Pirlo

Not willing to write a season off after '05 when we are still a reasonable chance, but we'll be sitting 11th in an hour, a game and 18% out of the 8 and playing the team sitting above us on Friday. Yikes.

We were saying similar last night. A better club would have drilled him and them on what to do in that situation. We're more of the "get around him and forget about it" types.

After they won the first month post-Hardwick, a Tigers mate of mine was still so against McQualter getting their gig last year. Said their midfield and clearances had been a huge weak spot for years. We are seeing that now. I don't think Yze got as much out of Gawn's dominance and 4 excellent starting mids as he should have, but its night and day between him and Mini.

Umpires ignored three consecutive HTBs in a minute in our attacking 50. Completely at odds with how they officiated the rest of the night. Disgrace,

Out: Bowey, Billings, Woey In: Howes, K.Brown, Hore Perhaps Turner to start and AMW as sub to bring in some pace late. Gawn looked well off the pace and Verrell played well at VFL level. If he's actually as injured as he looked, protect Max and back in a young guy instead of saying "they can't win hit outs". I get that was aimed at Fullarton being unimpressive at VFL level, but it was cruel.

How was that your take away from today? He's finally building back.

Bowey has to go, and Sparrow can't be given a ride straight back in.

Did such a great job defending the Freo mids as they won the first 24 clearances of the match. Sparrow dropped is great news. At his best, he is slightly unheralded. He hasn't been at his best for a long while.

Many of those stats from a #X in the team POV are not overly relevant when you consider that he's in the team to tackle and provide pressure and the other guys in his position are either playing midfield (Pickett, ANB) or sub 10 games (Tholstrup). Chandler was fumbly and error prone when the game was on the line. Particularly his kicking inside 50. He did most of his good work in the fourth when Freo tapered off a bit. He's in the team to provide pressure, kick inside 50 and hit the scoreboard. I wouldn't drop him, this was one of his better games this season, but at 50 games and 24 years of age, it's time he did more than play a bit part.

Fritsch 35 Pickett 27 JVR 25 Those are our only goal kickers with more than 15. Pickett is playing in the midfield and JVR in the ruck. And people want to drop the one who has kicked the most of all of them and is on track for another 45 goal season. Unbelievable.

Jefferson didn't do enough at Casey on the weekend. He's tracking better than before, but he needs to put up numbers consistently. Miserable rainy day though, in fairness. We were always going to have bad days with the squad as it is. There's not a single player in the reserves who will come in and 'fix' us. No use throwing the baby out with the bath water. Plenty to criticise Goodwin about, but there's been plenty of change this season.

The season is too close for Goody to be too adventurous, I imagine. The team would benefit most from: Out: Bowey, Billings, Sparrow, In: Howes, Gawn, K.Brown With Tholstrup moving to sub after a very poor game. A reprieve for Tholstrup and Bowey to sub if Salem is injured. I expect we'll go for: Out: Billings, AMW/Salem* In: Gawn, K.Brown

Pretty well belted across the park. Have to expect down weeks when you run a team this young and with so many holes, but dispiriting to see the effort in the first q just wasn't there. Need to see way more from a few regular players when their teammates are so young - Sparrow, Chandler, Bowey the main culprits. The gamble to run an extra KPF as ruck makes sense, given how poor or underdone the alternatives are, but the list management team has stuffed us by not having a 2nd ruck on the list. Look how good JVR has become up forward. He should be rucking 15 minutes a game maximum so we don't lose him up there.

Sorry, did you not see Reid fending off Petracca and Oliver? Brown has some courage and tackled Larkey but this would be a bloodbath. He's tiny.

All eyes on Casey. 3 goals + or 8+ marks and Jefferson surely comes in. Petty let us down big time in front of goals, and whilst he's finding a small amount of form, he's still not playing well. No interest in seeing Bowey back without a run at Casey. He has been fumbly, poor and somehow undroppable. Out: Petty, Tomlinson (unlucky but not sure we need 4 talls for West Coast) In: Jefferson, Salem if fit or Brown for a full game and McAdam to sub.

Well that hurt. I'm not as bullish on some of the youth as others are but I thought AMW showed some courage and dare. Sad that we played as well as this team realistically can and couldn't hold on. Petty and Langdon really let us down in front of goal. Had it on their boot.

Technically. But it doesn't actually make stack up when you look at the quality of player. Windsor, McVee and Roo are the three that look really good. Howes has looked solid at times, but now been dropped twice (not that this means much given who picks the team). Turner has shown the ability to kick goals but he has a lot to do to become an AFL level player long term. AMW is an unknown. Taj and Kynan too late-pick kids who could be okay. Tholstrup has been bright in two first quarters and then faded fast. Found some real form at Casey recently though. AMW we will see. There might be a place in the team for many of these guys going forward, but they don't strike me as absolute elite talents aside from the first three who could get there. They could be ANB or they could be Stretch, to give a recent example of two late picks.

Max must have missed Oliver trying to give away a 50 with 5 minutes to go. In all seriousness, they're just trying to keep him well and nurse him through. Unclear whether that is okay or not.

Yes, the extent of the injuries were not known until he was examined. Now why didn't the medicos examine him? Or look at his reaction? Or look at the footage? AFL doctors have form here. See Port and the Dogs just recently with Allir and Liberatore.

Leave off on Moore, by the way. There aren't many fairer players in the game. Just look at how he deals with Maynard whenever that d/h loses his head on field. If you think Moore is at fault, then you have to hate Brad Miller too given what happened to Tom Lonergan.

Simon and Kate should be fronting up to explain this, but they'll hide as per. I'm eternally grateful to Goodwin for the flag, but our club is not in good hands with him running things.

Theoretically anyway. Team sycophants, more like. I really thought we were better than the Port and Dogs doctors who sent clearly concussed players back on. Turns out we aren't.

This football club really disgusts me. It was clear as day he had an internal injury and I said it at the time, as did many of us. We need new leadership on all lines.

FB: Howes May McVee HB: Bowey McDonald Salem C: Langdon Viney Windsor HF: ANB Fritsch Tholstrup FF: Laurie van Rooyen Fullarton R: Gawn Oliver Rivers I/C: Woewodin, Tomlinson, Sestan, McAdam Sub: Turner Those italicised should be on notice for playing totally within themselves since the bye. Petracca out maybe saves Sparrow, but I just can't put up with the lack of effort from the likes of him, Chandler and Petty every week. It does feel a bit silly throwing in Sestan, Fullarton and Tholstrup but there also isn't much choice unless we want to keep rewarding mediocrity.

This is why I didn't go today. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it together when I heard what that rabble said once Maynard copped a few boos, as if they don't boo everyone all the time for anything. Since Covid, crowds have felt more aggressive and less friendly. I really do think its time for club-based seating as an option in the decent seats, not just behind the goals in a non-enforced way.