binman

That, and, in my view, the best weather in the country. My mum lived in Perth for a few years, and I visited in the school holidays. Fell in love with the weather - I hate humidity and I love the dry heat and of course the beaut freo doctor that comes in during summer in the late arvo and drops the temp to balmy not crazy hot like Melbourne can get. Saw my first ever live gig at a pub when I was 15 - hoodoo gurus at the I think joint called the lizard lounge. Probably no longer there.

I used to play cricket with Ralphy. He's actually a top bloke. He was a better bowler than footy analyst but (I actually think his news stuff is pretty good - should stick to it).

True. And the hawks too. But it’s one thing knowing how ti beat them, another thing being able to implement the plan to do so. The blocking of the corridor and covering outlet handballs and kicks requires elite fitness and enough players who can spread hard an defensively gut run And i don't think the Cats do. That said, I'm assuming the pies will have way more run and nor be evidently fatigued as they looked against the hawks. If they don't, then I'd almost say the cats are favourites to win.

I don't think so, no. I think the pies will finish top. Second will so just fine. Top spot is fugazi

Agree. I will not be surprised if the pies to give the cats a touch up. The cats looked slow and old against Port, who just had a nightmare in terms of their outs. If the cats were the real deal thiis season they would have hammered port at home, even with their two big our in Hawkins and blicavs. That said, even if they do win well, it will surely be yet another physical, tough game for the pies. The cats will use the same tactics of ageing teams accross every suburban comp - play to hurt the young bucks with plenty of sharp elbows and extra mayo on their hits and tackles. There's no tommorow for the cats - it's basically an elimination final. And then the pies have to front up Fridsy week against a desperate and hard at it Lions outfit. And not at their comfort zone ground where they can use their leg speed and ability to spread (not to mention the benefit of 80k screaming fans), but at the smaller docklands. All on the back of the back of three uber draining games against Port, blues and cats. And without daicos and murphy. Big test for a team that many annoited as the best team in the AFL by some margin.

I hadn't considered that aspect until I heard Brett Rosebury, who had just broken the record for most games officiated (503), mention it in an interview on SEN the other day. Though he said that in making it easier for them to cover the areas of the ground, means they can emphasis decision making skills over endurance for both current umpires (eg in terms of training mix) and attracting new umpires (eh put greater emphasis on decision in the selection process). He also said there's no doubt it would mean experienced umpires like him could stay in the game longer. Interestingly he also supported having some professional full time umpires (he liked the idea of a mix of full time and people like him who had other careers), which would be supported by having them umpire at AFLW and thought there would be plenty of young umpires keen to be a full time professional umpire. It's no brainer in my opinion to have full time professional umpires, so i was really interested in his take.

A career ending leg injury is no good. But a better outcome than brain trauma and CTE that impacts for the rest of a player's life. And tragically, that life may not be that long for some with the clear link between CTE and suicide and many other adverse physical and psychological outcomes.

There were no injuries related to running around in work boots and playing at glacial speeds back in the day?

And other factors such as head to head record, record at the venue, injuries and how the two teams match up against each other in terms of game plan and personnel (eg we match up well against the blues, not so well against say the crows).

