Fox Footy Podcast: Carlton in crisis again, Run Home preview

Max Laughton, Ben Waterworth and Will Faulkner review Round 15 and preview Round 16 of the 2025 AFL season on the Fox Footy Podcast, with breakdowns of Carlton's increasing woes and now a dramatic weekend impacts the Run Home, plus Fair or Farce, the Mailbag, Sheeds' Wisdom and much more.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The big Footy issues from every angle, dissected by a
team that follows the game closer than anyone else wherever
you are around the planet. This is your ultimate guide
to the AFL. This is the Fox Footy Podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
More Carlton dejection, more footy media dissection. It's been the
natural heartbeat of the new cycle for over two decades now,
So what's different about the latest Blues downfall? Plus the
gap between the bottom nine and top nine opens up
just that little bit more. But is there a smoky
side about to surge up the power rankings while a

(00:37):
rebuilder sinks even deeper. We'll go through the eighteen team rankings,
hooking to all the big issues in paar or fast
the mailbag, deep dive into the wisdom of Kevin Sheedy
and give you all the latest expert tips and cups
on the Fox Footy Podcast. Ben waterwif with you as is.
Past frequent Bus Route number nine hundred commuter Max Lorton, Hello.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
MAXI, Yes, the loyal smart bus going past Waverley. What
a day for denizens of Mulgray. Historic day with the
AFL buying Waverley Park back from Hawthorne for a dollar
that's not weird at all, nothing confusing about that, nothing
dodgy going on at all. Don't worry.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, it was a dollar back in two two thousand,
two thousand. It was supposed to be. Wasn't it supposed
to be twenty million dollars?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
They sold it to like the real estate developer for
one hundred and ten mil. I think I read yes,
and then interesting, how this maybe anyway? Exciting times? I
don't think it's going to build up to one hundred
and fifty seven thousand people as they once intended, and
it was. I tweeted about it, and all I got was,
I'm still stuck in that car park.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
That's a common theme hearing about the old Waverley Park
attendees also joining us our hardworking one of our hardworking
emerging trade gurus, the four who dropped trade bombshells on
the podcast in recent times, quietly expecting another five and
the next forty minutes or so.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
Hello Will, Hello, Ben, Hello Max. Pleasure to be with you.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Both now, MAXI. The run Home returns Sunday, the anticipation
there's a couple of others that have gone with a
very early run home.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Thank you for bringing that up, Ben, because you can't
do it before the buys are done. What do you
I mean, it's already hard enough with Gold goes nest
and having a game in hand.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Don't have more buys to come after this weekend.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
No, this is last one. This is the last one.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
And then and then of course Gold cost nested and
playing twice in round twenty four, the most normal thing
that's ever happened. So we get everyone onto fifteen games
played except for two, and then we figure things out.
We've got eight weeks. Everyone gets excited again. As I said,
I think last week of the podcast, it's always a
little natural lull during the buys in the coldest part

(02:36):
of winter. We're past the solstice, we can see the
finals on the horizon, and now we start guessing who's
gonna win games, and then some team does something really
stupid or really good and makes me look like an idiot.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
No, but when you do your run home, you're not
guessing every single game.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yes, So how it will work. On Sunday night, you'll
see projected win totals based on the percentage chance of
a team winning a game. So Collingwood West Coast this weekend,
for example, Collingwood would have a ninety five percent chance
they get point nine to five for a win, whereas
Port Adelaide Carlton this Thursday night, it's fifty to fifty game,
so I'm not going to try and tip it. I'm
going to say they get point five of a win each.

(03:10):
And there are different games give different amounts. You add
it all up, you can tell who's got a harder draw,
who's a better team or not. And it certainly seems
like we're going to have an absolute mess of a
finals run, which is the most fun type of fine.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Even though there's only nine teams in the finals run, because.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Any of them could make the eight, and I think
about five or six of them could drop out of
the eight. Collingwood and gel Long I can't see possibly missing,
and Brisbane would be surprising, but they've got a very
hard draw. All of the others, there's absolutely a well
where they missed the eight, which is really interesting.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Can you see a scenario where a team gets thirteen,
maybe even fourteen wins and misses.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, so we thirteen wins can miss the eight. We
had it last year Collingwood had twelve wins and two draws,
so thirteen wins in Premiership points missed on percentage, So
it certainly can happen. And I think you'll you always
get to this point of the season and everyone goes,
oh wow, you're going to need fourteen wins to make
the eight. But someone will always stuff things up. So
my projection is going to have a lot of teams
on an average of thirteen wins. They should win four

(04:08):
or five of their last day. That's an average performance.
But someone will do better and someone will do worse.
That's always what happens. It's just a matter of who
actually delivers in the games they should win and then
wins a bunch of those fifty fifty games because I
think there's probably still what sixteen seventy eight and eighten
games between the top nine left. Those are going to
decide the eight.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
So looking at the run home FOURK, who are the
teams that you are most keeping an eye on to
see how they perform?

Speaker 4 (04:32):
I think if we go from the top to the bottom,
I think who takes that fourth spot in the top four.
If we do assume that Collinwood Brisbane and Geelong, collinwand
Gelng and Max as you said, I agree, both will
make the eight and I certainly should finish top four,
assuming Brisbane finish in that top four as well. I
would think one of Adelaide, Hawthorne or Fremantle are probably

(04:53):
the three for me that will finish in the top four.
I think there's an argument for the Dogs. I can't
see GWS or go Old Coast doing so. Just off
the bat, I.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Think i'd agree with that as broadly speaking, Like as
I said, Brisbane's in a bit of trouble because of
their draw, but like they'll win over Geelong means so much.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
It means that they're back on a second in the Powering.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Cat and they will be second on the ladder regardless
of results over the weekend, despite the fact that they're
not playing, which is big.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
So here's one. Do you still see them as the
third team to make that top four?

Speaker 3 (05:21):
The third most likely because they've got the ceiling. We
know how good they can be. They continue to perform
against better teams, which is a great trait to have.
You'd rather have that and stumble against the bad teams
because the bad teams don't make finals. It doesn't matter.
But as long as they can you know, Brisbane fan
in the office Anthony Bitzillis, oh podcast producer of On
the Couch, has said last week he was more nervous

(05:41):
as a Lions fan about hosting Port than playing Geelong,
and Geelong it's the type of game at the game
that they would randomly drop or at least would be
nervously close. So if they get past that, they'll be
fine for the other teams. You've got right now, four
teams on nine wins. GWS has the buy, so they
could probably going to get past They could be out
of the eight by the end of the weekend. Dogs

(06:01):
certainly should be better than eighth, but they keep losing
to the other top eight.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Team they do this.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
This a danger game this weekend or is it a
genuine fifty to fifty.

Speaker 3 (06:08):
The Sydney No, I'd say danger game. I think there's
one genuine fifty to fifty, which is blues Port this weekend,
and then I would as everyone knows, I'm the world's
biggest Dogs fan this year, they are, but I believe
in them enough to beat Sydney, even if the Swans
are certainly better with their good players back.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
So you're writing talking points on post the question, are
they flat track bullies? Or legit threats. It was interesting
that Luke Beveridge in his post match press conference said
he is well aware of the Bulldogs record against the
top nine versus the teams below them.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
On the ladders. The thing that's going to keep him
out of the top four and they might be one
of the four best teams like that, just those results,
even if they win the games they should on the
run home. I think Sydney's basically their fifth hardest remaining
game if you look at ladder positions, So if they
win that and they win the other four, that's thirteen
wins or the great percentage, they should be fine. But
you drop any of these games, or you don't beat contender,

(07:00):
then you're in trouble again. So Golcos could be a
little bit worried because they have got games in hand,
but they there's three losses in a row and to
teams around them, like the Frio loss, the GWS loss
two games they probably should have won that could end
up really costing them. So they're no sure thing at.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
All when you look at the Premiership window for it,
all signs point to the Crows being among that top
four now as being someone who is very objective in
their reporting, but has a slight leaning towards Adelaide Crows.
How confident do you think should Crows fans be that
they are a genuine top four chance? Here?

