RalphiusMaximus

Sounds like depression to me mate. You need more sugary treats to cheer you up.

So it's going to be a [censored] game then?

What did they do to him?

That sidestep of his is something special. He's going to break some ankles.

Moore leads with the knee deliberately. He ended the seasons of two players this year with that action. As Macca says, the other one suffered fractured vertebrae, which could have left him paralysed. He's a dog of the highest order. As for Maynard, you will never convince me that an athlete capable of catching and moving on a ball in a fraction of a second didn't have time to register the contact (especially given he was the one who caused it) and react. You can clearly see that Brayshaw saw him coming and tried to catch him. In the same time, Maynard chose to turn and lead with his shoulder. That wasn't bracing for impact, it was a choice to hurt someone. So yes I would be thrilled if they both had opponents jumping knee-first into their backs all day. Maybe that would prompt the AFL to do something about players leading with the knee.

Looking at the gallery for today. There are some very fit looking lads in there. It loos like the entire squad has come back in sensational shape. I think the reports of our demise are somewhat premature.

Pretty sure the best way would be for Moore and Maynard's seasons to end on Queens Birthday.

Obviously most of us had a moment of "Who the [censored] is Aidan?" when this was announced, but looking at the footage we have, I'm kind of encouraged. He's got great pace for a bigger guy and looks to have a really good vertical leap. I think he'd be a really handy extra mid when he's rucking on top of being able to crash packs and take marks. Obviously there are no guarantees, but what we've seen so far is pretty encouraging.

van den Berg will forever have my admiration for his stunning hit on Pendlebury. A classic example of how to deal with a player dropping at the knees to milk a free.

It's simple. He was fourth last in the 20m sprint rankings at the combine. That indicates a serious weakness in his game that could have a massive impact on his ability to adjust to the top level. I've said all along that this worries me, and I stand by that. I really hope they have a plan to improve his acceleration.

Well, it's no secret that I have concerns about this pick, but he does look like a powerful bugger and a competitive beast. I just hope they have a plan to work on his explosiveness. He needs to add a burst of acceleration to his repertoire.

Fantastic pickup with our second pick. I'm thrilled with this one.

Happy with this pick. We always want good ball-users.

Well, hope I'm wrong...

Bizarre trade by GWS and the Lions.

So after half an hour we get exactly what we were expecting.

They need time for the self-important twerps to get up and tell everyone how important they are.

I'm glad I'm not watching/listening. Sounds like it sucks.

Wasn't this supposed to kick off at 7pm?

I'm really not liking the push towards Langford. Where exactly are Trengove, Toumpas and Tyson these days? All highly rated juniors who had everything going for them except speed. I'd be absolutely furious to see us blow another top ten pick on a guy who looks amazing at u18s, but can't keep up at AFL speeds. Especially with so much talent left on the board.

I keep going back to that interview Oliver did just before trade period. They mentioned Patrick Cripps and Oliver's comments about him just being too big and powerful to stop have really stuck with me. It also reminds me of something one of the St Kilda mids said about Melbourne in '20 or 21, that our players were so much more powerful, they basically ignored attempts to tackle them. That's why I really want us to bring in Smillie. The thought of having that midfield titan who is just overpowering for opponents is so tempting. Someone the size of Cripps but with better speed and kicking? Lets grab him and get him in the gym to start adding muscle.

Honestly, I expect him to want to stay up north. That's kind of obvious. What 18 year old is going to choose to move across the country rather than do the same job for the same pay in his backyard where all of his friends and family live? Assuming both clubs want him, he'd be insane to pick Melbourne.

Wait. Pendlebury played basketball? 🤯

I'd be thrilled with Smillie, but a hard no on Shanahan. How many 195cm forwards do we need in the squad? Does he provide any point of difference over the players we already have in those roles? Much better off bringing in more midfield class.

My unqualified and highly suspect opinions: If Smillie is there at 5 (6) we should jump on him. Similar size to guys like Cripps and Bont, he's a much better kick than Cripps and has better burst speed. Was rated #1 all the way until he wasn't, but that ability hasn't gone away. Not outstanding on the 20m sprint, but more than solid. If not Smillie then Langford. I'm really tossing up on these two. Langford has some insane courage with his marks, both of them are good kicks and good size. Langford did better with the 2km time trial, Smillie was better on vertical leap. Lacks burst speed, which I value highly, so that counts against him. If he somehow slips that far, I'd love to pick up Xavier Lindsay with our pick 9. Skillful left footer, highly rated leadership and footy smarts. Missed the combine with injury, not sure how his pace looks from those highlights although there were a few moments where he accelerated to lay a tackle or burst past an opponent that suggest he's got the speed but prefers to save it for when he needs it. There's talk of us looking at Murphy Reid for this pick too. I wouldn't be at all upset to get him. Great vision and freak factor, I think Lidsay has better penetration on his kick, but both look quite good. Another one who missed the combine, but he certainly hits the scoreboard and gives us the outside skills that we lack. Either he or Lindsay would compliment the contested beasts in Smillie/Langford.