Lord Travis

Horrible news. Seems his body wasn’t made for professional footy. He’ll struggle to make it back now you’d think. As horrible as it is, it’s not wise for a club to use a list spot for 4 years on a lateish draft pick who can’t get on the park. Feel sad for the kid!

Was he responsible for sending out the finals marketing in 2017 the week before we made failed to make finals? That fiasco is still embarrassing!

If that’s how games are going to look now, then we’ll all have to find a new sport to follow. AFL wants higher scoring, they’ll get higher scoring... from abundance of shots at goal from 50 metre penalties! ****house!

They don’t have to stand the mark. Heard from a few people at different clubs that some coaches were trialing abandoning manning the mark in certain parts of the ground and instructing players to instead just flood back to clog up the defensive 50. This rule change is going to make for some ugly defensive matches of footy IMO.

Travis was always a big game player and had a great record in finals matches. That 2002 semi final against Adelaide he kicked four goals from a wing and carried a team on his back for 3 quarters. One of the best games by a demon in my life time. Shame his teammates couldn’t go with him and get the job done that night.

Haven’t read this thread yet, but I touched on this rule change in a training thread recently. Fair to say it’s another [censored] rule change by a bunch of out of touch idiots who need to justify their jobs. “Word coming out of the clubs is they’re training their players to flood the defensive 50 as a way to combat not being able to control the angles of the field as much. It’s going to backfire for the AFL and lead to yet a further reduction in scoring. The rule changes the past few years have been ineffectual and pathetic and actually harmed the sport further. The next stage for them is to anchor players to parts of the ground for the entirety of the match, not just centre bounces.”

Daw is peak physical specimen. Still looks in ripping shape and has serious muscle. Shame he’s going to be played more forward as he really excelled down back IMO. Good to see Brayshaw and Viney up and about too. Both need a good run with injury and will play an important part of our midfield mix. Thanks for the photos!

Standard Melbourne FC. There’s a reason MFCSS exists, and it’s entirely warranted unfortunately.

Condolences to Kozzie and his family. Look forward to seeing him return once he’s ready and not a moment earlier.

Yes sounds like he’ll be getting a spot. Surprising given he was passed on by every club. He must’ve showed something special at training. Here’s hoping he can become a live wire like his old man!

Nup. Not 2021. Give it a year or two for our core players to mature into leaders (Oliver, Petracca, Weid, Langdon) and youngsters like Rivers, Jackson and Pickett to get more experience handling pressure.

Yeah the AFL have brought in the rule to increase scoring, just like the other rule changes the past two season... which both lead to reduction in scoring. It’s supposed to restricts a team ability to defend and thus make the game faster and higher scoring. Teams won’t be able to force the angle of kicks because the man on the mark must remain stationary. The protected zone around the mark has increased also. Team mates aren’t allowed within five meters of the mark now either. Players can’t swap out who is on the mark, so if Charlie Spargo is marked over in the defensive 50, he can’t swap with Gawn etc. Word coming out of the clubs is they’re training their players to flood the defensive 50 as a way to combat not being able to control the angles of the field as much. It’s going to backfire for the AFL and lead to yet a further reduction in scoring. The rule changes the past few years have been ineffectual and pathetic and actually harmed the sport further. The next stage for them is to anchor players to parts of the ground for the entirety of the match, not just centre bounces.

New standing the mark rule is already a farce. Can’t move side to side, back or forward. Jump and you risk getting called because you land behind original spot etc. Latest bat**** rule that will lead to flooding and reduce scoring. Clubs are already training to flood as a counter to not being able to force kicks to certain angles.

Steven Motlop?! He’s barely getting a game at Port! In what reality is he classified as elite?! I know it’s just stats, but I’d have thought he wouldn’t be ranked in the top 400 players statistically...

This one is less of a concern than the Viney foot injury. Brown has been very durable and only suffered knee problems for the first time last year. He’s played all matches in a season 5 times out of 7 since debut. Viney has missed tons of matches through ongoing foot injury. He’s only played a full season once out of 8 due to injury! Browns injury sounds like a bit of swelling while adjusting to full load again after a layoff. Not panic stations yet. Vineys is a big concern and hopefully he doesn’t miss more matches to that foot problem.

Oh get [censored]

How long until footy is off free to air tv as well? [censored] me dead the AFL are doing everything they can to ruin the game and then make it unavailable to the public. The new rule changes are rubbish. The viewing options are scattered, inconsistent and costly trash. Can’t even beam to a tv in full screen despite paying for the [censored] content! When I can’t make the games at the MCG, I won’t be watching anymore.

Been done to death. All recruiters had Scully and Trengove at 1+2. Port even tried to trade up two top 10 picks to get Trengove at 2. Until premature burden of captaincy and injury, Trengove was the best of the lot. Hindsight shows Martin and Cunnington at pick 3 and 5 were the best mids drafted at the top end. The issue for us has always been player development. The talent was there to develop and we could not do that. That’s still a key issue for us today, but we are improving finally. Anyway back on topic, cya Sculldog. Got paid more than you ever deserved and will be always be disliked by the masses. Still, got lots of cash to enjoy a life with so power to you!

Average footballer, seems like a robot of a person, plays a boring style of footy built on running 50kms to receive one handball, has a punchable face, disliked by his teammates across three clubs. He’s not exactly a likeable bloke, regardless of him bailing on us all those years ago. Don’t blame him for taking the money and leaving either. I’d have done the same, as would most others. Just don’t like him!

@It's Time Someone at the club told me they were having to manage his training loads to build his endurance, as he’s a fair way behind most of the list. Nothing to be concerned about, he’s young and they don’t want him to overdo it and develop groin or foot issues. He’s got a fair way to go though fitness wise before we’ll see anywhere near the best of him. Obviously we’re going to invest hard and be patient in developing him after spending a first rounder on him and filling a big need on our list. He’s a talent for sure, but long way to go and comparisons with Cyril are silly IMO. Cyril performed at a high level from day one. Can only hope Kozzie will reach similar levels!

Think it will be the following > Captain: Gawn Vice captain: Viney Leadership group: May, Lever, Petracca Gawn won’t be dumped as captain, but needs to improve. Viney won’t be dumped, despite some players not liking him. Coaches and board love him. May proved himself as a player and leader. Lever is a born leader that needs to improve further as a player. All the talk coming out of the club is Petracca is impressing as a leader the last 6-12 months, especially over the offseason. Seems to have matured, as as a gun player last year will likely be added to the leadership group.

At the same stage of his career Cyril was a premiership player and went close to a Norm Smith medal. Kozzie has talent, but unrealistic comparisons like this will only heap unnecessary pressure on him. Kozzie needs to get his fitness up before he can make a decent impact and fulfill his talents. He’s dead last on our list for fitness, to the point now where he’s being put into the rehab group at training because he can’t keep up.

Huge news if true. He’s a 19 year old pick 4 with AFL games pumped into him. Elite pace and good kicking skills. Could become a gun halfback or winger. Could solve our other wing issue to go with Langdon, or form a partnership with Rivers owning the flanks. If we could snag him it would be huge.