spirit of norm smith

Shifters write up on the AFL website (below). If he is available at our pick, I’d happily call out his name. Dees fans need a player with a lethal boot who can hit targets. He makes good decisions. He’s a young leader. It’s a yes from me. Josh Lindsay State: Victoria Country State League Club: Geelong Falcons Community Club: Newtown & Chilwell Date of Birth: 07/04/2007 Height: 183cm A left-footed defender with a lethal boot, Lindsay has been a strong performer across recent years. Won the medal as Team Heppell’s best player in the Marsh AFL National Futures match last year and then added the medal as the Australia U18 team’s best player in its win over VFL side Coburg this year. He continued his excellent form into the National Championships with Victoria Country, using his speed and crisp decision making to set up the play from the back half. Courageous in the air and a standout leader, he averaged 21.8 disposals at 76 percent efficiency and was among his team’s best players against both Western Australia and South Australia. Capped his year by winning All Australian honours and being named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.

MFC list key defenders: May, Tmcd, Adams tall defenders: Lever, D.Turner, Howes med/sml/running defenders: Bowey, Salem, Lindsay, AMW, Jiath. inside Mids: Viney, Steele, Langford , Laurie Runners/outside Mids: Rivers, Langdon, Windsor Mid/fwd: Kozzzy, Kolt, Sparrow, Culley key forwards: Mihocek , JVR, Petty, Jefferson , Kentfield, Johnson med-tall forwards: Fritsch, Melksham, Mcadam small forwards: Chandler, Sharp, Henderson, Mentha Rucks: Gawn, Campbell , Heath Likely arrivals - Kalani White (Father son), Toby Sinnema (NGA, rookie)

JT would call it out in 0.007 second. CDT is a prototype tall utility … ruck/chb/midfielder/chf. He can play anywhere.

6 Hore 5 McNamara 4 Hanks 3 Gillard 2 Chaplin 1 Fitzsimon

Rematch in 2 weeks. Lions will finish 3rd. I honestly thought we’d be a possibility of matching it with the Kangas. Now I think that’s a long shot. The players have wilted under pressure in close ones. Ok to beat teams by 30,40,50+ points but have been vulnerable in the close ones. Hmmmmm sounds familiar 🧐

Last quarter ? Again the outcome was poor. Any query on fitness or being a mental breakdown

Tahlia Gillard is a super star 💙❤️

TAYLA 💙❤️ By the way. Perfect conditions 23c. Cooling down !!

Excellent article. Love the breath of fresh air approach. There’s optimism but also we still have the niggling MFCSS. Let’s reflect - heading into 2025. We thought we could turnaround the glitch in 2024. That was a horror year with injuries and the last few games were horrible. 2024 wasn’t too far off at 11-12 finish , 14th position, Trac back, a softer draw … but we lost the plot in the last third of 2024 so we had lots to improved. Could Goody get the “forward connection” and “learnings” to actually work. He couldn’t & we lost the close ones. I’m confident for 2026. Not that we will challenge or be a top 8 side automatically, but the new coach, new game plan , new recruits and fresh start should see us be in the mix for the finals. We need to keep the faith, to keep hoping… we live in hope !!!

Huge surprise that Jaxon Binns was delisted by the Blues. He’s been in their list for 3 years and simply dominated at VFL level. Still only 20. He turns 21 this week. Message from Carlton FC - happy 21st … you’re delisted . Unbelievable. He had a few games late in 2025 and his run and carry game was pretty good. He has good pace and endurance. Obviously not impressive enough. I think he will get a rookie listing or a summer train on. He’s a local lad from Berwick so the Spector of Casey fields would not be too daunting.

MELBOURNE Tom Campbell veteran Kade Chandler 🔒 2 years Jai Culley ?? Bayley Fritsch 🔒 2 years Steven May veteran Tom McDonald Veteran Jake Melksham veteran Christian Salem. 2 years? Tom Sparrow 2 years ?

I think there is a net over the players in this draft. Excluding the priority academy guns for the Suns & Lions… from pick 3 to 33 are young players with good AFL quality. It’s an even draft with only CDT & Duursma being standouts in my view. I reckon the most guaranteed player in the draft is Xavier Taylor. Absolutely looks and plays like a footballer. Smart. Composed. Aggression. Excellent judge of a mark. He is a lock for 200 games in my view. Think “Disco Turner” type.

@Random Task i agree with you (as I posted 22/10/25). And intersperse with academy and father son picks. Leaves us “two of”… Lindsay✅, Dovaston✅, Hibbins-Hargreaves✅, interstate kids… Cumming, Farrow, Schubert, & Marsh, slider in Greeves and the smoky in Oskar Taylor.

Yes he’s a level headed kid. His skill and footy IQ is very good. Composed with the footy. Like Harvey Langford, has the additional size and run to be able to be at contests as well as compete on the air with his marking If only he was from Victoria … 🧐🧐🧐 http://bit.ly/4914FMv

Best 23? Too early … but

Steele will be a huge addition both on and off field. He will set up the right decisions, culture and work ethic for the young developing mids like Langford, Windsor & Lindsay. I was surprised and pleased that he was available and that Dees worked hard in a very quick action to bring him in. Especially given we lost Trac and Clarry.

