Now that we are getting closer i thought it might be worth having a guess at our round 1 lineup

Alexis Georgiou James Frawley Lynden Dunn

Jack Grimes Tom Mcdonald Dean Terlich

Jack Watts Dom Tyson Daniel Cross

Jeremy Howe Jack fitzpatrick Jesse Hogan

Jay Kennedy-Harris Chris Dawes Jack Viney

Max Gawn Jack Trengove Nathan Jones

Bernie Vince Jimmy Toumpas Viv Michie

Matt Jones

Blease instead of Toumpas? No thanks

Still 2 games out from round 1. I'll wait to predict as you never know who will play well and who won't in those games.

Still 2 games out from round 1. I'll wait to predict as you never know who will play well and who won't in those games.

I agree after the last two years I have a small amount of courage re predicting anything much about team make up or results.

Negative ?

probably.

Wait and see?

Yep.

Toumpas has to be in.

you could swap Toumpas for Blease, i mostly thought blease was a better sub type player

I personally think (not necessarily hope) it will look like this:

FB: Georgiou Frawley Dunn

HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich

C: Watts Cross Vince

HF: Toumpas Hogan Bail

FF: Fitzpatrick Dawes Howe

R/R: Spencer N.Jones Trengove

I/C: Michie Tyson Blease

Sub: Kennedy-Harris

Next 5: Pederson, Viney, M Jones, Strauss, Clisby

- Not yet convinced both Hogan and Dawes will play round 1, but we'll see. Pederson comes in if either miss

- Viney and Matt Jones aren't in there at the moment, as Jones, Trengove, Michie, Tyson and Cross are all slower-type clearance players that have had better preseasons than these two. A midfield with all seven I believe would get exposed for pace. This is not to say Viney doesn't belong in the best 22, but I don't see him getting a gig round one.

- Bail is in there because he has looked very solid playing a high half-forward role. I used to think he was awful, but he has begun to turn the corner i believe. Still needs to improve his kicking at goal.

- Georgiou is Garland's replacement

- Blease and JKH interchangeable, feel like Blease will get more time than JKH to begin with as Roos likes to ease the young blokes in.

- Spencer no.1 ruck as he's the only one who's had a full preseason

There are a number of things I might argue with the sides mentioned above. However, in our current situation, there is only only one bloke with the smarts and ability to play CHF. Dawes. Fitzy would run around in circles and, while Hoges will play that position in the future, let's not cruel him just yet.

There are a number of things I might argue with the sides mentioned above. However, in our current situation, there is only only one bloke with the smarts and ability to play CHF. Dawes. Fitzy would run around in circles and, while Hoges will play that position in the future, let's not cruel him just yet.

Fair point, but the reason I have Hogan there is that he is much quicker than Dawesy, and he has a bigger tank.

Dawes will be better in one-out contests in the goal square as he has the strength advantage

Fair point, but the reason I have Hogan there is that he is much quicker than Dawesy, and he has a bigger tank.

Dawes will be better in one-out contests in the goal square as he has the strength advantage

I agree Hogan will in the future but based on yesterday's game I don't think he does at the moment. I thought he looked unfit (which is understandable since he has been in rehab most of the pre season), so I'd ease him in via Casey. I'd also play Gawn as a forward ruck replacement - he was the best of the big men yesterday. An outstanding forward mark - he has displayed this at Casey on a number of occasions but this is the first time he showed it consistently in senior company to my knowledge. Hogan is not ready yet. Spencer is too unreliable, and makes too many basic errors. Roos clearly was still smarting after the game about his goal square error against Richmond ("Stopped our momentum dead"). Still, a pretty good forward line IMO, So my team would be:

FB: Georgiou Frawley Dunn

HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich

C: Watts Tyson Vince

HF: Toumpas Dawes Bail

FF: JKH Fitzpatrick Howe

R/R: Gawn N.Jones Trengove

I/C: Michie Cross Blease

Sub: Viney

I agree Hogan will in the future but based on yesterday's game I don't think he does at the moment. I thought he looked unfit (which is understandable since he has been in rehab most of the pre season), so I'd ease him in via Casey. I'd also play Gawn as a forward ruck replacement - he was the best of the big men yesterday. An outstanding forward mark - he has displayed this at Casey on a number of occasions but this is the first time he showed it consistently in senior company to my knowledge. Hogan is not ready yet. Spencer is too unreliable, and makes too many basic errors. Roos clearly was still smarting after the game about his goal square error against Richmond ("Stopped our momentum dead"). Still, a pretty good forward line IMO, So my team would be:

FB: Georgiou Frawley Dunn

HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich

C: Watts Tyson Vince

HF: Toumpas Dawes Bail

FF: JKH Fitzpatrick Howe

R/R: Gawn N.Jones Trengove

I/C: Michie Cross Blease Salem

Sub: Viney

Don't mind the look of this but I would go for Salem instead of Blease [subject to his relative performance against the Cats and the Hawks]

dees by 16 points.

got no idea on the final 22.

its paul roos and i dont think we could get close with 600 guesses.

its the way he rolls,sometimes 1 ruckman sometimes 2 definate ruckman ,sometimes 2 fill in ruckman.

until the season and injury list is revealed,we dont know his" take" on how hw will use the list available.

