Ouch!

They have Jones as an upgrade at full back, they did not need Lobb, it's still bizarre why they chased him so hard. Why compare Baker to Chandler. Compare Baker to Hunter. Chandler has worked hard and deserves the chance in the team. McVee has been rewarded for a solid preseason. Laurie and Tomlinson are surprises I admit, but even without May, Salem, Fritter and Viney Cannot agree the dogs are stronger on paper.

Hmmm, seeing that line up of the dogs isn't as strong as I thought it would be. Not anything super scary in their back 6, nothing on that bench that is all that alarming, we match or beat their midfield but we have better depth to run through there... They got a good trade with Jones, but I still fail to see what Lobb offered them, they lost Hunter and bought in Baker (with respect) but thats not a positional upgrade for them. Yes they are going in with the 4 talls, but they don't really have other options, it's not just a case of Bevvo being bold. I honestly think they are the best players they can field... Thommo for us is a bit of a surprise, but it's round 1, will back in the selection committee. Dees by 21.

I agree he's an important player, but I felt he with 9-17 (and Trac with 19-31) killed a lot of our momentum pushes last year with goal kicking accuracy. Trac has the midfield to his bow, and whilst appreciating the defensive pressure and elite fitness of ANB, if you are getting the chance to have that many shots on goal, conversion has to be better.

I think you misunderstood what I meant, I meant that I'd be giving him a full season in the VFL before stamping his card as being ready for the scrapheap. More a reference to the comment being this is their final chance, ie if they don't make it now, they'll never make it. I might not have been super clear on that, apologies.

I agree, but I'd like to think they've earned the chance. McVee and JVR seem the most likely, although I think Chandler will be given the chance, even though he's not new blood as such.

I'm curious how it can be 'A' final opportunity. I might be poking holes here, but it's either the final chance or its not. If not, it's an opportunity, not a final one. 🤪 Edit: Oops pressed submit too early, I actually had a view here that JVR has plenty of time, and I don't see any reason to rush him if TMac, BBB and Fritsch are all fit and healthy, although he's a different player and could fit in there. I don't know about Bailey Laurie, because I don't know who he replaces.... can't see too many opportunities to replace anyone in the team.... I'd like to see him get a full season in the VFL before putting him to the sword.

So... part of his justification is that his uncle Byron played at Port, ummm... and Melbourne, actually played more combined games of football whilst in Victoria than he did in South Australia. and, his manager is Peter Rhode, who was the footy manager at Port, so obviously would try and lure him to Port, except he played more than 100 games for us, and almost 50 games with the dogs, and he's a Victorian. Talk about mental gymnastics to get create a headline that barely exists!

yeah, it's worked fine with Nth and basically a bunch of teams that would run a loss if the game was in Melbourne.... You see what happens with Collingwood playing the Hawks in Launceston for the practise match.... Bellerive won't handle marque teams playing here, and the ground is in a residential suburb! They objected to the lights and there are noise and light covenants that mean you can't have a game go past a certain time, and it cannot host concerts etc This stadium is not just about AFL, it's just that the team would be an anchor tennant.

Except no one who has a team wants them to relocated, and Tassie doesn't want a relocated team either, it's not going to do well for membership. I think Gil and the AFL Commission would be acutely aware of the success of the Tassie Jack Jumpers (note also they didn't get here without the Stadium either, admittedly it was bought from Glenorchy Council, and was subsequently redeveloped. But their membership I think is now capped, they didn't have a spare seat basically to any game this season, and they've made the GF and Semi finals in the first 2 seasons. With a team that people didn't think was up to it! They are now causing issues due to the fact that it's now being identified that we don't have enough courts in Tassie to keep up with the popularity of the sport at lower divisions, all in the space of 2 years. I back that they put in the work to determine this model, and the stadium I personally think works too, the site is currently an industrial wasteland, it will be built and incorporated into a precinct that will have other facilities and amenities around it. Biggest concern is traffic congestion, all roads lead thru there basically. Fed Labor will come to the party, but for the precinct as a whole more than just the stadium.

very good reason, it's in Bellerive on the bluff, there are houses everywhere around it and there is no parking facilities, to get it up to a scale that they want, would require a lot of construction work, and Tasmania has a higher population of NIMBYs than most places on earth.

