Opinion Non-Crows AFL 13: Offseason

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Saints v GWS a few years ago got over 60,000 in a EF. So if they’re going on capacity, they shouldn’t ever get one.

But let’s be real. Geelong should get to play finals at their home ground. It’s crazy that teams play finals besides their home ground in the name of viewers (read: money).

But then, the Grand Final should be played at highest finishing team’s home.

The fact there is a good chance we finish top and have to play at our opponents home ground again is really unacceptable for fairness.

So I’m all for teams earning the right to play at their home, but has to be for everyone and every game.

If the AFL were to let Geelong pick and choose where they play their finals then that luxury would have to be afforded across the competition.

What is stop Hawthorn then choosing to play finals in Tasmania because it gives them an advantage? How about the Bulldogs or St Kilda playing finals against teams like Collingwood at Marvel?

Geelong complain about it every year, but the AFL has explained the rationale numerous times as to why it won't happen.

 

[Peter Doherty]

The substance of my post is they have a crap list and are in for a lot of pain over the next 5 years. Even worse, they wont completely bottom out and finish bottom 4 to get the elite players in the draft. They will also lose Butters and Bergman. I see them 7-8th (at best) to 14th for the remainder of the decade.

Do you agree or disagree with this?

Re the 8 that have gone, my point is thats just the start. Boak was probably still a best 6-8 player for them and a fit Rioli certainly a top 8-10 player. So there are losses here already inc the unexpected Rioli retirement.

Then 10+ IMO could easily be added to that - see list below. And losing so many in a crap draft year, no first round pick and at best rumoured to be getting a C-D grade Giants FA wont move the needle.

This is my summation of their crap - do you actually disagree? I am genuinely interested in other crows views as perhaps I am too pessimistic (or optimistic of them being crap haha). But to have around 30 players on their list either not up to standard, serious injury issue and longevity concerns (SPP and Marshal) or retiring/last year or so (AA) is a helluva lot compared to most. I would think we have perhaps 10 ish players in this category - they have 30!



Do you think any of the following guys are AFL standard (15)

Evans
Williams
Charleson
Anastaopoulos
Lorenz
Jackson
Barrett
Mc Entree
Moss
Lai
Mead
Walsh
Ramm
Mackinlay
Liddy

Add to the serious question marks (7)

Burton
Lord
DBJ
BZT
Finlayson
Farrell
Soldo

Older OR Unfit/serious injury concerns (4)

SPP
Marshall
Rioli
AA

Retiring (2)

Boak
Atkins


Thats 28 players. I wouldnt want of them except perhaps short term AA

Their list in 2025 is terrible. They are getting rid of close to 25% of this terrible list.

Moving on from 10 or so players that weren't taking them anywhere is a positive step. The players replacing them might not be any better, but probably don't have a lot to lose turning over a heap of players, they might find something.

If they were retaining all these players that a is a worse scenario for them.

I made a joke yesterday about 'is there a very late mid season rookie draft coming up?' Was just a troll at them, this is really a step in the right direction.

What is the alternative, hold onto these players until they have better picks to replace them with?

 

[GameofSloanes]

McEntee delisted…..welcome back home to where you’re respected and can play with your brother Jed

Temu murphy

 

[skam85]

Geelong complain about it every year, but the AFL has explained the rationale numerous times as to why it won't happen.

Do Geelong actually complain about it? Most snippets from Chris Scott I've read seem to brush it off, and the Cats fans I know are on the fence. On one hand they would love the game there but on the other hand they know it's almost guaranteed they'll get a ticket if it's at the G. Their biggest gripe is a Friday night MCG final as it's a mad rush from work.

 

[GameofSloanes]

I'd keep Lorenz, Lai and Ramm. Liddy is solid but vanilla.

I assume they will target plenty of the 18's championship winning team in the draft.

They can target them, but have f*ck all draft picks to get the good ones

 

[skam85]

Temu murphy

Every time I see McEntee's name I think of those non licensed cricket video games where they had to change the name and he was actually Ned McHenry

 

[Moonwatcher]

Why do we care the Hawks of all teams got a rough umpiring decision?

Because we wanted to play them or GWS.

 

[119others]

Their list in 2025 is terrible. They are getting rid of close to 25% of this terrible list.

Moving on from 10 or so players that weren't taking them anywhere is a positive step. The players replacing them might not be any better, but probably don't have a lot to lose turning over a heap of players, they might find something.

If they were retaining all these players that a is a worse scenario for them.

I made a joke yesterday about 'is there a very late mid season rookie draft coming up?' Was just a troll at them, this is really a step in the right direction.

What is the alternative, hold onto these players until they have better picks to replace them with?

Yes their choices are alarmingly limited:

• no complete bottom out due to a handful of elites. We all know finishing 8-14th is no man’s land
• perpetual 8-14th finishes IMO making them a non-destination club to attract players with anything but $
• no first rounder this year and picks 26 and 44 and lower when they are turning over 10ish players in a crap draft year is scary
• somebody who should certainly knows believes both Butters and Bergman are “definitely gone”
• Tassie coming in compromising things 2027 and 2028
• their saving grace of FS and NGA now under serious reviews. No guarantees for any of them certainly at juicy discounts
• Carr the saviour has seen their midfield go from world beaters under Voss to much more average since Carr started

My gut feel is CD may jump ship here. Trust me he knows the predicament they are in. From the horses mouth.


I think the choices and alternatives are horrendous and we may be back to 2011 type era with crowds etc

If I seem a little obsessed by Powers demise - a fair call - I know that our club feels the weaker they are the stronger we will be in many ways. Attracting players back home (Nas 2027), attendance, members, sponsors, media.

