Demon Dynasty

Why not 22? While he may not be a direct like for like for AJ the bloke can play some seriously good footy in the ruck and around the ground. I've seen it first hand against Sandy where he was the difference in them being very good on the day vs just 'ok'. A great chop out for Max. Will help to keep Max fresh if used off the bench wisely and both can occasionally rest forward to stretch and test the oppo tall defenders.

Yes i mentioned 'after this week' RM His first game back and will probs need two weeks.

Of that's the case i would not be purchasing a pay-for-view RJ

Hoping Hore can step up after this week if he performs. McVee the obvious swap once he's back. It wont happen but Fritsch could also be considered for a few matches till McVee returns? But who replaces Fritta? AJ out as well. Campbell?

No he has a big slice and usually misses to the right. Although he mostly kicks them at training so go figure. After May's return....T-Mac for mine in short bursts off the bench for Roo while Jeffo et al are developing.

Heading down as well with a keen interest to see how Melk, Spargo, Browny, Campbell, Sesto, Hore, Mentha, Fullo and the Boy wonder fair.

Last chance saloon surely after being trialled forward & through the middle. I reckon he's on the cusp but just doesn't (so far) have the wheels to take the step up to AFL. If he can find that he just might make it. Generally uses the ball well, hits targets (at this level) and loves a goal when up forward. Disappointed when he got moved away from his forward role as i thought he was (very slowly and somewhat inconsistently) finding something when playing there.

A decent replacement

You're not alone Mr Fence. Much rather Spargo or Browny. I'd take Roy George over the lot also. In a talent sense he's well ahead of all our smalls bar Kozzy. But may not have the AFL tank & defensive mindset. Or possibly the will to get there? Will be interesting to see how he goes at Casey this season.

Rivers was coming along nicely and we start rolling Langdon through there instead, who in my humble opinion looks lost in there in the matches i've watched so far. Makes no sense at all. Both players and others around must be scratching their heads a little surely.

Not that astonishing if it was Ump No.38 Some amazing stuff being pulled out of his behind on the day The boys should have been furious at some of those calls. Especially the one on the point post that was called deliberate! Is the club bringing these up with the AFL post match? If not why not?

I agree JJC but also if you watch Langdon's reaction to that hamdball, he pulled his arms back at the last second as if to say "i'm not near that or wanting that handball". Other team's players would just run towards the receive with hands out stretched as if they wanted it or were close to receiving, evem if they weren't, to try and fool the umps. I'm not sure why but we too often play "too nice and fair" when the bulk of opponents rarely if ever do so. Another great example was Bowey calling his shot at goal touched after the goal was given. Then i think Rick followed, as if to tell everyone to prepare for a kick in as it was a behind. Yet watching the replay it was not clear at all! I can't recall any other players from other teams pulling this rubbish. In fact they're the exact opposite. Look at the ghost touch call on the goal line by the Blues against us which cost us the match not long ago. Also the touched mark they took against Freo last season that resulted in their win. Ok maybe the player taking the mark didn't realise, but one or two Blues players around him must have seen it and said nothing. The shaking of Mayturd's hand before the match last year. WTF was that. Sadly we just don't play unsociable footy, nor look to max out every potential free or try to deceive the men in white like other teams do once we cross the white line. We also don't punch, kick or tap the 'in dispute' bouncing ball on and run on to it (or towards our general player advantage / colours) like some of the better clubs tend to do a fair bit. Don't get me wrong we do it occasionally but most of the time we try and pick the ball up and end up either under alot of pressure when attempting to dispose and/or getting caught. We just don't seem to play instinctive footy very often or well from where i sit anyway.

That's spot on. We more often than not don't get those basics right consistently. Either up forward or around the ground at down the line marking contests. Unfortunately it's just not happening alot under Simon's watch. Not since 2021 anyway. I'm starting to wonder if some past Premiership players' decisions moving on and rumblings from other key players recently, such as Claz, have had something to do (partially or to a large extent) with the way Simon coaches now.

That was very predictable even pre game Macca. Not that we had many alternatives with Kozzy out as the first option small pressure forward. Melk too, but we are still bereft of one more quality pressure small forward who knows where the goals are. Chandler was it yesterday but just not at the level to impact which has become a fairly common theme now. He does pop up on occasions but too few and far between. Time to look elsewhere imho. Same with the speedier transition teams. We're getting burned far too often here. Especially near the end of quarters or a match. We need a much larger sample size and need to give the boys a chance to turn these aspects on and/or around. 8 - 10 weeks in should give us a decent indication of how we're fairing or whether we're progressing beyond the glass ceiling and disappointments of 2022 - 2024.

