Generally a good article Les, seems a lot of those members are whinging at Collingwood. Magpies aren’t really able to do much more than what they’ve already done. And the Pies like any healthy club are always going to promote and go for maximum membership.
Forgive me for being lazy but I enjoyed a few of your quotes.
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“With the preliminary final truly the last parochial supporter event of the season – you just had to listen to the noise at the Collingwood-GWS game, and feel the stands reverberate – the grand final has become a soulless boutique event that’s more about the occasion where the everyday supporter is some unwanted holdover to a past that’s been deemed no longer relevant – sort of like the music acts the AFL hires”.
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‘Of course, I imagine that what happened earlier this week won’t even be a blip on the AFL’s radar. They’ll acknowledge it, comment that fans are their priority, and then it’ll be dismissed, which ensures there’s every likelihood that it will happen again”.
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“You could kill off just about every AFL journalist, and it wouldn’t impact the competition – in fact, I’m sure there are people in the game who’d prefer it”.
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“Surely the grand final should be predominantly about the two teams and their loyal members and supporters. Instead, it’s about packages, corporates, and grant tickets to non-completing clubs to do with as they please”.

Lions have a strong line up on paper. Pies will have to play at their best to beat them. I think Pies have pretty much picked their best team, and it’s good Ginnivan will be in the starting 22. Be interesting to see if Lipinski or Noble is selected as the sub, could be a late surprise.

That’s not my take. I think there’s a realistic perspective Lions are peaking as a high quality team and will be hard to beat. But also Pies best is definitely good enough to win it, and can play hard tough brilliant football.
2002 and 2003 we had much less a chance. Despite winning qualifying against Lions in 03 they clearly had a better team and Pies no Rocca, a huge loss. Jason Cloke was a significant loss in 02, he had been a key pillar in defence and would have been more than handy, particularly in the damp conditions which probably helped the Pies on the day.

We could just award it to the player who accumulates the most stats. The thought of that is bound to get some ultra excited.
Think there’d be plenty at the Lions not surprised Neil has won it. He’s a worthy winner and does the hard work, smart and skilful and not flashy.
Even though modern umps often don’t know the rules, or make them up on the fly, or just don’t use the rules at all, they did well with most of their calls and in the Brownlow and the favourite Daicos was leading until injured, and all the other guns were right up there. It’s good to have an upset, it’s what makes it interesting.

Don’t get the lunatic fringe started. It’s like a mass of brain dead flesh eating zombies suddenly detecting the movement of human life.

We need a tall for sure, otherwise giving Brisbane big fellas a free reign to run amok. Frampton appears the only option, good to hear hes been training well. Been serviceable all year. Big challenge against the best.
Ginnivan definite sub
Noble for Lipinski could be on the cards.
Bad luck and feel for Adams and McStay. McStay just starting to find his feet as a Pie. Adams was just about Pies best in the 18 GF. He does turn the ball over but great grunt work. Glad Pies have made the early call.

Yeah, no way Pies will be entering as favourites Peter. Despite recent history Lions in full throttle have the balance of big men and talented midfield to run amok on the G, and they’ll have plenty of support in the crowd.
Frampton’s been a great bargain pick up and he’s provided good service but don’t know how he’d go against top quality opposition? Unlikely the injury plagued Krueger will be considered as a forward replacement for McStay.
Good call re Noble, he might take on Cameron. Our backline has been great and unbelievably energised and creative. But Daniher and Hipwood, along with the Big O, could create some real headaches with their height. Lions play great rebound footy and that’s where Pies are most vulnerable.
Most of our mids are playing well and are looking better each week once they get the momentum going but Lions will surely throw a tag on DeGoey. Hopefully Nick Daicos takes it up a notch. Reckon unlikely to risk Adams.
Cameron and Cox played their best half of footy together for a long time on Friday night. If they can both play solid games I think it will give Pies a real chance on Saturday.

“Death or Glory……”That’s what I’ve loved about the Pies for most of the past two seasons. Another excellent analysis Tim.
Still feel Pies were playing better this time last year but the last 2 weeks they have played some of their best footy for a while, and hopefully they continue the ascendancy.
DeGoey was huge tonight. Without him Pies would have been cooked. Nick Daicos did ok and was significant, hoping he’ll be at his best next week.
Cox and Cameron lifted a lot in the second half and were very handy. They were falling over and getting tossed around like rag dolls in the first. A clear example of the importance of having influential big men. GWS often looked like they were bigger and stronger overall, breaking tackles and slick ball movement in that first half. Pies hung there and got the momentum back eventually. Jack Cripps run was a huge factor too.
No key forward in the last quarter and DeGoey couldn’t get back on the ground in the dying stages.
McStay was a handy big unit focus tonight, and at times clumsy. He’ll be missed. Interesting to see how Pies handle that.
Well done GWS. Would have fancied their chances next week if they had made it through. They’ll be back next year. Both back lines were pretty good tonight. Connor Idun would have been a clear second best on ground behind DeGoey for me.
Tougher game coming up next week. Go the Pies!

