The Taciturn Demon

Yep. Although I'd say over the borderline of elite in 2021. This is a really good summary. I like Petty a lot, but pretty much strictly as a key defender now. He has some of the raw skills forwards need, but as you say, not the craft. In a game like yetserday when we returned to blasting it in with little thought, we needed someone to just bring the ball to ground. It's far more difficult than it seems and we need to keep looking for someone who can do it regularly. Van Rooyen? Jefferson? Johnson? Kentfield? Derksen if we can get him next year? Another mature player traded in? I'm not quite ready to give up on Lever but I definitely want to see Disco and Petty in combination as defenders. Unless Petty has his eyes on a free agency move to SA, this is the future.

Good call. Lever isn't done yet. But Turner is fast becoming a first-picked defender. Yes, it's tempting to throw him forward, but we've found one and we know his best position. Keep him there and try others forward.

Goodwin mentioned in the press conference that they put a lot of time into Wanganeen-Milera. He and Wilkie will be vying for the ten coaches' votes and three Brownlow votes. Yes, the kicking was appalling. But we attempted to blunt two of their best players and completely failed.

Coached by Nev Jetta.

Always found her incredibly frustrating. Terrifyingly poor kick of the footy.

Releasing resentment at having carried her for four years as she incomprehensibly got All Australian gurnseys while consistently beaten one on one and falling over more than late-career Jordan Lewis.

A little bit aside from the issue of retaining Kozzie (which seems to have such a homesickness factor to it), I find this such an interesting part of top-level sport. I remember during the Tom Scully disaster that many, many people argued Scully had essentially no decision to make: it wasn't rational or realistic to suggest he might ignore that amount of money stay at Melbourne. This always struck me as just as naive as saying "Every player plays only for the jumper and money is irrelevant" (which is mostly just a strawman version of a more nuanced side of the argument). Of course, Robbo might have been making it up or exaggerating or giving prominence to just one reason why he stayed above others, but even still, it's telling that he would say that.

Well put. Although a lot of people applaud this lack of understanding - and have for decades.

Yes. Good call. Plenty of time to have watered in the new game plan; Windsor, Lindsay, Turner and Langford with a solid bunch of games under their respective belts; some healthy list turnover (not-quite-good-enough triers replaced); maybe a ready-to-go free agent or trade target to strengthen the best 22. There are lots of variables - the biggest being Kozzie - but if we started 2026 like we started this season, I think even Goodwin rusted-ons would start to reach for the DW-40.

I never understood why we went for Grundy. There are all types of rucks, but to my mind one is clearly more valuable than all the others: the contested marking powerhouse. Grundy has never been that. Grundy versus Max on Sunday was yet another example of most stats being completely unrepresentative and unhelpful for analysis of the game. The stats suggest it was an even contest; most people who watched would agree it was a bath.

Yeah, and what recognition of his season to date from Cox! I was surprised when I looked at his stats at the end of the game. I thought they would be higher because I seemed to keep noticing him at important moments. In hindsight, what I observed was less of the dash and delivery that have defined his season so far, and more of the little stuff - a hand in to stop a Sydney attack, for example, or strength in a contest that didn't always result in a possession.

Really? That's extraordinary.

Totally agree. Bowey comfortably in my top three B&F at the moment, not far from Gawn at number one.

I reckon this is a great call. Big and solid enough to win one-on-ones. A good enough kick to hit the forty-fives we're now so keen on at half back.

I'm stunned that they've won four games. Absolute disaster of a list.

Yep. Starting at centre half forward and getting involved up the ground.

Yeah, Sestan's kicking in pretty tricky conditions, was really noticeable.

I think you may be right. Or there may be nothing to glean from it at all. I always thought it was unfair on Roos.

I notice Goodwin called the team "they" throughout his press conference. Paul Roos was lambasted for this.

Oh geeze. That happened two weeks ago as well! Is he a nervous spewer or has he had a weirdly long stomach illness?

They got sloppier as the game went on (I think our pressure was excellent), but they had a decent first half, as you said, and in the third they built some momentum. I thought we did well to wrest back control after a good ten to fifteen minutes of not having it our way.

I have to admit, a couple of the things he said in press conferences eight or nine weeks ago sounded like ludicrous delusion to me. Not now. I also think he deserves a huge amount of credit for never stooping to Sheedy-esque sooking and smokescreening, even when things looked really bleak. He's not a great public speaker, but he has a certain graciousness that few of his contemporaries stick to. (Hardwick may be a genius of a coach, but some of his press conference stuff is shrivel-into-a-ball cringeworthy.)

Oh. You want to make fun of my typo? Let's dance.

And Salem. Goodwin mentioned him in the press conference, which was good to hear. Right back to his very best form.

Apparently they were according to the cockatoo expert sitting next to me. Never seen that before at the footy.