Changes this week

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

IN: Valenti, Robertson

OUT: Jones, Miller

[Carn dees 108]

I hope we can find room for Newton and Cheney. I wouldn't be too upset if Robbo has played his last AFL game. Perhaps Maric could do with a game back with Casey.

Are you seroiuse?

Maric is coming along well. And i would be very upset if robbo has played his last but i no he he hasnt. It just wouldnt fair plus his too good for that.

[Dee*ceiving 903]

Am I alone in thinking Robbo still has a few big bags in him? I am not talking about his lady friends either.

I think he might surprise us, paerticularly next year when our younger players are able to sustain pressure for 4 qtrs and we are in more games right up to the final bell. I can see him bagging half a dozen on 2 or 3 occassions and helping us achieve 8-10 wins instead of 4-6.

[Rogue 585]

Rogue. It's not a play on meaning of words at all. ie. 'never' / 'probably'. There's a difference.

Regardless of the modifier, you slipped in a variation on the old 'how many games have you played' chestnut.

To use another old chestnut, 'you're better than that'.

[Binmans PA 26,076]

Perhaps Maric could do with a game back with Casey.

Maric showed enough last week. He was quite good.

[Ryan Dee 140]

Fair point HT, most of us here probably couldn't get a kick in a pen of black cattle!

Speak for yourself. Na im kidding

Most people would have no idea just how good you have to be to make it to the afl. So many thousands of kids have the dream and strive to play footy at the highest level yet only a very very very small percentage make it. All these young players are just freaks, they really are that good.

And can everyone just relax and take a breath when it comes to jack Watts. He is playing on the wing which is not he natural position but is still getting 20 + touches and Effective ones at that, yet people still find something to have a go at him.

I think the melbourne's worst critic is its fan's. But i suppose we can class it as passion <_<

[Cards13 9,117]

Am I alone in thinking Robbo still has a few big bags in him? I am not talking about his lady friends either.

I think he might surprise us, paerticularly next year when our younger players are able to sustain pressure for 4 qtrs and we are in more games right up to the final bell. I can see him bagging half a dozen on 2 or 3 occassions and helping us achieve 8-10 wins instead of 4-6.

Nope you are not on your pat there tata. He has shown enough so far coming back this season he should still be playing good lead up footy and have a few 5-for's in him. He needs to improve the defensive side of his game once he goes to ground (and he will continue to go to ground) and realise he is still in the contest even though he has not taken a hanger or not one grabbed it.

One thing I wish he would work on is his arms out stretched, marks in front of his face/chest. he still goes for the safe chest mark option and gets spoiled easily.

Overall yes Robbo does have it in him for sure, it is the other parts of his game he needs to improve on to get a game,

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

I know he is one of the most maligned players on Demonland, but there surely must be some consideration to recalling Lynden Dunn.

He has been in the best for Casey the last 2 weeks, so form is not an issue.

He did an outstanding shut down job on Dane Swan in the corresponding game last year and would be ideal to put on him again considering his current form. Or he could play on Heath Shaw, so he could sit in our forward line a bit more and give as another option there.

Nathan Jones or James McDonald would be the players in the gun for me, i love what they bring to our team, but they have both butchered the ball a little bit of the last couple of weeks, and turnovers are what kill us every week.

[Dee tention 611]

Why not give this one a go! Puts a rocket up Bate and Miller.

IN Robbo, Watts, Cheney, Jurrah

OUT Macca (if injured), Bate, Miller, Bell

[H_T 2,941]

Regardless of the modifier,you slipped in a variation on the old 'how many games have you played' chestnut. To use another old chestnut, 'you're better than that'.

You know what maybe you're right! Maybe I have enough passion for the team I support to say "You know I think i have had it up to here with the player bashing". So maybe it was a flipper chestnut. Apologies for sticking up for members of our team being referred to as duds!

[45HG 1,539]

Time to move on.

Will you take issue with it each time a poster uses the term?

[H_T 2,941]

Time to move on. Will you take issue with it each time a poster uses the term?

TBH I had already moved on. There are the codes of conduct for those to familiarise themselves with. I would like to think posters would adhere to them if at all possible. In this case i suggested an alternative which i think is more appropriate. No I wont take issue everytime.

[MelbournePassion 7]

In- Robertson,Cheney

Out- Miller,Bell

Hate for Miller to get dropped though because then we are taking away structure from our forward line. But Like what Bails said "Players must perform", and Millers not doing that.

