Macca

It's all come together and for us supporters, we obviously want it to continue I'm sure the club wants more success too but the club needs to maintain momentum with no slip-ups Injuries to our best players could happen and then everything changes if we get multiple injuries to our best players at the same time. Or, if we take our foot off the gas How is our overall fitness going to be with Selwyn Griffith as the new High Performance Manager? Nothing is guaranteed but if we're hungry for success and we get a decent run with injuries we can win 'at least' one more flag with this list But premierships are hard to win no matter how good a team might be, 58er ... the opposition are trying to win big too! So who is our biggest threat? Bulldogs? Tigers? Port? Brisbane? Surely not the Cats! A team from outside of that lot?

Previously, our forward line (as a collective) has been a weak point from an overall perspective (since 2006) As was our backline & midfield in many (or most) of the past 15 years. As a result, we didn't have any proper depth So now we are laden with talent all over and are continuing to add talent. We could end up with a nice problem to have in terms of excess of talent ... I've spoken to many who witnessed the Smith era and they've all said that we had an abundance of talent in those prosperous years The same argument has been forthcoming from those supporters of teams who have won multiple flags in a short space of time As for now, I'd say without doubt our biggest improvement as a club in the last 8-9 years or so has been talent identification and our ability to target certain recruits and acquire those recruits Recruitment with a real purpose The turnaround probably started in the 2012 off-season when we recruited Viney & Hogan (In the end, May was a swap for Hogan in an indirect way) After that, the acquirement of PJ & Roos and the rest is history Good coaching, a stable board and good administration on top of all that and the success follows But without real talent and lots of it, it's almost impossible to win big We've got an advantage now so we need to take advantage As for the fixture ... any team, any time, anywhere

Chargers knock the rest of us out in the comp this week ... we're limping to the finishing line!! In other news, the Rams & Bills now lead their respective divisions after the Pats & Cards slip up again 2 weeks to go and the title is definitely up for grabs ... any number of teams could win the Lombardi trophy

Rams, Bucs, Chargers

@Gorgoroth @Dappa Dan @DeeSpencer @JV7 @Dee Zephyr @Go the Biff @titan_uranus @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @layzie 2 points on offer again this week (Week 17 - 3 Points, Week 18 - 3 Points) Leaderboard - Tipping Comp 11 - Go the Biff, 9 - Clintosaurus, JV7 8 - DemonDave, layzie, Gorgoroth 6 - Dee Zephyr, 5 - Macca 4 - titan_uranus 3 - DeeSpencer

And players such as Fritsch, Brown, Bowey, Brayshaw, Jackson & Viney would have polled well during the finals But apart from those 6 players there are others such as Rivers, Petty, Harmes, Sparrow, Hibberd & Spargo who all contributed during the finals. No underperformers

Around this time of year I do a few NFL multi's ... the better teams tend to get it done against teams that are eyeing off the draft (haha) Had good success 2 or 3 times over the space of 10 years so I'm due again 4 or 5 leg multi max with a saver bet on the 4 or 5 winning (only)

So we've now got 2 games on Tuesday and 2 games on Wednesday And only the 1 game tomorrow now ... Pats @ Colts 12.15pm (AEDT)

Arizona, Dallas, Titans

The AFL might have to have a look at creating supplementary lists for the clubs Say 6-8 players? As it stands, injuries alone can decimate any club

50/50 to play? As it stands this Omitron variant could easily play havoc with the footy season If we were heading for a squad mentality (across all the clubs) that thinking has just been fast-tracked Edit: Cummins out

@Gorgoroth @Dappa Dan @DeeSpencer @JV7 @Dee Zephyr @Go the Biff @titan_uranus @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @layzie 2 points on offer this week (Week 16 - 2 points, Week 17 - 3 Points, Week 18 - 3 Points) 2 or 3 absolute standout road chances this week - the good teams usually get it done at this stage of the season but there are other road chances And we get 2 Sunday games (AEDT) this week Leaderboard - Tipping Comp 11 - Go the Biff, 9 - Clintosaurus, JV7 8 - DemonDave, layzie, Gorgoroth 6 - Dee Zephyr, 5 - Macca 4 - titan_uranus 3 - DeeSpencer

Well on the way but we'll need a few more super productive years to be amongst the very best (all time) Didn't witness but Spencer, Ridley, Mithen, Dixon, Adams, Barassi and Big Bob did quite well (5 flags in 6 years)

