Ouch!

The guy is a legend already, and it's growing even more. AFL needs more characters, and I'd be amazed if he is not in the top 3 marketable players in the game, ... he's well past being on the cusp of the top 10.

.... wait for the replay and watch it again!

won't be done though Gonzo, media commitments require x number of games, the cost hit to revenue would be massive. Unless they sell a pre season comp, but no-one wants to see AFL-X. Still need to guarantee a fixture of 23 rounds plus finals... Actually AFL-X has not been mentioned in the 2019 fixture has it? just the JLT??

I'd still like to see the change to 17 games home and away against the other teams, alternating home and away across two years, then after round 17 splitting the teams into the groups of 6. We aren't going to get a 34 game season, this seems the fairest, providing that they can work out what happens with: Who gets home and away fixtures after round 17 (more a logistics and stadium management issue I suspect) How the positions on the ladder at the end of round 23 impacts draft position. It's pretty clear how the top 12 would sit... but you need to incentives winning in the bottom 6, without disadvantaging the basket cases at the bottom of the ladder. Managing any fallout from double headers (QClash, Showdowns etc...) and placating the bigger clubs who insist on having double headers. I think you can still facilitate Anzac Day, Queens Birthday clashes, and the marquee games easily enough... If the AFL wants to have a fixture that is equal and unbiased, I can't see anything else out there that is anywhere close to this. I'd hate to see conferences introduced.

Similar feeling here Nasher, The game has a huge impact on whether we play finals or not, i think our last 3 weeks has been pretty good, we should have beaten Port other than a misfiring effort into our forward line, and the last two weeks albeit against bottom teams has been good. I am confident our team has the ability to beat Geelong. But I am not equating that to being confident about winning. First quarter will be the telling part for me, within a goal or leading.

I thought that all players were supposed to report even the most minor of niggles to the medicos? With that being the case, I suspect Viney didn't inform the club that his foot was sore, which after the time it has taken to heal earlier this year seems really odd. I guess that part of it is trying to work out what 'type of soreness' we are talking about, ie general wear and tear or stress/load related. Either way... disappointing outcome for Viney and the club going into finals. I know the club is saying it will be conservative this time round, but I'd prefer they hold out and try and get him ready for the GWS game. Sydney might be a game too soon, and Optus Stadium is still quite a hard surface isn't it?

Great end to the season coming up, I agree with a lot of comments here stating that we could win or lose 5 of the 6 games remaining depending on who turns up. However I think that is because there are still a lot CURRENTLY in contention. For instance if Adelaide lose to Brisbane this week, which could occur given Brisbane's form. If that happens expect to see a few players put into cotton wool. Adelaide are very keen to get the best outcome from the draft this year. If they are out of contention next week,... suddenly the game against us is easier. It's definitely a season where you can only focus on one week at a time. 2 games covering 3rd to 10th.

I agree with your comment if we are measuring as 'ultimate success' i.e in terms of premierships. However if we are talking in terms of a team and their likelihood to front up to a game ... or a season and not have any hope except for the following seasons draft.... all supporters want a premiership, but we are sustained by watching our teams play week to week. Fronting up knowing that the odds see you getting flogged by the opposition .... sustained periods of that scars clubs and supporters! I haven't got a lot of doggies supporters as mates, but how would they feel at the moment, on one hand they got a premiership, but the success was so short lived that the premiership might actually feel bitter sweet. They are now seen as 'one hit wonders' and every subsequent season to that premiership has been deemed as a massive disappointment... and it's not like built towards a premiership at their peak, they fluked it on a 4-5 week hot streak!

Yep, When a team is down, you expect to see the wheel turn, however it took a very long time for our club to turn things around, Carlton arguably are taking even longer than we did. Gold Coast and Brisbane similarly, although the Lions look ok in the next couple of years. Free Agency has not helped the plight of supporters at the base of the ladder, one bit! But again it's not easy for the players to be smashed for so long either. It's a key reasons why the MFC has to take on some opportunities with Free Agency (like Gaff etc) because they are the free hits that we get whilst we are seen as a destination club on the way up... and it's why your list managers are probably the most crucial member of the football dept.

I can see the Saints smashing Carlton tonight. Harry Mckay having a strong game, which just piles more pressure on Bolton. Carlton are in a horrible state. Its so bad that it's not even amusing to make fun of their supporters anymore ? ... and we've been there!

.... and apparently coming off the stunning logic that refers to St Kilda as being the only club into Gaff, and therefore why would he leave the WCE because they are closer to a flag than the Saints ?

Nah, sorry don't buy that Saty, if that's the case imagine how he looks with Oliver, Brayshaw, Petracca, Viney and co!