[rpfc 27,469]

If you read the sentence after the one you highlighted it would make more sense. Either Watts or Jurrah to take Bate's spot.

In the last month Bate has averaged 5 more kicks than the previous three weeks, 1 more handball, 6 more marks, nearly 2 more goals, 1 more contested possession, nearly 2 more contested marks, and 2 more Inside 50s.

The previous three weeks were the time when his critics had a reason to see him dropped, but that ship has sailed.

He has responded very well in the last month.

I still have hope of him becoming a very damaging HFF.

[e25 5]

IN: Robertson, Cheney, Watts, Dunn

OUT: Bell, McDonald, Bate, Maric

[Jaded No More 57,894]

I actually think it's important that, if Watts plays so does Miller, for a number of reasons. Firstly, because there is no doubt that Collingwood will try to test Jack out physically, and it's important for him to have a strong senior body around to help him out. Secondly, if we're going to run with a Watts-Bate-Miller combination for the next couple of years (at least), we need to start working on getting the chemistry and structure working with these three right away. Also, assuming Watts plays further up the ground, and not out of the goal square, it will enable Miller to play deeper and maybe... heaven forbid... actually kick some goals!

So with that in mind:

Out- PJ, Whelan (or Junior if he's injured)

In- Watts, Cheney

I also think that, given Monday is the closest thing to a final our club will experience in at least the next two years, that we should play as many kids as possible. We need to give the young players an opportunity to experience big games, in front of big crowds, that will really test them. It's a great opportunity to see who can lift for big matches and who can't, and the benefit of playing in such a pressure atmosphere will be phenomenal.

[dee-luded 2,958]

IN: Robertson, Cheney, Watts (new) OUT: Miller, Whelan, Bell

IN: Robertson, Newton

[Ryan Dee 140]

So with that in mind:

Out- PJ, Whelan (or Junior if he's injured)

In- Watts, Cheney

PJ? how can you justify this? he has been playing great footy.

[PeterJames 46]

i also heard watts is a certainty to play on monday. There might be a press conference today or tomoro about it....

Interesting because i thought hughes and newton had better form in the past month at casey...

One good thing is it might be a monday game but we will know the team pretty much saturday at 1pm because of the casey game, which is live on ABC.... The sides are finalised or named until 5 on saturday i think!

[AzzKikA 2,369]

Seriously JACK WATTS WILL NOT BE PLAYING ON MONDAY THE 8TH OF JUNE 2009 The quicker you accept it the quicker we can move on to REAL ins & outs.

[BennytheJet 15]

Seriously JACK WATTS WILL NOT BE PLAYING ON MONDAY THE 8TH OF JUNE 2009 The quicker you accept it the quicker we can move on to REAL ins & outs.

Mate, HE is 99% sure that he's playing.

[Guest ErnieRuckles]

Ins: Dunn, Valenti, Cheney, Bartram

Outs: Miller, McDonald, Whelan, Rivers

Dunn up forward (where he should be IMO), Valenti for McDonald (Inj), Cheney for Whelan (Love Wheels but give him a rest, and Cheney deserves it) and Rivers has been awful the last few weeks, leaving Martin / Frawley / Warnock and we'll need a tagger on Neon Leon....

[jabberwocky 2,301]

out: MILLER, BELL, possibly MCDONALD

in: WATTS, ROBERTSON possibly CHENEY

[Hannabal 4]

i also heard watts is a certainty to play on monday. Interesting because i thought hughes and newton had better form in the past month at casey...

Clearly it's not completely about form. Firstly, Hughes is a rookie and secondly Watts would be considered in the top 2 valuable players on our list. The ability to get some games into him is invaluable for his development. So it's reasonable to expect that decisions to play him now won't be entirely predicated on form, but with one eye firmly fixed to the future. And a little bit of hype surrounding QB doesn't go astray.

That said, Watts has racked up 20+ possessions from a wing the last two weeks with ease. He's done it in such a way that it hasn't looked outstanding, just languid and professional.

[Pipefitter 2,016]

Maric showed enough last week. He was quite good.

Agreed. Im glad some of us in here arent our selectors. Its easy to look at stats and say oh he didnt do much, but if you watched the game he put his body on the line at crucial moments to force turnovers (none of which are counted as stats). Hes getting more and more confidence every week. He's gonna be great this kid.