P-man

That seriously warms the heart. Pies were all looking forward to next week like this week was a given. Guess again. Now to go one more and cause the tears to flow at Punt Road.

Hahahaha yes! YES!!!

Cracker of a game but geeze the Cats are coughing this up.

I’m all aboard the Cats train tonight. Then a couple of showers after the game.

Love your work Ron. You knew you’d cop a whack for this one and you did it anyway. Kudos. The idea doesn’t make me want to punch kittens like it does others, but there was a definite statement made in letting Watts go so an about face is hard to envisage. Will never happen while Goodwin is coach. I only see it possibly happening at the very end of his career and under a new coach but still highly unlikely. Quality pot stirring though.

Dusty made a big difference and Lions were wasteful going forward, but they still won pretty much every stat - CP, clearance, inside 50s, scoring shots etc. It should’ve been much closer than it was on the scoreboard. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back next year without Hodge running the show out of the back half.

They let themselves down in pivotal moments. Statistically they were very good in both games and arguably should have won both. The Giants game moreso.

We could have done a Brisbane Broncos. https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/exclusive-the-night-before-losing-580-to-the-eels-the-broncos-were-at-the-pub/news-story/f7419adcdc29e902d6e6708b35e773a1 “I think it’s at 6 eh” ?

Daniher is the only Essendon player I like, so it would be handy to see him leave the scum so I can truthfully say I detest every Essendon player. Edit: Forgot about Tippa. They should unload him as well. To us.

Just watching him last weekend had me thinking how much I’d love to somehow get him to the club. Would be a great get. Anyone who thinks otherwise is having a laugh.

Just saw the news. Shocking. He will be missed by many it’s fair to say.

Neroli Meadows on Fox also reporting that it’s likely he will end up at MFC next year.

That would be a pity. He's shown a lot of promise when he's been able to get on the park.

It would reduce my stress levels immeasurably. T Mac frustrates me like no other player before him. Including a certain J Watts. Still wouldn't trade him though. What would we even get for him? Not enough to make it worthwhile.

He’s been woeful this year. 43 goals sounds okay but his selfishness has gone up a notch, he’s slow as treacle, and while he’s never been a great contested player that part of his game is just embarrassing now. The only thing that hasn’t dropped off is his field kicking which is still elite. He should just retire to be honest. His best days are well behind him. It’s an emphatic no by the way.

No room for May? ?

I agree it would be a dramatic move. Unless the picture behind the scenes is even worse than what we are aware of. Comparatively speaking though, Trac requesting a trade wouldn’t leave me staggered based on what we know of his personality and ambition. Oliver requesting a trade, yes, I’d be staggered.

Really? I wouldn’t be. Of all the big(ger) name players on our list to request a trade, Petracca would surprise me the least. He won’t tolerate seeing his career pan out the same as Jonesy’s. Let’s also not forget his parents having reservations about him being drafted to Melbourne in the first place. I have little doubt there would be people in his ear telling him to get out now. Hopefully he stays though. It would be a real kick in the teeth for him to leave right on the verge of becoming the player we hoped for. Surely when you’ve invested this much into something, it’s worth giving it more of a chance than one failed season.

I’ve seen enough of Lockhart to be convinced he’s the real deal. Moreso than Baker and Chandler. That’s not to say they couldn’t cement a spot but Lockhart would be a lock in my 22 to let him continue to develop at AFL level (same as has been the case with the young talent at Port and Geelong).

Top post Steve. In my observations there are far worse offenders than you in the [censored] stirring/insufferable [censored] stakes. I’ve always enjoyed your contributions. But kudos for putting your hand up all the same. I think we have all been guilty at some point of letting our frustrations get the better of us. The psyche of Melbourne supporters would make for an interesting thesis. There are common threads but in certain ways we all react differently. At one end of the spectrum you have those who actively seek out the positive, all but turning a blind eye to the negative, and always looking to the future to save themselves from drowning in the present. At the other end of the spectrum you have those who shroud themselves in the negative and refuse to acknowledge the positive after such a dismal performance. And you have the majority who fall somewhere in between. To an extent, both sides of the spectrum are understandable. Similarly, both sides are open to criticism. The eternally optimistic can be accused of being too forgiving and therefore not holding the club and its leadership accountable. Case in point were those who insisted, to the very end, that the Neeld ship would turn. The eternally pessimistic are the poster children for the “veil of negativity” which I personally believe is a real thing and does have an impact on a club’s fortunes (which you also alluded to). By the same token, can you really blame the supporters for feeling that way after decades of bitter disappointment? I don’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a real thing. It’s all about finding that right balance between being a valuable supporter and providing a kick up the [censored] where needed. I think most would agree that continuing to be a paid member is the minimum requirement. The club is bigger than the individual. Be critical. Hold them accountable. But continue to support and try to, in your weaker moments, find a positive mindset.

+ Ed Langdon ?

Maclure reckons Gawn hasn’t been as good this year as previous years. Meanwhile he’s had career high numbers in marks, disposals, contested possessions, clearances and inside 50s and still averaging 40 hitouts a game.

He’s in. Awesome. Throughly deserved.

Was legit my favourite player for a while there. Will always have a soft spot for him. I’ve said a few times, he brought a swagger to our side when we were completely devoid of it. He got in opposition faces. He did the mercurial when no one else was even remotely capable. He was more than just a footnote. He will be remembered. By me at least. Cheers Jeffy. And thanks.

Roos slammed the idea of an external review of a football club, going so far as to say that you should just fire the coach and CEO if you feel there is a requirement for a third party review. He went on to say a review of operations is the weekly, monthly and yearly job of those inside the club, and they are the ones who should be tasked with conducting any review. I’ll side with Roosy on this one.