FOX FOOTY PodcastsFox Footy Podcast: Bomber problems explained, who looks legit?
David Zita, Max Laughton and Ben Waterworth review Round 2 and preview Round 3 of the 2025 AFL season on the Fox Footy Podcast, with breakdowns of the teams who've impressed and concerned us including the apparently rebuilding Bombers, plus Fair or Farce, the Mailbag, Sheeds' Wisdom and much more.
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.
It's only round three, but already the big calls are coming. The Bombers are rebuilding, the Hawks are genuinely emerging as a flag contender, and the Demons are handing the baton to North Melbourne. So what's real and what's not? We'll try to decipher it all their expert eye over the next little bit. Plus get stuck into fair or Fast The Mailbag, Kevin Sheety's the latest musings, the tips, the cups and more on the Fox Footy Podcast. Ben Wadworth with you, as is the man in the thick of his conservative tipping season, Max Lawton, Hello, Maxie.
Go a KSI joke about Tom Powell having that KSI song as his goal.
So that was not my intent of it. That was not my intention.
People who are liked up, people who are like TikTok brain Rot, We're big fans of that. Yes, I'm still leading the tipping just by tipping the favorites. It's the same secret, get out in front and then dip the favorites.
Also joining us is Suvlaki Lover and sch david Za.
Yes, it's well, if they want to play games criminal and they want to just what are the games criminals?
Well, they weren't delivering on a Tuesday.
So the Schnitz that's near the Fox Footy office Tuesday night after three tribunal hearings primed for Schnitz night. Yes, definitely not open.
Yeah, so it's not my fault that they they've made a bad decision.
Here's the thing.
Schnitz, as you may know, is a decision a franchise of a chain, if you will. There are other ones, and.
We're of the parameters in which it operates.
So there was one that's slightly further away which had an okay rating, and then there was.
Point don't brush over it as if it had three point nine stars from like fifteen reviews, A bit low. Now that's come out of the gate low. If you that's when they're at their best and they're getting that's when I meant to make your biggest impression, and they're at three point nine at the start.
Of your career, they're not They're not in their prime.
Yet well clearly not its prime, wouldn't be well done.
I ate from that Schnitz, and I haven't died, so I can affirm that I would.
At least give it a four. You look lighter than us when I saw you last week. Thank you. I think you've had that for a while. You've had some sort of anyway.
Something's come out of one of the orifices.
I will say, we are very concerned that if this is a trend of that Schnitz being closed on Tuesday nights, that's a disaster.
David, It's a really it's just a bad decision.
Like business wise, the most promotion they get.
Yeah, no, normally if takeaway.
So I went to Stalic Tights and I'm happy to put it out there.
Why did you go?
What are you a tourist?
What are you talking about? It's a great spot. Is it is really good?
I feel like that's just a place where people go because they know of it.
It's good sevlaki, it's always open.
Isn't normally like a restaurant takeaway joints day off on Monday?
Anyway, Stalic Tits doesn't have Monday and they work all the time. You talk about she doesn't sposed have days off either. I just find it really bad that they have done what they've done good, and I would hope that that was a one off because if it isn't, there's going to be issues.
I can tell you've done a journalism degory with your uses the word bad.
Well I was gonna say, then you have to bleep it out.
Now I have to play.
So there you go. So don't come at me because I'll create more work for you in the post.
Damn it, he's blackmailing me into podcast.
Very strong start to the Fox Footy podcast. Also, congratulations. According to LinkedIn, David on your five.
I don't think I've been at another company, Well I haven't. That's actually correct as long as this one's a good.
Although technically you work for Sky now don't you not? Fox?
Yeah, I couldn't be bother changing it. So I haven't open LinkedIn, I don't think since I've started here. So I've got a lot of notifications. Probably should check them.
Well, the good news is you've got a lot of invites from bots, so enjoy that.
Did you say the thick of it was the song? Yeah, that's a great TV show.
I don't think there are anything alike the song.
British British TV.
It's a really good lot of swearing and that to.
Really I really recommend watching it. It's a great watch. I don't know what it's on there. It wouldn't be very expensive BBC. Plus it's really good and it's I think they were also behind succession.
That the writer or that.
Then whenever one of the writers, whenever the maybe not maybe VP VP excuse.
Me, I'mando Spoocy said his name, yeah, Innucci or something. They've gone wrong.
What's happening, Hi.
We're looking at the a f L Power rankings.
David, No, not at the moment. They're not from They're not from No, they're off me.
They're off he shout out to our friends at Massashi.
Anyway, this podcast sense of product in.
A bit of moving in the power rankings this week, Max Little particularly There's the dock has dipped a couple of spots despite only losing, losing by three point.
Just noticed it.
I just know that the graphic has them going up. We need to change that. Before we tweet, Yes, the Dockers did dip because I watched that Frio Sydney game. And felt worse about both teams, so it was a very dour affair and pessimist exact well, I was a Freo optimist coming into this season. I had them top four free optimist, that's right, and now I would not have them in markeerting to the top four. I might be dumping them out because they look like the same teams they were last year, all the way down to losing a close game that they probably should have won. So a disappointing start to the season. Undoubtedly for Freemantle. There's a few disappointments, like the interesting thing about the shape of this season right now. We all came in saying, oh, all these teams can play finals. Fifteen teams can play finals. Yes, and then it's really even and there really aren't that many teams showing off at the top, like Hawthorne and Brisbane and GWS think everyone having that top echelon. I'd add Gelong in there despite the lost Saint Kilda. Other than that, it's very even and probably any of those teams could beat each other on their day, which means it's harder for anyone to really stand out, and Freo is not standing out in the way I expected them to understanding that they don't have had and young, they don't have some other and four personnel issues, but still you want them to be better than what they've shown. I went to was not a great start, even if it's against opponents.
Was that on Sunday David a turning point for North.
