Lucifers Hero

iirc JT said we planned to have Jackson as a fwd. I think it was in one of the 2020 pre-draft interviews. However, we saw something different in him and changed that early view. Maybe Freo will change their view. After all, the best stretch of his career so far was the GF when he was in the middle. At the Dees he learnt his ruck craft from Max. At Freo he may learn from Darcy but Darcy himself is still learning. But then again, not sure what big men Freo have to help get the best out of Jackson. Time will tell.

May not be in theory but Freo intend to play Jackson as a fwd so he is a Lobb replacement in practice. Bell even said we didn't use him enough as a fwd and our game style didn't suit him as a fwd. They intend to change his role to be predominately a fwd. Not sure how Jackson will like that...

Freo can see they have an uphill battle next year: cant-have-it-all-dockers "Dockers CEO Simon Garlick says the club and players aren’t “overly concerned” with the draw that will also include double games against preliminary finalists Brisbane and finalists the Western Bulldogs". (Plus Geelong and Sydney double ups). Just a little concerned perhaps? “There’s no doubt we’ve seen all the analysis over the last couple of days and the double ups and the like that we’ve got some on-field challenges ahead of us..." The downside of finishing in the top 6! "From Round 16, the Dockers will play six consecutive games against teams that finished in the top nine last year – but three of those games will be at home". A tough run home. As Garlick rightly points out what looks like a hard/easy draw now may not turn out that way. Without doing the 'death ridie' thing, I don't like their chances of making finals especially as they need to integrate key players: Jackson for Lobb, O'Meara for Mundy and cover the loss of Logue, Tucker, and Acres who are in their 'best 25'. It may take the first third of the season, when they need to win a lot of games, to settle the team by which time the season may have slipped away, given their tough run home. They are a young side so can see them sliding next year 🤞 to come back in 2024. Which means we will end up with a fairer price for Jackson.😉

Those aren't but the other 4 are almost 'gimmes'! So overall it is about the easiest double ups of all.

With an extra game and each team now having 6 not 5 double ups the 6-6-6 fixture rule doesn't work so well.

Ess have paid the price for being consistently poor. Not only are they playing at Geelong they have no night games in the first 15 games. Looks like they have been the loser to Carlton's elevation as the AFL fixture darling.

Me too! I will get to most night games as I now live on a different train line which will make night travel safer in that my station is no longer the second last.

In the first 15 ruonds. we have seven night games : 1 x Thursday in Geelong 2 x Friday night interstate 1 x Friday night at the G 2 x Saturday night at the G 1 x Monday night at the G for sponsors it is ok as they still get the FTA exposure of the 1/state games. for fans we don't have much to complain about: the usual problems with night games have been removed: winter weather, school/work the next day, digital tickets, late finish (3 of the 4 start before 7.30), we have lots of day games. all except one night game will be FTA. It looks like the club has prioritised crowd attendance. Fans wanted more day games, we have them so hopefully we support the team by turning up, day or night!

The AFL seem desperate to promote Carlton: Two additional 'blockbuster' games: Good Friday and KB Eve vs Ess Umpteen FTA prime time games The easiest 'double up' games possible: Collingwood, Melbourne, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, West Coast. Anyone would think they just won the premiership!! I so hope this backfires on the AFL and Carlton.

I would wait and see what accommodation looks like closer to the date and the gauging may peter out.

Can't see many people outside SA travelling there to watch their game or most other games. Eagles fans fly to be flogged by Geelong? Freo fans to go to some backwater to play GCS? Lions or North fans to go to some backwater to watch a training run for Lions? Collingwood fans to watch Saints? etc etc. I had thought the idea was to attract huge crowds to this 'Festival'. Can't see it happening. A crowd drawing festival would include at lest some of the 'rivalries': Adelaide vs Port Freo vs Eagles Syd vs GWS Bris vs GCS Haw vs Ess etc Boring name, boring fixture! An own goal in the making for the AFL!

Agree. For the general SA and visiting i/state public there is no other match that seems worth attending. Almost as if the bigger Vic clubs didn't want to play each other and loose a gate taking bounty back in Melbourne. Ditto the rivalry WA, NSW and Qld 'derbies'. The only Vic teams that play each other are Ess vs Dees and Coll vs Saints which are unlikely to be big drawcards. As for the opening night: 9th vs 14th (2022 ladder). Missed opportunity to max out crowds for the festival. There is a real risk of it being an attendance fizzer. Our game might be one of the highest drawing crowds. From a crowd drawing point of view, I reckon it would have been smarter to fixture us vs Freo: The Jackson showdown!!!! And, at least another serious Vic vs Vic game. Edit: just noticed Port play WBD so that might draw a good crowd as AFL would be hoping the WBD fans will hop across the border so that is a sensible match up.

Looks like Geelong win the playing a WA team lottery and save them a trip to Perth. Unlikely that if they play the Eagles again it will be in WA.

"The many fan ideas for the round included United Round, AFL Roadshow, Footy Fiesta, The Big Show, Family Round, Connection Round, Roving Round, Premiers Round, The Grape Escape, Hanger Round, Round Five!, AFL Mega, Celebration Round, All-in Round, Magnetic Round, Destination Round, Fanatics Round and Festival of Footy". How they picked 'Gather'.with those suggetions... Someone has a sense of humour suggesting to call it: Round 5!

I didn't mean all the i/state games will be in the 2nd half. Usually we get the bye after the KB game round 13. Three or Four 1/state games in the last 9/10 rounds plus Alice could give us a nasty schedule again.

I reckon you guys have a worse case of MFCSS/AFL persecution than I have😉

Something is holding up the 'Gather' Round 6 fixture which was scheduled for release on Tuesday. I wonder if is clubs squabbling over whose Home game it will be? And whether it is compensated somewhere else? Or stuff like that. I wouldn't mind playing one of the WA teams that round in SA. One less long haul trip. At least two Eastern states will get that advantage so hope it is us.

So we know 4 of the first 16 rounds. Round 1 - Bulldogs, Saturday night, MCG (Home game) April 24 - Richmond, Monday night, MCG (Home game) June 12 - Collingwood, Monday afternoon, MCG (Home game) Round 16 - GWS, Time TBA, Alice (Home game) On that basis we may be doing a bit of travelling in the second half of the season again.☹️ as there will be at least another 5 interstate games to fit in. Hopefully, those last three games don't compromise getting a decent break between games or a full bye round break.

Great that we go there but it is a shame it won't be during Indigenous Round. GWS. A nice change to not be playing a team from WA or SA that usually has a strong following in NT. Will give us an opportunity to embed our identity and the Demon Spirit as the AFL team to support.

Gather what? No pizazz there whatsoever. Even without sponsors surely someone in marketing has some imagination!

What is the name?

What makes you think that, od?

Is there a fixture yet...

An excellent insight into the wheeling and dealing of the first round draft night. While not much happened there was a lot happening behind the scene. trades-that-didn-t-come-off and unsurprisingly we were in the thick of it! I wonder who we had in mind for GWS's (initial) pick #19? There are few unknowns between the clubs at draft time. Sydney's bids and trades were the only interesting aspect of the whole draft. . While Twomey had a fair bit of the info before the draft, I'm guessing the finer details have been provided to him in the last week. Fascinating reading.

Not sure what he has to do with the injured players post but anyway I'll play along. He ain't a team player, just wants to rack up possessions and won't run both ways. He is where our midfield players were in 2019. No thanks.