Macca

Ok, I'll kick things off Cleveland (1-6) @ Houston Miami @ KC (1-6) Pittsburgh @ Buffalo (7-12) Green Bay @ Dallas (7-12) LA Rams (1-6) @ Detroit Philadelphia (1-6) @ Tampa Bay

Premiership windows can be measured if we can calculate how many top players a club has and if that club is stable and has good coaching (us, right now) I put the number at 14-16 top players as a minimum An example of being nowhere near a premiership window is the Demons of 2012/13. We had no more than 3 or 4 top players back then Another example are the Eagles of today - how many top players? So who are our top players? Gawn, May, Lever, Rivers, Salem, Viney, Fritsch, Kozzie, Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw, Langdon, McVee, Petty, Melksham (although injured) That's 15 Those on the cusp or with the potential ... Sparrow, Tholstrup, Windsor, JVR, Chandler, Bowey, ANB, Hunter and a few others So how many teams that are in the window have that many good players? Maybe 4 or 5 teams? The key is to keep recruiting well to maintain the numbers of top players. Much like what Geelong have done It's a basic, simple exercise but it rings true

I reckon you're on the money. Certainly as the release player charging forward I don't think we should be too concerned with our midfield depth as Sparrow is on the improve, Rivers is a real candidate and I can't get Kozzie's first half against Adelaide out of my head. He lit it up that night. And watch out for Tholstrup. He'll be pushing for selection Clarrie will be back soon enough to join up with Petracca, Viney & Brayshaw but in the meantime, we can cover for him McVee is a ripper and we got him out of good judgement again (Taylor)

The dasher! This bloke could be anything if used the right way. My vision of him in the future is hitting up forwards, lace-out And he'll be able to do that as he creates separation in a nanosecond, has excellent pace and good disposal Lowering his eyes as a default move is a sign of real class A bargain buy picked as a rookie

We added Hunter for the 2023 season (and Grundy) Jed Adams & Jefferson were also drafted and it's way too early to judge either draftee Verrell & Sestan were added as rookies and again, it's too early to judge those 2 players Kade Chandler was elevated from rookie status for 2023 and played nearly every game The Grundy experiment was worth the risk as we needed another ruckman anyway and he didn't cost us much. No risk, no reward Hunter had a solid year despite what his chief naysayer (here) has to say And let's not forget the unearthing of JVR & McVee (both debuted in 2023) We might look back at the players added for the 2023 season as a success Right now, it's too early to tell

We're not a one-man team and it should be remembered that we won 7 from 10 when Clarrie was out last season Besides which, he'll be back and will in effect, strengthen our line-up from an overall season point of view If we lose Smith, we're not losing a star. With our depth, we can easily cover his absence. But I believe he'll be back this year as well (at some stage) So, I'm confident he won't serve anything close to 2 years The Petty question remains. Again, with a full list of forwards to choose from (and that includes Brown & T-Mac) we should be able to cover for him. But we need him fit and firing when he returns. So there's no rush The bonus might be Melksham returning later in the year. Billings & McAdam add goalkicking capabilities up forward as might Tholstrup I can see Kozzie & Petracca sharing a 60/40 role in the forward line (1 of them in for the centre bounces & out the back of stoppages) We need their dynamism forward and in the middle Fritsch is another player who missed 7 games in a stretch last season. And wasn't match-fit when he did come back. So there's a lot of upside despite what the doomsayers are predicting Last year was 2023, not 2013