Melt actually, Martin, Yes, for North mel surely the young enough to not need that. Well some of them probably, Yeah, use with some Feathers speaking a former podcast hosts of the show, Yes, yes, Feathers, well, I think that they're probably is it the turning point? I hope so that they even in round one against the Dogs, they looked really good and there was some like, oh, stop losing close games and being happy with it. I don't know if they were, but like they actually, we're really good in that game, and they were really good against on the weekend against Melbourne, so thank you.
So I'm really bullish on I'm bullish on them. I don't know.
I don't think they're going to make the eight, but I think they'll win. I'm a better season they did last year for sure, and I think this might be the year they start to realize the potential of a lot of their players.
They've at least moved up a tier. They're out of that West Coast and Richmond tier that's the Wooden Spoon race. Now is at that level where they could beat a lot of teams on the day, like Melbourne will probably be bottom six as well this year, maybe bottom four, So maybe it's not as impressive as it seems, but it did have that feel of wow, this is a team on the decline in Melbourne and a team on the rise in North and the margin didn't accurately reflect how close the game was for the first three quarters because North were just so energized and you could feel the thrill of winning a game by a lot like their biggest win in five years, which twenty twenty season they beat the Crows, which basically guarantee they didn't win the Spoon, so arguably their best win since the last decade.
Are they in the same group then as the likes of Essen and then Sint Kilda?
Yeah yeah, I'd put them in that level. I think Saint Kilda's upside is higher. As we saw on Saturday night against the Cats, They're kicking was excellent. They didn't really run out the game that you could expect the Saints to, which was sort of one of their strengths. But no, I think there's a bunch of teams in that group right now who could probably all beat each other. It's who has the upside and who's going to bank the wins to actually get into the eight. And you look at a team like.
Adelaide, Yes, a bit of upside about the Crows is very much.
So, and they they have beaten sin Kilda at home and Essendon. Not the most incredible list of scalps you could possibly have, but I still believe that good teams win and great teams win by a lot. And it's not an accident. They won two games in a row by ten goals. It means something. So their attack is clearly very strong. We know how good it can be. We saw that in twenty twenty three. Everyone expected twenty twenty four to be the leap year. It wasn't. But I think they are now this perfect post hype sleeper where they just got a year more of experience, a year more of trade period work, which these additions seem to have worked quite nicely.
For those type sleeper.
Yeah, so no one was rating the Crows really coming into this year where they not in the same way they were last year.
Well, yes, there was certainly a lot of hype random in twenty twenty three. They dipped. In twenty twenty four. They re signed Matthew Nicks against the grain, against the narrative, I suppose, And now he's contract until the end of twenty twenty six. And it feels like zea that has been I know, we say after two games, and then I constantly think back to gather around in twenty twenty three where they blitz Carlton and everyone thought this is a team really on the rise. But that's what we mean by a post hype sleeper is that they've dipped after that initial hype and now after they said this on couch last night, now they've got twenty four months, they're more hardened up to twenty four months, they are in a better position to challenge this year.
Okay, that's that's explained the concepts of the post hype sleeper.
Thinks it's a sort of fantasy.
It was confusing me, but yeah, I understand what the post type sleeper is. Now it feels like, does.
It does it feel like they've made the right call in terms of resigning math.
I don't know that stuff.
I don't like essenon do the same thing with Brad Scott and people probably saying that's a mistake. I don't know if that's I don't know if it's depending on the results in round two. As much as it's great to jump ahead it, I don't think. I think it's very early to make proclamations about sides because we've seen in the space of the gap between round one and two how crazy that the form turnarounds were. I think everyone's still finding their feet.
I don't know.
I think they did the right thing the Crows, because I think Matthew Nix is probably the right guy, So you do think it's the right call. But I don't know if extending him they would have won that game by that amount. If he wasn't extended till twenty twenty six, I think realistically twenty twenty six, Yeah, if.
They still have a bad year and finished seven and thirteen or whatever the record.
It sounds like if they missed the finals, he's gone. Yeah, that will still an understand as a mutual understanding about that.
But in the same way of the Brad Scott deal, which is it's slightly different because of where Esdon is. A yes, but it's they wanted to ease the pressure before what they knew was going to be a pressure field season. Anyway, let's just make the move now and then hey, if we make the finals, then we've already got him locked in.
So did you know, Slash? Did you think that Essen and are rebuilding? It feels like it's all sort of come to a bit of a heat, are they.
Well, it's I think Brad Scott effectively said that last night without saying it. No.
Yes, He alluded to the two first round picks and all.
He said, I clauw what you want. But obviously I think most people would call it a rebuild what they're going through at the moment. And they're not doing any they're not putting band aids. They're just doing it all from the ground up. So it seems like they're in a rebuild. But I don't know if I thought they were at that level. Yeah, but it has become quite apparent again when they're going to early after a couple of rounds that they probably they probably are at that level.
Well, they've already lost as many games as they did in eleven rounds last year, so it's not ideal. I think the biggest problem in the nest then has is that they won eleven games the last two years. That made everyone think that they are competitive now, and it's made them going to this year going well, let's not do much in the trade period, Let's see if we're competitive. Let's try Dylan Shield a half back and all this stuff. Maybe he's only got a couple of years left, but hey, if it works and we're actually good and we're in the finals race, everyone's happy and we're putting time into the kids and all that stuff at the same time. So the expectations were raised because of those average performances when realistically that list was not at that level. They were overperforming by getting to that level. Their percentage was worse than their win loss record suggested it should have been. So now they are a not great team that can be okay at times, but because it's won a bunch of games, everyone thinks they're going to do more. So they know where they're at, and that's why they had a quiet trade period, so they.
Know where they're at. Did the footy world know where they're at? Though? It was this well communicated. I suppose you don't want to necessarily, so that's communicate it and shout it from.
But he sort of said that did he not speaking at the club about and how left around so.
