Jetta for Maric is fine by me. They play a similar role, and I don't think Maric has done quite enough to hold his spot.

Glad to see Miller and Martin back. I have to say, that's about the most potent forward line I've seen us field in years. And with Watts to come off the bench!

I'm most disappointed for Jamar.

Showed great form in his two return games only to get injured again. It also means we gotta put up with more PJ turnovers! I swear PJ just keeps getting saved from demotion as our ruckmen keep dying.

Also disappointing for Maric, but Jetta was very good last week and true to his word Bailey picked a team based on form.

The flu thing is ummm.... interesting

Jetta for Maric is fine by me. They play a similar role, and I don't think Maric has done quite enough to hold his spot.

Glad to see Miller and Martin back. I have to say, that's about the most potent forward line I've seen us field in years. And with Watts to come off the bench!

"Jetta for Maric is fine by me". Yep. Maric has been OK, but has not been busy Enough with fast 'run 'n' carry'. He's got to kick those goals.

"Glad to see Miller and Martin back. I have to say, that's about the most potent forward line I've seen us field in years. And with Watts to come off the bench"!

A team of our youngsters will show where we're at.

Go you New culture DEES!

VERY young team we have in... 5 aboriginal players!

Love it.

I'm with you Maric for bartram, maric looks as though he is going to be very Special

Yeah, I would have liked to see Maric go again. But at the same time I can understand that Bails thinks he could do with a run out at Casey. And I don't mind seeing Jetta get another run on the big stage either. I'd expect Maric to be back soon enough.

Hope Jones and Warnock are ok with the virus.

Yeah, hope it's not THAT virus.

Dreamtime at the 'G!

I just don't understand the point in dropping Maric and keeping the likes of Whelan and Robertson in the team. Either you play for the future or you play to win. And we can win without those two in the side. It's not 3 years ago. I hate seeing young players getting dropped when they're playing better than some of the senior players. Really gets on my nerves.

Jamar gone hurts us in the ruck. Martin will have to step up. I gag everytime I see Miller's name. I hate him as a footballer. And I think we all saw McDonald getting dropped, ahh, I mean, injured, soon.

PJ needs to kick and not handball. his foot skills are far superiour.

bartram is not in for maric. jetta has re

Out:

Daniel Bell, out for Bennell

Addam Maric, out for Jetta

James McDonald (Knee), out for Bartram

Matthew Warnock (virus), out for Martin

Mark Jamar (quad), Nathan Jones (Virus), also out and miller and jurah in.

We are probably slightly taller than last week, although martin may have to pinch hit in the ruck. backline is not too short, we have rivers, frawley and martin there. it will only be a problem if PJ goes down. I think it is possible that miller will be swung back, given watts and jurrah are both forwards on the bench.

you could argue that jurrah is replacing maric, with jetta replacing jones in the midfield if he gets a run up there.

either way it isnt a bad side. perhaps 1 forward too many, and a ruck short. but we don't have many other options atm.

very tall forward line with 5 marking forwards. how do the bombers sit for height in the back line? should be good conditions inside, maybe we are going to try and exploit this? may leave us a little slow, especially if our disposal is not on song.

if PJ cant stand up this week and give us a contest then it says a lot about his future at the club.

Garbage. In the month or so he stood up earlier this year he proved what he can do. Strangely enough, then, like now, he did it all by himself...

The lack of support for him on this site is bizarre and frustrating. Those calling for him to be delisted at the end of the year have absolutely no idea what's going on at MFC.

I reckon these ins say a LOT about Bell, more than anyone. McDonald, Jamar, Jones and Warnock are down for the count for at least a week... Maric's dropping was a bit like Petterds. Nothing to be worried about, bust a lack of touches, and lack of impact on match day perhaps.

But Bell being dropped, on a day when we had 4 FORCED changes... I think he's done for, unfortunately for him. How long until the first "Woey trade fail" thread?

I just don't understand the point in dropping Maric and keeping the likes of Whelan and Robertson in the team.

Team balance.

Maric isn't being kept out of the team by Wheels.

I'm not sure he's vying with Robbo either.

Showed great form in his two return games only to get injured again.

Yeah, Jamar out is actually pretty disappointing - I don't expect I've said that too often.

The lack of support for him on this site is bizarre and frustrating.

i don't think PJ has been doing too bad, however it has been a few monumental stuff ups that have caught everyones attention. the problem is, he is playing a sweeper role and turning the ball over. i much prefer him playing up forward where he is a lovely kick for goal (if he can mark it) but we are front heavy atm. with his pace he should play as an old fashion ruckrover and follow the play. but he needs to tuck the handball away, because he can kick 60 pretty well if he wants to.