Speaker 3 (07:32):
I think, well, how confident are you as an Adelaide
Crows like that? That's a fair question to ask. You
need to be completely objected, No, I like to be
I think the idea of being objected. I think I
look at the Crows, Hawthorne and Frio. Despite Adelaide losing
to Hawthorne on a Friday night at York Park in
front of tens of thousands of people, that loss doesn't

(07:52):
worry me a whole lot. I think I wouldn't want
to play in a game of finals football. I wouldn't
want to play the Crows out of those three, like
if I was that's fair A very high ceiling.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yes, I think they had the highest ceiling. I think
Hawthorne they've had that finals experience that Freemantle and Adelaide
haven't had in the last couple of years or since
free twenty twenty two. So as a Crow's found'm confident
I think for it to be a true success now
they've shown what their ceiling is I think either a
double chance or a finals win, so to go through
to the semi finals would be considered.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yeah, what what makes the Crows interesting? As well as
if they sneak into fourth and play Collingwood.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
I was just thinking this would they be the team
most likely to upset colin.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
They would rate themselves in that game.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
Which is crazy right when you look at the record
that the Crows have had against Collinwood a recently and
be at the MCG. I think they've had one win
at the MCG since they're.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
All by a kick.

Speaker 4 (08:43):
Oh yeah, I know they're all also close. But I've
actually had this conversation with fellow Crows member Kishan. Yes
people you don't know listeners, so a member of a
very very good memory of our video team here at
Fox Sports, but he is a We were speaking about
this other week and it was pre the Collingwood game

(09:03):
and I wouldn't want to be playing the Crozy if
I was Collen would come that first weekend the finals.
I think the Cats would be the ones who probably
wouldn't hate playing us and then Brisbane. They will be
in close matches relatively late as well, but nothing too
exciting there so the.

Speaker 3 (09:17):
Thing to keep in mind with the Crows, they've got
games left against fourteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth. Win those
three with their percentage, you're surely playing finals with thirteen
wins and that percentage, you maybe won a fourteenth somewhere.
Maybe that's the showdown, maybe that's they host Gold Coast.
Those are the chances they really should make it. It would
be pretty pretty bad if they missed from you.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, just on the Cats and I was down that
GMHBA Stadium and Chris Gott it could tell from the
very first question that he was far from alarmed by
the performance. He said, if there was, if this was
a pattern, I'd be alarmed. But he just said we
had it. We had a bad night, and Brisbane were
excellent as well. But this MAXI was in this twenty
twenty five season, another expected score game.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well, yes, there was a few of them on the week.
Actually it was, although annoyingly they all seem to go
against who I tipped, which I didn't love.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Sort of just say as well that three of the
top four in the Foxfy tipping competition are in this
room at the moment.

Speaker 4 (10:12):
Accurate, yes, and before we go too far, What was
the name of the chat in our Microsoft teams on Sunday?
What do we name that too?

Speaker 3 (10:18):
Max might have been something on the lines of the
GBS Giants a football fraud. That's probably unfair but lucky. Again, Yeah,
Geelong was very unfortunate. It's funny how Brisbane one week
has this crazy performance from their opponents in front of goal,
and then next week their opponents are horrific. Outside of
Jeremy Cameron, the Cats scored twenty seven points when they

(10:41):
should have scored seventy three points from those kicks. That's
how bad they were in front of goal in that
Friday night game. So that's why Chriscott wasn't worried. One
of the footy stats nerds that I know on Twitter
was actually in that press. It was Yes, came down
from Canberra and ask some good nerdy questions.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Which to say that Chris, both Chris Scott and Chris Fagan,
we're not expecting those questions.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
They received them, well they Chris.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Well, well Scott did. There's two of them there. It's
usually the Canberra Gorne that you go up there and
get asked about expected score and stuff like that. But no,
it's a fair thing to point out. Geelong should not
be worried because, as we've said for a little while,
their draw from here is not hard. Their only Top
nine team they play for the rest of the season
is the Giants, and it's pretty crazy that they have

(11:22):
all these chances. This is the interesting thing with the
Cats is they've got this easy draw. So everyone's saying, wow,
they've the fixtures conspiring against them because all of the
Gelong people are running the AFL as we know, and
the state of Victoria as well for a long time. Yes,
a lot of Cats heavy. Yes, Dennis nap thign I
believe as well. They've got these double ups so you

(11:42):
always have your double lops at the start of the
season and you're as a top four team. They were
drawn to play three games against top six teams from
last year to try and make their draw difficult. They
got the Giants, they got Brisbane and they got Port.
So Port's will win because they've already thumped them once
and they get them in Geelong later this year. But
they're actually two and four against their double up teams,

(12:03):
so the easiest part of the geelongs fixture. They're not
taking advantage of lost twice to Brisbane, lost to the
Giants and then lost to the Saints as well, So
it theoretically this is an easy draw for the catch,
but the actually need to take advantage of it to finish.

Speaker 4 (12:14):
Top two, as we think they should just one of
the fixture double ups normal get them at the start
of the season. But we do have a couple this weekend.
Max at Esson and Gold Coast played each other for
the first time out of two games this weekend. Well
it would have been game, but I think Port Carlton
also have each other again as well. Is that right?

Speaker 3 (12:30):
That sounds right? Well Carlton just played West Coast and
then North Melbourne consecutively for the second time this year.

Speaker 4 (12:35):
Maybe that's what I'm thinking.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
So why wouldn't they have almost two?

Speaker 3 (12:38):
That's right now?

Speaker 2 (12:41):
Just on the big move in the power rankings, Maxie
was the Swans up three spots with a win over
Port Adelaide a win that they should have what was
expected to score in this game? They should have won
by yeahs, well shouldn't they?

Speaker 3 (12:52):
Well expected score does not take into Accountjoelamardi figuring how
to kick ye kick zero goal six with three misses.
I think it was a minus ten on the player ratings.
That's how negative he was.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
They are the team that you sense it for clicks
and we're doing the team tips article on Fox sport
stock Com to au it's this is they're as close
to full strength at Sydney as they've been for the
entire season. Dean Cox pointed out post game on Saturday
night it was the first time their entire leadership group
had played in the same team on the weekend as

(13:23):
well that they are loom as the banana peel team
in this back end of the season.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
This was always going to be their season because they
just had to try and bank as many wins as
possible until the bye when they finally got their stars
back like Papley and Gordon, because they were always estimated
to come back around now. So they beat Port and
it gives them a chance the reason that they possibly
could be the team that makes the miracle run. If
there's anyone right now, it's them, because Carlton I've given
up on now, you know, losing to a North you

(13:49):
know that's one of your chances to banker win. You
didn't take it. So Sydney's draw is much kinder than
Carlton's even for the rest of the season. I think
their hardest games left are playing Brisbane away and hosting
Geelong YEP in the final few weeks of the season,
so that's pretty tough and they can only afford two
more losses to get to thirteen wins, so the Swans
maybe need to win one of those games. But their
third hardest game left is this Friday night against the Bulldogs.

(14:10):
So if you win that, you should win every other game,
or at least have a very realistic chance of winning
every other game.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
And submitting the tips. I did sort of mull over
that game briefly.

Speaker 3 (14:19):
They looked a completely different team with their good players back,
so they absolutely could win that game. And that is
a prime game for the Bulldogs to do a Bulldogs
thing and just stick it up. So we shall see.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Just on the suns. So you mentioned that the name
of the Microsoft teams chat on Sunday was the Giants
are Frauds. The Giants again did but they did, but
they're down a couple of spots. They're now ninth in
the Power rankings and they they're ninth on the AFL Ladder.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
Funny as well, why does the ladder keep copying me.
It's weird. I don't know what maxis powering well, I
mean I wrote it on Monday.

