binman

I agree with all points here. And 100% agree that posters have the right to reserve their judgement on team performance and shouldn't have to be told what and how they should feel on current team performance. I don't think I do so, but acknowledge that I probably get close to the line. I really don't mind where people land on assessing us. Where i get frustrated is when all of the factors are not properly factored I and/or considered. Particularly when it involves parroting media contender or pretender talking points.

Nice bit of revisionist history dazzler. I absolutely agree last season that i said we should have had faith in our training program and that it will set us up well come finals. I believed it last year, and I believe it this year. NOTHING that happened last year invalidated that opinion, despite what the ‘I told you’ crew all crowed. Even with the benefit of hindsight I would say the same thing about our training program last season. I stand by those comments. I made clear - on many, many, many occasions - there were no guarantees, there were multiple factors at play (many of which the club, rightly keeps mum about), there are any number of things that could impact their preparation (like having multiple players battling injuries) and the reality is we won’t know until finals if they have got it right. And I accepted we had some specific weaknesses, highlighting our dependence on Tmac the week before his injury, noting our poor kicking skills and challenge shutting down oppo small and medium forwards. I have acknowledged that I didn’t put enough credence in criticisms about our forward half pressure. I also made crystal clear, on so many occasions it’s not funny, that whilst I thought we would win the flag, I accepted there was every chance we wouldn’t. It’s not my fault some posters can’t do nuance and see everything in binary outcomes. Like calling the game today a must win game if we are to be considered a real contender (I’ve even heard some media and fans say we can’t make top 4 if we lose today – sheesh). I was quiet after the Lions finals loss because I was absolutley devastated. But also, seriously what was the point of making any comment? All the usual posters with their ‘I told you all along we were no good, I was right’ rhetoric would have just completely drowned out any nuanced discussion of the factors impacting and/or contributing to our performances (eg as we all now know, after flogging the lions in round 23, we came into the finals with as many as 11 players carrying an injury – something that was pretty obvious if you didn’t have the ‘stop with the excuses, we were just not good enough’ yada, yada, yada blinkers on). And I’ll point out I didn’t play the ‘I was right’ game in 2021, when my predictions about it all being about being cherry ripe come finals, and what that meant for our chances of winning a flag, were proved overwhelmingly correct. Point me to one post where I crowed about being right to the many, many nay sayers. On predictions, I’m batting .500. Pretty good strike rate when you are talking about predictions of winning a flag if you ask me. So not awkward at all. To be perfectly honest, just no patience for back and forths with binary, I was right you were wrong, black and white thinkers who can’t do nuance (not saying that is you Dazzler). So, to avoid any future confusion or revisionism, this is my opinion on how we are tracking this year: Goody has taken every opportunity to make clear everything is about being ready come finals (a point I have heard Mcrae and Howes both make when asked about their scrappy performances in the last 3 weeks) Last year we only had a 9 day bye break. Unfortunately the same is true this season. Selwyn Griffith has said that this creates significant challenges with planning when and how to doing the heavier blocks of power and aerobic conditioning required around the bye period – no doubt they would have learned things from last year in terms of how best to manage this issue I think our training and load management program this season will set us up well come finals I love that Goody is clearly experimenting with all manner of things - even though that decreases the chances of us winning individual games (it’s all about the finals) I love the fact that goody has taken cues from the what the Cats did last year, for example managing hibbo – things many posters were crying out for him to copy last season I think the Pies are an excellent team, but have not achieved anything year and are ridiculously overrated (including by many posters on DL) I think we are a better team than the Pies I acknowledge we have some key weaknesses – eg, for the second year running the second tall forward is an issue, with salo in Mcvee helps address the small forward issue, but it still concerns me, I prefer Petty back and worry about the third tall if he doesn’t play back, Hunter and Mcvee have improved our overall kicking skills, but it still concerns me We are not playing in a vacuum - ALL team have key weaknesses, including everyone’s favourite team the Pies I think we will win the flag I think we should be favourites to win the flag – if I was framing a market, i would have us as $5 favs, with the pies second favourite at 5.50 (pies are currently fav at a ridiculously short 3.50 – we are equal second fav on 5.50) But to be CRYSTAL CLEAR that doesn’t mean I think there is a chance we won’t win it $5 is 4-1 in the old. Which means that if the season is played out 100 times, even as 4-1 favourites we lose 80 times and only win 20 times (On the pies everyone seems to have them as lock to win the flag. Well, except punters that is. Let’s say you think the Pies should be even shorter than their current 3.50 quote. Perhaps you are really bullish and have them at $2. That’s even money. Which by the by, is the price of the dominant tiger’s team at the start of 2018 finals. Meaning if the season is played out 100 times, even as even money favourites they only win 50 times ie they lose as often as they win) So, if it easier for people to process – what I mean when I say I think the dees will win the flag is we are the team most likely to win the flag (but another team winning the flag is the most probable outcome)

Really? Ok, you've got me. It is a must win game. You know it. I know it. Only fools pretend otherwise. Sheeple. I will be furious if we lose. Inconsolable. Doubly so because I shelled out big bucks for a reserved seat to get a guaranteed Grand final ticket. Lose and the season is over. Can’t make top 4. Can't beat a team decimated by Covid and the worst flu known to man. Can't win a flag. Today is basically an elimination final. THAT'S HOW BIG TODAY IS!!! Stop the season I want to get off.

