Mark Duffield - Four Thoughts (03.08.2026)

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
One day, you'll tell the story of the summer that changed everything. A different city, new perspective, maybe even a different you.
Odds are, it'll start with that flight you decided to take. This summer, Delta Airlines is flying its largest European network ever, with nearly 30 destinations, including Nice and Sardinia. Your next chapter could start with one flight. Book your own European journey with Delta at delta.com.
This episode is brought to you by Starbucks. That is fire. Whoa. That's good. This might be the drink of the summer. Okay, I like this one too.

**Mark Duffield** (0:39)
I'm rocking with it.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:40)
Okay. Try it for yourself. Starbucks' refresher concentrates are coming home. Find them in the coffee aisle and make it yours.

**Mark Duffield** (0:48)
Let's get on to Four Thoughts on Sport to get us rolling this morning.
Thought one, and apologies to West Coast fans, but I think we now have the rising star winner for the year, and it isn't Willem Dursma. The Jagger Smith stellar game for the Blues against Brisbane at the weekend has him clearly in front now, and his teammate Harry Dean might even be nudging Dursma out of second place. Smith's back half of the year has been strong, and it doesn't hurt him that as part of the resurgent Blues under Josh Fraser, he is now playing in matches that really matter. Dursma's season has been great, but he's starting to look tired now.
Fought too, and still speaking of Carlton, if Josh Fraser wants the senior coaching job, surely it is his now.
And yes, there is an impressive field of four or five assistant coach candidates who are still involved, and yes, Fraser is yet to formally announce he wants the job. But he's now won nine of 11 games since taking the reins from Michael Voss. He coped absolutely brilliantly with the grief of the loss of his father last week, and his team produced a stunning performance against the Brisbane Lions. The wins that Fraser has had with the Blues include the Dogs, Geelong, and GWS, as well as Brisbane. He hit the Lions where they can be hurt on Saturday night, and that is he hit their unwillingness to work to defend as a team. For three, a watch on Adelaide, and whether they can emerge as a genuine top four contender after slipping into fourth place ahead of the Lions on the back of their win over Essendon yesterday. Two significant things, I reckon, to come out of an otherwise uneventful win over the Bombers, and that is the continuation of Riley Thilthorpe's return to form after an early season back injury. He took 10 marks, he kicked five goals, he was absolutely dominant against the Bombers. And the other thing is the shift of Daniel Curtin to the midfield off his wing. So Curtin gives the Crows size, grunt, and class, and they've lacked a bit of all of those things in there, and he frees up Jordan Dawson for other roles. Just keep an eye on the Crows over the last three weeks of the season heading into the finals. And finally, Four Thought, the first final before the finals happens at Marvel Stadium on Sunday evening when Josh Fraser's Carlton take on Ross Lyons and Kilda. So if the Blues win, there will be two games clear of the Saints with two weeks remaining and they will have 10th spot all but locked up. If the Saints win, they will nudge ahead of the Blues on percentage. This is your genuine eight point game. Expect a full house at Marvel to see it. Your thoughts and questions 487 736 736 That is the text line. 13 12 55 is the Barra and Doday open line. Barra and Doday because the little things, everything after the break. We'll be talking dockers and a little bit of umpiring with the West Australians, Craig O'Donoghue.
This is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SEMWA Made in WA for WA.