MELBOURNE v PORT ADELAIDE - PREGAME

[Young Dee 1,303]

Terlich is a small defender/runner. I was surprised that Nicholson was selected ahead of him and if Terlich doesn't make the final 22, i would assume that they are rewarding Nicholson for his outstanding training in the pre-season but I think Terlich will push him out soon enough.

Yes, good pick up I don't know why I thought he was a tall defender he is only 186cm - I think its just the way he moves (a bit like Garland). Considering that I would have Strauss ahead of Terlich as they are the same height but Strauss seems to have more speed and a better kick - just needs to use his new bigger body (84kgs - heavier than Terlich). Agree with Nicholson, I remember Neeld saying something about using Nicholson's endurance most effectively in a way that would benefit the team most (this was after a NAB cup game where he played in the midfield). I think he was referring to using his endurance in the midfield to counter his poor disposal (get the most out of him).

[bananas 428]

Gawn hasn't played an AFL game for something like a year and a half. He is going to spend a few weeks at casey according to mission, i guess 4-6 weeks depending of form. Isn't that enough to warrant upgrading Magner, how many rookie upgrade/demotions can we have in a year?

Could be wrong, but I think Gawn has to come off the LTI List to play for Casey. Otherwise clubs could say any of their young/crap players that aren't in the frame for senior matches are "injured", and elevate rookies willy-nilly.

[old55 21,804]

Bad moon rising for Strauss, J.Macdonald and Jetta there, but I imagine they'll all get their chance during a long year ahead.

[Pates 9,541]

Gawn hasn't played an AFL game for something like a year and a half. He is going to spend a few weeks at casey according to mission, i guess 4-6 weeks depending of form. Isn't that enough to warrant upgrading Magner, how many rookie upgrade/demotions can we have in a year? Magner seems to really be the only rookie in contention the others are: Couch (similar to Magner but less upside), Stark (not AFL ready), Clisby (doubt he will be AFL ready this year).

If Gawn is going to be out for 4 or more weeks I think that gives enough reason to upgrade Magner considering our weak midfield.

I'm not sure about the rules of the LT injury list, it might be that if he's playing at Casey we aren't allowed to upgrade a rookie to replace him. One or two weeks may be fine but I would think the AFL would frown on us upgrading a rookie so someone can get some form at VFL level.

I agree with jnrmac, despite what everyone says about port I see just about everything in our favour. They have a pretty limited forward line, a midfield that would be on par with ours and we have some tall timbre to cause problems for their IMO nothing defense. They have just as many young players making their debut that they're resting their hopes on and we have the one factor that will make all the difference in my book. The MCG.

We should be winning this, and there is no other way of looking at it.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Could be wrong, but I think Gawn has to come off the LTI List to play for Casey. Otherwise clubs could say any of their young/crap players that aren't in the frame for senior matches are "injured", and elevate rookies willy-nilly.

Oh yes my mistake - could they have kept him on the long term injury list while he finds form at Casey?

[rjay 24,138]

Just heard a pre game review on SEN. They are saying big money has been put on Port (BTW I HATE the fact gambling odds are shoved down our throats) but its nonsense. We took an incredibly inexperienced team to Renmark and won the game. Their team wasn't a long way off their best.

We have played 9 times at the MCG and won 8.

We should win this.

Yeah, but that was from a Melbourne supporter, can't remember his name but he's from 'Inside Football'. He put up a logical case.

We've flown under the radar this pre season playing games that have not been covered on radio or TV so unless you support the club like we do then you really wouldn't know how we are travelling at all.

None of us will really get an idea until this Sunday and even then it will take a while to see if the changes Neeld has been making are the right ones.

[Young Dee 1,303]

I'm not sure about the rules of the LT injury list, it might be that if he's playing at Casey we aren't allowed to upgrade a rookie to replace him. One or two weeks may be fine but I would think the AFL would frown on us upgrading a rookie so someone can get some form at VFL level.

I agree with jnrmac, despite what everyone says about port I see just about everything in our favour. They have a pretty limited forward line, a midfield that would be on par with ours and we have some tall timbre to cause problems for their IMO nothing defense. They have just as many young players making their debut that they're resting their hopes on and we have the one factor that will make all the difference in my book. The MCG.

We should be winning this, and there is no other way of looking at it.

I know what the excuse will be if we don't win ...... 7-8 new players that have never played with each other etc etc...