Dess by 5 goals

I can't see Georgiou being promoted just yet......I don't know why posters would have him in the round 1 team when he is still a rookie......Riley's 8 weeks finishes in round 2 (may be wrong on this)

I really like the look of Georgiou. Weirdly enough (considering his kicking action) I actually feel relaxed when he has the ball in hand. Definitely a good Garland replacement for round 1. He's a fierce competitor so far has rarely been beaten in one-on-ones. Come round one. Hogan will be fit and firing. I think he'll line up.

And after watching St.Kilda's game against the Dogs.. If that's their game plan.. vs. our game plan (against richmond) .. we should win by at least 5 or 6 goals. Plus st.kilda will be without Montagna (suspended) and Gilbert (injury).

I can't see Georgiou being promoted just yet......I don't know why posters would have him in the round 1 team when he is still a rookie......Riley's 8 weeks finishes in round 2 (may be wrong on this)

I thought it was 10 weeks rather than 8 weeks but nevertheless he will still need to work his way in through Casey if they don't want to rush things, and there is the possiblity that we may get another LTI in the meantime. At the end of the day however, much will be dependent of how match-fit Garland is for Round 1 as it would be his spot that Georgiou would be filling in for.

Round 1 predictions:

1) About 15 family and freinds coming to this game (all Demons & Saints fans)

2) Smuggle some bourbon in rather than pay $9 for midstrength

3) Dees win by 5 goals

4) Demons fans stomping the bottom level of Etihad creating a wall of sound

5) Belt out a grand old flag after the game a couple times , followed by a "Roooooooooooos" as he walks around the boundary line.

6) Scarf goes out the car

7) Grand Old Flag played most of the way home

8) Switch to Finey for some post match

9) Get home, feet up, night cap and watch the replay with the lovely.

10) Well if the moods right....

I am predicting a 5 goal win to us, perfect start to the season, think it'll be a long year for the Saints

I predict it will be on Saturday 22nd March, at Etihad, first bounce 7.40 and probably against St Kilda

"Bail is in there because he has looked very solid playing a high half-forward role. I used to think he was awful, but he has begun to turn the corner i believe. Still needs to improve his kicking at goal".......he knows, spoke to him yesterday, I didn't have to say anything, said he hates set shots, gives him too much time to think, working with Miller and Watts to try and change it...knows it's a knock on his game

Round 1 predictions:

1) About 15 family and freinds coming to this game (all Demons & Saints fans)

2) Smuggle some bourbon in rather than pay $9 for midstrength

3) Dees win by 5 goals

4) Demons fans stomping the bottom level of Etihad creating a wall of sound

5) Belt out a grand old flag after the game a couple times , followed by a "Roooooooooooos" as he walks around the boundary line.

6) Scarf goes out the car

7) Grand Old Flag played most of the way home

8) Switch to Finey for some post match

9) Get home, feet up, night cap and watch the replay with the lovely.

10) Well if the moods right....

KillaWatts BOG in a 6 goal win :D

I've had too many disappointments to make predictions of how many wins we will have or how well we will play, so I'll just hope we can win some games; as the season start draws closer, I'm becoming less optimistic. I've heard in the past how good we have looked at pre season training and when the real stuff starts we fall in to hole.

It would be great to win the first at Etihad and it would be great to win a couple in a row but i've been sucked in too many times before.

Suffice to say I think Tyson, Vince, Cross, Georgiou, Michie and JKH will all play the first round. Spencer will play ruck, Fitz will play in the forward line, Dawes will play there as well and Pedo will play at Casey.

One of Toumpass, Viney or Blease will play, probably Viney.

I've had too many disappointments to make predictions of how many wins we will have or how well we will play, so I'll just hope we can win some games; as the season start draws closer, I'm becoming less optimistic. I've heard in the past how good we have looked at pre season training and when the real stuff starts we fall in to hole.

It would be great to win the first at Etihad and it would be great to win a couple in a row but i've been sucked in too many times before.

Suffice to say I think Tyson, Vince, Cross, Georgiou, Michie and JKH will all play the first round. Spencer will play ruck, Fitz will play in the forward line, Dawes will play there as well and Pedo will play at Casey.

One of Toumpass, Viney or Blease will play, probably Viney.

agree with you totally, except that this time it really does feel different. There were so many aspects of our performance last week that were pleasing steps forward from the last 7 years, and that was without the contributions of a large number of players that we would all be expecting to be amongst our bigger contributors this year. To show such improvement in our very first voyage under Roos really is quite remarkable. Makes you wonder how much it will develop as the year goes on and the players get used to each other, the coach and the game plan. I really can't see us getting less than (say) 7 wins this year based on everything that's happening.

agree with you totally, except that this time it really does feel different. There were so many aspects of our performance last week that were pleasing steps forward from the last 7 years, and that was without the contributions of a large number of players that we would all be expecting to be amongst our bigger contributors this year. To show such improvement in our very first voyage under Roos really is quite remarkable. Makes you wonder how much it will develop as the year goes on and the players get used to each other, the coach and the game plan. I really can't see us getting less than (say) 7 wins this year based on everything that's happening.

Hope you are right C&B.

Spencer will be first ruck.

That is the only conclusion one can draw from what we have seen so far in Pre-Season.

And while there is a month to go - Jamar hasn't suited up, Gawn has been playing forward, Fitzpatrick is a forward, Clark is looking at a Rd 6 start, and King is a baby.