I have long been a critic of the club's comms on injury (and commms in general). But agree, it's only two days since the injury. Let's all chill a bit. The media have conditioned us to need our information sugar hits ASAP. Accuracy be damned. Better to be first than right. I'm going to assume he's not playing again this season. Any outcome to the contrary is a bonus. Personally, I don't think petty out is the blow most in the media are making it out to be. I mean, yes he has looked very good up forward. In the two full game he has played in the role. But its not as if we have relied on petty to score. We kicked north of 100 points against the lions and crows without petts up forward. Or Fritter for that matter. We have fritter, Grundy, Brown, smith and Tmac as potential options. Yes fritter is not the contested mark, bring the ball to ground option we need. But have the media forgotten he was our leading goal scorer in 2021 and 2022? Melk plays tall, and has been terrifc at halving contests against much taller intercepting defenders. Oliver back in, and the brilliant form if gus, allows tracc to still play 60% forward when we come up against the very best oppp midfield. Tracc, when playing forward, demands one of the opposition's very best defenders. And with his sheer strength and ability to win one on ones, they can't risk putting a small on him. With Smith's athletisim and leap, using him as sub gives us tactical flexibility to bring him on if we need some height up forward. And we have JVR, who seems to thrive in big games. I actually think the biggest issue of petts being out is our need for a tall forward who can push up the ground and provide a marking and/or contest option at half back and the wing. Max can't do that all day solo. And we don't want JVR using up his petrol tickets amd/or getting smashed from pillar to post. Grundy can play that role (though his lack of pace worries me). And Grundy doesn't need much forward craft to halve marking contests, smash into packs and bring the ball to ground inside 50 I reckon tmac is the wild card. Much depends on how he comes up, but if he is more mobile than he was when he has played this season (which is possible if his surgery addressed the issue he had with his foot) then he is the perfect fit for what we need. Good kick for goal too. Snake Baker 2.0? I have to say Brown looks miles off, but maybe there's time to get him into shape for a meaningful impact in finals? Snake Baker 3.0? All of which hlights how ridiculous Jon Ralph's assertion that petts is as big an out structurally as daicos is for the pies. Daicos is critical to the pies method of transitioning the ball. Whoever replaces him in that role needs elite endurance, elite vision, elite running power, elite speed and elite kicking skills. Have they got such a player running around in the magoos? And perhaps more importantly, unlike us, the pies have not trialled alternative game plans, sytems and roles during games. Pretty late in the day to do so now.

Pretty handy I'm guessing when you're running 10 to 15 kms a game.

Under no circumstances should you google that in a public setting.

That's a great point. Can mess with players heads bit i reckon 9lie maybe it did for the bombers against the Eagles?), but still if we have a safe enough lead with say 10 mins to go we can be a bit more aggressive (eg not go into tempo, chip it around mode like we did against the tigers in the last 3 mins or so) than we otherwise might if need be.

One of my favorite non dees players. An absolute gun

I agree the blues will test us. I rate them very highly.

Barrett? That's funny. Next you'll be telling me Jimmy does too! But seriously, what does it say about the pies that the loss of one player can have such an impact? Talk he is the best player in the league is just plain ridiculous. A total gun, and i'd love to have him at the dees, but a better player than the bont, clarry, maxy and tracc? I don't think so. An argument could be made he is the single most important player to any one team. Though, maxy must be in that conversation too. The difference is we have an AA ruck in the twos. It's a huge problem for the pies that the loss of daicos, who after all is a flanker and/or mid (and teams have plenty of them on their lists- not at the dacicos level, but still) has such an impact on their sytems, method and fortunes. That is a big structural problem. And on the discussion of best, no one would argue clarry is in the top 5 Ayers in the AFL. Our record since he has been out has been simply phenomenal- and hardly commented on - particularly given tracc has been playing forward and we have basically run with our B team midfield. All things being equal, the blues who are down 2 of their 3 mids and have a banged up ruck, will go head to head at some point with Maxy, clarry, tracc and viney. Good luck with that.

Agree. And the paying overs talk is a bit misleading in the sense with the deal they made they were always going to give up draft picks. They would have expected to finish in the eight, no question. If they did their opportunity cost was say pick 12 and 30 or some such. Once the deal was done, the fact that the opportunity cost might be 4 and 24 doesn't really change much from their perspective - other than giving a rival a pretty big leg up.

