poita

I can't believe people still think Brown and Weideman will play in the same team. The selectors have ample opportunities to try this combination if they think it will work (including when McDonald was injured in late 2021), and we've seen it a grand total of once since Brown came to the club. Even then McDonald still played and it only happened because Jackson missed. Brown and Weideman are basically the same type of player, playing a very similar role. However one is an elite, proven performer and the other is a highly inconsistent and large unproven player. McDonald is a very different player who plays a role that is highly complementary to Brown (or Weideman), and that is why he keeps getting selected even if he is not kicking a lot of goals. The Brown / McDonald combination is clearly our most effective and I expect to see them reunited as soon as Brown as seen as fit enough to play.

Whilst people are getting giddy over our membership numbers, they have to accept that a large portion of these are 3 game memberships so these people are unlikely to be seen at anything other than blockbuster matches. I doubt that most of these people even particularly care about the club, they just want to be along for the ride. Other than that, night games are a major hassle and I don't blame people for not attending when you are almost guaranteed to have public transport problems every second week.

With 56,841 members, is anyone brave enough to predict a crowd of over 30,000 for Saturday's game?

Congratulations to all the award winners. I'm amazed that Daisy won given her start to the year, but well done to her. I would have had her namesake as our best player across the season. The move of Prespakis to Essendon fills me with dread. There are four new teams coming in, plus a few perennial under achievers, who have a lot of money and opportunity to throw around to established players. Hopefully players are allowed to sign longer term contracts once all 18 teams are up and running. To those who attended - was there any hint that players might be considering offers to relocate, or was there a strong feeling that they are going to stick together and try again to win a premiership together?

Fully agree with this. I'm guessing player numbers are down at least 10% from last year, and probably more, given what I see in my local league. I rarely see kids kicking the footy at the local park, and the prevalence of night games makes it hard from them to get to or see games. Junior clubs are not being supported and are really struggling financially and with finding volunteers. I'm assuming the same issues are apparent at junior league level as well.

Because the AFL and it's competing clubs need to do way more to support junior football, and not just at the higher levels. It is too easy to cop out and use the pandemic as an excuse, but participation is down, standard of play is down, volunteer numbers are down, and interest in the game from juniors is down. The AFL and the clubs need to give more back.

Bedford and Chandler have both been on the list for four years now and both still struggle to get more than 10 touches against even weak VFL opposition, let alone kick goals. I don't see any upside in either as AFL prospects and would have gladly delisted them both by now. I haven't seen a lot of Laurie, but nothing stands out to date. I always worry when we reach for players in the draft, particularly when the player isn't filling an obvious need.

Congratulations to the team on an excellent season, but the reality is we have way too many underperformers at present to challenge Adelaide. Ignore the final margin, we have been belted three times by them in the past 12 months or so. Hatchard and Marinoff are great players who never fail to perform. Why our forwards persisted in playing behind all day is beyond my understanding. As is why they won't spread out and give the midfield some options to kick to. Goldrick, McNamara, L.Pearce were very good. Gay, Hanks, West and a few others tried hard, but many of the rest just didn't turn up. Mithen's disposal is abysmal and she was a complete liability. Zanker has regressed horribly and doesn't look like she wants to be there. Scott has barely touched the ball all year. Paxman tries hard, but makes way too many errors. If we lose players to the expansion teams, hopefully they come from this list.

Best & Fairest votes (from Melbourne FC facebook page) Hanks L.Pearce, Paxman D.Pearce, Mithen Hore Harris West, Bannan Congratulations to the 4 Demons in the All Australian team - great effort and well deserved.

I second this request. Also wondering if the AFL players are likely to stay in Adelaide for a couple of days to support the AFLW side.

You clearly didn't go to school with their feral supporters in the 1980s and 1990s. Apart from bandwagon Hawthorn supporters of that generation, they were clearly the most obnoxious supporters. My hatred of Essendon has been raging strongly for well over thirty years.

Harris is a certainty. L.Pearce owed one for last year - hopefully she is named this time around. Birch's form dropped off in the last month, but may go close. I'm a big fan of both Hanks & Heath, but it's a tough field. I can't see Hore getting in. I'm sure the selectors would love to squeeze Daisy in for one last guernsey after her big finish to the year. Could it happen?

I thought we were past playing cute little games with our injured players, but Petty, Lever and Hibberd are now all well outside the timeframes initially provided for their returns. If Lever's injury is really that bad, just let us know and we'll move on.

https://www.womens.afl/news/91625?_ga=2.25225470.218322668.1648418216-1215068611.1647897214 Zanker in significant doubt. Good to see some of the fringe players had a run at Casey on the weekend.

I see this is a 18 game fixture over the 23 weeks of the AFL season again. Really disappointing that we have to have so many byes when there are more teams (21) than games (18). Surely the fixture could stretch to 21 games. https://www.melbournefc.com.au/matches/fixture?Competition=7&CompSeason=47&MatchTimezone=MY_TIME&GameWeeks=1

The additional week off is not ideal, but do we have scope to have a few players run around in the VFL this weekend? Probably the least worst outcome, given that the AFL must have been tempted to play the SF early this week and then the PF on Sunday or Monday to keep the GF date. Hopefully Collingwood go down kicking and screaming against Brisbane and leave some sore bodies behind.

Rioli's action was disgraceful, and he should have copped multiple weeks. AFL should appeal. HS today has an article by Robbo comparing Draper's deliberate strike (fine only) with the Robinson case (suspension). I agree that Draper should have copped a week, and have no idea what Robinson was expected to do in that situation.

Interesting that only 2 of the top 8 on that list have won premierships in the past decade (admittedly 3 for Hawthorn). Shows the need to take your opportunities when they come.

I felt that most of the free kicks against Gawn to English were there (albeit a little soft) - Max didn't have a great game. Some of the other decisions, particularly the Langdon deliberate, the Smith block and the non-HTB in the last quarter, were really poor.

Great news. You would think that Adelaide would like to have a dabble at both Sparrow and Petty in the next few years, so keeping them under contract is important.

In addition to Salem being out, I'd be looking at Bedford and Jordon as possible omissions. I still have no idea what Bedford brings, other than fumbles and dropped chest marks. Obvoiusly much depends on where Rivers, Lever and Hibberd are at - I would much prefer to see McDonald forward and Brayshaw on his wing, although both did the jobs required of them last night. Do the likes of Dunstan, Melksham and Weideman get a Casey game this weekend to push their claims? We need players putting pressure on the incumbents at all times.

Our centre clearance stats would be much be better if Gawn stopped hitting the ball directly to the opposition. Our forward line would have kicked 30 goals last night if we'd been able to win the ball straight out of the middle on a regular basis.

I can't believe Zanker is only 22 - it feels as though she has been around for ages (same for Conti). Good to see Heath getting recognition, she has become a really important player. Hanks should be available as a midfielder, although she is guaranteed selection as a forward.

Terrible performance and pretty difficult to argue that the better team won. Perhaps the trip to Perth didn't help but, with so much at stake, we looked incredibly half hearted, indecisive and overwhelmed. Hopefully they can take the week off to rest up, refocus and bring a much better performance in the preliminary final.

No change unless injuries or illness are an issue.