Macca

Writing off a 19yo already? Half the battle for a teenager is getting to contests and then adjusting to a sport which is miles quicker and physical than under 18 footy So Tholstrup is getting to the contests when a number of debutants don't Adjusting to the pace of the game takes time unless a player is a step ahead of the rest The draft can throw up mixed results so throwing up descriptions like X-factor should be taken with a grain of salt Watching his highlights at under 18 level showed a player who gets to a lot of contests and then having the time to dispose of the ball ... and at AFL level, disposing of the ball accurately and quickly takes time to learn Patience, Grasshopper

Tholstrup gets to a lot of contests. He's got plenty of 'go' in him as well. Some players are inconspicuous when it matters but the Kolt is often thereabouts. Which is a great sign for the future The game is too fast for him right now so he'll need another season or 2 to get into the tempo. From what I've seen, he'll be a good player With Windsor it's different as he has terrific leg speed off the mark. He's already caught a number of opposition players napping. Will be a player As for Lamb, trading just 2 spots up looks like it will be well worth it. And Taylor's long journey to talk to the lad (Tholstrup) was well worth it as well

Further to the above It's a difficult assignment to add 2 or 3 very good players to a list in any given year. And in the last 20 years, there has been quite a few years where we didn't even add one very good player (but that's going back aways) So since 2021 we've added McVee, JVR, Windsor and maybe Tholstrup Is there a 5th very good player? Maybe Daniel Turner if he keeps improving But the total is 3 of 4 which is short on the desired outcome of at least 2 very good players added per season An example of 3 is the off-season of 2019 Kozzie, Jackson & Rivers Add 2 per season and if the average career for the very good player is 10 years then in theory, you'll constantly have about 16-20 very good players on your list The window is always open if the above happens. The 5 year window just keeps getting extended So picks 5 & 9 under the magic of Taylor and we might get lucky with another one to make it 3 Just keep bringing in the talent because it's the talent that wins you games more than any other factor

We might gave to trump up a bit more than what we're hearing (to the Bombers) but it will be worth it And I'm convinced that the need to replenish the midfield (with picks 5 & 9?) has got a lot to do with the uneasy situation with Trac & Clarrie The club can't sit idly by and hope for the best. So go the other way and create a position of strength By doing that we can trade and bargain in the next off-season knowing that if we lose either player (or both) we won't be left short In fact, if both are worth 2 first round draft picks then both combined are worth 4 first round draft picks. That's a lot of picks As well as picks 5 & 9 this off-season So go hard this off-season and then get Trac & Clarrie fit and firing and playing well By default, increasing their trade value for the 2025 off-season (if either or both want out) In the background there's JT who doesn't draft busts. His ability puts us into a no-lose situation

A week is a long time in sport (sometimes) and after reading about all the reasons why Bill wouldn't take the job on, it seems a long shot now anyway So the Jets are probably going to have to find another way forward. And because the AFC North is not a strong Division, they can make the playoffs But they'll need to win the Division as a wild-card spot might be out of reach I wouldn't rule a line through Belichick right now but it seems unlikely that he'll take the Jets coaching job

Well I answered your inane question so are you satisfied or is fighting back from adversity something foreign to you? We are all faced with adversity on a daily basis. At work, when playing sport etc etc Not everything goes smoothly and without fight back qualities, you'll fail

Do you take misery pills of a morning? Why do you even bother? You should follow another sport as the MFC seems to do your head in (constantly) You once told us you were a talent spotter or am I mixing you up with one of your many other guises? But if so, who should we pick with 5 & 9, almighty one? Because both picks are coming our way

The move is effectively midfield insurance and gives us quality depth in the midfield at the same time (I'm in the 2 x Mids camp and given JT's track history in drafting mids, we're in safe hands) As others have intimated, Rivers could go back, Petracca predominantly forward etc etc if it all worked out And many of the highly fancied Mids in the draft are plug-in-and-play types In an 18 team comp, to get picks 5 & 9 is a dream come true. List-wise, we're not in bad shape to start off with (fully fit & switched on) As for the 2025 draft, we could end up in a powerful trading position to get back into the 1st round anyway

NFL Picks Week 6 (45 Mins)

Houston, Atlanta, Bengals

Yep, Twomey's mail can be trusted

How's them apples! We're fighting back!!

All these supposed sources? Most of it is total BS

Good point on Darling With the other candidates we've got our fingers crossed Petty will probably be used forward and T-Mac back. Unless Goodwin swaps them around But the main issue is we don't know how good our forward line can be unless we start moving the ball into the forward line with greater efficiency It should be turn and go fast with the forwards on the lead I like the way the way the Pies & Lions go about it and they've won the last 2 Flags

But in all seriousness JVR & Fritsch would do a lot better with precise delivery (and fast inside 50 entries) Kozzie & Petracca swapping roles or maybe both play forward permanently (High half-forward & Small Forward) Who else? Melksham, Turner, Chandler & Tholstrup can be weapons if the entries are quick and accurate Not sold on Petty (better in the backline) so we are screaming out for another KPF Could we make a call to Byron Bay? But if we continue to laboriously go forward via the boundary line, all bets are off, QD! It's nice to talk the actual game again, thanks for the quote My plan includes 2 new plug in and play midfielders from this year's draft. Ready to go Round 1 (or Round 0 haha)

Hogan!!! Neitz???

I do think a thread highlighting all their grandiose big statements would be a bit of fun And we could point all the 'When are they ever wrong' types to that same thread 'Go here!' Affirmative action! The Power of the index finger!

Fair enough And because of what you've said, footy only represents a small part of my life I only watch a game or 2 and none of the other shows. Don't follow the footy news outlets and I couldn't name many players from any of the other clubs And it's been that way for decades It pays to have a lot of other interests

Just ignore as they are not really hurting the FD or the players In fact, galvanising and using the 'us against them' is still quite relevant in sports e.g. Port using Ginnivans comments to fire the team up ... That stuff still works I agree with you with regards to those who believe all the media ... but it's any excuse to get stuck into their own club for those types But further to that those same types are really bad losers and are bitter and twisted about the club not winning the flag in the last 3 years There's at least 10 people on this site who think that way ... and they are very loud about it too But again, best to ignore So it's not necessarily the media, it's those with an agenda who use the media tripe to their advantage They'll often come out with "Where have they been wrong?" Of course, the media are wrong constantly and we should start a thread about all their idiotic big statements they make Robbo, Caro, Hutchy, Morris, Eddie etc mostly talk rot

Just don't take the media seriously then. Ignore them if it's going to bother you You'll never beat them But there are some truths and lies and embellishment coming from the media How do you sort that out? A nose for BS? That can help but it's tricky Take the news that Clarrie might take a pay cut ... my immediate thought was that if he definitely wants out, then that could be true But who wants to give up hundreds of 1000's per season? Then there's Joe Daniher who has just turned his back on $1Million So you never know

But the media are intimating that we have treated him poorly But I can't see any evidence of mistreatment What we can all see is the player going rogue ... that is indisputable

Not sure if it's been said already but once a club shops a player around, then the club has to expect the player to look for greener pastures Just put yourself in Oliver's shoes ... what would you do if there was an opportunity elsewhere?

Ok, in my opinion, he hadn't been mistreated

If Clarrie goes this will all be on him We haven't mistreated him and we've been extremely patient And we've given the bloke any number of chances to mend his ways Sometimes people just go rogue and you have to part company It's really nothing personal unless you want to hang on to how great a player he has been. And that's hard to let go of I hope he stays and gets his best footy back but if not, I wish him well