Bail I thought was a certainty on pre-season form. I'm surprised that people are talking about him as if he were a surprise. I don't love him by any stretch, but is clear best 22 at present for mine.

What did you expect Nasher D'landers to recognise 100% effort team ethos and single minded approach to do your job no matter how minor it seems for the team to the best of your ability as a pre-requisite for selection. Shame on you

Gambling again BBO, when will you learn the error of your ways? I like Bail in the side, he is a goal kicker

Worst case scenario

Bernie, Jones, Cross, and Trengove 30+ touches me thinks

Howe will take a screamer and kick 5, Fitzy will kick a lazy 3 and JKH will kick 2

Can see it happening

I can't see watts starting in the middle nor Grimes in the back pocket, forward line looks right with the exception of jkh to replace byrnes

I actually think it would make more sense to start JKH, rather than make him the sub.

He'll end up sitting there for three quarters, getting more and more nervous, then potentially have to come on and contribute immediately when the game might be in the balance.

Far better, in my view, to let him run out and get the nerves away in the first quarter, then sub him out for Byrnes if he's cooked, or Byrnes in for someone else if he's going ok.

Much less pressure on the kid that way.

This game makes me nervous...

Everyone getting nervous about this bloody match is making me nervous, guys ffs it's a shitty St Kilda side, who have they got at the moment in the side? a old Nick Riewoldt going up against a young and restless bloke in Tom McDonald, stop getting so scared..

Plus we have Roos and I believe a better list and definitely a better round 1 best 22 than Saints, i'd have Roosy over Richo, and as Roosy said tonight on the footy show, we have blokes who haven't been a part of a losing culture like Melbourne have had in the past so years, blokes like Vince, Michie, and Crossy are just going to tear it up, believe me, I know we're gonna give it our all.

Nicholson, Blease, Evans. It seems once again it's 6 months since we've played a real game and we still can't come up with any better depth ready to play than these 3. Oh well.

For the actual team:

Backline:

FB: Georgiou Frawley Dunn

HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich

Solid. 6 guys who will attack the footy. Not fully sold on Terlich but the other 5 can at least defend. And I'd love a couple of elite skilled players one of which has break away speed but we just don't have that right now. Hunt, Strauss, Salem, Kent, Clisby there's development to be had. And Garland back would be lovely but I'm hoping Dunn and Georgiou can step up. Of course Tommy Mc probably has the biggest job of the lot.

Forwards:
FF: Byrnes Fitzy Howe

HF: Bail Pedersen

+ resting mids, +JKH (who I think will be sub unfortunately). The weaknesses here are abundant but the strength is reasonably obvious to me. It's about guys who can get up and down the field and who can run to the spots to get the ball. That's where Byrnes and Bail benefit over Blease, not always but more than Blease and others they have shown the ability to get in space and to the right spots. Same with Fitzy he's a decent lead.

Outside mids:
Watts, Toumpas, Matt Jones

Centre square mids:
N. Jones, Tyson, Vince

Versatile mids:

Cross,Trengove, MIchie

I might have considered Mckenzie (if he's fit) just as someone who will tackle and chase but I can understand why Roos has gone for as much attacking run and hopefully skill as possible. We need to run all over the saints and use our slight advantage in midfield experience. Jack Viney and then Aidan Riley not too far away but this is our midfield. Let's see them do a good job and run as much as they can, get the ball and use the ball.

Everyone getting nervous about this bloody match is making me nervous, guys ffs it's a shitty St Kilda side, who have they got at the moment in the side? a old Nick Riewoldt going up against a young and restless bloke in Tom McDonald, stop getting so scared..

Im sure you were just as confident and optimistic last season before round 1

and the season before that

and before that...

Im sure you were just as confident and optimistic last season before round 1

and the season before that

and before that...

Nah not really,never been so confident for a match in my life.

This game makes me nervous...

Relax...we've got this.

This game makes me nervous...

That's a good thing. It means that you have hope. I'd rather have hope and be a nervous wreck, than have zero hope knowing we're going to lose before the ball is bounced.