We'll beat the blues - and jimmy will be all like: 'Typical comments from the blue and red colored glasses, happy clapper brigade. I mean get real. Of course we beat the blues - they had their two best mids and a key interceptor out. And yes Melbourne won by 5 goals, but with their outs and the injury to Cripps in the last 30 seconds of the game, a real contender would have thrashed them by 10 goals. I mean the signs are clear, Melbourne pick and choose and again only played a quarter of good football - that's not going to cut it against the Pi...., i mean Po.., i mean the Li..., i mean the Dogs, who unlike Melbourne are timing their run to perfection. Yes, yes, I know Melbourne have now won six games on end, but I simply can't get my head around why people are so confident Melbourne will beat the Hawks and the Swans. And please, I'm not being disingenuous, negative for being negative sakes, contrarian or trying to wind anyone up. Unlike most posters, I'm simply being objective, clear eyed and realistic. As I have predicted for weeks, I am confident Melbourne will lose three, sorry i mean two, of their final games. Nothing I have seen in the past few weeks has given me any reason to adjust that assessment. The Hawks showed the level they can play at with their win against the Pies. Who by the by just had an off day - all teams have them. The Pies are a great team as evidenced by their incredible record going back to their one point loss in the 2018 GF, three really clever rebuilding years at the bottom of the ladder under Buckley, then their narrow losses in finals last season to the Premiers and the rampaging Swans. And the Pies have an inspiring coach who actually knows how to motivate. Any team that can beat the Pies, even on an off day, is a huge chance to beat Melbourne. And don't start me on the bookies odds - yes Melbourne are clear favorites to win the flag now but that's just a reflection of the ladder, not form. And on the ladder, the ladder doesn't lie. Well, except when it does - often it papers over cracks or simply flatters. Whilst Melbourne are second with only two rounds to go in the season, only the most blindly optimistic posters will take solace in that. And besides they won't be second after the hawks and swans beat them. And then the ladder won't lie. And speaking of coaches, Mitchell will run rings around Goodwin tactically. And the Swans - well, i know they lost the grand final last year by 15 goals - all teams have an off day - and may not even make finals this year, but they are an incredible team in incredible form (so much better than Melbournes'), are playing at their fortress and will be desperate to win. And as the coaching Svengali Mcrae says, the game is still played mostly above the shoulders. The Swan's sheer will to win will bridge the huge gulf in ladder position (which doesn't reflect form), talent and system. And yes, Melbourne will be playing for a home final at the G in front of 90k people, but Melbourne simply won't have the same will to win, because a top 4 spot is sewn up. And Goodwin. And Longmire will run rings around Goodwin tactically. And Melbourne will still be reeling from their loss to the Hawks. I mean, seriously, how does a serious contender recover from being touched up by the 16th placed team late in the season when history shows you need to be playing your very best football to be a genuine threat? And before any happy clapper, Pie haters jump on me (you know who you are), yes i know the hawks smashed them. But as the genius Mcrae said, they got important feedback from that loss, new feedback to add to the important feedback they got from being touched up by the Blues the previous week. And feedback from those losses is so much more valuable than Goodwin's 'learnings' from Melbourne's uninspiring wins over the Saints, Lions, Crows, Tigers, North and Blues - or even their 'learnings' from Melbourne's win over the Pies on KB (when the Pies had an off day - all teams have them).'

I cant see Clarry playing at Casey. Straight back into the ones is my guess.

I'll be there. A great place to watch footy these days. And somewhere near my place - unlike Casey

A query I have, which I alluded to, is does he have the myopic, hyper intense drive (not to mention the required level of selfishness) the very best athletes - actually the very best in any field for that matter - have? It's that drive that differentiates the Traccs, Olivers, Gawns and Bonts from the De Goeys and Stringers. He strikes me a bit like clarry and maxy in their young days - a bit immature and a bit of a lad. One they matured they went to the next level. Hopefully the same will be true for Jackson.

You've got 'shot down in flames' because blind Freddy can see the kid's a gun with pure footy instincts and skills Kid bring the operative word. LIke every gun ruck and/or KPF before him he won't hit his peak until he is 25. English, who still hasn't hit his peak but is getting closer, is a good example of this - as of course so was maxy. The only thing that will prevent him becoming a superstar, other than injury, will be if he doesn't get elite level fit and/or doesn'thave the drive. Same was true of maxy. He was brilliant in that game. His fumbles and errors in the last were a function of not being fit enough - it's clear from his body shape he is not elite fit (which is a worry I reckon) I wished stayed at the dees - in my opinion he was stupid not to. And freo were stupid to get him now. Wait three years, utilise Darcy who is also a gun, and get him closer to his peak. Would hardly had to pay anymore. One key reason that would have been better is they've snookered themselves in regard to Darcy. Both need to be full time rucks and they now need Darcy out for Jackson to play his best footy and for them to maximise their return on investment.

Is this satire?

Yep, good comparison.

Amiss can play