Melbourne sound in good form, but we always struggle at skilled stadium but hopefully the wind will give us the edge we need.

Any1 know how Neitz is doing?

Interesting Neitz, Davey and McLean sound like they've been unsighted for the game...

Geelong 8.13.61 Melbourne 6.10.46.

Seems that both Brock and Neita are just going.

Last thing we want is for this to blow out... Need to kick at least a couple, stay competitive, and keep some confidence going into the main season...

Last thing we want is for this to blow out... Need to kick at least a couple, stay competitive, and keep some confidence going into the main season...

Geelong 9.13.67 Melbourne 6.11.47

Arghhh

Damn it

BRING ON ROUND 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geelong 9.13.67 Melbourne 6.11.47

Is that full time?

Is that full time?

Not full time but we're apparently giving some of the younger blokes a run.

CMON DEES CHARGE IT FROM THE MIDDLE, WHEN THE TAP OUTS RUN HARD ETC ETC ETC!!

CARN THE DEES!

Neitz goals in 24th min

Geel 11.13.79

melb 7.11.53

Final result:

Geelong 2.5.17 3.10.28 7.13.55 11.13.79

Melbourne 0.2.2 2.7.19 6.8.44 7.12.54

3.9.27 with the wind in the second and last quarters - very ordinary.

Now for the real stuff, finally

Bring on Friday fortnight vs the Saints

Team selection will be very interesting

dang!

oh well how did our young guns go? Also what bout Mclean and Davey and all that?

Pretty much the result to be expected given the ground and the team we had on the park. Bring on the Aints round 1.

thank god we dont play there this season

On SEN, Dees 'very undermanned.'

Robbo, Miller, Jamar amongst the best. Brock vg in the second half 20 touches or so, Bate good in the first.

Yes, according to the commentator on SEN we were pretty much undermanned against Geelong and this showed all day.

Mooney was the star for the Cats kicking 4 in the second half.

For Melbourne there are many, many to come back. The good things to take from the game were:

Robbo performed well with three goals and a bit of nice aerial work in the last quarter, Brad Miller was good, it was a frustrating day for Neitz with some poor delivery into the forward line. Mark Jamar was good and Brock McLean is definitely one to look for in the season sporting one of the all time great haircuts (he’s shaved it all off!) - worked his way into the game after a slow start to pick up about 20 touches. Matthew Bate was good in the first half and Matty Whelan showed his class.

Now, I'll leave it to the experts who went to the game and should start trickling home in the next hour or so.

Yes, according to the commentator on SEN we were pretty much undermanned against Geelong and this showed all day.

Mooney was the star for the Cats kicking 4 in the second half.

For Melbourne there are many, many to come back. The good things to take from the game were:

Robbo performed well with three goals and a bit of nice aerial work in the last quarter, Brad Miller was good, it was a frustrating day for Neitz with some poor delivery into the forward line. Mark Jamar was good and Brock McLean is definitely one to look for in the season sporting one of the all time great haircuts (he’s shaved it all off!) - worked his way into the game after a slow start to pick up about 20 touches. Matthew Bate was good in the first half and Matty Whelan showed his class.

Now, I'll leave it to the experts who went to the game and should start trickling home in the next hour or so.

There were quite a few whose names weren’t really mentioned at all in the despatches: -

Simon Buckley, Clint Bizzell, James Frawley, Daniel Ward, Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland, Nathan Brown, Jeff White and Ryan Ferguson

How did they go?

Here's a little report I've put together; hopefully I remembered everything!

1. Simon Buckley - didn't have too much influence or game time, showed some nice things though - unlikely round 1.

2. Nathan Jones - got a lot of the ball in the thick of things, showed plenty getting into space, but seems to waste his disposals (missing targets, always going to the wrong person etc) but he is a running machine and will learn these things - will play round 1.

3. Clint Bizzell - started in the backline, and had to play as our third tall; showed a few things, but I doubt he will play round 1.

4. Ben Holland - usual Dutchy game, good spoiling, got caught behind Ottens a bit, luckily Ottens can't kick though - will play round 1.

5 - Brock McLean - Sporting the Nathan Jones haircut!!! Did a few nice things, was fairly quiet, but a good "first up" game - will play round 1.

6. - Matthew Bate - again, showed a bit in patches, but wasn't consistent, made some errors, but always tried to make up for them, 50/50 for round 1 (he likes the MCG, so I think he will get a game).

7. Brad Miller - was consistent with his efforts, kept leading hard, attacked the contest with ferocity, tackling was good too. Made a few skill errors (crappy handpasses, drop marks) but second efforts were good. Caused a bit of havoc when he moved closer to the goals; his pressure caused good turnovers, and a very nice mark and goal in the third - will line up at CHF round 1.

9. David Neitz - besides being molested by Matthew Scarlett (cheat), Neitz had a quiet game, his presence was always felt, but it was hard work against Scarlett - dunno about round 1 (haha)!

10. Daniel Ward - good running off half back, his kicking (high bombs) didn't always get to an MFC player, but he played well - should play round 1.

15. Ricky Petterd - didn't get much game time, when he did was on the HFF, got a little bit of the ball, good in traffic, kicking was a little bit off though, needs to put on weight, not much to him - not for round 1.

16. Travis Johnstone - a typical Travis game, good passes, was always with the ball, he is our ace card this year and should prove to be one of the best attacking mids in the league, he is a leader on the field - will play round 1.