Another huge factor was the ability of all our forwards to fight for the front position and maintain the front position. So important Pound for pound our forward line isn't star-studded but we were exceptionally disciplined this season past thus giving ourselves do many more scoring opportunities In previous years a lot of our forward forays amounted to not much at all

Another factor is we will be hunted ... other teams will search for weaknesses and that could happen most weeks Can't say I'm all that concerned though. More of a recognition of what can happen to premiership teams We are now building a squad rather than best 15 or best 22. Therefore, those who don't have a manic hunger could miss out And we haven't been in that unique position since (probably) the Smith days Our list (all things considered with the add-ons) needs to win 2 or 3 premierships as the opposition teams are not that great. So our excellence should prevail against the very good ... unless there is another team that somehow becomes an excellent team As for the fixture, just play the games in front of you. Every game is a challenge From a financial point of view we could have fared better but on the back of a flag, we can cash in, in other areas (sponsorship, high end membership and membership in general, coterie & merchandising etc) 2023 could be a bumper year with assured home games on Anzac eve & the QB clash

Barnburner at Lambeau Bears scoring on nearly every possession (or run back) Rodgers will need to find some more magic Edit: Bears didn't go on with it but their new QB looks the goods As an aside, everyone scored a point this week apart from Gorg & myself ... but we finish off the last 4 weeks with 10 points up for grabs (2, 2, 3 & 3)

Ravens Saints Dallas

@Gorgoroth @Dappa Dan @DeeSpencer @JV7 @Dee Zephyr @Go the Biff @titan_uranus @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @layzie Only the 1 point on offer this week as a precursor to 10 points up for grabs in the last 4 weeks ... but the 1 point on offer this week could be vital in a strategic sense. Good luck! Leaderboard - Tipping Comp 10 - Go the Biff, 8 - Clintosaurus, JV7, Gorgoroth 7 - DemonDave, layzie 5 - Dee Zephyr, Macca 3 - titan_uranus, DeeSpencer

The extra week of the regular season pushes back the playoffs to a mid January start The schedule for week 1 (Wild-Card round) of the playoffs is as follows (all AEDT) Sunday Jan 16th 8.35am Sunday Jan 16th 12.15pm Monday Jan 17th 5.05am Monday Jan 17th 8.40am Monday Jan 17th 12.15pm Tuesday Jan 18th 12.15pm The rest of the playoffs are as per usual with the traditional fortnight between the Championship games & the Super Bowl And the Super Bowl is also to be played a week later - Monday 15th Feb

I thought of an idea for the tipping comp next year ... a bonus point awarded if only 1 tipster correctly picks 3 road winners in any given week Just adds a bit of interest especially if a tipster is trying to catch up or as an added incentive to tip away from the norm All year there have been any number of road winners that none of us have picked Just the 1 bonus point though ... even in the weeks where 2 or 3 points are up for grabs Just a thought

The race is well and truly on in the tipping comp. With 11 points still available (Week 14 - 1 Point, Week 15 - 2 Points, Week 16 - 2 Points, Week 17 - 3 Points & Week 18 - 3 Points) anyone can still win outright Time for some left field solutions for the backmarkers and this year, that strategy may just pay off. Or it won't! As for the frontrunners and those on the speed, do they dare to be different? No risk, no reward! We're all chasing down 'Go the Biff' but will he falter? Leaderboard - Tipping Comp 10 - Go the Biff, 8 - Clintosaurus, JV7, Gorgoroth 7 - DemonDave, layzie 5 - Dee Zephyr, Macca 3 - titan_uranus, DeeSpencer

And the Patriots are (right now) the No.1 seed in the AFC. Who would have thought? Belichick gets his team into contention again Pats @ the Bills tomorrow and there is a stack riding on the result

Yes, just a bob of the head in it Dark Dream was a good thing beaten as it was held up for a run twice ... might be worth following up on in the open handicaps (as well as the winner)

Bucs Vikings Arizona

We'll need one of Harris, Head/Khawaha, Green or Carey to have a big series with the bat ... either that or have 2 of the 4 do reasonably well The other question is when we do we rotate our quicks and if that includes Cummins? Hoping to see Jhye Richardson debut soon enough And I reckon England will have already earmarked which matches Anderson & Broad will play in And as previously stated, England's top order isn't strong but if they get runs in any given test, they'll be right in the contest