That’s a fair enough comment Cat and I guess you have been limited with early draft picks as a result of both your success and getting Dangerfield. On that basis and with Hawthorn forced to go a similar way do you see the Cats ahead of the Hawks starting 2018, equivalent or behind?

I just wonder how long the Cats can continue to trade away early draft picks for top up players? The talent of their youth is a bit of a concern and could see a big fall coming up. I understand their strategy in that they are wanting to capitalise on Dangerfield in his prime but as Buddy has shown one player won’t get you that flag, might get you top 4 but not a flag. The Tigers have ridden on the back of an outstanding Martin season to make top 4, the Cats have done it repeatedly and are now banking on Danger getting them their again but they refuse to go back to the well for youth? Going for an injury prone, albeit extremely talented footballer is rolling the dice big time and is worse than what the Pies did with Daniel Wells as the Cats will have to give away something big for him. So far, that has not proven a lucky roll for the Pies and all they gave away is $$$$.

True Tiger Fan are you genuinely the only person who believes Daniher’s mark was better?

It doesn’t matter Casper who it was, the issue is everyone knows Howe’s mark was better. I support the Crows but found the decision baffling until I realised it was a fan survey vote. Just more AFL policy on the run, not good. The murmurs at the Brownlow were also embarrassing and I’m sure Joey was embarrassed too.

I agree Julian. The AFL should never make prestigious awards a populist fan vote to please the AFL marketing department and their AFL.com.au click bait revenue. Surely after this embarrassing error it will be taken away from the fans as it should.

This will be a challenging decision for the Cats if they have to trade away draft picks for Gary. Their top up strategies have got them repeatedly to finals but not to the ultimate since 2011. They looked slow in their two losing finals and need more youth coming through. Gary’s injury worries this year will be a concern as well.

Well said Rory….we all know the MRP needs to be sacked and they start again completely….however, the Gill McLachlan administration are pretty much set in making decisions on the fly, perhaps the result of having too young and too inexperienced a CEO…..someone will have the same thing happen next year in the home and away but by then they will simply introduce a new rule, probably nicknamed the Cotchin rule….McLachlan runs his admin like Fawlty Towers and the MRP combine to play Manuel….not what the biggest sport in Australia deserves.

Ben, there is no doubt it’s a more serious punishment but that onus is on the players themselves in a preliminary final not on the judicial system. Where do we draw the line then? Someone knocking a player out in round 23 and missing finals is a more serious punishment that round 3. You are basically subscribing to a sliding scale of punishment for what Rounds 21 onwards? That would be farcical. The interpretation of the MRP is already all over the place, let alone with a sliding scale. What do you want a free for all in the preliminary finals just because missing the Grand Final is a more serious punishment? I’m sorry but the more I look at your argument the more absurd it appears.
The head must be protected or all those Mums have every right to move their kids over to Soccer away from a sport who’s highest level states that causing a concussion is “part of the game”.

I am changing my thoughts on this game multiple times during the day, at times I look at the overall balance of our side and think how can Richmond possibly beat us. Then I remember Collingwood getting 50 points up against us right there at the G. We looked terrible in that half. I keep coming back to what I believe will be the key to winning the premiership, belief. The first side to get 3-4 goals up if it happens will be so hard to beat in a grand final. Once you hit 20-25 points up the collective mindset changes for both sides. the front runner now plays with flair and dash, can take a few extra risks…hit up the target in the middle instead of going wide, take an extra bounce, play on and take them on. The team chasing however, goes back into their shells, starts to protect their own little space instead of helping out their teammates, get cautious, methodical and slow even. What can happen then? Suddenly the team 24 points up get another three in a row and its basically game over….40 points up in a Grannie in modern footy will be holding the cup.

Ben, I don’t believe anyone who writes an article in The Roar can claim to speak for everyone and the premise and headline of your article appears fairly blatantly as click bait trying to set a new record for the number of comments. I am really glad Cotchin is playing as I don’t subscribe to the “sniper” theories about him, he is tough, skilled and a champ. However, the precedent has been set now with both the Ellis and Cotchin bumps escaping any scrutiny. Shiel was taken out of the game, failing a concussion test. He is potentially still feeling headaches, nausea, dizziness let alone lamenting the fact he missed most of the game and let his teammates down through no fault of his own.
The main point here you haven’t addressed is if we accept a bit of leniency for Grand Finals then it opens the door for heavier hits in the 2018 prelims and possible court action next year. If someone does the same thing from GWS next year and gets rubbed out, they will have every right to challenge in the courts based on the precedent set this year.
No sports judicial system in the world can have different rules for a final without losing their integrity.

As a Crows fan I’m too biased to be commenting on the decision, however what it has done is clear the path for any similar instances next year, unless there’s more rule changes of course. Everything sure is falling into place for the Tigers this year, we are up against a steam train on Saturday!

It is difficult to remain impartial as a Crows fan who has waited so long for us to have another crack. The Tigers are a full force Victorian momentum and so far unstoppable force – they have been waiting way longer than we have too. Really though, the longest wait means nothing, our national anthem stare down will mean nothing, all the talk and predictions this week will mean nothing. Dusty winning the Brownlow as expected tonight will mean nothing. KB’s theatrical over confidence will mean nothing. Nothing will matter come the bounce of the ball except belief, run, momentum. The team who feels they are “on” and about to storm away with it will get better and better, the team who feels it slipping away will most likely not come back, they will start to doubt themselves, to play safe, to fear mistakes rather than believe they are invincible. Look at the Geelong finals, classic examples of what belief can do for and against. Big barnstorming comeback wins from 50 points happen in the home and away season but not in modern grand finals. Whoever kicks away first with a 3-4 goal lead will feel the momentum, the belief….they will start to run that tiny bit faster, take a few tiny extra risks and suddenly the 3-4 goals lead becomes 7-8. If either side hits that magic mark of maybe 40 points + it will need nothing short of a miracle for the other team to come back.
Who has the game breaking goal kickers to kick start belief? Cameron and Betts, Dusty and Rioli? Jack? Tex might be overdue?

and your tip GoSwans is? Who is going to win and by how much?

