Circati, Burgess, will be hard to leave out as the centre backs

Agreed Mid, I was impressed by both... 

Circati was incredible. 

Burgess was a liability so many misplaced passes that invited pressure and Circati had to save him.

Circati and Souttar is the pairing we need. That is solid.

Bos on the left, do we think strain is solid though?

When does the fixture come out for next game? 

Draw is on June 27 (I think I have that date right), but the matchdays are already announced:

Matchday	Date
Matchday 1	5 September 2024
Matchday 2	10 September 2024
Matchday 3	10 October 2024
Matchday 4	15 October 2024
Matchday 5	14 November 2024
Matchday 6	19 November 2024
Matchday 7	20 March 2025
Matchday 8	25 March 2025
Matchday 9	5 June 2025
Matchday 10	10 June 2025

Pretty sure it's already set too, I think i saw Johns mention it an another thread - the first match is at home.

Thx. I suppose a few weeks later we'll find out which city will host the games? 

Yeah, as soon as they're locked in.

Just saw Brenton's post in the qualification thread. Home games for Matchdays 1, 4, 7, 8 and 10

EDIT: That's wrong, that's home games for Pot 1, silly me.

Home games for:
Matchdays 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9

Awesome thx for this.

I don't think Melbourne will get a big game because we're only got aami park but hopefully we get the September or October match 

Assuming our luck that we now get Saudi Arabia, the two big home games will be Nov 14 2024 v Saudi Arabia (or Pot 3), and June 5 2025 v Korea/Iran/Japan

That November match is ripe for a Marvel / MCG fixture tbh. The June one probably at Accor (unless State of Origin gets in the way)

Dunno if it works having football at mcg/marvel you sell more tickets but the match experience is worse. 

For a big game, FA would rather the tickets. Will see who we get in the draw. If it's Saudi, then I think that November game is at Marvel. If not, then could be anywhere really.

That's the problem with Melbourne as a football destination. AAMI at around 30000 is similar to CommBank and both good stadiums for football.

Sydney then has Allianz at around 45,000 but a much better football stadium than Marvel at 53,000. Sydney then has Accor for the big games at 83.500 which while not perfect is a much better stadium for football than the MCG at 100,000.

TBH the best decent side stadiums for football I have seen in Australia are Allianz and Suncorp. The rider is that I have not seen a game at Optus Stadium so can't really comment on that.    

any of our games played here should be @ Syd or Briz, Melb doesn't deserve any :)

They can have the AFL international between Carlton &  Collingwood.

I dont think they will be able to fit it in before the big QLD vs NSW rugby international being played down here. hahahahahahah 

yer christ agreed - I wonder why these internationals sell out hahaha, bloody bogans everywhere :)

Well.. with 5 games. I'm kind of expecting
1 in Brisbane, 1 in Adelaide, 1 in Melbourne and 1 in Sydney. The extra game will be in either Melbourne of Sydney (I think Matchday 1 in Sydney).

Will make my predictions now: In order, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney

Why all the anti Melbourne shit? Sydney always get ACup and Womens WCup final etc. In other words Sydney ALWAYS gets more than their fair share of NT games.
Melbourne population now more than Sydney too

yep and the northern states thoroughly deserve them more hands down, thank christ you have finally topped most pop list after 200 odd yrs, now finally fits the big heads even more so lol......
You got afl mate, no1 game in the country - we so jealous lol :) lol  now I'll sit back and watch the if the bait brings something.

You're the one who always brings up AFL mate haha

hehe MCG hey I'm nothing like what you guys have living down there, just we know its fully ingrained in the vic fabric and I enjoy the banter.
Balin, the thugby is no where as absorbing up here in Syd/maybe Qld compared to melb afl smashed in your heads 24/7 media wise down there - up here is chalk and cheese. 

Even more reason to piss off the afl by having Roos and Matildas games here. Gotta fight the good fight 

Not a bad point mate tbh 

Haha it always seems you have to choose between afl or soccer it's very weird. Even at school there were two groups that would play it at lunch time. I think it's easier to know what's going on in aFL because it's shoved down your throat. If you like football it's like following the ballet for some people they have no clue about it.

My takeaway is that people are brainwashed by the media and social media you can only like what other people like and follow the main narrative 

You have thugby culture - which is worse? I don’t give a shit about afl. But just stating facts that nsw gets plenty of Socceroos games so why shouldn’t Melbourne too

I echo the Circati praise... he's got future captain written all over him... was always looking for the pass... ready to receive.. marshalled the backline well and made some top class blocks look easy. I didnt much of his left foot but it doesnt seem bad... can he play on the left in pair with Souttar? 

Circati MOTM for me. with Souttar would make very capable cb pair. Both of them can hit accurate long passes too

I think you described the afl cancer very well from down there.
Up here we never had that kind of pressure re thugby.
Football had its hurdles of acceptance in general being called sissy game but it wasn’t like I had to join the thugby crowd per se amongst mates etc back in the days.
School we played any ball game there just wasn’t that divide where I grew up others may have experienced different.
Anyway better get back on topic shall we.