Dee-tonator

Not even Max can get the better of Old Father Time. He desperately needs the back-up ruck we haven't got.

A for effort so far. C- for skill. Awful errors from Max and May.

Interesting views here on our drafting strategy. I believe Lindsay and Langford (like Windsor) have the making of long-term elite contributors, which any aspiring top-four team has to have. To get them we had to make some sacrifices on picks which could have been used to build depth. For me, quality always counts more than quantity. Anyway, drafting has never been an exact science (eg Max Gawn hasn't done badly for a pick 34) and I have every confidence in our current draft decision-makers.

Five goals for Turner in VFL today. Could replace any of our forward flops, especially Fritsch.

May - failed to dominate Petty - doesn't seem interested Howes - far below standard McDonald - off the pace Rivers - struggled under pressure Salem - hitting skids now Bowey - lively and productive Lindsay - really bad luck Viney - poor distribution again Gawn - on the decline? Langford - skills are promising Billings - selection a mystery Langdon - wasted on inside Oliver - too many errors Sparrow - just lumbered along Petracca - seldom in game Sharp - lacks necessary skills Henderson - just a plodder Chandler - good work rate Fritsch - useless at everything Johnson - VFL standard strongman. Van Rooyen - never troubled defenders Melksham - had little influence

6 Bowey - classy all-round performance. 5 Langford - looks the real deal. 4 Chandler - busy all day. 3-2-1 Take your pick from the rabble.

Must be Fritsch's worst performance ever.

This is no longer embarrassing. It's totally humiliating.

When players continually fumble simple passes, kick aimlessly and miss tackles, it's not the coach's fault. Whatever tactics are employed, multiple players who can't get the basics right will lose matches. And that's where we are right now.

May in, a big plus. Wiped out by...... Howes for Lever I hope Melksham has a blinder tomorrow. He has fought so hard to get his body back into shape for one final crack at the big time.

Point 1: We are badly missing the powerful presence of May, the positional awareness of McVee and the X-factor of Pickett. Point 2: Howes has now had enough chances for the call to be made that he is not an AFL-standard defender. Maybe Rivers needs to provide cover there until the injury situation eases. Point 3: Shifting Langdon from his specialist position on the wing seemed daft before the North game and would be even dafter if persisted with. Point 4: Spargo looks as if he needs at least a couple of runs in the VFL after such a long layoff. Point 5: Are we going to run Gawn into the ground again this season without providing a proper backup ruck? Hard to swallow as it is, he was outplayed by Xerri. Point 6: Yes, it was a terrible day at the office, but wholesale changes are a non-starter, given the injuries we have. However, Langford surely deserves a chance in the starting lineup this week. Point 7: With the honourable exception of Oliver, some of last week's flops need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

My pre-season optimism is evaporating like mist in the desert sun.

Sad at seeing the Cats somehow keeping their claws sharp yet again. Delight at the Dockers' implosion. Can you be happy and sad at the same time?

Fritsch is a reliable goal-kicker when he can find space but he has about as much appetite for the contest as a mouse would against an elephant.

So far we have been a distant second best in basic skills, ball movement, marking contests, pace and kicking accuracy. Apart from that, Goody will tell you everything is going to plan.

Goodwin said at quarter-time that JVR had a back spasm early on and would not be back today.

If we serve up this kind of rubbish for the rest of the season Goody is doomed.

Forget about past patterns. We start 2025 with a clean slate and a line-up much improved already if Trac and Oliver fire up at their best. As long as our injury toll is reasonable, we have enough elite talent and some improving young guns to take on anyone. With some added depth at Casey, it should also be possible to give Max, May and possibly even Viney a break or two to prevent burnout, particularly in the second half of the season. Of course any prediction made in January can look mind-blowingly stupid by September, but I genuinely think that at our best we are a top-four chance.

Definitely a rebound year if we avoid serious injuries. Reasons? 1. If Oliver and Trac are fit and in the right frame of mind, the positive effect will be enormous. 2. Langford an excellent draft pick. Looks AFL ready. 3. Johnson has point to prove and could provide much-needed relief for the overworked Max. 4. Further improvement likely from Turner, Windsor, McVee, Van Rooyen and Tholstrup. 5. Petty back where he belongs. 6. Viney still going strong. 7. Pickett provides the X-factor every team needs. 8. Little mention of Harry Sharp so far, but if his all-round skills improve he could just develop into a surprise replacement for ANB. At 22, he has outstanding speed, Langdon-like aerobic capacity and his best years ahead. I accept that we still lack a truly dominant key forward and that some of the predictions above may come unstuck. Still, what is there right now not to be optimistic about?

These appear to be Collingwood cows. No wonder they look overweight and undisciplined.

She seems to be an excellent choice but may need some curing of the following ailment, recorded earlier this year: Q: Which AFL club do you support? MM: “I go for Collingwood, so last year was a good year. Loved that.”

Melbourne were absolutely right to stand firm if a fair trade could not be agreed. All I am saying is that I don't know whether Tayla's feelings will be of resentment that the move failed or of determination to prove the Hawks' judgment wrong in rating her as below the value of pick 14. I hope it will be the latter. We certainly don't need any more clickbait material for the media.

It seems that Tayla has run out of options and will have to stay next season. But even with a topline performer, there are always potential risks in compelling a player to remain when she obviously wanted to leave.

Nothing to do with Judd as an individual, but in the light of tight AFL salary caps this news shows how small our competition is, compared with the crazy financial world of sport in the United States. Juan Soto is staying in New York, but he won't be with the Yankees. Instead, the New York Mets, long believed to be a frontrunner to land the 26-year-old superstar, have landed him on an MLB-record $765 million contract over 15 years, according to multiple reports. That astronomical number gives Soto the largest contract in professional sports history.

Zippy Fish. Elite in every department. Height:160cm. D.O.B:04-06-2006 Zippy Fish has the most recognisable name.has the most recognisable face in the 2024 AFLW Draft crop, She lives up to it too, with an explosive burst that once she is goalside, it is game over for opponents. Bursting onto the scene a few years ago when she won MVP for Western Australia during its internal Under 16s Championships – prior to playing other states – Fish has long racked up the accolades left and right. An All-Australian as a bottom-ager for the national championships, Fish starred last season for the Sandgropers and will again headline a squad that is stronger than years gone by. Playing at East Fremantle where there is no shortage of talent on-ball or around the field, Fish has ascended to the top of the most damaging players there, and her teammates look for her at every opportunity. At times it is mind boggling that opposition teams don’t place a tag on her, as Fish slices them up; able to burst from centre stoppages, run forward and kick goals from 40 metres with a classy finish. Oh, and last year she won best on ground in the WAFLW Grand Final leading her Sharks to a premiership. In any other year, Fish would be a pick one lock, but the sheer strength of this draft means she is currently third which is no slight considering the two players above her. From and outside craft perspective and athletic profile, there are none better. She could go close to beating the 3.1-second mark in the 20m sprint, having clocked 3.14 seconds in the past at official preseason testing. Her agility and outstanding clean hands are other strengths in her game, as well as her aerial ability which pound-for-pound is as good as anyone’s going around. The main knock on Fish is her contested ball-winning ability as she is small and naturally has speed over strength, though she does lay some seriously strong tackles. A perfect second possession winner who also can balance between loose ball gets and handball receives to explode forward, she would complement any midfield that has pure contested ball-winners.