durango

Provided we have a season where the best 25 players don't have any long term injuries then I see no reason to believe we can make the finals and maybe even the top 4. The 2022 and 2023 season was marred by losing players which were not replaced by likes and 2024 was marred by injuries to some of the best players. Clayton Oliver's 2024 where he carried injuries did not help his output, Angus Brayshaw's retirement and Christian Petracca's injury meant that we were down 3 top players from 2023 effecting our use of the ball from the midfield. This season we lost Alex Neal-Bullen but we gained 2 good young players who will fill some of the holes and Harry Sharp an unknown quantity may be our best recruit or a bust. Overall we have used 2024 to rebuild some of the losses, only time will tell whether it was a good recruiting campaign or not. I remember in the 1970's were the training staff looked at the list and tried to make prediction how we will go, I on the other hand told them they were dreaming like in the movie The Castle.

The question you need to ask did Ben Crowe help them or did they help his reputation. I met a sports psychologist who supposedly helped an athlete reach their potential but the truth was the athlete would have got there with or without his help because he had the drive to succeed. People generally need an ear to vent to or listen to their problems without any boundaries, there is a saying "god gave man 2 ears and 1 mouth so you need to listen twice as much as you speak".

Don't let the fact that he died get in the way of reincarnation as Tarzan or Jungle Jim.

I thought this is a Welcome to Harvey not an evaluation of Spargo. I believe Harvey like Caleb will blossom with the help of the senior members of the team taking pressure off them to perform like a seasoned AFL player. During last season when Koltyn played his matches the team was missing Petracca and Oliver was a shadow of the player that won 4 best and fairest's which puts a lot of pressure on young players to perform at their best.

They are 2 different players and any comparison is not possible Robbie was a great player who despite his body shape made a lasting impression. Gawn is a giant who after a rough start turned into one of the elite ruckman in the AFL, but the Demons have had good ruckmen but few were elite.

I believe that Rookie B are outside the salary cap?

The problem in the 70's was recruiting and coaching, Beckwith, Ridley, Skilton, Jones and Ditterich who were great footballers but lacked any grey matter. They recruited lots of cast off's who were not good enough as footballers, Carl in his last match v's Collingwood said he wanted the team to play football and he would do the fighting.

I have watched the long highlights and disagree with people who said he was slow, he moves well in traffic.

I am sorry to say he looks like Tarzan plays like Jane.

I was at the club when Ray Jordan was coach of the U19 and Reserves his criteria was players who had no mongrel will never make it in the AFL on ability alone. The combination of mongrel and ability like Cripps, Petracca etc

Rating the trade week is like trying to pick the winning lotto numbers we will know at the end of 2025 whether the ratings were anywhere near accurate or not. If the 2 players we pick with 5 and 9 turn out to be Laurie and Rosman clone then we should get a "F" rating but if they turn out to be a Petracca and Oliver clone then we should have got an A+ rating. Richmond traded very good players for a hope or a disaster with a long rebuild like Melbourne with Bailey as coach, I pity Yze because he may never recover as a senior coach if they don't get it right.

Here is a left field idea trade pick 9 for Bailey Smith?

By the way Farris-White is a B rookie

Does anyone see the irony that only 2 teams have won the premiership outside of the top 4 but they both beat the Sydney Swans who were the favorites.

He is no longer a player for the top 23, who will replace Sparrow, so it is a no from me, yes he played for Casey and kicked 6 goals but his body no longer lets him play at the top level.