We would be a much stronger club if they folded

 

[ams4crows]

Harley Reid staying at West coast even if it's just the two extra years makes him a better bloke than JHF who walked after one year at the bottom club

 

[Geoffa32]

I'd imagine they will try and trade him out given he is contracted for another year, but his value must have gone a fair way south over last 2 seasons, not sure how much interest would remain in him.

He tried to leave last year and no club wanted him.

When he gets delisted it will happen twice. By Port and "the hottest wag in the AFL".

 

[Geoffa32]

Harley Reid staying at West coast even if it's just the two extra years makes him a better bloke than JHF who walked after one year at the bottom club

Why does an 18 year old kid need to show loyalty to a club who's player welfare management is so poor he was able to sneak home to Adelaide for a weekend without them knowing?


North deserve that loyalty just because he was the best 18 year old when they had pick 1?


And why aren't clubs "loyal" and keep players they delist?

Goes both ways?


Do Rankine and Dawson have no loyalty because they came here?

 

[Bovo]

Why does an 18 year old kid need to show loyalty to a club who's player welfare management is so poor he was able to sneak home to Adelaide for a weekend without them knowing?


North deserve that loyalty just because he was the best 18 year old when they had pick 1?


And why aren't clubs "loyal" and keep players they delist?

Goes both ways?


Do Rankine and Dawson have no loyalty because they came here?

It’s pretty cool that a couple of highly regarded players in JWM and now Reid have committed to their respective clubs. Players leave for their own reasons and stay for their own reasons, but it’s a nice change, especially for struggling clubs.

 

[GreyCrow]

Why does an 18 year old kid need to show loyalty to a club who's player welfare management is so poor he was able to sneak home to Adelaide for a weekend without them knowing?


North deserve that loyalty just because he was the best 18 year old when they had pick 1?


And why aren't clubs "loyal" and keep players they delist?

Goes both ways?


Do Rankine and Dawson have no loyalty because they came here?

True but it highlights his personal integrity - which I admire

 

[chazwazza]

Temu murphy

….back home to Sturt

 

[SLOWNE]

Why does an 18 year old kid need to show loyalty to a club who's player welfare management is so poor he was able to sneak home to Adelaide for a weekend without them knowing?


North deserve that loyalty just because he was the best 18 year old when they had pick 1?

North deserved the loyalty of a player who assured them he wasn't a flight risk and deserved to be pick #1.

JHF the little FIGJAM just wanted to be #1 so bad, he was willing to say anything.

 

[Cromulant]

North deserved the loyalty of a player who assured them he wasn't a flight risk and deserved to be pick #1.

JHF the little FIGJAM just wanted to be #1 so bad, he was willing to say anything.

I dont think thats how it played out at all.

 

[Scorpus]

Why does an 18 year old kid need to show loyalty to a club who's player welfare management is so poor he was able to sneak home to Adelaide for a weekend without them knowing?


North deserve that loyalty just because he was the best 18 year old when they had pick 1?


And why aren't clubs "loyal" and keep players they delist?

Goes both ways?


Do Rankine and Dawson have no loyalty because they came here?

I largely agree. It's up to the club to convince the player to stay. Good players don't owe bad clubs anything. West Coast obviously did a good job of convincing Reid (with dollars)

At the same time, JHF is still of worse character than Reid for leaving after 1 year

 

[Geoffa32]

North deserved the loyalty of a player who assured them he wasn't a flight risk and deserved to be pick #1.

JHF the little FIGJAM just wanted to be #1 so bad, he was willing to say anything.

He was the best player that draft.

Didn't we offer Norf a fair but to get that number 1 pick?

 

[BRL121]

He was the best player that draft.

Didn't we offer Norf a fair but to get that number 1 pick?

Are you a Kiwi?

 

[Geoffa32]

I largely agree. It's up to the club to convince the player to stay. Good players don't owe bad clubs anything. West Coast obviously did a good job of convincing Reid (with dollars)

At the same time, JHF is still of worse character than Reid for leaving after 1 year

Changing workplaces because you don't like that workplace means you have bad character?

 

[50BC]

He tried to leave last year and no club wanted him.

When he gets delisted it will happen twice. By Port and "the hottest wag in the AFL".

It's the price of his current contract that would have been the biggest issue for clubs considering him, being way overpaid for a depth player but Port probably can't afford to pay him out this year either given they've likely already made some sort of settlement payout to Rioli.
The girlfriend left the state a year ago, I don't know if they are still considered a couple.

 

[BRL121]

I notice the Penrith Panthers are resting 16 of their 17 players in this week's round before finals!

 

[Bay62]

Hawthorn want to get Butters so they’re apparently offering Hinkley a job to make that more likely to happen

Kane Cornes calls this a “genius” move

You haven’t seen a lot of genius things in your life, have you Kane? You know, as opposed to “simple and blindingly obvious” things…

 

[whattagun07]

Know it probably got mentioned last night, but I begrudgingly watched the footy shows last night (360, Couch, Classified) and couldn't help but notice there was just this underlying sense of salty bitterness the fact we finished top.

360 Interviewed Nicks and at least had to acknoweldge it but got far from excited.

Couch gave us literally 2 mins and said 'got the job done, but have issues, not sure about them' in a throw away before an ad break.

Classified with chief flog Manure dug up the Rankine issue and were in shock he left for overseas.

I forgot in finals the Vic bias and hatred gets ratcheted up to another level.... Have vague flashbacks to 2017 now

I listen to SEN a fair bit, (almost exclusively the VIC version to avoid Rucci and Jarrod Walsh) and I have hardly heard any praise for what we have achieved.
After R24, you'd think they'd acknowledge what an incredible season it's been.

 

[Peter Doherty]

I notice the Penrith Panthers are resting 16 of their 17 players in this week's round before finals!

Who is the guy that has to play? And why?