Diamond_Jim

2025 is all about laying the groundwork for 2026. Post 2026 Gawn will be getting slower and May and TMac plus Melksham will be gone. It seems that most like the gameplan but it requires refinement plus a few more easy avenues to goal. Realistically 2026 is the last chance for a while. Time to move some pieces on the chess board and see what we have. Let's not run Max into the ground for a middling end to 2025. From Casey I'd look at Bonner for the mid season draft. He's a link player which is the type you need for the modern game. Sestan and Adams are worthy of a look but other than K Brown who is not setting the world alight at Casey I'm not seeing much talent at Casey. Our AFL players often rank behind the Casey listed players which is not a great sign. I'd be rotating our first and second year talent so they get a rest say one week in four. Laurie can fill in and be given one last chance. Perhaps use the sub position to manage game time for May and Gawn. I can't think of one instance this year where our sub has impacted using the traditional "quick" player. Might also be wise to manage Tracc into 2026. That injury was horrific and he's obviously not the same player. As the song says.... Gimme Hope Joanna (aka Goody)

Time to manage May and Gawn. Melksham is not the future. Unless there is a gameplan reason time to try someone else. Foward line solution... Like the coach I have no idea

Season over for all practical purposes. Only thing keeping my interest is denying Essendon a high draft pick. Continual injuries haven't helped but there's little joy to be had this year

You have to score to win Same problem as in previous years ... inaccuracy and insufficient forward presence

May as well take a few risks and go for it. Losing by one or two goals is simply face saving

I think we've seen this movie before

last week by a point or two

From the Age live game coverage: This is the missed trip that cost Melbourne the half-time lead against Hawthorn at the MCG. Damaging Demons forward Kysaiah Pickett was blatantly brought down in the goal square during a tight second term, but the umpires allowed play to continue as Hawthorn held on to a one-point lead at the long break.

Last five goals to the Dogs and they hit the front

Fullarton's third goal and off to the bench

Almost unwatchable as a spectacle. Great day for footy and you get a game like this

A very uninspiring game. Way too crowded. 36 players on the ball like under 12 football

Tenth time lucky First goal

Lots of forward entries but crowded and little structure

AJ's radar hasn't improved

A perfect day for football. With the outs I'm not expecting much but perhaps AJ can find his goal radar. K Brown is another one who like Woey must be wondering about his future

SWYL Get with the modern game... It's about risk, turnover and getting an easy goal. This is the way

No Petty, no Viney no Melksham a young raw forward in Jefferson. O Boy this season is so joyous

Stan CEO announced yesterday that they would be seriously bidding for F1. If Kayo were to lose F1 and NRL its future would definitely be questionable. The only certainty is that subscription prices will go up or we will see more ads. Perhaps both Here's an ABC News article on Kayo's new owner. Made his initial big money buying distressed aluminum smelters when the Soviet Union collapsed https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-08/len-blavatnik-dazn-warner-foxtel-nrl-afl-soviet-oligarch/105253268 "Over the past decade, Blavatnik has been working towards his dream of creating the "Netflix of Sport" through his sports streaming service, DAZN (pronounced "Da-Zone"). Today, it's becoming a major player in the global sports scene, with around 20 million paid subscribers and 300 million monthly users across more than 200 countries."

Unfortunately a Magpie win is in our interest assuming we win. A few 50/50 games from our perspective in Ess v Sydney and Saints v Blues. The same could be said for suns v Dogs and the SA derby. This weekend could shake up the ladder in several ways. Need to remember that Essendon and the Suns have played one game less.

One of the big reasons for the revamp was the NSW and Qld AFL teams complained that their local competition was not strong enough to develop their AFL players. The mistake was to allow the Sharks and perhaps the Vic non aligned clubs to participate without any detailed plan as to how the competition would develop. Byes and relegation would have been on the table if it was a genuine competition. Ironically it's now failing as both a competition and reliable training/development environment.

None of our team have replicated that five minute period since. Why... No idea... I watched 2022 desperate to see it again but no

Argued to get Hogan back after his first lukewarm period at GWS. Shut down completely on this forum. Jackson.... nah... unless he agrees to a few KPI's. I thought he was generational at MFC but something has happened. The De Konig twins are better but Jacko should have been better again.

The 70 metre kick could revolutionise the game. Where's those guys who can kick over the proverbial wheat silo these days. Don't laugh the three point shot in basketball has dramatically changed that game. Why when players are so much stronger and fitter and records tumble in most sports have we not seen longer kicks in AFL. NFL punters and kickers probably have increased their range by 20% since the eighties. Same in rugby union.

If you would like to see how umpires can impact a game look no further than Storm v Raiders tonight