I confess, I follow the Pies and tend to pessimistic. Degoey is a huge loss, and if he was playing, I could not see us losing. But first two observations. 1. The Pies form in the last five weeks has been scratchy. 2. Compellingly, they didn’t score against Geelong in the last quarter of the preliminary final; that worried me. So why didn’t it score against a team that not is quick over the top of the ground. Geelong showed that again last night. They didn’t score mainly because players that have returned are not match hardened. Elliot and Stephenson have missed a lot of footy. Add Reid to that too. I would not have played Reid because he is also battle weary, injury prone, and weary from many finals compaigns. He played in their 2010 premilership. I liken him to Ablett, too tired and unable to produce second efforts or defend because they simply can’t do it, I am struggling to find another player, and so would have Buckley struggled. Further, Hoskin Elliot is struggling too, if you graphed his stats., he is not going well. The positive for him is that he can hurt oppositions and kick goals from nowhere.He is mercurial but not enough is happening, watch also his defensive skills, there is doubt he uses them much.
To be really negative, both Sidebottom and Pendles also are battle weary; they were in the 2010 GF too.
So from all of that, I am saying that the Pies waned in the last quarter of the qualufying final against a team that overall struggles to cover a lot of territory quickly.
In summary, the Pies at the moment that they might tire early or deep into the last quarter.

The single greatest asset GWS has is youthful exuberance and perhaps endurance with two exceptions, Mumford and Shaw. This exuberance and endurance may be the difference, but of course GWS has to cover for the losses of Greene and Whitfield for 100 minutes of footy, and the fact that the Pies simply are a very very hard to team to get over, a bit like Northerly was as a racehorse. Buckley has called on a bit of Collingwood history to harness his warriors with the Never Say Die Attitude. His greatest asset to to win over his players with that appeal of course his own extraordinary determination, aside from his silky skills.
What I am saying is that tge Pies are underdone. If they are not in front in the last quarter, the players I have mentioned may not have enough run to get over the line

He’s not the target of a witch hunt at all. He has had 18 infractions in eight years, and it’s pretty universally agreed that he got his just desserts. He uncontrollably committed virtually the same act in frighteningly frenzied ways. He brought all this on himself. To boot, his manager, also out of control, said after and during the appeals board hearing that they ( every AFL official) all got it wrong.
I put to you that the public watching his out of control attacks on players, would have had genuine concerns about the health of the players Greene infringed. The AFL had to dealt with by him having to serve time, reinforcing the integrity of the game, and looking after the health and safety issues in football, a very highly important KPI.
Greene would be wise to make a statement after the dust settles a little, to apologise and indicate that he did need to change his game. Positively, this would be a genuine way to heal himself, and be seen as such so he could start anew. It would be an act of courage, and I think he would be a better player for it. He does not need to hide behind his manager to front the public. He’s sort of smothered by his entourage, and this is not healty. Toby has the character to say sorry, ‘ yeah, I’m gunna change’

Omg don’t ever umpire pls

The case did not fall apart, did it, justice was done. It mattered not what the detailed charge was, ‘ serious misconduct’ was absolutely enough. Enough because video imaging is so good and telling today. Why do you think the police appeal to the public in criminal cases to get video material. They get it because they can 1 too closely examine it and 2. because it the high majority of cases, it is damning.
Your comments are a case of feeding a poor red herring into the mix, and a miscalculated assessment on what the core evidence demonstrated to us all

You made think what Richnond’s Jack Reiwoldt did in nearly breaking the arm of a player some weeks ago. It was absolutely graphically shown on TV. It was a cruel and very nasty, premeditated act. He should have got 6 weeks for that.

The same result would have occurred!!!!!

I’ve just read what Greene’s manager said to media after the appeals board upheld the suspension.
When asked whether Greene needed to change the way he plays the game, he rejected it stating “he just needs to play the game the way he does”

It is clear that this manager does not even comprehend how players have to be protected, that players who breach the rules, players that commit serious misconduct, players who attack the face of another in an aggravated way, have to cop the sentence, if only, but very significantly to be accountable for their behaviour. This manager is unfit to manage players after listening to his response

it was out of control and you have to intervene with this behaviour because of the injury yes it was a very bad nasty attack. The system got the result that was right. Repeat behaviour finished Greene, the AFL finally got it right

You know why there is no judicial embarrassment. There is no judicial embarrassment, but the player Greene ‘s behaviour fell short of ‘ aggravated behaviour ‘ a legal term in criminal law, but it was ‘aggravated’ in the sense that he would not stop the rabid behaviour. That is patently clear IN BOTH incidents. Judicially, all this means is that its unacceptable and its misconduct or whatever you like. If it meets what judges have said in cases, did it meet the reasonable man’s test to suspend… Yes it did. We call it the pub test. Misconduct it was in a global sense, and that fits well and that would have been enough, then it amounts to what we saw… and as I said it was rabid, out of control behaviour that was totally unacceptable.

