Lord Travis

So sad Gus has retired. He's a supremely talented footballer and great leader at the club. His selflessness and versatility set him apart from other players. He could play on every line and be close to All Aus level anywhere on the field. His 2021 playing as a defensive winger was the definition of being a selfless team player. He could've run around picking up 30 touches a game, but instead took on an unglamorous defensive role and nailed it. He was a key part of our game style and premiership. It sucks we'll be without him this year and in future, but his health is more important. I was surprised he wasn't forced into retirement after the Maynard hit. The AFL and Maynard need to be held accountable for that sham, and I hope Gus sues the absolute sh*t out of them.

I wish Gus nothing but good health and a lifetime of happiness. He'll always be remembered as a legend of our club and a ripper bloke. Thank you Angus. 

Any impressions on Tholstrop yesterday? I thought he would be more ready made having played against men in the WAFL and having a bigger body.

2 hours ago, 640MD said:

Well this should start at the next draft,  I thought we had some picks already, plus the 18th of course.

But they will take time to develop Surely Sparrow and Rivers might get a run, but then they have to be replaced.

Its like dominos,  all dough and not a lot of meat.   Who the hell would want to be a Talent scout,  how the hell do you put all the pieces into one player.

We need to find the next crop of superstar inside mids soon so they can learn from our best and have enough experience to take over when Trac, Clarry etc retire. 

Sparrow won't be that player. He's an important dog in the rotation, but he'll likely never become a superstar of the comp who breaks games open most weeks. 6th season coming up and hopefully he goes up a level. Same goes for Rivers, though he's already at a good level, has a higher ceiling, and could hit All Aus level.

19 hours ago, old55 said:

I think it's a good well thought out post @Skuit but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make about "first round draft recruits"? Yes, we've got 3 from the past two years. How many do you expect to have?

In total, we have 7 first round draft picks under 23yo - Pickett, Laurie, Bowey, JVR, Jefferson, Windsor and Tholstrup. That's 7 from the last 5 drafts while we've been contending for the flag.  That's a pretty good harvest.

We've done well getting so much talent in while still being competing for a flag. We do need some midfield bulls though. Midfields win premierships. Our premiership was mostly built off the back of Petracca and Oliver. We need to find our next gun inside mids, and they usually come in the first round. 

7 minutes ago, 58er said:

Forgot Kynan Brown. 

He wasn't a first round draftee, though let's hope he performs like one!

1 hour ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Thanks, DJ, but I meant have we ignored (or missed hitting) uncongested areas that we've created?

Those clear spaces are usually out wide on the wings. That's the longest path to goal. Oppositions will often just concede that space in an effort to flood back. When we eventually go long into congestion, if we don't score then the ball rebounds out with space everywhere for the opposition to spread into and use.

The last few years we haven't had the foot skills required to make the most of our entries. Our defenders have been incredible and made our game plan look more sustainable than it really is IMO. We need to move the ball forward quicker and cleaner. That's the crux of it. Easier said than done!

Clarry fully integrated back with the main group for match sims

Dribble.

Hope her tour doesn't go well and we'd don't have to suffer her visiting again. Nothing against her personally, but the hysteria and money wasted is mind boggling. Clearly cost of living isn't as big an issue as it's being made out to be if people can waste so much money on her concert, hotel, flights etc.

4 hours ago, BDA said:

Didn't realise he kicked 12.1 last year. We could have done with that level of accuracy in the finals.

Hoping and praying he can stay fit in 2024. 

He needs to get fit first! Can't even make it through a training session at this stage 😢

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

Great reporting here from Fox Footy not noticing or mentioning Petty leaving the track. You think that would be a bigger story.

It was probably written by AI based on a Bigfooty post.

41 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

It is a terrible idea. Once again, the supporters are completely ignored. We like to support a team AND OUR PLAYERS!  To think that we barrack for them one week and literally the next week are barracking against them: It is ridiculous.

100% agree with this. Basically ruins the idea of a team, and kids will start following players instead of teams.

It will also become another mechanism that increases the gap between the have and have nots. Teams at the bottom will be permanently stuck there.

I'm glad they're not doing it, though it does seem inevitable with all the chatter. Just another step to the sport becoming less equal and ruined for good.

