binman

How could anyone be sold on jeffo yet? He's yet to play an AFL game, and until he does its all supposition on whether he'll make it. Before making his AFL debut i was very confident JVR would make it, but even with him you still had to wait and see how he went before being certain he had what it takes (and there is no doubt he does). My query on Jeffo from the get go is whether his second and third efforts were instinctive and whether he had the want for the contest. I hate to say it (because it feels like an unnecessary potshot at weed), but in that respect the player he reminds me most of is weed. Those concerns, particularly the latter, were somewhat assuaged in the second half of the 2024 VFL season. He started attacking the ball, on the ground and in the air, with much more intensity and his performance level demonstrably improved as a result. Maintaining that intensity is a non negotiable if he wants to make it as an AFL player. The key forwards role is now as much about crashing marking contests and making sure the ball comes to ground as it is kicking goals. Key forwards also now have to be strong defensively when the ball hits the deck, and pressure and tackle fiercely - attributes JVR has in spades (id be pretty confident he averages more tackles than any other key forward in the game). That takes intensity, preparedness to get smashed and physicality. And that's what Jeffo will need to bring week in, week out if he is to make the cut. The club have extended his contract so they obviously have faith he can make it. And key forwards taking time to find their feet is a cliche because ots true. That said, I'm hopeful, but not confident, jeffo will make it.

Nah that's Clarry. Good on him. Looks fit, healthy and in a good place. A million miles from this time last year. If we get big years from those three lads lok out.

Agree. Hard not like someone who so clearly enjoys what he's doing. Super talented player who probably deserved to win the Norm Smith.

Way too early for ladder predictions given how critical a team's preseason is in terms of determining how well they'll go. So far so good for us in terms of number of players completing all sessions, our small rehabilitation group and no long term injuries (last season we had a big rehabilitation group and came into the season with Gus, Melk, Brown, McAdam all with long term injury, and sparg's nagging achilles soon becoming season ending). But there is a long way to go before the season starts so I'll wait until late Feb before making any predictions. Does anyone have any intel on how other club's pushing for the 8 preseasons are going?

No it's not the point. So much rewriting of history. #demonland myths As I have noted several times recently, we tried to implement a different, more transition based game plan last season. We faced several barriers to doing so successfully, in short: - it takes time to implement a new game plan (particularly one so different to the one drilled into the team over the previous 5 seasons) - injury meant we almost never had our best 23 play together - we didn't have enough of the right type of players, in particular enough elite kicks who could be relied on to hit high risk kicks (exacerbated by injury to our best players) - and perhaps of most significance, we were clearly not fit enough, for any game plan, particularly one that demands so much all team running We could only be ‘in games when we played an unwatchable, unsustainable to win big games, style'? That's just not true. There was really only one game where we reverted to a defence first method in a big game to maximise our chance of winning - our heartbreaking two point loss to port late in the season. Two rounds prior we came out firing, with exciting all out attack against the Giants, up nearly 5 goals at the end of the first quarter before running out of puff in the second half to lose by two points. In another big game, our round 16 match against the ultimate premiers, we blitzed them in the second quarter, kicking 8 goals. Very watchable. Another heartbreaking loss ensued after once again running out of gas in the second half. Another big game was our early season win over Port at a sold out Adelaide Oval where we beat Port at their own transition game (coming on the heels of smashing the dogs - our third highest score of the season - and hawks with a fast, exciting, transition game). Not a big game given we couldn't make finals, and our opponents were woeful, but our highest score of the season came in round 23 when we played a fast, exciting transition game to smash the Suns. Yes we were often low scoring and terrible to watch. And we got hammered more often than we had in the previous four seasons combined. But not because of an 'unwatchable, unsustainable' game plan - we just couldn't consistently implement the new game plan we were working on, or defend against that game plan when used effectively against us (hence the number of big losses). Ironically, we would have likely won more games last season, albeit not enough, and certainly not have been opened up as often, if we had stuck to our previous defence first method.

You're right about verall (cut and paste typo) but from the MFC website (and lord knows the dees website could well be wrong):

Indeed. I'll bet London to a brick that if the hawks stumble this year Mitchell's adherence to hok ball will be questioned and questions asked about no plan b.

Yep, first rounders But I suspect it falls fairly dramatically after that. Much more a raffle in the subsequent rounds. And I'm guessing some of those first rounders would still play if the age was raised (that's to say if players had to be say 19, like Langford, before round one, some of those 2023 draftees would have met that criteria).

Enjoy DZ.

4. The first premiership for 57 years

Thats an interesting point about Langford being 19 in 2025. It has to be a positive in terms of being AFL ready, but it's also good to keep in mind in terms of assessing his progress (and i guess his performances as a junior - he would have monstered most of his opponents). Conversely, XL doesn't turn 19 until July (aprox round 17, so three quarters through the season). And Windsor and the Kolt both turn 20 aprox round 14. There hasn't been much talk about it in the last couple of seasons, but I've long thought they should raise the age players can be drafted. I know we don't have an equivalent of college football, but if post Coates league players too young for the draft had to say play at VFL or WAFL level clubs would get a much better sense of players abilities, partic for players who are not obvious first rounders. And it would be real fillip for the second teir leagues and create some buzz I guess the counter view is that the quicker players get into an AFL club the better for them in terms of being in an elite high-performance program.