For me, Brisbane Melb Freo Richmond Geelong (don't care bout the rest)

Looking at DD's feedback and thinking on Cat B players. What do clubs or these players lose by them coming in via the regular draft. I guess you lose an element of surprise on the other clubs, but that has to be increasingly slim too. I guess then why have rookie spots at all? Given most clubs seem to dump older players in it at the end of their career, not exactly rookies. Just have a primary list, let these players nominate for the draft and be done with it.... simple. Doesn't stop us from seeking these guys out to put onto the list from other sports or international (at the end of the draft)

Disco Turner and Chandler most likely for me. Chandlers second half of the VFL season was pretty impressive, and we need him to be heaping pressure on Spargo & ANB the latter just killed momentum in games time and time again with his inaccuracy in front of goal. Like to see JVR and AMW knocking on the door hard and hopefully getting a taste of senior footy too.

Hmmm, I was hoping to get this thread to 100 pages, given it was a pure hypothetical brainfart on my behalf! Welcome Brody to the MFC, and you're welcome Tim Lamb!

cos he's not a forward. He's not a ruck, and Port are interested in him as a key back. He still could help our key forwards though.... by playing key back when we play port.

LOL, not a damn clue! I honestly think it was around the time that the media were banging on about how good the pies were in the ruck, and Brodie mightnt get a game with the streak they were on. I should have put some money down for a Tattslotto ticket that weekend! (*cough* Gamble responsibly kiddies!!)

Can I just say.... I started this thread back in July and it was a crazy notion that has now gone 51 pages, and looks likely to happen. :D ... I still think it's a crazy notion. I'm concerned that will will end up giving up a lot of the value we get from the Jackson trade, but the club needs to bring in at least 2 rucks in this trade/draft period.

I see it a little different, I am struggling to see how this can't be true, and at best you could argue for some misinterpretation.... but the substance of the allegations surely remains regardless I think.

I'm hoping that we have the forward in Van Rooyen, one of the elite kicks in Bowie, but a couple more wouldn't hurt ;) We also need another ruck on the list, may as well get them learning from Gawn (and possibly Grundy)

Ugottobekidding, hmmm apt! Anyhow, I'd strongly suggest you stick with your gut feel and don't say it, because you'd be wrong, (you might save yourself a few facepalm emojis being thrown your way too!) How can any of the players on our list, but even more specifically who played in the GF team in 2021 be even remotely considered a stuff up. Jackson contributed significantly to our first premiership in 57 years. He wa the rising star winner almost unanimously, and has been will be a massive player for whoever lands him. He holds a huge amount of currency in the trade market, and West Coast and Freo are looking to pay a huge contract to land him. Similar thing happened with us with Scully leaving, and we got compensation that got us Jesse Hogan & and I think Dom Barry, we turned that into currency that landed us Steven May. Melbourne were never going to lose from whatever happened with Jackson, if he stayed I still think we had a great player on our list that could play almost anywhere on the ground. If he goes, we get fantastic compensation, and potentially also being able to land Brodie Grundy who still should have a solid 4-5 years left playing, especially if playing alongside Gawn and sharing the load. ... best part of all, Collingwood might pay up to $300 -$350k of his salary! Along with what they are paying the dogs for Treloar, that is a stupid amount to be paying other clubs for extended years to take players off their list. Am I missing where we stuffed up?

I don't think we were as fit, but I don't know if it's as simple as that either. Not sure how to pull up the stats, but I am pretty sure that all but 3 or 4 games this year, we held a lead of 20 or more points. Yet only West Coast and Nth Melbourne conceded more points in the 4Q than us. Considering how few points we actually conceded for the year, it's truly bizarre. Goodwin thinks it's connection with the forward line, the commentary and media say it's also our forward line and not being prepared to try new players. I don't know the answer but I can't think it's only Selwynn Griffiths fault, but equally I think we are only just realising how much we are missing Darren Burgess.

Called them more duck than dinner, and a bit of a one trick pony on the Andy and Gaze SEN radio program yesterday… not a lot more to it than that

Anyone else bothered that Howe left us to play forward cos Roos was playing him in defence, he gets to the pies and Buckley gives him a pre-season up forward, moves him back mid season and all of a sudden it was a Buckley masterstroke?

Alright .... now hear me out. If we were to hypothetically lose Luke Jackson, and the MFC could convince Collingwood to pay part of the salary. Does this sound as stupid as it sounds to enquire about Grundy to play alongside Gawn? yeah... you are right it's stupid. 🤔

Will be a challenge for DK to hold up their backline without Steward. Perhaps a key part of Brown's role tonight might then need to take DK away from the play and being a decoy. Dees play the game through Fritsch and other forwards. Brown is good on the lead, not when they dump it on his head.