He can't he can't come out and say, hey, guys, I know we finished tenth and one eleven games last year, but where crap? Can he crap?
You're rebuilding?
You say, well, but they're not rebuilding because they're not tanking and trying to get bad on purpose. They are of the knowledge that they can be broadly competitive. They were in the finals race until like two or three weeks left last year, so they have to stay at that level. They can't take unless they're taking huge step backwards. And all they did was trade out Jake Stringer. If they had tried to trade out even more assets, it would would have been more clear.
It seems like they, as Brad Scott said, they've they've sort of had it both ways for a long period of time and now they're just really committing to what effectively is a rebuild. So they're toot bottom of the air.
But they're not because they didn't do anything to commit to that last off season.
But they haven't gotten rid of it of their picks. They're using their picks last year their latter position. Yeah, I think they need to just.
Well, yeah, they moved. They moved a lot of their early picks from last year's draft into this year's draft to help match the big for Isaac Kacoes. So that's a bit of a win win situation. I think that'll be a big win win situation for them. And then when the year before their acquisitions were predominantly free agents, when they didn't have to give up draft picks for that.
But that was a classic Essendon trade period where they brought in and they won the trade period. Therefore they're going to play finals and finally back the street.
Right I suppose they didn't. Yeah, but they didn't have to give up a lot of assets.
To do that, So I don't mind it. And it's why they were broadly competitive last year. Because Ben mckuaye, for all his faults, is still a good player. It can be pretty good. So you understand that they've backed themselves into this corner where they can't be they're not completely committing to the rebuild because they didn't trade everyone out. But that's fair enough because they've got to at least see if they're okay this year. If it turns out, if they're three and seven, three and eight, whatever, everyone will understand. Finally they're in a rebuild. They look at the draft picks and be optimistic about that, but they're sort of trying to struggle the line a bit too much, right.
Which is different. You mentioned how they won eleven games in each of their past two seasons. A lot of those wins had come early early in the season, and if they if they're younger now, it's hard for a younger team to compete right until the back end of the season.
Which is why those years felt disappointing, even though eleven wins is probably outperforming what they list actually deserved. M interesting, we'll.
Have more messen as one of the articles.
Said Easend and as king he had on Easend on Super Saidlayer Alive. He referred to them as easingdon They were easy to play against.
It's just on the crow.
How dare you watched Super? Said of they live every middle of.
It from twelve pm to twelve am.
Very long shift.
It is a very long shift, like you're not working it.
Who's going to finish?
Higher Adelaide or Port Adelaide.
This on the Adelade Crows will that's my belief.
But you're reacting to two rounds. Surely there's either.
Well, you've asked me a question, I'll give you and ants he said this one of that one. Listen so fast. I'm gonna make you edit again.
If you'll just keep catching you in logical traps, then the Crows. I agree, but I also thought that coming into this season, so you know that they have certainly shown more. Buadelaide is going to be fine, but maybe Port Adelaide taking a step back with that. Dan Houston and the like.
All Right, it is a jam packed edition this week of this segment, and.
Now on the Fox Footy podcast, another strong edition of Australia's favorite segment, Fair or.
Fast Davids's favorite time of the week.
Yes, sting of the person who doesn't work here and hasn't worked here for about two years now.
Every sting has that, except the Shed sting. We also don't employ Kevin McAllister, but.
Matt and able to do it. He's dude, does the voices.
He could, we could put it in.
We could.
Flucky Hum used to do leave it with me, all right, Max, the Bulldogs didn't lose Friday Night's game on Friday Night. They lost it last November fair or Fast.
Lock of Humor was in the Matrix video games. He was like one of the character or because he was in like two and three, he was and one of the main character. I think Jada Pinkett Smith was the lead of that game and he was in it.
Which one was Jada? Is that the wife of Will Smith? Or was that the daughter wife wife?
Hopefully not?
Anyway, I don't let me rephrase the tone of that question. Didn't lose to Collingwood on Friday Night. They lost to Collingwood last November fair or far.
I think that's fair because this is exactly what I wrote and Coalking points.
So so you just give him stuff that he's written already written.
This is this is what producing a show is called.
You can't just give him the layups and then how do you fix racism? Like you can't just get how do you?
I don't know? But you just Max gets these layups.
Yeah, because I had to give you a layer.
I put my takes out there and then I get to discuss them on the show.
Whatever.
Yeah, So the Bulldoz. Problem here is that they wanted to make their one hundredth anniversary game a big deal, so they moved it from Marvel to the MCG, which is their first home game at the NCAJA since two thousand and nine. The problem there is that they had to bring Collingwood in to make sure they got a huge crowd. Oh and so it became a Hollywood home game. And home games give you the advantage of umpiring because the biggest factor in homeground advantage is the umpiring due to the noise of affirmation impacting umpires.
One of the great Alan Richardson quotes.
Yes, you still used to this day from three sixty So the umpiring should not have been that askew as it was thirty three free kicks to fourteen I think twenty seven to nine after quarter time or something like that. But that is a major factor and probably would not have happened at Marvel, where there would not have been as many Collingwood fans, making it seem like a Collingwood home game. That is the sacrifice they made. They chose to make this into a great celebration of the football club. So I was and fantastic. I'm glad they did their biggest to ever home it away crowd, indeed because they had a bunch more Collingwood fans there who influenced the umpires into giving their team more free kicks. Right, So do you disagree with that said if you think it's a long bow.
Yeah, it's a They're not going to celebrate that specific anniversary again, so.
Not unless time changes.
The bottom was the bottom line of the subsequent result of that was it worth it?
It was?
It wasn't worth it.
I'm not out on the dogs after they lost to Collingwood in a very good game.
They were still still got very close and with.
A stack of injuries.
I agree, but I think that arguably cost them four points in a season where they feel like a fifth to eighth team. Hey, four points last year cost them, would have cost them top four, so it could do it.