I remember reading somewhere that no team debuting more than 4 or 5 players has won in a long time (like 50 years or something)

[ucanchoose 1,806]

Just heard a pre game review on SEN. They are saying big money has been put on Port (BTW I HATE the fact gambling odds are shoved down our throats) but its nonsense. We took an incredibly inexperienced team to Renmark and won the game. Their team wasn't a long way off their best.

We have played 9 times at the MCG and won 8.

We should win this.

The one we did lose we shouldn't have. Davey was coathangered in the goalsquare at the city end and would have surely won us the game

Even my Father in Law from NZ who doesn't know anything about the game thought we were robbed

[titan_uranus 22,962]

Clark, Toumpas, Viney.

We're already 50% better than the second half of last year, and that's ignoring fitness, game plan, the loss of the deadwood, and the other additions.

[P-man 13,285]

Just heard a pre game review on SEN. They are saying big money has been put on Port (BTW I HATE the fact gambling odds are shoved down our throats) but its nonsense. We took an incredibly inexperienced team to Renmark and won the game. Their team wasn't a long way off their best.

Let's not dress that game up different to what it was. To my recollection they had 13 of their best 22 missing. Yes we had more, but I'd say that's still a long way off their best. The Renmark game was our kids just managing to beat their kids. Nothing more.

As for questions about who their guns are, with the exception of Schulz and arguably Wingard, they are ALL in the midfield: Boak, Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes. Four players who would walk into just about any team. Their engine room is significantly better than ours and is the number 1 reason we will struggle on Sunday unless several players play to their potential.

[Redleg 38,259]

Let's not dress that game up different to what it was. To my recollection they had 13 of their best 22 missing. Yes we had more, but I'd say that's still a long way off their best. The Renmark game was our kids just managing to beat their kids. Nothing more.

As for questions about who their guns are, with the exception of Schulz and arguably Wingard, they are ALL in the midfield: Boak, Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes. Four players who would walk into just about any team. Their engine room is significantly better than ours and is the number 1 reason we will struggle on Sunday unless several players play to their potential.

Agree.

[Mono 454]

I know what the excuse will be if we don't win ...... 7-8 new players that have never played with each other etc etc...

I remember reading somewhere that no team debuting more than 4 or 5 players has won in a long time (like 50 years or something)

Port are debuting 6 or 7 as well, so.....

[Bossdog 2,002]

When will the full side be announced?????

I hate this squad idea.....just tell us who's playing......

[Mono 454]

When will the full side be announced?????

......

Saturday Friday arvo.

Off topic, sort of: I live in Nth country Vic, and usually drive to a rail head and train it to the 'G. Discovered today, all the services I could use are replaced with buses....FFS. My Sunday suddenly got a lot worse; might not happen.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Mono

[jnrmac 19,440]

Let's not dress that game up different to what it was. To my recollection they had 13 of their best 22 missing. Yes we had more, but I'd say that's still a long way off their best. The Renmark game was our kids just managing to beat their kids. Nothing more.

As for questions about who their guns are, with the exception of Schulz and arguably Wingard, they are ALL in the midfield: Boak, Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes. Four players who would walk into just about any team. Their engine room is significantly better than ours and is the number 1 reason we will struggle on Sunday unless several players play to their potential.

Not trying to gild the lilly. But Port did take the NAB Cup quite seriously according to their fan forum on BF FWIW. And they were favourites to win.

Port didn't have Boak, Cassisi, Cornes, Brad Ebert, Gray, Monfries, Pittard and Schulz

We didn't have Trengove, Clark, Frawley, Blease, Bail, Grimes, Jones, Dawes, McDonald, Howe, Watts, Jamar, Rodan, Garland, Byrnes, Jordie, Dunn, Toumpas and Viney. They had a better team than us on paper.

I agree with you re the midfield but still believe on Sunday we should win it on paper. Its whether they can play together as a unit that I worry about.

[Demonland 66,719]

Honestly, if we lose i doubt its the end of the world. There will still be 21 rounds to play.

I just heard Mick Malthouse say that about Carlton but he didn't convince me.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,556]

When will the full side be announced?????

I hate this squad idea.....just tell us who's playing......

Unless things have changed this year, it's always been late Friday afternoon.

I expect the final 22 to be announced by 6pm tonight.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,408]

Let's not dress that game up different to what it was. To my recollection they had 13 of their best 22 missing. Yes we had more, but I'd say that's still a long way off their best. The Renmark game was our kids just managing to beat their kids. Nothing more.