Speaker 4 (14:53):
That's right, of course.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
What what's the it'd be? It'd be a big fan
someone said. J Clark said it might be a monumental
failure if they missed finals. That's strong. It's not too
far off though, considering the position that they're in. Had
a decentish run with injuries.

Speaker 4 (15:11):
Though, Fork, we're not playing fair of us yet. If
we were, it would be completely fair. I think those
words from J Clark The Suns. Jack and I are
having a Jack Jobanoski editorial colleague. We're having a conversation yesterday,
and it just this had to be the year. The
start they had, it was almost impossible for them to
not play finals, and now they've lost three on the trot.
They lost to the Dockers in as Max said before, again,

(15:33):
they probably should have won three weeks ago. Then they
lose pretty poorly down to Geelong, but four goals average game, yeah,
average conditions, but they probably didn't play great. And then yeah,
after such a good start, I think they had thirteen
shots on goal before a quarter of time. Should have
been I should have had eight goals if it wasn't
for a Jed Walter run up from ten minutes out,
which is an entirely different conversation. But Walker, yes, Jed Walker.

(15:57):
They have now found themselves and that extra game in hand.
I just if we were to go off stereotypes of
recent times, it looks like they could go into round
twenty four with a clash against Essendon that they absolutely
should win. But with their entire season online and Essendon
being Essendon.

Speaker 3 (16:16):
Playing for nothing but playing for fun.

Speaker 4 (16:19):
I just yeah, I don't know. I absolutely think there
is a world where they could miss.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
The more interesting one is also win around twenty four.
This is so stupid. They play away to Port, so
they could go into around twenty four and needing to
win both of those games.

Speaker 4 (16:31):
Yeah, yeah, so this season would be over before then. Sorry,
they should have had it, so they should have it
sewed up before then.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
Ideally, So I think there's a very realistic scenario where
they are needing to win at least one game in
round twenty four to play finals, because they've got before
that Essendon, Melbourne and Richmond pretty clear favorite games and
then Essendon again, they should win that game. In round
twenty four, so that that Port one and maybe Carlton
away would the other winnable away one and they've got
some tough games around that, so they need to win

(16:59):
what six to fourteen and be sure of things. It's
going to be borderline for them.

Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, I mean their percentage is good, that's the one
good thing, whereas you know, Carlton just for the sake
of the fact that they're the best of the current
fourteen games at the moment one hundred and five percent
in the Sydney have ninety two point two percent, which
is probably going to be their biggest hurdle going forward.
But yes, very worried about the Sun's ben.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
And Essenon is now third last on the power ranking scene,
being usurped by the North Melbourne Kangaroos.

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Who's playing better footy right now.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
Well, the North Melbourne in the past six weeks have
It's been the best look at North Melbourne defensively in
the past six weeks probably since they made finals.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
And their midfield has been genuinely very good for the
last i think eight weeks since the good Friday monstering
by the Blues. What does it like a ninety six
point turn around us sound crazy. From one Carlton game
to another.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
It should have been more than that. They should have
won by a lot of should have been forty plass.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
So they are just a bad team and that is
a step forward. If you look at their percentage, they
have edge of eighty two. It's roughly equivalent to Port Adelaide.
It's just blow some Kilda in Melbourne. It's above Essendon's.
They are in that muck of bad teams and if
they actually got the win over Bridsbane that they deserve,
they could genuinely be pushing for what eleventh or twelfth? Yeap,

(18:15):
it's not crazy.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
They do they the two teams Essendon and North Wum
play each other soon on a Thursday night.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
That sounds like something that I would be annoyed at
in the fixture.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yes, it's I just want to I just want to
get this up before before absolutely going it because I'm
pretty sure.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
Oh I think it might be the Bulldogs one.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
Oh maybe I'm thinking that. Yes, if es In and
North Melbourne played each other this this Thursday night, would
you'd be tipping at Marvel start.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
North almost beat them before Esterton had all their injuries.
Eston like a lot of this is Essendon should be
better than North, but they had a horrible run this year,
so you can take that into account. But no, absolutely,
like North's got some winnable games. Playing Melbourne at the
g they could win that, yea, some Kilda at Marvel
they could dream of winning that. Rich men. Yeah, there's
a few wins possibly there that would be and they

(19:04):
have no reason to tank because they don't have their
first round pick.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
That's right, Yes, that and we talked about that that
trade last year, the where North Melbourne used the pick
on matt Wick Locke. Yes too, but they at an
expense that they traded out of the first round of
this year's draft, but that pick at them. Yeah, with
more wins could be later. And remember there's gonna be
a lot of bids before that pick anyway, so maybe

(19:28):
it is looking like a bit of a well you
can see the method behind the madness.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
I think if that ends up being picked nine or
ten on draft night, which is absolutely realistic, very much so,
like you'd take that if you're North.

Speaker 2 (19:40):
Yeah, in considering this is a year where they got
matt wit locker key defender and recruiters are just I've
got no idea, who the best key defender in the
in the in the league is at the moment.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
He be the best key defender in this year's draft crop.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, yes, probably there you go, the most reliable. Yeah,
I would think that's probably fair. North Melbourne beat Carlton
on the weekend, Carlton being the lead of this segment.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
And now on the Fox Footy podcast another strong edition
of Australia's favorite segment, Fair or Fast Max.

Speaker 3 (20:12):
And every other segment on every other foot show this week, Carlton.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
The lost to North Melbourne is the beginning of the
end for Michael Voss Fair or Fast.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
I found it funny that Ralphie sort of dropped on
couch last night that sorry on Monday night that Voss
had sort of equipped to people that if they lost
to West Coast it could be the beginning of the end.
So good Honesty's probably right and I think it's probably fair.
The difference is the people inside Carlton right now are

(20:41):
not Carltony enough to back in Old Carlton absolutely would
and the power brokers or whoever you want to talk about,
Bruce Carton, Bruce Matheson, Yes, Pokey's giants and we're not
John Elliott anymore. But maybe Tom Will ever go at him,
would complain and say we need to get in mold
house or something. I don't know. Whatever they call for
right now, who are they? They'd be calling for LONGMI

(21:01):
wouldn't Oh, yes, that'd be the call, so absolutely realistic
that there will be people making the call. I think
what is happening right now is a couple of things.
One is that they're slightly underachieving. They're a mid table
team that is roughly mid table. They've lost some close games,
They've had some injuries again, and that's okay. I think
the other thing is that Michael Voss just may not

(21:22):
be a fantastic coach. He wasn't great at Brisbane in
his first stint. He did what we seem to be
a fine job as Portolai's midfield coach for a while,
but I have no idea how to rate assistance, so
the industry seemed to rate him. I think he got
another chance primarily because he is Michael Voss. I think
if his name was Michael Smith and was not a
superstar player, he may not have gotten that chance. So

(21:45):
maybe that's part of the problem, is that his coaching
is just not up to the standard. Unfortunately the Blues need.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, there's been a lot of question marks about the
Blue style and how it's been a predictable slow ball
movement has come under scrutiny. I suppose the question now
is if it is the beginning of the end, does
that indicate that Carlton's Premiership window with this group of players,
has it officially closed? And is the closest that we're

(22:10):
ever going to get being five goals up a quarter
time of a twenty twenty three preliminary.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
Final, which is pretty close.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
It was pretty close, very close, which they're hard to win.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
I don't think. I don't think I could officially draw
a close on it. Cheerly for the fact of how
much talent they have on the list right now, Like
it is well documented that all their money also a
lot of their money has gone into the top end players.
You have Kerno, you have McKay, you have Walsh, you
have Crips. They have a million dollars on the table
for the coning right now. They have so many guys
Zack Williams is taking up their portion of their salary

(22:39):
cap at the moment, I just cannot in good faith
write them off in the premiership window. Everything would suggest so,
but I don't think we've had, certainly not at least
in my memory, such they didn't. They they sort of
dip their toe to the water and then have sort
of left since like they didn't ever since the halfway
mark of last year, they haven't really ever looked like, no,

(23:02):
the same team. So I feel like they've sort of
been around this mark for a long time now, and
just with being Carlton, such high expectations.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
So while you're on the list kind of narrative there
fork the Blues now have no choice. They have to
accept the free agency compensation pick for Tom daconing fear
or us.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
If they're not moving their offer for him in the
way that has been reported, which is around one million
dollars a year.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
Compared to some kild As one point six or seven.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
Yes, compared to some killed as one point seven. So
that ends up being I think, like a god, how
how many years, like a five million dollar difference? I
think all in terms of the length of the contract. Yeah,
like they have to accept it. But I don't think
anyone We've probably said this before, no one at Carlton
in their right mind would be upset with the coning
for walking for that big a difference.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
I don't think, and it seems clear that he wants
to stay if they can just pay him a little
bit more and make it somewhat more realistic, because who
could possibly give up just five million dollars to play
footy for a different team in the same city.

