binman

I doubt clarry plays, and I hope he doesn't. Agree Billings and Windsor are locks. And I think Howes and Brown will also debut (Brown for koz, comes out round one). I wonder how often it's happened that a top 4 team debuts three draftees in the first game of the following season. If I'm right, and Laurie plays, we will have 7 players 21 and under in our game against the swans: JVR, Bowser, Laurie, McVee, Howes, Windsor and Brown. When you consider that best 22 players in Koz, Sparrow and Rivers are 22, 23 and 22 respectively, we have a very solid core of young players (and petts and chin ate only 24). It's possible we will have 9 players 22 and under against the swans. That's a profile usually only a team in rebuild phase would have. By way of contrast the pies have the oldest list in the AFL. And how many players under 22 running around last night?

Because you're worried about may? He carved up the Coleman medallist and to my eye looked in much better nick than this time last year in terms of mobility (he struggled all last season with glutes and lower back issues) Agree we need to plan for his retirement, but that's a couple of years away at least. And defensively we are in pretty good shape for key defenders going forward. Although Turner is more an intercepting lever type, he'll fill out and i think will be a gun. Adams is bigger and has a future as a lock down key defender. And if petty stays, he can go back.

That is a truly amazing stat. And it's impossible for it to be a statistical anomaly. Sustainaned excellence.

Australia scored as many goals as the blues

Funny you should ask that. A player immediately came to mind which I thought I'd note on the pod. And, on reading your q, another player came to mind.

Weitering and Walsh are two big outs - two of their best four players. But it is a mark of just how good our midfield is that we could be missing one of best 3 players, and one of the best 3 mids in the AFL, and not miss him

A foot fetishism? Sorry, I meant food.

I thought I read on here a few weeks ago he was saying we'd do well? Don't sleep on the dees and all that. And now he has us missing the 8?

Yeah, his kicking inside 50 is terrible. Such poor technique. Oh hold on, I thought you meant Petracca.

For a bit of perspective, we're far from the only top 8 club with some injuries. At the pies, Pendulbury and Howes have both had interrupted preseasons and are touch and go round one. Their best forward, mcstay is out for the season with an acl and Krueger did a bad hammy yesterday. At the swans, Luke Parker has broken his arm and their captain, Callum Mills has a wrecked shoulder he did wrestling on mad Monday (where's the media beat up on that? - i mean getting [censored] and wrecking your shoulder is just boys being boys is it? And hes tbeir captain! Cultural issue i reckon). Both players are huge for them. They swans are resting Jake Lloyd, Tom Papley, and Chad Warner for their community cup game to ensure they are right to go against us, which suggests all three are not cherry ripe.

Based on info gleaned from Demonland (track watchers, linked articles etc) my best guess is something like (taking koz and smith out as they are not injuries - by the by, koz is in ripper nick and right to go round 1. So technically doesn't miss a round. For petts i'm assuming no surgery, but if he has surgery unlikely to add mot than a couple of weeks) PLAYER INJURY LENGTH Ben Brown Knee 2-3 weeks Lachie Hunter Calf 1-2 weeks Shane McAdam Calf 2-3 weeks Jake Melksham ACL Round 16 Harrison Petty Toe 2-3 weeks Charlie Spargo Achilles 1 week Kysaiah Pickett Suspension Fit Daniel Turner Stress Fracture 6-8 Weeks J. Smith Suspension TBA

Report: The blues smashed us. We barely got a touch. Took one mark in 4 mins of highlights - and it was taken of us!

File under sad, but i'm about to watch the blues highlights. It might knock some of my natural optimism out of me. #beggars can't be choosers

Any reports of injury concerns sb?

No, I meant the dees social is a low bar. Andy goes alright.

#backhanded compliment

Go redleggers

I can't believe it. Went to buy my ticket today. They were available. But I checked with friends if they were coming and was waiting for a reply. Wasn't stressed. Surely it wouldn't sell out. Just went to buy them. Sold out!

Blimey, that's almost as long as one of my shorter posts. More informative too. But seriously, that's what we should be getting. Basic level of professional information. I went to the mfc website this arvo to buy a ticket for tommorow. No doubt the info is there somewhere, but I couldn't find it and gave up after 5 mins. Not good enough. Struggled to find it on the afl site too but did.

Yeah, that's a fair point. As is Werridee's point that May, week in week actually has a direct opponent and usually that is their best forward. I mean how would Stewart go head to head with Curnow or Hawkins? I completely forgot about Andrews. Like Stewart. Moore and Lever he also zones off and intercepts, but i think is probably better one on one than those three players. But no may. And May can also zone off and intercept when required. So, i'm sold. May if not the best key defender in the AFL, none are better. And any top 50 that does not include May is an assessment of the author not May.

Sorry Dino, that's just wrong. And in my opinion is a narrative dees fans should actively push against, because it is one the AFL and the Pies are pushing - for obvious reasons. Compare the circumstances of Gus's retirement with Paddy McCartin. Gus hadn't had a concussion for 5 years and regularly had MRI and advanced imaging and neurological assessments to check on his brain health and there were no issues. He was out cold for at least 2 minutes after the Maynard hit. The damage from that hit was so severe there is chance any player receiving it would be advised to retire, regardless of any history of concussion (by the by i'm guessing almost every AFL player would have received multiple head knocks, if not concussion, in their junior footy career from say under 10s to TAC cup. That's to say every AFL player is likely vulnerable to the impact of concussion). Paddy McCartin had to take an extended break from the game and once back had at least 2 head hits. The really worrying thing, and the key reason he had to retire i suspect, is the last one was barely a glancing blow (he didn't play another game after that).

Haven't been in this thread for a couple of weeks and this is where I landed. Was a very good call old. Unfortunately since then we have lost Gus. But clarry looks in good nick and will be in the ones by round 3, perhaps earlier. BB had said he hopes to be back with main group in 2-3 week. Fullarton is apparety two weeks away, as is mcadam. Petts still sounds a couple of weeks away, but is on track for being back by round 2-3. Tmac is out of rehab and salo is up and running. Turner is a bummer, but will back before the mid season bye and melk seems in great shape and on track for aprox round 15.

He's certainly a gun, but not sure he's by far the best tall defender. Agree he has Moore and may covered, but I rate weitering very highly.

It's funny isn't it. It's now completely accepted that teams are nor going anywhere near a flag without an elite defence. Footy media bang on about all the time. And every year the brownlow gets, rightly in my view, for being a midfielder award And then all the media awards go to mids. Coaches award too I guess, but al least defenders get votes. And then a top 50 from the head footy writer at the hun doesn't include the best defender in the best defence in the AFL. And has Moore at 22 and weitering at 36. Curiously he has Tom Stewart at 19. A gun no doubt. Better than Moore, weitering and may? Big call.