I dont know if they are competent which is why I wonder about how good they are.

As soon as the fixture came out, it was obvious this seasons first round was pretty much make or break.

I realise bad luck happens but the niggles Dawes (especially) had before Christmas possibly could have been handled in a fashion to get him on the park.

Jamar, Clark, Gawn all unavailable with what seems Not to be last minute injuries.

And my belief is that if you are not able to play, you are not fit.

But my main gripe is we get [censored] from Misson every week.

Just seems to me that they DGAF.

It is a brutal contact sport. Injuries happen.

Because of the clubs bad recruiting and administrations in previous years we have no depth to cover the current injuries.

FFS don't blame the players for getting injured.

They hit hard again and again.

I dont know if they are competent which is why I wonder about how good they are.

As soon as the fixture came out, it was obvious this seasons first round was pretty much make or break.

I realise bad luck happens but the niggles Dawes (especially) had before Christmas possibly could have been handled in a fashion to get him on the park.

Jamar, Clark, Gawn all unavailable with what seems Not to be last minute injuries.

And my belief is that if you are not able to play, you are not fit.

But my main gripe is we get [censored] from Misson every week.

Just seems to me that they DGAF.

I think you expect a magic wand. It was announced this morning at Carlton that Judd's resumption has been put back 2 weeks as his recovery had not come on as quickly as anticipated

I am not sure what you mean by ."As soon as the fixture came out, it was obvious this seasons first round was pretty much make or break." .

Are you suggesting that programs are not tailored to get all players available for round one ?

Are you suggesting that Dawes niggles were mishandled or that every effort was not made to get him ready for round one.

I find that extraordinary. If you are suggesting that Dawes/Jamar have bodies that can't cope with the rigours of AFL anymore then this can be debated.

All Misson is doing is giving the latest known assessment ( you do realise also that Dawes did play half a practice match and it was anticipated that his load would step up but the calf gave him trouble again ?).

I think the expectation is way too high that medical staff can give an accurate assessment on a highly tuned athletes injuries. The expectation that a body will always heel to a stated timeline is just not the case.

I found it interesting hearing about Jesse Hogans injury that the assessment can only made by symptoms - meaning MRI's/scans and the like won't give an indication as to how the injury is going. It will purely be based on how his back is feeling. Try and make an accurate prediction of when he will back based on that !

Injuries happen......Reid from collingwood ....his calf injury has not settled down & I bet we will be lucky to see him in the first part off the year. I am quite happy to have the policy of 100% fitness which will set us up for the second part of the season & for the seasons ahead. We are all desperate for success & some joy ....it has been so long ....but I do feel like we are on the right track albeit slowly.

Some learned men say " the more you know the less you know" yet some think the opposite.

Confucius say: “The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a darkroom, especially if there is no cat.”

Desperately...nail on the head. Fingers croseed..

Thank you captain obvious!

Garry Lyon said after the footy show that he doesn't think we'll see Mitch in the first half of the year. He also said he hasn't got his foot right. Not sure if that was a mistake and he didn't realise the club had listed his injury as a hamstring or calf, or he knows what the club isn't reporting.

Confucius say: “The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a darkroom, especially if there is no cat.”

To which Schrodinger said 'The cat is both there and not there, until you either trip on it or the lights come on. In the meantime, plot the potential distribution of the potential cat based on previous experience of where the potential cat has been tripped upon, and proceed to tread carefully'

Meanwhile, it is just an impression I'm getting, but there seem to be a scattering of injury layoffs being extended unexpectedly. I wonder if this is a perception created by more optimistic reporting in the first place (maybe Nick Smith would be know as '2-2-4' these days) or whether there is actually a recovery issue beginning to work it's way into the game?

It is a brutal contact sport. Injuries happen.

Because of the clubs bad recruiting and administrations in previous years we have no depth to cover the current injuries.

FFS don't blame the players for getting injured.

They hit hard again and again.

Mind you, what club would really have the depth to cover their first, second, third then fourth tall forward option, and two of your best three "tall"defenders, amongst others? Especially a struggling / developing club list.