@Mouseymoo Would any of these scenarios make sense for either clubs? Ess- 5 & 21 for 7 & 8 NMFC - F1 & 25 for 7 or 8 Rich - 4 & F2 for 7 & 8 It’s a no no and no from me

So it’s 7&8? Let’s see how that might work out WCE -Willem Duursma Suns match bid …Zeke Uwland (academy) WCE -Cooper Duff-Tytler Rich Sam Grlj 🤩 Lions bid match … Daniel Annable (academy) Rich. Sullivan Robey 🤩 Suns bid match … Dylan Patterson (academy) Ess. Dyson Sharp. Blues bid match. Harry Dean (Carlton f/son) Ess. Xavier Taylor 7&8 contenders Josh Lindsay (Vic)✅✅ Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (Vic)✅ Lachlan Dovaston (Vic)✅ Sam Cumming (SA) Jacob Farrow (WA) Oliver Greeves (Vic) Beau Addinsall (Suns academy)✅ smokie. Oskar Taylor

Let’s go … pick 7&8.

@red and blue forever thanks for the update. I think it’s 20 players with contracts ending in 2026. Tim Lamb will be busy especially resigning guys like Turner, Bowey, Chandler and Fritsch. I’d probably offer all of them a 3 year deal as a rule but obviously market forces and ‘26 performance may impact.

TWO Demons have topped the coaches votes for Round 10, with Kate Hore and Megan Fitzsimon polling nine apiece. Hore and Fitzsimon were both dominant through Melbourne's midfield with the two combining for a total of 48 disposals, 17 score involvements and 11 clearances. Eden Zanker received six votes for her four-goal performance, while Tyla Hanks (two) and Tahlia Gillard (one) were the remaining Demons to receive votes in the team's 44-point win over Sydney. Hore and Hanks remain in the top six on the overall leaderboard, 14 and 15 votes behind Ash Riddell who sits at the top with 85 votes. Melbourne v Sydney 9 Kate Hore MELB 9 Megan Fitzsimon MELB 6 Eden Zanker MELB 2 Tyla Hanks MELB 2 Zippy Fish SYD 1 Laura Gardiner SYD 1 Tahlia Gillard MELB

The “one year club”…refresh The core: Tom Sparrow, Jake Bowey, Christian Salem, Kade Chandler, Daniel Turner & Bailey Fritsch I’d assume the Dees will definitely look at further contracts for Bowey, Chandler, Turner & Fritsch. Whilst Sparrow and Salem are likely “best 23” at the start of 2026, that may not be so be season end. The veterans: Stephen May, Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, Tom Campbell & Shane McAdam The developers: Matt Jefferson, Ricky Mentha, Jed Adams, Andy Moniz-Wakefield & Luker Kentfield The fringe: Harry Sharp, Bailey Laurie, Jai Culley, Jack Henderson & Aidan Johnson That’s 21 of the current 38 listed players.

The “one year club”… The veterans: Stephen May Jake Melksham Tom McDonald Tom Campbell Shane McAdam The developers: Matt Jefferson Ricky Mentha Andy Moniz-Wakefield The fringe: Bailey Laurie Jai Culley Jack Henderson Aidan Johnson (Not sure if I’ve left anyone out) It’s fair to say the list will also have some reshaping and be active in the trade/draft period at the end of 2026 as well

IN (+6) Max Heath (trade, St Kilda), Changkuoth Jiath (trade, Hawthorn), Brody Mihocek (trade, Collingwood), Jack Steele (trade, St Kilda) , Jai Culley (SSP to contracted) , Jack Henderson (SSP to contracted) OUT (-11) Jack Billings (delisted), Kynan Brown (delisted), Tom Fullarton (delisted), Marty Hore (delisted), Judd McVee (trade, Fremantle), Clayton Oliver (trade, Greater Western Sydney), Christian Petracca (trade, Gold Coast), Oliver Sestan (delisted), Charlie Spargo (free agent, North Melbourne), Will Verrall (delisted), Taj Woewodin (delisted) 5 list spots available Likely additions : Kalani White (MFC father son, listed), Toby Sinnema (MFC NGA, Rookie list) Draft picks: 7,8,37

I definitely think Grlj will be on JTs list. But …he was excellent for the Richmond VFL team in two games this year. The Tigers VFL described him as “very impressive”. They’d be mad to bypass him with their picks, but it’s a strange world so you never know. Grlj had great draft combine From ESPN FOOTYThe 2025 combine kingSam Grlj (pronounced Grill) didn't claim any combine titles but he proved himself as the premier athlete in this year's draft class. On Friday, the dashing midfielder trailed only Jack Dalton in the 2km time trial at AIA Centre, breaking the line at 5:59 to sneak under the six-minute mark. It was a time that would have taken out the test in last year's stacked pool. On Sunday, Grlj backed up his endurance feat with a fantastic 2.931 seconds in the 20m sprint. No prospect has combined for a sub-six minute 2km and sub-three second 20m sprint at the national combine in the past two years. His acceleration is backed up on-field -- Grlj takes on all-comers and burns away from his direct opponents in space. Clubs have had concerns around his contested work and damage by foot but Grlj's athletic profile and attacking mentality give him massive upside in time.