In terms of talls, Langford is a fascinating addition to the mix. I've previously compared him to Jeremy Cameron as from the vision I've watched Langford really reminds me of him in terms of how he moves, being a left footer and playing a hybrid forward role. (Langford is a mid/forward and Cameron has been playing the last couple of seasons almost as a forward flanker with license to get up the ground, as opposed to a key forward) I just checked Cameron's height and was surprised how tall he is - 196 cms. I guess i shouldn't be as he has been a true key forward for most of his career. Still, Langford is listed as 191 cms, which is tall for a mid (except for bont who is 194 cms!) - and i reckon there's every chance he'll get a bit taller. Even if he doesn't get any taller, there are only 13 players on the list taller than Langford! As Gator notes above, we may well have been the shortest team in the competition in 2024. And our best 23 might be one of the shortest teams again. Not suggesting these players (all 186 cm or above) will play in the same team, but all will be there or thereabouts for senior selection (with fringe players in brackets): Rucks Maxy - 209 cm (Campbell - 201 cm) (Fullarton - 200 cm) (Verall- 193 cm) Forwards: Jefferson - 195 cm Turner - 194 cm JVR - 193 cm AJ - 193 cm Langford (mid/forward) - 191 cm Fritter - 188 cm Melksham - 186 cm Defenders Lever - 194 cm May - 193 cm Howes - 191 cm (Adams - 196 cm) (Hore- 191 cm) Swingmen Petty - 197 cm Tmac - 195 cm That aint a tall side that's for sure.

I second your echo. Massive thanks, respect and big ups to Andy, WJ, Nasher and all the moderators. Cannot have been an easy year on the moderation front. Well done. And also huge thanks to the track watchers. The reporting has been first class. Compulsory reading.

Are we moving to VFL Park?

Indeed. And its worth noting that Howes (191 cm), Tmac (195 cm), Lever (194 cm) and May (193cm) played multiple games together last season Tmac is all of 4 centimeters taller than Howes.

Well he wasn't picked as a tall last year - in the sense that he only played man on man on a big on a small number of occasions and was basically a floating flanker for 90% of the year - but whatevs

Not to quibble, but I said he was one of our best, not the best. That said, of that list in my humble opinion only Mcvee and Bowey are better, he's on a par with salo, koz and fritter and he's is a better field kick than Chandler and Rivers. Barely missed a target last year, which given how often we turned the ball over is gold for a defender.

Well, I think he is, but given I think we are a very poor kicking team that doesn't necessarily mean I think he is a good kick.

Yes, if tmac plays as a half back flanker, which is essentially the role he played last year. Forget his height, he is an exceptional athlete (who has xlearly trimmed down), though not super quick, with elite endurance and is easily one of our best field kicks - good attributes for a half back flanker.

No he didn't (play chb). Tmac is not great one on one, and when he was forced to play as a key defender (eg when Lever or may was out, or for match up) he was exposed a bit.

Tmac played his best footy last year as basically tall half back flanker, and i reckon that's the role he'll play this year - which is perfect position for him wit his excellent foot skills and vision. He looks like he has really trimmed down and looks more like an elite cyclist than key defender.

Some interesting line ups suggested in this thread. In terms of debutants I have little doubt Langford and XL will be in our best 22 (when xl is over his pcl). Jefferson will get his shot early I suspect. And I reckon AJ is a very good chance to be in the round one team - goody really wants a second ruck to chop out maxy and whilst Roo can do the job i suspect AJ might get a shot at the role. I realise you can't pick everyone, but I'm surprised so many people don't have tmac in the their best 22. He was arguably our best defender last year. Tailed away near the end of the season, bur barely missed a game and came off an interrupted preseason. In the two training sessions I've been to tmac has been a real stand out. In ripping nick and looks very, very focused. I can't see him not being in the round one team down back.

Another interesting thing about ange in terms of intersections with AFL is the coverage of his game style over there in terms of the gap between reality and perception. That's well captured in this quote from the article linked below: 'It is instructive that only coaches who have a clearly defined and recognisable style seem to have that style blamed for every single shortcoming, even if the logic doesn’t always hold up to scrutiny. Postecoglou’s football is, indeed, serving a secondary purpose: it is exposing just how much of modern football discourse is based on tired old tropes, flimsy premises and Colbert-style truthiness. It feels right to say United’s second-half surge was because Postecoglou is stubborn and didn’t tell his players to “get hold of that game”, even though it only happened because of freak individual errors that had nothing to do with anything else. It feels right to criticise Spurs for being “too open” and “chaotic”, even if their stats show they are one of the Premier League’s best defensive teams, and that they’ve not lost a single game this season by more than a one-goal margin.' https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/are-you-not-entertained-postecoglou-is-two-steps-away-from-vindication-with-spurs-20241220-p5kzwp.html

That made me laugh too - particularly his deadpan follow up that Carragher 'apparently' likes him and 'that's nice'. The irony of caraaghers criticism (that ange ball causes them to almost lose a game they were 3 nil up in), one that was strangely not pointed out by ange or any of the journos, is they gave up those goals when they went defensive and had stopped attacking (perhaps because they were out on their feet). The two brain fades from the keeper (forster) came after they passed back from the centre line instead of pressing forward. Imagine ange at an AFL presser - he'd make bevo look like a peacenik.

I think he said 'are you not entertained'. That made me laugh- quoting Russell crowe in the gladiator.