The cost of flying all the reserves teams around the country is the sticking point there Pedro. There is no doubt the VFL needs a revamp and a complete marketing overhaul. The VFL should be seen as the rookie feeder to the AFL with perhaps 6 regional under 22 – Under 25 teams in Metropolitan Melbourne. AFL affiliated list players from other clubs play for the regional along with the rest who are potential rookies….having the option of a mid season rookie draft for the AFL would see more of a focus on the VFL regional comp, Players outside of the under 22-25’s play for local teams such as the EFL which then gives a massive marketing push to local leagues. Imagine say watching a Jack Watts line up at a local oval for Doncaster?

As an Adelaide born Melbournian I see nothing in the forecast to trouble GWS. The G is in such good nick a thunderstorm will pass straight through to the MCG drainage….it is the forecast for rain all day that would cause trouble and that is not going to happen.
I see this as the day GWS make a statement that they have truly arrived, knocking off the red hot Tigers by one point in front of a hostile crowd. Steve Johnson the hero with the winning goal.

Even as a Crows fan, the more I analyse the game myself I just can’t see us losing unless we put in a shocker which is unlikely in a home preliminary final. I think if it was at the G it would be 50/50 but at home I do believe we should win and win well. It does worry me the number of people in here and the media in general who give the Cats a chance though. Will we face the Cats who looked old and slow against the Tigers or the ones who willed themselves with belief to deny the all conquering Swans run? Crows after a scare by 17 points.

Or is it Mark that Longmire’s coaching and game style of keeping it congested doesn’t encourage these type of players to take it on and run? Perhaps these guys are limited in what they are allowed to do as part of the Swans game style.

Caracella seems an enigma Paul. I just wonder if he is as good as it touted why he has never gone for the big gig himself?

Totally agree there needs to be a better direct pathway for late developing juniors who want their shot at the highest level. There is a missing ingredient in the pathway through junior football to having a potential AFL career and we are losing really good kids to the game along the way. Go and watch any Under 15 – Under 16 game and you will see the difference in those boys who developed earlier dominating their competitions purely because they hit puberty first. We lose so many kid after the under 18 – Under 19 bracket. The whole transition needs to be restructured to stop losing late developing kids to the game. I have worked in Junior football for some time and the amount of super talented kids I have seen who fail to show up to Summer training once they are seniors is sad.
In my opinion we need an under 22 competition between TAC and the VFL. All those kids who fail to be drafted from TAC squads and those late developers who are talented but because of their size never had a shot at their dream need another competition that gives them that chance. An under 22 competition would allow AFL clubs to have a clear look at potential young players as rookies perhaps even with a mid season rookie draft from the Under 22’s. For the young kids themselves they wouldn’t have to compete with list clogging older guys from the VFL who have in their clubs eyes earned their right for a spot regardless of form.

Hard to argue that Buddy is anything but a champion, drawcard and future AFL legend. Flags are tough to win consistently which shows why the modern Hawks, Lions and Cats have been so remarkable. The Swans have two flags this millenium and aren’t far behind. Last year was the one that hurt the most you would think. The Doggies should have been spent and easy pickings after their Herculean effort to make it. How they won it is now the stuff of legends but the Swannies will always be the ones who had to lose for the Dogs fairytale to happen. They were the equivalent of Jerker Jenkins of the 1970 grand final – the back that Jezza took his screamer on.
Otherwise they’d be up their with the Cats and mighty Brisbane Lions teams as sitting in second pace in the counting of flags behind the Hawks for this millenium.

I agree Daniel. The Cats showed from the start that they were a different side to the one humiliated by Richmond. The start is so crucial again as to the psychology of belief. We all wonder how a team can not only swing week to week but think how my team pulled in the Pies for a draw from 50 points down. We don’t like to believe it but all the players are human with thoughts going on constantly in their brains. You could feel belief from the stand when the Crows got just a couple of goals back from that 50 point deficit and I could feel and sense the belief in the Cats when they held the Swans in that first quarter. If the Cats sit with us or ahead in the first half we could be in big trouble. We need to smash Geelong’s belief and have them second guessing every contest just like they did to the Swans in that second quarter when the flood of goals came.

Teleportation….A Star Trek fan Paul D? Is that what Danger would say to Chris Scott? “Beam me up Scotty”? …Gee the Klingons would win 10 straight flags if they joined the AFL.

I wonder Schaefer if it is the product of Longmire’s coaching or simply not recruiting the right players? It’s a delicate balance of having enough bulls to break the packs and feed it out and enough run to spread once you have it. I feel the Swans and West Coast have overbalanced on the bulls without getting the running burst players to spread. This may well be trying to emulate the Hawks of 2013-15 but the game moves on so quickly…just look at what the Tigers are doing this year with their running smalls.

I wonder if the Swans get found out on bigger grounds, wider grounds like the G. Players like Parker, Hannebery and Kennedy are great players in the congestion but don”t have great pace outside. I think their midfield is one paced and can look slow on the big grounds and their is simply no place for Tippett, Reid and Buddy in the one forward line.

It is a remarkable season of impossible tipping and the finals now throwing its own upsets into the mix. I’m worried about the one game in a month but surely this is our best chance to make a Grand Final. For what it’s worth Crows by 17 thanks to some Eddie B magic and GWS by 1 point. Danger needs a hard tag whether forward or mid.