Jaded No More

For me not even being able to watch it with my Dad is breaking my heart. It makes it a little bit hollow if I am being honest.

He is an exceptional player, but doesn't seem like a leader's a-hole to be honest.

I understand how this works. I just find it funny that teams that were deeply embedded in the 8 last year, like Brisbane, have had such a soft draw in the second half of the year. I know that teams come and go in the 8, so it's hard to predict, but still. Geelong with a dream run at GMHBA leading into finals, while we travelled the world the last month.

Another thing to consider is that Jones is due to have twins soon. Any game now will require prolonged quarantining and time away from the family. He may not want to do that without a guarantee that he will be in the team, which is obviously not something they can promise him.

We trained in Melbourne today. I assume we will also depart to SA shortly and stay there if we lose. If we win I wonder if we go home and then fly out to WA instead? Or do we stay in SA regardless then fly to WA directly with less quarantine restrictions having spent a week in SA? Either way, I am glad nobody is expecting a baby soon (except Jones).

I think the dreamtime game is a better model. Two interstate clubs and the atmosphere and crowd was very strong.

I don't understand how there is even an argument that Gawn isn't the best ruckman in the competition. He is the most consistent, and has the most impact both in the ruck and around the ground. Nic Nat can't play more than 10 minutes without blowing up. Good player but not Gawn level.

Gawn will be a 5 time All Australian and the captain of the minor premiers. How can he not be made captain? He has been without a doubt the best and most consistent ruckman in the competition for half a decade now. Suggesting Toby Greene as captain is laughable.

Yep, and the amount of movement within those cities for work doesn't help, big cultural diversity doesn't help, the number of people who live in apartments doesn't help, our ****ty weather in Melbourne doesn't help. There are lots of factors. There is no chance the AFL doesn't finish this season. If we need to pause the finals for 2 weeks to get everyone into a hub in WA then we will. If they need to play the grand final in Tassie they will. There are enough avenues to make it happen.

This is a very hard decision. There is no individual bigger than the club, and we need to do absolutely everything we can to win a flag. There can be no compromises made. Look if he was the sub on Grand Final day, and there was 10 minutes left and we were clearly going to win, of course I would make the sub and let him on and have him enjoy it. But we need to win 3 more games, and that is the priority. If the club is worried that if we need to make a substitution in the first quarter of a game that Jones is going to blow up or break down by the third quarter, than it is a big risk to take. You need to have a medical sub that you think will be good enough to fill a role if someone goes down a minute into the game. Do I think he should be sub ahead of Vanders? of course I do. Do I think that maybe he would be a better sub than Sparrow or JJ? Not on the form he has shown this year.

And two Geelong forwards who looked very shell shocked. You can literally pin point the moment Hawkins goes "ah [censored]"... so beautiful

Fingers crossed for him. If you get anymore updates on his progress please let us know!

I am assuming only SA members got an email... I think getting one knowing we can't go would be like a stab to the heart. I seriously can't believe this is how 2021 is going to pan out. What a total dumpster fire.

Wines had more disposals overall this year, which is why I mentioned the stat sheet. I think Oliver and Bont have been match winners multiple times this year. The others haven't. Miller and Walsh and to a lesser extend Steele all play for average teams which doesn't help. If you ask me Miller has had a better year than all of the above except Oliver. To do what he does in a team that gets smashed nearly every week is very very impressive.

The Brownlow is also a joke of an award. That only midfielders win it says it all.

Not only have we won this stat by a mile, we also played the most amount of games against the top 8 sides along with GWS. Gotta wonder how that happened considering we didn't even make the 8 last year!

Oh I totally agree. I mean you can mount a case for Jones and Jetta too. But I haven't ruled Hunt out. If he can recover, he will come back. Nobody has made a strong claim for his role, and he can absolutely play more defensively if we need him too and let Bowey play more attacking. And Bowey may tire anyway. I haven't written Hunt off yet!

People who keep calling for Gus to be dropped don’t understand our game plan or his role at all.

As I said. He has been sensational and so has Walsh. However Oliver leads them both in score involvements, contested possessions (by a mile and he’s broken the record for most ever in a season) and clearances. Oliver also averages more tackles per game. So considering the votes went to another inside mid, it is quite baffling given Oliver is statistically a better inside mid.

Two trash publications where votes are often handed out by hack journalists who look at the stat sheets. Absolute BS. Wines and Walsh have had great seasons, but Clarry is better than them both. Statistically and otherwise.

May has waited his whole career to play finals. He’s 29. He would have felt immense happiness at that moment. In fact when Gawn marks it, May is behind him on the goal line (assuming set play to take away a defender) and he’s jumping up and down and then goes over to Gawn to pump him up.

Seriously for 10,000 people we are robbing Melbourne of the clear advantage of playing at the MCG?! What a joke.

Negative 22 years