Garland is not in the top ten of our most important players in my opinion. He is not a game winner. He is replacable.

Garland is not in the top ten of our most important players in my opinion. He is not a game winner. He is replacable.

Really? Ok, Bluey results aren't everything but second after Jones last year is a fair indication of his importance to the team

Make no mistake Col Garland is well within the top 10 at the MFC

Garland is not in the top ten of our most important players in my opinion. He is not a game winner. He is replacable.

Viney Fan, I'm loathe to make emphatic statements. And with that I'm now going to make one. Garland is vital to us. So often last year he managed to marshall the defence to stop an even greater flogging. Remember we didnt have a midfield per se. I have him in my top 5 players in terms of importance....easily.

Viney Fan, I'm loathe to make emphatic statements. And with that I'm now going to make one. Garland is vital to us. So often last year he managed to marshall the defence to stop an even greater flogging. Remember we didnt have a midfield per se. I have him in my top 5 players in terms of importance....easily.

I agree with most of what you say here RTG. However, I'm also in agreement with JVF. We can cover the loss of a defender far easier than the loss of a midfielder or forward. We have a number of guys who can play back with reasonable competence. Not so elswhere.

When we start winning Garland will be a very handy experienced player, but he won't be the game winner/game breaker and I don't think he will be our most important defender, assuming Frawley stays (now he is an important player to us!) and I expect Tom McDonald to be more important than Garland in years to come.

I have nothing against Garland, he is a loyal well respected player, but I honestly hate the way he plays 90% of the time.

I think he lacks mongrel and hardness. He is the one player who I would like to trade because I can not see us winning a premiership with him and would prefer him to be an opponent.

I know this is deep, but it is honestly what I have thought for a long time.

When we start winning Garland will be a very handy experienced player, but he won't be the game winner/game breaker and I don't think he will be our most important defender, assuming Frawley stays (now he is an important player to us!) and I expect Tom McDonald to be more important than Garland in years to come.

I have nothing against Garland, he is a loyal well respected player, but I honestly hate the way he plays 90% of the time.

I think he lacks mongrel and hardness. He is the one player who I would like to trade because I can not see us winning a premiership with him and would prefer him to be an opponent.

I know this is deep, but it is honestly what I have thought for a long time.

Garland 2012 or before you might be right but not Garland of 2013. He was one of few who gave their all every week. And that's how you win games and eventually get to a step when you can think about premierships.

You're showing very silly thinking talking about game breakers and premiership calibre players. Premiership teams are built around their outstanding role players as much as game breakers

Frawley and McDonald may be more important as the key defenders but Garlands versatility puts him up near that level as well.

Garland 2012 or before you might be right but not Garland of 2013. He was one of few who gave their all every week. And that's how you win games and eventually get to a step when you can think about premierships.

You're showing very silly thinking talking about game breakers and premiership calibre players. Premiership teams are built around their outstanding role players as much as game breakers

Frawley and McDonald may be more important as the key defenders but Garlands versatility puts him up near that level as well.

like I said at the start of my last post, he will be a very handy experienced player, but you can't build a team or a backline around him. But he has been loyal to the red and blue, and we all respect that despite what opinion we have of him as a player on the field.

Garland 2012 or before you might be right but not Garland of 2013. He was one of few who gave their all every week. And that's how you win games and eventually get to a step when you can think about premierships.

This bit of your post on particular is spot on. Garlan has matured beautifully over the last 18 mths and IMO will be a real leader in the back 50 over the next 4-5 yrs. He's a great role player that has immense versatility, he can play small or tall, quick or slow. I remember him playing on Milne one week and then going tall the next, and beating both easily. Garlan is very underrated, his and Grimes' leadership qualities down back are extremely important.

This bit of your post on particular is spot on. Garlan has matured beautifully over the last 18 mths and IMO will be a real leader in the back 50 over the next 4-5 yrs. He's a great role player that has immense versatility, he can play small or tall, quick or slow. I remember him playing on Milne one week and then going tall the next, and beating both easily. Garlan is very underrated, his and Grimes' leadership qualities down back are extremely important.

