Sri Lanka’s request. Cheaper for them to host two matches in the one arena partly becuase not moving but also crowd smaller in Galle as a smaller city. It’s a case of the haves (Australia, India, England, and NZ) and the have-nots, and why something needs to be done about funding of test cricket

Go those Eagles, not going to lie down. Bit of respect here, you’ve picked them wrong both times. They’ll have Commanders measure as well. 2023 all over again, but hope the results reversed.

The biggest mistake would be a lock and stock burn down the house approach like North Melbourne did and Milo seems to be advocating. That’s a recipe for a decade in the wilderness. Taranto for mine is a keeper as a teacher and mentor for the youth in midfield roles. Hopper needs to be this sort of player too, but can’t carry him if he continues to be injured. Adequate senior players in defence, Broad, Vlastuin, Balta, and Nankervis as a ruck to teach and mentor. The concern would be up forward, being Lynch is the only really senior player, and his body is falling apart

I’ve actually watched quite a few games of BBL this year compared to nothing previous years, mainly due to my son’s girlfriend’s family being avid Stars fans who go quite often, but have the game on TV at my son’s restaurant where I help out and so I can’t escape it.

I’ll preface that I’m always on the bowler’s side in Test cricket as I enjoy watching their tactics to combat a batsmen. I pretty much detest all batsmen. BBL is therefore by limiting a bowler’s options annoying for me but I’m not hating on it.

I think I agree Charlie, McQualter would have hung onto some of those guys who went because either they would’nt have gone or because of his friendship with them. And face it, those four were not going to suddenly become the A class players you need to win Premierships, they are more like icing on the cake, Bolton and Rioli especially. Baker and Graham are dime a dozen good B class players. Then our draft on 2024 would not have been the same haul and look not all those boys will make it but if at least two end up as A class and say another two as B class 100 gamers then you’re halfway there. And you have a good couple of picks in 2025 draft. McQualter also using same tactics from Hardwick’s play book. Yet to be seen if Yze develops into a good caoch but Tiges not in the hunt for another 3-4 years, so plenty of time to look at what’s around as a coach at that time.

Not sure SS would agree with that, nor me actually even though I’m a City fan. City and the like would simply offer more $s to your u21s and then you would be left with the chaff instead of the wheat. I’m a fan of current cap and the opportunity to bring in marque players.

I would however like to see relegation and inter club transfer fees, I think they’re the final piece of the puzzle for Australian football. Relegation as it will see teams with owners happy to just sit on licences and not invest penalised by going to a lower league and will also see a bit more desperation by the team to get wins to avoid the drop. And transfer fees are obvious, allowing teams to obtain monetary reward for developing players.

Plenty of chaff to go through at the Tigers. Yes I think a lot of these sides expected to be in the bottom four will be looking exactly to do that. Also it may mean the end of careers for some of these guys on the chopping block. It’s not usual for clubs to select some chaff to replace their chaff. Tigers were lucky in some ways that players like Baker, Bolton, Graham, and Dan Rioli had some darft capital due to being recent premiership players, despite average seasons (except Rioli)

Probably harsh on Fawcett, but the talls picked up in the Draft I have the feeling that will surpass him. He needed to get some game-time last year to show what he could do even in the ressies but due to glandular fever I think he’s not going to get there unfortunately for him. Colina I forgot about for good reason, no idea why he’s still on the list. Green and Smith had a decent start to AFL last year so I think they may be given another year in 2026 providing they show something when given the chance this year. Both Green and Smith play positions which they could get more of a go with Bolton going in Green’s case, and Dan Rioli leaving in Smith’s case.

Good on the Eagles getting through. If Hurts can stay fit and the Defence stays solid as it has, we might be seeing a repeat of 2023

Note: Prestia and McIntosh I’m pencilling in as retirements for next season

It depends on what you mean by pressure to perform, my understanding is that those with the most pressure to perform are the ones with their livelihoods on the chopping block i.e will lose their contracts. As such I agree with Rioli Jnr, and Hopper. Lynch will be done this year so does’nt really matter, Balta has credits in the bank and options as a swingman, Taranto had a great season in 2023 winning B&F and an injury interrupted season last year, he has credits in the bank.
My alternatives to those three are as follows:
Short had a poor season and was dropped at one stage another poor season may see him shown the door or traded.
Koschitzke was genuninely though could offer 20-30 goals for the season, too many talls drafted to accept a similar season as last year. Ryan is also in this boat
Dow/Sonsie last chance saloon for both to make it
The following also are likely to be gone if they don’t have a good season; Ross, Miller, Ryan as mentioned above, Faucett, Bauer, Young
It’s a simple fact that if you’re not showing it after 3-4 years on the list you will be gone, plenty of draft capital held by the Tigers for next year.
Article on Jacob Blight in the West Australian has highlighted this and he’s one who has had a monster pre-season to try and breakthrough this year.

In a brief way he is referring to one of your shareholders US owned 777 Partners which is in voluntary adminstration around the world. They had part ownership of Bonza airlines which fell over as well. 777 Partners put in $8.7M to buy their share, with an arrangement to increase shareholding to a majority shareholding with $30M investment. That looks like it will now not go ahead, hence you’re “broke” in regards to significant investment streams and will need to find new investment most likely. 22,000 members does’nt give you a lot of income on it’s own to finance a football team

Hobart, Manuka in Canberra, smaller grounds in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney are alternatives in summer. I don’t think it would work as well in winter as even in those northern states they play Rugby or AFL or soccer/football.

