Pates

Sometimes you do things because they’re simply the right thing to do. Max is 29, yes the ending to his career is closer than ever but based off a number of other top ruckmen who have gone into their 30’s he could still be one of the best for 3 years and keep going longer if managed. That would mean we’re holding a bloke at the prime of his career back to play 2nd team footy most weeks. We tried playing Preuss in a 2nd tall role, it didn’t work. I’m glad we’ve let him go to allow his to be no 1 elsewhere, also assuming the timeframe I just said, Jacko should be just reaching the point where he takes the reigns as Max is finishing up (after captaining us to a premiership of course ?). I think Max is looking forward to facing his protégée!

I would have to agree based on 2020 form. Melksham as well should be told his form was sub par and he’s no walk up start. Looking at your team I mostly agree with everything so here are the spaces I think the team has issues on the ground: HB: Rivers named in the flank, his 2020 was brilliant and I think he’s a gun for the future but will he get second year blues? Would Jetta be the likely replacement? C : I also agree that Baker will be groomed from the start of the pre-season to take the other wing. I was bitterly disappointed that we put all our eggs into the Smith basket during trade period. AFL.com.au suggested Harmes could take the other side, as another random thought could Nibbler be a back up option? HF: All are players that can hit the scoreboard and have a positive impact but all three are terrible at applying forward pressure. Melksham was terrible in 2020 and it baffles me he was never dropped. F: The addition of Brown straightens us up and if he gets anywhere near his Coleman form then we will be look much better. But the same issue exists from the half forward, lack of forward pressure. Fritta and Kozzie need to be better at it (Kozzie is good but could still be better)

Assuming everyone is fit and firing Casey, however if Nibbler is getting games then the HFF would probably be his position. I could see him being used in a defensive role on oppo HBF, he’s not a bad tackler and has the tank to go with most players.

Jesus I saw this thread had popped up and was on 4 pages already, I was sure that there was going to be an article at the top and some substantial information. Instead it’s barely a gut feeling! If we’re successful next year then I doubt Trac is going anywhere, and even if we’re mediocre he actually strikes me as someone that genuinely just loves playing with his teammates. And the pies may have a natural power about them but the way they’ve treated Treloar may well cost them in the future.

We also suffered with our heartland being the state to have the biggest outbreak and so the toughest measures. It meant having a hub in Melbourne was out of the question. Had the hub been in Victoria we would’ve had minimum 3 stadiums (potentially more at the likes of Ballarat, Whitten oval, Princess Park, and dare I say it even Casey). I tip my cap to the NRL for doing what they did, but logistics were harder for the AFL, particularly with having to deal with WA.

While I agree what we saw of Petty in 2019 was promising I have to wonder what makes so many on D-land gush about him being best 22 next year. For me he’s going to have a tough battle to get games. Whether it’s defence or forward he’s at least one player behind making the team.

Haha I’m going to confess being a complete tool here, I mixed up Locky and Bedo! I agree HF is Bedfords best position. At least the “young and developing” part was right. ?‍♂️

Or perhaps the delay is to make sure whatever we are getting it’s good and long term to a high standard. That said we have been without a home base for too long, this thread feels like a re-run from the old Demonology!

Move Harmes forward, he is not a defender. I can see a scenario of rotating Viney, Brayshaw, and Harmes through the middle and HFF regions. We really had something with Harmes in 2018, the way he's gone backwards is one of Goodwin's worst failings.

Coming from a distance behind the pack in the best 22 stake, I'd say he just squeezes into the best 26 which means it could be a year that has him named as emergency quite a few times. If he gets to 300, he'll have earned it no matter what people may say. What is his best position of a value when he plays? HB? His disposal is even more suspect now, and did some disastrous turnovers in games. Middle? Too many players gone passed him to play him there, all of them similar style to him but faster and better. HF? Possibly his best spot but the speed of the game is only getting faster and he's getting slower. Doesn't do enough to put pressure on the ball coming out. FP? Maybe another spot for him, but same issues as above with lack of forward pressure. Love the bloke and have high admiration/respect for him, I just don't know where he fits. He'll get games if we have injuries, if we get a clean run it could be difficult.

