Tolstoys Nudge

Why would he? I’d be SHOCKED if he lost his spot even if at 💯 strength — his ability to be decisive, composed and clean-up ground balls with assuredness & grace. Give our D59 something it’s yearned for since Gus’ was forced to retire by that abhorrent excuse for a human Maynard. AMW has, for me, 💯 solidified his spot as a back-pocket & moving fwd could allow McVee to become what he is meant to be.. 🔥 But that’s more a thought for next year or 2026.

Noooo sorry — this is a totally diff level of mediocrity mate, that comment is all about it being an opportunity to make their non-finals W Run even more humorous and entertaining! It’s not about a ‘good’ team going out in straight sets.. it’s purely a psychological amusement

Said it to my daughter last week, feels like this could be the year, considering teams I think most likely to win it, sit outside top 4 right now and will likely start the finals that way! Sure. It’ll always come down to health, luck and conversion, but for me I think the Flag Winner is one of 3-6 teams yet to hit their stride!

I’ve got many — as do we all — of those little random thought-lines re current teams, but one I am EXTREMELY confident on, is that we will beat Essendon. Doesn’t have a heap of analytical integrity to it yet, although some.. But I just feel as though our brand & our defence especially, wilL make it extremely hard for them to kick a score! On proviso we make it less transition based Ala today, and more like against Lions whereby it’s all about the contest & taking it to them in the trenches.

My exact thought when I first realised they were a chance for Top 4. Of all top 11-13 teams, I think their game translates the LEAST for Finals Footy, alongside Swans —. Ur their elite footksills give them at least some semblance of credence!

Like it

Def hurts.. but really does appear to be a perfect storm of a day tbh

Imagine WE were Swans.. what DL would be like 😂

AND that mids are necessarily what they used to be, sure most games they are.. but today was one for the wingers, flankers & predominantly periphery players! It worried at all, in fact — it’s a GREAT sign!

Fair enough call.. BUT — $41 for the Flag, is none of the above! It’s pure and classic ‘Over the odds’ chaps.. Quite diabolically, so 😈

Fair enough call.. BUT — $41 for the Flag, is none of the above! It’s pure and classic ‘Over the odds’ chaps.. diabolically so 😈

