deelusions from afar

With the lock down and not being able to celebrate with friends and family, I've found myself trawling the individual (non participating) club boards that have grand final threads - it is quite satisfying seeing them go from "Dees are shot, give Bont the medal" to "Holy [censored] this is the most insane football I've ever seen - and in a grand final!" This was also enjoyable: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/best-30-minutes-of-football-ever.1287418/

Noticed that too. I reckon you're spot on. Fits the narrative - from what they've been preaching all year it's everyone's contribution that enables him to shine. To show off the medal and take the glory (despite having an amazing game) goes against that. Once again Tracc is pure class.

Would love to have versions of the whole match with an alternative to the channel 7 commentary team - can do without BT and Brayshaw! SEN or ABC would be great. How do we find / get this?

I'm interested to see if there's a bump in our membership numbers in WA next year - could we play some games there in future?

Pretty amazing to think that Tomlinson, Hunt and Smith all would have been part of the side if not for injuries. Some reasonable depth! Plus Hore, Disco and Deakyn Smith have decent wraps on them as well.

I agree - I think when Thommo is back, he, Petty and Weid should all be thrown around a bit - surely playing at the other end of the ground helps develop their game and provides enormous flexibility if and when injuries occur. The talk was that Sam was on fire prior to being injured in the pre-season - if you think of where TMac was this time last year or even ANB, Jordon, Sparrow etc he might be one preseason away from being a best 22 player. Very happy he is likely to stay - hopefully he can reach his potential. All the same, I'd be keen to draft a young key forward in the draft who can develop for a few years at Casey as insurance when Brown / TMac finish up.

I'm glad to hear our club is getting out of the pokies - although the real problem going forward in terms of gambling is online / apps which AFL HQ is probably turning a blind eye to at the moment as it would be pumping so much $$ into the sport. The cynic in me wonders why this announcement comes in the lead up to the grand final - has this not gone as well as we would like? Why waste a great PR opportunity when it will be lost in the GF shenanigans? Or is it just a case of the contracts being signed and its just a coincidence that its right on the eve of our grand final?

Quite happy for people to get caught up in the narrative of the dogs having momentum, that it's a 50-50 (as they beat us last time) etc I think they are more of a danger to us if they go in as underdogs - it plays into Bevo's narrative which is clearly working for them.

Agree 100%. Particularly when the Dogs jumped them in both their previous matches this year. I know most coaches like to "back their system" but you have to respect the opposition. Everyone knows Port win when they win contested ball. But when they come up against a contested ball team, such as dogs, us, lions, they can't hack it and have no plan B.

I agree - but now that our quarantine has ended, it sounds like the players can move around a bit. Are we still at Joondalup? I know quarantine isn't fun for anyone (and it's my MFCSS kicking in) but wouldn't you just keep all the players there together like we have the last few weeks regardless of the quarantine period finishing?

If we win, we will be the hardest team to play against as Neeld prophesised!

For those saying Harmes to Smith. Doesn't Smith mostly play as a high half forward? Doesn't that mean Harmes would essentially be taking the spot of one of our small defenders (Rivers, Bowey or Salem)? Can't see it happening

I think you'll find that Naughton is a bit like TMac and Weid - needs a clear run at it to cause damage in the air. From memory May has been very effective at stopping him getting a run at it in our previous matches. I rate Smith but he's not the right one for Naughton

I know Cerra is a good player (maybe don't appreciate how good) and you have to give up quality to get quality... but to give up Weid, our first pic this year (2nd round) and first round pick next year. That's a fair bit to pick up isn't it. My sense is that Cerra plays the thin wing (the one Brayshaw plays) with some runs in the middle. Not as good as Brayshaw (Freo), Serong, Fyfe etc in terms of clearances and not quick but has good vision and disposal. Is it essentially just upgrading our Brayshaw's role? If so, I don't see that necessarily as a weakness. But others would have seen a lot more of him than me. We're obviously right in the window (Gawn, May, Brown, TMac may only have a few years left) and given the covid situation, maybe later picks can still be hidden gems.

