DeeSpencer

She’s phenomenal. To play at this level at her age and height really projects to be one of the best defenders in the comp (if she stays as a defender)

This game is crying out for a Bannan goal

Wing. Folding back

Gets her in the game and it’s only a few minutes a quarter. They’ve got options with Ivey and Zanker

This corridor kicking is absolutely nonsense. Go forward!

They’ve found some more large German women from the Adelaide hills

Dropping Bell the ruckman and using the 23rd man spot on a young forward/ruck in Be My Valentine is a really bold move.

Very much doubt it will be on a 7 TV channel but whatever device you get Kayo on should get the 7plus app, which then has the 7 VFL games to stream here https://7plus.com.au/sevens-vfl

He played in the VFL last week, he’s fine

7 or afl website according to the graphic above

The best possible 22 would feature so called inside mids on the wing. Is anyone really picking Langdon, Daicos, Aish or any other specified winger over Mills, Andy Brayshaw or Heeney? (Touk Miller on the wing is weird, I’ll concede that). Even guys like Bont, Dawson or Laird would kill it as wingers. Is there another winger of the last decade who clearly outperforms inside mids other than Isaac Smith, who now often plays half forward? If you can mark, kick, run and hold space as an inside mid you can play wing And why wouldn’t you have 3 key forwards, especially if your back up ruck is a utility? Curnow and Cameron move like flankers anyway, it’s not like they’ve loaded up 3 big lugs who can’t move or tackle.

I'm not sure if this is serious or a joke, but the qualifying factor is players born in certain regions (parts of NT and South East Melbourne) of either Indigenous backgrounds, who were born overseas or having parent(s) who were born overseas. The reason it's such a farce is because you can be born in an African refugee camp, moved to Australia not knowing anything about Aussie Rules (or anything about Australia for that matter) or you can be born to Australian parents with strong football backgrounds who were temporarily living overseas and be equally eligible.

Yes. Although there's a strong suggestion the AFL would want to still see a trade deal done with a matched restricted free agent, because it does open up the AFL to restraint of trade issues (the entire reason for free agency to begin with). Hence why Geelong managed to placate the Giants with their pretty ordinary package of mid/late first round picks.

They paid to dump Brodie, were happy to dump Wright who was battling away in the reserves and they had to clear Scrimshaw who I don't think ever wanted to be there but signed a big contract to stay purely to lock in a nice start to his earnings. Brodie and Wright look great now but they just weren't performing at the Suns, I honestly wouldn't have predicted their improvement at new clubs. They've now good a solid core of senior players and a really good chance of keeping King, Lukosius, Rowell, Anderson, Hollands, Powell, Ballard, Ainsworth long term. Rankine is a blow, but I think it says less about GC and more about the Crows desperation and ability (mostly through lack of their own talent) to go after a big recruit. Rankine joining is more akin to Dawson joining the Crows in a very similar move than it is the usual GC exodus. Really the biggest issue the Suns had was paying massive overs to keep and to recruit players. They now have enough senior bodies that they can finally stop handing out crazy contracts to fringe mature players to come join them. That was step 1. Step 2 was to stop being so desperate in signing their own players on mega deals. Losing Rankine hurts but he's not a bad case study for the rest of the GC list. If they can wear losing Rankine they might stop signing the next Darcy McPherson to crazy money.

Petty unlucky, but McCartin and De Koning were the right choices for the main key defenders and the other backs who got picked ahead of him in Daicos, Coleman, Blakey, Clark, Young and Quaynor are all very good players. Not sure who I’d leave out for Petty of that group. It’s already 1 too many defenders to begin with. I’d take out Clark or Young and still be at the standard 7 defenders. This team doesn’t have 3rd talls at either end or really a true number 1 ruck, which shows you how rare good talls under 22 are to begin with.

Interestingly GWS played St Kilda, Geelong, Brisbane and Freo in those 4 Manuka games and got smoked in all of them. They used to win a lot there. The Showgrounds games were against GC, Carl, WCE, Dogs, Hawks and Bombers. Not a great commercial fixture there with no Coll or Rich and Ess only late in the year with both teams done. Its also a little misleading as they played their one big home game of the year at Stadium Aus v Sydney in round 1. The argument that they should move home games against big Victorian clubs to the SCG to capitalise on travelling fans is a tricky one. It would help the crowds, but suddenly they are Sydney 2.0 and not GWS. And they’d have 3 home games and potentially only play a minority of home games at their home!

I’d have Wilkie in a back pocket, such a great shut down defender. And I’d have Sicily over Taylor, just does so much more. Stewart CHB, Maynard back flank. Rioli’s been great but only need 1 rebounding defender

Playing half a season of ordinary football probably played a role too

He’s been a bit off his best but at the same time since he came back from his break he’s easily beaten Daniher twice and taken care of Walker, McKay, Hawkins and Naughton. Unless I’ve forgotten someone the only key forward who’s really got away on him was Peter Wright early in the year

Dogs game - 6 day break, Alice springs Pies game - post Perth in the wet and blowing chances in the first half Carlton game - mental fatigue and game plan. Some of our prime movers aren’t as healthy as they were last year. They get the week to freshen up now. Burgo effect was mostly mental IMO. Time for Griffo mode

Langdon played 100% wing, I don’t think he’s ever played anywhere else for us. I didn’t see Harmes play anywhere but wing. He didn’t attend a centre bounce and I didn’t see him start forward at any time. We aren’t going to bring JJ in to play 21% game time on a wing. He’d have to split the wing with Harmes and they would both have to play significant time forward to make that happen and we don’t want that. We want a small forward who makes excellent position, hits targets inside 50 and always gets in the right defensive positions. Brisbanes game plan relies upon Rich and Kiddy Coleman bouncing from half back and hitting up running mids - Clugg, Bailey, Neale etc who then get it in quick to dangerous forwards. Spargo did his job stopping those quick bounces from half back. He plays in the hardest and least rewarding spot on the ground and that has to be accounted for when measuring his output.

Any evidence that Spargo played more than about 5 minutes on the wing? Langdon played 100%. Harmes 79%. At most Spargo played 21% but I’m pretty sure Nibbler had a little go there and generally Brayshaw would cover that time. Spargo having one stint on the wing is not reason enough to turn a backman (Hunt, Salem or Bowey) in to a wing or a forward. That would be a huge gamble.

Merrett seemed genuinely devastated the other night that he waited to commit to the club when they turned the corner and then they’ve gone and collapsed. Perkins, Cox, Jones and Draper can all play. Ridley’s excellent. Nic Martin’s a great find. Otherwise it’s a lot of role players and not too many disgruntled established players. They lost them when Saad, Daniher and Fantasia left Langford might leave, too expensive as a role player I’d imagine. Tom Cutler’s one of those guys who has all the skills but can’t hold a spot.

They made a mess of his end but Rutten coached the 2020 year as well and they were awful then. 2021 was all smoke and mirrors. 2022 obviously a mess. They could’ve backed him but they need wholesale change regardless. And for those who bemoan our pressure forwards and defensive mids getting a game have a look at how a team without any in Essendon defend. That’s their glaring list hole and they pay for it game after game. Rutten, Caracalla, Gia all highly rated at various times. All potentially good fits at the Dees to work on skills and offensive game.

Another coaches award and B+F and never getting near the recognition he deserves in the Brownlow would seem more on brand for Clarry. In all honesty something is badly wrong if he’s not well ahead by round 16, but he’s also been understandably off his game since Selwood hacked his thumb in half. I’m just glad he was back to something like his best against the Lions