Lord Travis

If Kozzie leaves we're genuinely buggered

Crazy to see a team with 15 premiership players battling for the spoon and throwing up scores like it's the Neeld years. Massive fall from the most successful group in most of our lifetimes.

Just spent two hours getting a sick toddler to sleep. Then the TV and see the score. Seems like more of the same from this group? Belted around the ball and bombing to a congested forward line?

Yes from me assuming he can get his body sound and doesn't command too high of a salary. Our midfield is a mess and we've lost depth this past few seasons without replacing it. While we've got great young talent and good senior players, the middle age bracket of our list is where we fall down. We drafted well, but recruited poorly. Worpel is a proven AFL level player and has shown seriously good clearance ability. Not the best ball user, but he's an upgrade on the next rung down in our midfield (Sparrow, Laurie, Woewodin types). At his peak in 2023, he was top 10 in the league for clearances and top 5 in the league for centre clearances. He was also pretty handy last year in a strong Hawks team. We've got no high draft picks and limited lower draft this year due to poor trading, so we'd be mad not to target him as a free agent if he doesn't command a big salary. He's a decent midfielder IMO. The big question is why would he want to come to us? We stink on field and off field. Hawks are flying on field and off field. Other than getting squeezed out for salary reasons, surely there's better options for him.

Can we stop with this revisionist [censored]? We had more than a great few weeks in 2021. We finished top of the ladder, so we had a great year from start to finish. We more than earned that premiership and were a dominant force all year. "Good few weeks" is an outright lie.

Gawn struggling again this week. Is he struggling with carrying the load on and off field for so long or is the end coming fast?

I'm usually dark mode all the way, but for some reason I prefer light mode for this site. I find the topics list clearer that way. Maybe I need more time to adjust.

He's a ripper. I was on his bandwagon all last year and stoked he slid to us. He's going to be an elite midfielder and he showed why on the weekend. He's got a long way to being a finished product obviously, especially his defensive efforts with weak tackling attempts, but he's got an innate ability to find the ball, make decisions under physical pressure, and hit targets by foot. Love that he hits the scoreboard too. He's the key cog to build our future midfield around, with Windsor being the perfect partner in crime for the outside pace and stoppage exit. That was Langford's first full game on the weekend and I reckon it's the best "debut" game since Clarry burst onto the scene against GWS approx 10 years ago. Hopefully we can lock Langford away long term and build around him.

We're already rebuilding on the run. We need to get games into our young talent that will drive us to our next premiership. The problem is our best young talent is all unavailable. We have a group of first rounders we need to pump games into. Windsor, Langford, Lindsey, Tholstrup, JVR, Jefferson, Kozzie, Mcvee. That's our next premiership core. Windsor, Mcvee, Tholstrup, Jefferson, now Lindsey all out injured. JVR struggling without any other tall targets around him and poor midfield supply. Langford only 5 quarters into his career but already showed he will be a star inside midfielder and was among our best yesterday. A long way to go for him and needs to improve defensive efforts, but his ball winning yesterday was the best we've seen since Clarry debuted 10 years ago. Kozzie has been suspended but will come in and have immediate impact, issue there is keeping him at the club when he wants out to WA. We don't have our first rounders this year, so need to trade up again or make tough calls trading out players who have currency. We need more talented kids, especially a tall defender, a ruckman, and players with x factor like Kozzie and Windsor. Kalani White could be the tall defender.

I doubt it's a wise step to take, especially unsettling young players already struggling for consistency. I will say though, Disco was drafted as an intercept defender and excelled in that role in the VFL and early in his AFL career. JVR played mostly, and excelled, as a defender at underage level. He had 2-3 games up forward and we drafted him with the hope he'd make it as a forward based off those few games. Neither are natural forwards. We're building a forward line around talls who aren't natural forwards and it shows IMO. JVR mistimes his leads, runs under the ball, rarely holds marks etc. Disco doesn't know where to lead and is rarely involved. Jefferson appears a natural forward, but isn't up to the level yet. List management has been poor the last few years IMO and we've failed to address a key shortcoming.

Game over. What a pathetic disappointment. Time for the proper rebuild.

At least we were top 4 for most of that period. Was good watching us win, even if it was a slot at times to watch the game style. We're headed for bottom four now. Time to get games into the talented kids of the future. Langford, Windsor, Mcvee, Tholstrup, Jefferson, Lindsey etc all need to be played if healthy. Depth players like Woe, Howes, and Bowey need to be sent to Casey unless injuries hit badly.

Bowey an elite kick. Haven't seen it for 3 years or so sadly. We really lack quality rebounding half backs. Salem is a shadow of his 2021 self, Mcvee injured and being made unnecessarily into a midfielder, and Hibberd is retired.

What's Rivers role? Was supposed to be midfield this year and he's not really been in the guts or at half back in his old role. Looks like a wasted talent at the moment having no impact.

He was subbed off last quarter, so not sure if you're watching live. Our midfield is the problem, as it has been for over 12 months now.

Was the same when TMac got caught a few mins ago. Petty just silent while his man runs off and gets TMac. There is no communication out there today.

We're no longer a contender. It's all about getting games into the talented young kids. Unfortunately Windsor, Langford, Tholstrup, Mcvee all out.

8 scoring shots to 2. I expected them to put up a fight today, but jeez our midfield can really go to sleep at times.

Should be 3-4 goals down here, so we're lucky they've been inaccurate. Getting dominated around the ball and in territory. Midfield getting torched as expected. Hoping we steady nicely as the game goes on, but the roos young mids are very talented.

Will be a closer game than expected today. Norths young kids are exceptional, and Larkey could prove to be a headache with May out.

Agree with this. While it was great to score heavily from stoppage, we didn't get bang for buck on transition, and the modern game is all about scoring off turnover. It was pleasing to see us chipping it around and maintaining possession in the first half. It worked well for the most part, and with greater chemistry amongst our young forward line it would've been unstoppable. Let's see how it pans out over the year and against stronger defensive sides like Geelong. Lindsay was brilliant and looks like he'll be a key driver for us long term both off half back and wing. His defensive efforts were also far better than expected considering his size and inexperience. We've drafted a ripper there. Windsor was sublime when he got the ball and was able to charge through the corridor and either hit the scoreboard and kick inside 50. He might wind up our barometer for offence this year. Coaches will start playing a forward tag on him.

I was... until my toddler had a melt down and I was forced to leave. First time I've attempted a match with him and it was a disaster to be honest. I've attended far less games these past two years since his birth. The posters here calling fellow supporters pathetic for living lives outside of attending a football game is the ultimate example of the pot calling the kettle black. It was our 3rd biggest crowd against GWS at the MCG ever, despite the Grand Prix scheduling clash and 20mm of rain and GWS' minuscule supporter base. A great effort by Dees fans to still show up in such big numbers!

Not sure if you're trolling or you're legitimately as dumb as a brick and have no life?

23,000+ against an expansion club with bugger all members in the pelting rain while while global event in the grand Prix was on is a pretty phenomenal effort. Our supporters prove time and time again to be the most loyal. The narrative suggestion otherwise is false and Trump-eqsue. Hats off Dees fans!

Howes really struggles under pressure. Looking forward to getting Mcvee back in his place.