Maldonboy38

This describes my evening in front of the footy too. It feels wrong to support the Tiges, but bringing the Pies back a peg would be very, very sweet.

Apart from the midfield, lots of Dogs players being pushed off the ball or off the play too easily. English, Naughton, Ugle-Hagan, Lobb, etc... Lack of physical presence and grit. And if they keep on not kicking it to Bailey Smith who is running his guts out to space and being ignored, he is going to blow a fuse. Something not right at the Kennel.

Dogs forward line looks really thin. If Naughton has a shocker, or misses set shots, I can't see them scoring 60 points. Lions forward line looks good, but Daniher is totally unreliable, and Hipwood often looks good but does nothing. Midfield battle should be where the game is won or lost, and Lions midfield will kick more goals than Dogs. Lions by 25 points.

I have historical family ties to Norwood so there is a lot of nostalgia and sentimentality for me re news of them joining the AFL. But it is simply not going to happen. The energy, money, business interest etc... for all things AFL is totally consumed by Crows and Port and there is not enough surplus for another footy team. Tassie will get a license, and then the narrative will move on to the vagaries of the 19-team competition, and so a 20th license will occur. Canberra is the only option but it will take 20+ years to be anything like successful because it is a graveyard for sports licenses. Very few people are FROM Canberra (they move in and out mostly) so it will feel a lot like GWS - soul-less. We will then follow the model of many USA sports, and have 2 "conferences". I love my footy, and I love my Dees, but boy that sounds a depressing scenario.

2 main considerations: We are playing Sydney. What happened at Casey today SYDNEY Their midsized and small players are looking very strong. So we have to counter that while still attacking from half back. They are playing with post-grand final anger and intensity. We are at the MCG, where they beat us. CASEY Schache possibly concussed Many borderline AFL/VFL players played well OUT: Gawn, Petty (inj), Harmes IN: May, JVR, Jordon/Hibberd

6. Lever 5. Bowey 4. BBB 3. Spargo 2. Oliver 1. Brayshaw

The worry for me is he has already had 2 major knee injuries earlier in his career. I was 30 metres away at the Casey ground when he did his 2nd one right in front of me. The history of people with 3 major knee injuries is not good, and at Max's age recovery is longer. Here's hoping a mild strain of something, and its 6-8 weeks maximum.

Not sure how to review a game like that. So many below par performances. Gawn's injury. Lights going out. etc.... But I think a few things need special mention, and although only 2 rounds in, some specific things emerging. Grundy is not a good mark. I rate him as a player, but not as highly as others have. But wow his lack of contested marking influence is a huge surprise. His ruck work is good, his ground ball work is good, but his lack of presence in the air is a liability. Harmes is in very poor form, to the point that some of his efforts are helping the opposition. TMac is in very poor form. Almost nothing is working. The tiny short handballs between Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow etc... have been figured out by opposition. Brisbane were right onto this last night and we turned a heap of these over leading to them winning the stoppage. Contested marking inside F50. Simply put, we are bad - really bad.

One tonight's performance, we might actually play better in the dark...

No, but seeing THAT kick, totally unpressured, from an experienced player is very frustrating. Why would you think I meant it was Grundy'd fault?

Lever and Bowey get a pass - not many others.

Ah yes, THAT kick from Grundy. what outstanding intelligence.

I have no idea what our midfield has been up to tonight. The fumbles, the 0.5 handballing, but most of all the kicking. How bad have Viney, Brayshaw, Oliver and Petracca been by foot? The long bombs into the F59 remind me of Brent moloney. But in that quarter some of the defensive efforts were insipid.

Guaranteed the Lions will smash into Gawn. It has been a constant tactic over the last y times we have met. Port do it as well. Melksham has to be the sub, he is the perfect footballer for it. He comes on when everyone else is exhausted, and uses his wonderful kicking skills and goal sense. Harmes to Rich. Spargo, Chandler and Fritta to cause the Loins a massive headache. Dees by 25

Personally, seeing Bombers and Blues struggling and failing for more than a decade is sweet, sweet bliss. Even if the Dees struggle, this gives me as much joy as my first coffee of the day, or sneaking a custard tart when no one is looking. But the Hawks struggling is very close for satisfaction. Listening to Brereton, Hodge etc.. have to find ways to offer the "condemnation of faint praise" makes me feel warm and gooey inside. Long may it continue.

