chookrat

With those numbers he would be a certain starter for us 🤗

I don't mind it noting you can dress up and go out drinking without being too silly about it. Most of the players are pretty good about it and understand how anything they do in public is likely to be filmed.

The salary cap relief is also important, we'd be freeing up 400-500k that could be put towards a classy mid/forward or we could draft a young kid with a net saving if $350k+ and back in our up coming brigade of players like Laurie and Taj to fill the gap that Harmes leaves over the next couple of seasons.

I'm not one for blaming the umpires for a result but there were some absolute shockers in there especially against the Giants. The problem with not calling frees when they are there in order to keep the game 'flowing' is that the teams get bolder with how they infringe on players near the ball and it becomes impossible to get clear od the contest to score.

Jennings is behind the GWS game plan that could well win them the flag this year after. After a slow first half they have been one of the form teams in the second half of the season and I reckon will beat the Filth tonight.

Per earlier posts I don't think we need a KPF but rather a ruck that can rest forward. With Petty, JVR and J Smith as our key forwards and T-Mac and Schache as backups, along with Melksham recovering late in the season if we were to bring in a KPF then we would expect one of Petty, JVR or Smith to be running around in the twos which I don't think is a good thing. For our forward line I'd be targeting pace, class and goal kicking small forward who can rotate through the middle.

I feel pretty filthy about the result last night and from the week before and it feels like a wasted season where we had a genuine shot at our second flag in 3 years but squandered. The consistent theme in both finals and during our home and away losses comes down to kicking goals. Simply put we don't have the star power up forward to kick goals when things aren't going our way. For me that comes down to bringing in a KPF that takes ownership in key moments and allows our other forwards to play their role. I'm bullish on Petty, Fritch will be back to his best when not injured, Kozzy will benefit from another year of maturity and composure, and with Joel Smith playing well having put together more than a half dozen games. All of these players and our forward line would benefit from a Larkey, Charlie Curnow, Jeremy Cameron, one of the King brothers, Jessie Hogan or even an Aarom Naughton. Anyway the footy season is dead to me now and I'm going to have a bit of a break from footy.

I tend to agree with this also noting that I think we are more likely to play GWS in GF than Collingwood. I don't think Port are up to it and expect GWS to win comfortably abd reckon GWS defend the corridor so well and will be too strong for Collingwood on transition.

I can't see Grundy playing as the sub. Usually the sub is to provide cover for injuries to key positions or inject some run into the side and Grundy does neither. I think we either have Gawn and Grundy playing together for the full game or Grundy doesn't play. I also don't like Gawn playing predominantly forward as he is the most damaging player in the comp in the middle of the ground and doesn't offer anywhere near as much as a dedicated forward. If Turner doesn't start then I'd say he will probably be the sub or otherwise we would probably use the sub to provide fresh legs between the arcs, e.g. JJ.

When we played Collingwood on QB we physically bullied them all over the ground. No doubt their first quarter in the QF was a statement and we got caught out. We need to focus one week at a time and then smash GWS in the GF. How good was it to see Gus running laps today?

For me this was the point of the joint referral by Kane and Christiansen. Under the current rules a player does not owe a duty of care to another player, which was tested in the Van Rooyen / Ballard report. I think the AFL knew the report would not be upheld but needed to put it through the process and will change the rules going into next season.

I'd be concerned if the Tribunal were focussed on Brayshaw and the match result for Friday night given their job is to deliberate on Maynards action and whether a suspension is warranted.

Again this is sensationalist journalism at its best. Can I suggest that any reluctance Christensen had to grade the incident would be to do with whether the incident could be graded as careless under the rules as they stand. It was only earlier this year when the MRO and Tribunal suspended Van Rooyen for his spoil on Ballard and the Appeals Board overturned the suspension on the basis that the careless grading was not within the rules. I can see this case going the same way.

Diamond Jim, re whether Brayshaw will be available to return to the side after the 12 day protocol, misses the prelim or GF (assuming we win upcoming games), and assuming he is medically cleared to play will be a decision for Gus and his family supported by medical advice. As supporters we do not have the medical expertise nor access to his medical records and expert advice to have any valid opinion on whether or when Brayshaw should play. Nor do we have any real insight into his personal circumstances or motivations to gauge whether any medical risks (which we no knowledge) are worth taking.