I could probably name at least 10 clubs where their window has remained open a lot longer than 5 years (over a 60 year stretch) The Hawks from '71 through to '91 for starters. The Pies from '64 through to '81 (played in 7 GF's) There are numerous other examples How about the Demons from '54 to '64? All that mainly on the back of savvy recruiting So do the 5 year window types think that we're going to stop recruiting talent? Why would we do that? And free agency will eventually become much bigger than it is now so why wouldn't Taylor be all over that area of recruiting? There's no reason why our list can't get better. Somehow, after finishing in the top four, 3 years in a row, we ended up with picks 6 & 13 in the draft. That's better than a bottom club could usually hope for And smart trading to snare McAdam & Billings. Fullarton could surprise as well Jason Taylor comes across as being hungry for more talent. The man is the linchpin in my view. The best recruiter in the business Geelong's window remained open for 16 years and they are still thereabouts. Built on the back of another great recruiter, Stephen Wells

Yet against the thugs in the QF Gawn had 27 possessions & 31 hitouts It's just a pity that we didn't have class forwards to kick it to on the back of Max's dominance Gawn is actually quite a durable athlete that can cop a bit of battering. He's a ruckman, that has to be expected. It's more his legs that might be a concern But he's getting old anyway so eventually we'll need to replace him. The original plan was for Jackson to take over but he left for the $$$$'s (as many others have)

You're wrong Injuries aren't an excuse if they happen in one area of the list (in last years case, the forward line) You can't replace too many quality forwards and replace them with mediocre forwards and then expect success Sport doesn't work that way. Getting close to winning both finals was more of an indication that we tried our guts out to cover for all those lost forwards So instead of the team copping the wrath of the supporters, we should be proud of how close we got The strange thing is that many here will use the umpiring as an excuse (on a constant basis) Now that is a cop-out Also, there are a lot of bad loser types here with a hair-trigger attitude So brighten up, we'll be back better than ever

The window doesn't have to close ever It's just that if a certain amount of people say it enough times, it can become folklore (or another myth) For instance ... That the umpires are out to get us (they aren't, never were, never will be) That the drafting numbering system is entirely accurate (it isn't) Busts happen and always will and no one can predict them. Same rule for stars plucked out if the 2nd & 3rd round (sometimes the 4th & 5th round) That a whole club can have 'culture' issues on the back of a couple of indiscretions by a couple of players That a club drinks it's own bathwater if it isn't successful Excuses used as reasons and reasons labelled as excuses (many don't know the difference) Gossip that becomes folklore ... footy can be more of a soap opera as a result That our training facilities are substandard - more rubbish as Casey is an excellent facility and sharing AAMI is no big deal. Gosch's is a great surface too. We are not at a disadvantage The Junction oval was easily the best surface to train on as well (fact) As previously stated, myths abound

I really believe that we're set up well for the next 5 or 6 years So we're not falling off the perch if we don't win this years flag First of all, you have to get into contention, then, on the law of averages, you can't expect to win every time you're in contention So we've been in contention 3 times now unless we want to count 2018 as well I'll take 1 in 3 any day of the week as there are usually 4 or 5 teams that can win it most seasons And I don't believe in a cut-off 5 year window either although the 5 year plan makes sense (the 5 year plan that keeps getting revamped) So 6 more years of contending can deliver us 2 more flags (if we're being realistic) I'll take that in a heartbeat as for a long time I couldn't see us winning 1 flag anytime soon And we're going to need a good dose of luck as well (you always do in order to win big e.g. 2021 we had a virtual injury free season) The Cats won it all in 2011 and were then in contention at least 8 times in the next 11 years until they won again. And for the most part, they had very good teams and good coaching all the way through Flags are hard to win And if you get a run of injuries to key personnel at the wrong time of the year, your hopes can be dashed So you go again and look ahead

Exactly The replacement forward line stood up manfully and tried their utmost But if our forward line looked like this do we lose either of the finals? HF Petracca*/Kozzie** Petty Fritsch F Melksham JVR/Brown Chandler *Petracca not able to play forward due to the loss of Brayshaw **Kozzie not able to have stints on the ball as he was needed in the forward line Dark italics - not available So not only did we not have key personnel up forward but we lost all balance and flexibility (up forward) Despite all that we went down narrowly in both finals The above forward line would have helped us win the '23 flag, without such a forward line we had very little chance (of winning 3 finals)