Yeah, Jamar out is actually pretty disappointing - I don't expect I've said that too often.

first time ever.

With P.j beside his disposal whats peoples problem with him.

His ability to get the ball and hardness at it is great, his kinda another midfielder.

Is it his actual ruckwork?

i don't think PJ has been doing too bad, however it has been a few monumental stuff ups that have caught everyones attention. the problem is, he is playing a sweeper role and turning the ball over. i much prefer him playing up forward where he is a lovely kick for goal (if he can mark it) but we are front heavy atm. with his pace he should play as an old fashion ruckrover and follow the play. but he needs to tuck the handball away, because he can kick 60 pretty well if he wants to.

first time ever.

Re PJ he is putting himself in a position where he is being used as a link man, he is a great runner and gets a fair bit of it, problem is at the moment we don't really want it in his hands. It's his decision making not his skills that are the problem. His ability to make quick decisions under pressure are a problem thus he coughs it up. Its hard to know what to do with him. He is athletic and quick, he can kick the ball, can run all game and is strong like ox. It sounds like a great pacakge. Basically I think his shortfall is just a lack of footy nous and the ability to think quick.

He doesn't get himself into enough marking contests either, again I think it's just a lack of smarts.

How do people reckon our midfield will go tomorrow? As excited as I am about LJ and Watts I for one am very concerned about how often we are going to get it down there.

Last time I checked Maric was an opportunist forward not a tagger/small backmen. Would have liked to have seen Maric but Jetta has been kicking goals and deserves his chance. With that many outs and Bell getting ommitted and not even an emergency. I would say thats nearly the last we have seen of him. Unless some list management is required.....

Yes that is true, but you are assuming Maric was who i and DB had/have in mind playing back pocket

Re Bell i think you are right he has many chances to establish himself, but having said that, every time i write somebody off they turn around and start performing

I just don't understand the point in dropping Maric and keeping the likes of Whelan and Robertson in the team. Either you play for the future or you play to win. And we can win without those two in the side. It's not 3 years ago. I hate seeing young players getting dropped when they're playing better than some of the senior players. Really gets on my nerves.

Jamar gone hurts us in the ruck. Martin will have to step up. I gag everytime I see Miller's name. I hate him as a footballer. And I think we all saw McDonald getting dropped, ahh, I mean, injured, soon.

I understand what your saying 'calabreseboy', but what Bailey is saying to Maric is, 'your goin' allright son, but go back to Casey & find an extra gear'. When he comes back he'll going harder than this time around.

i don't think PJ has been doing too bad, however it has been a few monumental stuff ups that have caught everyones attention. the problem is, he is playing a sweeper role and turning the ball over. i much prefer him playing up forward where he is a lovely kick for goal (if he can mark it) but we are front heavy atm. with his pace he should play as an old fashion ruckrover and follow the play. but he needs to tuck the handball away, because he can kick 60 pretty well if he wants to.

first time ever.

Big player who doesn't give us bigman assistance, he plays small, but as a small player he's poor at it in comparison to a Dunn for example.

He's got to play well against the other big fellas in the aggression stakes, taking contested marks from the kick out & around the ground, Break packs in the mid & forward zones & improve his use of the ball to teamates.

i don't think PJ has been doing too bad, however it has been a few monumental stuff ups that have caught everyones attention.

Absolutely. What gets me is how they jump on his back in a trice, and somehow end up throwing support behind players who make WORSE stuff ups week in week out. Or even players who have never shown half of what PJ has in his handful of games he's played.

Is it his actual ruckwork?

Yes. Most likely. But there is a camp that believe that the art of ruckwork, while still alive, is ineffective and largely useless...

I hate seeing young players getting dropped when they're playing better than some of the senior players. Really gets on my nerves.

I gag everytime I see Miller's name. I hate him as a footballer.

And I think we all saw McDonald getting dropped, ahh, I mean, injured, soon..

Seriously,

You can only bring players in to cover others who are similar players - "like for like players". Cant bring in an apple for an orange.

Very very harsh on a man who plays with what he has (yes, he can improve - but he ain't gunna be a Wayne Carey). "hat him as a footballer" is a bit rough.

Ahh, Junior had a sore knee from the St.Kilda game and obviously needs another week off - i dont think he has been dropped

Garbage. In the month or so he stood up earlier this year he proved what he can do. Strangely enough, then, like now, he did it all by himself...

