Big Col

I've been running the line for the last few years that Nth didn't deserve high-end priority picks but if they don't show any improvement this year, they'll need some serious help. This is a worse hole than we were in. Priority picks that that they have to trade for players (similar to the mini-draft of GWS), increased salary cap, increased player list. They're at risk of having their young high pick midfielders not developing properly and/or leaving if they're not competitive soon.

6 - ANB (i have a serious man-crush) 5- Gawn 4- Viney 3- Rivers 2- Trac 1- Clarry

Oh yeah baby!!!! [will have a more nuanced comment later on.. but f$#% you PA and we are the greatest]

While I'd so love to see Petty up forward, he really is good down back.

Nearly throwing up from nervousness (although could be that I'm already on wine bottle #2 and the gsme hasn't even started). Big game coming from Jack V. I can feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it ... C'mon Dees

and J Smith (we're a player down atm)

Given the vagaries and overall inequities, compromise and inconsistency of the VFL competition (we SO need a dedicated reserves comp) I thought that today's effort was encouraging. The ideal spot for a reserves team IMHO is a mid to mid-high placed team (eg 5th-6th) that gives developing players a good look at both a winning and losing situations and that instills that victory only comes from team efforts (rather than an overdose of experienced AFL players). Jefferson looked good. Pity he got the yips. I'm happy for him to take his time developing before debuting. I'm significantly more confident about player development now than back in the days of MN and JW.

No, I'm not either (cough, cough)

Petty went well down back and will have to play there the next 2 games despite training as a forward all summer.

[censored] and poo to be precise

Just tonight?

Oh When ...

No change (unless for injury). Don't drop Sparrow after one quiet game, but think about who the sub should be. If Woey isn't in the 22, play him in the VFL (and make Laurie the sub or AMW or Kynan Brown)) Petty to be given another run in VFL. Tholstrop to play in VFL next week (after missing out on any games this week). We're playing Sunday in the VFL so he can still be an emergency.(When we go to Adelaide, we'll be taking a squad for the 2 games, so I imagine Thosltrop will be taken in the squad, so give him, Petty & Woey a VFL game next week.)

Any of the top 3 desreve the chocolates. Good to see our champions firing. 6 - Clarry: i nearly cried when the crowd cheered him off in the last quarter 5 - Max: slow to start but was dominant after 1Q 4 - Trac: fumbly for quite a bit early on, but Trac did what Trac typically does and 3 - JB: if he plays like this all year we're going to win a lot of games 2 - May; the king of the backline and hardly beaten 1 - Chandler: 3 goals including some great crumbing is a welcome return to his early 2023 form Not too many passengers this week. Very happy with all the new kids (including Marty Hore who's not really new) and I reckon we have a star in the making with Windsor.

Billings was outstanding today and exactly what we’ve been looking for. His ability to link up plays was elite. It was of little surprise to find out he had something like 11 score involvements. Took 15 marks as well.

And even though some like to hate on Toby Greene, the guy is a f...ng legend of a player. He is the complete player and I get goose bumps watching him. [and my daughter reckons the GWS is the best song other than 'Grand Old Flag']

Love jesse

I love it when we play Port Melbourne because I get to sing "Grand Old Flag" no matter the result.

I think we must be loading

Re Oliver and 'check with the AFL' I think this is about the rules regarding interchange for the official practice matches. Maybe we want to give Clarry half a game - as well as Salem - so would want an extended interchange bench?

With the AFLW team win over WCE, the Demons remain top of the McLelland Trophy, clear of Brisbane by 4pts. There are 3 more AFLW games to go, and if Mel and Bne keep winning in rds 8 and 9, the final round between the two teams will decide the $1m. I can't seem to find a ladder anywhere though - I've just calculated in my head.

I've often thought that the bottom 6 will get you to a Prelim, but it's the top 6 that will actually get you the chocolates once you're there.

Grundy was actually pretty good for us in the first part of the season when Max went down.

In so many ways RDB was a legend - from his playing days to an amazing coaching record. I'm sure we'll hear all about it over the next week or so. But here's my take on RDB memories (I'm born 1968 so never saw him play). 1/ The passion. Whether it was finger pointing or screaming down a phone - contemporary coaches like Clarkson or Scott have nothing on RDB. At his peak as a coach he was brutal. 2/ The fashion. Often a suit with no tie but always full of colour. Check out the photos from North's win in 1975 and try tell me the man had no class. 3/ The ration (OK, I only wrote that cos it rhymes - I meant 'innovation'). It's a well-known trope that RDB 'introduced handball to the game at half time of the 1970 GF' but regardless he was perfectionist who had an understanding of the 'one-percenter' long before it was a statistic. Robbie Flower wrote in his autobiography about how RDB had made all the players think about the little things. eg how was your bootlace tied? (a badly tied bootlace could cause a kick to go awry etc). RIPRDB

both of them? [actually I agree with you. happy to see GWS have success]