Macca

Liverpool snag a draw with Arsenal ... could be costly for the Gunners as Man City loom large as City could win-out from here on in (schedule not tough) Currently Arsenal are on 73 points with 8 games to play. Goal difference 43. With a tougher schedule Man City on 67 points with 11 games to play. Goal difference 48 Arsenal play at Man City on 27th April at 5.00am. Season definer/decider? It will be a must watch regardless!

It was the moment wasn't it? 30 seconds that changed everything Who knows? If the free kick isn't paid then the Cats might have been able to kill the game with all 36 players hemmed in that forward pocket It's just as well Gus got pinged in order for the chain of events to then follow. Another deliberate, the kick to Gawn, the Gawn goal, top of the ladder etc etc Amazing memories which led to the drought-breaking flag And now we want more and we've got the team to do it

It's interesting with McVee and what his role is. Do what you do, do well ... seems to be the mantra He's a dasher with a very nice side step and he hits targets. That's his game So the MC identify that and he plays that exact role. Far different to Gus' role. The yin and the yan. Different again to Lever's role and Bowey provides a link with excellent skills

I have a different take on the boot off the ground by Gus. I believe he knew what he was doing and took the risk of 1 or 2 things eventuating Either a boundary throw in or them being hemmed in the back pocket unable to switch play to the fat side A calculated risk that ended up paying off big time. There were about 4 sliding-door moments within 30 seconds, monoccular!! But Brayshaw knew what he was doing I have no doubt. He's a quick thinker under pressure

You don't understand his role in the team. He's not in the team for the run and carry ... not for the particular role we are asking him to play right now He's very adaptable though so his role could change as early as next week Read my post above in response to Demon Dynasty's post. And if you are going to constantly criticise him you have an obligation to point out his good play as well So how about you evaluate in a fair manner

He is at the back of the stoppages in a fail-safe role. A trouble-shooter positionally where the ball is often kicked away from where he is (by the opposition) Almost a decoy role at high half-back When obtaining the ball he is quickly dishing off short (either diagonally or forward) to a player who can advance the ball longer. And his efficiency is first rate despite the utterings from the naysayers Remember 2021 when he copped no end of criticism? It stopped when it was calmly pointed out about his role as a defensive wingman By the time we got to the GF everyone could see what his role was .... that 3rd quarter was a beauty!

Viney's role doesn't require finesse. He's a bull and when he is on (esp finals) he continually gets the ball going our way I'm in agreement with others that he's even better when he dishes the ball off quickly when he is on. Yesterday he was terrific and once he hits good form, we see it for at least a month He's a matchwinner when in that beast-mode. So beast-mode and dish it off quickly but that style invites injuries. We just need to keep him healthy

Ha ha! Injuries cruelled him last season so my argument on his DE rating was a technical one and not entirely fair. Besides all that the whole discussion has swung around enormously from yesteryear Back then we were trying to find at least a dozen AFL standard players to make the team competitive and now we're looking at every player in the team being a vital cog with zero weaknesses!!! #NoClangers#NotAllowed

Salem's DE rating wouldn't be all that flash if we use his year last season as an example. But often the DE Rating is a furphy if looked at closer Anyway, when Salem becomes available both he and Brayshaw will play. And how on Earth is a backman kicking to a contest further afield somehow a mistake anyway? If there is no free target there is no other choice but to kick to that contest (you can't head for the boundary - pinged) And the boffin's determine that the player kicking the ball is at fault if the contest is won by the opposition. It's the fault of the forward not the player who kicks the ball If the ball is kicked forward to a contest, by default, the player in the contest has called for the ball and has an obligation to win the ball (he has already failed to create separation) "You called for it, you get it" So a clanger applied to the player delivering the kick is just plain wrong

He is not turning the ball over anywhere near as much as what you believe If it happens once or twice that doesn't equal a lot of times Go back and watch yesterday's game and point out all his errors. But do the same with every player. Don't isolate it all down to one player like others tend to do on this site Oliver & Petracca turn the ball over all the time in their endeavour to play attacking football. Would you be happy for Brayshaw to kick the ball backwards so as not to make an error? Serious question It's football AF, no risk, no reward His DE Rating this year is sitting at about 84% overall. That's elite We must get watching different games as what you see, I can't see

Besides all that tanking goes on and will continue to go on. And I don't have a problem with tanking despite it being treated like some sort of foreign disease As long as drafting exists, tanking will exist. The 2 go hand in glove

All our best players played nearly every game in 2019. Viney missed 4 games but that was it Look a bit closer and check the numbers ... you'll find I'm correct. A lot was made of the off-season surgeries but that was overplayed

Stand corrected ... so did we tank to get him? haha

He'd be a coaches dream in terms of all the selfless roles he can play and does play We've got plenty of other playmakers to do what Brayshaw once did As you said, how others who criticise him can't see all that is baffling

You're right, it won't be easy but we are now in a strong trading position with our existing talent If a decent player wants to go because of lack of opportunities, other clubs have to pay with draft picks and/or talent that we want back in return A strong list is worth more than just what happens out on the field LJ is a good example ... Grundy came cheap as a replacement and he's a miles better player. Plus, we received 1 first rounders & 2 x second round picks That could end up being a bonanza if all the cards fall right with Jason Taylor continuing to identify young talent in the way he has done previously

