Maldonboy38

Sydney. Breath-taking to watch when they are on song.

I would hate to see TMac in another jumper - too good a club man who has shown the highest level of professionalism to re-invent himself twice. He stays. Retired - BBB, Brayshaw Absolute delist - J Smith, Schache, Hunter. Walk - Tomlinson (UFA) deserves to be playing somewhere weekly. Trade - Sparrow. I really like the kid but Adelaide will pay overs to get him and we need certain list changes. Consider delist - Farris-White. Melksham

Port can't make the most of midfield domination and easy F50 entries. Freo look strong down back and OK through the middle but look messy and confused forward of centre. If Freo can stop fumbling and hit a target inside F50 they win this easily. Otherwise the weight of Port's midfield will take over and cruise home. It's a close game but not a high quality one.

The quality of F50 entries can make or break good teams. Freo's F50 entries look appalling in this 3rd quarter. Reminds me of the Dees in 2019/2020.

We are the Navy Blues, We're entitled to win and again we lose. We're the team that always lets you down. Lygon St is quiet down in Carlton town.

Howler of a free kick against Cripps, but if Carlton now lose by under a goal, there is a part of me that will be deeply pleased.

Now our season is over, I simply want to impose my grumpy-old-man-ness on the 2024 finals series. Richmond are already hopeless = huge tick. Geelong have made finals = huge boo. ANY chance that Carlton, Essendon, Collingwood and Hawthorn could all miss finals - please, O please footy gods make this happen. I can't be bothered going through all the necessary mathematical variations to see if this is possible but if I can't watch the Dees in the finals, I give myself full permission to revel in the disappointment and agony of these teams I despise.

Love BBB, and up until half way through this year believed we were still a better team when he was in the side. He was such a vital cog in 2021. But send off games are best reserved for ex-Captains, or other more significant players. So unless one of the current tall forwards are injured or being managed, no, to a send off game. Lets acknowledge him is some other way.

If they could hit a handball target, and stop fumbling, it might be a game. But even the Blues are looking bog-ordinary.

Yeah, I see a forward line of JVR, Fritsch, Turner and Jefferson. Petty May and Lever down back. I am a huge fan of TMac, but can't see him in the 22 next year (having sad that, he keeps surprising me). Like you, Turner looks on the edge of busting the game apart.

After the ridiculous feeding frenzy that was the media/commentary on our club, THAT is what leadership looks like. Brutal, tough, inspiring, uncompromising. I 'dips me lid' to Viney, ANB, Gawn, Lever for showing commitment and pride to our jumper and club. Even more so, I am loving the spirit and grunt shown by our large group of your fellas. Turner, Tholstrup, McVee etc... A real strong group of younger players reminding me of early days under Neal Daniher. But it was against a very, very disinterested Gold Coast.

My goodness, what a snooze fest. The old aerial ping pong between the arcs with midfielders doing all the work, backed up by the commentary being about pressure and tackles because nothing else is happening. 2 ordinary forward lines. Sydney's run and bust game has almost totally disappeared.

OPTIMISM I am not sure about our current window closing or being closed. I see more than a second window is already opening. No way did I see our 22 having one or all of McVee, Tholstrup, AMW, Turner, Howes, Windsor or K Brown in it this season. I agree that our list management strategy was a fail, but our development program (formerly the weakest part of our football department) has once again produced great fruit. I hope Verral has a huge preseason because I see him being a very good AFL ruckman who can step in to emerge behind Max. Jefferson will be primed and ready to go. Really looking forward to seeing him beside JVR, Fritsch and Turner. Good health & preseason for Trac and Clarry. Our draft strategy usually lands us with 2 draft positions inside top 20. PESSIMISM Kicking skills / decision making under pressure. Remains our achilles heel and I can't see it changing unless we change players, philosophy , and skills training personnel. Max, May TMac getting older. Schache, McAdam, Billings & Hore remain on our list and might have to stay on there due to last year's list management decisions.

The saying "everything rises and falls on leadership" is so true of Max. He has influenced the entire club and supporter base and has a massive profile (in a psychological sense). When he does step down, it will be a monumental change of leadership and will ripple trough the club. There will be a void is his wake for some time. I can't see Trac as our Skipper. Great player with leadership traits - yes, but not as Club Captain. Lever looks a standout, but I would have Rivers. This is pure blind opinion because Rivers has done little publicly to show lots of leadership capacity. His footy is maturing, and when he has spoken on media, he is articulate and has a good understanding of the broader game.

Sydney's stoppage and clearance awareness looks to be way off. So many Pies players running through a contest unmanned or unmarked. But maybe even more telling is the form of Heeny, Gulden and Warner: fumbling, missing targets by foot, and little zip. They were breath-taking only 6 weeks ago.

Big game player, strong and fair, quiet and humble, rarely beaten, and amazing game awareness. Among all the accolades, I reckon there is not enough mention of his field kicking. Hitting ridiculous targets on the run with low penetrating 60m passes. The sound of the ball striking his foot - wow. What a gun.

Port, Brisbane, Freo and Bulldogs have the form going into finals. And Port remain fragile and their form can disappear very quickly. I can't see genuine finals aspirants among any of the others striving to finish in the top 8. I continue to believe that Brisbane will not win a GF with Zorko in the team, and with Hipwood as a main forward target. Daniher is playing outstanding footy when he is away from goals, but if they expect him to be a main forward force, the finals will find him out. Looks like Freo v Bulldogs to me.

I know Tiges v Roos is a battle for the wooden spoon, but it is a very entertaining game. Lots of run and carry, high marks, great goals, and the occasional bit of argy-bargy. Some serious young talent in both teams.

Rivers has been excellent once he moved into the midfield. Viney has had some plodding games, but he has also had a heap of good ones, and is one player who has rarely lost his intensity.

Our best football has been great, but very rare this year, and rarely for more than 2.5 quarters a game. And we have played some really bad footy during most games and had runs of goals kicked against us. And we have seen little of the gut running defensive smothering of other teams that kept us in many games over the past 3 years. With the exception of Viney who has been superb for most of this year, our midfield has lacked intensity and often lost contested possession count. All of this on display tonight versus the Dogs. But I don't feel like wrist-slashing. Both the Dogs and Swans have shown they can have up years, followed by a dip, and then reset and find a way to rise again. I reckon we can do the same. Losing Gus permanently, then Trac has been a massive blow. Gawn, May and Lever have missed fair chunks. Petty, Oliver, Melksham all had a hugely interrupted pre-season. Blooded a heap of young talent, all of whom have shown glimpses of being AFL ready. Sad that we see no finals this year.

Jaded, that has just become my quote of the year. Absolute gold. And so, so true.

Apart from losing contested possession, we are leaving 1 or 2 Dogs players 2 handballs wide of the contest, and then missing most tackles when they press through. Or they go around us. Lever - you have a player, defend him every so often. May & TMac - doing a power of work. Bont is a star.

Not confident, but I am hoping we give it a good shake. Bont & Darcy worry me - the rest we cover or match. We really need a big one from Fritsch, and for Petty to convert his contested marking into scoring.

Holding the ball against Cripps again! What is this madness?

Well I'll be hornswaggled! The ump just paid a holding the ball against Cripps. I thought that was against the fabric of the game! Surely the Blues will send a "please explain" to the AFL umpiring department.