Pates

Well that sounded like as poor a way to start the year. We sounded like we had the better of the first 10min but didn't put it on the board, then the Saints found their mojo and we could string two kicks together. 10min without going inside 50. Our midfield is being murdered. If this continues it'll be an ugly start to the year.

New year, same crap when we play the Saints.

Well this isn't sounding good for us or Smith.

Anyone else listening on the AFL app? Sounds like it's distorted.

Lumumba, the gift that keeps on giving. We can't even upgrade a rookie in his now completely worthless place.

Last year Bob Murphy missed out on the Dogs premiership, I hope when we're in the Granny next he's there leading the boys out. He has given such a huge effort to the club.

Haha no doubt! Money talks, AFL are the pros at that!

As long as there's no repeats of Flashes hamstring tear, I honestly believe that stuffed him for the future and it was because the turf shifted under him. Interesing that the AFL said to stadium management a few years ago that they didn't want any events on the ground less than a month out from the season. Now they own the ground and what happens?

Will be really disappointing if they don't make the GF now, they're really starting to click as a team and I think quietly the Lions would be quite happy to face the Crows instead of us. Certainly the GWS game will be the one they'll be kicking themselves on, that was a really bad game to drop. Still if that was the end of the year (and I really hope it's not) you couldn't have asking for a better performance. Well done ladies, and now it's over to hoping the Pies will win!

True but I guess (and perhaps this should start a new thread) but it raises the question of where do we go from here? As I said above the next will be to see how the fans react to paying to see the product. That the AFL handed over broadcast rights to Seven is just incredible and completely underestimating a) the product and b) how starved for footy fans are in Melbourne. I do think their pay is inadequate, this along with talent indentification and development should be top priorities. And I personally think the first expansion shouldn't happen until 2021.

It was everything, including Hickey nullifying Gawn. It's an issue that needs to be considered as Gawn is one of our weapons. But yes, it needs to be a total balanced game plan that will beat the saints.

No. Just no. They are not there yet. The competition is currently free entry, a good move on the AFL's part to boost exposure. But until money is being brought into the game in a somewhat equal way, which can be argued to a point in women's tennis, it's not "equal" to give the same pay deal to the women's league. In fact I would go as far to say the men would rightfully feel insulted if that were to happen. People are getting way too far ahead of themselves off the back of what has been a successful FIRST YEAR of the league. Clubs lobbying to get expansion teams, there are so many things wrong with that idea starting with the standard of play. I've enjoyed watching it but there have been some awful skills as well. They need time to build the next talent pool. Everyone needs to take a breath at the end of the AFLW season, smile at the way it's been received and investigate what step (not leap) needs to come next. I believe the AFL is renegotiating the TV deal which should see more go into their pay. They should look at payment for fans to come to the games, at bare minimum it should be made gold coin donation. I'd say $5 for adults, $2 for teens, free for kids 12 and under. This has been a very good first step in a much larger journey.

I think people need to move on from the idea that we're going to give Casey the flick. If anything we seem to be getting tighter so rather than saying we should get out we should do the opposite and try to lobby for better facilities there. Create a proper grandstand with better public and player facilities, but most of all look at better ways to either get the public from the station to the ground or provide better/alternative road access. Its a growth corridor which is always a boom for politicians so it could be done. I agree in its current condition Casey fields is difficult at best in all aspects, but it's not a lost cause and there are definitely ways we can maximise its potential. I will just say with respect to our Women's team I think we should lobby to play a home game at Punt Rd oval, or as a totally different option, Elwood's football ground next to the golf course. Only for the reason that we should try to have a home game in an area accessible to more people.

This is what I've been thinking, different way of approaching how Hickey won the battle twice last year. Could almost send Spencer in to crash and rough him up a little to make Maxy's job a little easier. That said I'd be worried about going into the game with too many talls.

Maybe, but we need marketable players to intice sponsors and the like. I didn't watch tFS, don't have any desire to, but we need to get Melbourne faces out there so we can get some more cash rolling in. Having said all that I predicted when I heard Hutchy was going to take the reigns that this could be it's last year in the current format. I despise Hutchy and his smug face, and he's not a funny larikan so can't keep up with any of the others. Sam will run rings around him which will just make things worse. If I were the ones in charge of programming I would start right now with designing a new format, scouting new hosts, new segments, and start doing market research on its viewers to determine what can stay and what can go. I actually don't mind Maddern, her only issue is she tries a bit too hard at times, I felt that Brayshaw stepping down might've been a chance to push Nathan Brown.

Saints are ahead of us IMO and at Etihad where we play so poorly and they play so well this is one of the biggest challenges we could hope for short of facing the Dogs at this ground or Cats in Geelong. This may sound like a cop out but I know we have the team to do it, particularly if we get back Kent and/or Garlett, but there is definitely something about the saints that is just gnawing in the back of our minds. Bookies have us ahead, I have no idea why. But if we tidy up our stupid errors from Perth and make good use of our forward entries, it's there for us. I really hope the saints players come in with a smug "relax we've got this" mentality, I feel like it's that mentality that's cost us against them so many times.

Random question, are Casey being that they're now the Casey Demons changing to the red and blue MFC strip with Casey sponsors?

Taken so fast and way too soon. RIP Dean.

Our game plan is seriously going to hurt us if we can't hit basic targets, we got caught on the counter a lot and it left our backline incredibly exposed. The Macs had a bad night but there isn't much they can do when they're caught outnumbered. We butchered so many golden opportunities to hit back at them on the rebound only hand back the advantage with woeful skills. Some were serial offenders, others weren't. We also missed Kent and Garlett, either one would've helped with crumbs.

Yup they're exactly what I expected them to look like, training tops. Boring and uninspiring, glad we've got the other one, I hope we can wear it most of the time.

Not a fan, every now and then the play needs to breathe a bit and reload. I don't know why they decided to change it in the first place a couple of years ago, it was fine. Now every time the ball goes out fans and players are going to shout for a free, it's heading to last touch out of bounds.

Weeds out for round one there, needed to be over the top to Watts. Wasted opportunity and then it goes up the other end, OMac then coughs it up for an easy Eagles goal.

Jesse, terrible miss.

Salem doing some good things, deserved goal.

This is getting bad, we had the period of domination and got nothing for it and they've now kicked two quick goals. Our skills have killed us tonight.