Not the AFL's fault that Melbourne has become a place that is not that desirable to live in anymore. Between the traffic, the volume of works, and sheer annoyance at all the reducing speed limits, parking times, and how much harder it is to get anything completed, its no surprise AFL players who have the means and the motivation to flee are.
This is where the clubs need to work hard to keep their players happy, and COVID did a number on Melbourne that it hasnt recovered from.
I do love where I live, but I dont live in inner city melbourne, and stay away from the city as much as possible. Perhaps thats why Hawthorn, St. Kilda, and Footscray are having a better time of attracting people lately.
You live close enough that you may have heard.
There was a stabbing/homicide at Mernda station the other day.
A group of 4 kids 15-18yos were picking on a 14 (or 15yo), trying to steal his phone and powerbank. A 22yo came to his aid and got stabbed and died. The 4 kids have been caught and been charged with homicide.
These occurances are getting more and more common and more and more closer to home.
I was so glad Vossy shut down the incessant, carping, shallow questioning around the D & D bleatings. Steered the hyenas onto the now, the new and the game ahead. Good on you, Vossy.
The back half defense holds up ok but the problem is the defensive skills of our midfield doesnt.....Gulden and Heeney had high tackle numbers the same cant be said for our mids who dont apply much pressure when they dont have 1st use, we have too many one way players in the middle of the ground. Then you look at our forward pressure which was also non existant...Fogarty didnt have one tackle and he is employed solely as a pressure forward and Ainsworth had one tackle... Its the not the defense, its the rest of the team who pick and choose when to defend so the opposition mids and running half backs just stroll around unhindered and do what they like leading to the avalanche of forward entries and defenders bewildered by the pressure. Cripps, Hewett and Walsh in the middle doesnt work as a group when defense is required, you look at Gold Coast and they have a main midfield of Anderson, Rowell and Miller who can win the footy, attack, defend and carry the ball....our group cant do the latter two skills well enough for long enough against quality opposition.
The bold is why we got rid of Kennedy. It has some merit. BUT, you gotta get replacements in to compliment that. Yes, Jagga is one.....and an expensive one given what we gave up for him. Ditto Walker in 2027. But essentially waiting 2-3 years to get replacements is time we can't afford to wait. In the meantime Charlie/Jack is gone. Weitering/Harry are another year closer to the end without real replacements yet. Cripps is definitely not going to recapture his Brownlow form at his age and they will be like ships passing in the night.
We need some urgency with list management decisions so we have an elite core group all around at the same time to be a genuine flag contender.
Unpopular opinion, but i'd be seeing what deal West Coast can do for Cripps at seasons end. I love the bloke as much as the next guy, but looking at whats best for the club......and maybe that is it.
I don't think there's a lot of "hate for Boyd." This little black duck much prefers Boyd to Saad... for starters his defensive game is much better... he has a passion for the contest, and his body isn't crumbling! And he can kick on both sides of his body.
I don't think anyone on this site has hung it on Boyd? Maybe Krudd is referring to the MC. The only comments I recall were how he'd lost some form/confidence and wasn't getting picked when playing well enough in the magoos. I'd have him ahead of Saad
Yep, it was more directed at the MC who seem to keep him on the list, but out of the team. Whats the point?
Cerra.... 2020, 2021, 2022 - best 22 under 22 2020-2023, 2025 - top 10 B+F (2024 - 4-5 hamstrings) 2020, 2025 - top 3 in B+F
FYI, in 2020, Cerra was 20.
Lord.... *crickets*
Lord was 20 in 2025.
Again, i've got nothing against him, not everyone will be superstars. I just think he needs to lift his game.....and zero tackles and poor disposal will not endear him to the MC.
The problem is you seem to want them all to be superstars. It ain't happening.
If Lord was given a job to do on a Sydney player and didn't do it, he may be in strife, otherwise he'll back up again next week.
FYI he had career high disposals and inside 50s on Thursday night...so yep..he's on the improve.
Sure, career highs in those areas, because Cerra wasn't there and he has increased minutes. I'm not fussed about that, i'm watching what he is doing with it.
You put his numbers against Jagga.....watch the difference with ball in hand between those 2 and you'll see why those numbers are not the same like you make them out to be.
For the 423rd time, i'm not expecting him to be a superstar or be as good as any other individual. Just pointing out that he would not be as safe as you make out (long term).
Years gone by Adam Bentick was getting 30+ touches in a game. Averages 5 tackles in his career, up to 6 in his last couple years. Ratten handed him the #7 as a bright young talent. But.....he was largely average. Not great by foot. Deemed not good enough. 2 years after he got the #7 handed to him, he was delisted. I don't see anything in Lord that Bentick didn't have.
Answer me this. Has he improved in his last 2 seasons?
He's still the tough nut. He's still going to give you his all. His minutes has improved due to personnel and circumstances, but has he?