The lack of support for him on this site is bizarre and frustrating. Those calling for him to be delisted at the end of the year have absolutely no idea what's going on at MFC.

Here here. 100% spot on Dan.

After watching the replay, i didn't think he was actually as bad as i initially thought. Besides his 3 (monumental) clangers, his ruckwork was pretty good, and overall he was alright. I look forward to seeing him go around as the sole ruckman again, although it is hugely disappointing for Jamar, who was starting to show some form.

Absolutely. What gets me is how they jump on his back in a trice, and somehow end up throwing support behind players who make WORSE stuff ups week in week out. Or even players who have never shown half of what PJ has in his handful of games he's played.

Yes. Most likely. But there is a camp that believe that the art of ruckwork, while still alive, is ineffective and largely useless...

I've already had this discussion with you before. Your support for PJ is a bit misguided given that you haven't seen many live games this year.

He has been appalling with his ball use and lacks competitiveness in the ruck. I would think that if Jamar was fit, PJ would have lost his spot in the side for Martin, and rightfully so.

I honestly believe that his career might have been saved by the long-term injury to Meesen.

ESSENDON v MELBOURNE

Essendon

B: Mark McVeigh, Tayte Pears, Dustin Fletcher

HB: Courtenay Dempsey, Adam McPhee, Heath Hocking

C: Andrew Lovett, Ricky Dyson, Brent Prismall

HF: Hayden Skipworth, Cale Hooker, Jason Winderlich

F: Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Alwyn Davey

Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton

I/C: Sam Lonergan, Andrew Welsh, Kyle Reimers, Angus Monfries

Emg: Jay Neagle, Tyson Slattery, David Zaharakis

In: Fletcher, Welsh, Winderlich

Out: Bachar Houli (virus), Jay Neagle, David Zaharakis

Melbourne

B: Matthew Whelan, Stefan Martin, Clint Bartram

HB: Aaron Davey, Jared Rivers, James Frawley

C: Neville Jetta, Brock McLean, Jamie Bennell

HF: Russell Robertson, Brad Miller, Matthew Bate

F: Brad Green, Colin Sylvia, Liam Jurrah

Foll: Paul Johnson, Jack Grimes, Cameron Bruce

I/C: Brent Moloney, Cale Morton, Jack Watts, K.Cheney

Emg: Lynden Dunn, Addam Maric, Ricky Petterd

In: Bartram, Bennell, Jetta, Jurrah, Martin, Miller

Out: Daniel Bell, Mark Jamar (quad), Nathan Jones (Virus), Addam Maric, James McDonald (Knee), Matthew Warnock (virus)

New: Liam Jurrah (Yuendumu Magpies, NT)

Disappointed about Jamar,Jones,Warnock and Maric. I`m sure Maric didn`t get dropped on form he performed very well over the last few weeks, and Jetta has been knocking on the door so well done to him hope he takes his chance. Our backline has been our best asset for the last 2 years, and tommorow night I fear we are in for a smacking. Llyod,Lucas and Neagle take on Martin and Rivers. Frawley will get a job on a tall but hes better on smalls. But No Warnock is gonna really hurt. As for Forward line It may be our best

Robertson,Miller,Watts,Jurrah,Jetta,Bate and Sylvia and the midfield just will bloody hope not to get burnt by the Essendon speedsters. Grimes has been named in the middle, but the question is WILL HE ACTUALLY PLAY IN THE MIDDLE? good luck to Mclean,Moloney,Bruce,Morton,Sylvia,Davey and Bartram in the middle. CARN DEES

Absolutely. What gets me is how they jump on his back in a trice

What's his season been like?

It's not just his Collingwood game...

PJ has in his handful of games he's played.

He came from the 2002 draft, has played over 50 games and turns 25 next week - he's at or over the halfway mark of his career (assuming he lasts that long) - he's hardly a baby.

We are going to get smacked!

We are going to get smacked!

Probably.

I'll be there to see Jurrah and Watts.

We are going to get smacked!

I reckon we will too just quietly, but I'm still excited none-the-less.

Here here. 100% spot on Dan.

After watching the replay, i didn't think he was actually as bad as i initially thought. Besides his 3 (monumental) clangers, his ruckwork was pretty good, and overall he was alright. I look forward to seeing him go around as the sole ruckman again, although it is hugely disappointing for Jamar, who was starting to show some form.

Doggo, time to let go of your "pj's gonna be a good player for us" dream. He's just no good brother, I know its upsetting but its time to move on