DEE fence

Adam Simpson is one of the AFL coaches I admire most, and people in the industry, I watched him closely after the Prime season where he said his piece on racism (worth watching). Truly a decent guy. Really an example of how people can evolve, no one ever talks about the rubber chicken nowadays. None of the Scott arrogance etc. And while I have enjoyed WC suffering and have no love for the club, Angus Brayshaw said he would rather eat his own @$%$) than go there so they obviously have issues. Not all of these get laid at the feet of the coach. That said, quite happy to gut the place of any talent looking for a good home.

I remember Templeton and Moore, so get a nervous tic thinking about selling the farm for a tall fwd with knee issues. For me BBB paid for his contract with his 21 performance, I'd rather bring a Hogan back or Waterman. I'd also be looking closely at who is going to work well with JvR, kids progress this year has been excellent, I am so happy with the improvement in his marking, he's moved past the issue that stymied Weed and I think next year we'll be amazed at how our fwd line is. Petty has had a terrible year, but he knows how to play with JvR, thinking historically both Nic R and Matthew R had seasons with shocking yips. Petty has gone from 2023 12.1 to 2024 4.13. We have all seen that he is a marking beast, I strongly think we give him a mulligan for 24 and see what 25 brings. Re Mids one more is fine for me, I see Windsor as a mid as well as Rivers, For me recruiting needs to think about the May replacement, defence is the foundation of our recent history of form. So emphasis on a mid and a big gun defender.

Tenete, like our team, haven't you been watching the last 4 years? They might lose, but they haven't given up.

Incredible is not the word that comes to mind. [censored] Gawn being down for three weeks. I have decided that this is the acid test for us as a club, we do not want to be a one trick pony. We have adjusted to the changes in the mids, we can adjust to no Gawn. He can go and get right and be fresh for finals. The next three rounds are a mountain no doubt, I haven't stopped believing yet.

Jason Taylor deserves a statue, he is the person I most worry that another club will steal.

Two Dads

I don't think it was just about the women, but am far from sure. I've known guys with bulimia as well.

He is, he describes hitting a hockey puck and breaks it down into 14 different actions to be perfected, off the chart OCD. I couldn't get over that someone who plays NHL could give a [censored] about his weight but does. I'm not naming him because if for some bizarre reason it got back my mates 10% pffft

I was about to ask for a link for the go fund me pages... But seriously the media not picking this up iis utter BS.

Not that I disagree with you, but just an anecdote, a mate of mine is an agent for NHL players in NY and he has a 1st round pick gun (playing a few seasons now) who absolutely goes mental if anyone speaks about his weight.

I was quite intrigued by how many top 8 AFL side's counterparts in the VFL are languishing in the bottom half of the VFL ladder, Swans, Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood. Made me think the cupboard is a bit bare elsewhere as well. In 21-23 when we were red hot, no doubt, Casey was firing, just a reminder grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, and maybe we are not so far away.

Here is the knee, reminds me of nik nat with his carelessness, maybe not Mitchell level but definitely developing form. VID-20240702-WA0018.mp4

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C83OZvWJ4Cb/?igsh=MTYxbm00eWtsa2Ribw==

Where do I contribute to paying Long's fine, absolute joke, Maynard holding his head. May was rightfully a fine, this needs one as well.

Apart from Petty clunking some marks, (liked Gawn giving him a boost post game), did anyone notice that one grab by JVR, that was the most exciting thing I've seen this year him losing the double grab.

I agree with you, however was more recent than that, Sam Mitchell made a career out of hobbling blokes, (loved when Yze ribbed him about it on 360). Anyway what I was getting at, is even the perception of some sort of bounty would bring alot of heat. Little Goffy was clear that it was filth supporters not the players, but even joking about this at a function where club people are would be a very bad look.

In the NFL Sean Payton was stood down for a year, the New Orleans Staints had a $500,000 fine and loss of draft picks for the 2012 bounty system on opposition players, Collingwood would want to be very careful.

I'm ready to put another $100 on he plays next year as well/doesn't retire. It is still raw for him, he has just lost his young man's cloak of invincibility, which I am sure a few of you can remember... He is practically a god, his physical condition is phenomenal, and in his mind his body has just betrayed him, it is a big adjustment, give him a minute. But everything about him suggests he is a competitor. I don't think he has spent six years lying about how much he loves the club and his team mates and his sense of identity is tied up in that. He ain't quitting yet, although I am very sure the people who love him would probably prefer he did. And there is the crisis, the thing that people love him for, gives him identity and purpose also puts him in peril, however it is not like Gus's injury which is at a tipping point, i.e. structural irreversible brain damage. Trac will heal, his identity will take over and he will play again. While I have never been an elite athlete, and If I'm a god it's as Bacchus, but I have been to hospital as a result of sporting endeavors (10m fall onto concrete anyone), motorcycle crash at turn 4 Philip Island (and a few others that have done ribs etc), I can tell you my first reaction is - I'm done, never doing that again, famous last words. Trac has buckets more of competitive instinct, he will be back.

100%, how cool were all the ex-players watching with Dad. Not least Yze turning up to watch his mate's son play. Think of all the pressures Yze has in his life and made time for his mate, class act that bloke. But Nathan telling his son that he hope he gets to sing the song had me fist pumping (and misty eyed).

Watched the IV, he's still a Demon, totally open about it still being raw, everyone should stop tilting at windmills though, as he said hindsight is great. $100 says he's a Demon next year.

Thank you Trac, really appreciate your effort. Get well soon.

Thanks for the feedback, I have no argument against anything you say but curious for thoughts on our gameplan. All the players you mentioned are contested animals, our gameplan is not playing to our strengths. Also cannot argue that heads dropped, but the why they dropped is not just personal, and not typical of the last 4 years.

Something is missing, yet to see anyone who has nailed what it was. Over four years we have seen pride and effort in the jumper, that is the reality, last Sunday was a confluence of diabolical events that I am yet to understand. Re the gameplan it worked fine against St Kilda, and there have been glimpses of it coming together this season, but there has to be a rational non emotional reason our execution was so abysmal, it wasn't just the game plan that had us playing [censored]. I was ready to sack McQualter after the game, now I'm scared that the team has lost sone unity for some undisclosed reason. I was hoping to hear that they had a bug. Not an excuse but with the number of new players this year we are actually witnessing a mini rebuild. Painful and never perfect, I just hope it's not going to miss the output of our older stars. Also it does kill me that Port have 3 mecurial mids: Rozee, Butters and JHF and we have none. Windsor maybe in 12 months + could maybe be that mercurial mid (or McVee but I don't see it). Pickett is impact only and the rest are all broadsword, fierce and proud) but having holes poked in us by the rapiers. Sydney seems to have a fleet as well. Tying this to the gameplan, we have to bring play back to a contested game, our strength, something about our gameplan does not play to our contested ball strength.

That 50 was a disgrace to the game, I defy anyone to hate Essendon more than me, but that is a shambles. I did love Essendon losing though.

So be honest, how many times have you watched Darcy creme the Merde, I'm losing count. Sam Darcy gets my 6 points in this week's votes.