I think this is the strange thing with Weid. He's not in our best 22 so unlikely to attract a pick that good. At the same time if he goes, we have no backup forward unless one of Smith / Petty / Tomlinson can do it but none are proven. So we trade Weid and draft a kid to develop with whatever picks we have.... but Weid was a top 10 pick (we won't have something that high) and has already built his body and knows the gameplan. Everyone knows most key forwards take a bit of time.... what if he's about to click? I want him to stay for insurance / our future... but if I as advising him I'd prob tell him to look for other options as he only gets a game now if Brown / TMac or Jackson are injured and even then it's not guaranteed (eg Melksham playing when TMac was injured)

I thought he is a package deal with McCrae (ie Collingwood bound?)

Agree - but also if he (and I suppose anyone else) is medisub and doesn't get onto the field the medal will feel hollow.

I wonder whether their long time frames may be there to enable finals coaches / assistant coaches to be candidates - Yze, Williams, Scott etc?

Obviously not the main priority at the moment but if Weid were to leave at the end of the year (could only see this happening if he said he wanted to - I think the club would want to keep him otherwise) would GWS's Riccardi be a target? He's been pushed out of the side due to Hogan and co and he has links to Melbourne with Williams his former coach. Admittedly he wouldn't be an automatic selection, but there's a reasonable chance he would get a game if any of TMac, BBB, Jacko or Gawn were injured. Haven't seen enough of him to know how good he is.

Would depend on how we lose - but with the week of, fit list, confidence etc I think it would feel like a wasted opportunity - moreso than 1998 which many see as the closest we've come to winning it in the last 30+ years.

I reckon he'll go to the tiges

Not sure if I've heard all the interviews you're referring to but I took his approach in the press conference as Brayshaws attempt to get some buy in from the Perth / WA public which is smart given we're to play our biggest match(es) in front of them. I think I've heard Gus on Gus and Gawny talk about how much he loves Perth but also loves Melbourne and has no intention of going back over there. I think its more his style - he's a positive person and so talks everything up. He's got fond memories of WA / he loves the ground - doesn't mean he wants to move there.

I got that impression too but also that he was also trying to talk him down eg saying he's come from a fair way back, really raw, hasn't been part of academy programs (outside of MFC) etc to try and pour some cold water on the hype - in his typical cagey way - perhaps in the hope that he will slide back out beyond 20. I know it doesn't look like it

Normally I'd agree but I just have a feeling - why isn't Goody sending him home to be with his wife? That would be the right thing to do if he was not in contention. Goody's comments and Brayshaw's comments also feed into this. It's obviously a risk but at the same time as a medical sub he's likely to only be needed for a quarter or two. Yes I know there could be an injury in the first 5 minutes - but even if there is, he wouldn't be needed to be on the ground all game. To give people an idea, this is the Time on Ground % of the players who have been on the fringes of our team this year: Trent Rivers - 69.9% Nathan Jones - 60.2% James Jordon - 59.3% Jake Melksham - 57.7% Tom Sparrow - 43% Aaron VandenBerg 32.8% Potentially, these averages are thrown out due to them counting games as subs / injuries (I'm not sure exactly how its calculated but I think this would be pretty spot on). Not sure how to find the individual game TOG% stats other than looking at the players' last game on footywire. So for example: Tom Sparrow v Bris - 57% James Jordon v Adel - 65% Jake Melksham v Adel 68% Nathan Jones v North 69% So its not like we haven't been playing with players only playing 2/3rd of the time. I think its a risk worth taking - there wouldn't be a player that wants a premiership more than Jonesy and he will know he has to play within his limits - put pressure on and fight tooth and nail. I think he can do it for 2/3rds of 1-4 quarters of football. To have him on the field will lift the whole team.

The comments of Brayshaw were very interesting esp following what Goody has said in the last week. I think it's on the cards if we win the prelim and Jones continues with his training and all the other things he's doing.