Maldonboy38

They must have turned some extra light on - looking better now. Culley is killing them. This game is a recruiters dream. Lots of high standard footy.

Yeah, it is genuinely appalling. Standard of footy looks outstanding though.

No, I'm not talking about their ruthlessness, but their taunting, big-mouthing, self indulgence and over celebrating.

Any chance GWS can hit a target inside F50? And this game is re-emphasising how much I loathe the modern Hawks. Their on field manner gives me Maynard vibes, but from an entire team!

As excellent as both the Pies and Cats looked, the Crows and Lions were equally poor. I can't remember a finals day with 2 such poor qualifying finals and 2 teams performing so poorly. So, I have hope that Pies and Cats are not sure things for the GF. Us older supporters wax lyrical about the days of 12 suburban teams, but the AFL expansion has, for the most part, been good for the game. However, I am furious that we have ended up with an EPL style competition with a top echelon of elite wealthy clubs loved by the administrators who get spoon fee every favour and ease. The last 4 Premiers have been single winners and I hope it continues with one of Freo or GC. I want something to deflate the planned growth of the super clubs, and then to watch the AFL cry and cringe because one of their pets or puppets can't be lauded. Rant over. So p***ed that the Pies & Cats are through AGAIN!

Crows playing Pies and somehow that is evidence that the Dees are shocking.

Got to hand to the Pies. Their pressure, and composure under pressure has been epic. Stuff me I hate them.

Not sure what happened to Demonland for the last 10 minutes, but the Crows are surely aiming for Collingwood jumpers when clearing off half back.

As much as he annoys me, his pack contested work and bringing it to ground for the Pies on-ballers has actually been really good. He is rarely trying to mark it, just making sure it drops to their advantage.

Haven't seen such a poor performance from a minor premier in a long time. Crows look like deer in the headlights, and I don't reckon one player is winning his position. Getting killed at ground level and cannot hit a target by foot, or even kick it to advantage.

Flower only won 1 B&F for three reasons: Played in every position on the ground, sometimes in a single game, to plug holes or take responsibility when our squad talent was too poor. Injury - he was too courageous for his own size and shape, and some opposition thugs even tried t take him out (e.g. Leigh Matthews etc...) Barassi put too much responsibility solely on his shoulders during his coaching reign. In an era when the media showed so little Dees interest, to go and see him play live was astonishing. Skills were evolving for most players in the game, and Robbie was running around with grace and speed, playing both sides of his body, flying into packs and doing EVERYTHING. He might not have had the influence of Barassi or Gawn but for pure skills he is a class all his own.

Great win. If we can keep presenting like that while halving wins/losses, then our injured players will return and we can build for the back end of the season. If not for our red and blue jumpers, I would hardly have recognised the AFLW Dees today. Very fumbly, and the Pies totally shut down our forward handballing. I can't get to many AFLW games, but I would willingly pay to watch Tayla Harris, Hate Hore, and Tylah Hanks play. Absolute jets. Harris in particular - her full pace crash packing, contested marking and outstanding kicking set her apart from every other AFLW player. Loved Chaplin's game today, but my favourite remains Alyssa Bannon. With her strength and conditioning reaching its current level she has probably lost a metre of pace, but she is spectacular in full flight with her run and carry. I don't accept the AFL conspiracy re umpiring. The umpiring today was simply poor with many missed free kicks, or even worse, totally misinterpreted frees confusing players from both sides. The 5 free kicks in the last 2 minutes needs to be looked at from and official level. The umpires from today might need a spell down a level - but there might not be enough umpires to rotate those out of form down into the lower grades.

I see that random in-close handballs straight to no one for an opposition take away are not the sole property of our men's team

Boy we are fumbly below the knees, even Paxy who usually so clean. The only clean player is Hanks. And then there is Harris - what a gun. Strong, agile, impacting. Cream rising to the top - Hore, Zanker & Chaplin.

Rookie spot is beckoning. Good game sense and he. can. kick. straight.

As dominant Casey have been, Williamstown have been weak and poor. Their coach must be furious. So many positives for both Dees and Casey.

Great standard of footy from Casey. A few direct kick-straight-to-the opposition turnovers were black marks on an otherwise clean slate. Not always easy to know what will transfer to AFL, but Yze and Kentfield looking likely. Spargo too good for this level. A heap of young fellas - Culley, Adams, Howes, Kolt - looking like another pre-season will have them ripe.

Norm Smith (who I did not see play but I come from a long line of Dees supporters who spoke so highly of him), Ron Barassi, Robbie Flower, Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver. All for very different reasons, but all have one equal ingredient - unstoppable. Smith for nous & skill, Barassi for heart and effort, Flower for skill grace and speed, Max for tap work marking and ridiculous fitness, Oliver for grunt clean hands and contested beast mode. Best of the 5? - I have Flower & Oliver as my equal top. Gawn and Barassi are the most influential of the 5. All players around them stand taller because of their effort and leadership. Below this five you have a LOT of players - Hardeman, Wells, Alves, Lyon, B Lovett, Farmer, Stynes, Neitz, Jones, Petracca, etc... And 3 others cruelled by injury - Shwarz (who would have probably been our best ever), Jakovich and Tingay.

Great game of footy, Hawks taking almost every chance and look slick on the turnover, but Lions have the heeby-jeebies in front of goal. Apart from goal kicking feels even across the ground.

I agree with you on most of this, but calling other people (in particular fellow Dees supporters) privileged bigots for sharing their views - however distasteful to us - when you know nothing of their contexts, is really poor form, and hints of exactly the same lack of consideration that Rankine showed. Learn from this. Be better.

I hear you DeeZone, and wanted to include him, but his first quarter was poor, and the amount of time his kick outside D50 was marked by opposition players was frustrating.

I continue to believe we do not need a rebuild or empty-out. Sparrow, Salem and Petty have some currency and other clubs could show interest easily. TMac and Melksham due to age, but I would prefer them both to stay. Amid all our woes this year, these two have been outstanding. McVee only because he has not re-signed which is a sign he is possibly moving on. A handful of our Casey players might be moved on - Campbell, Henderson, AJ, Billings Laurie will look for game time at a club like North, WCE or Tigers. Having listed all these possibilities, I would be astounded if more than 6 are actually moved on.

Gawn Oliver Langford Salem Fritsch Bowey Wanted to include May, Trac and Rivers but too many errors from all three frustrated me too much.

3 main avenues for leaks whether in sport, politics, news, business etc... Deliberate tactic by those in charge. In our case, the board & executive staff of MFC. Disgruntled people with access to internal info - players, family, staff, board members. A journalist with the ear of an internal person Unfortunately, it looks like all three have been in full swing at MFC for a couple of years now, which is worse than disappointing. I HATE leaks, even more the unspoken acceptance that it is both a necessary and normal part of the information spread throughout the AFL. For so long through Goodwin's coaching tenure, there we almost no strong leaks within MFC, something I was proud of. Now it is a dog's breakfast. I hope that Steve Smith, Paul Guerra and our new coach can sort this out.

Great news.