FarNorthernD

Perfect. Daisy can go do her 2 year apprenticeship at the Cats and take over from Mick in 2025 after his 9th season in charge.

It will be interesting to see if Heath gets more midfield time this week. Her 4th qtr cameo against Freo was pretty promising

Freo are playing pretty well with better skills, hopefully we will wear them down. Think our girls may have looked at the ladder, remembered the thrashing we gave them last time and have thought it was going to be easy Tayla Harris is getting it done though

Interestingly Jackson and Spargo averaged the same B & F points per game. I’m pretty sure this means Charlie is also worth 2 first rounders on the open market.

Yes it is a long contract for a player of his ilk. At least when, the 12 times a game, he has the ball you know it will be used constructively. As you pointed out he is probably on minimal dollars. Im more concerned with 4 more years of Salem on what would be considerable more of salary cap pie.

Thanks Werridee. Aside from the injured McNamara that’s the strongest side we can field. Unlike the early years where the gulf between the top few players (Daisy, Paxy, Elise O’dea) and the bottom ten was enormous, we are now a much more even side. The bench you have of Sherriff, Heath, Duffy, Mackin and Fitzsimmons is strong. Just on Duffy she is only going to get better with each game and, hopefully, will be fully firing by the time finals come around. A zippy goal kicker is what we desperately are missing. Some of her highlights below.

Coaches Votes V Carlton 9. Tayla Harris (MELB) 9. Eliza West (MELB) 6. Vaomua Laloifi (CARL) 4. Olivia Purcell (MELB) 2. Sarah Lampard (MELB) The opposing coaches were in almost complete agreement as to the best players were aside from who was BOG. Eliza West’s improvement has been dramatic. She only debuted this year (season 6) and it is fair to say all her skills, aside from her ball winning capabilities, were sketchy. She is now a reliable (short) kick, good with her hands and a tenacious tackler. She seems to have a natural feel for the game and is a vital cog in our midfield set up.

Wow the Bulldogs have had an easy run - Giants, Port, Freo and Hawthorn - 4 of the 5 bottom sides. The only top 8 team they have played is North and they lost.

For me Jackson leaving is a bit like the Queen dying, I knew it was going to happen but still surprised when it did. I’m also a bit sadder than I expected to be

As simplistic as this sounds it could be the difference

Beat the reigning premiers on their own turf and the only nomination is Kate Hore on the bench! It’s just nonsensical Anyone know the coaches votes?

I still don’t get it 1). The Bulldogs have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tall forwards - Naughton, Bruce, Sam Darcy, Ugle-Hagen, Schache and English drifts forward too. Yet they are said to be chasing Rory Lobb? 2). Any club would want Jackson but Freos need for him is way less than say West Coast who has a talented but fat, injury prone 32yo, one effort ruck who is desperate for a “Luke Jackson type” to support him. On the other hand Freo have an up and coming dominant ruck in the 23yo Sean Darcy. Jackson would be playing behind him as he does behind Gawn with us. Freo and Jackson don’t seem like a natural fit particularly at a $1m a year cost to Freo

Don’t worry about it mo. There will be a sliding scale. If we are parting with a first rounder for Grundy that will mean we are paying him 2/5ths of bugger all and the Pies are stumping a fair % of his ludicrous salary. On the other hand if we are throwing them a late 4th rounder for the inner city, tree hugging hipster, then our salary cap is going to be taking far more of a hit. No doubt it will fall somewhere between those two scenarios

Blumin hell, West Coast was the older starting team 18 times. That has to be a worry for them

Totally agree. Apparently we have won more games than any other side and I’d rank that pretty close to the top of them all.

And the sad ‘uurghs’ of disappointment from one of the commentators when Zanker marked at the top of the square in the last was broadcast neutrality at its finest.

Very! Lived up to the hype when she came across from Geelong. West has improved heaps since last year too

I have thought that Adelaide were too big, too strong and too talented for us. They are the benchmark. No more. To beat them Rnd 1 on their own deck must give the group so much belief for this season. Handy percentage to start the year too - 159%!

Percentage booster against Adelaide! Love it

Two things Liv Purcell is showing why we got her to the club. probably BOG at half time. Gillard is bloody tall and coordinated and can kick. In years to come she could be a game changer

Famously a 20yo Nathan Buckley waved goodbye to Brisbane to seek premiership success and glory at Collingwood. A decade later Brisbane completed their threepeat without him. I like Dogga very much but if he leaves I wish the same number of flags that Gerard and Nathan got with their new Clubs.

Oh I hadn’t noted that Hunt was OOC. That is a concern. He must feel like a borderline top 22 player and may seek a more permanent gig elsewhere. Would very much like for him to stay but then I never really want anyone to leave

To be fair on Stengle, Geelong don’t play top 8 sides often where as we seemingly only played sides bound for the finals.

Each to their own but I think booing players who change teams is dumb but I made an exception for TS. Now I almost feel a bit sorry for him though. He really can’t be strongly associated with any of the teams he played for - Us, GWS or the Hawks. He has little legacy except for perhaps being the ultimate footballer mercenary

That’s an interesting point. If subconsciously you think you can always come back from being behind, this will inevitably come back to bite you, particularly in a final.