More on Brayshaw If a 70% DE (Disposal Efficiency) rating is at least a pass mark then Gus is killing it right now R1 - 95% R2 - 63% R3 - 84% R4 - 88% So what is the issue? I'd argue there isn't one Get off the bloke's back, he's playing a tremendous team role that needs to be appreciated

Drafting = Recruiting in terms of picking the right sort of player and then the biggie ... development So it's all encompassing AF The big question is if we remain strong how do we get hold of elite young draftees? Remembering that we traded up to get Clarrie and LJ and even though we lost Luke, we quickly did some sharp recruiting to replace him (Grundy) ... and if Freo bottom out or have a lousy year we'll get a pick in the top 8 at least (trade up again from that pick?) Plus the 2 other picks from Freo which Taylor will no doubt use wisely (does he miss?) There's a lot to be excited about and we have every right to be confident looking ahead

For those questioning Brayshaw do a re-think He's being used in a fail-safe role a kick behind the play in a clean-up role. In defence not on the ball. 16 possessions yesterday and not one clanger. Repelled a lot of WC forward forays He in fact used the ball very well when he got it and it wasn't his fault that he didn't have that many opportunities. He wasn't needed much due to West Coast being so poor He's played well all year in that role and the coaching staff wouldn't be expecting a stack of possessions

He was our choice, we picked him. And then he arrived at a dysfunctional club where development was poor. We paraded him around like he was a prized colt at the Magic Millions. What were we thinking? Fast forward to the now and we develop our prospects properly and Jason Taylor had got the midas touch And we don't need Taylor being poached (we poached him from the Pies) In terms of best recruiters, his record is right up there with the best if not the best As for our depth, I honestly never thought we could do as well as we're doing. We are leading the way in terms of list building Just imagine if we continue to list build properly for the next 10 years? No more bottoming out or rebuilding from scratch Finals and top 4 ongoing every season

The Eagles were woeful, really bad. As poor as we were in 2012/13. Their skills were shocking and they turned the ball over all game They gave us no real opposition but you take the percentage booster and look ahead to Essendon. The match was riddled with mistakes and resembled a bruise-free training run with skill levels below par If we had brought our best we could have won by 20+ goals such is the gulf between the 2 sides right now We really are blessed with a great list so it was nice to cruise to a 10 goal with no injuries coming out of the game Bring on the Bombers but we are quite capable of blowing Essendon out of the water early. Goodwin will be emphasising that we need to start well next week Selection will be interesting again with a number of players in contention for instance, the MC will be itching to see Howes in the seniors sooner or later. No spot for him right now but he's putting the pressure on And the pressure remains for those who don't want to exit the team. New territory for a club like ours but after following the fortunes of the best teams from the past, real player depth is never an issue. It's what the club should always be working towards (real player depth) For instance, Jordon gets dropped from the 22, comes on as the sub with a quarter to go, then gets involved with 8 possessions as a reminder to the selectors. All good

Many of us here on this site are old enough to have ventured to all the suburban grounds As a youngster it was quite an adventure trying to find your way to Moorabbin, Windy Hill, Footscray and even Geelong by train and then trying to find a viewing spot at the grounds (most were standing room only) was difficult I can still remember being at Brunswick St as a little tacker and was at Glenferrie when Peter Hudson hit the deck (that was a big story back in the day) I remember getting to Arden St late one time in 1972 ... quarter time I arrived and the scoreline read North Melbourne 0.2.2 Melbourne 11.7.73. Hard to believe but true. And I missed the onslaught!! Later on the neutral venue Waverley appeared and that was difficult enough to get to even by car! Getting in and out of the carpark required a cut lunch to pass the time Victoria Park and Windy Hill were scary places and real eye-openers! You could sense the violence in the air I miss those days but even so, I wouldn't want to go back to those times. Creature comforts supercedes these days!

Count me in TD

I don't quite see it that way Frankie but JJ certainly has the scope to elevate his game. The coaches would be explaining to him where his game is at too. To get to B+ level takes a manic mindset sometimes He did play well last week so is definitely unlucky. They just ran out of spots but there might be a late withdrawal anyway which could lead to a reshuffling As an example not many were predicting Petty forward last week as a replacement for Gawn's role in the forward line

Jordon will play plenty of games as we're likely going to get a few injuries and the squad mentality can mean that players will be rested & managed Geelong did it to a nicety last season and we are in a copy-cat league so expect more of the same ... however, the squad mentality was always coming to the AFL as the game itself is incredibly taxing on the legs As an example our team last season ... we looked tired and listless from about round 8 and would only play with legs on top of the ground periodically. The flag run took it's toll Geelong this year so far? They look slow and not desperate. They'll probably come good but there are no guarantees in this comp

Being relegated to sub should improve the bloke especially if he is made of the right stuff Didn't do Fritsch any harm when Bayley was dropped for the Prelim final in 2018 Jordon's ambition should be to become at least B+ or better. Then they'll never drop him Reality is that we've got a really good list so it's a great problem to have anyway. 10 years ago we barely had half a dozen AFL-standard players on the list