AFL squad: 2. Lachie Cowan, 3. Jesse Motlop, 4. Ollie Hollands, 5. Adam Cerra, 8. Lachie Fogarty, 9. Patrick Cripps, 10. Harry McKay, 11. Mitch McGovern, 12. Tom De Koning, 13. Blake Acres, 14. Orazio Fantasia, 15. Sam Docherty, 16. Jack Carroll, 17. Brodie Kemp, 20. Elijah Hollands, 24. Nic Newman, 28. David Cuningham, 29. George Hewett, 30. Charlie Curnow, 31. Harry Lemmey, 33. Lewis Young, 37. Jordan Boyd, 39. Alex Cincotta, 42. Adam Saad, 43. Ashton Moir, 46. Matthew Cottrell
Yes, i've left Pittonet out. As i said last year, based on TDKs potential, he should be able to take the #1 ruck role and make it his own. Maybe this year? Fantasia is picked, despite my protesting that he is not a position of need, we picked him up, so he must be a fair upgrade. We'll see. Williams slots in. Again, optimistic, his best should earn him a callup.
I've also gone smaller than most people will as i've said too many talls hurts us. So no 2nd ruck, Jack can cover. Also plenty of hard running on the bench as when we were flying, that is why we were winning.
Plenty of blokes are still to miss out. Hollands (x2?) Owies C. Durdin Fogarty Boyd and even Kennedy despite his slower style by comparison.
We'll see how we go after the pre-season games where i do part 2.
So often during the game, the term 'brutal' was continually used and was backed up by the actions of many players on the ground and well done to them. Their attack on the ball and player was exceptional. .
It made for a good spectacle............but do mothers walk away from watching that saying 'THAT'S the sport I want my daughter to play!!"
I would argue that the skill, fitness and professionalism of the Matildas would be far more attractive to parents than the self confessed 'brutality' of AFLW at the highest level.
How naive are those media people! The emotional reaction being beaten by a point compared to a team who was playing catch up by about 4 goals through the final quarter is totally different! I'm sure Adam Saad's message was fairly simple.... leave the ground with your head held high, remember where we've come from this year , don't forget today...and acknowledge the fans in the crowd.
Have no problem with our team selection, we didn't lose it at the match committee table, just ran out of petrol and were beaten by a better side. It will just make us hungrier. Top 4 finish is a must.
WTF? WT Flipping F? Why no Kemp? Hasn't set a foot wrong, done more that what is expected. Better than Marchbank. MC putting the baby out with the bath water.
I would not be surprised if the Match Committee consulted Weitering on the various scenarios and considerations prior to making any firm selection decisions.
There seemed to be a degree of 'mistrust' in Young and his ability to work with the back six which eventually effected Weitering's game, having to second guess what a teammate was going to do. Maybe he was getting edgy about Kemp under extreme pressure. I'm sure he would have 'ticked off Boyd' as being someone he has confidence in being able to play his role. Also, he is on record as being a big Marchbank fan.
I'd fly Dean Rice up to address the team as part of the preparation... a blue collar worker, without star qualities who worked his absolute arse off in the 99 Prelim and was instrumental in the 'win against all odds'. Anything is possible, write your own history, hand over the Prelim Final baton!!!
Sam Newman has doubled down on his comments against the Welcome to Country in a fiery interview, taking aim at AFL legend Adam Goodes and branding the common ceremonies a “hoax”.
The AFL personality stirred up controversy on this week after making comments on his podcast, You Cannot Be Serious, encouraging Aussies to boo or “slow hand clap” during the Welcome to Country, particularly at the upcoming AFL Grand Final at the MCG.
Appearing on 3AW radio on Thursday, Newman was asked by host Tony Jones whether his suggestion was “inciting violence”.
“What an extraordinary question,” Newman said.
“The public have had a gutful of people telling us how to live our lives, particularly footballing organisations. We like to go to the football and watch the game without being told to vote for the gay marriage proposal … without being told to vote for the Voice. Why do they get involved? It is an absolute hoax, it’s a rort, the Welcome to Country. Why do we have to be welcomed to the country we live in? Why is that? It is just a mark of division. The people who welcome you to country get a nice stipend out of it. Why do they charge? It’s just a rort.”
Sorry, it is long and behind a paywall, but well worth the read!!
