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Champ, I find your comments offensive. Clark is desperate to return, and is doing anything and everything he is asked. His only desire is to return to senior football. His photography hobby is good therapy through these difficult times.

I'd rather a round 1 win from where we're coming from, regardless of the opposition and who they have in or out. We need to remember what it feels like to play well and win. It's a non-negotiable.

Now we're debating the philosophy of a good/bad win? I don't give a rats about St Kilda….we've had our own seven years of misery! A win. That is all.

I dont mean to be negative but perhaps this topic is overexposed

No one cares when we play them and have a heap of injuries so if they have a few I don't care; I'm over saying I'd like to play them at full strength I just want to beat them. If they have a few injuries then so be it, all clubs do.

Fast flash shutter?

I'm with you Don. I don't get how negative people are about Strauss. I went to last weeks game and some whacker was from the get go yelling insults at Strauss - the biggest one when he turned the ball over (which incidentally did not result in a goal). What's worse (and a complete pet hate of mine) was he was a MFC supporter. So i really watched Strauss closely and yelled my support when he went near the ball. Strauss played really well in the tigers game. He linked up well, was solid with his handball (often getting the ball to free players behind him in space) and after the turnover in the first q barely missed a kick. His only real misstep was the fumble on the wing that allowed the tiges to regain possession and stopped a potentially promising move. Whilst the tigers then scored a goal its a bit of a stretch to blame him for it given it was on the wing. Even if you do blame him for that goal he got one back with a beautiful kick from half back to half forward to, i think Bail who then gave it to Howe for a goal. I got home and was surprised when i jumped on DL how many people were bagging him. So when i watched the replay i again watched Strauss closely. And again all i saw was a good, solid game from a player who had a role and carried it out. I've read people say he lacks awareness and that he is too easily beaten one on one. I saw nothing that supports either assertion, particularly the former criticism. And as for the kicking turnover? You have to be kidding. There were far worse culprits, Frawley (whose turnover actually cost a goal, at what was a critical time in the match) Trenners, Grimes, Michie, Vince and Jones just to name a few. Jones was also guilty of trying to do much (and perhaps lacking awareness?) and giving away a goal when he got caught near their goals. He was, in my view, in our top ten players on the night and i suspect if injury free will be in our round 1 side (which if the case indicates Roos is also a fan). I'm not saying Strauss is a star or that he doesn't have limitations. But I really believe he is the sort of player Roos is referring to when he talks about players carrying mental scars as that hesitancy people have noted, is, i think, in part a product of poor coaching and development. I reckon he has, like many of his team mates, been playing with fear - fear to make a mistake, fear of not following the rules, fear of failure etc - which causes them to freeze and not back themselves. Once he gets more confident, and has a coach who encourages him to back himself and play with some freedom (from being criticised as much as anything else) i think he will become a regular best 22 player and be exactly the sort of role player Roos loves.

well if he doesnt play,perhaps he can upload pictures from training and improve demonland with them. thats just a snapshot of what he could do.

I almost feel sorry for him. Col was a high pick in a very ordinary draft, and would have been in the high teens in quite a few other drafts. Yes, he had limitations and seemed to zone out if it wasn't his day, but at the same time the club failed him and all the rest of the players for years. I understand him wanting a fresh start, but at the same time moving to a club on the go, and with a well drilled team, 4000 kms from all that matters isn't going to end well if he doesn't get the breaks go his way. I'm not sad he left. It was a good thing for us IMO. And I tend to think he was given a gentle nudge, but I get the feeling he has ridden off into obscurity among people that really don't care about him other than what he gives on the field, and I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say that it won't be much other than a cameo. He's always welcome back in a red and blue tie in my eyes, even if I wished he'd given us more than a highlights reel.

Gold. Pure Comedy Gold. ' Please PJ, i know that i'm on 450k a year but it would be swell if you could pay me say 3k to to the club cub reporter. It'd be outside the salary cap coz its not footy. I'm over footy actually, playing that its is - i'm super keen to take photos of other blokes playing footy. No PJ i'm not joking, i'm dead set serious'

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Over the last 2 years they've lost from round 1 Goddard, Milne, McEvoy, Montagna, Dal Santo, Gilbert and now Steven. It will take some weeks for our game-plan to click under Roos, but if we lose round 1 something is horribly wrong. Again. It won't be.