And the year before they lost a game to West Coast which.
Cost them top ace exactly, although at least that was at Marvel.
Now my layoup, please Zita.
The scrutiny on Harley Reed means we're bashing the theater out of footy fair or f.
That is a layout, that is a layout, that's a layout.
Excuse me, I take I take back what I said earlier. Yeah, I think so.
I haven't seen a lot of the comment around Harley Reed. I just know there's a lot of it.
Yes, there is.
And I don't know, I just don't understand the concept of a please explain for what is the most easily explained. It's a self explanatory gesture. It's literally called the root feed.
But the AFL hasn't helped in this situation.
Well, they can do what they want. I just think that, like, yeah, it probably hasn't helped. He's got the instead of just going, you know what, leave it.
Andrew Dylan doesn't understand why a fan yelling at you might cause you to react to.
That old guy, whether tissues or something. Just yeah, I really I feel like he's just getting the amount of coverage. There's there's a point with any human where it's like too much and that it would just be really difficult for them.
But isn't this more a problem that I just I know we're on a footy podcast. There's too much footy media, like seven seven literally on the Fox Footy podcast. Seven introduced like seven new TV shows this year. Yes, nine is still doing footy classify and obviously through sixty talking about it, and nine does.
Footy classified, then seven does footy classified as well.
Technically seven do it first in and they do what.
They do, the agenda classified and the footy class It's very different to people who are no longer.
Lts on it now yeh, Nick rewolts on it.
So's I'm not a Fox footy bearer of David Zedah.
Sorry mate, I just thought of a stating fact.
But there you go.
Does the does the trade narrative add to Harley here because he hasn't re signed long term in Victorian.
Reports that you know, that doesn't mean I know, it doesn't mean anything. I don't think it adds anything in the narrative. I think he's just he's had a not an ideal preseason and he is playing a side that is getting beaten quite well. On the weekend they were better. I just think no matter what he does, he's going to get talked about.
Targeted by opposition sides as well just as the talent.
Yeah, probably because he's very We've seen even last year, like how he can change games even though he was eighteen year old, Like how good he can be when he's given the room. So I understand why they're targeting him. I just I think he's potentially been targeted outside of the footy.
Ground as well, which is it's pretty brutal for him.
I would imagine there is fair criticism to be had of his ill disciplined in games. Last year, he I think he gave away on average more free kicks than anyone who wasn't a ruck. Yeah, and this year he gave away seven against the Lions. So clearly there are times when he gives away too many free kicks. A lot of these bullocking midfielders do that.
Yeah, they work on it up there.
Yeah, but a young player making his way in the game will improve it.
But no other player is getting spoken about that much about that, about any issue that's, any issue he has, it just gets magnified by an extraordinary and we're not in Wa, like I can only imagine what it's like in Wa.
Yeah, that's the excessive part. That was the excessive twelve months ago, twelve eighteen months ago, when he was on the back page every day before they picked him. Yeah, you know, that was where it got ridiculous. But that's just the nature of that weird one newspaper team.
Yeah, anyway, I feel bad for him.
I just don't really know what the solution is because there are, as you said, six thousand TV shows.
A lot of pundits are saying the same thing as what you are. I think what's happening now is a lot of the discussion around Harley Reid. Are four things that are happening on the footy field where a lot of attention is compared to.
Before he was drunk. That is an improvement at least. And look, the good thing for him is more attention means he becomes a bigger name and he's going to make more money out of it eventually. So I know it sucks for him from a personal.
Money doesn't buy happiness, Max.
No, but it's not a bad thing, is it?
Not that I would know, Max, it is don't have either.
It is absurd and outrageous that an AFL game was played in Queensland started a mid day fair or fast in March.
Well, that's the fault of time zones. If they just observed daylight savings, it.
Would have been a saving saving. There's no Stre's no s I think that is correct.
There is no s okay, and yeah, I apologies for the first mistake I've ever made.
On this podcast.
Jees, I think it probably a bit yuck to play in that game. Yeah, that's fair. I think you could do your best. I know the Fixed String department has a billion things to consider when they're making it. But avoiding day games in March in both Perth and Brisbane would be higher on my list. Perth would be harder because you're gonna have to be playing games at like nine o'clock East Coast time, but you know, try your best, especially like making Brisbane and West Coast play there. So West Coast is playing at ten am on their body clock on a hot and humid Brisbane afternoon. That sucks.
Sometimes your phone will be like a messenger memory from a chat you've had with I don't know why I thought someone shared it, It just comes up anyway. The AFL Live Too cover has come up on my as a memory that we started. Who was And I was going to get Ben to say it because Wouldney sam Reid or the giant Sam Reader Sydney.
Was the cover star of AFL Live.
This wasn't going to be good Radio. I saved you from that.
It was anyway. I just can't believe that there was a time there was in this reality. In what group chat were you discussing the AFL Live to cover just with some footy relative, people who like footy, footy relatives, people who like footy.
We're all real related in footy, aren't we?
What?
I don't know what's the next question, Zita.
After one hundred and eighty post game press conferences, Simon, who counts woodwins, overstepped the mark tables by revealing some details about Max Gorn's off field family heartache.
He would have done more than that because we're a fast pre match conference postgame press conferences. Oh that's true.
Yes, Well what you're not counting cooking with Simon?
What did Melbourne do last week?
They did one episode of like a post game wrap up show where he's cooking dinner in his kitchen until he about the game. Didn't do one this week.
They didn't do the cook That doesn't seem like they only do it after a win.
They didn't win last week, but it was a valiant loss.
Actually correct, they lost both their games this season.
I'm not calling him a cooker.
They would be sorry not you know what I mean it's it's the yeah, very good I think he yeah, if he had his time, and I don't think he would have brought that, But people can make mistakes.
He may.
I think he probably made one by bringing it up because it probably didn't need to be brought up and they could have just moved on.
