Adam The God

Given how we played early in the game and Adelaide's dominance, the importance of this game and in a hostile environment, I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that this was the gutsiest win from a Melbourne side that I can remember. Clayton Oliver is no longer a star. He announced himself tonight as a legitimate superstar. He almost single-handedly changed the game for us in the third quarter. His cleanness around the stoppages, his decision making and his ability to execute by hand was so exceptional that he elevated himself into the top 10 players in the game. Give him a 5 year extension this week, please. 14 clearances and 25 contested possessions are simply phenomenal stats. Jason Taylor, what a [censored] pick up! Take a bow. And well done, Lewis. Your leadership tonight was outstanding.

Or there could be equal blame?

Well, yes, I'd get rid of the stupid ruck nomination rule and the taking the legs rule. But other than those, leave it alone.

Crap rumour. Could have at least picked a flick that is in cinemas. Mission Impossible only premiered yesterday in Sydney. Lol, what a rubbish rumour. Opens on the 2nd nationally.

Collingwood though... have only beaten one top 8 team. I find all this a little bizarre, but I have us beating Adelaide and the Gold Coast and missing out by a game.

There's nothing wrong with the game and it will fix itself. Stop [censored] around with the rules every year. It's ridiculous how often the rules of the game change.

Haha, I'll be watching out for a Melbourne-based serial killer in the news then, mate. At least, I know I survive.

Why's that, mate?

Now... that would have been a strange dream and probably even more hilarious and unexplainable.

Haha, I think you had a posting spree yesterday and that might have had something to do with it. It'd be funnier to say that she was [censored] off, but she found it hilarious I was sleep talking about a poster on a football forum I've never met. Probably fine to be weirded out and feel complimented at the same time.

I have no idea where to put this and whether it's even worth putting out there, but I had a very funny dream last night. At least I thought so. It featured @Wiseblood as a terrorist/serial killer. Wise was running about the town murdering people. Why? I have no idea. As my wife left for work this morning, sleep-talking I was busy telling her that Wiseblood was going to get caught by the police and it was only a matter of time. He was a brutal man with no scruples apparently. Why the [censored] you were in my dream mate, I'll never know, but hey, at least someone's dreaming about you/your moniker. Thanks very much for apparently not murdering my dream-self too.

I love both players at their peak and they'll compliment each other. Gus may well make a really good leader in time too, but we'll agree to disagree on Viney as captain.

I guess what I'm saying is logic should have ruled out Hogan as tradebait. And I maintain that it's not a personnel issue (except the missing Lever and Hibberd), but a system error. I fear we put all our eggs in the one basket over the off season and built the system around one player (Lever). We tried to ensure everyone else in that system complimented him and so when he went down, it took us a few weeks to adjust and we've never quite recovered, especially with the injury to Hibberd, which has compounded the problem. Our midfield needs to get better at its defensive running for longer though and our half forwards and deep forwards need to work harder for longer too, and lock the ball inside our 'territory'. Forget going after an experienced KPB. It's not going to happen. Improve the system.

He's new to the role. He'll make a great captain in time IMO.

Jack is our Selwood. He just needs some continuity. Will be A grade if he can get on the park consistently.

What do you mean what if? I thought you were being positive this season. Your argument is nonsensical mate, based on what ifs. Deal with what's in front of us. We're in 7th position. Jesse has been an integral part of that and until the midway point of the season, our 23 year old KPF was in AA contention and now you want him traded because he might want to leave in a year's time? And how do we get a good KPB? We develop them and we certainly don't give away a good KPF (who are far rarer) in search of one. It's such a frustratingly narrow-minded and dated view of footy too, OD. Is one full back going to make a difference to our defensive system? Have you watched footy in the last decade? It's about system. Our system needs to get better. If an undersized (IMO ordinary) Josh Gibson can win multiple premierships, that tells you something about the power of modern defensive systems. I feel like I'm having a conversation with a really negative version of my father.

Getting rid of Jesse would make us worse, not better. No deal.

Jeepers, OD. Did you watch the first half of the season? Jesse was a key contributor and often dominant. He's going through a slight down patch, but still contributing. In key position terms he's still young too.

Smith has to play given there's no Hibberd. Our defensive set up (that doesn't work particularly well) relies on mobile, quick interceptors. Hibberd, Lever, Smith, Frost and even Hunt. Taking Smith out leaves us in real trouble for legspeed, with the exception of Frost. I'm not a fan, but he has to play. It'll be interesting to see if Clarry and Jesse play...

Great news. Well done, Gussy.

Cripps has just today signed an extension...

And after reading this thread earlier, I was put off reading Judd's article as it was considered by a few to be a puff piece. I read it yesterday and it was a measured, well written, logical and intelligent article. The only thing I didn't agree with was the Jones leadership bit, but generally it made sense. Saying that we're in year 5 of the Roos rebuild and therefore we should have loftier expectations is ridiculous. Year 1 of Roos' rebuild was partly still playing with a horrible list that still had the residue of the worst VFL/AFL list ever IMO. Year 2 we started to play those early draft picks. Year 3 and Clarry debuted. Year 4 saw Goodwin take the reigns fully and had we not been crippled by our poor drafting in the mid 2000s-2012ish, we would have had the sufficient experience to get us over the line into finals. Still, we were in every single game last year (bar probably the Sydney game at the 'G that we were never really in). That was without Gawn for much of the season and Viney, Jones and other important players were out for significant, crucial periods. In truth, we were ravaged by injuries. Just look at how Adelaide have dealt with that this year. Had we won 2-3 close games (that we would have with a little more experience - think the way we set up in the final moments against Freo at the 'G as an example), we'd have almost qualified for the top 4. As it was, we missed the 8 by the smallest margin ever. I'm now on record as saying I don't think we'll get there this year, but the newish adage in football is that progress is rarely linear. If you look at a number of premiership sides from the past decade or so, you'll notice that their development was never as linear as ours has been. Yes, that's partly because we're coming off such a low base, but it also shows how difficult it is to go from one of the worst lists in the competition, to one of the best, in such a small amount of time. It means we're left with a lack of experience and that the majority of our top talent is not yet sitting in that sweet spot of games experience. Only Gawn and the injury-riddled Viney have entered the sweet spot. If we can manage to make the finals this year, I reckon we can win the flag next year (we need some finals experience), if injuries and luck (which you always need) goes our way.

That's a scary stat, because Vince will be done at the end of 2018 and Lewis at the end of 2019, followed by Jones at the end of 2020.

If they lose Cripps, they're [censored]. Curnow is going to be a good player, but they need to get the ball to him. I actually think along with North and potentially the Bulldogs, Carlton are the club that could well fold in the next two decades, unless things improve. Bizarre given they've still won the most flags, but they're in real trouble. I hope West Coast get him.

Ironic that someone who gets offended and so draws a parallel for themselves between 'tough guy' and 'wife beater' should tell anyone else to get a grip. Interesting how you equate toxic masculinity with tough guy too. What does that even mean? Also, you've highlighted 'trigger' as if I've used it in a social way. I was referring to a hair trigger temper, but you seem like an angry little fella yourself, so I'll leave it there.