Obviously disappointing if we don't get the points but from where we're coming from I'm not comfortable with labeling the opposition no names and nobodies.

It's not labeling. StKilda are fielding an inexperienced and unproven side.

If MFC have aspirations that they can be seriously competitive this year (and my information from within the Club that they do) then this game against a weakened opposition is a must win.

No surprises there, although didn't realise Jordie McKenzie had a foot injury.

That side is good enough to beat the Saints and we have some handy players to return over the next month.

Jordie McKenzie is the winner of our first Mystery Injury of the Week for 2014.

Byrnes runs to good spots, same as watts and Toumpas, we now need players to get the ball to them when they run to the right areas.

toumpas needs to harden up if he fails in this first game spend the year at Casey Not good enough for mine yet

Straight out of the coaching manual - fail once - Casey for the year. hmmm

I actually think it would make more sense to start JKH, rather than make him the sub.

He'll end up sitting there for three quarters, getting more and more nervous, then potentially have to come on and contribute immediately when the game might be in the balance.

Far better, in my view, to let him run out and get the nerves away in the first quarter, then sub him out for Byrnes if he's cooked, or Byrnes in for someone else if he's going ok.

Much less pressure on the kid that way.

You should try speaking to JKH, he will not be sitting there for three quarters getting nervous, if he is sub, he will be analyings and looking at the St Kilda defensive structures, so if and when he gets on, he knows where the weak spot is....this is a kid who was co captain of the Oakleigh Chargers who knows he is good

Edited March 20, 201411 yr by Satyriconhome

I wonder how many memberships are swinging on the outcome of this game?

Probably a few, a lot will still do their "buy on first home game tradition".

We play well and win then so e will jump on. Do well against the eagle next week and more will jump on.

I wonder how many memberships are swinging on the outcome of this game?

Are you swinging on this game BBO?

Roo would need to have a day out for us to lose, and i reckon Chip and Mcdonald will make that very difficult.

Are you swinging on this game BBO?

Stay on topic please.

2013.

last year,like everybody else who was dismayed with our team,i decided to write down the good/bad things about our list.

terlich,turnovers and goals against.

trengove,grimes,howe,watts,blease,tapscott, playing out of position or not supported well enough to engage their talent on a game.

midfeild,every player within 2 metres of ball,no way out when possesion taken,opposition cleared away from packs to easy.

no responsorbility taken by players:kick chasing and looking after number 1.

2014. new coach and what to look for beside wins.

ball to be taken to neutral area out of backline unless a loose player can be delivered to.

watch terlich to see how many goal turnovers he makes.

midfeild additions,not fancy first class players, but the instruction will be "stay off the pack if we already have one in there"

pretty basic but 2nd person in goes defensive side 3 metres.3rd in goes corridor side 3 metres 4th in goes boundary side 3 metres.

sounds simple but we couldnt achieve this last year, and it works, if the ball comes out of the pack reciever has a chance of clearing it. if the oppo gets it you have a chance of corralling him.

end result is less midfeild clearances against.and of course less score against.

top up midfeilders allow for toumpas ,barry,and viney to be played outside until they are ready to be full time mids.these top up players will strenghten the midfeild and come in with simple instructions from PR and will only play to that with no baggage.

this will allow the gravediggers to do the job required of their talent.blease watts trenners grimes,howe tappy, and you will notice some supporters saying how well these blokes are going and how they have improved,the truth is with a tightened game plan,these players will be giving the team the exact output they were selected for.

long winded i know, but after many years of playing {ans some coaching }all this sounds simple,but its PRs gameplan and it works.

hopefully we see some or all of these things happening this year and this week.

anyway already made my prediction 8th spot.

have a good year everybody and see you at the footy,

i think we will have some enjoyable wins.

Jordie McKenzie is the winner of our first Mystery Injury of the Week for 2014.

I'm shocked there was not mention of McKenzie's injury in Misson's weekly injury update.

We all know how honest and transparent that segment is!