But Scorne couldn't have been more classy, like you.
Think about it, like Simon, he was doing it because he really cares about Max. And that's what Max said, which is true. He just probably shouldn't have done it, and you shouldn't done it, but he did it.
He wanted wanted to defend him by making it, giving him an.
Excuse his intentions would Misgod and it's just the what he was doing was probably not something that they need to be done well.
Simon Goodman will be on Fox Footy's AFL three sixty on Wednesday night, where he will break his silence and hopeful break his.
Silence, hopefully cooks some dinner as well.
Thank you Max.
He probably hasn't eaten Max.
Only five or six Blues would walk into every AFL team in the competition fair or fast. Those five or six Blues being daconing Crips, Walsh, Kerno, Mackay Watering. That's a bit pretty heavy, But that means no Sad, no Mitch McGovern, no Adam Cherer, no Zach Williams, no George Hewitt.
I don't have a huge problem with that idea. I think that's probably fair. But I also think that you could look at most lists and make a similar case, even like Hawthorne. How many Hawthorn players would be dead certainty have played every team. It's a very high bar that we're setting. I think the broader point is that Carlton is a star heavy side, and reliant would be the word that I should have used. When those guys play well and the other players lift their game to play at least at a competent level, Carlton can be really good when they're flowed and making mistakes all the time, and they look terrible. So these things change quite a bit, and that's one of their problems is inconsistency from those players. But it's a problem we know that Carlton's list build is about. When they've committed all this money to these star players, there's a very tight balance you have to walk between wanting star players and wanting to commit to the rest of your list, and they are maybe slightly too far on the Star Layden side.
Yes, if it does, if it does fall down for the Blues this year on the field, and will those cap issues where its ugly head do you think?
Yeah, well, I think it has because they didn't really do much last trade period other than trading up to try and get Jacko Smith and that was their solution to that problem was you get a draft a in for cheap, you commit your assets to that and unfortunately does his a cl so he can't play. That would have made a big difference, but they already had flaws defensively and just with some skill level issues across the board. They're not the quality kicking side that a lot of the best teams right now, notably Hawthorne, are a zita.
The Chad Warner trade narrative has flipped.
Fear or it has a little flip, hasn't there It's been a bit of a flip. He was going and now I sorry he was. He was very confident he's gonna stay, and now it's it's not not that clear. I heard the claw he was he said, yes. He wrote in the age that his industry source. He understands that Chad warn has no closer. They're making up his mind. When did when that article publish that was about it was about Oscar Allen on the Weekend, right, but he wrote about also about Chad Warne.
Right, because he's obviously linked to WA.
So you don't really to be fair, the news there is that there is no news, so.
You don't read anything into the passionate tug of the Swans.
Tug of the Swan's jumps.
Corey did it too, did he? He did?
Well, look my my hunches did.
He's staying And I think that really will get I think that would get done, But I don't. I wouldn't say anything's flipped. I feel like, yeah, I feel like.
I'm a holding pattern.
I think, yeah, there was no definitive reports either way, so I think it's like sixty forty flipping to forty sixty if anything. Yeah, people are leaning to him staying to the Swans. Seems like his relationship with Dean Cox is very strong. Yes, reasons to stay. They're obviously at a better position than West Coast, which is where he would be going, because he doesn't make sense to go to Fremantle they've put enough midfielders.
Yeah, or maybe not, but I think he'll stay at Sydney.
Max Hawthorne's error showed that the new AFL nineteen on the field rules are much better these days, fair or fast?
Well, are you suggesting we bring back head counts? Yes, that would be fun. Yeah, I do like a head cancer that's fair.
And like wiping points for the oh.
Gosh, okay, yes, no, I remember having written stories about like local footy points getting wiped. I feel like I wrote one one time where that that happened in the second quarter and the team still won because they were better. Funny that. Yeah, it was more weird that it sort of got picked up on on Thursday night and nothing happened with it during the game from memory. So that's a bit strange. That seems like an execution error by the umpires involved. But you know, head counters are fun. Weird weird rules like that that resulting things that shouldn't happen otherwise are fun for the game. Yes, one of the reasons, like one of my favorite things about cricket, Like I'm not a huge cricket fan, but I love that it's just weird. It's really weird sport, and.
David knows all about that being at Fox Sports Do combat Us former chief Big Bash League, Yes, of course, one of the great bloggers.
Of the Big Bat spending of New Year's Eve where you want to be?
Yes, I saw you did a few Big Bash packages of Fox Sports News over the summer.
Yes, not willingly, Zeita.
Yes, it'd be unwise for Collingwood to get into a bidding war, a braidon Maynard, fair or fast.
I'd say that's fair.
Yeah, that's a lot of money that he's been offered by.
That's one of the suggestions that he'd be getting from North.
A million a year over.
Was it seven pretty close? Six six six? Maybe? Yeah, I wouldn't be I wouldn't be matching that.
So we need as a foot as footy fans in it as an industry to get our heads around that a million dollars isn't what it used to be. Isn't what it used to be.
And clubs are going to target players who are below that absolute top run because you can't get them out. You can get out the B plus graders or the A grade.
But with with that mindset, it is it is somewhat hard to fathom that offer from North to Braidon Maynard.
Yeah, I just consitting his stage.
Of his career.
Yeah, I get that they're like what they're trying to do and get some leadership in and bolster their back line and get someone who's come from a successful club to help lead the way.
Got to spend the money somewhere.
Yeah, and you have to spend the money somewhere.
I just don't.
Braidon Maynard isn't who I would pick to spend that money on.
He's twenty nine after this season. Yeah, and I think all Australian in their premiership year, I want to say, yep, and I think slightly declining since then.
Yeah, I wouldn't be fair. Yeah, I wouldn't be offering him that, but clearly North will be so or they reportedly are so. Good luck to them. I'd be taking it if I was Brighton, very much so, absolutely, because.