Of course, but I'd rather beat an under strength Saints side than get beaten by a full strength one! Don't worry Demonsterative, we'll have plenty of opportunities to test ourselves against good opposition during the course of the year

I'm surprised by how under-rated Strauss is by most supporters, but I firmly believe he'll be a mainstay in our back 6 going forward. His attacking movements were very good in NAB 1, in spite of a couple of preseason standard errors.

So don't. I didn't ask you to join a bandwagon. In fact I couldn't give a fried rats arse about any of your illiterate posts. You hate him. Good for you. He doesn't even know your name. Better for him. Just out of interest did you cheer when he did good things, or did you find negatives in that too?

Yes, barking instructions and dishing out praise isn't revolutionary, but it's still nice to see how he interacts with the players. Feedback is instant, with authority, and without talking to them like they're his Year 9 PE class. We're very lucky to have Roosy on board.

Losing Scully was a windfall for us

My best friends is a mate of Jesse and i am told he loves Melbourne, loves Roosy, loves his time at the club and She would be shocked if he walks anytime soon, apparently we fly him back to perth for visits quite regularly so homesickness hasn't been an issue

And so it begins!!!

Four points is four points, don't think a team in our position really has any right to be picky about how we get wins, if infact we are good enough to win

that's what i thought when i read your comments in this thread mate. You can only play who the opposition trots out. If our chances improve because of this great.

I'm all for players planning for life after football. But saying Mitch is planning to be out of football now is ridiculous. Haven't you read that he has been running the tan at a good pace. Me thinks he is training to be a footballer first

The difference of winning or losing round one could be the positive impact the playing list needs to instill confidence and thus prevent those hundred point floggings. I'll take any win we can get.

No Clark. Probably no Garland. Maybe no Dawes or Viney. Jamar and Gawn not healthy enough in time to put real pressure on Spencer and 2 games to get through unscathed first. But Montagna suspended and Steven out means their best 2 midfielders are missing. Their midfield will likely be something like: C: Ray Armitage Savage Foll: Hickey Hayes Jones Int/forwards (from): Newnes, Ross, Curran, Dunstan, Saunders, Murdoch. Billings If the midfield really is our weakness there can be no excuses against that lot.

Mitch will not be a "flash" in the pan.

Keep 'em coming. I want to smash the Aints. It's been a long time.

I'd rather beat a full strength Saints side. If we are to be competitive we need to preform against the best players/sides.

Apparently nothing more than a small ankle injury I heard from someone who was at the Leongatha camp today. Hoping he gets up for the Hawks game but we'll wait and see. CCouldn't agree with you more Mach, its a preseason game, and Strauss should never be matched up against Edwards irrespectively. I've said it a few times, watch the game he broke his leg and he was giving at the time Gartlett in AA squad form at the time an absolute bath. Back him in for 6 weeks and we'll find our best attacking back flanker.

He was drafted in 2008. By my count, that's 6 years on our list come year's end. Injuries aside (and if they are still an excuse after 6 years, clearly his body isn't up to the rigours of AFL), he has done nothing over those 6 years to warrant a contract extension (even Tapscott played one decent game - his debut). Needs to put in an absolute blinder this year to even be considered for a new contract. Another BP special!

I rate Strauss. I disagree with many of the comments on this thread. I am sure we all hope he can prove me right.

No But there seems to be divided opinion on how good he was. I have had a low opinion of him since day one and constant injuries have reduced my belief even further. No matter how good you are if you cannot get on the park you are not much use e.g. Clark

Put in that perspective, I'm the lucky one. But consider this. I have tasted chocolate and I know what I'm missing. You can only imagine................it is better than that. Much better.

I'd say Brent Moloney and Colin Sylvia led by example too. It's just that their example sucked.

My guess is that the powder on Dank is being kept dry and the government has bigger goals than just breaches of the WADA code. If he is subject to coercive powers it will be done by the ACC and AFP who will be chasing possible criminal charges agaisnt Dank and his cohorts. The end game is getting these people out of sport and removing them from positions (like pharmacists) where they can access and administer controlled substances.

