Pates

Unless I’m mistaken Optus Stadium is also basically the same dimensions as the MCG. Definitely an advantage it not being at KP but there can be no illusions about the cats, they have the experience and know how to win in these moments. That said, if we play our best we win.

Two years in a row the Lions have had an advantage that other teams would cry out for in finals (home ground/crowd) and it’s amounted to nothing. The dogs are getting their pressure game going again but really I think port will account for them purely because Port will have the week off and the Dogs just had a fierce encounter.

I think particularly if we happen to have more success this season (not saying anything to jinx it) i think he would be hilarious to have on. Good to hear he’s a demon, I know this is mentioned at times but jeez it must be tough for family to hear their parents get potted (put mildly) in the media and by fans. I just think back to that joke pic last season of the locked down Melbourne council flat that had the paper rewritten to say “Sack Goodwin”. It was a fun little interview, Langdon is clearly held in super high regard by the club as is Viney. Funny to think that people though he a Goody had a falling out following his demotion from captain, but any fan opinions that Jack shouldn’t be picked are obviously way off the mark within the club.

In the review there would’ve been way more lessons out of that 8 goal run than the rest of the game. The players know what happens when we’re able to play to a structure, but them winning it out of the middle constantly meant our structures were taken out of the equation. Even early in the third quarter you saw that first objective was to make sure they weren’t winning the initial centre bounce. Once we get the second stoppage we reset and set our zones. Even with those logical thoughts there are mental demons that remain for me with the cats. Max’s goal after the siren helped put a lot of them to bed but there are lingering memories that I doubt will ever fade away. In a lot of ways it’s poetic that to get to our first GF in over 20 years the cats stand in our way.

Not gonna lie, the nerves have kicked in already. Geelong have given us some of our worst moments in history and I’m not sure I could stomach us missing out on a grand final to them.

I’ve said no. I think years down the track I would recognise this was an excellent season but this is far and away the best opportunity we’ve had in decades. To not take this chance to get into a GF would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

It’s funny you discuss accuracy in front of goal because if Fritta has the accuracy he had 2019-2020 then we probably aren’t in a prelim. Goes to show that taking your chances as a forward is primary, Fritta has done that this season and been fantastic. TMac used to be my favourite kick for goal in the team, this year not so much. I’m certainly in the camp of TMac will not be dropped next week and should we get to the big dance he won’t be dropped for the GF. We play so much of on structure and even if he’s not firing he’s allowing Fritta and Brown to play their roles better. I think the week off will help him and he will no better than anyone that his output has dropped. I’m back him to have a big say in our final push.

If the doggies bring their pressure game it flows through into the rest of their game. The Lions and Port both have both through beating the easy teams but not getting the job done much against the better teams. The doggies have scalps against the good teams but just stopped dead right at the end of the season. They can still be quite damaging, their bigger issue is that I don’t think they can win the flag without Bruce. Lions in straight sets is very possible. With Toby out I think the cats will get the job done, I’m just hoping that it’s a super bruising encounter and they leave the cats limping into next week.

I will always remember the pivotal role that Dom played in that amazing first up win at the Adelaide oval. He was a valuable pick up for the time in that he was ready to go straight into the team and make an impact. Importantly when Roos brought him over he made it clear that Dom was expected to play his role, nothing more. Thanks for your time at the Dees, hope he gets on us for the finals!

I’m not sure if this is an open question or what but certainly I think we’ve had more success with our incoming players vs our outgoing players. The ones that I think we botched more were back in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s when we would trade players for picks, then failed to properly develop those picks.

I don’t necessarily disagree with you regarding Bailey, I think there were some insane things going through the club and talk of a players strike of sorts has been discussed. The fact that it sounded like it went from Schwab getting the sack to Bailey getting the sack just shows that the club was chaos personified. Whatever happened that day was bigger than whether a coach was any good at his job, I will admit that at the time I was of the opinion he had to go for the very reason you mentioned. I feel in retrospect this was an error as Bailey had a good relationship with the players and when things clicked it clicked well. We had a talented bunch, but there were glaring defensive issues that hurt us that year. In the end though it has lead (eventually) to the success we’re having now. I also agree with some sentiments that Neeld may well have been acting in accordance with the direction the club was telling him to go, but just took it way too far. (He was still a god awful choice no matter how you look at it)

I would say that the chances of that happening at 0 right now. Danny Boy’s presser yesterday pointing to light easing of things such as fitness and extension of radius. Nothing about gatherings and believe me I was keeping a sharp ear out for it as my fiancée and I are desperately trying to get married, but there wasn’t even mention of a potential for groups of 5 outdoors. (People are bloody well doing that anyway 🤬)

I think the sad thing to hear is that during the Neeld era there was fear and dread about turning up to training. I’m sure he wasn’t alone with that as well, when there’s that kind of atmosphere in any organisation you are never going to have success. I hate Sheedy, but even he would’ve been a much better choice as say what you like about him he has a passion for footy and it came out in his players. It sounded like Neeld had a passion for discipline and being unlikeable. All this matching players up against each other, punishing those that came in the bottom part, AFL is competitive enough as it is without pitting teammates against each other. I remember seeing in Hell and Back, Burgess would do these competitions but the winners were praised, the losers weren’t chastised. Thank [censored] Roos came in and flipped everything on its head. I actually think Jack would’ve turned into a much better (possibly still playing) footballer if he had someone like Roos from the start. Dean Bailey’s (RIP) sacking was a mistake by the club sadly.

Was shaking my head hearing the BS about him being told at the start of the season he would debut after a 10 week program no matter what. I mean we all knew it but far out what a joke of a club we had back then, commercial benefit dictating team selection makes me want to vomit.

You don’t trade players that are closely loved within the club, it breaks the cohesion in the playing group. Aside from that Gus has also been doing a very underrated job as a defensive winger. If we are to get Cerra, it should not be at Gus’s expense.

McGowen has got to be one of the least likeable people from Oz citizens outside of his state. I’m sure he’s someone who’s now being hailed as some kind of legend by the WA folks, but jeez he just should not step foot in Melbourne or Sydney. I wouldn’t wish the pandemic onto anybody, but I’d love him to walk a 5km radius in our bloody shoes.

100%. I can imagine there were draftees praying that we didn’t choose them. It appeared to be a career death sentence.

Even knowing it was coming this is a bitter pill to swallow. Am I correct in saying the extra week off after prelim is to allow for WA quarantine?

I remember Akermanis started becoming a burden on the club despite his footballing ability (different reasons but similar d-head issues). Leon Cameron and the leaders at the club need to pull him aside and in no uncertain terms tell him to pull his head in. You always want to see the best players out there, some of them get unlucky due to injury but when they’re their own worst enemy it really does your head in.

Josh’s role during the Roos era should never be underestimated in the success we’re currently having. Good luck to him with the shot at the AFL GM role.

The early comments were immediately after the game and how he felt on the field, which is fair because he may have been more focused on speaking to Greene about what was going out on the field. His comments now refer to how it looks from his point of view seeing the visuals and what it means to be an official.

That will be very important to the defence, but remember optics played the bigger part in Viney’s suspension than the actual contact or physical harm to the player. The image of one of the games top players walking through the umpire and showing blatant disrespect harms the league at the grass roots level.

Pleading not guilty feels like they’re playing a game of chicken where they’re daring the tribunal to give him weeks.

He’s only 19! If he keeps going this way he won’t have any real teeth left! Listen to your mother, Dogga! 😁

It needs to be changed next season earning a game against your tally as a sub. Surely someone can go back after the game and add the game played if they pull off the vest.