Especially if North might actually be good in that period.
Yes, just see you later.
And that's the end of a jam packed edition of Fair or Fat And it's now time for this on the.
Fox Foody podcast. It's time to open up the mail bag. Have a question for the panel tweeters every Monday morning at Fox Footy.
Yes the mail bag. Thank you to everyone who's written in at Fox Footy on Twitter. We put it out to using in your questions. I was waiting for a fair or fast question, yes about the Brisbane Stadium's announcement.
Oh yes, very late though.
Your feet agodn't there's a question coming in about the Brisbane Stadium.
I have a question.
Who cares?
What is AFL tables going to call the stadium because there's already a Victoria Parks to Collingwood and this stadiu's been built at Victoria Park in Brisbane Tory Park be so unless Collingwood's relocating.
Victoria Park, probably not.
But Collingwood will be playing at Victoria Park again on Easter Thursday in twenty thirty three. Look forward to that the homecoming.
You know.
Don't see very excited about that either.
Sorry, I've zoned out several times during this podcast.
I'll be honest with you.
Well, zone in all right?
Locked up and does I'll get in doz yes, as we very much will be in about when's the purchase April.
It takes We've got to go through the Foreign Investment Board.
Imagine the paperwork goes to that purchase.
I've been buying a house.
Yeah.
Do they pay stamp duty on Fox Footy?
Yeah? Yeah? Yeah, the TV channels have stamp duty.
Yeah.
Really weird be a lot better for their whole TV industry if we didn't have it.
But they get the first network Owners grant or some sort of similar thing thanks to Was that a federal or a state initiative? Federal?
Was that Peter Costello maybe Peter Costello back then?
Yeah?
That was really you know your way around stamp duty being a mortgage.
I don't think I got stam duty for mine now not pay enough because no, yeah, because there wasn't. Yeah I didn't. It was like I bought a mansion. I bought it, just a shat apartment that I think it didn't reach the threshold that stamp duty for a first home owner would have applied to. That's a win for it, I think that's what happened. Maybe unless I just haven't paid it.
Well.
The question, funnily enough, is about stamp duty. Talking AFL and other sports asks, it's a lot of talk. What is Riley phil forp's ceiling? Can he be a top fifty player I want within the next few years.
I don't know if he could be mate. Yes, definitely a top fifty player. I think he could kick fifty goals this year.
Oh yeah, that would make him one of the top fifty players. Good.
I think how many key forward would be in your top fifty, Like, if you're a top ten key forward, are you in their top five?
Maybe so.
Hogan and Cameron are probably the best two in the comp at the moment, Kai and Kurno closely following.
I have him behind Curno, but he could probably better than Kay now.
I think he could get there. Yeah, what's he been doing? He's very big?
Well, well this a beard.
Yeah.
He sort of scene last year when he came back from injury as a very different looking that was.
How's he done that?
He got the space jam DNA of a secret.
Yeah, he drank water.
Yeah, he drank it, and he's got he's got shocking.
He genuinely seems like he's done that because he's literally like a different human being physically to what he was when I last saw it.
Yeah, but you know, the transformation progress, you know, it was pretty crazy.
I can see our video and social team now doing a cutout of really Philthorpe's head.
On one of the monsters.
That would require them to listen to the podcast, and well you'd be surprised really speaking about the Crows, can we get a camera, for the love of let's get recorded on a camera, even with.
A yes, please take let's take these off my discussions off mon We're trying our best. George Trelaw truly the brother of asks. Are you worried about the Crow's defense? Or does the sixty point margin quell the concern?
Did think that?
Well, a relative of it did think that.
Didn't Geelong have a very similar win over and like a real high scoring game early last year the year.
Before, Yeah, round one?
Or if they're scoring that well, it doesn't matter, think Nick Martin kiss. Yes, if they're scoring that well, then if they're scoring with such ease Malcolm Blight theory broad the true Yes, score.
Them, just outscore them, which is fitting for the Crows.
Yes.
And also Gold Coast Geelong in Darwin last year both teams scored one hundred.
That's right.
I think Old Coast got about seven hundred.
The Coast is kicking on the bag of five.
You get a bag of soaper around. It's weird. Yes, who's putting soap in a bag? Max? That doesn't make sense?
The Hawks asks Fox Sports, this is about Hawthorne.
No, it's about umpires. Oh, there were a lot of umpire in complaint co questions, really complaint to the form of the questions just.
To raise array on three sixty through. Apparently he's going to go through the dog's game quite meticulously.
For it be the whole show.
Then, yes, I think so all in.
Did the umpires get audited? Surely they can't be that bad and getting worse serious questions. The only reason I answered it is because it's a serious question. Well, they get this coach, there's coaches, and they get their performances reviewed.
Yes, and I think they get their financial earnings.
It's not like Geelong they get dropped if they.
Have a bad game. That's been well publicized in the past.
Fans always say what are the drop umpires? They do?
They do?
You think the thing is as well as that there is quite as a smaller pool. It's a smaller pool. There's obviously four few umpires per game now, so there is a somewhat of a smaller pool or less experienced there's a lot of less experienced umpires on the panel as such, so yeah, but if an umpire is deemed by a coach or umpire match committe or selector to not have performed to a certain standard, they yeah, miss out in the game.
I forget which coach said this across the weekend, but I liked the comparison was that, what is an umpire's general going rate ninety percent? Right, they're trying to aim for, yes, maybe eighty five.
I think there's that in the past. Is that overall in a game they might get six wrong, six decisions wrong of all, and.
They would make quite a few decisions over a game disposal efficiency rates pretty much every player is below that, so they make more mistakes than umpires do to be fair. So I like that way of looking at it. And Paddy Moran asks why do Essenton get a game on Thursday Night Football when they haven't been relevant for years and if anything, are worse this year other than twenty years of irrelevancy Personally, clearly.
