Diamond_Jim

mmmmmmm I think they have a very good forward structure with Hipwood still to return. Midfield.. equal Backline .. we are better It's when you watch a game like us you realise how well structured our backline defence is. On its day though a dominant midfield can tear it apart. For a few minutes I was barracking for Collingwood but I came to my senses !!

Who is the ruck for GWS? Hopefully we dominate the clearances

Didn't see that move coming this week.. Petty v Tomlinson On the sub .... Smith is the perfect sub. He can cover the big man down issue On Petty.. he strikes me as an agressive backman willing to take the play on. Tomlinson on the other is an excellent defensive backman but lacks that play on thrust. Just watching the Essendon replay and Smith definitely showing glimpses

no injuries or suspensions please. Used to like the VFL but the comp is now so lopsided you have to wonder Here's the ladder (only round 3 and already some teams have had byes) https://www.livesport.com/au/afl/australia/vfl/standings/

I assume they will use rolled turf rather than seed. Wonder when the turf will "take" given that "winter is coming".

Sell out at the Gabba tonight Love em or otherwise you have to admit... the Pies can draw a crowd There's certainly a few games that could present an upset

Do that and you may lose half our backline rebound. Brayshaw is presently playing Salem's role.

Dunstan hasn't exactly shined at VFL level but short of a major reshuffle like Brayshaw into the midfield and ?? into defence your suggestion makes sense.

There's some speculation that the next CBA could see a minor increase if not a drop. The near absence of trades over the last two years is evidence of how tight the market is. Some may recall one commentator's view that your top five or six players should receive 50% of your cap. We could see different clubs taking different approaches to overall list management. MFC is in the enviable/unfortunate position of having around ten players who could argue that they should be paid in the top 20% percentile for their position. The additional issue with Luke J is that the West can offer another 100/200k per year in the form of personal appearances, media etc. Oh to live in interesting times

While I predicted the graveyard shift for the Mel v Freo game it's not a great outcome. But to be bumped by Suns v Hawks for the prime TV game.... wow

at least Hibberd has gone from 2-3 to 2

$12 M for 8 years... I think that would be the highest ever Buddy was around $10M for 9 years Not impossible if you punt on a 30-50% uplift in the slary cap over the next 8-10 years. Won't happen this time around but in 2 years.. who knows If he does end up dominating the competition that price could look cheap in 8 years.

I think it's time to take game development away from the AFL and place it in the hands of a separately funded authority. How you fund it would be the argument but perhaps a 5% turnover tax on the AFL matched by a 5% charge pro rated to the relevant States and 5% from the Feds. AFL is now clearly a media driven entertainment business Gil has overseen the near demise of country football along with limited youth development. Numbers are skewed by Auskick and the uptake by young girls. Other than at AFL level the game is slowly dying

When going through the replays one by one during the off season I thought that last quarter was one of our best until that time. We didn't score but we did everything else extremely well

Yes but I doubt the AFL/Ch 7 will waste a night game on Melb v Freo...max crowd 35k and little viewer interest

A night game against Freo would be a big gamble for the AFL. My guess is a twilight game for TV marketing back west. Collingwood v Carlton and Saints v North are more likely candidates for the two Round 11 night games in Melbourne

I think people overlook the uniqueness of the three Western draftees, Jackson Pickett and Rivers debuting so quickly into the senior team. Until that time we became used to the revolving three or four players in and out. When the boys from the West arrived suddenly the team was more settled week to week. Will there be one that makes the team this year on a regular basis. Injuries aside I doubt it. There's little doubt that the Hunt/Hibberd/Smith spot is not settled but no one at VFL level seems to be in that mix. Can't see us adopting a squad like system simply because the players that one would obviously rest, Gawn May etc have no obvious replacements at VFL level

Article in the Age this morning about Carlton being rewarded for their good form with prime time games in the next fixture block. Oh Well.........

like this live ladder.. it also includes season projections and shows us 2 games clear on top at seasons end Noice....... https://www.liveladders.com/AFL/

BBB zero to half time except for two hit outs

big upset perhaps

Slightly related but I thought I would download the AFL app onto my Nvidia Shield so I could watch the VFL live stream on my TV. Notice comes up that The "Telstra" AFL app is not available for download to my device. So it looks like Telstra are forcing us onto phones and the like to watch the VFL etc. You have to love the media carve up !!

I can see Petty playing 2 games at Casey. He's been out for a fair while. Happy to leave the Weid/TMac choice to the experts. It isn't easy to say the least

Good to see. One player who has the skill to deliver a lot of upside. Needs to hit the scoreboard more often

To be outscored in this quarter is very disappointing to say the least