Nasher

Garbage opponent turned it in to a scrap. I actually enjoyed it.

Hardly got out of second gear, still won by nearly 30, and the scoreboard flattered our opponents. Super happy for Weid. Showed why many have backed him, even if those of us who have had started to doubt. Excellent game.

Bernie for me was the sugar hit to make the medicine palatable. While Lewis was there to help plant the seeds of work ethic and attitude, Vince was there to make us immediately better, which he did. Both excellent signings at the right time.

Yep, you can almost pinpoint the moment the penny dropped. So good.

Hadn’t seen this thread before but Gawn isn’t even the best player we’ve got right now, let alone the best ever. But by and large, it doesn’t matter. Gawn, Oliver and Petracca don’t belong in the same conversation as drought-era greats such as Flower, Stynes, Lyon etc because they’ve been able to do what others haven’t: form the nucleus of a TEAM that at the very least is extremely powerful, and has the potential to be great. It’s not important to decide which of the individuals is the best, it’s what they add up to that matters.

I don’t think he forgot his helmet, seemed more to me that he’d cast it aside and didn’t have time to get it, because Rivers came straight off. I’d say his return to the ground was very hastily arranged (“quick, get back on now”) given he’d only been off for about half a second himself.

Out: Hunt In: Hibberd I’ll be really surprised if they pull any levers on the talls (TMac). I don’t think you can make decisions for talls based on a game that really didn’t suit aerial contests and I think Goody largely errs on the side if “if in doubt, leave it alone”, especially when we’re winning.

Why worry about things that couldn’t be helped? Retaining Pike was never an option for the MFC given his behaviour at the time, nor would it have brought us any closer to a flag ourselves.

Was that the one that resulted in a Gold Coast free kick? If I remember it rightly, it was a two on one contest, Viney completely cleaned Petracca up, and the Gold Coast player got a free for high contact. LOL

Brayshaw plays the Salem distributor role I’d have thought. Jordon to slot in on Brayshaw’s wing. Smith seems to be covering a role that is some combination of Hibberd and Petty with Tomlinson doing the other part.

They can identify which variant you have with a PCR test. If you've only done a RAT, you won't/can't know.

I had it last week. I don't recommend it.

I don't think Hibberd is anywhere near an automatic selection, and I reckon he's behind Smith. He was definitely behind Smith up until Smith got injured before the prelim - Hibbo wouldn't have a premiership medallion if it wasn't for that. I don't think that's a change that will be made until forced. I reckon it's just Lever for Salem. I'm assuming Rivers isn't ready yet. Bedford or Tomlinson to be the medisub.

Odd feeling. I know it sounds cocky but I didn’t feel stressed or tense at any stage in that game, even in the second. This team will get it done. I just know they will.

My heart rate got up to the dizzying heights of about 80bpm with those last couple of ump calls. I can’t remember ever being this relaxed during a footy game.

Why bother trying to apply rational logic to what Scott said?

I might be a bit of a bastard, but I don’t really regard Hogan with any more fondness than any other of the ex-MFC players who never reached their potential, and there are a lot to choose from. I’m sympathetic to the guy as a human who had a pretty rough trot, probably not helped by joining the AFL system a year younger than most other players, but that’s about as far as it goes.

I know this is pessimistic, but I’m tipping Oliver to be done by 30. He plays a battering ram style and already has chronic shoulder issues. I doubt his body has the longevity to reach 300. This is why I really hope the club is able to snaffle a couple more flags while this group is in its prime - the ducks are all in a row at present but that won’t last forever, and could wind up earlier than we thought. Trac may be our next 300 game player - even then at current count he’ll need to play until his mid 30s to get there. I think he could.

*Wonaeamirri

10 correct, two of which were rank guesses. Enjoyable quiz, well done. (SPOILER AHEAD) I was going to protest being called incorrect at the collision question when I answered Cameron and Henderson - then I remembered that was earlier in the quarter, and there was one involving Dangerfield and someone at (our) half forward. Amazing all the little details you forget.

Just finished watching the speeches. I saved the Daniher hall of fame induction until last. The tribute from Nathan Jones and Neale’s speech as delivered by David Neitz hit me straight in the heart. If you don’t like people seeing you cry I recommend watching it in private.

I had this idea all season that he was a hot-and-cold performer. The stats don’t support it. He had some poor games - who doesn’t? But he scored at least once in every game, and obviously set a few completely alight. I was also worried he might not perform in the highest pressure games. LOL The goal over the back in the third quarter illustrates his class. Firstly, he damn near marked it from way out of position but Gawn got in the way. Secondly, with the way he landed he could have been forgiven for falling over, but instead he hit ground at full pace and charged in to open goal. Probably the most crucial of the 6 because of the context of the game, and that it was from a contested ball. Great season, great grand final. Can’t wait to see him back it up next year.

Surely we’re past being afraid of West Coast in Perth. We’ve won more flags there than they have!

Yep. Shaun Burgoyne is nearly a full year older than me and I really struggle to wrap my head around how he’s done it for so long. Obviously work ethic and mental strength play a part, but there must be an element of physical pot luck in there too. Ageing is inevitable, for most of us anyway!

I’m 38 and while I’ve obviously never been an athlete, it’s really stark how much more easily I get sore, and how much harder it is to maintain condition even compared to my early 30s, and that’s without decades of punishment of elite contact sport. There’s a very good reason why few players can sustain the training required for that long and it’s got little to do with skill.