Revisionism at its best. I saw MN stand in the middle of the ground barking out instruction and encouragement during simulated matchplay exactly as PR is doing - well almost exactly . There is one major difference and the two clips of MN speaking highlight it. MN speaking was not inspiring, was not motivating and unfortunately not believable and the players just didn't buy in. MN was not engaging and the players did not engage. MN was a dismal failure as a coach but it was not because of the way he ran training sessions.

For the sake of stability only, bat Watson at 3 if Doolan is dropped or 4 if they choose to dispense wit Marsh. Baffles me why Clarke doesn't take on the challenge of number 3 where most 'class' batsmen have for us in the past.

Not hard to imagine what they'll say about Dawes - 'look if it was a home and away game he'd play but he had a bit of tightness in his calf after the intra game, no real issue but we figured no point putting him in a plane and sending him to Central Australia for practice match. He'll do full training on (insert day the non Geelong game players do training) and his normal running, the camp in Leongatha and be right to go for the praccy match against the Hawks down at Casey. So yeah perhaps a little frustrating for Dawsey as he was keen to have a game and perhaps we are being a bit conservative but look there are no probs and he'll play next week'

His job is to yell: 2nd conditioning guy: 'what are your legs?' Mitch Clark: 'Springs, steel springs' 2nd conditioning guy: 'What are they gonna do?' Mitch Clark:'They're going to hurl me down the track.' 2nd conditioning guy: 'How fast can you run?' Mitch Clark: 'As fast as a leopard'

I though MN was a good coach for us right up until I saw his televised pre game speech...that left me flat and I started to doubt him. Roos seems to be everything MN was not.

Ah actually especially in the past a lot of players saw Jones as a bit selfish and only friendly with a small portion of the list. They had more respect for Grimes who was more friendly and outgoing with more of the list. Of course respect is vital for a coach. You can still get that and be a hard tough nosed disciplinarian, there are plenty of successful coaches or leaders in sport or life who are like that. And I'm sure there will be times we see the grumpy and angry Roos deliver a spray to the players. I think the main issue is trust. Everything Roos has done so far is about building the players trust. In the game plan, in their team mates, in him and in themselves.

No need to be such a condescending [censored] about it. You're worse than Ben Hur these days. I'm 'emotionally attached' to the guy after seeing him in tears when he was told he was leaving us for a spot on the full list at Freo. I felt for the big guy and have wished him well since.

Why don't you refrain from personal abuse - your comment tells me all I need to know about your intelligence.

Fan of Lewis Carroll, recognise some of his characters on this forum We have posters gyring and being frumious, galumphing all over the threads

God delivery us from that pair. If they are in round1 put your money on the saints. No Gawn! Very Glad we have Spencer.

Yep but we have been skipping that class for thepast 7 yrs.....

...bit difficult with Mitch, he has only just forgiven me for having a go at him two years ago for a sexist tweet

Actually I think he is saying he didn't get those things previously.

I assume we've hired a conditioning guy for each leg. Thats how valuable he is to us. if one is better at his job than the other, then Mitch may end up running in circles.

I really hope Jamar, but seeing him at training and due to his past couple of years i'm just not fully convinced. I'm pretty confident Spencer will start as no.1 ruckman in Round 1. I'd say Spencer is the better tap ruckman and more reliable. I really like Gawn too and his efforts in a couple of losses were fantastic last year, but I think Spencer's done heaps to improve his game and should be rewarded. Seems to be a good weight, he may have butchered that ball in defence but his set shot goal showed a good kicking action and during the game he was really moving around well and getting to the ball. Clark in the ruck would be a dream but i'd like him in the 50 first. Add Fitzy and Max King who looks handy and that's 6 decent 200+cm blokes (well 5 Jamar is 198) that we're pretty lucky to have who are all options in the ruck

It wasn't all that long ago that Russian had the nickname donuts on here and then he started to clunk a few marks and win a swag of hit outs, even then he was criticised for not directing the ball to the mids. Unfortunately over the last 10 years Russian has had a heap of injuries and even the year before he was in AA form he missed a heap of games and he still is. I'm concerned that he will be injured again this year and if he is number one, how long for? Spencer is able to get to a lot of contests because of his speed and if he can hold a few, he could be an invaluable option in our new game plan. He is pretty raw and does some incredibly stupid things, but he's a real goer, is hard at it and still young so I think that he will probably hold the spot until someone shows they can do better.