This weeks team

[torpedo 33]

In: Davey

Out: Green

If Macca is fit Bell, Bartram or Buckley will make way for him. Perhaps its time Batram got some touches back at Sandy, his steady improvement seems to have wained. I'd be dissapointed if Bucks was dropped, kids in his position should be given at least 2-3 weeks at a time before they are demoted.

given the way we have made players come through sandy this year, and given he has been out for 3 weeks now, it wouldnt surprise me if he has to have a run there too...

Macca will not come back through Sandy. He is co-captain. The players you comparing him to are fringe players or players that have been out of the game for several months.

[titan_uranus 24,974]

Your talking out of Uranus! , BJ is an all-aust who is not that out of form. He needs to be covered. Bell did a good job. 95% efficiency, deserves another game. That's what Bailey has asked his players, to go back to Sandy and learn their trade, come back in and set them a job. Just on Bell - how did Brad Johnson go? He had no influence.

How did Petterd go last week?

If you want to bring him in, and drop someone for an average game perhaps Wonaemirri or Newton. But not Bell.

Actually BJ's numbers are down on last year (this wasn't the first game in which he's had no influence), but I guess you're right in that DB set him a job which he stuck to and gave his all. I looked at the team and asked myself, if I was going to drop someone for Petterd (which I would do), who would go? I picked Bell because I don't think he will be a part of our defence beyond this year, and I'd rather Petterd played than Bell. I read above on this thread that Petterd played well on the weekend for Sandy.

In terms of Newton and Aussie, Aussie's game was below par becuase I thought he was played out of position, in that he played further up the ground for longer periods of time, rather than in the pocket. Still, IMO he did well. I feel the same way about Newton as I do about Bell, but if Petterd comes in, Newton shouldn't make way.

[H_T 3,043]

Actually BJ's numbers are down on last year (this wasn't the first game in which he's had no influence), but I guess you're right in that DB set him a job which he stuck to and gave his all. I looked at the team and asked myself, if I was going to drop someone for Petterd (which I would do), who would go? I picked Bell because I don't think he will be a part of our defence beyond this year, and I'd rather Petterd played than Bell. I read above on this thread that Petterd played well on the weekend for Sandy.

In terms of Newton and Aussie, Aussie's game was below par becuase I thought he was played out of position, in that he played further up the ground for longer periods of time, rather than in the pocket. Still, IMO he did well. I feel the same way about Newton as I do about Bell, but if Petterd comes in, Newton shouldn't make way.

Fair enough if Petterd played well then. He deserves to be looked at before the year is out anyway. What about Valenti to go back to Sandy? How do you want DB to play Petterd in defence? HBF?

[titan_uranus 24,974]

Fair enough if Petterd played well then. He deserves to be looked at before the year is out anyway. What about Valenti to go back to Sandy? How do you want DB to play Petterd in defence? HBF?

I thought Valenti played well. Petterd should play off half back (I believe that's where he's been playing at Sandy)

[Rogue 585]

bell got dropped, did his work and has come back and played a good game. why would he be dropped?

I agree. Given the usual method DB's used this year, I'd be very surprised to see Daniel Bell dropped this week.

I'm leaning towards just the one change (Davey for Green), and Petterd may need to wait a week.

Petterd number 1 emergency, Carroll and someone else on the extended bench until Friday.

PS. Assuming McDonald isn't fit.

[H_T 3,043]

I agree. Given the usual method DB's used this year, I'd be very surprised to see Daniel Bell dropped this week.

I'm leaning towards just the one change (Davey for Green), and Petterd may need to wait a week.

Petterd number 1 emergency, Carroll and someone else on the extended bench until Friday.

Carroll? As long as he stays on the extended bench...........I'm happy with that

[Rogue 585]

Carroll? As long as he stays on the extended bench...........I'm happy with that

He was there last week, and I imagine he played alright at Sandy again, given that he had seven shots on goal.

Feel free to offer alternatives.

[deanox 9,898]

Fair enough then.

Out of interest, do you see Wheels as a part of our future? If so, for how long?

And what about Newton?

It is tough to give ins and outs for our team, they're all 12!!

no i dont see wheels as part of our future (long term) but over the next 12-24 months hopefully he will teach the kids a lot. at this stage i am not sure whether he makes way for a younger member of the squad and performs his mentoring role at training. he is in good form so he stays this week, but will be overtaken by kids who will be 10 year players,

newton i would love to come on, hit form and be a superstar. who knows if it will happen? probably not. BUT, he deserves more than one week to show his stuff. he is a tall forward (who traditionally take a while to develop), his kicking let him down, and the team didnt kick to him well. you also have to give him a while to adjust to playing at afl level, and adjust to playing with miller instead of sautner. very different forwards. give him time. i think he has next year to prove it as well.

