I'm in the mood for the footy again so I've put together my team for this year's opening NAB Cup game.

Going on the Reverend’s statements that the club would be giving youth a chance I've decided to leave out most of the club's more experienced players as well as a few under injury clouds or limited pre seasons (e.g. Bartram, Bruce, Green, Johnstone, Neitz, Robertson, Sylvia, Ward, Whelan, White and Yze), made a few positional changes and brought in some kids.

Now, here’s my team:-

B Bell Carroll Warnock

HB C Johnson Rivers Buckley

C Brown McLean Dunn

HF Bizzell Miller Bate

F P Johnson Newton Jones

Foll Jamar McDonald © Moloney

I/C Davey Ferguson Frawley Holland Neaves Wheatley *

* specialist 9 point kicker

As indicated by someone on another thread Hawthorn are going to be desperate and likely to pick their strongest side.

Good idea to give Junior the captaincy in the absence of Neitz in recognition of his fine performances last year.

Wheatley *

* specialist 9 point kicker

Ahh that old chestnut!

I like your side A31, but there has to be more to getting a game than hanging your hat on two goals from outside 50 in 5 years.

And it is just the NAB cup where he has put them through nine points or not...

I think we should be trying a few newer bloods than Paul W.

Ahh that old chestnut!

I like your side A31, but there has to be more to getting a game than hanging your hat on two goals from outside 50 in 5 years.

And it is just the NAB cup where he has put them through nine points or not...

I think we should be trying a few newer bloods than Paul W.

Whatever....... I'm just hanging out for some footy! Hope we get the Ess - Indigenous Game on TV. I have recently been reduced to watching American NFL on fox. The cricket is ok, but its not like there is any doubt as to the results. Tennis - nahh. Sort of funny about the guy with the up the skirt camera shots, he sure as hell was not a ball boy though.

I expect the NAB will be broadcast late at night up here in Sydney though.

I seem to recall few of the top eight finishers from 2006 took the NAB too seriously? A chance to look at the second and third tier only. Seems to be the go to me anyway.

[quote name='Franky_31' date='Jan 20 2007,

Don't forget.....Wheatley is one of the best in the AFL at point kick-ins, a facet of our game often underestimated for its importance.

Good idea to give Junior the captaincy in the absence of Neitz in recognition of his fine performances last year.

I disagree not because i dont think junior would be a good captain but that he should test people to see how well they captain i.e brock mclean

[quote name='Franky_31' date='Jan 20 2007,

Don't forget.....Wheatley is one of the best in the AFL at point kick-ins, a facet of our game often underestimated for its importance.

God knows we need help in this area...

My Round 1 team V Hawthorn and how many pre-season games I want them to play. I don't want many players busting their gut for 4 games before the season starts. Only those that need to show their worth for the H+A

B Bizzel (4) Warnock(3) Ferguson (3)

HB Brown (3) Rivers (3) Wheatley (4)

C Bate (3) Moloney (2) Green (3)

HF Pickett (4) Miller (4) Robertson (3)

F Yze (4) Newton (2) Davey (3)

Foll Jamar (4) McDonald (3) Jones (3)

Int CJ (4) Dunn (3) Bell (4) PJ (4) Buckley (2) Frawley (2)

Missing due to injury, rest or team balance:

Petterd (2)

Bruce (2/3)

McLean (2)

Carroll (3)

Whelan (1/2 hopefully)

Ward (2/3)

Sylvia (1 hopefully)

Bartram (2 hopefully)

Neitz (2 - perhaps play him in weeks 2 and 4)

TJ (2/3)

Hughes (2)

Bode (1)

White (2)

Ferguson (3)

Holland (2)

Godfrey (2)

Neaves (1)

Hayes, Garland and Weetra are rumoured to be project players, so may have to wait until 08

My team

B: Bell, Warnock, Frawley

HB: Bizzell, Rivers, Buckley

C: Bate, Moloney, Green

HF: Robertson, Miller, Dunn

F: P Johnson, Newton, Yze

R: Jamar, Jones, McDonald

I: C Johnson, Davey, Brown, Wheatley, Pickett, Ferguson

Players to play eventually:

Holland, McLean, Neitz, Ward, Sylvia, Petterd, Johnstone, Bartram, Godfrey, Bruce, White, Hughes, Neaves??, Carroll and Hayes??

My team

B: Bell, Warnock, Frawley

HB: Bizzell, Rivers, Buckley

C: Bate, Moloney, Green

HF: Robertson, Miller, Dunn

F: P Johnson, Newton, Yze

R: Jamar, Jones, McDonald

I: C Johnson, Davey, Brown, Wheatley, Pickett, Ferguson

Players to play eventually:

Holland, McLean, Neitz, Ward, Sylvia, Petterd, Johnstone, Bartram, Godfrey, Bruce, White, Hughes, Neaves??, Carroll and Hayes??

If you expect MFC to be playing 2 rookies this year then its going to be difficult injury riddled year for the Club.

I was just suggesting that they might be given a game in the NAB cup, like what we did last year by playing Bode and Gianfagna. I wasn't even for a second suggesting that they should play in the season proper. It would as you said be a nightmare.

HBK and BBP: Those teams are way too tall and immobile.

Even with 6 on the bench, you'd want a fair few runners in what will presumably be hot conditions.

HBK and BBP: Those teams are way too tall and immobile.

Even with 6 on the bench, you'd want a fair few runners in what will presumably be hot conditions.

Fair enough.

It's just that I've read that Hawthorn might be going in with a very tall forward line, hense most of the defenders in my squad are around 6"3. I've got Bell and CJ coming off the bench to provide a bit of drive off halfback (they can even start on the ground). My foward line is a mixture of height and pace. I'd love to see Newton play a whole game at full foward to show off his wares in front of 8-10,000 MFC fans.

I'm in the mood for the footy again so I've put together my team for this year's opening NAB Cup game.

Going on the Reverend’s statements that the club would be giving youth a chance I've decided to leave out most of the club's more experienced players as well as a few under injury clouds or limited pre seasons (e.g. Bartram, Bruce, Green, Johnstone, Neitz, Robertson, Sylvia, Ward, Whelan, White and Yze), made a few positional changes and brought in some kids.

Now, here’s my team:-

B Bell Carroll Warnock

HB C Johnson Rivers Buckley

C Brown McLean Dunn

HF Bizzell Miller Bate

F P Johnson Newton Jones

Foll Jamar McDonald © Moloney

I/C Davey Ferguson Frawley Holland Neaves Wheatley *

* specialist 9 point kicker

As indicated by someone on another thread Hawthorn are going to be desperate and likely to pick their strongest side.

I like the idea of trying Dunn on a wing but I'm not so sure about Doggy on the other wing. I suppose he's been doing his pre season in the midfield so that's the reasoning.