You say i have something against him (and Wilson). I say you have navy blue glasses on when viewing them.
I had similar conversations about Jaxon Binns last year and was told the same thing. Remind me how he is going this year?
The kids are 20 kruds. You would have had Kade Simpson and Bruce Doull off to the knackery at similar stages of their careers. To answer your question...yep, both are improving. I'd have Wilson before Saad, and Lord before Acres and Cerra too. They are too unreliable in terms of lasting a game at the moment.
There is the navy blue glasses i speak of.
Cerra.... 2020, 2021, 2022 - best 22 under 22 2020-2023, 2025 - top 10 B+F (2024 - 4-5 hamstrings) 2020, 2025 - top 3 in B+F
FYI, in 2020, Cerra was 20.
Lord.... *crickets*
Lord was 20 in 2025.
Again, i've got nothing against him, not everyone will be superstars. I just think he needs to lift his game.....and zero tackles and poor disposal will not endear him to the MC.
I use stats to back my argumwnt, not form my argument.
Get the ball in the hands of both and Jagga and Lord and out your life on the line of them finding a teammate. 99% will pick jagga. The 1% who pick lord will not know who Jagga is or be related to Lord.
Im not on a witch hunt. Elijah was by far the worst user of the ball, lord may have been next
Nah You've got a set on him for some reason. We've had our differences over the summer. I mentioned at one stage I thought Lord and Wilson would be players that improved this year. You seem to have taken an opposite view for both of them.. Have a look at our B& F voting for this game. Lord features. You'll give these guys a a serve when they do do something poorly and ignore them when they do something well. Prove me wrong.
Answer me this. Has he improved in his last 2 seasons?
He's still the tough nut. He's still going to give you his all. His minutes has improved due to personnel and circumstances, but has he?
You say i have something against him (and Wilson). I say you have navy blue glasses on when viewing them.
I had similar conversations about Jaxon Binns last year and was told the same thing. Remind me how he is going this year?
I don't get all the hate for boyd. Clearly not rated by the mc. Not well liked by our own supporters.
I don't know if it's got to do with him painting his nails or something equally nonsensical, but a his user of the ball who likes getting physical and flying the flag is something we could use at afl level right now.
To me he looks to play better at afl level. Maybe it's the pristine surfaces of afl over vfl that helps his kicking, but given newman, saad, cowan, carroll (williams?) All out and/or struggling....give him a go
I use stats to back my argumwnt, not form my argument.
Get the ball in the hands of both and Jagga and Lord and out your life on the line of them finding a teammate. 99% will pick jagga. The 1% who pick lord will not know who Jagga is or be related to Lord.
Im not on a witch hunt. Elijah was by far the worst user of the ball, lord may have been next
Machettes were involved again. Word is the 22 YO deceased man was not part of the initial fight between the teenagers but stepped in to try to deescalate things. Terrible and reality is 3 out 4 are under 18 so very likely will be out on bail walking the streets in coming days.
Police station is literally 300m from where this occurred but due to cuts is no longer manned 24hr.
I was coming home from the f1 on that very train line an hour after that happened and got off a couple stops before then. Had my 10yo with me.
Word i had was the 22yo was a security guard, but not sure.
They have arrested 4 people 16-18yos for the murder.
He's a player I have a bit of hope in. He turns 21 in couple of weeks,so he's still very young. He wasn't our worst by any stretch, but once the pressure came on he was pretty much overwhelmed. The intensity of that period was so much greater than the practice matches and Lord struggled a bit with the speed of the game.
Lord can't handball effectivly in close. I saw it last year and again last night. A combination of strength and technique and he plays along side the best in the business.
As bb points out his disposals became rushed and inaccurate as the pressure increased. Now as I see it, Lord's plays a bit of a role as a defensive midfielder. He's one of the very few of our mids with a strong defensive side to his game. Exactly what we needed when the Swans midfield started to cut us up. And therein lies one of our problems...we don't have many.
An interesting stat that perhaps reflects the difference between a practice game and a real game is this one. Lord had 13 tackles against Geelong in the practice game. Last night he had 0
I was canned for suggesting Lord was sub-par in that Geelong match. His 'saving grace' was his tackle count.
Well after last nights efforts, including his zero tackles, nothing has changed on my end......but it appears some others have seen the same. Disposal is average. Panics under pressure. Without his tackles, whats he got?
Now as i said last week, i've got nothing against the kid and hope he comes on.....but if we get a few players back and a few kids step up, he's the one in the gun.
Do you pick him or Cerra? Cerra. If Cottrell and Acres is fit, do we allow Jagga/Walsh more midfield time.....who would get less? Williams in the midfield performed very well early, 5 clearances to half time. What if Ben Camporeale comes on.....he might also force Lord out.
Whichever way you look at it, currently, Lord is the weakest link in a pretty stacked midfield. I wouldn't want to be having anymore 0 tackle games if i was him.
