Weather crap at the moment. Going to be tough on skills tonight.

I would like Motlop in but we have a side that will put their head over the ball.

Finally after a long 10 years we get to play a game at the only time of the season that truly matters. The nerves haven’t hit me yet but I’m sure they will walking into the ground.

While we’ll always debate team selection at the fringes, we’ve got our best team on paper that I can recall over the past decade. Charlie, Harry, Cripps, Cerra, Walsh, Weitering, Saad all playing together which hasn’t happened all that much. Add to that hardened players like Newman, Hewett, Doc, Acres, Martin.

We’ve got the home ground advantage and will have one of the great partisan crowds backing in the team.

Given all this, the way I see it is that if we bring our pressure, contest and convert in front of goals, we should win. If we don’t win, then it just shows we’re not there yet. Quietly confident we can eke out a result but also the swans under Longmire should never be underestimated - he will have them cranked up.

Hi. It’s us.

We’re the standout. It’s us.

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Melbourne won't play that poorly again next week and will be very tough to beat.
Lions are undefeated at the Gabba this year.
A Collingwood vs Brisbane GF looks likely.

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There is no footy god

it was newnes direct involvement (or lack of) that gave kossie the access to goal

Could well be that one goes out.

Could argue 2 of motlop, ollie or Dow coming in (one of them sub)

Re Papley, I’d give Chinky a crack. Broke even with Kossie a couple of weeks ago

Agree with this.
And also with Grrofunger’s comment: We are the standout!
If we had just been able to show this form earlier in the year and finish in the top four, I reckon others would be saying that for sure. We may have just made it difficult to prove because we left our run too late. We’ll see. First challenge: tonight!


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Melbourne have struggled to score all year against good sides. With Van Rooyen out and Melksham inj I can't see them improving

Agree. Cincotta on Papley, Marchbank on Hayward

Kemp is the youngest player in the team at 22 years of age. Voss and the MC have clearly gone for mature bodies, expecting finals footy to be extra physical.

Backs: Brodie Kemp (22) - Jacob Weitering (25) - Nic Newman (30)

Half-backs: Alex Cincotta (26) - Mitch McGovern (28) - Adam Saad (29)

Centreline: Blake Acres (27) - Patrick Cripps (28) - Sam Docherty (29)

Half-forwards: Jack Martin (28) - Harry McKay (25) - David Cuningham (26)

Forwards: Lachie Fogarty (24) - Charlie Curnow (26) - Matthew Owies (26)

Followers: Marc Pittonet (27) - Adam Cerra (23) - Sam Walsh (23)

Interchange: Matthew Cottrell (23) - Tom De Koning (24) - George Hewett (27) - Caleb Marchbank (26)

i’ve only looked at the stats, missed the first half of the game but Gawn was massacred in the hit outs by Cox and break even with Pies 2nd ruck D. Cameron.

Q1 HO 10 v 3 v 6 respectively. (Gawn, Cox, Cameron)
Q2 HO 6 v 8 v 2
Q3 HO 10 v 8 v 6
Q4 HO 12 v 8 v 0 (subbed out)

Gawn finally found an edge in ruck as his team lifted.

of course Gawn’s immense value is from more than tap work at stoppages. reflected in his AF and metres gained scores.

Q1 AF 24 v 23 v 27 v 7 (cox, gawn, cameron, mcdonald)
Q2 AF 11 v 37 v 8 v 3
Q3 AF 16 v 30 v 22 v 6
Q4 AF 11 v 36 v 0 (subbed out) v 16

All AF Gawn 126 (2nd placed to oliver)
Cox 62 — 19th so middle ranked.
Cameron 57 — similar
McDonald 32 — 5th from the bottom.


Metres Gained:
Q1 MG 0 v 0 v 0 v 0 (cox, gawn, cameron, mcdonald)
Q2 MG 16 v 121 v -12 v 0
Q3 MG 0 v 0 v 0 v 0
Q4 MG 0 v 0 v 0 v 0

MG all game (this doesn’t add up at all, stats from offical AFL app)
Gawn 489m
Cox 56m
Cameron 45m (subbed out)
McDonald 46m


so it’s apples and oranges really but overall McDonald emerges as the weakest link in that group of four talls who ruck and can play up forward or drop back as a defensive marking/spoiling extra to slow opposition momentum.


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Now that I've thought a bit more about Sydney, I think I'm at ease with our selections. They are pretty tall up forward, & also have multiple ruck options, so I understand Pitto/TDK. Hickey is unfashionable but is super competitive, & Mclean is a more than capable ruck/forward. He killed us last time actually.

I'd have Motlop as sub for some zip.

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#DonTheStash

That is a side very much in the "Window". Time is NOW

exactly. fully fit list, 5th on the ladder, no clear cut favourite, we're in the best form ever. At the G this week and next if we win. we could go on a run.


losing tonight would be a travesty and such a big missed opportunity.


hope the MC have this sorted with the run on team.

Team selection won’t be the difference

Bringing the right mindset will be.

Completely out of character but I’ve been reasonably calm leading up to the game.

Game day and now I’m nervous as @#$%&!.

Hoping like hell we bring our best with elite pressure and intensity. Get off to a great start and get the massive one sided crowd in a frenzy to last all game.

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We are on our way back...

It's pretty funny that it's probably the worst night for footy for the entire season and it's a)September b)our first final in 10 years.

Yep, my thinking too. Quite a few mature players who likely as not aren't going to get any better, or be around for too many more years. One reason I'd like to keep Dow, look at that centre line.

As long as they don't hesitate to kick it off the deck if the conditions are slippery.
Trying to reach down to get the ball and getting tackled is a mug's game.

We did it really well against North in the 1995 Preli, wet as all get out, puddles everywhere and just kept relentlessly pushing the ball forward.

Must do it tonight.

Marchy is only 26?

Fmd feels like he is 90 with two artificial legs