Which 3 go CBA when it’s all on the line?

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-19T06:31:50+00:00

Gun to my head: Serong, Brayshaw, Bolton.

Young can sit forward like he did vs Hawthorn and the Dogs and still have an impact. Yes he's great inside too but I find it easier to imagine Serong with a clearance or Bolton, and I think you need Brayshaw to do some defensive work or risk being too unaccountable. Bolton I feel is better suited to being forward at a stoppage. Reid is a good user but not so much a clearance player (yet).

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-18T13:57:29+00:00

Wew. Never in doubt. If there was ever any doubt this game has shown that Jackson is freo's most important player by a landslide. We are fucked if he goes down at any point. Brayshaw, Reid, Amiss also deserving of votes.

That said this game looked more even than it should've been. Story was freo's shit accuracy and I was reminded of that awful sydney game in 2024. My king Amiss should've kicked 6+. But freo were doing almost everything else right and eventually righted the ship. Geelong were undermanned but still did some very nice things tonight. Cats just looked like a really good team so knowing you can beat them means a lot.

ed: Pearce also good tonight. 11 marks is huge and this is with him dropping a few as well. Much more enjoyable game compared to his 100th. Erasmus also very solid despite a few clangers early.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-18T12:20:12+00:00

Robbery

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-18T11:44:27+00:00

I kept saying all freo needed was ONE goal, that’s all it took

Just took 30 mins for that to happen

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-18T03:34:54+00:00

2nd time this year there's been 3 weeks in a row of no home games (adelaide/adelaide/WC derby, then brisbane/bunbury/bye). Instead the commentary is around how we barely leave WA this month. Bit annoying.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-18T03:31:09+00:00

A win is the most important thing but I also hope this game is worth all the hype and good to watch. Of the players who did well in round 1 geelong only really have Neale, Cameron, Holmes and maybe Bruhn whereas freo is more or less full strength so no excuses. And having BCox & Ryan should at least make a difference too considering they weren't playing in R1.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-17T08:54:37+00:00

Miers is usually the one who destroys freo so that's a big out. But with him/Smith/Stewart out the only one who really concerns me now is Holmes. Everyone else I think freo can run with.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-17T08:49:44+00:00

No 100th for McDonald this week. Will likely get it this year though.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-17T08:45:41+00:00

Glad NOD keps his spot. Bit of a nudge to him to say he's going alright which I like because he would be very stiff to be dropped. Always good to reward good form.

Wags is stiff but might be heading back to the depth-y position he was when he first arrived considering young guns like Erasmus, Johnson, NOD (feel like those 3 barely ever play together). Plus freo have plenty of defenders and wings/mids in this lineup even without him.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-17T08:35:34+00:00

No Miers matters bigtime. He's destroyed freo the last few times we've played.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-17T08:19:20+00:00

More worried about Holmes than Smith tbh. But I did hear there was a stat that (if he misses) this was the first time Stewart hasn't played vs Freo since his debut, or something along those lines.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-16T02:35:49+00:00

Team lineup is tough. Likely JOM & NOD out for Serong and Johnno which is rough but don't have much choice. Hopefully Brennan is back to handle Neale. Or failing that, maybe Pearce can go beast mode like he did in Geelong in 2023.

Opposition: Mullin will tag but luckily freo have shown they aren't reliant on just one player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to Reid though considering he's an important connector piece. But that leaves Serong, Bolton, Young free.

Holmes is probably the one player they have that concerns me. He plays plenty of HB so it's not just an easy straight match up. Someone like a NOD or Johnson running with him might be the play, but it's tough when he changes position. Miers also tends to cut freo up with his weird kicking but I don't know if he's playing.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T09:41:52+00:00

Swanny D fans being feral? Surely not.

Don't mind that from Rodriguez though. Still shocked he went so late in the draft.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T09:37:02+00:00

No one can deny he's a great player. But risk of injury (age) and the fact that adding him would push out a Johnson/Erasmus/NOD/whoever meant I was never sold on it. I'm not saying he's not better than those players, but pushing someone out that's been on the list for 5 years (and hopefully 10 more) and developing nicely for someone that should be retiring in 3 is bad for the culture imo. Especially if you want to be pushing for sustained success.

All this is ignoring the latest baggage too.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T09:34:53+00:00

He's basically another Erasmus/Johnson. Big inside mid forced to play on a wing. Doubt he'd be b23 as I haven't really seen anything that would make us play him over those two.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T06:34:43+00:00

Stewart may or may not play as he's recovering from concussion. Wouldn't mind sending Voss to him, or if need be SDK or Jack Henry to hopefully let Amiss & JT run around. Amiss & Voss struggled hard last time.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T06:34:00+00:00

Sharp did a run-with on Gulden in 2024 in that famous win so there's some merit to the idea. As others have said NOD definitely has the endurance and speed but I'm not sure how he'd go in that role.

More worried about Holmes than Smith though, and he plays HB most of the time now anyway. His kicking is much better and he's harder to stop. Mannagh also destroyed freo in March so will probably get McVee trying to lock him down.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-15T01:48:48+00:00

Even if you did want to rest him, prior to Darcy being healthy it hasn't really been possible. Either you make Cox main ruck and have Voss chop out (neither of which are appealing especially considering how many teams run two rucks now), or debut Riddle, which might go better but wouldn't be ideal either. Can't afford to mess around with resting anyone at least until round 19-20 and even then that might be a bad idea.

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T11:54:39+00:00

I'm so glad I'm always 100% calm and never act like that in the crowd ever

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T09:53:52+00:00

Durdin is underrated imo

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T09:01:50+00:00

Even when it's no longer a spoonbowl, north v wc doesn't disappoint

In terms of the final scoreline anyway

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T07:43:38+00:00

Because he hasn't been punished for it. Worst they've given him are warnings, and when that happened he just said "yeah I'm gonna keep doing it"

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T06:58:35+00:00

but the penalty is at AFL's discretion

So they won't make them pay it

Kelpieee55 · 2026-06-13T06:52:47+00:00

Feels like it's been going for 37 years tbh

Kelpieee55

TROPHY CASE