In: Davey

Out: Green

If Macca is fit Bell, Bartram or Buckley will make way for him. Perhaps its time Batram got some touches back at Sandy, his steady improvement seems to have wained. I'd be dissapointed if Bucks was dropped, kids in his position should be given at least 2-3 weeks at a time before they are demoted.

Macca will not come back through Sandy. He is co-captain. The players you comparing him to are fringe players or players that have been out of the game for several months.

good point re co-captain, id forgotten. but if the injury has kept him from running he might need to regain fitness. and i think it is a good policy (especially in a young developing team) that all players are made to earn their spots, and he wasnt playing playing particularly well before the injury.

re bucks, that policy applies to all young players imo. if they do enough at sandy to warrant a promotion, they deserve a few weeks to apply what they have learnt. one chance isnt going to teach them anything, except perhaps make them think they arent good enough for afl. for that reason, bartram could be ready for a couple of games in the zebs, especially given macca was playing a backline/tagging role this season.

[H_T 3,043]

He was there last week, and I imagine he played alright at Sandy again, given that he had seven shots on goal.

Feel free to offer alternatives.

You got me - I have none. I guess our depth is low.

Would you seriously consider playing Carroll out of the goalsquare? Is that a move for the future? Or does it go towards shoring up 15th spot?

[H_T 3,043]

ready for a couple of games in the zebs, especially given macca was playing a backline/tagging role this season.

Just on Macca, where to from here with him? I think he is a required player who will be chosen for tagging or stopping jobs by DB....some of suggested he's time is up. I think he has still a couple of years up his sleeve.

[paddo 0]

I don't think he will be a part of the MFC in the future, I would like to see Petterd given a run. Given those stats maybe I'm being a bit harsh but BJ isn't in the greatest of form anyway, and when I was at the match I didn't think Bell was playing particularly well.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but wasn't Warnock on Johnson for most of the day??

Notwithstanding that, I don't think Bell should get a run this week. I'd prefer Petterd.

[Rogue 585]

You got me - I have none. I guess our depth is low.

Would you seriously consider playing Carroll out of the goalsquare? Is that a move for the future? Or does it go towards shoring up 15th spot?

If he's going to be around next year - and he's contracted, so I imagine he will be - it'd be handy if he could play both ends, a la Holland.

If we get another few injuries, perhaps he's a chance of playing up there.

Atm I can't see a future for him, though.

Just on Macca, where to from here with him? I think he is a required player who will be chosen for tagging or stopping jobs by DB....some of suggested he's time is up. I think he has still a couple of years up his sleeve.

I'd be very surprised if he continued for another couple of years.

It'll be interesting to see if he goes around again next year, but I'm leaning towards no.

[H_T 3,043]

Atm I can't see a future for him, though.

I'd be very surprised if he continued for another couple of years.

It'll be interesting to see if he goes around again next year, but I'm leaning towards no.

I'd say he will on play next year. He's won our last two best and fairests. He can still play a close checking role. Look I'm not a huge wrap for him, but he's been a handy player for Melbourne. Who has done his job many times for the club.

I'm curious of DB, I have got a feeling deep down he is a ruthless coach as far as list management goes, so look it won't surprise me at all if Macca misses the cut. But gee, its a big decision.

DB has said, he is doing a job for the betterment of the club and organising a list for the future, whether or not he has an extension or not. This may have been what won him over at the interview process and was simply frank in his opinions, which won him the job.

[Rogue 585]

Coaches review of MFC-listed players at Sandy

Based on that, Yze'll be on the extended interchange. Given Petterd is only playing 80%, I can't see him getting up for this week.

Good to see Messen played a decent game.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Coaches review of MFC-listed players at Sandy

Based on that, Yze'll be on the extended interchange. Given Petterd is only playing 80%, I can't see him getting up for this week.

Good to see Messen played a decent game.

I find Lovell's reports overly upbeat on MFC players. Meesen seems to have done better as a wingman than a ruck. He is a concern.

FWIW, I would not play Yze again in the MFC. He is finished, melts under real pressure and will revert to selfish antics.

Petterd looks well short. Grimes played only 70% in the 2nds so he is still no where near fit. May struggle to debut before next year.

[Rogue 585]

I find Lovell's reports overly upbeat on MFC players.

Obviously - it's like reading the 'news' from a company's PR rep.