Frustrating how often other teams 'find a way to win' these close games and we don't

I'd rather have Roy George out there. Crazy that we are STILL trialling backmen as forwards when there's a natural just sitting there waiting to be plucked from obscurity and could also potentially bring some increased pressure at ground level i50, more assists and potentially play some mid minutes also.

And only one multiple goal scorer on the day and that was a debutante. Too early to judge yet but after 7 seasons and 1 match i'm still waiting for the footy dept & Simon to solve our forward line woes. Fritta has to be on notice this week surely. That was a terrible first up game from such an experienced forward.

100%. A.bit dfferent if it's just inside 50 or less but even then. He almost always shanks to the left. I didn't watch the replay of his first miss from 30 but it would be interesting to see if he's still planting that last step in the way he used to before trying to correct the shank. On other occasions that i've slow mowed his shanks, his last step on the left foot, his foot is angled out to the left (effectively pointing to the left goal post or thereabouts) and invariably that's where his right leg / foot follows on the kick and the ball too of course. Gonna tale a look today on Kayo's.slow mo highlights and see if that was the case (again). If so, then it's the same technical glitch he's had for years. He should be looking to dish off in most cases though. Even just to eat up the clock a little more and give someone with the ability a better chance of finishing. Also allows mids and defenders a chance to recover a little more and set up correctly behind the ball for a potential kick in offf the point. Plus interchange options to take place if required.

It won't be. We are far too often the bunnies, i mean the lucky recipients, of such rules of the week / fortnight while others seemingly get the rub of the green both on match day and in the weeks / months following. I still remember the pre-season praccy against the baggers where the umps paid a record 12 descent frees against us (or thereabouts) and continued to do so (to a lessor degree) early in the season proper. Before seeing it pretty much disappear off the radar about half way through the season or so.

I'd be interested to hear from Bin if he was sitting in his oft usual spot top of the Ponsford (kudos if he did in that weather!) as to whether we are (were) still pushing too high up the ground to try and lock the ball in during red time and got caught again out the back on the rebound!?? If so, something i feel has been an issue for us for quite some time now and we are often paying the penalty as a result with teams coming from behind far too often for the narrow come back win.

Coaching. Left Maxy and Claz on the bench for 3 to 5 mins too long in the last quarter. Couldn't organise numbers behind the ball with only a few minutes to go..... AGAIN! It's been the same redline play book under Simon since 2022. Ie, a losing more often than not. Unable to protect a small lead or not winning enough close ones coming from behind. Subbed Langford for Howes when it was clear that Chin was our worst player all day. Yes Howes was beaten also but at least had a defensive run with mindset on Toby. After taking him off, Toby got off the leash and pretty much won the match for them single handedly in the final term, with a few cameos from others such as Tom Greene. Max was solid but boy he played some dumb footy in between and to think he is going to kick every one of those big roosts from 50+!? Especially late in a match. Windsor asking for the give on at least two occasions but Max wouldn't when that probably gives us at least a fair option coming inside given he's a decent ball user and / or goal kicker inside the paint. Viney Involved but disposals mostly up & under or scrubby hacks / handballs to no one. Great effort from T-Mac to cover off for May. Hendo looked at home. Jeffo played his role. AJ looked out of sorts at times in the ruck chop out role but gave us something up forward. Roohey looks to be a mile off it at times. Other times involved in getting ball to ground and giving some assists plus his opportune goal off the ground was nice. But STILL running under the ball far too often for mine and pretty ordinary at ground level. The weak links for mine are Chandler, Fritsch (since 2024), Roohey (today not a great day for talls but just looks too far off it even so) & Howes. The sooner we get Melky, Kozzy (2 weeks to go) & knuckles back the better. Can't see us higher than about 9th/10th with those last three coming in and staying in. With the likes of Melk & Kozzy out that forward line continues to serve us up a dog's breakfast. I'd consider bringing in big Campbell for Roohey at this point (not on days like today obviously) and having him cover off the chop out role for Max. Then swapping TC and AJ up forward at other times to really test the oppo's tall defensive capabilities. This would allow a few more breaks for Max also, hopefully keeping him more fresh for a big second half finish.

Me thinks you might be living on the good ship lollipop 640

I believe he's running late

Myki CEO after 5 years of contactless payment trials

Ah ok thanks Picket