Tuesday match was the exact opposite of fun playing by WU. Seemed slow and stodgy and playing a very defensive low line way, especially not pressing Beach as a sweeper-keeper who had mountains of time to take passes or long balls. Aloisi claimed it was due to the short-turnaround from Perth but City had similar turnaround. Agree also on Botic and Ibusuki, work rate from Botic especially is pretty low (for a young bloke) from what I saw at the Tuesday game against City. I don’t think it’s a coinicidence that the two top teams are City and Adelaide both teams that are very fit and play a high pressing game from the front third.

Could’nt we have the chance to see some more test cricket at home now in our summer. Surely a minnow could play tests against say an Australian A team at some of our smaller grounds to save on costs; Hobart, Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, or places like the Junction Oval in Melbourne or North Sydney Oval in Sydney. These sort of tests should be subsidised by the ICC, and the larger nations Cricket boards.

They were talking GBP200,000 for Waddingham, which equates to $397,000AUD on today’s exchange rate. Worth doing for Brisbane if they invest that back into the team. Need a good midfielder aged around 26-28 to assist O’Shea (Berenguer is past it and keeps getting injured) and a sound CF who can hold up the ball. Besides if they don’t do it now I can crystal ball that Waddingham will leave them for another A-League team at the end of the season, no forward likes being starved of goals. Watching the game albeit through City glasses, Brazette looks decent but needs to put some strength into his legs and body, needs to hit the gym hard for next year and could become a gun. Keeper was very good and kept you in the game, Bility was not bad, but there’s too many passenger types in that team who do a little 15-30 min cameo and then fade away for the rest of the game (the young midfielder with the serbian name is one), and older guys such as Halloran, Hingert, Berenguer and Neville (although off the bench) who are just at standard for the A-Leagues who do’nt seem to be playing with any urgency or interest. Of course this usually means the coach has lost the dressing room. And that’s reason enough to get rid off Zadkovich, a new coach is likely to get at least a bounce back from those players.

Yes, broken leg or similar I understand. But there is a silver lining in that Suleimani and Memeti have been given a chance up-front which is good for their development. Another two youngsters have been included in the side against Roar this week, Shillington, a full-back who has been in and out of socceroo under age teams, and Emin Durakovic, son of ex-soceroo Mehmet Durakovic. Emin has had injuries this season but is seen as a good midfielder.

That’s a very hard question to answer. Politidis has bulked up a lot and is a real running machine, he’s looking like a carbon copy of Nabbout, now that he’s scoring some goals, and if he has half the career of Andy, you’d be pretty happy. Ghossaini’s flick back for Atkinson’s goal in the previous game was special, at only 17 shows some X-factor, he could become something special or he could fade like say a Ramy Najjarine. Wong is quite tall and strong for a 17yo and was a really hard worker against WU and not afraid to go in in the tackle and provided some really nice passes in probably the hardest role in the pitch as the AM and also took charge of corners, he’s being mentored by Diamante and could be the best of them. Rahmani is surprisingly tall for a winger, he actually looks more like a CF who can hold up the ball and could grow in that sort of role. I like Suleimani’s energy and strength as a striker, need to get a goal and he’ll be on his way. Memeti more a speedy striker, a little smaller than Suleimani but has already got some goals, could see him change to a winger. Dunbar I’m not so sure he will make it, you can see he’s a little off the pace with his tackles and passing but may turn out to be a decent DM, very much a straight ahead player. Mazzeo has come back from injury well, tons of speed and works hard. There’s a injured guy Nescovski who’s a CB and has big wraps on him as a ball-playing CB. Captained socceroos u17 side I believe before getting injured. Have I missed anyone? Then you have Caputo also injured but back soon. It’s really going to be a conundrum for Viddy when the senior players come back from injury because you want to keep giving the kids significant minutes so they can develop as well

Agree however the comparison to Dave Warner may be closer to the mark. Konstas could quite easily become a polarising figure like Dave Warner compared to say a universally liked Scott Boland. And it may not be caused only through his own self, Warner’s dislike is partly composed by his family aka wife. I’m seeing a bit of that by Konstas family becoming involved in the media spotlight, whereas by comparison we have not really heard a peep from Scotty Boland’s family. And these things can be orchestrated by the media who are readily equipped to play on the emotions of a nation

And is starting to tank in sales, look at December’s new cars figures. It’s like the latest fad, be around for a year or two and then nobody will want to do it anymore as will be seen as Naf. Hopefully not the same as Konstas

Was at the game last night, really proud of the way the youngsters at City are working their butts off on the pitch and also the older heads, Atko, Soup, Uga, Trewin, and Talbot are supporting them. Beach is looking more comfortable every game he plays as keeper too. They look like they’re having a lot of fun which rubs off on the supporters as well. Viddy has copped a bit from supporters since he started but he’s coaching very well with the injury crisis we have.

As much as us City supporters love him for his success at Coty, this really did do our heads in. Such an U12s move as a coach on the sidelines. I’d just like to point out at the moment, Victorian teams are 3rd, 4th and 6th. A certain poster on here keeps decrying everything Victorian, so I’m glad to say Victorian top end football is going ok.

Let this sink in. Not one Tasmanian got drafted this year. I reckon that’s a bit of an indictment

I would argue the opposite in regard to Konstas, but also Hayden and Langer. Having these players blooded early and then if they fail, go back and learn to counter their problems and better learn their craft and try harder at shield level is what makes the Australian side work. Kahwaja is a case in point. Regeneration and rejuvenation and change in the side is all about having an experienced cohort of cricketers within Australia to play for Australia. Indeed that should be an Australian selector’s KPI, not just making non-decisions and ri ding coat-tails of satisfactory performance and then waiting for the lemmings to fall off the cliff with age and then saying the cupboard is bare.

“We’re not beholden to stats” we know, it’s all about being beholden to mates