Does anyone else often recall the first bounce of the 2021 Grand Final? Viney absolutely hammered into Jack McCrae and set a standard for the entire team for the rest of the day. Brayshaw is my favourite Dees player, but the mix of Gawn hitting it to a combination of Petracca, Oliver and Viney covers every possibility, and has excellence in every department. The fact that we can rotate Brayshaw, Kozzie, Harmes, Sparrow etc... through there as second-tier options is mind blowing.

From the seventies through to the nineties, all we ever heard on tv and radio were Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and Hawthorn with only occasional mentions of others like North and the Bombers. In these dark days of the MFC, Brian Wilson steps forward and shows a type of excellence we hadn't seen since Wells and Alves. Natural footballer, really evasive and elusive, loved a goal, and had presence. It always feels like he is the forgotten man of the MFC and not given enough air time. For me, it was a great opportunity to gloat and puff up amid all my intolerable Richmond and Carlton friends. Loved it. And he looks genuinely thrilled about being back in touch at the MFC.

I love the way we do stuff like this these days. A great connection to the past reminds players and fans of everything that has built the foundations and layers of success. It was great to see Travis Johnstone. The best kick I have ever seen in a Melbourne jumper. He could see a space or a line and hit a target that no one else would dare attempt.

Kozzie will miss - no way should any footballer not miss at least 2 weeks for that. Salem back via Casey May & Fritsch unlikely. Viney will come in for Kozzie.

Finally get to sit at my computer. Got home at 1.15am thanks to horrendous eternal city roadworks, and a totally dysfunctional VLine that has been a staple diet of Bendigo travellers for a decade now. Impressive win on many fronts, much as been commented on by most. Our ball use at times was brilliant - simply brilliant. Kozzie, Bowey, Laurie, Rivers, Petracca all were very clean by foot at times. Having said that, a fair few of our 45 degree kicks into the middle of the ground got cut off due to poor kicking which got under my skin a bit. I couldn't for the life of me understand why the Dogs allowed BBB to be unmanned so often. My daughter and I looked at each other about 10 times and said "he's on his own again!!". Chandler and Spargo - wow! McVee too. Our defence - right across the ground - was epic. Noticeable and powerful. But our back 6 worked like a machine, showed immense courage and effort, and made the Dogs attack look feeble. But it was attacking flair and risk-taking that was the wow factor. We haven't played like that for a long time. Unfortunately, it has to be said, that as good as we were, the Dogs were appalling. Bontempelli aside who was exceptional for most of the night, their skill level was sub-standard and they gave their 4 talls no chance. And a special mention to Brayshaw. Not our best player, but there was a 5 minute patch where his gut running and hard work saved 5 forward entries. probably sums up our 4 quarter team effort.

6. Gawn 5. Petracca 4. Kozzie 3. lever 2. Brown 1. Tomlinson

I watched a fair bit of Casey last year, and thought that Baker was serviceable, but that his game wouldn't transfer to VFL level. Taking the extra step, kicking into F50 but the forwards having to stop under the ball, little impact around contested ball etc... Having said that, I thought the same about McVee. I am really glad Laurie got a game, even if he hasn't show the goods very often yet. If he can't get past Spargo and Chandler for a spot in the 22, I reckon we lose him at season's end to a team that needs a small forward with his skill set. Too good to flounder in the VFL.

Parkrun. Check Home brewed coffee and fruit sourdough. Check. Mow lawns. Starting soon. Shower and nap. Then into the car for a 3 hour drive to watch the boys tonight, with my Dees-mad daughter. I am not sure what to expect with 4 of our best out with injury/illness, and the surface is a disgrace. But I think our better players are a cut above theirs (Bont aside) so am hoping for a 10 point win. Then the horrible 3 hour drive home. Will be a late one.

As much as Selwood's ducking and looking for free kicks annoyed me, Geelong are showing what his absence means: lack of leadership. He would be doing something right now and not accepting the run of play.

Hawthorn gave up Tom Mitchell for peanuts. Could be one of the most stupid trade moves in history. And well done Pies for swooping.