Macca

I could care less about Carlton & Voss, DJ We need wins when we can get 'em

To win games against top quality opponents, we'd need nearly everything to go our way For the rest (Carlton included) we need about 10-12 players to have a really solid output ... 7/10 up to 9/10 But the mis-match is the Blues midfield vs our midfield. As stated by a few others here on this thread, we need to find a way to go close to breaking even on the day (in the midfield) There's no point chatting about who we haven't got anymore, we need our midfield to find a way

Here's the next 2 weeks* for the aforementioned 4 teams (Total season-to-date points in brackets) Leeds (33) @ Man Utd (55) Hammers (29) vs Wolves (17) Spurs (30) @ Sunderland (43) Forest (32) vs Aston Villa (54) Leeds vs Wolves (17) Hammers @ Palace (39) Spurs vs Brighton (43) Forest vs Burnley (20) *This upcoming weekend is reserved for the internationals

Courtesy of 'AI' ... (sad to see Willis go but the Packers obviously couldn't stand in his way - I rated the bloke highly) "As of late March 2026, following the opening of free agency, the NFL is buzzing with major veteran quarterback relocations, surprise trades, and the fallout from the 2025 postseason. Here are the top 10 talking points in the NFL today: Kyler Murray to the Vikings: In a move considered one of the best value signings of the offseason, Kyler Murray signed a one-year deal with Minnesota for the veteran minimum ($1.3M) after being released by the Cardinals. Malik Willis Lands in Miami: The Dolphins bet on high-upside, signing Malik Willis to a three-year deal with $45M guaranteed, expecting him to be their new franchise quarterback after releasing Tua Tagovailoa. Tua Tagovailoa Resurfaces in Atlanta: The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal, setting up a potential competition and a fresh start for the veteran quarterback under coach Kevin Stefanski. The Failed Maxx Crosby Trade Fallout: The Ravens "gutted" themselves after pulling out of a massive trade for Raiders star Maxx Crosby due to medical concerns, subsequently signing edge rusher Trey Hendrickson instead. Chiefs Land RB Kenneth Walker III: In a move to fix their underwhelming run game, Kansas City signed former Seahawks star Kenneth Walker III, bringing a needed explosive element to their backfield. Rams Revamp Secondary with Trent McDuffie: The Rams made the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason by acquiring All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs, aiming to secure their defensive backfield for a championship push. Mike Evans Joins the 49ers: Veteran WR Mike Evans left Tampa Bay to join San Francisco on a three-year deal, providing a needed vertical threat to complement the 49ers' offensive weapons. Raiders Aggressively Rebuild Defense: Following the failed Crosby trade, the Raiders spent heavily to improve their defense, adding key players like center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, and defensive end Kwity Paye. Panthers Build around Bryce Young: Carolina had a strong free agency, locking up edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd to high-value contracts, significantly strengthening their front seven. 2026 NFL Draft QB Questions: With the Raiders expected to draft QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, many teams are analyzing a 2026 draft class deemed relatively weak at quarterback, highlighting the heavy reliance on veteran"

Ha! Dare I say it but the Hammers can survive ... 3 or 4 winnable games in the last 7 But Spurs have a similar run home Forest & Leeds somewhat similar as well 4 points separates the 4 teams so luck will play a part. Needless to say, it could well go down to the wire, GV

You have to wonder about Pucovski and the like, in cricket

Yes, if this class action is successful then not only will it cost the League (and therefore the clubs) a small fortune, then there is the aftermath A new batch of players could take another class action and then there is the game itself and how it is played Tackle-free footy like Gaelic football? And what about all the 10's of 1000's of suburban & country footballers (both past and present) It's noticeable that with American football, there are very few leagues below the NFL (apart from College)

Baker wouldn't make much difference to our current list anyway (if at all) He's no better or worse than Sharp Where we are lacking are proper A Graders (and lots of them) Difference makers In terms of putting together a list that can contend, we are on a genuine rebuild We might win 10 games this season but any more than that will be a real surprise

We're a team situated around the 9th - 13th mark and Freo are a top 6 team And we were playing the Dockers away from home. They were favoured for a reason Before the game, the biggest predicted mismatch was in the midfield, and that's how it played out Plus, we've got a revamped team with a new game plan that has no resemblance to the old game plan. We need time and games under our belt, regardless of the results But if we were to predict which games were winnable, a punchers chance, or difficult to win, it might look a bit like this (in the first 10 games) Saints (MCG) ✔️ Freo (WA) ❌️ Blues (MCG) Suns (MCG) Bombers (SA) Lions(MCG) Tigers (MCG) Swans (SCG) Eagles (Docklands) Hawks (MCG) *Green - Quite winnable (60/40) *Blue - A 35/65 chance *Red - A difficult assignment So instead of 0 & 2 we are 1 & 1 (and we could be 3 & 2 after 5 games) But we all know that results never go as predicted in the AFL, so the above is only a guide

Yep, miles better than congested footy After quarter time we got end to end footy with the defences on top That's old school But both teams bombed it forward a bit too much ... Sydney more so

Hawks dominated possession later in the game ... Swans couldn't keep hold of the ball

Keep working on our skills and if we keep improving as a result, there will be less turnovers It looks like we're committed to this new breakneck style but from the last line of defence, I'm not sure that we should be attacking through the CHB region ... maybe later on when we're much more adept at hitting targets There's a time and a place to kick it down the line. But from half-back, speed, skills and corridor use will make us a dangerous opponent

It's important to note that Kolt re-signed (an extension) on July 26 2024 This thread has been re-booted from that time. So it hasn't happened (the extension) as a result from Sunday's game

If this was round 4, 5 or 6 we could expect to rest a 34yo Max (or, at least, lessen his load) The last thing we need is him getting a soft tissue injury that is fatigue related. And at his age, he's now in that zone I'd lighten his load this week, bring in the Moose and rotate them both with the 2 key forwards and if the tall backs need a spell, for a short time there as well Here's a possible breakdown (if not against Freo, but at another time) Gawn 60% Ruck 15% Forward 10% Down back 15% Bench Heath 40% Ruck 25% Forward 10% Down Back 25% Bench JVR 80% Forward 20% Bench Mihocek 80% Forward 20% Bench The MC would know best though so we could expect an unchanged side We're playing against 3 types of teams this season Teams we should beat Teams that we could beat Teams that we will struggle to beat (being realistic) So where does Freo (away) sit and when is the best time to play a 2nd ruck? If at all?

If Kolt tags in all the H & A games (plus finals?) he will potentially be matched up on 23 A Grade players He's not going to break even or win every battle. Success rate? Who knows? A 50/50 result would be a big win (from an overall perspective)