And now what?

[Jaded No More 67,469]

So we're out of the finals race, which is neither shocking nor consequential to our bright future.

With 2 games to go, should we go down the development path or the win at all costs path?

Do you rest Jamar if he's sore? Frawley? Do we rule Moloney, Davey and Grimes out for the season?

Does Maric, Cheney and Strauss come into the side at the expense of the likes of Trengove and Scully, so we can see if they are worth persisting with?

Does Jack Watts go back to Casey to work on his game, and Miller gets rewarded for recent good form?

Or do we play the rest of the year with our best available team, to try and win the next 2 games and give us some momentum going into next season?

[sylvinator 96]

So we're out of the finals race, which is neither shocking nor consequential to our bright future.

With 2 games to go, should we go down the development path or the win at all costs path?

Do you rest Jamar if he's sore? Frawley? Do we rule Moloney, Davey and Grimes out for the season?

Does Maric, Cheney and Strauss come into the side at the expense of the likes of Trengove and Scully, so we can see if they are worth persisting with?

Does Jack Watts go back to Casey to work on his game, and Miller gets rewarded for recent good form?

Or do we play the rest of the year with our best available team, to try and win the next 2 games and give us some momentum going into next season?

We should definitely try to keep winning.

Would be happy to see Warnock, Bate and Morton back in the team for the last 2 games so that they can still feel a part of the team going forward. All 3 are important players for the future still imo, even though they are out of the team atm.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,284]

Bit of both. Would like to win the next 2 games but if Jamar, Moloney and Davey are too sore, just shut them down.

Would like Maric back in the side, he's good enough for AFL. I'm tempted to do a Miller for Watts swap in rd 22 - Give Miller a farewell against North. Not really interested in #25 - a dime a dozen small defender.

I'll be happy with winning 1 of 2 games for a most satisfactory 9 win season. The club needs to eventually win at AAMI and prove that they can actually beat our nemisis in North.

[Chook 14,988]

Hawthorn has to lose its' next two (Freo and Pies) by around 30 points and we have to win our next two (Port and North) by around the same margin. It's still possible, but I would play the guys who are going to be in our best 22 in the future. There's no point sacrificing anything now on the off chance that the results will go our way. That would be stupid.

[titan_uranus 24,522]

Can't see Jamar being rested: we have no other ruckman fit to take his spot.

Wouldn't mind seeing McNamara get a run but there's no real spot for him in the team.

So long as we leave Watts in there it won't bother me.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,823]

Still play best side until it is mathematically impossible to make finals.

[Felix 92]

I personally would like to see Maric & Tapscott play the last 2, Fitzpatrick & McNamara play at least 1 game. give Fitz & Taps a taste of what is to come next season, and if tom and addam are to be part of the MFC future they need tyo get some games into them... At the expense of which player... no idea.

[stuie 7,374]

Why would we approach anything differently? We simply want to win. Have you guys not even heard the old cliche "one week at a time?", we are majorly focused on that and I'm sure we will play the best players available and not just throw in the towel an experiment, we've done that the previous two years, it's finished.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

STILL A CHANCE!!!!

Win the last two by big margins, and hope the Hawks lose to Freo (they won't beat the Pies)... and we're in!

But seriously folks, did anyone else see Bailey's smile after Frawley got the second of those bulltish in the back frees on Franklin, right in front of the bench.

He was bothered, but grinning widely. Must have known we were beaten by the umpires today.

[Gorgoroth 12,667]

Play the best 22, get another win on the road, then smash North who always seem to ebat us to break the hoodoo and kill their finals chances.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,284]

I'm hoping the Hawks lose next week to Freo (unlikely) and Coll while North beat WC. I'd love us to play North in rd 22 with their finals on the line. Would be a taste of a mini elimination final and to see how we stack up to the pressure.

[Guest Jack Jack Jack Jack]

Bring Miller in, he deserves a run. Jack Watts needs confidence IMO, send him back to Casey to help him find his feet. I'm not bagging him at all, but the truth is he was poor today.

Rest guys that need resting, and give the young kids a go.

[Bonkers 987]

Bring Miller in, he deserves a run. Jack Watts needs confidence IMO, send him back to Casey to help him find his feet. I'm not bagging him at all, but the truth is he was poor today.

Rest guys that need resting, and give the young kids a go.

I hope Miller never gets another game for the club. I have nothing against him personally I just think playing him is a backward step when we have other younger players with more talent in the VFL that are yet to get a chance. Miller has had 133 chances to make an impact at AFL level and it hasn't happened, by playing Miller the FD will find nothing out about him that they didn't already know.

[old dee 23,458]

I hope Miller never gets another game for the club. I have nothing against him personally I just think playing him is a backward step when we have other younger players with more talent in the VFL that are yet to get a chance. Miller has had 133 chances to make an impact at AFL level and it hasn't happened, by playing Miller the FD will find nothing out about him that they didn't already know.

Oh "Bonkers" get off his back. He has not turned out to be the CPF we had hoped for however when was the last time he did not give 100%

And a lot of the time he had no support in the forward line and got the best defender every week.

