GS_1905

I partially disagree with this statement. Whilst there is no need for soccer players to be overly muscular in the upper body as there is not an element of 'grappling' and high impact collisions, the athletic profile is still very demanding. They cover similar mileage to AFL players and likely have more explosive / sprinting elements than AFL. Also the field size is a bit of a misnomer as Soccer fields 8 less players (not counting goal keeper) and doesn't have an interchange bench the same way that footy does. Id have to look at stats regarding the stop/start nature, but its likely a little more than AFL with fouls, throw-in's, goal-kicks etc. For the top european clubs, they also have to balance league and UEFA orientated competitions and national comps which place huge demands on key players - so recovery is super important. From what i can recall, pro soccer players in Europe typically have 4-6 weeks off then hit preseason for about 2 months before launching into the season again. however with the increase in additional competitions they are starting even sooner with World Cup years basically eating into the preseason time all together. I have always held the belief that Footy more closely resembles the demands of NFL than it does of Soccer.. I think they have it easier than Soccer in the sense of time-off / time away from club etc.

This is spot on. The machinery of government is at best described as a cesspit, a gathering of folk who are driven by their own egotistical motivations often suffering with moral decay. Unfortunately our hands are clearly tied with Caulfield and that is to be expected when we dont have much capital to throw around.

There is a risk that we become the next West Coast / North Melbourne. I mean somebody has to replace that mantle. I expect North to get very close to Top 8 this year. West Coast will win more than 4 games and so will Richmond. There is always another team that just crashes out of nowhere (dont worry we have already crashed so i dont think its us). I suspect bottom 4 next year will be: - West Coast, Richmond, Port, Melbourne Not surprised if anyone of Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton also find themselves in bottom 4 contention. Cats are a bit of an enigma, their time seems to be coming every year, but continue to find a way. Once Danger & Blicavs are out of the picture probably in 2027, i think we may see things a little clearer. Gezza and Stewart still have a few more year left i think.

I don't need to tell him anything. He has had a solid 2 years to prove everyone wrong. He may still do so at GWS, but i think the odds are low.

I think there will be a bigger push next year. His management will have a longer run to get GCS on board. Problem is there are probably a handful other clubs that will now be aware of the situation. From a footy perspective, there is a good chance that we could become abysmal and drop to the levels of West Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond, which would make coming back to Melbourne FC in particular less attractive. I feel like we had our chance this year and failed to make it happen. Time will tell whether XT and Trelly end up being the better alternative.

Im sad he is gone too PF, but at the end of the day, i think this separation is best for both camps. He was just not going to get the best out of himself staying at Melbourne. IMO I dont think he's going to do much better at GWS, but if he does, then i'll be happy for him. Was just a shame the way the wheels came off in the end. Wont be the last player it happens to , but [censored] why did it have to be Clarry.

The other things is the game has gone past him. Without the ability to kick, or break packs anymore, his opponent will just on the outside and stop the hand ball . He may get the odd clearance, but in the long run won’t hurt opponents .

oh i was wondering when this was coming out... thakns for the heads up.

i disagree. He is above average for sure, elite in some cases, but wouldn't be talked about as much if he didn't play for Collingwood. Lets see what happens when Pendles, SideBottom and DeGoey retire in the next year or two and he is surrounded by no names and is required to win his own ball.

I wonder if they have got the JD right in this case. You can tell Jordy is just itching to get back into footy, but doesnt strike me as somebody that has enough perspective and knowledge for a "Head of Strategy" role. This has Bartel's name written all over it and with other Geelong personnel under the employ, im a bit suss that he hasnt accepted it. Or perhaps, the whole footy knows he has and hence the lack of interest as they know its fait accompli.

I didnt know where else to put this, but boy i absolutely love this:

Serious question - assuming you are on the mobile - how long did that take to type out?

Now that would be an absolute rolls royce outcome. Just to entertain this hypothetical for a moment, who does that displace? Almost certainly means Viney, Steele and Sparrow are under the question mark. If by some miracle we were to pull this off, we would have to be sprung back into the window and also have some level of favouritism too.

I say Max still wants it - you can see he takes the individual accolades seriously even though he is not retired. Said the right things in the interview, but behind the scenes i'd say there'd need to be a good reason for someone to take it off him. I'd also add that with Trac and Oliver gone, he'll definitely have a spring in his step and a weight off his shoulders. However, we'd want to look long and hard at brining in some youth into the leadership team rather than go with the seniors and have them develop whilst Gawn is still in a playing capacity.

Right? Its a bit confronting to see how many great players have left in one way or another.

Midfield balance is more important i think. Having Culley and Langford in the middle exposes us a little on the speed side of things. Having one of them on the wing / outside is probably more likely. I think XL/Windsor with Steele, Langford is a better mix, with Kozzy, Viney (when fit), Rivers and Sparrow rotating through. Not rulling out Culley either, but i think he could be an absolute weapon on the wing. Think of that young Geelong fella (forget his name).

This is exactly what i want to hear re: Trelly. Hopefully he has great game sense like NWM. THe other athletic side is undoubtedly covered. Its the ability to read the game and influence of HB, that will win you premierships.

Did we secure the rights to Waverley over Richmond? I didnt realise that was confirmed.

well theres goes our premiership chance.

if McVee is the example, then the coaching staff just have to bite the bullet and give him a mini pre-season and hold him back from AFL games. It doesnt do anybody any good being rushed back. Hopefully that mentality has left the building in Goody's suitcase.

Re: Bowser... whats the ETA? hopefully its not he dreaded syndesmosis .

its popped up on my YouTube things to watch... i have umm'd and ahh'd about watching it. Anything we dont already know?

This is the only way you can obtain a booing exemption. Even then, its discretionary. Petracca, Exhibit A.

You and i sound like we will get along at the footy. Ill sneak in a megaphone when we play Freo, Suns and Giants.

If Kolt cannot impress during training, i have a lot of worries for the kid. Geez i hope he can turn it around. If we just saw a few spurts of brilliance we may have a bit more faith - here's hoping.