Pates

Ok now all I want is for some very patient person to create a stop animation of a significant Dees moment in Lego! Two moments that come to mind are Clarry's "Bang Bang Bang" goal in the GF, and Max Gawn marking and goaling after the siren vs Geelong.

I think it helped that it wasn't just one club that was in this position. Honestly if it had just been Carlton it's equally possible that the AFL may have just said "bad luck". I do think that because BOTH Melbourne and Carlton had suffered these LTI there was more of an inclination for common sense to prevail. Now why the AFL chose to make it that day in the first place rather than leaving it to Monday after everyone had played is another question. Really gutted for AMW, hopefully there can be good that comes from a really horrible injury. Welcome to the club Culley!

I'm absolutely gutted for AMW, I genuinely saw him as a player that could push for regular selection and potentially be in the 23 this season. Adding to that, much like McAdam, he had put in so much work in the off-season and now he has to put in the hard work in rehab to get back out there.

I feel like this is something the AFL should be trying to drum into players, by all means you can be homesick but if you are contracted and you want to return to your home city/state then the club you are contracted to should be allowed to negotiate with whoever will give the best deal. This idea of being contracted for another year or more and being able to hold the club to dealing with only one party is a joke. Adding to that if there were a scenario where Koz said at season's end, "I really want to go to WA, please deal with Freo" but WC are in a position to provide better compensation I want us to be blunt and say, "if WA is where you want to play next season this is your only option". If the contract is up, that's a different story.

Regardless of people's opinions on MacAdam, he'd put in a lot of hard work in the off-season and was almost a certainty to be a round one starter. He may not have been best 23 but you need players pushing hard for selection to make competition for spots, him being injured removes that. It's just sad he'll never get a clean run at it. As for the forgotten man in Spargs, how long has he been injured for? Will he ever get back?

Strangely seeing Kane throw his name into this only makes me feel better. His mail, his intuition, and a lot of his analysis has been shown to be way off base. Oliver is the best and most recent example, his word was that Oliver will never get back to full fitness and his broken, and that we should trade him for a packet of chips. Cheers for cheering me up Kane! EDIT: He was also pushing hard the agenda that he was going to go to Port last season and this season. In footy scuttlebutt I would trust my dog's intuition over his.

Damn I worked on last season of Tipping Point, I 100% would've made sure to get a pic with him and Neita if I'd worked on that show day! Fun show, good people all throughout.

I'm really glad we don't have anything to do with next season's "opening round". To me it felt disruptive to the start and unnatural when we had that early bye. Longer pre-season for preparation is a better deal IMO.

Thanks to the track watchers for these write ups. Hearing the Jeffo is filling out and looking good is music to my ears, I really hope this coming season he will be in the conversation for a call up come round one. Also any concerns about Jonesy coming on as assistant coach have been thrown out, it can't be underestimated the moral boost and energy he will bring. Don't forget the bloke practically carried the club on his shoulders for a good few years, he knows how to motivate and lead by example. That said I'm glad he's not going to be doing the midfield line all on his own. I keep going back to what Gawn said on Triple M a little while back, that it has felt like 2021, 22, 23, & 24 have all merged into a single season, the players were burnt out. Firstly that makes the dynasty teams look even better, but secondly it means the club simply has to take advantage of the extra preparation time it will have.

I do actually think leadership on the park has been an issue of late, mainly that it's probably been the same voices for too long and it's become a little stale. That doesn't been we throw it all out and make Rivers captain with Koz as the vice, but looking to freshen things up is a very good thing and I'm glad that this review is creating a shift in thinking. Hearing Max say "we aren't the 2021 demons" to me says that we have been holding onto what we were instead of looking to be what we can/want to be.

I think the whole "Melbourne doesn't have a forward line" thing has been done to death as is now at a point where it's a myth. While JVR was younger and he probably needed a chop out the argument was there and it was frustrating that Benny Brown's knees were so cooked he could only manage a couple of games before it became too much (I actually also think we couldn't managed it better but that's another story). I now think that JVR is in a position to be able to take the spearhead role, with Turner as larger mid-size forward, Melksham and Fritta as mid-size forwards, and Koz and Chandler playing the small pressure forward roles. Petty MAY come into play as a forward as well but I really think we should be looking at ways to getting him back as a defender. I can picture a world where Petty starts the season in the forward line and ends it down back. In short (IMO) the need was there 1-2 years ago, the need isn't there now. We need to focus on getting our midfield gelling again, winning the clearances, and hopefully a fresh pair of eyes on the forward line will give a new dynamic to us.

Him playing in the opening round was ludicrous. No idea if it affected his recovery/injury but he was so clearly off the pace fitness wise. That said he is a bit of a forgotten man, if he can get his body right he will almost be a new recruit for us.

That particular part of the story drove me nuts the most, it was the most hyperbolic BS ever and attempted to make it out that his position at the club was untenable. I would genuinely like to know from the reporters/journo's of the AFL media, why is it that when there are certain players that have clearly been struggling with mental health issues that they back off, and others that are in the same camp they do everything to make them from page news. It was the same issue that I had with the reporting on Petracca, I get the drama was juicy but we're dealing with a young bloke who suffered a traumatic injury and was told he almost died. Give it a bloody rest!

He's depth, he'd know it. I feel like we were waiting on whether we'd get Derksen from GWS. That failed, so we need coverage. He might get a game or two next season, but it would be if we have multiple injuries I would think.

NGL there is an element of screwing the Pies over from them getting Houston that would be an added sweetener to me. I'm bullish about us next season, as long as key players stay fitter than they were this year I see us back in the finals. I also love the idea of our club backing themselves in to achieve success.