Well, that time was now rjay, see above haha

Excellent list, top level coaching, A1 Recruiting, good admin = good board (9 times out of 10) Poor list, poor coaching, terrible recruiting, below average admin = board not up to it It's quite straightforward rjay as I see it Ultimately, the board is responsible for most major appointments so if they get the right people in, it will reflect on them (the board) Appoint the wrong people and look where it ends up So if we're going to castigate the board when things are going bad, equally, we need to give credit where credit is due

The board is an easy target as many are going to believe the bs that gets thrown about. Throw enough mud, it sticks We're doing alright at board level and as for that bloke sprouting his stuff about fair elections, he's just a pest If we had all positions up for grabs every off-season, we'd be down the gurgler in no time Most sporting clubs are structured at board level the same way. Stability & continuity is vital so there has to be an element of trust Open slather and it's a mess. I've seen that happen too many times at local level as I'm sure you have Mind you, I had a completely different view in 2013

They are just miserable types ... born pessimists. Only happy when they've got something to whinge about In real life outside of the internet, it's easy to get rid of those types out of our lives But here we are! haha I suppose it takes all types and promotes debate In a general sense, this place is a battle between the optimists & pessimists. And you won't see many realists

Financially we're doing very well, the coaching is top-notch, a great playing list, 2 training venues that are way more than adequate (we won a flag out of Casey), a united board despite the bs that gets thrown about, 70,000 members, prime time TV slots left, right & centre The media are constantly talking about us, instead of being virtually ignored like it was in the dark days What's not to like?

Thanks Civ I can understand people being disappointed with the 2 losses in the finals but reality bites and bites hard You cannot win without talent and if the majority of your forward line is where that talent is missing, how do you win? (3 finals) Do people think we could have won 3 finals with Upper Gully's front 6? The replacement forward line was not a patch on our best forward line, it's as simple as that. That's why we lost So to get so close in both finals says a lot about our will to win and never say die attitude - we tried our guts out but came up short

May & Lever are game-changers So are Viney & Gawn. Fritsch when fully fit. And how about Kozzie? Rivers, McVee, Sparrow, Petty, JVR, Salem, Langdon and Gus are all capable of stellar games in the future We've finally got a good list of players and you can only find 2 players? It's not 2012/13 DJ Injuries to most of our forwards last season cost the club a flag There is no other standout reason For years, we've seen 1 excuse after another (umpires, our drafting, the board, the coaching etc etc) Now, a legitimate reason for not winning the flag last year is put forward and people want to blame the coach? Or just spit the dummy with their constant whining? We didn't win, get over it and go again We've got the list and we've got the coaching. I've never seen the club in better shape and I go back as far as you do

Yeah, us supporters can't get ahead of ourselves as it will filter through to the club and then they'll start drinking their own bathwater! Seriously, it would be a boring old world without speculation with regards to sport (footy in particular) It's what we do

Free agency? We can play that game too. Is that the next Jason Taylor episode? Gawn & May fair enough but we'll find another ruckman as we've had a rich history in the rucking position May? That's a toughie but maybe Petty after a couple of years up forward. He's still only 24 Petracca has got another 5 productive years as has Oliver. Same for Gus and watch out for Sparrow to take it a level up. Rivers continues to improve. Salem will find his mojo Lever is 27 ... there's another 5 years of good footy from him coming up Windsor & Tholstrup? Both could be stars. JVR as well but he's got to get on the lead Plus of course, our ongoing stellar recruiting through the draft and through trades We're in great shape for the future. Past 5 or 6 years, who knows? But no point getting worried about 2029 just yet, rjay! The Swans, Pies & Cats are constantly thereabouts or in contention We can do the same!

