Going into 2007 we were tipped to be a top eight, even top four team. During the NAB Cup I expressed concern but was shouted down by the masses here as it was "only NAB Cup". Yes, results in the pre-season can be meaningless but you can take a lot out the style of play and little trends that start to emerge.

Didn't we beat Collingwood in the NAB cup 2 years ago in Neelds first year? Gives no indication at all.

Going into 2007 we were tipped to be a top eight, even top four team. During the NAB Cup I expressed concern but was shouted down by the masses here as it was "only NAB Cup". Yes, results in the pre-season can be meaningless but you can take a lot out the style of play and little trends that start to emerge.

Anything you gleaned was coincidental happenstance or your own educated gut feeling. NAB Cup games are practice games and they are meaningless.

Anything you gleaned was coincidental happenstance or your own educated gut feeling. NAB Cup games are practice games and they are meaningless.

Read what I wrote, results can be meaningless but you can begin to get a good indication of how a team will play in these games.

Anything you gleaned was coincidental happenstance or your own educated gut feeling. NAB Cup games are practice games and they are meaningless.

Yes they are indeed essentially practice games with a a bit of icing perhaps. But given they are supposedly practicing something it can give a clear idea of how progressed they are at doing that.

They're not drills, theyre not just training they are games under full live combatant conditions. Its till real footy, not pretend. i wouldnt say meaningless. They are windows to progress.

The round one effect is interesting.

I still remember round one in 2002. We played Hawthorn at the G and were coming off a poor season the year before in which we finished 11th. Most 'experts' predicted that we would slide even further in 2002.

We had a few key additions though: Powell back from the LTI; Vardy from the Crows and possibly some others (can't remember now). Our forward line looked good: Neita, Robbo, Green and Vardy. There was some cause for hope, but no one gave us much.

We then pumped the Hawks in round one. And it set up a great, though ultimately disappointing season.

Let's not underestimate the importance of beating the Saints in round one next year. In the context of our performance next season, this game is simply massive IMO.

very interesting

Having not won in round 1 OR 2 since 2005 its hard to get excited.

I have a good feeling about round 1 . I think we'll be the better balanced and prepared side. Dspite any protestations Roos in effect has been looking at us for a long while. He has had in his mind an idea of how he would want to ( and now is ) mould this team. StKilda on the other hand have disassembled an element of a game that kinda worked in the hope that new blood will be their future. Their coach , untried at this level and so ,a s we all know only too well , will be learning on the job will have to play catch up coaching.

this is a game between coaches. Melbourne will win round 1

I have a good feeling about round 1 . I think we'll be the better balanced and prepared side. Dspite any protestations Roos in effect has been looking at us for a long while. He has had in his mind an idea of how he would want to ( and now is ) mould this team. StKilda on the other hand have disassembled an element of a game that kinda worked in the hope that new blood will be their future. Their coach , untried at this level and so ,a s we all know only too well , will be learning on the job will have to play catch up coaching.

this is a game between coaches. Melbourne will win round 1

It also took us 3 years to get fit, while it took Port Adelaide 5 months.

Doesn't matter how long Roos has had to mould his team, especially when comparing it to a different team that in reality has had less time, it's the 22 blokes that run out on the day.

Like so many others, the St Kilda game will be won and lost in the midfield. Our forwards and backs have them covered, but they still have a level of quality in the guts that regardless of how long their coach has been there for, they have played a lot more footy together as players compared to our "new" midfield. There is still a lot of uncertainty with regards to our mids in my opinion.

It also took us 3 years to get fit, while it took Port Adelaide 5 months.

Doesn't matter how long Roos has had to mould his team, especially when comparing it to a different team that in reality has had less time, it's the 22 blokes that run out on the day.

Like so many others, the St Kilda game will be won and lost in the midfield. Our forwards and backs have them covered, but they still have a level of quality in the guts that regardless of how long their coach has been there for, they have played a lot more footy together as players compared to our "new" midfield. There is still a lot of uncertainty with regards to our mids in my opinion.

You can be certain that Roos will be concentrating most of his efforts in training into getting the midfield happening... and with the experience of Jones, Vince and Cross coupled with the enthusiasm and skills of Viney, Michie, Tyson and others, they should be able to make reasonably big leaps forward over the pre-season.

You can be certain that Roos will be concentrating most of his efforts in training into getting the midfield happening... and with the experience of Jones, Vince and Cross coupled with the enthusiasm and skills of Viney, Michie, Tyson and others, they should be able to make reasonably big leaps forward over the pre-season.

I agree. The midfield of 2014 will be a useful group, not superlative ( not in their first season in this guise ) but capable.

I'm not really convinced that the Ainters midfield will all that flash at all. They , in my view will become long term cellar dwellers.

You can be certain that Roos will be concentrating most of his efforts in training into getting the midfield happening... and with the experience of Jones, Vince and Cross coupled with the enthusiasm and skills of Viney, Michie, Tyson and others, they should be able to make reasonably big leaps forward over the pre-season.

They may be experienced players, but they have no experience playing with each other. So while Roos doesn't have to teach them basic things like fitness, disposal and endeavour, he still has to teach them (and all the others) how to play with each other.

I agree. The midfield of 2014 will be a useful group, not superlative ( not in their first season in this guise ) but capable.

I'm not really convinced that the Ainters midfield will all that flash at all. They , in my view will become long term cellar dwellers.

The problem is that our midfield is coming from so far back. It was barely third world. Even with the injection of new faces, both young ("enthusiasm") and old (experience), as well as the natural(?) progression of our own, we are absolutely bridging the gap on a number of teams, but we are still far from competing with most.

I will be a lot more confident when we play them the second time around, but no doubt will pick us in round 1 too.

There seems to be some sort of unilateral observance that any progress we make can only be linear. Given the constructs surrounding the changes i'm suggesting there will be a quantum jump in capability.

There seems to be some sort of unilateral observance that any progress we make can only be linear. Given the constructs surrounding the changes i'm suggesting there will be a quantum jump in capability.

Or, we can say that we were really, really crap in 2013, and that the injection of new players should see us improve to just plain crap.

That'll still be a quantum jump, but will it be enough to win Round 1? Will tell you mid-March.

There seems to be some sort of unilateral observance that any progress we make can only be linear. Given the constructs surrounding the changes i'm suggesting there will be a quantum jump in capability.

Only quantum leaps I have noticed in the past decade have been backwards bb

Or, we can say that we were really, really crap in 2013, and that the injection of new players should see us improve to just plain crap.

That'll still be a quantum jump, but will it be enough to win Round 1? Will tell you mid-March.

Just pushed the "Like" button

Just pushed the "Like" button

Thanks Old Dee - you're the first to press my new like button, so I'll never forget you. That said, deep down I was hoping it may have been BBO that took that scalp, but I'm sure our experience will make me all the more prepared for when that moment arises.