I can't be bothered reading all this crap but the fact that North are about to beat Freo will mean all NAB cup semi-finalists are from the bottom half of the eight. Last year's premiers got thrashed by Essendon on their home ground yesterday. The first game is 4 weeks away.

Need anyone say more!!

Beat me to it Jim.

I watched the Swans and Tigers yesterday. The Swans side was 200% stronger than the one that played the previous week. For sides that see themselves as serious contenders the NAB sidetracks their preparations. They'd rather be out of it.

I can't be bothered reading all this crap but the fact that North are about to beat Freo will mean all NAB cup semi-finalists are from the bottom half of the eight. Last year's premiers got thrashed by Essendon on their home ground yesterday. The first game is 4 weeks away.

Need anyone say more!!

In other words there's no use discussing the practice matches because they're junk!

Another reason melbourne did so badly is because Daniher wasnt coaching. The assistant coach coached today (mark riley?) i wouldnt be to worried bout melbourne people will try and ride us off but come round 1 its game on for melbourne!!

You can blindly trust whoever you like. I prefer to walk around with my eyes open and be capable of my own opinions.

demon jim said it all

You practice winning by practicing what you believe will be your most successful style of play, and doing so with as near full-strength side as possible. I understand that many consider the NAB cup meaningless, and that players carrying niggles should be rested, but can someone please explain to me the point of sending over a side that looks nothing like the one that will line up for us in Round 1, and instructing them to play a style of football that will more than likely not (hopefully not anyway) be employed in the 'real' matches.

Or, you could try it this way:

So do you propose we give the new kids a run during the season or not at all then?

And perhaps we should be trying new types of run and tactics when we are fighting for premiership points?...instead of making mistakes now and learning by them...?

Can we just relax a little. I understand that no one likes to see the Dees get done, but the the 'real matches' as it has been put is still some weeks away.

I think it is great we are taking football to major country towns!

As for the comp, allows young players to have a crack and if we unearth a player like Clint Bartram, then I would have thought mission accomplished. Who would have thought the kid would play nearly every game? that he would play on chapman, bell, harvey, etc and do a good job?

Our list has only got better than last year - no major changes to playing personnel, one more experience for our young players and the debut of bate, bartram, dunn, etc.... so not sure we can read too much into the results, except burton chopped us up again!

We have lost at the g only twice in two years or something like that - so our game plan must be pretty good at home..... however, to be top 4 we have to win interstate and this is what is being addressed!!

I am pumped for the season to come!!

Carn the Dees

You practice winning by practicing what you believe will be your most successful style of play,

Exactly.

And this "run and carry" tactic hasn't been successful...

You can blindly trust whoever you like. I prefer to walk around with my eyes open and be capable of my own opinions.

Well that's good.

Good on ya Carn the Dees.

I don't have the privilege you have of knowing anything and therefore being able to have knowledgeable opinions.

And in this caper, if you ever read this site you'll know; opinions aren't worth a damn. They're just fun.

I have no 'privilege', I simply form opinions based on what I see. And what I've seen of the MFC experiments with 'tempo' football and now 'run and carry' don't excite me about our chances for success. To me, they don't seem to suit the style of play that the MFC listed players play best.

The most frustrating for me is that I AM excited about our playing list, and the potential that they have to make a big impact in September.

For sides that see themselves as serious contenders the NAB sidetracks their preparations. They'd rather be out of it.