Mind you, what club would really have the depth to cover their first, second, third then fourth tall forward option, and two of your best three "tall"defenders, amongst others? Especially a struggling / developing club list.

None.

Trouble is when you are a bottom club like us no one cares and you are expected to lose anyway. When you lose no one is going to say your side was decimated with injuries, but rather you are just crap.

None.

Trouble is when you are a bottom club like us no one cares and you are expected to lose anyway. When you lose no one is going to say your side was decimated with injuries, but rather you are just crap.

Especially when noone wants to come watch you play and you're getting so much less money than some of the opposition teams as a result

Meanwhile, it is just an impression I'm getting, but there seem to be a scattering of injury layoffs being extended unexpectedly. I wonder if this is a perception created by more optimistic reporting in the first place (maybe Nick Smith would be know as '2-2-4' these days) or whether there is actually a recovery issue beginning to work it's way into the game?

Yes hadn't you noticed this over the past 3 years? MFC report that a player will be out for 1-2 or 2-3 weeks and then it's 6-8 before they're back. It's standard. They must think we're idiots.

To which Schrodinger said 'The cat is both there and not there, until you either trip on it or the lights come on. In the meantime, plot the potential distribution of the potential cat based on previous experience of where the potential cat has been tripped upon, and proceed to tread carefully'

My father told me that all cats are grey in the dark.

Can you tell me what would happen if Pavlovs dogs expected to see Schrödinger's cat every time the bell rang?

Just seems to me that they DGAF.

Whilst I certainly wouldn't suggest the medical staff are not competent I do share your frustration. From the time Hogan was injured there was some prospect of him being ready for round 1. Now it's 2 or 3 weeks away and we approach round 2. Yet we've not heard of any setback. If my memory serves me correctly Dawes was also on track for R1 and the interview after the interclub was all positive despite several observers saying he was icing his calf. Guess what. He hasn't trained with the main group since, is occasionally sighted at training and has been sent to the AIS for special treatment. Clark's story is well known. Garland was hopefully going to be ready for R1 and despite "he's going fantastic" won't be there for R2 and who knows when.

We've come off 7 years of crud. We've all looked forward to being competitive. That hope has be fed by positive injury reports. On not one but 4 players we've received reports of a positive nature but haven't seen them on the park.

Of course it's hurt us badly. The start of the season for a fragile group was vital and it's been torpedo'd by injury. It's not the clubs fault that the players are injured but it's certainly the club's fault we've been fed bull in the weeks leading up to the start of the season. You can sit and talk about "contact sport" all you like but it's not surprising that many of the passionate amongst us are angry and disappointed.

Dawes situation also raises the question as to whether he should have been recruited or was just a desperate get by Neeld. Injured when he came, not right since and Collingwood were seemingly glad to see the back of him. i wonder if the same due diligence was done on him as when we appointed Neeld.

I wanted to at least not fear going to the footy this year. I fear Sunday.

Whilst I certainly wouldn't suggest the medical staff are not competent I do share your frustration. From the time Hogan was injured there was some prospect of him being ready for round 1. Now it's 2 or 3 weeks away and we approach round 2. Yet we've not heard of any setback. If my memory serves me correctly Dawes was also on track for R1 and the interview after the interclub was all positive despite several observers saying he was icing his calf. Guess what. He hasn't trained with the main group since, is occasionally sighted at training and has been sent to the AIS for special treatment. Clark's story is well known. Garland was hopefully going to be ready for R1 and despite "he's going fantastic" won't be there for R2 and who knows when.

We've come off 7 years of crud. We've all looked forward to being competitive. That hope has be fed by positive injury reports. On not one but 4 players we've received reports of a positive nature but haven't seen them on the park.

Of course it's hurt us badly. The start of the season for a fragile group was vital and it's been torpedo'd by injury. It's not the clubs fault that the players are injured but it's certainly the club's fault we've been fed bull in the weeks leading up to the start of the season. You can sit and talk about "contact sport" all you like but it's not surprising that many of the passionate amongst us are angry and disappointed.

