a read here if you are interested. It explains the various metrics, what they mean and how all teams stack up in each of the criteria. Your "eye test" is irrelevant to the "Speed of Ball" conversation. That what stats like disposal efficiency, or marks inside 50 are for.

Sorry, but no it's not. There has been a demonstrable change. There was a guy from Champion Data on one of the radio shows a few weeks back explaining the new stat. It's not all about how fast it gets into the 50, it's how fast ball movement is all over the ground. Get the ball, make a decision, dispose of the ball. They literally have a person/people timing everything during and post game (imagine that job! 🤮) Anyway, they also did a comparison to successful sides from previous seasons, including us in 2021, and we were much slower then and in seasons since than we are now.

Once again, there are plenty of valid reasons (besides ordinary goal kicking) for why the 2022 and 2023 finals series ended up the way the did, the most crucial of which had absolutely zero to do with coaching. And if you want to extend it further, in 2024 we had no Brayshaw, lost Petracca half way through the year, never had a 100% Oliver, no longer had Jordan or Harmes and were having to cover all these gaps with inexperienced 1st and 2nd year players. Again, nothing to do with coaching.

Well, there goes my "there's no way he'd be that reckless at training with his team mates" argument... 🙄 Download.mp4

Whilst the exit in '22 and '23 was inglorious, but the seasons themselves were very good. Two top 4 finishes and we were the only team that wasn't outside the 8 for the entire period. That's no mean feat and I don't understand why people continually ignore that. 2022 we had players limping into finals (quite literally with Petracca who was basically on one leg), but 2023 was the year that got away. What ultimately ended the season (poor kicking aside) was losing our forward line on the eye of finals, then losing Brayshaw in the opening minutes vs the Filth. Coaching cannot help key injuries or stop thugs from "making a footy act"

The entire basis for the renewed Petracca speculation on Footy Classified was a lazy glance at the coaches' votes and someone saying, "it was about this time last year that the Petracca rumours started" — and from that, they spun an entire non-story. Complete garbage, manufactured out of thin air. But as is tradition with these [censored], other outlets will now pick it up and run their own hot takes, quoting Footy Classified like it's gospel. Then Tom Morris will start ringing around clubs asking if they'd have any interest in Petracca if he were available. He’ll follow that up with a call to Melbourne, who’ll politely (or not so politely) tell him to [censored] off. Then he’ll publish a piece breathlessly reporting that "multiple clubs have expressed interest in Petracca, and Melbourne declined to comment on a potential trade." Cue a Sam McClure exclusive a few days later, linking back to all this circular nonsense and dropping buzzwords like “where there’s smoke” — while completely ignoring the fact that they lit the [censored] fire in the first place. Then we'll have people here melting because there has been no comment from the club. etc etc etc

Well this is good news WhistleOutOptus Sport is dead and Stan is picking up the bountyOptus Sport has been on death's door for a while and with its dying breath it has bequeathed Stan Sport with its subscribers, and content.

What about Vineys sling tackle on whoever it was? Rowell? I know it didnt even draw a free kick at the time but the TV commentary review panel were already giving him weeks.