Webber

I’m loving the look of it. We’ll have the most team votes by end……perfect.

Where are you in SW France, FD?

Naughton is a fascinating player. Extraordinary talent, X-factor and scary in that his athleticism and hands make him almost unmatchable in many one-on-ones. But he hasn’t shown yet that he can work past an organised, unrelenting effort to limit his space. He doesn’t have any alternative ways to impact the game, and goes ‘off the boil’ as it were. I think our defensive set-up, including limiting cleanly directed ball coming in goes a long way to disempowering him. As to Josh Bruce, he really completed the picture for the Dogs (don’t forget his goal tally was bumped by a 10 goal haul v Roos). He’s a big loss, maybe bigger than Stewart was for Cats, albeit different reasons of course. What also fascinates me is that our own forward potency goes largely un-discussed compared to the fawning over Naughton/Weightman. Brown, Tmac, Fritsch (more productive and skilfully potent than Naughton, just differently) and Kozzie. Add in Jackson, and I’m not sure how the Dogs stop us, particularly with added midfield scoring/score assist work from Tracc, and of course Gawn, who they’ll be ****-scared of, now more than ever. It’s easy to forget that they just scraped in against the Lions, who aren’t the Dees by a long long way. Heat up the contested ball, which we’ll do, in fact that’s what we do, and I can’t help but feel bullish.

Which he’d do well, yet I like the idea of Petty’s competitiveness and under the radar strength and athleticism one-on-one against Naughton. Kid’s a gun, we haven’t seen his full potential yet.

To be fair, Ross Lyon, for reasons unknown, has a wholly transparent dislike of MFC. I remember a game a few years ago when we beat Freo comfortably in the NT, and his presser was comical - quietly seething, almost like he was embarrassed to have lost to the Dees, blamed injuries, couldn’t bring himself to give us a drip of credit. Never said a positive word about us.

Didn’t he say earlier in the year that the Dees needed to win it this year, because the Dogs list/age profile has it wrapped up for the next few years? He’s a week to week, change-with-the-wind twirp. If the media commentariat were serious about quality analysis, he wouldn’t even be on our screens. Can’t watch him anymore.

Agree. He’ll poll more than Clarry, just because Umpires.

Perfect summation. I will, in fact I’d suggest no Melbourne supporter will ever look at the No. 2 on a guernsey again and not be immediately reminded, from their own memories or recollections of their elders, of Nathan Jones - just as it has been for Robert Flower. Nothing better than a number on a jumper can memorialise what Jonesy means and has meant to this club.

Hibbo’s not getting dropped I’d suggest. Out of he, Hunt and Joel Smith, he’s simply the better footballer. The question on him is whether he’s slowed down, and the mild fumbles he seems to get on account. I reckon when he was dropped, it was off the back of our late season loading, and he was just worn thin. He seemed full of run on Friday night, and with his great competitiveness (what we love about him) and experience, added GF adrenaline and another fortnight’s rest, he’ll be primed. No change.

Fascinating reading. The Pies were very tall compared to us! The whole VFL park scenario seemed very 60’s - desperate for a kind of space age modernity. Loved that spectator vision was assumed to be perfect from everywhere. Pity about the 3km from the back of the stands to the far end goals.

The objective truth (the seeming tautology now needs stating) is there have been no more suicides, in fact slightly less. Misinformation and lies help nobody, we should be learning that by now.

Jaded, this falls so deeply into the carer category, I would suggest you’re over-specifying the need. I’m performing the same function for my 96 year-old mother. You have nothing to explain.

Genius, Mazer

So good, he can even make the perfect pizza doughnut.

A little bit. In a good way…

Had to introduce a bit of Dees spirit to workplace. I’m the only MFC supporter, all other staff bar one (Geelong) are Hawthorn supporters. The clinic was attached to Hawthorn FC for 30 years, until they moved to Waverley. Everyone’s on board now!

Good people, the ones I know. I think they’ll handle the loss well.

He is a unique beast, in every possible sense. A force for good purely by how much joy he’s bringing to people, obviously us as supporters, but really anybody even vaguely interested in footy. He is a pure gift to the AFL, a beacon of larrikin sportsmanship, a ‘character’ of the kind all sports crave and can be proud of, let alone market the game on. I can only imagine the effect he’s having on kids who love a sports hero they can thrill to, but also trust as authentic, respectful, fun-loving, passionate and dedicated. And then there’s his football ability. We’ve never seen any player like him.

He’s a liability against two ruckmen who contribute to the game otherwise in ways he can only dream about, witness Friday night. Gawn and Jackson are going to be an enormous factor. Martin is better than the youngster they had previously, but not by much. .

Any team that has Motlop as guaranteed selection isn’t serious. Hard to believe how flaccid and un-united Port are. Rabble….

My golly goodness Port are front-runners. What a truly gutless effort. I wouldn’t want to play them in the GF. They’re not worthy of the whipping. 😎

And that’s all they’re gonna get.

They are also, to be kind, not hard.

More than Smith’s?

Port are woeful. Flat track bullies is exactly what they are. If only we could play them in the GF. Shame.