17. Chris Johnson - nice game from CJ, thrown around the ground everywhere, seems to like the wing the best, setting up attacks into the forward 50 - will play round 1.

20. Colin Garland - took a few good marks, but a little lost out on the field ATM, is definitely one for the future - not for round 1

21. Daniel Bell - played in defence, his attack on the ball and the man is as hard as anyone in the AFL, can still make a few mistakes, but looks to have settled his spot in the team - will play round 1.

22. Brent Moloney - good to see him play pretty much the whole game, started in the middle, and got a bit of it, nothing spectacular, but his evasion and long kicking are going to be good for us!!! - will play round 1.

24. Russell Robertson - erratic game from Robbo, kicked 3 goals but wasted a bit of it too; needs to get back to the basics a bit better, and stop trying to do the impossible - will play round 1.

25. Nathan Brown - again, usual Doggy game, was everywhere the ball was, played in the back half of the ground, but from a wing I think, got plenty of it but his disposal is his weakness - probably will play round 1.

27. Jared Rivers - played in the first half only, but don't think he was injured, good game in defence, one of the best spoilers in the league - will play round 1.

34. Jeff White - a nice game in the ruck, was about 50/50 in the middle of the ground, and was pretty good around the ground too, rested on the bench, rather than up forward - will play round 1.

35. Ryan Ferguson - was smashed by Mooney in the last quarter, but did ok other than that - not for round 1.

36. Aaron Davey - started off very well in the first and gave great defensive pressure. Still the quickest bloke in the AFL by a mile but didn't do much with the ball though - will play round 1.

40. Mark Jamar - did well in the ruck, took a nice mark in the fifty and goaled, little but 1% around the ground is all that we can expect from him this year I think - will play round 1.

45. Matthew Whelan -a good game in defence, attacked the man and ball with courage, good run from defence, even had a running shot at goal - will play round 1.

We obviously missed Carroll, Green, Bruce, Junior and Byron, but the core of the team played well and stayed fit!!!

My team for round 1:

B: Whelan Carroll Holland

HB: Bell Rivers Green

C: TJ Brock Moloney

HF: Pickett Miller Bruce

F: Davey Neitz Robbo

FOLL: White Junior Jones

IC: Jamar Bate CJ Ward/Yze

I am undecied on the last spot, but when bartram/sylvia are fit, either of those will play instead of Ward/Yze.

According to the AFL site we were undermanned but a few days ago were supposed to be near to full strength.

What's going on and does it matter?

PS: According to papers it was Mooney, Mooney ...

I just got back from the game...not much to write home about, simply undermanned some points were:-

Rivers dominating Mooney (Rivers went off injured and Mooney kicked 4 on Ferg)

Holland was pretty good on Ottens...don't think Ottens kicked a goal.

Miller was pretty good as was Robbo although inaccurate in front of goal and he was playing on Mackie which helped

Trapper and Moloney our best in my opinion, Travis' skills showed on both sides of his body in windy conditions and Beama was in and under every pack and even gave Lingy a trade mark hip and shoulder that had him down for a while...

Great stuff Brey and thanks for sms'ing George throughout the day. We were definitely kept up to speed and now your summary makes me feel as if I was there.

Thank heavens ... no injuries, knee reco's or reports. How mad are Hawthorn! Getting reported in Praccy matches!

Crawford SHOULD have got more than a week and been out against us in round 2.

Hopefully Hodge and Vandenburg(inj.) now out.

But we'll kill 'em anyway!

Just back from Geelong and saw a very uninspiring game of football.

Geelong kicked with the aid of a strong wind in the first quarter and we did OK except every time we got the ball on the wing we had no options. We either had all pushed up the ground or Neita and Robbo were still a kick and a half away.

Trav was our best player, he got heaps of the football and generally used it well. Miller presented well and would have taken 7-8 marks. He took a good contested mark in the third quarter and went back to kick a goal into the wind from about 45m out.

Moloney was in our best - in fact our midfield did OK today. Jones was good, Brock got his hands on the footy but looked like he needs another run, CJ was good - a very smart footballer who set up one of Robbo's goals when it looked like Geelong was going to clear. I like the look of Buckley - speed and nice skills. He won't play round one but if he can hold his form with Sandy he will play this year.

Rivers went off at half time only to return in track suit pants, I didn't see anything happen to him, maybe it was planned to play him a half and Ferguson a half, Ferguson got towelled by Mooney in the last half after the hairy cat was ineffective in the first half.

Biz started well generals the backline, Ward and Brown showed today why they shouldn't be in our best 22, Ward got a bit of the footy but never hit a target, Brown just makes bad decisions.

Davey didn't get a kick, Neita had little impact our rucks continue to be a concern, Jamar did take a couple of nice marks but both him and White had little impact.

We should haveran over the top of them in te last quarter kicking with the wind but it looked like the players were starting to think about staying healthy for round 1

I'm worried about Rivers... the kid has a knack for getting injured at the worse possible time. <_<

Apart from that, great to hear everyone got through the match. Very lucky to avoid injuries this pre-season.

Couldn't care less about the scores, especially since we don't play in Geelong this season, but always happy to hear Miller playing well.

I hope everyone who played today spends the next week in cotton wool, and then bring on Round 1.

Edit: disappointing to hear that Pickett didn't play, and the fact that Carroll was a no-show makes me thinks that the reports of injury from last week may be true!