Dawes situation also raises the question as to whether he should have been recruited or was just a desperate get by Neeld. Injured when he came, not right since and Collingwood were seemingly glad to see the back of him. i wonder if the same due diligence was done on him as when we appointed Neeld.

I wanted to at least not fear going to the footy this year. I fear Sunday.

I agree with all you say 'Bob'. As for Sunday I was disappointed when I found out a month back that I had to work, now it may be a godsend.

My father told me that all cats are grey in the dark.

Can you tell me what would happen if Pavlovs dogs expected to see Schrödinger's cat every time the bell rang?

Depends... is he in a forest and is there anyone around to hear?

Whilst I certainly wouldn't suggest the medical staff are not competent I do share your frustration. From the time Hogan was injured there was some prospect of him being ready for round 1. Now it's 2 or 3 weeks away and we approach round 2. Yet we've not heard of any setback. If my memory serves me correctly Dawes was also on track for R1 and the interview after the interclub was all positive despite several observers saying he was icing his calf. Guess what. He hasn't trained with the main group since, is occasionally sighted at training and has been sent to the AIS for special treatment. Clark's story is well known. Garland was hopefully going to be ready for R1 and despite "he's going fantastic" won't be there for R2 and who knows when.

We've come off 7 years of crud. We've all looked forward to being competitive. That hope has be fed by positive injury reports. On not one but 4 players we've received reports of a positive nature but haven't seen them on the park.

Of course it's hurt us badly. The start of the season for a fragile group was vital and it's been torpedo'd by injury. It's not the clubs fault that the players are injured but it's certainly the club's fault we've been fed bull in the weeks leading up to the start of the season. You can sit and talk about "contact sport" all you like but it's not surprising that many of the passionate amongst us are angry and disappointed.

Dawes situation also raises the question as to whether he should have been recruited or was just a desperate get by Neeld. Injured when he came, not right since and Collingwood were seemingly glad to see the back of him. i wonder if the same due diligence was done on him as when we appointed Neeld.

I wanted to at least not fear going to the footy this year. I fear Sunday.

I agree that the due diligence in the recruitment of Dawes may have lacked some vigor but most agree we had to do the best deal we could.

I note that many more post season operations and pre-season setbacks happened at Carlton, but their coach told everybody (it seems) to be on the park round one.

They were underdone and Daisy copped flack for a bad start. Still MM pointed the finger and said, "youre playing" to, it seems anyone who looked up.

It was almost a perfect storm for us Demon Supporters who had watched a genesis in coaching, recruiting and outlook, this pre-season.

You hope that like Pete Townsend said, we wont get fooled again.

But I was. I feel robbed.

It will all become clear to me if they are playing funny buggers when we see who is ready to play round 4.

We stand a good show of beating the Blues.

Wasnt Grundy drafted with the Dawes pick? or am I mistaken?

Wasnt Grundy drafted with the Dawes pick? or am I mistaken?

we needed a pick to trade for Dawes, which is why the hogan trade was ND3, ND13 and ND 72 for Jesse Hogan, Dom Barry and ND20

if we just traded pick 3 for Hogan we could have picked up Grundy at 13 which would have been a much better result i think

we needed a pick to trade for Dawes, which is why the hogan trade was ND3, ND13 and ND 72 for Jesse Hogan, Dom Barry and ND20

if we just traded pick 3 for Hogan we could have picked up Grundy at 13 which would have been a much better result i think

Yeah, we made a mess of it.

We should've kept one of our second rounders this year as well.

We should've kept one of our second rounders this year as well.

but ..but... but ..wait...if that is mistake from this year how the hell are we going to blame Neeld for that ?

Wasnt Grundy drafted with the Dawes pick? or am I mistaken?

You're mistaken.

It was Tim Broomhead; Grundy was taken a pick or 2 earlier.

Not that it matters a lick.

To all those ^^ posters who say we should have kept the pick we used for Dawes: wasn't his injury problem at Collingwood related to his hand, not his knee of calf?

And had we kept the pick, we have had such a fabulous record of using our high picks (or at least perhaps in "developing" them) who knows who we would have picked and what would have become of them?