Macca

My tip ... Seattle 7-12 @BDA @Go the Biff @ElDiablo14 @Gorgoroth @Dee Zephyr @layzie Leaderboard Tipping Comp 22 - Macca 20 - BDA 17 - Go the Biff 16 - ElDiablo14, Clintosaurus 15 - Gorgoroth 9 - Dee Zephyr 2 - layzie

I reckon we went cold on Houston early. And there's always a fall back position anyway. I'm not sure we're big on Humphrey now either There's a lot of talk but a lot of talk is bs I'll take the 8+ first round picks over 4 off-seasons and if you reckon we didn't plan for an outcome like that, fair enough. But it's a lot of picks I'll give credit where credit is due but we've also done a lot wrong which isn't necessarily related to list building or recruiting

In effect, we started getting back into the 1st round of the draft (with multiple picks) following the 2023 season. So we're already there I'll give the club credit for seeing the writing on the wall and at least acting on that thinking But will Windsor, Kolt, Langford, XL, XT & Latrelle all become stars? Let's hope so *And right now, we've got another 2 first round picks in the 2026 Draft. I wouldn't rule out garnering another 1st round pick for the 2026 Draft

I'm not sure that the mood around here was similar (with regards to comfortably defeating the Hawks & Cats in the first 2 weeks of the finals) I reckon the thinking was that we might win a final and therefore play 2 finals. For some (or many) just making the finals was a huge relief All things considered, winning 2 of 3 finals in 2018 was a decent result (certainly better than 0 & 2, two years running ... 2022 & 2023) And we got stage fright in the PF against the Eagles but that loss and the finals experience in 2018 was invaluable 3 years later 🏆 *2018 > 2022 or 2023? I say yes. I look back at 2018 with fondness, not regret 1990 was the one that got away and perhaps 1998 as well (we got stitched up with the more difficult PF in 1998)

Fantastic match-up for the game in Melbourne. A lot of the overseas games are ordinary line-ups but not this one Tickets won't be cheap though. You'll have to pay a premium price. I'm betting the game will be a sellout, all the same

Neglected to highlight that 22 teams is too many teams for one comp. Just guessing, but the way it is set up might mean that certain teams may not meet each other

So the 2 big victories in 2018 was the surprise result, not the actual reaching of the finals 2021 was winning the actual flag. Hardly a soul here or elsewhere was predicting that So how does that relate to this season? It's hard to see it, but we could have a very good year in terms of wins based on the unpredictable nature of things One of the first things that needs to happen is a great run with injuries ... but Bowey & Viney being out for a good length of time is not a good start!

I wouldn't call it broken ... more so disjointed, rjay And the Northern States reserves teams (along with Tassie & Southport) are here to stay. They may as well add a few teams and have 2 divisions (Canberra, NT, FNQ, Bendigo, Ballarat & Albury could be added) That would bring the total number of teams up to 28 (14 teams per league with the winners of each league to play off for the overall best team) Subsidised by the AFL to cover all the costs & salaries A 22 game season with just the 1 bye per team thus, aligning itself with the AFL

The surprise in 2018 were the first 2 wins in the finals ... similar to 1987

We were surprise finalists in '87, '98, '04, '18 (?) & '21 (?) ... in a general sense 2026?

Well, if you're right, it might put another urban myth to bed Google doesn't help although there is a vague reference to Carlton The following from DemonWiki gives us a solution ... @Demonstone below beat me to it https://demonwiki.org/Robert+Flower#:~:text=The%20frail%2C%20short%2Dsighted%20Flower,lenses%20during%20his%20senior%20career

3rd & 4th get the double chance which is a big advantage over 5th & 6th 3rd & 4th also get the chance to win a QF and then straight through to a PF with a week off 5th & 6th no such luxury

Not enough to justify having 7th or 8th in the finals. Yet over time, it's been accepted that 7th & 8th should be part of the finals Top 6 would be my choice but I'm not running the sport. If I was, then the top 10 would be operative

7th to 10th are making up the numbers but we are getting extra representation & extra finals for a number of reasons Maintaining interest with fewer dead runbers Giving supporters hope Keeping Ch7, Foxtel & Kayo happy Not jeopardising potential revenue Not giving Rugby League a leg up etc etc etc The teams 7th to 10 haven't been added to give those teams a chance to win the flag (in my view) How many teams that have finished 7th or 8th have advanced to the Preliminary finals? Is it the Bulldogs only?