Speaker 4 (24:02):
Yeah, who were arguably at similar points in time at
the moment. Sure sank Ler haven't had that final success
the last few years, but the ladders are telling me
at the moment they're pretty similar. So yeah, I think
you would just have to accept it. Unfortunately, if you Carlton,
but that's one million dollars you can spend somewhere else.
And if you can convince the next coach that if

(24:22):
he thinks they've got the tools to still stay in
the premiership window, then there's no reason that million dollar
difference can't play a huge role.

Speaker 3 (24:28):
They're not that old, right, We think of them because
we think we've they've had this same core for a while.
Eighth oldest list, eighth most experienced list coming into the
year like Crips thirty, he's got another few years. Zach
Williams thirty, Side thirty, Mitch McGovern thirty. I'm just looking
at their older players. They don't have a lot of peak,
peak players who are absolutely going to retire off imminently
like say Collingwood does. So you can dream that with

(24:51):
a couple of good drafts, and Jacko Smith might have
been one of those players who would have proven to
be a great picky.

Speaker 2 (24:57):
He was number one on their draft board.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
Absolutely, he was thought to be one of the solutions
to the midfield problems. We don't know how different this
season would be just with him, but there are a
few drafts away from contending. Again, that's how close you
can get.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
The other curveball. While I think Carlton need to get
their first round pick, and it's not the ball on
the end or but it's part of a very multi
layered prospect. Here is that Carlton traded away their future
first this year. During last year's trade year, they did
it with Hawthorne and it eventually helped them trade up
to get Jagger Smith in that year's draft, again, a

(25:29):
move like North Melbourne last year, because they identified the
talent in the twenty twenty four draft being better than
in twenty twenty five. What that has happened though, so
Carlton don't have their first round pick. Now. The wild
card is that you mentioned who might be the best
key defender in the draft this year. That could be
carlton father's son prospect, Harry Dean, who's the son of
Peter Dean, who won a couple of flags with Carlton

(25:51):
eighty seven to ninety five. Harry Dean is I think
Carlton not necessarily underestimated him, but I think he's gone
above their expectations. So he might have twelve months ago
might have been getting a bid where the Camparelli's got
a bid last year, early thoirties, something like that. One
recruiter said to me last week that he's a top

(26:13):
fifteen pick, Harry Dean. And at the moment, Carlton's first
pick doesn't come in until pick thirty five because that's
Brisbane's second pick, and of course Brisbane's second pick is
quite getting quite late. And the other curveborn on top
of that is that they've got a father's son prospect
in twenty twenty six called Cody Walker, who I reckon
if you're doing a draft board right now, is sitting

(26:34):
in the top three of next year's draft pool, so
the Blues could go the Blues could match on Harry
Dean this year whenever that when that comes, and going
to draft deficit next year. But Cody Walker in twenty
twenty six is higher on draft boards, I reckon than
what Harry Dean is in twenty twenty five. But because
of the dearth of key de finners in this year's draft,

(26:56):
Harry Dean's valley was so much higher. So it's a
big thing for the Blues to balance.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
The domino there being if they get the pick for
de Conning, they have the assets to match, flexibility, whatever
they need to do for deed and then they're not
going to ruin their chances of matching the walk Andrew
Walker's son, that's right, yes, yes, and it looks exactly
like you when he plays.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
He does. Yes, he's a freak. He's really really impressive. Max.
The medical retirement of Jeremy McGovern is a further warning
shot to AFL club's fair or fast AFL clubs well,
just in terms of like got to be super careful
with how your hand or stuff. You're not saying that
the Eagles do anything wrong, but it's just that the
delicate situation the clubs are now deal well.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
I think it's fair because he's one of the great
defenders of this era being forced into early retirement and
that's sad for all involved. The club is more protected
because of the changes they've made to how deals get
paid out right, So I think there's a big portion
of his deal that will be excluded from the cap
for next year, and then it gets reduced over about
two or three years. I think three years might be

(27:54):
the maximum. So they will get some salary cap relief
from this. Not that the salary cap is really a
huge problem for them right now because they're not any good,
but it does at least help them maneuver things around.
They could maybe front loads and contracts for next year
and make sure they have lots of cap room in
let's say twenty twenty eight, twenty twenty nine, when they
want to be good again. So it's not going to
hurt them as much as it would have two or
three years ago when the cap rules were a bit different.

(28:16):
But yeah, everyone knows you have to be careful with
players who suffered repeated concussions, and clubs are getting better.
I guess, yeah, at least I'm more aware of these issues,
but sometimes you just can't avoid things. In a contact
support spoke to Brandon Stasovich after the Brisbane win over
Geelong and he was a guy who's had three concussions
in eight months and said, basically at the start of

(28:38):
this period, he got that really nicety knock from Justin
mcinnernie back in round one, and I think there was
he admitted that in a pretty dark spot in those
first couple of weeks where he was contemplating life without football,
but he's one of the guys that were It did
turn for him, it got better. It was a slow
process to come back. He's a lot younger, but mightight

(28:59):
have been Jerremy McGovern but everyone's different. All depends on
history and we get knocked sometimes. But it just goes
to show how delicate this situation is. He comes back
in kicks a goal in his first game back against
the Giants, then does a job on Patrick dangerfield on
Friday night, showing that it's just such a delicate position
for all clubs and players. When you talk to him,

(29:20):
was he in a bad place because of just the
knowledge of having three and eight months or was he
physically in.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
A bad Probably a combination of But to be fair
to him, he's one of the most level headed players
you'll ever speak to after a game and didn't is
it was in no mood to overdramatize things. But I
think the reality setting that when you have three In
my read on it was when you have three and
eight months, the reality is that you're more like, yeah,

(29:49):
the odds necessarily aren't great.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
It's just it's sad in a way. But this is
the point that players will get to in a lot
of cases where they need to work out this is
my life, this is my earning potential period right now.
Brandes Stars is just going to make more money over
the next five years and he'll make over the rest
of his life. Maybe maybe he'll have some good investments.
I don't know, but he needs he has to be

(30:11):
conscious of that. So it's almost taking the risk of well,
I know this has happened, but I got to make
my money while I am So it sucks, but that's
just life.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Fork. After the high scrutiny over the past few days,
we won't see Marcus winn Hager like tagging tactics this weekend.
Fair or fast.

Speaker 4 (30:30):
Remind me who's saying you to have again? Max Fremantle again?

Speaker 3 (30:35):
In person, there's the double up that.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
Who do they go for? Who does he go to
Sarong or bray Shaw and how does he play them?

Speaker 4 (30:41):
If it makes for any better of a game than
what we had in round seven or eight, then Marcus
can do whatever he wants and ross by extension as well.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
Yeah, tagging famously good for footage enjoyment.