WCW no need to apologise, go back a few pages and I was saying Maynard should have no case to answer which on reflection is off the mark. I think the toughest part of all of this is the emotion of one of our own being injured and then all of the commentary around the incident and the PR machine going into overdrive. Re taking this seriously, I don't think the AFL media take anything seriously as they are primarily interested in click and views. Today I read an article from a journo quoting another journo about their knowledge on a footy matter, rather than quoting an actual source. Damien Barrett was once a respected journalist who would ask good questions, now he offers his own opinions on everything and refers to Maynard as Bruz. I have no doubt the AFL will take the Maynard case very seriously and will want a suspension if the rules and tribunal guidelines allow for it. Even if Maynard is not suspended the AFL will change the Laws of the Game and/or Tribunal Guidelines at season end to prevent similar actions next year.

Jaded there is no rule, either in the laws of the game or tribunal guidelines, about leaving the ground. The Tribunal Guidelines specifically refer to high bumps being automatically graded as rough conduct but does not distinguish between whether player has left the ground. Similarly there is no reference to whether a player must have eyes for the ball.

WCW, Michael Christensen graded the incident as careless, severe impact and high impact and under the Tribunal Guidelines all reportable severe impact incidents are automatically referred to the Tribunal. Here is the link to the actual match review as reported by the AFL. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1026111/match-review-collingwood-magpies-defender-brayden-maynard-learns-fate-over-angus-brayshaw-collision The above directly contradicts the false narrative that Michael Christensen did not deem the incident as reportable. If I were to speculate the reason for the joint report is that Laura is backing in and supporting the MRO in what is a very high profile incident, while the media is looking for the best headline.

I think Laura Kanes involvement is over stated. While as the Executive responsible for Football Operations she can ask for an incident to be referred to the Tribunal she does not sit on the Tribunal or have any authority to override the Tribunals decision. Additionally the appeals process should the Tribunal hand down a suspension allows for an independent panel, which Kane has no authority over, reviews how the Tribunal arrived at its decision and makes a final decision on the matter. This incident would have always been referred directly to the tribunal. I think Laura Kanes appointment is fantastic both in terms of her experience and transitioning from the old boys club to competent administrators, but to claim it will make a difference to the outcomes of this incident are unrealistic for the reasons above. The real impact Laura will have will start to flow through in the off season when changes are made to how incidents are reviewed and sanctions are graded and applied, in which test cases such as this one and the Van Rooyen one earlier this year, will provide valuable input.

To look after oneself in the contest it must be a contest, they are essentially saying not to open yourself up while kicking the ball on case an opposition player cannons into you.

Deanox this is probably the most reasoned post that sums up the situation perfectly.

Tmac could shave the sides of his head Taxi Driver style and take out Moore and the Daicos brothers. *I'm not serious about this.

Jibroni, regardless of the AFL's change in stance re concussion if the Tribunal hands down a suspension that is outside the Laws of the Game and Tribunal Guidelines then Collingwood will win on appeal which is exactly what happened in the Van Rooyen spoil case earlier this season. There is a significant difference to the Van Rooyen case in that in Maynards case the ball was not in dispute and Maynard collected Brayshaw high. I suspect the AFL will make the case that Maynard's action to leave the ground resulted in a near certainty that Brayshaw would be injured and therefore is not reasonable and amounts to rough conduct. Unless the Tribunal can apply the existing rules any suspension will be overturned on appeal.

It will be interesting if Maynard escapes sanction on appeal and we make the grand final and play Collingwood whether we will employ the spoil bump to inflict maximum damage on their best players.

Agree I thought T-Mac worked his way into the game and expect to see him firing. Re forwards what if we did something different and add all of Grundy, BBB, Turner, Schache, Thommo and Verral to our 23. Quantity over quantity.

I wouldn't be too concerned re lack of energy today given were not playing until Friday. As WCW mentioned the main session is on Tuesday and keeping level at this stage in the week will put us in good stead in the build up to Friday night.