What's strong somewhat somewhat correct. I can understand parts of that argument, but they are quite a large drawing club from an attendance and eyeball TV eyeballs perspective, and.
I think that will be a well watched game against Port Adelaide on Thursday night. Absolutely well attended at Marvel, I'm sure, yep. And I mean North is on like so I know that Channel seven only as certain games. They're airing a lot more Sunday games this year, and they're airing a bunch of North games this year. Maybe that'll work out because they might be good. But you know, you wouldn't expect that normally with how North's been for the last half decades. Sometimes the fixture throws up weird stuff. Finish with this one from Flagland Hills. This is a very important question about definitely about football.
Here.
I'm heading to Europe shortly and thinking of playing Pokemon on the flight over. What generation do you recommend ps I'll be emulating off my laptop, so options are open, but please do not report me.
Well, don't bring it up.
Then it's right, it's backups.
You're allowed to keep backups.
That's how ROMs were all right, what's you're the Pokemon?
It was addressed to me, but I tried to broaden it by generation.
I didn't. Yeah, I wasn't the Big Pot was more of a yug Oh sort of operator, like the game in physical form or digital both. Really, I played the card game very regularly at school, and then the digital games I've dabbled in them. Good fun.
How many times did people fall into your trap card?
Uh? Several?
And did you play white Eyes Blue Dragon?
Blue Eyes White?
Sorry?
I sort of.
I did.
It's a much worse card. I wouldn't play that one.
Dark Magician, very good Slife of the Sky Dragon one of the great Egyptian god cards. Actually they've been Obelisk, the Tormentor.
He was the blue one, and there was the Wing.
Dragon of Ra, which was the really ras Egyptian.
We're aware of the cultural heritage of the of the it's.
Very culturally respectful.
It is great and yeah, it's a great great television. So you're a child, you didn't play a Pokemon generation silver and gold, red and blue, and then yellow was sort of one point five, and there was silver and gold. Then I'm gonna say I played all all five of those.
Third I was out there, there was fire red and leaf green. Of course, with the remakes of the original two, I would play one of those because they're a better looking version of the Originals. I always go back to play the originals. Right, that's pokemon chat for you.
You're good. Do the thing where you read the book, Yes.
It's time for okay, the thing where I read the book.
What's the sting?
So you asked me to make a sting?
So what is it?
And then you don't listen to the podcast.
I don't listen to the podcast.
No, well then you don't. You don't get to find out, do you?
What's the sting?
You've got cat voices?
Did you to recreate home? It's it's like a background music underneath his Max read oh Kevin, and.
The sting is it's him going down the stairs in his house when he realizes he's home alone, and then it cutting to his mum saying Kevin, yeah, as you requested, because I thought it didn't sound great when it was just the Kevin yelling.
It was I need to know sorry read about immigration, Kevin Sheedy.
I liked that you brought up in the intro Kevin Sheedy's Latest Wisdom later from Latest being nineteen ninety five, of course, and speaking of this, I assume this would have been something that came up in fair or fast around nineteen ninety five. This is Kevin Sheedy's latest latest Pockets of Greatness, piece of wisdom.
Can I say quickly before I said, who cares about the stadium? It's actually about the Queensland Stadium. It's been on my mind since. I shouldn't have said that, because I'm very excited about that. The stadium has to be great for Queensland. Sorry, I just I wanted to clear that before you. Okay, on the fly, corrections, yes, corrections, corrections.
So a huge win for the lines. We get to play at the Gabba and then move there instead of having to move to a separate stadium.
It's just really good that a new stadium, and I'm very excited for I just I didn't realize I was saying.
Believe the Premier said there'd been no new stadiums and now it's.
I realized now they have gone back on that, and I'm really happy to have unlike premiers to lie.
Yeah.
Yeah, let's march in the streets and talk about Kevin Sheety.
Something he would do. He would he wouldn't like the premiere.
But not no, he's an older male. He probably wouldn't have on the left.
It's just true.
Kevin Sheaty says, I have been widely criticized for posing for unseemly photographs in the heralds art what some supporters and officials claim to have been offended by the photographs which hold football up to ridicule. If they do, and that certainly was not my intention, I owe the supporters of Essendon and other AFL clubs and explanation. Let's take first thing second. As usual, in the June edition of Sports Weekly, I was pictured in a red and black beanie and scarf, with most of my face painted black and a wide red stripe running diagonally from my left forehead to my right jaw, coloring part of my nose and right eyebrow. I don't suppose it was particularly dignified, but it appealed to young supporters of my acquaintance. My three younger children were delighted. For instance, my sixteen year old daughter in A and my wife Geraldine were less impressed, but then they're older. The painted faces are a new fad. They're about young kids who want some excitement looking at football. All my kids have birthday parties. That's one of the benefits associated with being an AFL coach and at birthday parties nowadays you have clowns. The kids associate painted faces with having a good time. Nearly everyone who has parties for kids has clowns. In the odd days, you never had clowns.
Kids.
These days are about entertainment. A lot of kids love clowns. They think they're cool.
Oh.
Yet again, it is just the most coraordinary stream of consciousness that the author has had to try and coalesce into some sort of cogents piece of writing that doesn't sound like someone is losing their mind, and.
Failed to do so.
And that's that's the scariest thing is that this is the edited and just nice version published.
That's probably the most puzzling Yet I reckon kids.
The thing that I couldn't really get past is that he said in the June edition of Sports Weekly, wouldn't there be four editions?
So there was, if it's weekly, there would be four editions of June week.
I skipped over a paragraph which was about like the Herald's son and the Sports Weekly publishing scheduled changing or something.
So he was we're on the same wavelength there, Kevin and I. It made no sense.
What was the photo that he took.
It was literally a photo of him wearing a beanie with his face plane that colors.
That was provocative. I thought it was like something of him like nude holding a football over his genitalia.
No, I think it was just the face painting for.
