Sydee

I’d be tempted to drop him simply to confirm Jason Dunnystool has absolutely NFI what he is talking about

How did you rate Blake Howes game? My sense is he will learn reasonably quickly what his strengths and weaknesses are and adjust his game accordingly at the top level - can he make it at AFL level (I’d say probably yes) In the meantime we may see some goals leak if he stays in the starting 22 Just my opinion be interested in your thoughts

If you are old enough and watch how he handballs left handed the answer should be rather obvious

Is he quick ? Not overly but has worked hard at his fitness and is quicker than last year and seems to have built a tank Is he an elite ball user? Maybe not yet but he is way better at disposal than half of the regulars in our team Is he tough as nails? He is a solid unit and harder than he looks, difficult to tackle and can lay a decent tackle too Is he smart / good decision maker ? Suggest you take another look at the Windsor goal where Laurie delays a handball (left handed btw) and releases Windsor to run into goal - smart footy IMO Is he a lock for the team each week ? Probably not yet but he is closing in on that status IMO so long as he keeps improving. We need to remember that these young guys can take a little bit of time to adjust

So does Choo Choo 🚂

Balls was my favourite in #14

Let’s just pray that young Tom Fullarton or Will Verrall can surprise us all and fill the gap left by space cadet

The worst thing about this preseason for me is our supporters going at each others throats before an official game has even started - absolutely mind boggling If I was coach I’d be plastering the walls with all the doom and gloom commentary and urging our boys to prove the doubters (of which their seem many) wrong If we have a half decent run with injury this year I can’t see why we still can’t make finals - possibly even top 4 and then it’s anyones flag Some people here are clearly too young to remember the bad old days or are simply naive enough to think we can deliver a flag every year in an incredibly tough competition

Agree we should always thank anyone who represents the MFC and wish them well if they leave on good terms - JJ ticks this box The reality is that our list needs more leg speed than less and while JJ was a solid player speed is not his strength With our list having some changes, some by design, other forced upon us now is the time to try and get some more genuine pace and some elite balls users - oh a couple of quality tall KP players would be handy too 😀

Thank you Gus I just hope you are ok and that your life from here is healthy and happy One of my absolute favourites and got lots of laughs from Gus & Gawny. You got a premiership medal and not many have achieved that - so richly deserved

I like the 90% efficiency

I think what we take away is that match sims within our own team are not a great reflection of how guys will perform when the rubber hits the road I haven’t watched the game against Richmond (is it available anywhere other than Kayo?) but I’m encouraged by your comments on Windsor and also Verrall who I think has a reasonable future if he can get really fit

My vote is 5-8 but it’s such an even competition I’m finding it increasingly more difficult to predict where teams will finish as each season approaches I believe our futures depend heavily on JVR playing the majority of games and kicking an average of at least 2 goals per game In addition we need to get meaningful contributions from Petty , Fullarton, and McAdam or preferably all three I’m getting a little nervous about our highly rated backline which works well when teams move the ball slowly but seems to be becoming more and more vulnerable against opposition that have fast ball movement and apply pressure particularly on the ground

Max is clearly one of our most important players and if he was to miss games we lose a significant weapon However providing Oliver plays most of the season (a big if imo) then personally I feel we lose more if Petty can’t play most games Our midfield is capable of winning possession and at least breaking even if Max is out - our forward structure is now heavily dependent on Petty being the second tall to help take the heat off JVR (who simply can’t do it all without help) Our other tall forwards I have little or no confidence in TMac sadly looks as if his body will not allow him to perform to the level we used to see BBB - see above Schache - has had plenty of chances and just can’t seem to impose himself at AFL level I know there are some people that think he can miraculously turn that around with a string of games I just don’t see it Jefferson - still a very long way off Verrall - potential but has trained and played mostly as a ruck so no idea when/if he might add some value Fullerton - has shown potential in the VFL with Brisbane as a forward but we know the step up is significant and unfortunately has had an interrupted preseason Have I missed someone? I don’t think so Petty getting fit and staying fit will largely determine our fortunes this season - given his ability to stay on the park till now it’s a big concern imo

I admit I didn’t watch this game - but based on some of the comments here I really hope they weren’t focusing on the backline or midfield Perhaps the focus was getting the interchanges smooth? These games aren’t really much of a guide to how the season will play out but I must say I’m just a little bit concerned that there were 10 unanswered goals when they have stated previously that stopping the opposition getting multiple unanswered goals was a focus in the off season Learnings a plenty

My guess is Tommo

Agree we really need to see some of these young talls to show some improvement and consistency - I’d add Verrall to that list

Verrall is an important player on our list while we must have sensible expectations for him this year he showed enough last season (with injuries and a fitness base that wasn’t even VFL standard) to give me hope that he can evolve into a good tall whether that be a forward or forward/ruck Good luck to him let’s hope he competes well and stays healthy

Think Adam’s may have been used as a forward with some success in juniors Maybe he can be Petty mk2

Fritta is our best forward and most likely to impact the scoreboard with goals Losing Kozzy for the Sydney game hurts us much more than Melksham or MCAdam imo

I think two other clubs have invested in Josh and so far the ROI hasn’t been acceptable I’m not saying he can’t help us just that he hasn’t proven he can deliver - yet ! Personally I have more faith that Will Verrall will help fill a need

Hopefully he is ready and picked on merit He will get his chance in the next couple of weeks to show what he can do against real opposition and not some glorified circle work at training - we all know there is a very big difference I’m bullish on Caleb and have likened him to the great Robbie in the way he runs, side steps, handballs and even kicks - is he ready to contribute meaningfully early this season I have no idea yet - if he can it will be a big bonus

If Oliver plays against Sydney I’d prefer he spends time in F50 rather than Trac I know Trac has spent more time as a forward recently but seriously given where we are today I can’t see how Clayton can run out more than a half as a midfielder in early rounds Neither are sharpshooters when it comes to goal kicking but I do think Trac is better at delivering into the F 50 then Oliver who (imho) tends to bomb the ball in without much precision too often

Hopefully Will gets a decent run in our two pre season hit outs and shows enough promise to be considered for selection His biggest weakness last year was lack of fitness that meant he struggled to ruck for extended periods and a whole match at Casey Hopefully a better pre season has allowed him to build a bigger engine