spirit of norm smith

Agreed but Bombers have relegated a few senior players recently like Shiel, Hobbs, Menzie plus added mid season draftees like McMahon who’s unlucky not to get an AFL game. Bombers upgraded their youth v Cats yesterday (although some of their youth like May and Blakiston were not quite ready) yet still has Tsatas running around. It was a good win by Casey after being challenged.

Agree. Just needs to come in after the bye

Kalani 🤩🤩on fire

Paddy Cross. Might find himself on recruiting lists at years end.

It’s only mid season so still time to see what players can shine in the back half and who might take their opportunities. The veterans. Over 30. Age at start of 2026 Tmac (33) - not sure he gets another year Melksham (34) maybe one more year Billings (30). Likely will be delisted Tom Campbell (34) One more year in the absence of young rucks The fringe … Laurie. Excellent VFL player but lacks the pace and killer skills to get regular AFL footy. Stuck in the middle. Contracted but may get offers elsewhere We may let him go Hore. Unfortunately injuries have again meant he has missed his chances. Likely delisted at end of year Fullarton. Was given his opportunity but showed he’s not up to it. To be delisted imv Sestan, Kentfield, Verrall, Woey jnr deserve another year Ricky Mentha has shown enough to get another year AMW - yes he showed plenty and unlucky to get injured. I’d sign him up for 2 years Adams contracted to 2026 Ruthless decisions? Spargo. Thanks but we need more from a small forward then 6 possessions and 2 kicks for 15 metres. 1 goal in 10 games is not good enough McAdam. His 3 year deal may save him. Was looking okay in 2025 preseason until injured. Unsure if he stays but likely will.

Pitch looks like a road now. Likely to have a tight finish coming up !!!

Hawks v crows. Shocker. Looks like 16th v 17th quality. Scrambly. Free kicks 17-8 Crows way. Turning off now to watch the cricket !!!

I assume Tmc and Kolt will travel with the squad to Adelaide Sestan (hamstring strain) misses again Culley, Sharp and Jeffo back in after being rested last week This is a key match to win this weekend to stay in the finals hunt

HOW DID WE LOSE TO THE SAINTS ?? Oh yeah … 7.21 !!!

Excellent work again this week 👏👏👏 @binman I think the discussion on the stats this week was really good. You talked about the game and what your observed, then backed it up with stats and the impact. And it showed that Goody got the game on our terms. Yes the umpiring ☠️discussion again triggered deep emotional scares but was therapeutic to know we have the passion to get angry about the umps incompetence and bias. Hard not to have a rant. I’ve had several about the poor umpiring in the last few days Loved the kozzzzy 💙❤️⭐️ contract talk. He is box office. He’s worth every $$. We all love him and know he can be even better. And like Robbie Flower, we wish we had two kozzzzy’s, one in midfield and one in the forward-50. Go Dees

Sam Flanders signed a four-year contract extension tying him to the Suns until the end of 2027. But the Suns have three more young mids coming through their academy and I’m sure the Suns will be squeezed in the salary cap with Rowell wanting $1m+ per year. He’s a good ball user and would be welcomed with open arms. But not sure we have the cap, the draft capital or players to trade to make it work.

💙❤️💙❤️ We love ya Kozzzzzy 💙❤️💙❤️

So the cats have deals with corporate sponsors The AFL response? Let’s change the rule to copy what the Cats are doing!!! So now it’s legal FFS. Cats. Hawks. Pies. Blues. The AFL are soft as butter. What the …

If I’m Goodwin 5 May 4 jdaicos 3 Langdon 2 Howe 1 Oliver

@Demonland Yes we LOST it. We are grabbing defeat and losing it ourselves. Four games now. Giants, Hawks, Saints, Pies. We were better. We should have won it. Question. What are the coaches doing ? 3 years and we are still the same at poor scoreboard impact. Really frustrating… ahhhhhhhh! But deep breath … THE POSITIVES Steven May. The commander. Forget about the Gawn “discussion”. May is back. He intercepted and controlled the last line. Disco Turner. He’s arrived as a permanent player now and he should settle down back to cement his role. Great attitude. Ed Langdon. Played his role. His endurance and run rattled Daicos (who sooked it up and asked for free kicks). Max Gawn. Forget the mongrel clanger at the end. He beat Cameron in my view and he’s an All Australian pick alongside Xerri as the premium rucks. Now the stinkers UMPIRES. wow we have a billion dollar industry and part time umpires. Ridiculous. @binman let the AFL have it with two smoking barrels. A rant is warranted. The umps were so bad, so biased towards the pies. The 50/50 calls went their way. OUR FORWARD CONNECTION. Again we dump the footy inside 50. Composure? Pendles and Sidebottom showed their class and the gap to our mids. I love Trac and Clarry but they both are the continuous major offenders. If only they could lower their eyes or execute better. It hurts us. Fritsch. Omg. @george_on_the_outer he is so frustrating. Marks 20 metre out and plays on and misses!!! Faaaark I shouted out in frustration. Just knew it would be costly and it was.

Coaches votes Collingwood won by 1 point Dees dominated most metrics but … Again as he does most weeks, McRae gives most votes to his players Probable votes Goodwin 5. JD 4. Howe 3. Gawn 2. Sidebottom 1. May McRae 5. JD 4. Howe 3. May 2. Pendlebury 1. Gawn Melbourne v Collingwood10 Josh Daicos (COLL) 8 Jeremy Howe (COLL) 4 Max Gawn (MELB) 4 Steven May (MELB) 2 Scott Pendlebury (COLL) 2 Steele Sidebottom (COLL)

@Demonland sorry all Demonlanders. I can’t give Fritsch a vote or kudos. He needed to go back and nail that goal in the last quarter. 20 metres out slight angle. Crucial mistake. We had the momentum. I know he kicked one from the pocket but his simple errors are costing us.

@Deeko2 good comments and agree though I had to give big Maxy a vote. May Landgon Oliver Pickett Turner Gawn Apologies to Riv, Bowsa, Lever and McVee Brownlow votes to 3- Collingwood. N.Daicos 2- Collingwood A.Stephens (umpire #12) 1- Collingwood. J.Howorth (umpire #17)

It’s the hurt. It hearing that putrid song. That putrid side by side song. It’s sitting on the train and heating their arrogant POS supporters all laughing. It’s turning up to work today and getting the [censored] banter about May & Gawn and the taunts about the Dees off to the snow. It’s not a cocoon. We live in the real world. We just want to beat them. We should have won it. I’m getting sick of saying it. It’s frustrating. That’s why the posters are venting. It’s frustrating. It’s anger. It’s passion. We don’t accept honourable losses. @Demonland

Three words To Collingwood supporters - go get f&@$/d To Collingwood- go get fu&@$d To the 4 umpires from yesterday- as per above

@binman agree with your comments about the umpiring and the blatant apathy of the AFL to invest in better standard by making them full time professionals and accountable. Let it rip in the pod this week. Just give it two smoking barrels.

Van Rooyen - really getting worried Tholstrup - just nearly nearly

Too soon

[censored] heartbroken again [censored] If … if … we win if … any of these happen Kozzzzy gives the ball back and no fifty and no goal to [censored] n daicos The umps are fair and unbiased Gawn, Fritta, Oliver could kick a clutch goal Trac and Clarry could lower than eyes and hit a target inside forward 50 If a lot of things … but we lost it … yes we lost it… we dominate and we still lost it [censored] the filth and [censored] the umps !!!

Frees 14-24. Pies getting the umps favour again Sure it doesn’t have to be even, IT JUST HAS TO BE FAIR !!! @Demonland