He has played his heart out in the forward line, the back line or wherever he was asked.

It is probably over for him this year have a little empathy and a little less venom, he has done his best.

Edited August 15, 2010 by old dee

[dee-luded 2,959]

So we're out of the finals race, which is neither shocking nor consequential to our bright future.

With 2 games to go, should we go down the development path or the win at all costs path?

Do you rest Jamar if he's sore? Frawley? Do we rule Moloney, Davey and Grimes out for the season?

Does Maric, Cheney and Strauss come into the side at the expense of the likes of Trengove and Scully, so we can see if they are worth persisting with?

Does Jack Watts go back to Casey to work on his game, and Miller gets rewarded for recent good form?

Or do we play the rest of the year with our best available team, to try and win the next 2 games and give us some momentum going into next season?

Send those that are in need of surgical tidy ups to the Dr.

Play some of those kids, starting with Tapscott in Port Adelaide.

Start to setup the Casey side for the finals & get some 'Finals Togetherness' into some of our young kids, with some Finals Wins with Casey.

[Bonkers 987]

Oh "Bonkers" get off his back. He has not turned out to be the CPF we had hoped for however when was the last time he did not give 100%

And a lot of the time he had no support in the forward line and got the best defender every week.

He has played his heart out in the forward line, the back line or wherever he was asked.

It is probably over for him this year have a little empathy and a little less venom, he has done his best.

There is no venom in my remarks, whether he gives 100% or not is irrelevant. He is not good enough at AFL level and won't be good enough when we are having a tilt at the big prize. When it comes to making a decision on whether a player is good enough to play for your club I don't really think empathy has anything to do with it.

[old dee 23,458]

So we're out of the finals race, which is neither shocking nor consequential to our bright future.

With 2 games to go, should we go down the development path or the win at all costs path?

Do you rest Jamar if he's sore? Frawley? Do we rule Moloney, Davey and Grimes out for the season?

Does Maric, Cheney and Strauss come into the side at the expense of the likes of Trengove and Scully, so we can see if they are worth persisting with?

Does Jack Watts go back to Casey to work on his game, and Miller gets rewarded for recent good form?

Or do we play the rest of the year with our best available team, to try and win the next 2 games and give us some momentum going into next season?

I think Meric deserves the last two games, I don't think he is good enough however he deserves the chance to show his wares without the fear of being droppped imediately. Bennell's spot is available he was poor again today.

Cheney is a good VFL player seen him before.

Watts should be dropped it is time for a reality check. I find it hard to believe Bate, Morton, Newton, Bell, Warnock or Miller could have done less in the forward line today.

Strauss is not fit enough 2011 for him.

[Pipefitter 2,128]

Gotta try to win these games coming up. Finish on a roll. Get close to making the finals. Give the boys something to get fired up over summer.

[drdrake 3,114]

We continue to do what we have been doing and what 2010 was always going to be, get games into our young players. Have them play together and improve. With that in mind we don't drop Watts to play Miller, we replace Davey with Maric who was stiff to lose his spot, Jurrah has a broken finger that might see him done for the year, Bate or Morton comes in.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Still play best side until it is mathematically impossible to make finals.

Agree.

Miller is only chosen if he meets the best side criteria.

[e25 5]

I think we should play the kids as much as possible, as long as they deserve a game and as long as it doesn't hurt our structure.

No use having Strauss play at FF and if our structure goes out the window they won't learn a thing.

[General Malaise 208]

A good time to win at AAMI at all costs. Get that monkey off our backs now, for next year and for ever.

[jayceebee31 697]

Can't see Jamar being rested: we have no other ruckman fit to take his spot.

Wouldn't mind seeing McNamara get a run but there's no real spot for him in the team.

So long as we leave Watts in there it won't bother me.

Tommy Mac played quite well yesterday- deserves another look- Garland needs a rest- I'd also like to see Miller and Newton play.

[Red Sox 2]

We finish the year strongly and let the consequences, be as they may, sort themselves out. We start with this week and try to get a win at that armpit, AAMI stadium.

I watched the Port/WCE game last night and we should consider ourselves are big chance to break the AAMI hoodoo. It would be another great achievement to mark down in a season of great gains so far.

[sylvinator 96]

Our ladder position is now virtually finalised. We won't go longer than 11th, since Adelaide in 12th position play Collingwood and Western Bulldogs. We almost certainly won't go higher than 9th, since Hawthorn are 2 games and a lot of % ahead of us.

If we beat Port and North= 9th position

If we beat Port but lose to North= 10th position

If we lose to Port but beat North= 10th or 11th position

If we lose to Port and lose to North= 11th position

Just for people who are interested...

9th= pick 18

10th= pick 16

11th= pick 14

There really isn't a whole lot of difference between pick 14 and pick 18. In previous drafts there has been a blanket over several players between pick 10-20.

Last year losing games meant getting pick 2 for free (ended up being Trengove). This year its only 4 draft spots late in the first round, certainly not worth 'list managing' at this stage.

May as well finish the season on a high