Speaker 4 (30:53):
Yes, I think he will probably so wrong. Had a
very very very good game against Es in the last
Thursday night. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to him.
Brayshaw is just performing consistently week in week out, I
would love to say, and I know some people doubt this.
I would really want to see Marcus winn Hager play
a few games, so a few weeks where he's not
tagging in the midfield. I personally think he is an

(31:16):
accumulator who can have genuine impact on the game. Hasn't
been proven. Hasn't really been proven because he hasn't really
had an opportunity. It's such a fine line for coaches
as well, because he's such so good at what he
does and He's had the wood over Nick Dekos before
before heading into Last Saturday Night, where if there's any
shirk of doubt over should we tag a player or
should we not? And Ross has someone like Marcus at

(31:37):
his disposal the easy options to tag him, So there's
a bit of predicament for both Ross and I think Marcus.
I think clubs are really starting to heat up on
the idea that he's still being used in the same
role and they know he's off contract. Still isn't he
he's off contract. The one is Collingwood. I think that
could use him, particularly with Tom which we're going out
of contract at the end of the year. Whether or

(31:59):
not his days is a different question. But with yeah,
a few guys retiring in the next couple of years
at Collingwood, I think people like Collingwood. Clubs like Collingwood
are circling and there's genuine interest for him, So I
think it's probably both in Ross's best interest from maintaining
this guy on nell Is for the next few years
with a few other young guns who have signed long term,
like Matuda Owens or Jack Higgins to play him. You know, hey, mate,

(32:23):
you've got a license in the next few weeks, like
go head to head with Sarrong oppost to wearing him
like a glove for the entire one hundred and twenty minutes.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
So not like some Kilda needs to win games right now.
That really doesn't matter for.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Them, not at the moment. I think it's a better
long term investment to let winn Hager do his team
the next few weeks. Having said that, all of that aside,
I would deploy it a tag on Caleb's wrong, but
I don't think this week's probably the week to do it.
If you're thinking long term.

Speaker 3 (32:45):
Do you think Collingwood would purely sign him just so
that Nick Daycors can practice being tagged at training?

Speaker 4 (32:49):
There's a great question. It'd make for a couple of
great internal scratch matches as well.

Speaker 3 (32:53):
Exactly, the team has a very powerful.

Speaker 4 (32:55):
Force now, so yeah, it's a great thought. It would
be quite ironic but also good. It'd be good to
see them play alongside of eachailor do you.

Speaker 3 (33:02):
Think that he went too far with the way he
was tagging Nick Dakos and.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
A couple of a couple of moments. Most of the
most of the stuff, all the acts that he did
were within the rules, but like, yeah, the kneeing and
then the little slap to the face. Yeah, but you
speak to probably a lot of star midfielders who used
who've caught that kind of attention in the past, Like
remember when Ryan Crowley pinched Brent Harvey and huberan amount

(33:28):
of times.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
Yes, I thought we would do for that sort of game.
It's always a fun narrative. It seemed like it was
handled pretty well on the night, like when he gave
away a free and got a fine for something he
did at the opening bounce. There was definitely a moment
shown on one of the Fox Foody shows this week
where the umpire was clearly watching him away from the
stoppage as the stoppage was being held, and then he
held Dacos and then a free kick was paid. So

(33:50):
the umpires, as long as they're aware of it and
are calling it in the right way, I think it's fair.
It was weird that he got fined for that push
on Dacos on the softer side of fine.

Speaker 2 (34:01):
Apparently they're challenging a written submission.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
Yes, there's three written submissions head into the tribunal tonight.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
Data is gonna be very busy on leave.

Speaker 3 (34:07):
Isn't it just sitting there waiting for Twitter?

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Yes, Max, the media needs to ease up on Jamara
hugil Hagen fair or fast?

Speaker 3 (34:16):
I think broadly fair. But what is the specific situation
that's driving that at the moment.

Speaker 2 (34:23):
Well, he talked about how there's been some reporting around particularly,
been a lot of reporting around Jamara about Jamara had
told friends this okay, and I think that had. He
opened up on Mi Robinson's podcast on Sunday and spoke
about how disappointed he was with that kind of reporting
at the moment.

Speaker 3 (34:44):
I think it's there's a world where reporting can exist
and be in the not public interest because football doesn't matter,
but in.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
The interest of the public.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
Yes, yes, there's a difference between those two things and
still be something that upsets the people involved. Like journalism
at its call should be things that someone doesn't want printed.
If it gets too parallemal rule, if it gets too
if it does get to someone's mental health and becomes
an in situation, you can take a step back. And
I think generally the media does take a step back
in a lot of ways. It just when something gets

(35:14):
reported a lot by everyone, even if it's the same
story in every outlet, because that's just how the aggregation
process works. These days, it feels like a lot of
attention on one story when it's the same story again
and again and again. So I can understand why he
would feel that way, but I don't think specifically the
media has stepped over the line too much with him
over the last nine months. It seems like they've been

(35:34):
reasonably good about it.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yeap.

Speaker 3 (35:37):
I know it's media defending media, but yes, my thoughts.

Speaker 2 (35:40):
Fork last one news of Matt Row's resigning midway through
a game he was playing in was just plain weird
fair or.

Speaker 4 (35:47):
Fast plain weird, there's fair, Ben Max and I sort
of both. Max said the message to my team's chat,
and I had seen in a tweet from Mitch Cleary
on my Apple Watch at the exact same time of
like it's three quarters time, and it was like it was.
It was very bizarre. I think Michael Gleason from The
Age ran with it fifteen minutes beforehand.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Did he come off at early in the third quarter
and it's on the contracts, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
His tweet was specifically no, he hasn't signed midgame, which
is a good thing to clarify. Because I really thought
he might have.

Speaker 4 (36:17):
I can't comment on it too much because I didn't
see it. Did Damon Harwick mention something about it in
a press year He.

Speaker 3 (36:22):
Was asked about it on three point sixty and said
that I know nothing's happened yet. We don't know anything.
I don't know. I don't know about that stuff.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
I mean, the reporting feels like it's imminent or it's
almost happened because someone has said he had.

Speaker 3 (36:33):
I think what's pretty clear from the reporting is the
timeline is over the weekend or on Friday. He told
Collingwood and the Bulldogs, speaking to their coaches specifically, that
he won't be signing with them. He hasn't signed anything yet,
but will be signing with the Sons as soon as
they come to a correct dollar figure. Yes, so it's
going to happen. It got leaked out that way. That's
how the story comes out.

Speaker 4 (36:53):
Just one of my bug bears. When people go with
they have resigned. He hasn't put pen to paper yet.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
That it's true. He hasn't yet. The decision too is
the notable part of that, to be fair.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
But there has been there are circumstances and it is
reasonably common where a player might actually physically re sign
but the announcement doesn't happen for weeks afterwards.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
It doesn't get announced.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
I did Adam Simpson quietly resigned even here ever, senior
coach quietly resigning his contract being extended like that.

Speaker 3 (37:24):
Yeah, weird stuff, yes, not that you can do with it.
It's just how the media cycle happened to work.

Speaker 2 (37:30):
On Sunday, I'm sure there were a couple of people
out there that thought that Matt Rael came off just
as part of his natural rotation that started the third quarter,
and by.

Speaker 4 (37:37):
The resigning rotation, he was sub died at the CUSP
for three quarter time for contract reasons.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
That is the end of fear of face. It is
now time to open the mail.

Speaker 1 (37:49):
Bag on the Fox Foody podcast. It's time to open
up the mail bag. Have a question for the panel.
Tweet us every Monday morning at Fox.

Speaker 3 (37:56):
Footy, Russell Russell Russell digs out letters if you let
us to dig out. I think thank you to everyone
who wrote in at Fox forty on Twitter on a
Monday morning. You tweet in, we read it.

Speaker 2 (38:06):
It's not like you do it at tweeted at different
times it's no.

Speaker 3 (38:09):
It's like I remember when I remember on Sunday night
to schedule the tweet, It's like, all right, either nine
fifteen or eight forty five, which ever takes my fancy.
And then people ask questions just a good week this week,
such as this one from the Jack Neevan Memorial Library.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
Who asks a good place?