A conservative view could be that finishing 9th or 10th gives a chance for a team to play 2 finals And right now, I'd take 2 finals in a heartbeat for the Demons (I'd say a 25%* chance of finishing 9th or 10th) Normally, the aim is often solely the Premiership but with a final 10, different goals are created And under the old system, finishing 7th or 8th was no great shakes anyway. So it's really 4 teams making up the numbers (Doggies outlier premiership aside) A team being a possibility of playing 2 finals adds experience to the group for future years (as 2018 did when we played 3 finals) Aiming for 9th or 10th might not seem all that ambitious, but it's a stepping stone at least, and it gives supporters hope *Currently $3.75 with the bookies to finish top 10 (gamble responsibly)

I've got much the same team but with one less tall back ... so T-Mac out for Salem (if fit) I'd find room for Heath as I reckon King will prefer a proper back-up ruckman ... which means Max and the big blonde can spend a bit of time forward. Jeffo out as he would then be surplus to needs If Mihocek is fit he plays which means both ruckman can drift back or more bench time. Culley can push forward as an alternate Others here have included 3 tall forwards in their teams but I can't see that happening. We need a more mobile forward line and more defensive pressure up forward With the possession* game extending all the way into the forward line more regularly, a more medium-sized forward line is therefore required *We're seeing less and less long kicks into the forward and that trend will probably continue ... so teams run it into the F50 or handpass or short pass it into the F50

We don't want any sort of noise though, bub However ... I doubt that Steven would have been a high priority for selection especially if we want to build a backline for the future (and there's plenty of candidates for the 3 tall backs required) If anything, the decision has now been made easier (not picking him) Remembering that he was told to look elsewhere in the off-season, so that doesn't mean he'd be assured of selection anyway. In fact, my reading of that is that he's playing in the 2's unless we get a rash of injuries The watertight contract means the money is assured, but playing seniors? And with the longer contracts being handed out League-wide, there are going to be plenty of veterans still contracted when their use-by date is expiring. That's pro-sports

Yep, the footy public isn't easily fooled. However, it could garner a large audience despite not being a fair-dinkum match To me the timing is right and a large percentage of footy fans just love their footy no matter how it's packaged. They can't get enough of it So it's about how the masses react, not what certain individuals might think Those aged under the age of 30 hold the key

That almost makes it official ... it's a 'Friendly' Not that I have an issue with an exhibition of the best plying their wares. But hopefully, we'll get to see way less congestion and the players playing in their positions (that's a big ask!) And if the match draws a large TV & Streaming audience, so be it

Interesting that 4 of his first 5 points centered around experienced players (Windsor was the other) Kozzie, Disco, Checkers & Langdon all need to perform well if we're to win games ... along with at least another dozen others that have been around long enough now to have reasonable expectations attached to their output As for the youngsters, (and that includes Windsor & Kolt) we need to be patient. Players need at least 3 years in the AFL system these days such is the gap between AFL & Under 18 footy. But I'd say more like 4 years Some make the transition quite quickly, but they are often the standout A graders (usually mids)

I would not be surprised if the match rates well but if that does happen, then what? I reckon there will be more questions asked in the aftermath, rather than beforehand

Ha! The match will probably get a decent TV & Streaming audience first time up, and the match is sold out, so there is a level of interest Ultimately though, the Aussie Rules Origin will be compared to Rugby League Origin and that's a no-contest in terms of integrity, passion, intensity and competitiveness But eyeballs on is also a huge factor and I'm often surprised at what people watch for entertainment

Care factor close to zero. However, It's the right time as the footy fanatics are itching for any kind of football But as previously stated, a lot has to go right. To me the biggest factor is whether the players are fair-dinkum or not ... otherwise, it's just an exhibition game I'll be tuning into the Winter Olympics

Getting hold of fill-in players won't be an issue as there would still be hundreds of players still wanting to ultimately get a chance at AFL level Am I right in saying that our very own Robbie Flower (RIP) was knocked back a couple of times but just kept persevering. Might have been just the once But getting an audience for the games is the biggest issue for the VFL (attending or watching via streaming as the games won't be on Ch7) And the future for the VFL will involve the 6 interstate teams you'd reckon 2 Divisions? With so many teams (22+), your suggestion has real merit, DJ

The VFL doesn't get a decent TV or streaming audience these days, old dee. That's why Ch7 dropped off The powers that be at the AFL would be way more concerned with the costs of running the comp. After all, with regards to the AFL, it's about the $$$'s I compared the VFL to the Sheffield Shield, as that comp (the Shield) would cost a small fortune to run (every year) The Shield might be run better but the stands are empty and I wouldn't imagine many would be watching via streaming (I do watch, occasionally) But CA has India to pay the bills ... it has previously been noted that CA receives $5Million - $8Million for every while ball game played involving Australia & India. That's why we play India every year in the shortened form (in effect, India pays CA to run the Sheffield Shield) Thank you, India One of the biggest costs for the VFL would be all the airfares, accommodation, Doctors, Physio's and all rest of it because we have 5 Northern State teams & a Tassie team involved in the VFL ... and those 6 teams are entrenched in VFL for the foreseeable future. It is what it is But I'm not sure why we have 4 teams having a bye in the first round of the VFL when there's an even number of teams involved (22) Makes no sense but we're talking about the AFL where they can't even manage to call the opening round in the AFL, Round 1 (?)