McGovern hurt again before finals

They are a huge chance, they had a bye, played one game then are against the Eagles, who are playing their umpteenth game in not very long. It will be a huge ask for the Eagles to get up here.. but if they can, they will leapfrog the Tigers, who I think will get a nasty shock against the Cats.

mmm, given all that`s been said, does anyone rate the Saints on thursday?

I agree Scott is handling himself very well. The beard though! That doesn't suit him in any way. He looks like a slightly frazzled Spartan from 300 minus the abs.

I think the time for saying the club is "missing Rioli" came and went a long time ago.

Here's hoping!? I like your positivity. But form says a lot and our best form is at home, being spoiled at the Disco Donut! Our away form is 3-5 and we look and play completely different. So even if by some miracle we get our best players on the park and play finals, there's some serious firepower we have to face away/ in QLD/ at some time. Tough gig. Miracles do happen (like the Liberal-Clive Palmer election?) in footy. This might e a stretch?

You forgot Hurn, and now Redden and Hutchings out for season. I think WC are done, injury list looking like a train wreck waiting to happen. If we get Rioli back next season, exciting times maybe, but also depends on what happens with covid etc...

Yep, it looks that way. I think I can see the writing on the wall for Eagles season - now Redden and Hutchings gone for season, a bridge too far. I can't believe I'm saying this but my respect for the Cats and how Scott conducts himself had grown this season. I hope they pull off the big one from the rest of the contenders, a quality and professional outfit.

Agreed, we are screwed without him. McStay down back where he should ALWAYS have bloody been is about the only silver lining out of this.

with Reddo now out that's 3 of 5 prime on ballers out of the side. it will be a miracle if we get to the finals or past the first week, and add Hutch to the list now as well. Brayshaw might get his chance this week mainly because there isnt anyone left.

Agree Reddo is a huge loss. If we can make it through the next two games reasonably unscathed we should get a large portion of those injured players back for finals.

Injuries and when they happen will always dictate your year and if we end up fifth it's probably the best year to do so and cruise back to Perth for a week, all will be back by finals so no need to worry and getting great experience into the young blokes is fantastic, you can't stop injuries you can only look at the positive outcomes they create.

And now no Redden for rest of season... going to be a tough climb, not very hopeful at all.

Nico, I've gotta say despite your limited timeframe of watching footy you seem to have a great knowledge base. Don't disparage yourself :happy: :happy: You are the only South African/Brit I know who follows footy anyway. :silly:

Nic Nat is back this week. That’s why I didn’t mention him. However, wasn’t kicking Gov. He has been below his best this season. That’s due to injury, and he shouldn’t be playing injured. Also agree with your assessment of me - I’ve said many many many times I know nothing about footy - only been watching since 2017 - so “typically off the mark” is a compliment- I’d expect “always off the mark”. Is this forum only for experts?

You’re typically off the mark and far too quick to jump to false, dare I say, emotional conclusions. Gov has been playing with a broken finger since he came back. You’re way too quick to kick the boots into a champion. If the midfield isn’t doing their job it’s so much harder for him to do his, especially with a broken finger. When the mids put lots of pressure on upfield the opposition often kick the ball in the air which suits Gov. Oppositions are also putting a lot more time coming up with ways to negate his influence which is a mark of respect. It sometimes takes a little time for any player to adjust to new tactics. Brander - you said he was useless a month ago, I disagreed and a few games later you can finally see his potential. He’s player 11-12 injury interrupted games across 3 years. Ainsworth - just a few days ago you said he was useless, now you suddenly see a role for him - he’s a kid. Petch - do you understand the concept of role players in AFL? He plays as a high half-forward which many regard to be the hardest position on the ground. Not every player needs to rack up lots of possessions, it’s also what they do off the ball, out of the sight of the camera to make things easier for their teammates and fulfil the game plan. You also said Simmo made “no moves“ in the coaches box against the Dogs. I saw him move Duggan into the midfield, give Ainsworth a tagging role (which you approve of) and Waterman to the wing. There may have been more? You also missed WC’s important player in Nic Nat. You say a lot but I’m not sure that you have a lot to say!

Gov’s finger has been broken the whole time, he’s been playing through the pain. Gov dragged himself out of a hospital bed to attend the 2018 GF parade with internal bleeding and a broken rib off memory. Simmo said that Gov is one of the toughest players he’s ever seen and I believe him. DeGoey may be a princess but don’t throw Gov in the same bus.

I daresay Lions are under more pressure missing Andrews. Looking forward to how they manage without him. I think they’ll cope, if they can kick goals. And send McStay back. Would back Faagan in to have a backup plan. Brisbane appear to have an excellent system, if only they could kick.

Unpopular opinion, but Gov was out of form anyway. So not the greatest loss. At his best we’re lost without him. But when he’s not playing well, very frustrating to watch, plus he loses his temper and does undisciplined things. Don’t see it as a big loss. He played well against the Giants, and that’s about his only good game all season. (Granted he’s been injured most of the season). More worrying is missing - Yeo - Shuey - Cripps - Rioli :unhappy: Not much backup left if we encounter any more injuries - Cameron (although has struggled for form after long injury) - Petrucelle (another mystery fringe player that can be good/ok or very bad) - Brander - developing slowly - Ainsworth- may actually turn out to be an efficient tagger - Brayshaw - yet to debut - Williams - seems promising - Jones (out for season, don’t know much about him but he looked promising in the few games played) Also need to be careful with Oscar Allen. I think the kid’s almost wrecked. No way he’d have dropped that mark usually. Sheppard looking wrecked too...

haha loving the optimism! Come to think of it, they didn't look that bad last week against the eagles did they? I thought they dominated 3 quarters out of 4 in that match, so for us to come out and put them away early like that, makes it a genuine statement game. Same as what we already did to port and the saints (or even the lions a while back now), and when you factor in the shorter quarters AND take away the Kardinia park factor, it's mighty impressive. In the end flag or no flag, they've still made us fans proud and given us something to smile about, and that alone has been a wonderful silver lining during a very difficult year for everyone, especially down here in Victoria... Now bring on the tigers!

I know every injury is different and De Goey will miss 2 months with his finger. Darren Millane of course played an entire final series with a broken thumb. The thumb of his left hand was broken in two places. He broke it four weeks before the GF and was told his season had ended. He told the Doc where to go. Each final he played, including the grand final, he broke the thumb again. Not saying De Goey or Gov aren’t tough, it’s just different times.