Speaker 3 (38:25):
Are we underplaying the loss of Dan Houston in Port
Adelaide's subpar performance this year?

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Well, they haven't really replaced. Well, Caane Farrell was supposed
to be the replacement, and he's a very different player.
Having said that, Dan Houston probably hasn't shot the lights
out of Collingwood.

Speaker 4 (38:40):
No, he hasn't. That could be a comparison. I mean
Lockie Shorts didn't shoot the lights out. I different players,
but it felt like it took him twelve months age
it to Colin was brand No, they Josh sim was
touted as one in the preseason and then they sort
of switched it to Cane Farrell, and then Farrell and
Houston have turned out to have very different tendencies in
that same role. Yes, and it's just continuing.

Speaker 2 (39:01):
Because but both the meters gained players, but Farrell's mainly
kicking while Houston was run and kick.

Speaker 4 (39:07):
Yes, yeah, Farrell's kick is penetrative and very very good,
as is Houston's. But I would I prefer Carrols for
Carrol Farrell's a little bit more whereas as you said,
Houston gives a little bit more run. Yeah, hasn't. Hasn't
worked out for them. I would agree that's good call,
Jack ginging in the moral library.

Speaker 3 (39:24):
When you're losing all Australia and it has an impact.
Finally enough to Americans watching the footy masks Gold Coast
have lost three in a row but still have a
game in hand and all the other sides in the
finals race based on current trends and the remaining fixture,
how loud are the sos same old sons?

Speaker 4 (39:39):
A last ringing not Stevens.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
No.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Well, Damian Harbig was just about this directly on three
point sixty last night and he was adamant that this
is a very different team two past years. I think
narrative wise, we will never sort of be able to
get that out of their heads, but it is, Yeah,
there might be some similar person, but they've got an
extra one or two years experience under their belt, which

(40:04):
counts for a loss.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
There is a world where this is their Melbourne twenty
seventeen season where the d's were coming and then they
missed out on percentage in the final round and they
lost to Collingwood West Coast. Maybe had to build percentagegainst
adelaide to make the eight and then the next year,
next year latter in the bottom right hand corner of course,
one of those great ends of the season. Next year
they make a prelim. That's an entirely realistic scenario for

(40:26):
the Suns. Is it not miss finals. May sneak into
a prelim next year, So even if they do miss out,
it's not a disaster. It could drive them next year.
It's interesting that watching them play the end of the
ground you feel worse about them is sort of their
tall forwards, but they're scoring incredibly well. Like the Walter
is a young key forward. He's not doing a lot

(40:47):
even really young, but they're not doing a huge amount
and Ben King is very good kicking goals and that's it.

Speaker 4 (40:53):
So it's very even spread. On Sunday had Ainsworth, Ben King,
Twok Miller, Bailey, Humphrey, Noah and all kick two.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
So that's a lot better when you're getting that.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
It's kind of like the Sydney profile of last year
where they didn't necessarily have a dominant key Ford, but
they got a lot of goals out of their mids.

Speaker 4 (41:08):
Adam Marty for one game, who kicked nine's the Crows
and everyone else just chimed in.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
And they're leading. They have the most inside fifties per game,
so like a lot of stuff is working for them. Yeah, okay,
it's just if they do miss out, it will be disappointing.

Speaker 2 (41:20):
Where do they rank defensively? The Suns well at the moment.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
Purely looking at the ladder, they've played one game less,
so it's I think they're probably a little bit below
average compared to the rest of the contenders, but they're
not like crazy.

Speaker 4 (41:32):
Bad just outside the Premiership window you reckon mask.

Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yeah, probably not top six Actually, no, they've been top
six for a while. They've been the last time we
checked it, they've been in the window. I look forward
to couch at some point over the next few weeks,
we'll bring back the window. Everyone's favor LK asks. This
is all lower caps, so I presume it's depressed. Why
do I support Carlton? Why do I care about AFL.
Have you got any other sports I should follow?

Speaker 2 (41:59):
Max, being our homepage editor, is across a lot of
different sports, any sports issues.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
The Cabarti has got a fair growth and I don't
know in India. There's a lot of people in India.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
Well, I think a lot of businesses think that and
then they try and make money there and then they
realize that no one wants to pay it for people.

Speaker 4 (42:15):
Billy Gowers, he did Cambarti for a little bit too,
that's right.

Speaker 3 (42:18):
Didn't like Campbell Brown, wasn't he on the.

Speaker 2 (42:20):
Comardiys and Hairball? Josh Kennedy recently represented Australia.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
And a game at Margaret Court. Yes, what's what's fun?
It's hurling fun? Is that any good? That's that's a sport?
I like Baseball's all right?

Speaker 4 (42:33):
Baseball? Yes, yes, Slow, I'm getting into golf. You could
do golf.

Speaker 2 (42:37):
Golf have a storm going this year, Max.

Speaker 3 (42:40):
They're they're good. I think that they have the best
points differential on the ladder. They're below the Bulldogs and
the Raiders with Ricky Stewart and charge.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
Ricky's Raiders of course, could.

Speaker 4 (42:49):
Really hone in on like an amateur football club as
well like their local.

Speaker 3 (42:51):
Football Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, that would be more fun.

Speaker 4 (42:54):
I do have that Fitzroy how they're just now in
the ammos but they still have so many loyal fans
and watch them that could be nice.

Speaker 3 (42:59):
Yeah, bring the disappointment closer the home instead of going
to the.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
Marvel, consider Petrol the Carlton Blues. You could support the Croydon.

Speaker 3 (43:05):
Blues or the Uni Blues. How are Croydon going at
the moment?

Speaker 2 (43:10):
I think they're a premier division I think might? I
don't follow them too clear?

Speaker 3 (43:13):
Two of the Eastern FOOTBA League powers that we should
all be in normally.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
It's born Noble Park.

Speaker 4 (43:18):
A couple of listeners oft Boerwin just quietly to this podcast.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
Doncaster, none of Wadding very much.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
Not a power house very much.

Speaker 3 (43:26):
But they are the ones who lost thirty four in
a row or whatever it was in Division four.

Speaker 2 (43:30):
Yeah sorry Park loss a lot, but work there have
worked their way back up slightly.

Speaker 3 (43:34):
Congratulations to all involved, all fantastic football clubs. Will finish
with a question from my sister Becky Becky who asks
out of the three clubs who seem to be in
a perpetual loop, of disappointment, Carlton, Saint Kilda and Essendon.
Who do you see as the first to escape it
and finally climb up the ladder At his final excellent question,
we're a smart football family, I.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
Would say what I would say great families, I would say,
I would say Essendon.

Speaker 3 (43:59):
I'm quietly optimistic about them, even though I don't think
they're very good right now.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
Because I can't see any of Carlton, Sekild or Essenon
doing it in a hurry. But Essendon seems best place
from a list perspective, and I just I think Brad
Scott knows what he's doing. Yeah, I've just he's kept
it real all the way through.

Speaker 4 (44:19):
I have enjoyed that side of him. Yeaheah.

Speaker 2 (44:20):
And so I think, yeah, that gives me more most
confidence that they kind of know where they're at. And
to be fair, so does Ross as well. And so
I think Sin Kilda or essen are a bit more
parallel in terms of their current standing, whereas Carlton seems
at the moment and that the narrative is popular but

(44:40):
it seems to be on the decline, even though, as
you point out, MAXI they're not necessarily old.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
No, they could still be. They should still have a
better next two years than both Essenon and Saint Kilda Culton,
but the Sainda have the best young players of that group.

Speaker 4 (44:55):
It depends what happens with.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Those They've drafted very well in the last few years.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
If Essendon had drafted like Sint Kilda has over the
last five years. The last two draft they' don't okay
with Coco and Caddy, especially Caddy, But if they drafted
like that like Esston could probably be pushing for the
eight right now. That is their missing link is the
good picks from the sort of twenty eighteen to twenty
twenty two drafts.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Archie Perkins sub again, it just is not clicking for him.
Nick Cox is obviously struggling with concussion at the moment.
Zach Reid had another injury setback, but he recently re signed,
so that looks like they've struck there. But the sort
of ben Ben Hobbs was was a plyloft, just kind
of slid too fast, So I think they ended up
just he was too good to let go on draft night.

