Jaded No More

You’d also imagine that he was well paid for many years prior to his ACL. He’s a smart man, I’m sure he has taken measures to secure his future and the future of his family. Not to mention that a rookie salary is still a decent salary.

Correct, and which part of that do you disagree with? Their best players played better for longer. That is usually where games are won and lost. Our best players IMO are Gawn, Trac, Clarry, May and Lever. Gawn is clearly struggling with his broken leg, Trac isn’t there, Clarry isn’t at his best for a variety of reasons including his fitness, May was struggling (reported to be under a cloud pre game- not sure how true), and Lever had a below average game. Certainly in a 2 point loss, the margin for error is so small that everything matters, but especially how well your best players perform.

Did I say that’s why we didn’t win? I was answering a question regarding our midfield performance in the last quarter. Can you tell me which “excuse” as you call it, you disagree with?

I'll explain how: -Max Gawn was barely moving after quarter time because he has a broken leg - Clarry is severely lacking fitness and after a brilliant first half could no longer compete at the same level - Rivers had a sensational first quarter, but has played 3 games as a midfielder and does not have the tank to play that role for 4 quarters. The difference between winning and losing that 2 point game, comes down to one thing, GWS had their best players able to perform for 4 quarters, and we did not.

If I give even one more second of my emotional energy to that [censored] canoe, I will explode. One day he will be hit by the karma bus, and hopefully the bus will get off on grounds of it being a 'transportation act'

I have no issues playing Hunter if he's earnt a recall, and whether he is on 199 games or 201 games shouldn't be part of the decision making, although I understand that sometimes those things are taken into consideration. His form has been ordinary at best at Casey, and frankly I am not sure his calf can last a full game at Marvel. I also wonder if we try and get Ben Brown up for round 24, given it will surely be his last game. I wouldn't be against it, but likewise if a win in round 24 means we make finals, I also totally understand why we wouldn't take that risk. I made peace with the fact that there are no sentiments left in footy when Jonesy and Jetta missed out on the 2021 flag. We played the team we thought could win it, and we were right to do so.

Two absolute stars in a draft post a premiership win is a 10/10 result. Roo and McVee are 200 gamers. Also worth nothing that we had Cerra all but ready to come to us but we didn’t have the capital to make the deal happen having just won a flag. So it’s not as if we didn’t try to improve via trading. It’s much harder to do post a flag tho. Look at the Pies. Traded their first rounder for Shultz for goodness sake.

I think it’s fair enough to suggest that we are quite a small chance of making finals. I’m certainly not delusional enough to think we will make it. But what we think as supporters shouldn’t matter. I don’t want our players thinking we aren’t going to make it and play like they don’t care about winning. Likewise I’m happy to give Jefferson a taste, IF and only if the FD believes he deserves it. However I think that it’s equally important to get games into Disco and JVR and for Petty to continue to gain confidence in his body. So I’m not sure who you would drop for him. I also hope that regardless of finals, we go all out to try and beat the Pies in round 24. And I would think there isn’t a Melbourne fan around who doesn’t want to see us beat that sh!tstain of a club!

I swear Tom Morris lives rent free in hospital dumpsters. Is it really necessary for you to disclose personal medical information Tom? Like are we all better off for knowing why Goody was in hospital? I hate that man.

It certainly won't be the end of the world to miss out on finals, nor will it stop us from competing next year, but what would be a massive negative is for the club to simply give up trying to make finals, while it is still mathematically possible. That is not how you build a winning culture. Not to mention that making finals is also of massive importance to the club's revenue and commercial viability. We are no longer in our tanking area, and I trust JT to be able to get us a good player whether he has pick 7 or 10 or 12. There is no doubt that we 'lucked' out in 2019 by bottoming out due to injuries and were able to get LJ, Kosi and Rivers, but we tried really hard to make finals in 2020 and just missed out. We didn't go on to win in 2021 because we decided to stop trying in 2020. We were a whisker away from making the 8, and we are now as well. In a competition where I couldn't tell you who wins the flag this year, there is still everything to play for and we have to keep trying to win every game.

The 2018 finals experience was extremely important to us winning the flag in 2021. Many of our players have said so. Nobody expected us to do anything in 2018 in finals and yet we made the prelims. There is never an argument that I would agree with in which finishing just outside the 8 is better than in it. The difference in draft picks is inconsequential. It’s not as if the trade off is finals or a top 3 draft pick.

In a season this even, why wouldn’t you try and make the 8? Wouldn’t you rather we win one final and walk away from this season having removed the finals monkey off our backs and given our young players that finals experience? How is finishing 10th better than finishing 8th? I really don’t get the vibes in here. 5 years ago you’d all be thrilled at the prospect of making the 8. Now we discount it because it only matters if you win the flag? You all do realize that finals experience is really important to winning the whole thing right, and that 7 other finalists will also not go on to win the flag. You think Hawks fans don’t want to make it because they know their chances of winning the flag are incredibly slim?

Almost the exact same team that didn’t make finals in 2020 went on to win the flag in 2021. Bet you said we were no good in 2020 as well.

Saints are happy to keep winning and they are no chance of making finals. You don’t just throw the towel in because fans have had enough. I don’t personally think we will make finals, but I certainly don’t want us to stop trying!

If we can get someone like Houston to replace Rivers permanently at half back, then I think we will gain another gun midfielder. Rivers is clearly a capable inside mid, but he needs a full pre season to build his fitness to play that role. It’s vastly different to playing half back.

Only a loser club would stop trying to make finals while still in mathematical contention to make it. Don’t see Pies or Hawks giving up for goodness sake. It sets an awful standard and achieves nothing. We still have plenty to play for.

Could have shut it down a week ago when I said the exact same thing. He’s going nowhere. Move on to pick on someone else Kane.

We have to improve our midfield. It’s the main priority. A good quick big bodied mid will bring us back into contention very quickly if Trac and Clarry return to their best.

It literally isn’t. The longer the season goes the more tired and sore you get. When you’re coming off a 0 base it gets harder. You don’t gain fitness during the season unless you do a mini pre season which involves not playing for a while (see Ben Brown in 2021, and McAdams this year). No player in the history of the AFL has had a limited pre season and then magically went on to get fitter by playing as an inside mid every week. When you have little or no pre season, your entire season is impacted. That’s fact.

Look there are plenty of people with valid reasons for not attending. And there are equally as many people who just sook it up and don’t turn up when it all gets a little too hard. It took me 1.5 hours to get to the game because of the lack of trains again. I can’t feel my toes. But I made it my mission to get to the game because it’s important to support your team even when it’s not the most comfortable experience. We have an overall impressive supporter base who have stuck it out thru absolute hell. But there is no doubt that when the going gets tough a lot of our supporters don’t get off the couch. It is embarrassing and hard to defend when you get this crowd on a Saturday night for a must win game.

No, he was holding his groin a bit tonight and at one point was limping and struggling to walk. He did push the doctor away tho. That last hit he hurt his ankle. Poor kid was in the wars tonight. He’s gonna be so special.

Losing by 2 points to a contender is a fine example of what? Ffs what a joke some of our supporters are.

He was battling hard. I think he’s got a bit of a sore groin but his willingness to compete is something else. I love him.

That’s not how fitness works 🙄

Yes when he is fit. What does a poor last quarter tell you? He’s cooked. Petty the same. They are struggling to run out games.