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Preview 2025 Goodbye (To 2026) New; Preseason Discussion

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Initially had him pegged in the Cookbook/Willsyclapper school of unnuanced banality, but he's quickly decended into the 66 Idiocy realm.
Not hard to see the trend of him purposely going against the grain for the sake of it. He will swing to whatever the opposite of the prevailing thoughts are. He will morph from 66 to Dav3 if it means staying on the opposite side of the fence. Its best to just realise that pattern and not take what he says all that seriously.
 

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There were a couple of hints at positional changes when the Power did split into their line groups.

While Jackson Mead has spent his AFL career so far as a forward with stints in the midfield he was in the defence group. Mead has played 46 games at AFL level over the past two years but struggled to really impact games at times in 2025. So is this a way of Carr getting more out of the father-son?

Captain Connor Rozee looks set to again feature heavily at half-back with stints in the midfield in 2026. He had been with the backs so far in pre-season but he said on Monday that was more him filling in the gaps because senior players had been away.

With every senior player back on the track, Jason Horne-Francis and Sam Powell-Pepper were in the building as they recover from injury, Rozee was with the defenders when the Power broke into groups.

With him there, Miles Bergman was with the mids.

While Christian Moraes impressed on a wing in his debut season in 2025, he looks set to be played more as a forward in 2026.

In line for a wing spot could be Ewan Mackinlay as he continues to be one of the more impressive players for the Power this pre-season. Mackinlay was a player namechecked by director of coaching Andy Collins as to who he had been impressed with recently and the mid-season draftee from North Adelaide is putting together an impressive body of work. His running has improved significantly and he also improved his strength. He was with the midfield group showcasing his aerobic capability.
 
Not hard to see the trend of him purposely going against the grain for the sake of it. He will swing to whatever the opposite of the prevailing thoughts are. He will morph from 66 to Dav3 if it means staying on the opposite side of the fence. Its best to just realise that pattern and not take what he says all that seriously.
All depends on what you believe the grain is.
It was just over 12 months ago the grain was saying.

Mentally soft spuds who,are prepared by a mentally soft loser.
**** this club, board, coaching group and plying group..

Weak as piss

Unable to handle finals oressure

Disgusting

If these campaigners clap off these players they should be put on the cross

PORT ARE SHIT

Farrell is a coward

SPP isn’t a forwards arse.

Same shit all year. Get momentum and can't put the ****ing ball between the big ****ing sticks. Team just shits themselves infront of goals.

Rozee and Butters once again failed in a finals series. Really big worry. Both just go to water when it matters,

Yea you can set your watch to a Butters disappearing act in a final.

Butters 3 preliminary final performances have been awful

To many B and C grade players that can't take the heat when it's applied


Midfield failed to deliver when it matters. Time for a clean out of the list and coaching personnel.

We were a snorefest in two of three finals. We don’t deserve to be there.

Side isn't good enough. It's that simple.

Too many average players who have zero impact.

I agree that our list is pretty poor, but when your best 5 players don’t give a yelp every single final they play, it’s particularly galling.

That’s just a couple of quotes from the grain, you should be able to pick out yours in that bunch.
This year the grain has swapped over from negative to positive.
The old people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones saying suits you perfectly well.
 
Do you have the link to the podcast. Wouldn’t mind a listen when I am not continually marking assignments that have been generated by AI!
Future looks bright for society
 

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Burgoyne is deceptively strong, though. He sticks hard tackles on much bigger opposition.
First half of the year he is like a rabid octopus when he tackles, he can really tackle hard ... But IMO, as season has gone on, he has visibly tired and weakened.

I know people defend his skinniness, but he does need to add weight & strength to his frame to play out the full season, and especially to compete in tougher finals.
 
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Not hard to see the trend of him purposely going against the grain for the sake of it. He will swing to whatever the opposite of the prevailing thoughts are. He will morph from 66 to Dav3 if it means staying on the opposite side of the fence. Its best to just realise that pattern and not take what he says all that seriously.
Correct. And he plays himself off like some kind of paladin of wisdom. I guess its the interweb.
 

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I listened to the podcast a while ago and I liked Stephenson but there was one thing that was a bit of a problem. He never seemed to take accountability for his poorer actions. Apart from that, he was pretty good but that was a bit of a red flag. I think he'll do fine but he might flame out after a year or two. It seems to be his way. Hopefully he can recapture his Pies form and kick goals and be dangerous.
Interesting PB, like you i listened to it a while ago and actually thought he sounded like a reasonable bloke, and as per usual, what comes out from under the surface, once an interview is longer than a comments grab, gives you a different opinion of them.
However i thought the same in that he never really took ownership of some of his questionable behavior. But it almost becomes understandable when you consider the amount of smoke that must have been blown up him as a junior. He played in an Under 18 TAC Cup GF as an Under 16, was always considered a top 10 pick, goes to Collingwood and wins Rising Star.
To me it has come very easy and only now do i think he might have realised this. To that end i would test him out to see how serious he is. Tell him there is a spot at the Maggies and if shows commitment and effort he will be selected in the Mid Season draft. Just got a feeling if he goes straight on to the senior list it will just be another chapter in his it wasnt my fault story.
 
And Stephenson's off-field issues related to maturity, nothing more. He's not a rapist, druggy, DV perp. He was basically a child in an adult's world, laid a couple of stupid bets, ate too much crap and then fell out of love with football at a hellscape of a club.

As I said before, not everyone matures at the same rate. Hopefully he has grown up, learned responsibility and realises his talent is worthy of the big stage and shouldn't be wasted.

Early reports indicate he is taking this chance seriously. He just has to maintain dedication to earn a place.
I honestly don't think I started showing any real maturity until I was about 25 years old.
 
"Fledgling" ?? None of those are fledglings, more like old "boilers!" Besides Watts, they were all depth at best.

Stephenson is in a different group anyway ... He isnt a current player, transferring from another club. A talented player that lost direction, had some time away, and now looking to return. Just an unknown quantity at this stage.

You are right though, you wouldnt give him a shot, as in a contract, but offering him an opportunity to show us if he still has it? Well, that is a free hit.
If I was Zadow I'd be looking, thinking if I show any amount of intensity here I'm probably going to get the list spot.
 

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