With that in mind, the news regarding Meesen is still positive, given that Lovell stated it's his best game in a month - regardless of how good his game was this week, that's a relative statement.

Likewise, Yze's 17 1%, and 12 tackles, is also good to see.

Meesen seems to have done better as a wingman than a ruck. He is a concern.

Again, not surprising, particularly against Street.

However, the fact that he's shown some improvement is a positive.

FWIW, I would not play Yze again in the MFC. He is finished, melts under real pressure and will revert to selfish antics.

Regardless, I think it's very likely Yze's performance will nab him a spot on the extended interchange.

We don't have too many players knocking down the door.

Petterd looks well short. Grimes played only 70% in the 2nds so he is still no where near fit. May struggle to debut before next year.

Petterd has plenty of time, and Grimes is still a chance.

Grimes could play another couple of games at Sandy 2's, a few at Sandy 1's, and still play for Melbourne.

He's done his pre-season, and there's no need to hold him back if his form and fitness end up worthy of a spot.

[H_T 3,043]

Grimes played only 70% in the 2nds so he is still no where near fit. May struggle to debut before next year.

Round 16: Build him up to 80% in 2nds

Round 17: Build him up to 95-100% in 2nds

Round 18: 100% 2nds

Round 19: Play 50-70% Game time in sandy 1sts

Round 20: Play 70%-100% in 1sts for sandy

Round 21: 100% in 1sts for Sandy

Round 22: For the Dees vs Richmond DEBUT - give him a taste of what is to come.

he has time B)

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Round 22: For the Dees vs Richmond DEBUT - give him a taste of what is to come.

he has time B)

No he will be held back because we will be giving a freeby testimonial game to players like Yze and White who are no longer up to standard.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

With that in mind, the news regarding Meesen is still positive, given that Lovell stated it's his best game in a month - regardless of how good his game was this week, that's a relative statement.

Again, not surprising, particularly against Street.

However, the fact that he's shown some improvement is a positive.

Now you sound like a PR agent!

For a sugar and treacle report the comments dont fill me with any warmth about his progress.

"He still has a lot of improvement to achieve in his ruck work. He got caught behind Peter Street and wasn’t as effective as we would have liked in this area."

Street is slow and awkward. Meesen supposedly athletic. Nah, he is still a mile off where he should be.

[Guest fatty]

No he will be held back because we will be giving a freeby testimonial game to players like Yze and White who are no longer up to standard.

Interesting post from Hal on Demonology regarding the Montgomery Rule:

"If a player suffers a career ending injury he is entitled to 50% of his contract payments in the following season even if his injury occurs in the last year of his current contract."

Based on the above, you'd wonder if the MFC would risk such "tribute" games for the imminently departing.

[Rogue 585]

Nah, he is still a mile off where he should be.

No one's said otherwise.

It's clearly positive that he's played his best game in a month.

From memory Street's huge, so it's no surprise that a guy who's a poor ruck struggled in that area.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

No one's said otherwise.

It's clearly positive that he's played his best game in a month.

From memory Street's huge, so it's no surprise that a guy who's a poor ruck struggled in that area.

Ok so he rated 2 instead of 1.

Street is tall, rather immobile and ungainly. I would have thought at boundary throw ins Meesen could have made better body positioning. Its a no brainer that you have to be in the front position on taller players and hold ground. He was repeatedly caught behind him. He was dead in the water. These are not good signs from a point of view of ruck mobility or thinking. If was a rookie like Spencer I would have said good lesson learned.

However, Meesen had 4 years at another AFL Club. Surely you would have thought at training he would have had to counter this against Hudson and Biglands.

I am glad he is improving. Its low base he is starting from.

[Mono 455]

In - Davey, Petterd

Out - Green (inj.), Bruce

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[deanox 9,898]

Obviously - it's like reading the 'news' from a company's PR rep.

...

Likewise, Yze's 17 1%, and 12 tackles, is also good to see.

Again, not surprising, particularly against Street.

...

obviously, but it is good to hear whether they worked on what was asked of them, and they generally say whether the disposal was good or wasted.

and i thought that read 17 1%'s including 12 tackles. which makes a big difference...

[titan_uranus 24,974]

However, Meesen had 4 years at another AFL Club. Surely you would have thought at training he would have had to counter this against Hudson and Biglands.

That's what came to my mind. What was he doing for 4 years at Adelaide? I don't really understand how his experience and ability can be so low having been at AFL level for the past 4 1/2 years.

Btw, Street is equal height with Sandilands from memory (211cm or something)