Is it too soon to see Kent coming back in? I know he has only played one game since coming back from another Hamstring, but he was looking good prior to the injury, but he might need more time in the VFL, but I wouldn't be surprised seeing him coming in for Hannan. I'd like to see TMac settled up at FF with Hogan roaming a bit more across the forward half. I'd prefer to have Petracca sitting forward (even FF and have TMac chop out in the ruck rather than Weid as a third tall (for this week) bringing in another small like Spargo/Garlett or both. Tyson for Stretch could be another option I guess. I'm more concerned about the players already in the team putting in a big effort in Darwin, ... the changes to the 22 are less significant!

.... yep?

... and yet I defend people's right to play pokies if they so chose. I don't like that it's in all the pubs and clubs, and would prefer that it was in the Casinos. But I am also sick and tired of the way governments all over Australia are making us a nanny state. People have to be responsible for their own actions. A lot of things offer their users no benefit, but that doesn't mean you should ban it either. It's a sad fact but I believe a lot of people would find another thing if it wasn't pokies. I'm not saying we shouldn't help people who have addictions as a responsible society, but banning something doesn't automatically solve the problem. These people could turn to internet gambling, and that's even less regulated and grey market without any of the 'levies and taxes' that come back into the Govt.

As DrDrake mentions, these will be assets that are sold off, if it means clearing down some debt, or investing money into other ventures that can make the club money then thats the key here. Those numbers are misleading as all they do is say how much of our profit comes from gaming revenue. Can't just say now we don't have pokies therefore we don't have a revenue source. What the club does with the profits from selling these two assets will be the key.

I guess it depends how much money the AFL gets from the Fed Govt to conform to the WADA code.... if it's a couple of mil... the AFL can just cut back on some of the funding to the Gold Coast and Brisbane, and wear it.... however if the AFL was penalised through other means such as fed gov funding for grounds, sporting complexes and training facilities, perhaps it's a bit of a harsher pill to swallow.

Presume they are threatening to split from ASADA if ASADA is unable to prevent the FoI request through the courts. Essentially fighting along side them, but saying if it fails, we will part ways so that such a thing can't happen ever again... EDIT: An FoI request can only be made to a Govt agency I believe? or possibly to an organisation that receives public money to fund it's operations. Can't quite remember the details.

.... or we just change up the forward line a bit, We have a few mid sized forwards that are pretty capable, not sure if Hannan, Fritsch, Melk, Harmes, Petracca, ANB, Bugg etc were all going to squeeze into the one forward line in our 22. I still think Pedo is the obvious inclusion for TMac if he doesn't get up for Rnd 1, but I wouldn't be unhappy with a smaller more mobile forward line if it came to that. We have a strong number of goal scoring options in 2018 with our depth.

Pffft, Adelaide’s defence just weaker cos we got Lever.... don’t read too much into the performance. I’m more disappointed we don’t still have Dom Barry... he did look good.

Not sure if this is what POITA means with getting his head right, but last year was probably the most consistent year Salem had with his body, yet he let himself down with a few undisciplined thing (AFL and VFL) and got rubbed out. Given the year we had last year, and how close we got.... sure that can be partly attributed to injuries to some key players... but it's probably also fair to say we had some really costly suspensions of key players (Hogan, Vince, Lewis) but also Salem IMO... and they hurt our momentum at critical times through last year. We missed out on finals by 0.5%

If Watts makes us pay, what does it say about his career up to this point? I wish him and Trenners the best, and I hope they have good careers ahead of them. Everyone thinks that Port had a big win in the trade period, and whilst I think they were canny in some of their selections, I don't actually know how close they really are to the premiership. They have some great players, and perhaps boasted their players in the bottom half of their list. But they had a horrible record against almost all the teams they played in the top half of the ladder... they smashed the lower teams, so I can't get a good read on them as a club.

Sheesh this is starting to make me look like I don't like Balic, and I've never seen him play!!! Again your comment is not true. Balic may develop a stronger work ethic, he might try harder, he may tackle more than Watts by the end of his career, but trying to compare these players just serves no purpose. Why would someone even want to compare both of these players, different styles, positions, age etc... Balic has played how many games? why would anyone think it worthwhile comparing to Jack Watts except to bash Jack on this board? Using your logic Haydn Crozier will be better than Jake Stringer, why even bother making the comment in the first place? Lets just welcome the player to the list, rather than comparing him to players who aren't on this list anymore!

Normally I quote, but given that it attracts the person that you are quoting back to the thread, I didn't really want to bother!

Huh? read the context of my thread. I wish Balic the best, and us getting him for pick 66 is a good trade for us. But he's going to have to push himself very hard to make the 22, hope he and all our players are putting in every effort to fight to get into the 22, but at this point he has been recruited for midfield depth. My post referred to the stupid 'Will be better than Watts' comment above mine.