Monday's Questions and Answers (22.06.2026)

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
As the Crispy Chicken Sandwich from 7-Eleven, people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know, I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect. Look, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy, throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me, and baby, I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4.
Quiet, no. Crispy, saucy, and $4? Very, only at 7-Eleven. Valid through 6-23-26, participating stores only and supplies lastly out for full terms.

**Mark Duffield** (1:05)
Yes, time for your questions and answers this morning on Mornings with Mark Duffield on SENWA. Don't forget, if you've missed any of the show today, head to podcasts on the SEN app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. You can download the podcast in full. Paul Heath is with me.

**Paul Heath** (1:22)
Duff, Dave in Perth was number one off the rank today. He says, I think we need to look at the away game against the Giants to rest a few. Pierce, Jackson, Tracy, Bracell, Bolton, and maybe even Reed, says Dave.

**Mark Duffield** (1:34)
What? Rest them all on one game, sort of Ross Lyon style.

**Paul Heath** (1:38)
Yep. Just take a chunk out. Yep.

**Mark Duffield** (1:40)
Yeah. I'd be, you know, the first thing I would do is make sure I cannot finish any further down than second.

**Paul Heath** (1:46)
Yep.

**Mark Duffield** (1:46)
That's the first thing. So make sure of that. And then structure your last month to try and make sure that most of your players get a week off.
That's what I'd be doing. I wouldn't be doing it just yet because you've just come off a bye. The long break into the Gold Coast game. And then is the Giants game next? I think the Giants game. Yeah. So I wouldn't be resting them just that early. It'd be closer to the finals. I want them all to play two games going in to the final series. So you want to be at full strength for those last two games, reestablishing your team dynamics and that sort of thing. So at some point, maybe, assuming that you can really lock in that top two spot, in the weeks intervening between now and those last two weeks, maybe start to spread out a few players having a sit down. Yeah.

**Paul Heath** (2:41)
I think we're way too early to be looking at a rest or a, you know, at least with numerous players going out in a week.

**Mark Duffield** (2:48)
And don't forget you have the week off leading into finals. That's the other thing.

**Paul Heath** (2:53)
So the Dockers will go Crows, then Blues, and then they'll have the week off there.
And they're currently three and a half games ahead of third place at the top. So almost getting to that point there. But do you worry about the dynamics of the team changing too much, you know, or with it, you know, sort of flirting with form if you do take a player out? Like, because you can with the fifth one on the bench, you can have the game time a bit more in your control, unless something happens. I think that's probably the mode that they're going to keep.

**Mark Duffield** (3:25)
I think the game changer here is the week between the last home and away game and the finals. So you're already getting... So they've had a buy mid-season, and you get another buy before the finals. So yeah, I wouldn't be...
If you can do it, and if you are unable to, don't fuss too much.

**Paul Heath** (3:45)
Just because people say you should do it doesn't mean you should do it.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:49)
People say other things.

**Paul Heath** (3:51)
People just talk.

**Mark Duffield** (3:53)
I agree with most of what Jack Revault said about Josh Carr. But then, who are the three coaches here? Well, Dean Cox won. Well, how?

**Paul Heath** (4:01)
Yeah.

**Mark Duffield** (4:02)
How's Justin Longmure not coach of the year so far?

**Paul Heath** (4:04)
Yeah.

**Mark Duffield** (4:06)
They've lost one game, and they were short of match practice in that game because Geelong had played the week before and they hadn't, because of the opening round debacle.

**Paul Heath** (4:15)
And we love opening rounds. Very good.
Very, very good. Gregor Mindari says, Duff, I think the nine behinds on Thursday night have actually turned into one of the best things that could have happened this season. To keep at it and get the win reinforces even more in the players' minds that the coaching group has the right method to take them through, says Gregor Mindari.