Pirlo

Wonder how anyone can think this? We have had similar game plan issues for two years and failed to fix it. People can cry poor about injuries all they like. At the bye, Petty was playing predominantly at FB (bamboozling coaching) and Melksham was in the VFL. JVR was sent to the twos not long after for a spell. Tonight's forwardline wasn't far away from rd 1.

Nice of him to assure us that we'll focus on getting better.

This team deserves no excuses made for them. Unable to execute under pressure.

Classic case of white line fever. He looked distraught after it happened, but it was so avoidable. Your comparison is apt. Maynard can mount whatever defence he wants. He "made him earn it" from what should have been an innocuous flying smother. Whether he plays next week or not is irrelevant to anyone bar the opponent he mans up on, but he'll know what he's done and he will have to live with it.

Agree with others that the mood was off this morning. The fans were buzzing for the players to come out, but they all looked fairly down. The younger guys were up and about more than the vets. Need to give big props to Brodie. He stayed behind for ages signing things and taking photos, as well as chatting to some familiar faces in the crowd. He's such a good bloke.

Petracca said in his presser that he's "not great". Sore neck on top of his concussion symptoms.

I'm pleased to hear this, but I'd hope he had his own name on that list. Darcy went down early and Jackson had his absolute way with Max both in the middle and around the ground. Gawn won the raw hit outs, but what does that matter when Jackson, Serong and Brayshaw sharked them as part of their gameplan.

Why would we be undergoing a heavy training load when we have a tough run coming up in the middle of the year? We're nowhere near a top 4 guarantee either. At this stage, watching the slop we dish up, I'd be surprised if we made it.

The club backs May in repeatedly during his numerous off-field brain fades. I'm beginning to question whether the culture is fading away from what it used to be.

That was an insipid effort by all 22 guys that started out there. Very concerned that we served that up three weeks after a similar performance against Brisbane. Do we really want it this season?

His mum's message on Facebook is very sweet, although it does pretty much confirm that his head hasn't been in it all year.

Tomlinson is on about $500k from memory. I think we'd let him go for free if a club would cover even 80% of that.

You reckon Richo would have said the same about the Tigers, Luke Hodge would have said the same about Hawthorn or Ling about Geelong etc? They’re all in the same job. He could easily have manoeuvred around it. “I think Max handled it well” or “I’m sure Steven regrets it”. He sooks about his sadness again because it’ll get his face in the papers, not because he feels compelled to answer every question honestly behind the mic.

Very disappointed that Nathan Jones decided to add his two cents. The story was just beginning to die out thanks to Bailey Smith.

My partner and I were at Entrecote on Sunday night as well and we heard/saw nothing. Didn't think it was that big a restaurant. The desk looked fine when we left after 10pm as well...

Doesn't take a genius to see that Jordon, Rivers, Jackson are exhausted and are being absolutely wasted playing at 50%. Meanwhile Sparrow is sub every week and can't get a look in above JJ for a week or two.

We had chances and didn't take them. Most of our young players are having no impact and have needed a rest since Collingwood. I'm having a hard time not calling them mentally weak, like they used to be. It certainly feels like they are drinking bathwater. I love the podcast, but there was no introspection or acknowledgement of how bad that result was last week. They spoke about the other draws they'd played in and moved on. There's a lot of references to being first on the ladder (which we aren't anymore) when our players speak to the media, and they don't seem unduly bothered by their poor run of form. Even Hunt's interview after the game on the MFC social media channels. Is he for real? Taking the positives? The Bulldogs did to us what we were doing to other teams at the start of the year. Absorb pressure, and get a quick run on whenever the opposition manages to kick a goal or two. And we looked incapable of stopping them, the much vaunted defence getting just a touch worse every week to the point that we don't blink anymore when we concede 12+ goals. I was about to finish this post when I saw Goodwin's commentary about our scoring: "not worried at all". Get real Simon. I might have thought you were deflecting but clearly there is no real work being done on this. Pickett still has that ridiculous run up that sees the ball fade every time, Brown is going at 1 in 3, Petracca was spraying them everywhere. Like I said. Bathwater being drunk. They just seem pleased that we're going this well, with essentially no introspection about how top four now probably requires 3 wins in 4.

He's already won a flag. Not like he's been stuck at a cellar dweller. Having said that, above three clubs usually attract these kind of deals because they ask the question. I'd hope we do the same in a couple of years.

Erm...no. The only reason this contract is cancelled is because Boyd wanted it to be. Ordinarily, retiring players (see Kurt Tippett) still get paid their contract if the club agrees for them to go and free a spot on the list. Boyd obviously wanted as clean a break as possible, and not to rort the Dogs given how much they've paid him already. Not many players will agree to that.

He came fourth in the best and fairest last year, for goodness sake. Are you honestly saying he wasn't best 22 on talent in 2018?

Yes, and a fine job they're doing of it. Two years ago, Jack Viney was the one lining up guys for huge bumps. Now, he's caught prone. There's very little leadership out there, cutting the only one with demonstrated leadership experience would be a disaster.

In two weeks time he will become our second most capped player in over 160 years. If you're suggesting he's been a "servant of the club" then I have to wonder why you'd bother supporting us. His co-captain has been just as poor despite being half his age, and didn't win us our only game this year.

Should think he'll play next season, even if he's not in the side every week. I'll be ropable if we sack him or lean on him to retire, and will likely stop supporting the club. Sacking Junior ripped the heart out of the club, this would be round 2. Would never happen under Jackson, but I don't know about Pert.

Not entirely true. There were question marks over his shape in pre-season as well. Obviously he knuckled down, shut his mouth, and worked his way back into shape.

Hitting a roadblock implies that this was unavoidable. This is more like driving with your phone in one hand, a dart in the other and three kids in the backseat and then wondering why the police have pulled you over.