Hoping our old fellas don’t too look old Peter. Think if Pies can sieze their moments in front of goal and maintain a fair slice of the momentum our old fellas will look ol champion warhorses and the whole team will look a million dollars. If we miss too many opportunities and hand momentum to the Giants our old fellas might look ready for retirement and could get a bit ugly. Hopefully they take a leaf out of Danger and Sellwoods book from last year.

Gary, “that don’t make no sense”.
So you want GWS to start both their games an hour earlier which gives them even less recovery time??
And if GWS do beat Pies they will fly home that Friday night and have a 7 full days prior to the granny. An advantage for GWS over both Carlton and Brisbane who both finished above GWS.

What’s your point Gary?
So the Eagles Dees game started 2 hours earlier than the Blues Lions game……..with 2 extra hours of flight time back from Perth compared to Bne.
Both are preliminary finals.
Both Carlton and Melbourne are Vic clubs……so how’s that actually favouring one club over another? And does any of this really have anything to do with GWS?

I think the bottom 4 don’t get the short straw necessarily. It’s the top 4 get an advantage because they’ve earnt it. And this advantage as I said earlier is somewhat mitigated with the introduction of the end of season bye.

Hope you’re right!

Dogs got on a roll mate and played exceptional footy in the finals and too good for the Swans. Dogs had the roar of 90% of the country behind them. The prelim final against the Giants was definitely a classic.

Spot on mate!

You back on the roids Charlie?

Thanks Chanon. Giants are looking good and playing well at the right time of the year. Pies will need to play well.

Hang on….. you’re whinging about the Giants being shackled by Vic bias, and then saying Giants had an advantage over Port because of the same dastardly Vic bias??
Carlton finished above Giants on the ladder so they’re entitled to some advantage. The way the cards fall and the finals unfold means Giants also have to play the team who finished top, won their first final, and earned the right to play Friday night.
If Giants finished top they receive that same advantage.
All teams in the 8 already have a week off so the advantage to the top teams is therefore already mitigated to some extent.

It’s a bit rough but that’s part of the price teams pay if they don’t make the top 4. All teams in the 8 already have a week off so the advantage to the top teams is therefore mitigated to some extent. No teams should be whinging about travel or start making excuses already.
If Giants make the granny they get a day advantage over Blues or Lions.
Re the Saturday prelim it makes sense that it finishes early regardless of who’s playing in it or where it’s played.

MM your points in the middle make a lot of sense. Your initial point sort of fair enough but Port just buckled and were out classed. Your last point re umpiring is just bollocks and particularly hypocritical.

Good point Virgil but I’m also feeling a bit nervous about Pies getting hit on the rebound by a silky smooth Giants outfit. We’ll definitely need to convert our chances and also create open space and run in the forward line.

Have to admire the strong culture the Giants have built around the remnants of their original draft picks. They have endured many raids by other clubs, including Collingwood, and still continue to produce, and in a non Aussie Rules environment.
Pies will have to be at their best to beat them next week, especially against their midfield. Hopefully Pies seize their opportunities. Port like Dees butchered so many opportunities for goal when they had all the momentum in the last quarter. Poor skill level and/or buckling under pressure. It was inevitable, Giants take it easily, quickly and smoothly down the other end and Riccardi puts a pearler through from the boundary line, followed by Greene with the clincher. 1 goal 9 to 2 straight in the last quarter. Giants missed plenty early too but that last quarter highlighted the difference in class.

Genuine Legend of the game. Inflicted a fair bit of misery on Collingwood but I always admired and respected him. Read the book “The Coach” many years ago. A good insight into what a brilliant coach he was and North’s 1977 premiership against the Pies. He was a fire and brimstone sort of coach, as was common in that era but he was probably a bit more fiery than most. Also a genuine motivator, innovator and strategist. Condolences to the Barassi family. R.I.P Ron.

Don’t know all the details yet but they’re entitled to pursue their case. It’s up to the courts to decide. It’s going to be a lot more than “those 2 blokes”.

I’ll add too I’d loved for those fellas to have played a few seasons at Collingwood. We may have won a few more flags and cleared out some of our red neck rabble.

My old man knew Wayne Delmenico and his family pretty well. Plus I respect their connection with so many Indigenous footballers including legends Basil Campbell, Stephen Michael, Maurice Riol, Nicky Winmar, Peter Matera and others. They’ve been a good breeding ground for so many good footballers right across the board.