Andy even mentioned the ‘F’ word — despite us being outside the 8 on % 🤣 What an inspiring days of footy to put-paid to any modicum of doubt about whether or not we have depth, solid youth etc! Today we learned just how much high-end talent the MFC has at their disposal, despite many of them still very much being raw, unrefined & just really discovering their capabilities themselves. Rivers though, is doing what I hoped he’d do from R1 (but we never given the opportunity), he’s using his creativity, flair & natural instincts to really help give our game another COG in its wheel-of-weapons!!! Shame we let JJ go, but had we known Gus was Maxy-Gawn we obviously wouldn’t have. Anyone notice the running in waves in first half today? 🤔 the fwd handball game all-of-sudden looking by design and downright dirty and demonically dangerous? Funny hey.. I wonder why we could cover the ground and move in waves today? But haven’t been able to in last 6-8wks?!?! I can’t really think why.. but it’s almost like it’s as though — by design — we’ve prepared our team to be at its peak game-day and burst running condition to be kinda now through to September.. Huh.. that can’t be right though so it must of just been a ‘vibe’ throughout the team or something, cus all-of-a-sudden we could run atop the G’ and actually burst from stoppage, transition in waves, get out the back and beat oppo in transition both on offence and defence.. WEIRD as hey.. Gee let’s hope somehow it continues then! And that the sudden, definitive & blatantly ambiguous heavy-legs and inability to run atop the ground we’ve had since round 7-8 doesn’t return, such is its importunate yet totally random appearance, across a very clear period of months in middle of the year.. can’t even contemplate why that might’ve happened or contributed to some less than ideal results when coupled with more than a couple of key personal challenges, inexorably made more troublesome by poor conversion, which also has absolutely nothing at ALL to do with endurance or fitness of course.. Ok, sarcasm now abated — NOW we can see the true Red & Blue-print in action, as it’s actually MEANT to look! Just like we did LW in Q2.. and then more so next week likely for 2-3 quarters maybe even 3-4 if we’re treated to a position whereby our list has now fully recovered and loaded to be ready to attack the final rounds of the year with total abandon, confidence and most of all, the belief that they’ll run harder and be able to play with intensity longer than their opponents, rather than 2022-23 when by R18 we were basically having to put sides away completely in opening half or suffer an eery and familiar position whereby our ‘dominance’ becomes a distant memory by the final siren and somehow we’ve seen our lead hijacked by a team that had clearly been absorbing the blows, knowing that by 13-18min mark of 3rd, we’d be utterly COOKED!!! Goody, Selwyn and his team have done their absolute best to ameliorate those challenges and are attempting to turn the tables! It’s a tight comp, and could still very much backfire — but what I do know for sure is.. repeat the same behaviour, and you’ll be forever doomed to the same outcome. This, again, is why I like where we are, despite the risks and fact our biggest weapon is gone (Trac), cus it means we at least have a CHANCE to avoid the same outcome! Let’s see how Andy & George turn this into a doomsday scenario, or try to redefine the observations into a reproving consort of poo-pooing 🤑 despite @Binman sitting there on their screens with a subtle but 💯 vehement grin on his face 😂 A nice win, some great signs and most of all, a win whereby the mids where reduced to being ‘stoppage only’ participants, not only helping them conserve valuable juice but also help them buy-in to a more transition-based game that can be scaled up-down at will, and will ultimately ensure come Final #1 (all going well of course), we’re not just ready, but primed to launch an all-out contested, crash-bash onslaught from the depths of Lucifers deepest, darkest allusions!

6.Rivers 5. Windsor 4. TMac 3. JVR 2. Viney 1. Kolt

No same happened in podcast version FYI @Demonland

Plus there is Kos (23), Sparrow (24), Howes (21), Chandler (23), Spargo (24) & most of all to the ‘no depth’ argument we have 2 lost spots we haven’t been able to fill in offseason on top of letting go Jordon which we wouldn’t have had we known about Gus!!! Not to mention 5 other 25-29 year olds on periphery week on week. Our depth is fine — we’re just having it tested more than we’d like at present and losing Salem, Bowser on top really hurt. We’re just fine!

Sorry if someone has already corrected this but 22 & under players last weekend: - Kolt - AMW - Woey (did play) - Brown - Turner - Rivers - Windsor - McVee - JVR = 9 total & Bowser who was in squad, as was Jeffo = 11 THANK YOU @binman for reading the AFL.COM article re our running capacity remaining elite — Anyone who can’t see what’s happening re younger core and the mix being 3-4 out on ideal total 21-22 under players is just in my eyes.. a bit silly! We have 2-4 too many kids playing at present given phase we’re in and our explosiveness is slightly down for one reason — HP!!!!!!

I honestly have belief for tonight — Roos game I always had a danger game vibe, but for whatever reason, tonight with Lever back, I have a genuine feeling we’re gonna take it to them. Sure, we could completely capitulate under the weight of our own season, but Lions have a history of being happy with themselves and if I’m right in my expectation our fitness will look much better tonight, we’re 💯 legit chance tonight. Takeaway the North Umpire kickstarted comeback, we’d be about $3 if we’d held-on by 30+ — Add Lever who’s our most important player in terms of when missing, we lose — look up the history — And I think our d50 game is going to be right back to where it was before he got injured & don’t forget he was carrying a knee weeks prior to Freo game. Weird selection with Thommo in for Howes, but again I think that’s cus with Lever we want him completely free to go wherever he likes.. AMW HAS TO PLAY and not be sub for mine, really wanna see his composure and assuredness esp with Salo out, but seeing Woey on bench also means it’s 50/50 to which plays as sub.. but I’m gonna say it’s AMW! I think Petty is most confident he’s been all year and JVR is a problem match-up, I expect a full-blown fwd half game which means taking on Lions head to head in the contested game — where I think we can be hungrier and quicker if we have the legs. Riv will have to be electric, Clarry will good to avoid Berry tag, or maybe he tags Neale himself — Nibbler and Kolt being used through the middle of the ground as connecting HHF’s & conversion like LW to be excellent! Kos to slot 3, Fritta 3, Petty 2, Chandler 2 — Dees by 11pts to reignite our season.