On paper it's a reasonable prediction. Other teams have got stronger over the off-season, where as we're still waiting to see if we've solved our forward connection/forward line issues. We've lost ruck depth and not added any quality tall forward prospects to target. If Petty and Brown were fit, then we'd be on our way in 2024 and possibly would've won the flag last year too. Reality is neither are fit and neither will get through a whole season. We need other options now while we're in our window. 

That said, I see us challenging again this year and I wouldn't be overly surprised if we won the flag. We were desparely close last year and have been underrated/dismissed by the footy media, most of them being brainless sensationalist pelicans. We do have an ageing list though, now 5th oldest I believe. With guns and leaders like Gawn and May getting on, we need top quality replacements coming through or our drop off begins in the next few years.

Losing a ruck isn't the end of the world. It's been years since Gawn dominated stoppages and most AFL rucks just try to compete. If Gawn goes down, all we'll need is a body to compete and we won't lost much around the ball. 

Where we would miss Max is his marking ability around the ground. Our kick outs are basically kick it long to him on the flank. His around the ground and intercept marking is elite. Filling that hole would be an issue that requires one of our KPF to become Nick Reiwoldt and work all the way up the ground. Or, we change our kick out strategy and stop kicking high and long. Shock horror!

Can't ras the article due to pay wall. What does it actually say? Thyroid issue  insight?

Congrats to the Gawns!

17 hours ago, poita said:

Hopefully we see Jake play further up the ground in 2024, because I don't think the lock down defender role is suiting him at all.

Agree with this. He rarely impacts games and isn't able to blanket small forwards like McVee. He's got great skills, but feels like his current role isn't playing to his strengths. Outside a good QF against Collingwood, he was lacklustre this season. I'm not as sold on him long term as others on here seem to be. In his current position, he could easily be replaced in coming seasons by Howe, Woe, Hunter, Windsor etc. He should be tried on the wing or half forward to get him more involved in games and use his kicking skills where they'd be more damaging.

That said, always good to lock away first rounders. Bowser's clearly got good skills and a football brain. Hoping he and moreso Laurie can step up and have a big impact in the coming seasons. 

2 hours ago, Hawk the Demon said:

Listed on one site at 186 cms - closer to 183 I reckon.....

188 with the hair included.

55 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

You’ve said this a few times now. When we speak of Top 4 it’s always been about the end of the H & A season. We haven’t failed to finish top 4 the last two seasons. Position after finals is irrelevant.

I'd say the opposite. Ladder position is irrelevant. Finals is the real stuff and when the proper season starts. We have a finals system to determine the winners and placers. Minor premiers are meaningless. We have failed to finish top four two seasons running. We've [censored] the bed and are wasting our premiership window.

If we fail again next year, I expect significant changes to senior coaches and onfield personnel and leaders. Otherwise we become Port Adelaide who keep resigning Hinkley as coach and never achieve any success.

53 minutes ago, greenwaves said:

Fox gave us a B.   Said "This is the ultimate drafting for the present"

There's a running theme in the footy media that we drafted based on needs not best talent. That's despite the fact GWS were set to take Windsor at the very next pick, and when we got him first they actually traded down as they didn't rate the other options after him. That says he was rated highly by multiple clubs that based on talent, not our specific needs.

But no worries footy media, keep spouting the factually incorrect statements about drafting for needs not best talent. 

Mindless lying scum.

I've posted about Kynan before. He's tough, quick, can find the footy and won't die wondering. Easily worthy of a rookie spot. Glad it's official now and we can see another father son in red and blue. Best of luck little Doggy!

4 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

Assuming no one else selects him? 
 

have I missed something? Have we traded our pick in the 40s?

Traded pick 42 for St Kilda future third at the beginning of the draft yesterday.

30 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Love it. "Make my debut and then win a premiership". Hope that happens for Caleb and all us Demons!

Strangely he's a Saints supporter?! His friend Lance Collard was drafted to the Saints, so he'll have someone he knows well moving over to Victoria also.

29 minutes ago, Sydee said:

I get the Windsor pick but this one has me scratching my head 

Not sure with the existing small forwards and the addition of those two above this was a pressing need

Maybe they think he can evolve into a midfielder 

Tholstrup isn't a small forward. He's 188cms and plays high half forward. In time he'll become part of the midfield rotation. Consider him a forward half player.

He's shown great ability to be a link up player in a similar mould to ANB. The hope would be he's got attributes to become more explosive and impactful.

Welcome to the club Koltyn. He looks like a dill and I love him already. 

Hope he can settle into Melbourne and start brutalizing the opposition in our forward half!