But that is how we process these sort if things in the regions of the brain. This case is a classic in that sense. Both incidents, particularly because they were close together, are processed in the Amygdala, two area of the brain that process emotions.. we worried, we cared, we were angry.

Of course, he should have suspended. You can’t tell me that anyone sitting in judgement on Greene would have not looked at, and factored in what Greene did over the two weeks. But even more importantly it was the crazed behaviour he displayed in the assaults he made on players that was terrifying . Any onlooker with a concern about a human being’s welfare would have been genuinely quite upset and worried about bith the players health and safety. That’s what it’s really about, and that’s what the appeal board would have determined. The officials had to uphold the game. All the peripheral circumstances were not compelling, and to argue that the two incidents had to be separated is not looking at we saw in both incidents, crazed behaviour injurious to a player.

What absolute nonsense. GWS, put simply is a good team because it has the cattle and the AFL injected them with a large heroin dose of young talent to give them a rush. It worked. So it’s talent and of course hard work. They have unfair physical players, but really only two of them, Mumford and the Robbie Muir type of player, out of control Greene.
GWS does have a chance as the Pies have underdone players and have had 2 rests. I think GWS will physically come up, but if the Pies get in front, they are a very very hard team to get over. They have unquestionably proved that resilience by their fight back in the latter half of the season, despite some key injuries. Darcy Moore and Adams (who I don’t rate very highly) has surprised recently and in the GF last year. These two might be the difference in this match. If Nick Haynes is injured during the match, GWS has no hope as he is absolutely critical to their back line holding up. The midfield of GWS has been gutted as we know, so it will be a tough assignment. What I am sure of is that they will try and blast through with pace and movement from the first bounce, but the Pies are slick and very polished ball handlers (the best in the comp.) and will hurt GWS deep with dangerous Stephenson and the physical, skilled Elliot. If GWS ignore Treloar, oh dear!!

If Degoey was right, the Pies would win by a country mile. He isn’t right but Grundy, Pendles, Treloar, Adams, Stephenson, Elliot abd Sidebottom in particular are formidable opposition The backs move well and hard. Goodbye GWS

Any player who hits a hurt player, a hurt player that WE ALL knew was a hurt player (this is a critical point) (Brisbane’s Cameron) is guilty of inhuman behaviour …inhuman behaviour is akin to animal behaviour. That is, it is abhorrent and deserves a big sentence!! I hardly ever agree with Caroline Wilson’s opinions, but this one she got very right. Caroline and I are at one. I am staggered that there are so so many current and and ex players who think hurting an already injured player is acceptable.. what are they .. macho men? No they are stupid fools who hold on to an sick ego with a sick opinion that is disturbing.. they actually condone hitting someone who is down… that’s reprehensible.. even more disturbing is that these fools think they are right.

Yes and guilt was and .. guilt repeated too. So as in normal law, you’re gunna cop more. GWS in taking this case to the appeals board are a stupid laughing stock. Cameron, the coach now lacks total credibility.

ok say, first, I am on tribunal and I am not an ex afl player, but I am a ex Port Melbourne player, who happens to Barrack for the Pies.. I might have Pies bias, I might not too because I have integrity. Your looking for any excuse. Second, if Wakelin a d co are biased towards the Pies, they as Tribinal members threw out Greene’s case in the first hearing. Your assertions lack credibility

There is case law that clearly demonstrates that the Court won’t interfere with Football code processes like this.

GWSs obsession to even proceed with this to the appeals board just shows how it lacks total integrity because this latest Tribunal decision has added more weight to the open and shut case of repeat offender guilt.
We know justice has been done, the public know justice has been done, so what sort of reception would this guilty player receive if somehow he was allowed to play. OMG.

This is the worst case we have ever seen of the AFLs complete lack of judgement, complete incompetence, a case that has a nasty smell about it, and that is implied evidence of interference in Tribunal hearings; that’s what we call a capital offence, meaning the CEO and the Tribunal must go.

The shocking decision to summarily throw a ‘serious misconduct’ by its own match committee, is unprecedented when you look at the continuous, aggravated act that we all saw.

The Appeals Board does not want to make any more mess here, public accountability is at stake here, public confidence is at stake.

It has gone beyond the player now, he’s guilty as charged, the Appeals Borard categorically must uphold the integrity of the game now, so of course, it’s decision now is a simple one.