Gobsmacked he missed AA, sensational season. Shows the difference between proper preparation and coming back underdone. For me he should be an official member of the leadership group (dep VC) for 2021.

I actually wonder if one of the reasons they’re doing it is to cram MORE games in, say get it up to 25 games for the year to make up for the absence of games last year (and renegotiate a cheeky broadcast deal). Perhaps even go down the Amazon TV path like the premier league. The one good thing about that is that in some ways it makes the season fairer where you play more teams twice, but of course what happens if in the frenzy run you play tough matches vs a team that gets a softer draw. It could make or break your season.

That's a big one for me, not being able to plan for interstate games months in advance or even just allocating games through the year that you might go to with mates. Rolling 4 week fixture only works if they expect the season to be once again disrupted by COVID, if they haven't been able to come up with better contingency plans by now they really have rocks in their heads.

He was for me our best player this year. I know others have said Max, others have said Clarry, and that's absolutely fine but to me he was our match winner and game breaker. He is using his talent and making the competition take notice, it was striking that in some of his poor matches he reverted back to some of his bad habits of overhead handballs to no one, and over possessing with his teammates. He is at his best when he takes on the mantle as "the man" and just does his thing. I hope the coaches are giving him license to do that and saying the same to Clarry, give them direction on the style of footy but when you have guys that can do what they can do just let them play to instincts. That match winning goal vs St Kilda was insane. He could be our next Brownlow medalist.

I wasn't a fan, unless they can find ways to ensure that there aren't clear discrepancies in the two teams breaks (ie one team coming off 4 days and the other coming off 7 days) it's going to create more issues of unfair advantages for some teams. I could get on board with just midweek fixtures for a period but the every day footy thing just became almost too much, and would say give the entire competition one week off at the same time afterwards to avoid again unfair advantages but unfair doesn't seem to bother the AFL.

I'll just throw one out there from us: Michael Newton. Ironically another KPP, delisted at 24 in 2011. I'm sure there would be more if I really wanted to look.

Thanks! You're picks sound like good prospects!

If we end up using these two picks I hope we look for outside run with some skill thrown in for at least one of the picks. The other I wouldn't mind us tacking a little gamble on someone with a bit of flair but some question marks around him.

I'll be filthy if they get special dispensation to pay Beams outside of the salary cap given that we have (and I believe will continue to pay next year) KK inside the cap. Much like how they've dealt with Treloar they thought at the time "oh we're being super smart and super coy with getting these guys to the club", they've made their bed now they should lie in it. Pure arrogance from them, and yes if the AFL allow it then we should be allowed to pay KK outside the cap next season.

"Unprecedented" might just be the most overused and wrongly used word in the world right now.

True that is very open to exploitation in the dying couple of minutes, and what happens if a team is down to zero anyway? Docked rotations for the next match?

He's definitely a journeyman depth/role player. Happy with keeping him on the list, he's shown he can come in and play solid footy, will probably be even better for having the 2nd tier competition running next year.

Hypothetically if we can get TMac into being a solid 2nd tall to May being our number 1 tall defender we could play Lever is a true interception CHB position. He's getting there but definitely not reaching his dizzying Adelaide heights, no doubt the knee injury has put his development behind. Fingers crossed it can all come good next year.

One year is better than nothing, his manager might be banking on him hitting his straps during his third year to get a big fat long term contract.

I don't like the zone locking of a player from each team into a goal square for stoppages (I know it's 2nd tier but it's usually an earmark for where they're going). 3 in each 50m arc isn't the worst idea though. This "reduced lateral movement for player on mark" I'm not sure about, and the umpires should be instructed to be more vigilant about players moving off the mark from a free kick/mark. At this stage the AFL rule makers are being as stubborn as Trump about the nomination rule for rucks; nobody likes it, nobody wants it, there is no evidence to suggest it helps, and almost every match we find a situation where there's confusion brought on because of it. Another rule I wouldn't be against them look at is play on for kicks backward, or perhaps a similar basketball idea where once you pass the halfway line you can't go behind it.