(45:40):
And there's clearly have too many mids and Sardis is
in and out of the team.

Speaker 3 (45:45):
Have there been. I've seen sort of comments from I
can't remember which sistant coach it was, but mentioned that
talking about those midfielders like Sardis and Hobbes, basically saying, well,
who are you playing them above? Who are you playing
them out of because we have too many mid in
the pecking order? Is that a little bit of a
backaded comment previous recruiting? Do we think?

Speaker 2 (46:01):
Potentially?

Speaker 4 (46:01):
Quite possible?

Speaker 3 (46:02):
Potentially I mean that the recruiting is the reason they're
in the situation of that of assigning too much talent
to one area of the ground.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
Well, and their best mid theory is currently off half back.

Speaker 4 (46:13):
It has to change this week shortly.

Speaker 3 (46:14):
I'm torn between whether like, it's weird that Zach Merritt
is not playing where Zach Merritt is a superstar, but
at the same time it doesn't matter this year.

Speaker 4 (46:22):
But who's the guy that's going I don't know if
is it young talent that's going in there?

Speaker 3 (46:26):
And if there's clearly a kid that needs a chance
and you're moving Merrit out for him because this season
is irrelevant, then it's great.

Speaker 4 (46:32):
It's like Carlton, right, if you have crips Cherah Hewitt right,
and you have to try and find Yaggo Smith in
there in twenty twenty six. You can move the maggots
around and makes it a little bit more on this
a little bits makes a little bit more sense. I
don't know who's doing that at Essen at the moment.
That's kicking air quotes Zak Merhrett out of the midfield
for a significant amount of exposure. I have to have
to look at the numbers, but from what I've seen
on TV, it hasn't been overly obvious as to why

(46:55):
that would be the case.

Speaker 3 (46:57):
The old cbas I'll try and find what's happened and
this Bank Australia. No cinemount of tendences against against Freemantle.
It was of course Vigo Vizantinian doing his best against
Luke Jack's debut, although Jackson was like the best game
for a rocker, so you know, not a great debut,
but good name Cearfield, Caldwell, Merrit forty eight percent and Parish, right,

(47:21):
so not really the kids there, No Cetarfield, Coldwell is good.

Speaker 2 (47:25):
Coldwell's seconds midfield behind Merrit.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
Yes, but you know Parish and Cearfield. That's not the
core of a twentyfield. I think he's been good.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
I thought they would have moved past Sedifield, but when
he's in there, he has an impact.

Speaker 3 (47:38):
Right, So it's it's been at least half of all
center bounces in every game he's played this year.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
The thing is that with Setterfield doesn't have a lot
of versatility in this game.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
He always has to play in the midfield nine getting
a very.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Niche at the moment. So I hope.

Speaker 3 (47:51):
I'm sure they're appreciating fans. That is the end of
the speaking of Essendon.

Speaker 4 (47:56):
Yes, mail bag, is now time for want to hear
from one of their.

Speaker 3 (47:59):
Greats, Kevin Cheat No, sheety, I say, sheety, she says Kevin. Yes,
that's how this thing works. Pockets of Greatness has been
great to us, guys. But this will be the final

(48:21):
reading from the final because I think I've run out
of bits from this book and I have to go
to the second book I have, so you know, we'll
see what happens in the heart.

Speaker 4 (48:28):
We've passed the halfway market the Sceason.

Speaker 3 (48:30):
That's right, I've rationed it out quite missing two episodes
as helped.

Speaker 2 (48:33):
Do you have another Tom Pryor penned book?

Speaker 3 (48:36):
Yes, I do.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
So.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
This was Sheedy's second book, right, so I fear that
his first book will be more about himself and less
about random thoughts. But well, I will see how it goes.
I'll read through it over the week, and I make
sure we have some good that it's. It's not a
dense read. This is the thing like you think it is,
but I can flick through it pretty quick. Right. This

(48:57):
is from the epilogue, because this book has epilogue because
it's a narrative.

Speaker 4 (49:02):
I guess.

Speaker 3 (49:04):
Kevin says, The first thing I do is talk straight.
Young people realize right away if you're feeding them bs,
they turn off and think about something else. Unless you're lucky.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
You've lost them.

Speaker 3 (49:17):
Essen and coach Kevin Sheedy, proud father of four, didn't
mince words when discussing a favorite topic, what he calls
building bridges to youngsters. What we adults have to understand
is that we grew up in a totally different world.
We accepted TV and eventually learn how to operate a video.
Our kids are traveling in an information super highway using TV,
CD ROMs and audio visual aids. We didn't even dream about,

(49:40):
let alone our parents who didn't even have TV when
they were kids. We might like it, but our kids
are facing problems we never knew. It's up to us
to at least consider their decisions before we weigh in
with advice to the contrary. Number one new Maroono to
my way of thinking is that you have to keep
on trying, having a go. As the sun Ron's ANZACs

(50:01):
put it, Australian g and D the guts a determination
Teddy Whitten loved never goes out of fashion.

Speaker 4 (50:08):
Wow, that was an impassionedge was his final message to
the kids who are all buying the book of a
former AFL coach.

Speaker 3 (50:16):
We're not and all.

Speaker 4 (50:16):
Seemed to be going to Video Easy at the time. Blockbuster.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
It's more a blockbuster man myself, but video initially I
suppose you know, was there.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
A Blockbuster in close to Waverley Park back then.

Speaker 3 (50:27):
There was one? There's a Video Easy get stud Park
and then there was a Blockbuster at Wellington.

Speaker 4 (50:30):
Village, a Blockbuster at Hyde Park.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
Adelaide for those great excellent excellent. When do you think
the last one in Australia is all?

Speaker 2 (50:38):
Was?

Speaker 4 (50:39):
I feel like I know this Queensland.

Speaker 3 (50:40):
Maybe that's that sounds like the old stuck in time stagments.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
There was still a sizzler in Queensland, wasn't there? Yes?

Speaker 3 (50:48):
Oh yeah, All you can Eat? Is it like a
different branch or something, because there was I remember there
being all you can eat places. There was one like
near Knox City. My second date with my girlfriend, we
went to an one of those buffet and we've been
together ten years, so it's worked out.

Speaker 4 (51:02):
Located in Morally a summer of Perth, Western nineteen Yeah, oh,
COVID did it one year before COVID.

Speaker 3 (51:10):
W A didn't have COVID as we know so well.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
Because shout out to all those listening from Morley, it's
now the time for the tips and the Cups. It
was described, I think as not the most exciting round
of AFL football, but we're going to give you a
reason to tune into every game this week. Port Adelaide
and don't put that on us.

Speaker 3 (51:28):
That sounds like a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
Port Adelaide and Carlton on Thursday night for the cam
Oshay Cup, you said, this is a fifty to fifty,
genuine fifty fifty game. That's the reason to tune in.

Speaker 3 (51:38):
I have no idea who's going to win.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
This.

Speaker 3 (51:40):
I think I put down Carlton in my tips already,
but I'm already regretting it. So I guess Port, because
they're at home, might be the default tip. Yeah, but
how the.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Hell do I tip this? Yeah, I'm I'm Port. Just
the fact that they had a bad game for the
two frequent game, but like.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
It's the most Carlton thing ever to respond to a
week of pressure. And then I feel like it's also
poored as well, but they haven't got the pressure. The
worst thing for Port is that Carlton lost on the weekend.
If Carlton had just beaten North, Port would absolutely win
and this would be the week would we get disapported
in Carlton. But because they lost, they're going to bounce back.