Someone did who did that?
Actually? Samyven Sam Yimmon.
Yeah, I was gonna say, what rifle podcaster.
Here's the photo.
There we are.
It's it's photos in the middle of this book. And as you can see from this photo, it's Kevin Sheedy with his face pask.
So why do people don't like that?
Because in nineteen ninety five this was a source of outrage.
I don't know, like a coach being so taken it seriously, Yeah.
It's like, why is he being in it? Because you know she's was an entertainer, you know, talking about the Marshmallowly certainly.
Not I would he probably has a slight point there because they did some herald something in particular, did some ridiculous photo shoots. Yeah, late nineties, early two thousands, and I reckon sheets would probably be featuring in a lot of them.
I'm going to tweet this out with no explanation, and people can scroll back in my timeline because I probably would have complained about expected score in the interim and see the talk. Thanks for listening.
That was great. What's the that's the end?
Just the tips in the car very quickly. Ye Esn'ton and Port Adelaide for the shay Cockatoo Collins.
Cut Port Port have won like twelve of the last thirteen games at Marvel by the way, they have.
Good record there. Yes, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs for the Jason Tutt Cup.
All dogs. I'm leaning dogs. I want to see who they get back, but I like the look of them still.
That would leave the Blue zero three max. The Blues go zero three there.
David, I think the Dogs would win. Yees, so I'd say that by extension they would go zero three.
Yes, Melbourne and the Gold Coast Suns for the Matthew Warnock Cup. Do the D's go zero and three?
I think they do because this is the exact sort of game that Gold Coast needs to win against a bad team away from home if they're going to actually make finals, and I back them to do so.
I'll give Melbourn one more checks to just be better than what they currently are.
They should better pretty good against the Giants, so I'll.
Give them one more even already Max, how jarring is it to see the ladder to see Hawthorne and other teams have played three games and played one.
It just could not make sense the top eight.
North Melbourne is in the top eight with one win and Hawthorne has got three, and then there was the two and one teams and two and o two.
It's bad, not.
Good for me.
Sint Kilda and Richmond for the Dean Polo Cup.
Kilda, Yeah, the Saints Mattie's match.
By the way, it is Hawthorne and the Giants for the John O O'Rourke Cup is.
A I mean, it's a great night of foot two incredible games, two potential Grand Final previews.
I would say Saturday Night and Super Saturday Live exactly.
Both exclusive or delayed in Sydney.
I think.
I really rate Hawthorne and I think this is the night where they can prove to everyone because everyone is sort of just assuming GWS is in that top tier based on looking at their list and vibes. I don't think they've shown it yet. I think Hawthorne can show that they are legit. Flag attended that they actually are with a winner.
I'll go the Hawks lon Ceston on a Saturday night.
Yea, that helps the That's true.
The other potential Grand Final preview according to Max, is Brisbane and Geelong for the Nakaia Cocker two Cup. Oh the Kaya, Yes are eligible for this.
One of the many who's gone up there to try and revive it.
Trent West Yes, Alan Christensen, yes, Midge Clark.
Did the reverse Melbourne.
That's true.
Three club Brent Brent Maloney was also Brisbane.
The ball accumulator.
We need what we need to do in the pre seasons have more of those three team excremators so that we can have the three teams. Yes, finally their true cup calling. Yes, Brisbane at.
Hunt Oh yeah, Brisbane.
I don't think anyone's done Gold Coast, Brisbane and Collingwood yet.
Danny Stanley, I was that was thinking. I was thinking Danny Stanley too. He says, for the first time in his life.
Cheerio, cheerio to Danny Stanley, Adelaide and North Melbourne for the brad Moran.
Cup ade Adelaide.
One thing on Geelong just briefly, Yes, they'd lose this game. This is where the Saint Killer game costs them. So they've got a few tough games coming up. Okay, they could easily be have a losing record, and Easter Monday is going to be huge now, so that's going to be a few weeks. They play Adelaide in Adelaide at the start of gather around, so some tricky games they could be. I think ge along are pretty good, but they could be you know, two and four or something like that, worrying.
Okay, and then we finished with the Western Derby between the Eagles and the Dockers. And I love this because the Stephan Zero Cup is on the line and the Hugh Dixon Medal for Best on Ground is also July. One of the great things about that COVID time is that we now have the likes of Stephan Zero and Hugh Dixon eligible for these kind.
Of I would say COVID was worth it just for that.
To be honest, Yes, I probably wouldn't be.
Okay, we can agree to disagree.
Yeah, well that's what she says, isn't it just we can agree to disagree.
There's a lot of things chriss does he speaking of clowns? No, that's that would be unfair these teams.
Yeah, I think you would hope so they would like to win.
They are the top story on three sixty next week on Monday Night if they lose, that.
Way very much so as as Max says as well, there needs to be an investigation because he's David's five year anniversary at in the Fox Sports building, and of course he started basically the day.
Yes, I think, no, that's not true.
One day in the office.
No, I had half a day, then got sent home. We said everyone go home just so while we wait this out.
I don't know.
Maybe we did go into lockdown very shortly after. I didn't come back in for like six months. Did you start?
Was it the week before round one or is the week of round one that you started?
I think it was. I forget. It was a blur great times, because there was there was There was like.
A week of lead up to round one where we were like, oh, maybe it's going to be they're going to play, but they'll just play with no one there.
Did they do again?
Did they they?
They played one round and then halfway through the second last game of the round, Hawthorn Brisbane, we're having a break during Hawthorn Brisbon.
Guild to the press conference at halftime the Sunday three twenty.
Extraordinary Brisbane and then West Coast Melbourne played out that game and Huddo's famous call of footy, we're going to miss you at right again. Three months later we're back playing.
Yes, well, Peter Vlanis would have had us back faster. Very good on your pa.
That's the end of the Fox Footy podcast is make sure you keep clicking back to foxfooty dot com.
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