Craig O'Donoghue - Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Blake Acres and Sam Docherty prove what real toughness is about: thewest.com.au/sport/afl/crai…
There’s a massive difference between acting tough and being tough when it comes to playing Australian Rules football.
Carlton wingman Blake Acres, captain Patrick Cripps and former skipper Sam Docherty produced shining examples of what real footy toughness is during Friday night’s cut throat semi final win over Melbourne at the MCG as too many Demons wasted time being fake tough.
Acres is playing with a shoulder injury, everyone knows it and everyone knows he’s in pain. But by playing tough footy, he made himself a Carlton hero.
When Lachie Hunter tackled him to the ground early in the first quarter, Acres landed on his shoulder and it was obvious that it hurt. But he got back up.
Less than 40 seconds later, Adam Tomlinson shoved Acres into the path of Christian Salem. The Blue lost his balance and crashed to the turf. He was visibly shaken. But he got back up.
Alex Neal-Bullen tried to rattle Acres by constantly bumping, nudging or pushing him in the shoulder. But Acres kept focusing on the footy.
And with one minute and 52 seconds left in the game, Acres made a crucial decision to run back with the flight of the ball and jump into Jake Lever’s path to deny the Demon the chance to attempt an intercept mark. Carlton trailed by five points and that ball simply had to come to ground.
Acres didn’t have to put his injured body on the line. Nobody would have noticed if he’d jogged to be front and square instead of pushing harder to get to that contest. But he chose to put his body on the line for very little reward. That’s real toughness.
“Premierships aren’t won by acting tough. Premierships are won by being tough. Melbourne should spend the summer remembering that.”
Then he drifted forward the goal square where he marked a kick from Docherty and kicked the match winning goal. Docherty’s toughness was amazing. He dislocated his left shoulder shortly before half-time but got up and played out the game. Without Docherty and Acres, the Blues wouldn’t have won.
That’s courage. That’s being footy tough.
What’s not being footy tough is Kysaiah Pickett jumper punching Mitch McGovern in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Joel Smith had just taken a mark and was lining up for goal from about 25m out on a slight angle.
Remember, Melbourne lost by two points. The umpire reversed the kick, costing the Dees that crucial shot for goal.
Pickett received a $1500 fine for that bit of fake toughness He’s lucky that wasn’t a suspension. But he wasn’t done. Pickett also chose to bump Cripps to the head in the second term.
He didn’t need to make contact, but he couldn’t help himself. Everyone knew Cripps was carrying sore ribs and that made him a target. Cripps left the field under the blood rule but returned and had 27 possessions, nine clearances and six tackles. That’s real toughness.
Pickett has been offered a one-match ban for his fake toughness on the Carlton captain.
It’s not the first time Pickett has tried to be fake tough this year. He launched himself like a missile into Bailey Smith in the opening round in a horrible example of what the AFL is trying to stamp out of the game.
He copped a two-game ban for that. It could have been more. Clearly he didn’t learn his lesson.
Tom Sparrow decided to be fake tough too late on Friday night too. With 4:53 remaining and Melbourne leading by three points, Sparrow shoved Adam Cerra to ground as he crossed the boundary line.
It wasn’t necessary but also wasn’t a free kick, which led to Sam Walsh confronting him.
Sparrow’s response was to grab Walsh by the jumper and throw him head-first into the fence. That’s fake tough.
Melbourne should have been setting up for a boundary throw in where Max Gawn could have exerted his authority over the contest. Instead, Walsh took the free kick and the Blues went forward. The AFL has fined Sparrow for that incident and he should be extremely thankful he’s not missing round one.
Any D-Grade suburban footballer can hand out jumper punches, late high bumps or throw someone into a fence. Fake toughness is everywhere at that level. More is expected when you’re playing in an AFL final.
Without disrespecting Acres, he wasn’t known as one of the AFL’s hard men at St Kilda or Fremantle. But he’s ignored pain and injury to kick the winning goals in consecutive finals for Carlton. He’s become a navy Blue hero. No matter what else he achieves in his career, he’ll now be lauded for being tough.
Finals bravado often leads to fake toughness. But it rarely works.
Premierships aren’t won by acting tough. Premierships are won by being tough.
Melbourne should spend the summer remembering that.
The disadvantage of not having your seconds still playing is now starting to show. Marchbank was very shaky on Friday night and is probably not required against all the Lions smalls. Boyd would be an obvious choice but can't be considered due to lack of match practice. Kennedy showed it. Was not on the pace like the others.