Speaker 4 (52:11):
Home ground advantage has me still going Port. But I
do take your point, Ben.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
I used the Tom Morris rebound effects. She loved that
last week by tipping North Melbourne because North Melbourne were
gallants in their loss to Freemantle the week before and
Carlton were those.

Speaker 4 (52:27):
Car just beat West Coast.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
That's right, sorry, both great North Melbourne just lost to
Freemantle and then Carlton were unconvincing in their win over
West Coast. So when for the rebound effects would have
worked with tipping.

Speaker 3 (52:37):
Brisbane as well, it would have Yes, some merit to it. Yeah,
it's almost like progression to the mean is a thing.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Sydney and the Western Bulldogs on Friday night ed Barlow
Cup up for grabs here. This is the kind of
game where the Western Bulldogs could be the Western Bulldogs.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
Yeah, so this is as I said, I think this
is the swing game. If they lose this, they become
the most likely top nineteen to miss. I still think
they good enough to win it though. Ye.

Speaker 4 (53:03):
Yeah, I'm going to Sydney right, I can say it.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Gold Coast and Melbourne for the Matthew Warnock Cup must
win for the Sun.

Speaker 3 (53:11):
Yes, and then bounce back game should have won against
THEWS bounds back against the demons, you would think.

Speaker 4 (53:17):
Ping stats time band y, Yes, welcome. With twelve the
last thirteen games Gold Coast have lost to Melbourne. They
won their most recent as we know, in round three.
I believe it was Round three at the MCG. The MCG.
The Sun's last beat Melbourne at People First Stadium, which
I dare say was called metro Cons Stadium back in

(53:37):
round twenty twenty thirteen, correct, So definitely twelve year first
coming up for the Suns.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
If they're to do it, then they played a really
close game I want to say twenty nineteen ish where
they both sucked at maybe Tom McDonald kicking the winner.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
Oh yeah, like the.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
Winning point in the final.

Speaker 2 (53:54):
Yeah, yeah, I do that on Saturday Saturday night. I
don't remember that.

Speaker 4 (53:58):
This one was one that I think we'd confuse people
who I send this email to, because in the same
amount says Melbourne has won their last four games at
People First Stadium, despite Gold Coast losing their last five
to Melbourne, but obviously COVID has done that too.

Speaker 3 (54:09):
A lot of they played random teams at People First.

Speaker 2 (54:12):
Yes they did. I vaguely remember Melbourne played Essenon in
twenty twenty. That was John Warsfall. The last game is
Essendon Senior coaches Hawthorne and North Melbourne are playing in
Tasmania for the Lance Paconi Cup.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
Not the Tasmania Cup.

Speaker 2 (54:26):
No, well it could be well, just.

Speaker 3 (54:28):
Like maybe only one of them gets to have games
in the state from now on.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
After this, they're pretty committee in the short term. Yes,
to Tasmania. Both of them are I.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
Think they're a bit busy doing an election at the
moment to care about which team gets kicked.

Speaker 2 (54:40):
Do we have a date for the election? Yes, I
think it's.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
July seventeenth, soon ish. There were some weird polling that
came out saying that Tasmania hates the stadium, and I
think I think, broadly speaking, there's a lot of negativity
towards the deal, but I think it was a push polling,
as they say, a bit skewed. Hawthorne wins this.

Speaker 4 (54:57):
Game, right, Hawthorne does win this game? A pro on
Lance as well.

Speaker 2 (55:02):
Glen PACONI yes, oh the now. Now he's one of
my personal favorites. I do bend the Cup's rules slightly
for Lance because he also did play at Adelaide, but
he's one of the great characters. Lance PACONI back in
the day to say that's that's the main reason I
during my peak schooling days, I did a back in

(55:23):
sort of late two thousands when Facebook was the thing.
I did add Lance Patoni on Facebook and he did.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
Accept, so that I was doing the same thing with
like random wrestlers. I've got Tony Atlas as a friend
who was like a rest through the eighties, Tony.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
I missed that period, but I do have Pavel florin
the Roman.

Speaker 2 (55:42):
Yeah, Max would have done a few stories.

Speaker 3 (55:44):
Into a BBL draft or two, I think over the years.

Speaker 2 (55:46):
Yes, Yes, very very successful. Collingwood and West Coast Saturday Night.
Josh Smith cup up for grams here.

Speaker 4 (55:53):
That's the most generic name ever. Collingwood wins, Yes, Colin wins.
West Coast have lost eight of the last nine under
the dome.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
Of West Coast and Richmond because Richmond showed this is fascinating.
But they're both young teams and both have shown promise
at ree Richmond earlier in the season, west Coast a
little bit more lately. Can you see? Is one more
likely to fall over hard in the back half of
the season when we get to winter, we get to
the back end, these young teams get tired. Who is

(56:27):
better set up for the back half of the season.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
Richmond looked tired after quarter time against the Dogs like that,
Like I said, that happening because they are They've got
a lot more young talent who's getting their first run
at things this year.

Speaker 4 (56:37):
Yes, I don't know how this works, but I do
know Richmond still have a few young guys on their
list coming back from injury. I think Harry Armstrong. I
think Josh Simile is doing some conditioning as well as
Harry Sam Lawler as well. So I don't know that
freshens up the dynamic a little bit going into the
last eight weeks of the season. Yeah, I would actually
say West Coast plably more likely the fallover at the
back end. But the last two.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
Years West Coast have won two games in their last
five or six weeks, so they have actually had pinched
a couple right at the end of the season.

Speaker 4 (57:04):
Season, are you're saying yes?

Speaker 3 (57:05):
Next season?

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Richmond and Adelaide speaking for Tigers for the Richmond for
the River, the Richard Tambling cups should.

Speaker 3 (57:12):
Have known, thanks very much.

Speaker 4 (57:14):
Chris Knight's maybe a contender.

Speaker 2 (57:16):
He was very stiff. But Richard Dambling is Richard Tambling
actually correct?

Speaker 3 (57:22):
Adelaide has to win one of their four games against
the bottom six that they need to bank to get
into the finals.

Speaker 4 (57:28):
Yes, Marvel, is it the g.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
The G's Maybe they should hypnotize the Crows into thinking
it's at Marvel instead of the G and.

Speaker 4 (57:36):
They might fire four thirteen and partly cloudy at the
gr excellent.

Speaker 3 (57:41):
Better for better for Adelade if it was at Marvel
in both ways because Richmond, as we no hates there.

Speaker 2 (57:45):
And then this game's at three twenty as well, isn't it. Yes,
of course this game's at back Games at three twenty,
and this game Freemantle and Sekilda for the Brett Peak
Cup is at five to ten Eastern Standard time original time.

Speaker 4 (57:56):
I can't remember five to ten pm ever, I've had
five twenties.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
I do remember maybe early in seasons pre daylight savings
maybe we had a few, not not this year.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
But yeah, no, I think you're right, like like round
one or two, Like, yes, it would be a Freemantleson
killed game adopt. Yes, yes, that's a very early season game. Again,
Frio has to this is the time of the year
where these top nine teams just have to keep winning.
I think they've there have been not that many times
this year where top nine teams have been upset by
bottom nine teams, so there is a big class stratification.

(58:28):
They need to continue that.

Speaker 4 (58:30):
Free Oh but danger game.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
The good reason that the good part about this being
a five twenty games that it gives me a couple
more hours to write the Run Home before it is
unveiled at eight pm on Sunday eight pm, well straight
after the game.

Speaker 2 (58:42):
Seat your watches, set your social notifications, have Fox free
notifications on, Ready for the run home, the spreadsheets looking
tip top four.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
It's had the pre season of its life.

Speaker 4 (58:53):
No trust me, what comes first to three word analysis
or the run home?

Speaker 3 (58:56):
Three word analysis gets on the back burner. Unfortunately, point
the end of the season and we're gonna care about
the big dogs.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
Run Home takes slightly more like to keep clicking back
to Foxfooty dot com dot A.

Speaker 1 (59:09):
Thanks for listening to the Fox Footy podcast. Like what
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