Wells 11

Seems like a lot of over confidence on this page?! Im expecting a tough tight contest.

Introduction of recruiting zones that didn’t favour us at all. Introduction of TV at just the time we were [censored] ongoingly. Only the top sides got on the replays bk then. As a supporter since 1970 I can tell you we were very very rarely on TV. Footy went big dollar professional and we were still being run as an amateur club as part of the MCC. Lost the MCG as a training base and went from the having the best to having probably the worst facilities in the comp. These days the AFL protects the big drawing sides. Look at the coverage and big games the blues still get no matter how [censored] they are. We fell through the net after 64 like water through colander.

I just don’t like the way the draft is progressing. If players can choose to go to only the teams they want to then the bottom teams and poorer clubs are truly screwed. Which …. one day… may be us again.

That’s what they said about us in 21 re playing a PF in WA. I didn’t spot our mental scars that night and I highly doubt Port will be losing a final in Adelaide… they’re just a much better side in 23. Just hope it’s not us that have to play them there.

You my be right...its just unusual for two players to do it at once. But in saying that Im probably looking for a negative bias as I want the lions to fall.

Yesterdays Heroes..they were both greats. Fritsch is the best right now.

Seems like its possibly designed to take the heat off the coach....to avoid him having to make a hard call. But it weirdly brings the whole club into focus doesn't it?

Stoked with one of the best wins since our flag year. So many positives! But for the sake of discussion. 1./ Is there a better way to use kozzy to get him more involved? He no longer takes centre square bounces I see. Curious about your thoughts. 2./ The Brayshaw dilemma. His mistakes are becoming alarming. I believe He was manning Daicos in the last minute when he got free at the stoppage . same in the first qtr… can’t remember who it was that waltzed out of the stoppage to goal w Brayshaw no where to be seen. He miskicked badly to cough up our first goal as well. I’m a fan of his at heart … he’s tough and fit and did plenty of good things throughout. BUT onball he can be a liability . So…where to play him now with McVee nailing a spot down back and Hunter on the wing.

2 years kicking 40 plus goals for a small forward is outstanding. imo he’s a star in a bad patch.

Pickett. engine just running . He’s a A grader playing like a B grader. what’s happened to him?

Larkey signed with the Roos apparantly, but perhaps mckay may be gettable given his goal kicking woes?

Personally I could give a stuff who won out of these two but my god the umpiring was lopsided and terrible …as it consistently is these days. Bombers def got the fairy take ride with the umps. I just don’t like seeing the umpires have that big of an impact.

true… but let’s not forget we’re also missing Oliver, Petty, Bowie and you could add tmac and / or brown to that. yes they’re looking like missing more but we are not full rat power either.

Lions looked tired and slow. Don’t get me wrong I’m happy they lost but I reckon this plays into the loading argument. They’re a way better side than that performance and guaranteed come Sept they will be a very very good side.

Say anything worth repeating?

But exactly why would ash johnson wanna leave the pies right now…on the threshold of a golden era?

worth going just to see that!

Question that’s come up a lot on DL over the last few days. Why is kozzie not getting any of the centre bounces?

yep re squandered. It def hurts more doesn’t it when we can see a few teams that have genuinely passed us. Although, against that, you could say it wasn’t a lack of application in 22 but more like we pushed too hard. Not resting injured players… pushing for perfection as admitted. We didn’t relax we just didn’t quite play the right hand. Honest mistake if you like. Also, even at peak, I wonder if we would have gotten past geelong. Bearing Geelong in mind though, you never know if can’t somehow do a mini, top end rebuild and come bk in a year or two. We still have a great core of top end talent.

I didn’t watch the game but 19 possessions is actually good. Means he’s in the game and probably playing a bit further up? If fit (enough) he’s a big in. Aside from all else he kicks straight. Can be a critical aspect of momentum. Jesus… yesterday watching Harmes, Spargo, Brayshaw, Pickett, JVR and Grundy kick the game away from us just about killed me.

As Im calming down after the game a few things stand out. It was a tough, hard fought contest against a good team hitting their straps now. It’s not a crime to lose to a likely finalist on a winning streak, but it’s still a game we should have won. 1./ Basic errors in tight games kill you. spargo spoils fritsch mark at 30 metres, harmes does the same to Jvr. Both players also miss sitters from 30 during the game. Grundy running in to goal unpressured from 35 misses. Errors will always happen but we made way too many. 2./ simple but true… bad kicking costs you in tight games . They kicked straight we didn’t. Picket 2x OOF to go with his 2 goals but there was many culprits. Not just bad kicking at goal either, our kicking all over the ground was riddled with poor choices. Trac def a culprit. 3./ Lever is way down on form. Got to good places to impose himself but dropped marks he would normally take including the one that led to the sealer. 4./ An intangible. It felt, at the ground, we just didn’t have a lot of spark. They are consistently tough and we should all appreciate that. But there just doesn’t seem to be much excitement between them or anyone to light that fuse. 5./ We’re a good to very good side in 23. Top 4-6. But we’re no longer a great one. BBB and Tmac are pretty much done now and they were both a big part of our flag year. Sadly I think We may have to adjust to the truth of where we actually sit in 23.

It’s an interesting point. At the game I felt a bit the same… something is definitely flat in the group.

It was painful to watch all day wasn’t it, Spargo from 30, harnes from 35, kozzie 2x oof , jvr and brayshaw crouch goals in a tight last qtr. it’s the gane right there.

I love the Narrm concept and that we led the league with this… but we have a [censored] record with that as our name. Have Narrm won a game yet? MFCSS rising … this is big game.