P-man

We can all speculate til the cows come home on how or why the penny has finally dropped and there’s no “right” answer. There can however be a temptation to dig too deep or look for too complex an answer. If I had to reel them off, the main reasons for the season performance to date would be: a greater fitness base across the playing group that enables better execution of positioning on the ground key players hitting a critical mass of games played, otherwise known as maturity Lever and May finally getting a stretch of games together and filling a leadership void a functioning forward line with Fritta playing well and T Mac playing angry a genuine appreciation of roles on the field. Having game changers of the ilk of Trac and Claz certainly doesn’t hurt, but without the rest, they would be the cream on a non-existent cake. The coaches deserve some credit for the above, obviously, but it is the players who deserve most of the plaudits. Look at Hawthorn currently. You can have the greatest coaching group in the world but you’re going nowhere if you don’t have the cattle who are capable and want to take ownership of the outcome.. That said, the job is still miles away from done.

I’ll never understand the absolute hysterical reaction to this.

No disrespect to him but if he isn’t on the fringes, particularly when it comes to the midfield, who is?

Has the club confirmed anything? Teague has always batted away the suggestion of him carrying an injury when I’ve heard him. It seems for a long time that Cripps’ poor performances have been attributed to a phantom injury that seemingly no one wants to acknowledge. The consistently elite player he was a couple of years ago is becoming a distant memory. At this point I think he and Carlton should be parting ways. He was a passenger out there after halftime which is toxic for those around him. Let him go west, grab the pick while he still has value and use it on a top shelf mid that will be running around with Walsh and co in five years time.

This is a pathetic roll over by Carlton.

No change for me. Harmes is on the fringes and I don’t think we’d lose anything by swapping him for Sparrow but on merit I don’t think you can make a strong enough argument for a change.

You’re one of my favourite posters. You’re above this crap.

What is this fascination with Melksham? He was more than serviceable.

If there’s a better sight in football than Ronald Dale Barassi singing Grand Old Flag then I don’t need to know about it.

I’m starting to seriously love Spargs.

I’m still not sure why two weeks is required for clubs to get used to the idea. But oh well. “Consult” away.

May very stiff. Salem hasn’t just had a good couple of weeks. His season has been top notch. Of all Melbourne players who deserve a spot in the side right now he’d be top 3.

Do we know why it will take a couple of weeks?

I’m really hoping we see him in the next few weeks. I suspect we will. We have invested in Weid and I have little doubt he is set to take a quantum leap in the next year or so. It would be a huge call to leave the club when it’s on this trajectory, but no player of his calibre wants to be spending too long in the seconds. And money talks. The club is doing everything right at the moment. Let’s hope the management of Weid isn’t the exception.

But what do you really think about them Mac? Quit holding back ffs.

Been wondering the same ?

As big a signing as it gets. Massive.

Even those muppets at AFL house couldn’t overlook him this week. Onya Dogga.

I feel like people are focusing entirely and somewhat unfairly on Petty’s first half against the Hawks. He was much improved in the second.

Gawn had a poor game by his standards but not sure Goldy had much to do with it. He just looked off from the start.

6. Fritsch 5. Pickett 4. Jackson 3. Salem 2. Langdon 1. Oliver

Good sides find a way. The gulf was evident in the end. Shout out to Dr D for telling me I was “the problem” for predicting at halftime that we would still win given North have a history of dropping away in the second half. Which is exactly what happened. Keep up the stellar work Doc. Today was a celebration of Dogga and Kozzie. What a draft that has already turned out to be. Both are stars rapidly on the rise and today we needed them to be. Especially with Gawn having a rare down day. Fritta probably best on. Hopefully doesn’t miss too many weeks. Clarry lifted when really needed. I’m choosing to focus on the positive aspects in that we were challenged and ended up winning by 5 goals. Onwards and upwards.

So 15 metre kicks is the rule of the week.

Fritta is on fire this year.

I love Koz so much. Genuine class.