bing181

I think you can see the logic in all this. For a while I’ve felt that all those close games we "just lost" (without even starting on the St Kilda game!) point to a lack of on-field ownership, not just leadership. It’s not that we don’t have leaders — we do. But sometimes strong leaders can dominate so much that others stop stepping up. Who do we really have behind Max and Viney? Petracca has shown he isn’t that type of leader. Not a knock — he contributes in his own way. But in that final centre bounce against St Kilda, Petracca was in the middle: standing there with his arms out. Asking the question rather than taking it upon himself to find a solution. Same even moreso with Oliver. We need the Rivers, Chandlers, even younger players like Lindsay to see themselves as leaders, to take responsibility and own what happens on-field. But for that to happen, the environment has to let them. Rivers is never going to call out Petracca. Max mentioned Turner as a good young leader - but is he going to be the on-field leader he could be with May out there? The King interview was revealing - one of his points is that there's little difference across the league these days in terms of what's possible. But then it turns on culture, leadership, belief, ownership. So rather than just try and fill the team with star players, he's looking to build these other qualities.

I can understand why Oliver is being moved on this year but wasn't the preceding 2 years. In 2023 we were still contending, and he was still a superstar struggling to come back from a bad injury. The lack of pre-season etc then wiped out his 24 season, and we perhaps presumed that with a decent pre-season last year he'd be back to something like his All-Australian self. Which hasn't been the case. In spite of his ability to play a role and some signs of improvement, the club seem to feel that those heady days are now behind him - remembering again that they'd have access to all his fitness and performance data. My only confusion in all this, is why he wasn't presented with this info at his exit interview, as Steven May was. Perhaps they needed a final sign-off from King or whatever, but it's still not ideal. Against that, there are still players from other clubs being delisted this week, so it's not exactly outside of the window either, but ... ?

My read on it as well. I suspect that the fitness team have come to the conclusion that for whatever reason, Oliver can't get back up to required fitness levels and in particular, get his speed up to where it needs to be. So either he needs to play a different, less-demanding role, or be moved on. (There may be other factors as well, of course.)

Not just King.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole

Taylor. Lamb does all the negotiations, list strategy, contracts, hustling, yadda yadda. Which is why after working a full-on 40 hour week he's not getting up on a Saturday morning to stand in the cold at suburban footy ovals watching fringe AFL players like Campbell and Heath running round in the VFL.

You'd think that this would make GC even keener to get Petracca.

You didn't need the "extensively". Also widely discussed, head coaches participate in the process but are just one voice/vote. Chris Scott and others have spoken about it.

Jason Taylor "In late 2012 I was appointed National Recruiting Manager of the Melbourne Football Club; duties include Managing the National/International recruiting and talent Identification programs, List Management Committee and player selection in the National and Rookie Drafts." Notwithstanding the above, your claim that Taylor suddenly stops monitoring players once they're on an AFL list is ... mind-boggling.

As were Salem and Pickett.

Seriously? Lamb doesn't answer to King. And if you have an issue with players we're recruiting, for the thousandth time, you need to be speaking to Jason Taylor who's head of recruitment and is also on the list management committee.

Almost certainly losing 3, not much potential about it. As for the rest, a) it's demonstrably untrue, we've been linked to a number of players, you only have to read this board, and b) the 3 you mentioned are all smart choices, for different reasons: Mhocek brings experience and on-field leadership to a very young forward line, more importantly he'll take the no. 1 defender and relieve pressure on the likes of JVR. Derksen provides KPD depth, also essential when May is gone, Tom Mac is on his last rodeo and the only tall defender we have coming through is Adams. Heath is essential for our longer term as someone to take over from Max and provide backup and ruck depth, especially now that Verrall is gone. List management 101.

A deal will get done.

I suspect he could easily become accustomed to more forward time with Rowell and Anderson feeding it to him. But I understood that what they were saying is that at the Crows Trac only has one role, midfield. But he's a more flexible player than that, which would suit the Suns better. i.e., there's more scope for him at the Suns.

Cornes recognises the importance of McVee even if plenty of his team's supporters don't. A big loss.

FWIW, on the couch both Brown and Buckley think Gold Coast is a better fit as Petracca can be more damaging up forward where the Suns are a bit light on and inexperienced. And as Buckley said, Adelaide need a big-bodied mid, but they need a better kicker.

Except he didn't say that, did he. Typical of you, when there aren't genuine reasons to snipe at the club you fabricate them.

Mind-boggling. Post-2021 we lost Jackson as a go-home, but every one of our required players re-signed. As for Brisbane ... go and talk to Richmond and Hawthorn about topping up after their flag runs. Both fell in a hole.

"Fremantle’s pitch to Judd McVee contained a very specific vision, but it wasn’t the most compelling part of the presentation. The Dockers got him over the line by showing him how he was playing at the Demons. Under Simon Goodwin and then caretaker Troy Chaplin he was pigeonholed as a last-line defender playing on footy’s dangerous smalls. As the Dockers showed him, his disposals and intercept possessions had dropped off and he was barely a presence in the rebound game given his lack of handball receives. They told him they could develop him like they had 2025 All Australian Jordan Clark as an attacking running back." (Herald Sun)

Actually saw them play live once. Which is something, as they only ever did a handful of dates around the No Pussyfooting album. Was as you'd expect, both monotonous and mesmerising, and the technology was impressive for the time. Still remember it.

The one you missed that plays a role for some players is the desire to move to less AFL-oriented states where they can be out of the media spotlight/hothouse. It's where the 4 northern clubs have an advantage. Buddy Franklin and Joe Daniher both cited that as one of the reasons for choosing the clubs they did, but they're not alone. Of course, everything else has to be in place, and as always, money talks the loudest.

We're not going to do that. He's nominated Freo, he's OOC, one way or another it'll be Freo. None of us have to like it.

List management happens over the longer term. They could be equally eyeing someone for next year (e.g. Butters has been mentioned). I agree that next year will be a bit of an ask if we lose McVee, May and Petracca - but you'd think it's going to be a transition/learning year in any case.

Given the number of toilet breaks, perhaps picked up some kind of lurgy.