He’s using reverse psychology — he think we’re a chance I rkn 🤩🤩🤩

No.. it’s because he’s being tagged EVERY single week.

Well with podcast leading the charge it’s only gonna get more and more negative round here! Andy in full MFCSS mode, George basically throwing baby out with bath water and in full meltdown mode — inc saying our kids are no good and that we somehow need to ‘replace’ Jackson, Brown, Hibbo, Harmes etc which is just such an archaic way to look at modern footy, the talent we have coming through is FAR superior to all above outside of maybe Jackson, but I’d argue JVR is his equal talent wise, Kos is a FAR superior player than his 21’ version, Rivers same, Mcvee >Hibbo, Turner will likely out-produce Brown of 2021 beyond, Windsor is significantly better than Jordon on talent, but they’re not replacing anyone, they are their own players! How no one else seems to notice the outlier results happening EVERYWHERE is beyond me. We convincingly beat North and had them get a bit lucky with freebie goals to give them a surge of momentum, whilst we stopped to crawl which is likely a fitness issue combined with fact we were 40 up, that’s basic psychology 101 — yet we held-on, thankfully!!! Shots on goal @george_on_the_outer? We didn’t have any in the last quarter — so we had 15 in 3qtrs which is nothing to cry about, we stopped — we had momentum taken and we held-on for dear life. I’m not sure who’s seeking positivity at present outside of poor @binman, who continues to support his positivity with data unlike many of the doomsday-mob — Whilst also highlighting WHAT the issues are, we can’t run atm, and our skills are poor which in a trans gameplan really shows through! We have clearly set ourselves for this game and I expect a strong showing. A win? Sure why not? The fact we’ve suddenly become a bottom 4 side is ludicrous — where were Brisbane jsut weeks ago? Pies at years beginning? GWS AND cats slaying now struggling, why is it so few can see how tipsy-turvy modern footy is? It’d all momentum confidence and fitness! Petty is fitter, Salem’s base will cont to grow, as will Clarry’s.. like AMW coming in and LEVER — check the stats on how we do without Rick?!?! Go on.. you’ll see the impact he has, seriously he makes a HUGE difference to our setup and cohesion esp in transition and organisation. This dourness is SO easy, it’s convenient and it highlights one’s true baseline or default — when things get hard or scary, they fold! Let’s hope our players aren’t buying into that modus operandi! It’s much harder to stay positive and keep faith in a team that’s given us so much to blv in, more so than ANY dees side since the 80’s and going beyond it with a flag. We have issues — but all clubs have this year thus far and I sure don’t wanna be Sydney who haven’t yet, cus odds are, they WILL and clock is ticking.. Trac being done hurts, it’s akin to Bont or Daicos being out, superior to Swans losing Heeney in impact but it certainly doesn’t rule-out a solid campaign here/in and COULD be making of Riv, Kos and others for next year. what happens if we lose to lions by 8pts? Or steal a win? What will it be then? the frustration I have is the sourness won’t dissipate, and those piling-on won’t come round and say ‘oh, maybe I was wrong’ they’ll just enjoy the win and wait for another chance to pile-on again. THAT is the frustration, many just jump-on every single little negative even Andy talking about Curnow over Weid for goodness sake, that’s full MFCSS right there — Curnow had HUGE knocks on his character and NO ONE was gonna take him inside the top 10, based on those issues. Blues took a punt and it paid massive dividends — JT hit rate is INSANELY good in comp with contemporaries, yet when we’re flat everyone and anything gets a wash. I feel for those whom fall in a heap, I know it’s not on purpose and based on emotion, but many others make a choice to attack the club and it’s becoming really tiresome. Club is flat, this is when they most need to keep faith and a win against the lions would be a MASSIVE tonic and is a big ask on form, but it’s certainly not impossible! 5% off for them, 5% more on for us and it’s GAME ON peeps — youthful exuberance can swing fast, so let’s TRY not to be too OTT is all I’m asking.