As for questions about who their guns are, with the exception of Schulz and arguably Wingard, they are ALL in the midfield: Boak, Ebert, Hartlett, Cornes. Four players who would walk into just about any team. Their engine room is significantly better than ours and is the number 1 reason we will struggle on Sunday unless several players play to their potential.

Some people seriously over rate other sides. Agree on Boak but Ebert is a good accumulator based on his output last season, Hartlett thus far has been an injury prone inconsistent talent And Cornes is in his twilight. I would put them in the bottom 5 mid fields in the league.

[P-man 13,285]

Not trying to gild the lilly. But Port did take the NAB Cup quite seriously according to their fan forum on BF FWIW. And they were favourites to win.

Port didn't have Boak, Cassisi, Cornes, Brad Ebert, Gray, Monfries, Pittard and Schulz

We didn't have Trengove, Clark, Frawley, Blease, Bail, Grimes, Jones, Dawes, McDonald, Howe, Watts, Jamar, Rodan, Garland, Byrnes, Jordie, Dunn, Toumpas and Viney. They had a better team than us on paper.

I agree with you re the midfield but still believe on Sunday we should win it on paper. Its whether they can play together as a unit that I worry about.

I took two positives from the Port game:

1. You can now mount an argument that our depth is better than theirs. For two teams at similar stages of their development, that is nothing to be sneezed at.

2. The new crop coming through have an ability to stick to their structures when the chips are down and are able to fight out games when a late challenge is mounted. Regardless of the opposition, this is not something we've been able to say of Melbourne teams past.

As a form guide for Round 1, I didn't take much from it, if anything. Will be two completely different sides with different mentalities running out.

[P-man 13,285]

Some people seriously over rate other sides. Agree on Boak but Ebert is a good accumulator based on his output last season, Hartlett thus far has been an injury prone inconsistent talent And Cornes is in his twilight. I would put them in the bottom 5 mid fields in the league.

Swan is also labelled a "good accumulator". It's too often used to dismiss a player's worth. Ebert would be our best midfielder. I agree on being injury prone, but Hartlett is an elite ball user and Port have cottoned onto that by pushing him further down the ground. He will be a damaging player this year.

Their midfield ran over West Coast's in pre-season at practically full strength. You can read into that what you like, and I agree that what they've lacked is some consistency, but even if you accept their midfield is bottom 5, ours is currently bottom.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,408]

Swan is also labelled a "good accumulator". It's too often used to dismiss a player's worth. Ebert would be our best midfielder. I agree on being injury prone, but Hartlett is an elite ball user and Port have cottoned onto that by pushing him further down the ground. He will be a damaging player this year.

Their midfield ran over West Coast's in pre-season at practically full strength. You can read into that what you like, and I agree that what they've lacked is some consistency, but even if you accept their midfield is bottom 5, ours is currently bottom.

Agree that we are below them but they're not exactly Collingwood or Hawthorn. There are a lot of ifs and buts with them. Rating Ebert over Jones just proves people over rate them.

[P-man 13,285]

Agree that we are below them but they're not exactly Collingwood or Hawthorn. There are a lot of ifs and buts with them. Rating Ebert over Jones just proves people over rate them.

Jones and Ebert are very close, I'll grant you that. And by no means am I saying they are unbeatable. They are very, very beatable, but could also be one of the real surprise packets in 2013.

[ucanchoose 1,806]

Unless things have changed this year, it's always been late Friday afternoon.

I expect the final 22 to be announced by 6pm tonight.

Sunday game, so they have until Saturday to name the team

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Unless things have changed this year, it's always been late Friday afternoon.

I expect the final 22 to be announced by 6pm tonight.

I believe Melbourne has a light training session (fitness) on Sat. Morn.

The Final make up wont be made until then.

[rjay 24,138]

Swan is also labelled a "good accumulator". It's too often used to dismiss a player's worth. Ebert would be our best midfielder. I agree on being injury prone, but Hartlett is an elite ball user and Port have cottoned onto that by pushing him further down the ground. He will be a damaging player this year.

Their midfield ran over West Coast's in pre-season at practically full strength. You can read into that what you like, and I agree that what they've lacked is some consistency, but even if you accept their midfield is bottom 5, ours is currently bottom.

Without Kerr and NN WC's midfield is nowhere near full strength.