The AFL which recently moved to fining players, rather than dishing out suspensions, has become its own enemy. When Ablett was let off a blatant elbow ( the first offence of two) to the head and neck of a player some weeks ago, the Tribunal lost its way. It seems clear that there is not one strong individual on the Tribunal to lead that group with firmness, a clear head and judgement. Look whats happened since the very poor Ablett decision.

real evidence is what we saw.. more aggravated behaviour by a serial and stupid offender.

Talk all the tech stuff you like , he’s out if control, he a a King St thug type.. hurt someone today and hurt someone next week.. who cares . well, we do, so cop the justice and change Toby or exit the game !!

what are you talking about…we saw more out of control aggravated behaviour…

What are you talking about.. his repeated aggravated behaviour was totally against how a player should behave.. he got a suspension because, if nothing else, he demonstrates a propensity to do it again.. that is what King Street thugs do. repeat their offences again and again.. and show little or no remorse .. he is a whs risk.

Thank goodness that this decision was made. I said in an earlier post that because of Greene’s out of control actions over 2 weeks, thus guilty player has got what he deserved.. a fully justified suspension. The preliminary final against Collingwood was going to be potentially explosive again with an outcome that another player might be injured again, injured seriously too. The heavy weight of evidence against Greene was very compelling. It is hoped Greene will change his attitude in future.. he so needs to, so that the AFL game can be respected again. This was a landmark decision because the Tribunal finally confronted totally unacceptable and repeated aggravated behaviour.. abd it was repeated aggravated behaviour ..it had to suspend Greene.

Yes, I absolutely agree, and why are past players, and commentators, even current players effectively wanting a quite hurt player to be hurt again. Sport does not mean being inhuman, being an animal. All this nasty stuff comes to some extent from the appeal to the dark side. There are people who want to see others hurt. It has no place in society, no place at all, and must be called out at every opportunity.
When an injured comes to the intention of an umpire, an that is the issue here, it was clear to us all.
Every Tom, Dick and Harry knew Cameron was injured but he battled on, but was in effect preyed on. How poor is that.
The rules have been written to stop this behaviour. The umpire stood up to this, he is to be admired for his courage.

The AFL Tribunal blatantly abrogated its responsibility when it failed to suspend Green for the Bontempelli incident. There is broad agreement about that. To fail to suspend Greene for an aggravated, out of control act was a shocking error .
There is only one conclusion here, the AFL will do anything to prop up ITS team… GWC.
That’s the corruption, that’s the issue that must be constantly rammed down their throat. The AFL is negligent, the AFL has no credibility any longer.
To state that past behaviour is not a factor, is another way of reinforcing the corruption. Greene requires a sanction, must be sanctioned, if only to ensure no one gets hurt in the finals; that’s how bad this issue is. The AFL won’t look that far, it won’t because it dies not want to because it has the power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The dynamic in a cut throat preliminary final will be electric, even dangerous because of the loose, incompetent, poor decisions of the Tribunal. The Tribunal has a clear opportunity to out an undisplined, nasty player, and it must do its duty under the rules, and suspend Greene.

The Cats just can’t cover enough ground, in other words, they can’t keep up… Hawkins, Ablett, Taylor and Selwood to a lesser extent are a liability.
Rhys Stanley should play ruck but has been previously left out for a few reasons, one key one is that he doesn’t have a big tank; yes, he is athletic, and I think that athleticism is maximised in the forward line, resting in the forward pocket. I have said elsewhere that Hawkins should be rotated .. Ablett, Taylor and Rhys Stanley should play forward deep, in stints.
The Cats have good height in Defence so Stanley can play forward. Bews on the ball at the centre bounce and Danger at full forward at the commencement of the game are strong coaching tactics. Bews is physical and can press the West Coast.
What I am saying is that Scott should not look back on the season, and play the same game or a very similar game that they played 12 weeks ago. He must make significant changes to win this game and the positive is that, except for the ageing group (to a large extent), the group is versatile.
The West Coast mids and medium forwards run and move the ball so well that this is a game where the major strategy, the only major strategy is for the players to sacrifice their own game, and tackle and hassle West Coast ferociously particularly at the centre bounce at at stoppages in the first 2 quarters particularly. This is the Achilles heel of West Coast, they hate being harangued, and denied free running, and their DNA over the years clearly demonstrates that is the way to stop them. It’s a tall order though and ferocious tackling is exhausting.
If Scott fails to execute the heavy and relentless tackling, sacrificing the players who all want to run freely, it will be another finals drop out. Surely this is the incentive to be very inventive in games.
I doubt the Rioli issue will hurt them, his replacement is pretty damn good, and after 3 minutes into the game, focus will be on what happening every instant.
In summary, West Coast are too quick, too skilled and have very difficult talls to cover that play deep in the forward line.