Little Goffy

Anyone know what is going on with Jefferson at the moment? Follow-up question - I was doing some browsing and digesting and looking at match-ups for our early season opponents and took a closer look at Jeremy Finlayson's numbers and role - would it be fair to say that Finlayson is a rough template of what we are hoping to see Jefferson become for us over the next few seasons?

We don't have an easy start to the season but let's be simple about it - we are at least an even competitor against any team. I might be feeling positive because I think each of the Swans, Bulldogs, Crows, and Hawks are overrated. So the way I'm looking at it is "Knock off those 4 like we should, and win either one of the Port/Brisbane games, and we are absolutely rioting our way to the mid-season." We're still the hunter.

I reckon Jason Taylor has moved on from his Presidents of the United States (Adams, Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren) meme and has moved on to cheese. Because not only is there a frightening looking Windsor Red, but guess what the Danish Tholstrup company is most famous for? Pretty sure it was Colby we were trying to trade up the draft for, too. EDIT: Can confirm the is such a thing as Brown cheese.

It was back pre-premiership when I had to listen to a few games through online radio that I began noticing a pattern; when the Demons were up and about during a game, the commentators had to lift their own pace to keep up. The ball moved from player to player and even when the opposition had it the intensity of pressure meant that there was a continuous bobbing around and urgency to play. It was tempo football done brilliantly and culminated in the 2021 premiership. That game went almost to a coaching panel's timetable. 'Set your watches, gentlemen.' We all know the trouble - it is hard to sustain that for long and if the result is too many behinds it saps the energy and doesn't give us the buffer we need while absorbing the counter punch. A 1 in 8 improvement in our scoring accuracy and we'd be both exciting to watch and would have had just two losses in 2023.

If people want cheering up, just remember that in 2017 Richmond won their breakthrough premiership with just one tall forward, the 193cm Jack Riewoldt. And the forward line coach that made that work is now our forward line coach. I think we can all agree that when Petty gets back on the park with a good run at it, he at the least provides the level of structure that Lynch added when Richmond acquired him as a free agent and went on to win two more premierships. You don't need lots of tall forwards, just a couple of effective ones.

Hmm, could make an argument for Martin Shaw ahead of Tony Shaw.

Once upon a time I had an overnight flight layover in Singapore and the most comfortable place to rest was in front of the big screen showing EPL discussion shows. Nice deep lounge-style chairs with clever high sides and high directional speakers in the sides so you could listen and not disturb anyone else... I digress. Point being - after one night of killing time in a hotel common area I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the overall state of play of the EPL and the key tactical and personnel issues of several clubs. I also knew almost nothing about the lives, favourite foods or alleged past greatness of the commentators. Professionals make so much difference. In fact, there should be a panel show just called 'The Professionals' with various actual experts talking about the game in general and offering insight from their specialist fields.

In this scenario, if mods are the goalie you are the defender who gets back to limit the angles ;) Or maybe the old banana-and-stick routine. A favourite of @Bitter but optimistic I believe?

I have a theory that bananas crop up in this thread every time the topic starts to become a problem for mods. It is the safety ramp on a mountain, giving the truck with failed brakes somewhere to go instead of off a cliff.

Rioli (pick 12) and Selwood (pick 7) are the flag-bearers for winning premierships in your first season. Either or both of Windsor (pick 7) and Tholstrupp (pick 13) could get a bit of momentum going by late in the season and be really good contributors in designated roles. It's all speculative but certainly there's a case for raising an appreciative eyebrow!

2025 if very, very interesting. A couple of absolute first-class mature-but-not-yet-old key backs, some relatively young and promising rucks who might be well on the rise by then, potentially an entire all-Australia midfield, and Oscar Allen the cherry on top.

Just going to drop in that JVR is tracking better than JUH so far. Personally I think it is amazing for Van Rooyen to have done so well while taking opposition first defenders most of the time, compared to JUH who had the marking target support of Naughton, Lobb and English. Jamarra's no slouch, but Van Rooyen is an effective primary marking target at 20yrs and that takes some doing! They would partner up very well, too.

Grit your teeth, touch wood, then consider that by type Sam VR would be a more direct replacement for Smith.

I'm holding out hope we can at least find the gem from the league-wide stock of proverbial 'youngish second rucks starved of senior opportunity but on the cusp of breaking out'. If you do a simple sort of 'hitouts per game', you find the likes of Reilly O'Brien, Nankervis, McInerney, Stanley, Rowan Marshall, Ned Reeves, Darcy Cameron, Pittonet, and Tom Hickey. Throw in current 'on the cusp' young rucks like Matt Flynn, Tristan Xerri and Tom De Koning (those last two are both free agents in 2025 by the way) you have quite a collection. That's a wide range of types and of quality but right there you've got about half of the rucks at AFL level last season being late bloomers, or only really producing at their second club, or younger guys clearly about to step up now at about 23-24yrs of age. Ideally we're looking to recreate this moment - "Jarrod Witts is traded to the Gold Coast by Collingwood in exchange for picks 44 and 62 in the national draft. Witts has struggled to break into the Magpies' line-up this year, featuring in just two games and falling behind American import Mason Cox in the club's ruck preferences" But getting Tim English would be okay, too!