Massive given neither bb or tmac can get on the park and schace is seemingly not in the frame for selection.

Sure, it might be. Might being the operative word. And any players who had say, covid might have been completely asymptomatic and only had their preparation impacted. My point is the pies have been the one letting people know about players being crook. On the timing of the announcement of the teamss, I checked the afl site on Friday, assuming the teams would be announced then. The site said today's game would be announced Sunday evening. You might well be right that it was delayed because of covid etc. The question I have is, is that ok? Why should the pies not have to announce their team Friday, even if there are some queries about individual players? I mean it happens all the time players get selected even though there is some injury cloud. More AFL kowtowing to the pies?

You say optimistic Jaded. I say realistic.

Never listen to sen breakfast. Figure, why not, it kings birthday. And who is on it? Tom bloody morris. He an cornes (who I don't actually mind) doing a mid season review. Tom Morris's assessing football teams? Please. I listen to 4 mins and they are reviewing the suns. Instead of talking about theIr FOOTBALL, all Morris talks about is dews future. And 3 mins talking about hardwick coaching them and Hinkley's future. That's it. Nothing about how well they are going, their game plan (contest, contest contest), their strengths or their weaknesses. Everything that is wrong about the footy media in 240 seconds.

Six of their starting 23 were crook during the week? According to whom? I find it curious the pies have been the ones who have leaked this palaver out. Howes talked about it on fox footy for petes sake. Preparing their fans for a loss and giving the media (and DeeSpencer) their talking points to explain/excuse their lost me thinks. Didn't hear us talk up the fact that we had mutiple crook players coming into the bombers match.

'Too many people get caught up in the immediacy of results, but winning a premiership is the execution of a long-term plan, rather than a reaction to a win or a loss.'

To be fair, all the coked up dees supporting lawyers need their dealers.

The pies fans must be excited this morning, seeing ots their grand final. We've had ours. And unlike the pies last real GF, we won ours.

Spot on. The permutations are endless. Love it.

No mcstay. That's good. I know he'd be underdone but we've struggled against mutiple talls, most notably against the bombers. Cox and Cameron will split ruck and forward- and both push forward at times - mihocek plays tall, as does Johnson, so a fit mcstay would stretch us. I'll be curious who tomo plays on. Cameron and Cox? Mihocek is brilliant one on one and tomo isn't. But I wouldn't mind seeing tomo take mihocek. Similar size, and mihocek gets on his bike, which suits tomo more than wrestling with Cox and Cameron 30 mertres our from goal. May is s much better option for the two rucks. If petty, who we are really missing, plays forward when he returns after the bye, there's a spot for tomo down back. Love to seem him take it. He is moving more like he did before his knee, much more agile than last season, has a great tank and is a lovely field kick. So he has a good shot at it.

Sure. That's why it is terrific we are 8-4 with an excellent percentage and a good run home, including a bunch of games at the G, not much travel and the Roos, Blues, Hawks and Swans in our last four games.

I might start every post until say round 16 with this quote: 'Too many people get caught up in the immediacy of results, but winning a premiership is the execution of a long-term plan, rather than a reaction to a win or a loss.'

Nup

Huh?

But, but the eye test!

You can. Will help offset my losses.

I can't stand tom Morris. One, his voice shots me. Two, he is clueless about football and can't separate gossip with an analysis of the game. Constantly looking for the controversial take that create noise. So that knocks out another media optioon- tbe Sunday footy preview or whatever it is called on sen, because it is now co hosted by Morris- in addition to him being on the Saturday crunch time. Insufferable. Makes Sam McClure look like Dennis commetti

The dees must have missed that memo. For example bb is simultaneously a chance if being selected and having his leg amputated.

Was comparing their running.power against the hawks to their normal levels. You're right, they are not quick, or great runners, and it is no doubt a factor in their poor record at the g. But they had no spread at all in the last quarter against the hewks. No zip either And not much better in the second (I didn't see the first half). That was not an issue until the last couple of rounds. The hawks really looked to exploit that flatnes. But as you point out, they have done so for the last few years.

He is an absolute gun. Will go past Max at some point in the not too distant future to become the best ruck in the game.

For years I've sat on the top of the Ponsford. It's only this year that I've been sitting on the wing/hf The wing level one is great when the ball is being played on that wing. And the players are so much closer Can't see jack on the other side. Or Max. And the dees quarter time huddles are right below, which i like.

It certainly wasn't in the 70s or 80s. And the intervening years haven't been that much fun either. Thankfully that has changed and I'm loving watching a unit who are serious contenders.