Whilst we've got Jason Taylor as head of recruiting, we'll be more than competitive His strike rate is fantastic and for years most of us were bemoaning the lack of quality on the list. Many of those years we were bereft of talent and now look at us! With a full list to pick from, we've got good players who are not in everyone's best 23 '07 - '14, where was the talent? Years ago many here would have had Tholstrup & Windsor starting the season in the seniors. Now, we can afford to be patient And it all comes down to talent and how many good players you've got. Then it's easy to coach & administrate So we've worked our way into a great position and windows can stay open for more than a decade (e.g. Cats, Swans, Pies) We can stay at or near the top for at least the next 5-6 years

Not really As one mate said to me a few years ago ... it's our only chance to see any Australian cricketers outside of the Test players Albeit in a 'Go the tonk' game. I flick it on occasionally but am quickly bored with it Billy Connolly said this about cricket years ago (in a mocking style) ... "Johnny hits it for 6!" That's t20 and maybe the great Billy Connolly was ahead of his time Mind you, t20 is exceptionally popular and there's a lot of money in it (especially the IPL) i.e not going away in a hurry

@Go the Biff @titan_uranus @BDA @Dr. Gonzo @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @Dee Zephyr @Dappa Dan @Gorgoroth @layzie @JV7 @DeeSpencer We have a winner in the tipping comp! @Dr. Gonzo triumphs after coming home with a 3 pointer just getting past a desperately unlucky @DemonDave and a fast finishing @Gorgoroth ... getting up to gain the 3rd most amount of points was a barnstorming @layzie with @BDA close-up with the 4th amount of points In the end, a Seattle win or loss decided the 18 week comp The rest of us competed hard in a very tricky season for road winners (looks like we'll be making a change or 2 for next year's comp - stay tuned and give us your ideas) Well played gentlemen and thanks for your participation and perseverance!! Further on down this post are the details on the post-season comp But for the regular season comp, to the winner, go the spoils! Leaderboard Tipping Comp (Final) 8 - Dr.Gonzo 7 - DemonDave, Gorgoroth 6 - layzie 5 - BDA 4 - Clintosaurus, Macca*, Dee Zephyr 3 - DeeSpencer*, Go the Biff 2 - JV7 1 - titan_uranus *Bonus point awarded Wild Card Weekend Schedule (AEDT) Sun 8.30am Cleveland (-2) @ Houston (+2) Sun 12.00pm Miami (+3) @ Kansas City (-3) Mon 5.00am Pittsburgh (+9.5) @ Buffalo (-9.5) Mon 8.30am Green Bay (+7) @ Dallas (-7) Mon 12.00pm LA Rams (+4) @ Detroit (-4) Tues 12.15pm Philadelphia (-2.5) @ Tampa Bay (+2.5) A really good selection of games with maybe Dallas and Pittsburgh being the only clear favourites So, if we get enough starters, we can have another post-season tipping comp Here's how it works ... Straight winners & margins (1-6, 7-13, 13+ or post up your scorelines) Week 1 ... 1 point per win plus 1 bonus point for each correct scoreline bracket Week 2 ... 2 points per win plus 2 bonus points for each correct scoreline bracket Week 3 ... 3 points per win plus 3 bonus points for each correct scoreline bracket Week 5 ... 5 points for the SB win plus 5 points for the correct scoreline bracket You can use the above list of games (copy & paste) to post up your tips but don't forget to add a scoreline or points bracket (1-6, 7-12 or 13+) A 2nd chance at tipping glory without the arduous task of trying to find road winners!! So post up your tips and margins ladies & gentlemen (we could always do with a few more participants!)

Yeah, that seems to be the obvious solution, Gorg, and we could go with that system every week as stock-standard The high reward for picking 3 remains and a reward for 2 out of 3 (ain't bad) The bonus point for being the sole winner can stay as it allows people to catch up and incentives creative thinking ... for instance, in week 18 this year, those that went away from picking the Eagles took a chance but were rewarded Many were eyeing off the 4 points as I believe every combo of 3 picks was different So, under your system, we play for the 4 points! (which would include a bonus point as an add-on)