I remember him playing on Betts multiple times .....and he was beaten every time, by that I mean Betts kicked 4 or 5 goals and won the game for Carlton, but that was probably Neeld's idea

Edited January 25, 201411 yr by J VINEY FAN

Do not judge Garland until he has played a season under Roos.

We still do not know his best position yet.

Do not judge Garland until he has played a season under Roos.

We still do not know his best position yet.

You don't think he could play anywhere else but defence do you WYL?

Do not judge Garland until he has played a season under Roos.

We still do not know his best position yet.

In the midfield with Watts......?

I remember him playing on Betts multiple times .....and he was beaten every time, by that I mean Betts kicked 4 or 5 goals and won the game for Carlton, but that was probably Neeld's idea

Betts kicked 4 last year and 5 the year before. Apart from that in the preceding 5 years he kicked no more than 2 in any game against us. So yes, he did kick 4 and 5, not sure if he was on Judy for those, but I'm guessing you are correct. Blues won by nearly 10 goals each time, so I don't think he won the game for them.

Garland is not in the top ten of our most important players in my opinion. He is not a game winner. He is replacable.

So apart from the fact that Col came a close second in the Bluey last year, also won the Ron Barassi Jnr leadership award, was voted into the leadership group last year by his peers and is likely to be so again this year, tell me who were our 10 more important players in 2013?

So apart from the fact that Col came a close second in the Bluey last year, also won the Ron Barassi Jnr leadership award, was voted into the leadership group last year by his peers and is likely to be so again this year, tell me who were our 10 more important players in 2013?

I was referring to our list, not performances in 2013. In 2013 the majority of our top ten most important players were sidelined, as you would know. For example I would regard Jack Viney as a more important player for our club compared to Garland. I see him as our 3rd best defender.

Edited January 25, 201411 yr by J VINEY FAN

J Viney, I appreciate your argument but I do think it relies on would've, could've and might as opposed to actual performances. And if its based on performances then he is, for mine, clearly in our top 10. I hope Viney will be in our top 10 but it would be very hard to argue that he is at the minute.

Edited January 25, 201411 yr by Return to Glory

I know how much pressure he has had to handle over his career and perhaps when we develop a midfield the pressure will be released some what from our defenders and they will be able to get creative or fine tune their games, he is loyal and loves playing for the club.

And also take into consideration that Roos's first task is to tighten defence ( according to the bloke himself)

I know how much pressure he has had to handle over his career and perhaps when we develop a midfield the pressure will be released some what from our defenders and they will be able to get creative or fine tune their games, he is loyal and loves playing for the club.

And that's part of my argument. If we are developing a midfield it makes his role all the more important IMO

And that's part of my argument. If we are developing a midfield it makes his role all the more important IMO

if Garlands injury does hold him back it will possibly open the door for Georgio, but we need to draft another tall defender for depth.

if Garlands injury does hold him back it will possibly open the door for Georgio, but we need to draft another tall defender for depth.

Whilst I understand the tenants of your argument on Garls and match winner status (maybe you should look match saving ability too) the Gergiou reference is a stretch. Proven veteran player vs untried rookie... A step to far bud.

You don't think he could play anywhere else but defence do you WYL?

he has played forward and back. Mostly back granted. But he is a nomad on the ground to me.

I will be fascinated to see how Roosy uses him.

Garland is easily our most consistent defender and definitely in our top 5 players. End of story. I just hope this foot thing doesn't stretch out like Clark's has. I'm still imagining Garland will be there for Round 1 though. McDonald still has a lot of work to do in the way he plays, and you never know which Frawley you'll get

One of my "good sources" spoke to Mick Conlan at the Brighton Baths over Christmas. They both do those early morning swim sessions. Mick's words were basically this "Brisbane were not too worried to lose Clark as his body has always been close to injury. Said Mitch was a great guy but did not expect a long career from him. Has had the hammy problem for a fair while.

The other comment he said was that he rated Chris Dawes as a bargain and that his best footy should be ahead of him.

For those not old enough to remember Mick Conlan, he was a gun midfielder for Fitzroy in the 80's & early 90's and he was built like a Kelvinator Refrigerator.

Incredibly tough bloke, Micky Conlan

Garland will play 250+games and 3 grandfinals most improved player at mfc