I don't mind Hunter, though I think he'd be more suited closer to goal where his habit of looking for tricks and shenanigans to keep the ball alive and bouncing in the right direction would be more likely to produce interesting results. I like a scenario where one of our wings is covered by two players, where one is more defensive and committed to getting right back (think Bowey with permission to push up the ground) and one with more emphasis on going forward and bringing chaos (Hunter, Billings or even the draftees, for example). Hunter would have to be a bit worried about it, certainly more than Goodwin for example, because with the recruits we've brought in he is perhaps the single player in the team with the most 'like for like' replacements available at similar standard.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/news/paul-roos-slams-the-negative-environment-at-melbourne-on-fox-footys-afl-360/news-story/05e0324699b588e790ac5f4cb2cd293e https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/negativity-comes-from-melbourne-fans-not-club-coach-paul-roos-20150825-gj7jt6.html

Something in this thread reminded me of the 'A pair of unlikely heroes embrace' Bruce & Green moment in the 2000 final vs Carlton I can't help but notice the potential similarity with Windsor and Tholstrup, right down to sizes and roles. The main differences being we haven't yet had the wave of retirements, that our depth is already much stronger than we had going into 2000, and Woewodin is only in his second season instead of 4th. Our current team is so much better than the 2000 squad. On the one hand a testament to what youthful enthusiasm, momentum and the inspirational power of Neale Daniher can do, and on the other hand a testament to how much remains possible with out current group and the surprisingly large wave of youngsters already pushing into our 22. I'm starting to look forward to the season and it isn't even Tet yet.

For reference; just from a head count of drafting we turned over 29 players in three years, 2007-2009 - I can't make the effort to check exact list changes and player trades but obviously there are a few more to add there. Roos' credibility bought the club confidence and time to enact a cultural turnaround that even an identically capable coach without the established reputation could not have done. He could make the hard calls firmly and he could look brilliant young draftees and their families in the eye and say 'You are getting the support that will help you grow, and together we are going to rise provided you do as I say.' Niether Bailey nor Neeld had that power and both were tripped up constantly by other 'leaders' at the club enthusiastically second-guessing everything. Plus the intense supporters which the players would have interacted with would have had brought their own atmosphere of uncertainty no matter how much they tried for the stiff upper lip. It is kind of incredible to think that even though Simon Goodwin is our breakthrough premiership coach with a Demon win rate exceeded only by the greats Hughes, Chadwick and Smith, I'd still say he has a way to go before he could be considered an equal to Roos. I think a second premiership would do the trick though. And then a third while managing a changing of the guard just to prove the point.

Well, North have done everything they can to hold onto Tarryn Thomas so either Hester must be really wild or the Kangaroos just might have some very subtle cultural issues. Just reflecting some more on Brown's contribution to the MFC, because I don't like that a few people are playing it down; After returning froma long injury layoff, Brown kicked 20 goals from round 18 through to the Grand Final in 2021. In that period Fritsch also added an entire goal per game to his tally compared to the rest of the season. Pickett also overcame a mid-season slump in exact coincidence with Brown coming back. Fact is, Ben Brown provided a crucial piece of structure that completed our forward line and he played a vital part in the premiership run.

No details yet about the other vehicle. Could it have been the karma bus? Just having a laugh - obviously karma isn't a thing. We're going to have to sort him out ourselves.

Better not. The area is famous for its natural salt production and impenetrable hedges.

Having a terrible time finding a reliable supplier of leaded petrol, too! I get mine flown in from Cambodia.

Billings, McAdam, Tholstrup and Windsor all come in with pretty good height (185/186) and styles to match, which makes for interesting times for how we use our shorter players. As others note, Bowey isn't the type to truly shut down an opposition small forward and he makes his best contribution as the calm head probing for cracks as we move the ball forward. If his fitness continues to build I'd love to see him moving up the ground a bit while retaining responsibility for getting back hard to defence and providing that lovely kick out of chaos and into a safe mark that settles things down. I'm still left a little concerned about our ability to truly shut down fast, agile small forwards. Maybe Kynan Brown over time? By all reports he would have the mobility, tenacity and aggression for it.

They're celebrating by having a national day of telling Muslims they don't belong. I wish I was kidding.

Ugh. Even regular spas accumulate a layer of white fat residue on the sides just like stewpots do if you don't clean them out right away. Knew a guy who had to drain out and scrape the sides of the AIS heated spas once a fortnight. You wouldn't think all those athletes would leave behind so much fat. I... respect the necessity of very dark humour. #ganzersyndrome