Rd 3. Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Morton had tackled Lade, and both players ended up on the ground with Lade over Morton;, Lade took a cheap shot with a palm/forearm to Morton's head (like a jumper punch). Moreton immediately jumped up to remonstrate and pushed Lade. Lade wanted to go on with it, but meanwhile we had got the ball, and Moreton was running to space, with Lade after him. Didn't look good on the tv, but Moreton did the best he could under the cercumstances; no one came to help him. :angry:

We need an enforcer or 2.

Morton.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Can anyone explain what Morton was trying to do to Lade?

You don't push someone then run away like a girl when he fights back.

Lade was the one being stupid. He ran after Morton like a maniac.

[CHAMP 347]

Yeah, 21 touches, 8 tackles, 4 marks, and 6 centre clearances. I thought Miller worked hard for little reward, and Jared Rivers was very good with the kick Ins.

He has made a football artform of this. I'd class today's game as not quite up to his usual standard but he did kick two goals and some say he could have had five. I didn't see his mark inside 50 and pass to Bruce who butchered it but I did hear it on the car radio and could see it clearly in the mind's eye. Very low ranking points, but what the hell do they mean anyway.

[Eastie Boyz 0]

Lade was the one being stupid. He ran after Morton like a maniac.

I actually thought I saw him (Lade) smiling . . .

Looked horrible on TV but if he was chasing a kick then that's definitely acceptible

[Adelaide Demon 0]

A few things I take from today's match:

Stefan Martin is really looking like he will mature in to a solid defender in a year or two. I was very unsure of him in his first games last year - he looked awkward and unassured. Now, he shows signs of poise, courage, and a much higher skill-level.

Aaron Davey's form continued today and he was by far-and-away our best, again. Very exciting season on the cards from #36.

Thought we missed McDonald today. His pressure and work-rate in the midfield were not adequately covered by McLean et al, and Junior would have gone a long way to shutting down Burgoyne.

Bruce, Green and Morton performed adequately.

Brogan is a piece of shit.

Why isn't Jones playing the majority of time in the middle?

What do you reckon we could get for Sylvia in the draft? Fourth-round pick? Take it.

I don't know what everyone is expecting this season. I am expecting us to finish bottom, without doubt. We win less than four, and get the top two picks in the next draft, or so I have heard. There have been signs of improvement this season, but these signs will not convert in to victories. We will lose 19 or 20 games this season. Look at our best 22. Compare it man-for-man and as a whole with every other list/best 22 in the league and it's not hard to see that we are miles away from winning more than eight games a season. Hopefully that can happen next year. I am excited by the prospect of adding Watts, Grimes and Blease.

Some thoughts on our list:

Youngsters who should be playing every week (when they are ready):

1 Simon Buckley

2 Nathan Jones

4 Jack Watts

8 James Frawley

10 Cale Morton

16 Jack Grimes

20 Colin Garland

25 Kyle Cheney

26 John Meesen

33 Austin Wonaeamirri

34 Stefan Martin

37 Matthew Warnock

43 Jamie Bennell

46 Sam Blease

48 Liam Jurrah

39 Neville Jetta

You look at that and these guys are not going to win many games against experience opposition. Add to that bunch:

36 Aaron Davey

5 Brock McLean

18 Brad Green

23 James McDonald

24 Russell Robertson

27 Jared Rivers

31 Paul Wheatley

32 Cameron Bruce

(7 Brad Miller)

... who are our best players and it adds some quality but we can not expect to win many games at all when this is what were are putting on the table to compete with Geelong or the Bulldogs. We've just got to tough it out and get exciting by Bennell and Martin's continued development.