I’ll take that action.. ✅

Brown has talent — you’ll see.. he’s. A massive sleeper for talent blv me

Had this exact thought when heard he was disgruntled — can play fwd so makes MUCH sense as easier sell for him and club while Max is still killing it — imagine.. Lordy

And one we tried to get prev don’t forget — snubbed us big time but no grudges here, fits profile of needs, soft tissue the concern though. Love the Silvagni idea but coming off knee and a SONOF means he’ll be retained or sure!

Glad to see the coaching staff don’t share George’s opinion of AMW, I actually Think he’s really gonna add some composure and poise to be a bit of a point of difference for us this week so let’s see, groundball game is top-notch w/low centre of gravity so am wrapped for the kid who’s preserved and found his spot, for me it likely means Bowser is out so that’s my prediction, really poor on weekend and allowed opponent to fly several times without going with him last week, made poor decisions — but it could be to replace Salo as well if they know he’s out.. 🤔 Id of loved to see Jeffo TBH but there’s a tipping point with youth — job for someone to find out what the HECK is going on with Spargo — we’re down Gus, Lever ( not anymore 😮‍💨), Smith, Trac & Spargo role was rolled to be huge this year so to hear the podcast poo-pooing our depth when we’ve blooded more youth than ANYONE in recent times is really quite stark and barren — With Gus, Brown, Harmes, Grundy, Jordon all off the books the loss in depth with a few injuries is.. surprising? We’ll actually finally get to spend some dough on depth at years end and it’ll mean if we are cooked for this year, we can regenerate fast next year, ppl just have no idea what losing Gus, Smith without ability to replace doesn’t a list then to lose Spargo all year, Melksham all year so far, to say we’ve got no depth left is.. well, a bit mute, dark and masochistic really. But that’s just MFCSS — it’s ok, you’ll come round gents! Although I do say George and Andy enjoy a bit of dour-delight hahaha 🤫 Had a crack at Yeo, having one still at Battle many other names being floated: LDU?! — (we’d hope), Ballard, Davies, S Berry, Pruess, Callahan and others just 2 targets acquired with draft haul is another solid step fwd with 2 of those list slots already available — Taylor and Lamb aren’t gonna be sitting on their hands singing ‘Kumbaya’ that’s for damn sure, they’re the best in the biz and they’ll be working tirelessly to upgrade! My big peeve is what I said at time, WHY WHY WHY give Grundy away to a contender? What did he have on us as leverage? ZIP.. just so silly that’s one I’ll never understand inc media at time who now laugh but we’re a main driver if the narrative that we somehow HAD to let him go for nothing — crazyness! Brown coming off books this off-season releases more dough, we will deliver some juicy surprises just watch. I thought Fullarton has showed signs as well, been emergency several times and isn’t far away stats don’t tell full story there, he’s close! Envy of the comp in terms of youth depth already playing AFL footy, we will live to fight another day next year but I’m not done on this season yet, I’ll say it one more time — I’d MUCH rather this than to perform definition of insanity by expecting a diff result this finals series, at least we haven’t peaked (not by long shot clearly 😂) & as Binman said Goody narrative hasn’t changed, we have weapons galore but obviously need some luck and momentum to get the confidence back. Lever return HUGE.. Kets see if we can put up a fight and take a step fwd again this week.