Allus Monk

Scott Thompson

Maybe we're all on the wrong train... offer Gawn to Freo for three first rounders.....

Let's wish him a Bowey-like streak to start his career... Not to be greedy though, just 13 straight wins would be nice.

"Brayshaw's win-loss before 2021 was 42-52 (including just five wins from 22 games in a tough 2019), but the last 18 months have swung right around to 72-1-56" I still have to pinch myself at this. 30 wins, 4 losses and a draw. Add in the two extra wins at the end of 2020.

This is actually a great proposition for sportsbet. I reckon it should pay BBB $2.40 v Norf $1.65. Norf slight favourites just due to our likely spread of goalkickers.

Anyone else worried about a jumper clash? Certainly top half. I wonder what the back of Norf's is like?

I reckon this is perfectly reflective of a messy scrappy game with lots of cameo roles but no clear story.

#RestLJinstead

I think the best option is in the middle. Play him, but have a plan going in to limit his time on-ground. He keeps continuity in the team, we’re not “sending a message@ that we’re taking the game lightly, Jackson and Tmac just get more ruck minutes, Max has a light load, but if (a huge if) the unthinkable happens and we’re under the pump Max is only on the bench not back in Melbourne. That's presuming of course his knee is basically ok.

Sam Mitchell might be…

I’ve heard inside a club this being talked about as a tactic. If there’s a critical Centre bounce coming up, and you think all things being equal you should win the hit out (ie Max v spud), then deliberately violate 6-6-6, get a warning, and it’s a guaranteed throw up, eliminating any variability from a bounce and giving you the best chance. Obviously you can only do it once though, so pick the right moment.

Agree this was the watershed game for 2021. Topped off by coming home and finding Sportsbet had paid out on my pre-season bet of Melbourne to win the flag at $26. Even they knew then.

I presume he goes above the cutoff for Rising Star nomination as well.

I worry about the team in Yellow (and sometimes green). On their day they are certainly capable of defeating us. They are our real rival this season.

Just like the men, Greatness Awaits.

I was just thinking about this tonight. I think it’s Melbourne and Brisbane for the next two years, and then Carlton becomes a serious rival just as we’re on slightly different trajectories.

There's a buzz at work that Max is not playing - anyone heard anything? Trying to get to source, but an Essendon-connected colleague is sure about it - possibly covid related

Let me rephrase this for the OP: Is Gawn the most important player we have ever had?

Yes, amazing we’ve had two streaks of nine wins since the start of 2021.

Sorry, got this wrong in my excitement. Correct tally is 24-4-1 Still (censored) impressive.

Just dropping here to note that since that horror time in Cairns in late 2020, we have gone 30-4-1. I’ve said before that I truly believe that it was up there, when Max got the boys together, as far away from the MCG both geographically and spiritually as it is possible to be, that the curse was really lifted. long may the run continue.

Absolutely this.

And pinched from Bob Murphy’s book, amazingly.

Tuning up with PF tonight, GF tomorrow night and Sat afternoon re-celebration at a Richmond pub with my mates I used to go to the footy with.

This is spooky. I was given Bob Murphy’s book a few years ago, but didn’t really feel like reading it at the time. After we won the GF I picked it up - I think I probably would have felt jealous reading it before then. Here’s how he describes the moment he knew the Bulldogs had won the flag. How those words came back to haunt the Bullies six years later.