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Score update: Ten minutes into the third quarter and the Bombers are seven goals down. James Hird limping and Tanya Subbed off with writer's cramp.

When Scott Thompson requested to leave it left a huge hole in the list and whilst he wasn't as good as Thompson, he was a good replacement and certainly gave his all for the club.

Oh yes, I'm sure Roos was asking Barry to perform like Crowley or Macaffer in his third AFL game. He's physically way underdeveloped, he's only been tagging for a few months, but despite both those things he put in 100% yesterday. His tagging wasn't great, but that was partly because he faded at the end of the first half and allowed Hill to get away from him. He also had more 'damaging possessions' than probably 10 other MFC players.

The messy ending doesn't undo the years of service he gave prior to that. Well done Beamer.

I have watched the opening submissions in their entirety. IF there was no evidence to come and it ended now, the ASADA lawyers would be preparing their costs bill to be paid by the Applicants and booking the finest restaurant in Melbourne for their celebration dinner. Of course there is more to come.

...nonexistent entity.

westrup to debut

AD probably let them know they were being investigated so helped them to decide to 'self report' to lighten the possible sanctions. So now they turn around and burn AD for trying to help them, what a disgrace.

I think almost from an ego point of view, Roos would rather get immediate success for this team and receive the credit, rather than set us up for long term success that his successor will receive all the credit for. A healthy balance of both draftees (Salem, JKH) and recruits (Tyson, Cross, Vince) would be ideal, and that's exactly what they nailed last year. No doubt they will again.

Appropriate that Neil Young is representing Essendon - after all he's seen the needle and the damage done

Neeld was so desperate to assert his authority on the club that he neutered the natural leaders and put two 20 year olds in as Captain. Weak people can't stand extroverts. Guess what- you can't win without them. I thank Beamer for his service and wish the Carey grammar boys luck.

Not sure of our changes, but I predict GWS will rest anyone who can play good football.

14.2 sounds good on paper but his defensive acts and tackle count was low. We don't need players who just kick goal after goal.

Surely, if Essendon's business is effectively destroyed as a result of the ASADA investigation, then this was due wholly and solely to the conduct and behaviour of its own personnel in instituting a programme of injecting its players with a prohibited substance?

I have a demonland signon I consider myself a connoisseur of BS

Was really impressed with Barry - for where he's at in his career. Always seemed to get a (clean) disposal in. He's probably a couple of (pre) seasons away from being seriously damaging, but plenty to work with for someone with so little football experience. Doubt he'll be playing too much as a tagger in the longer term. Felt that playing on Hill was done as part of his education as much as anything, and to reinforce Roos's defence-first credo.

I agree CB unlike some others on here I bare him no ill will.I often wonder what would have happened if Roos had been the coach in 2012.

These2 blokes should play every game from here on - experience is everytrhing

I disagree. It was an inspired pick. We didn't play safe and we chose someone virtually unknown who became the most exciting player not just on our list but (for a very short time) just about the whole competition. When Liam was at his best we had excitement. That it couldn't be maintained was a footballing tragedy. I can accept that Cook and Scully were "bad picks" for different reasons. Jurrah, on the other hand was a great pick unable to maintain the commitment necessary for a variety of reasons. In the unlikely event he could convince the club that he was genuine about committing to the rigours of AFL one more time, I'd be prepared to put him on the rookie list as much to help him as to help us.

Pedersen had surgery to fix his face.

Really hoping theres no supporters left anymore that want to rest players to try and lose the game to gain a higher draft pick Surely we have all learned from the past

does that possibly make it even more likely we'll trade our early picks ?

Solid player, although i put him in the bad attitude club. Better for our culture that he isn't around.

Who's to say Rockliff would've turned out as he is now? It's the sliding doors principle, player development has been highlighted as a failing for a long time. For all we know he would've languished at Casey if we'd taken him. I don't think Jurrah was a bad pick up, things changed dramatically for him back home and he made some bad choices. A lot of boxes would need to be ticked before this would happen but I'd consider a rookie pick on him.

He is, of course, welcome back to the club if he wishes. That isn't to say he acted with great regard to the club in the lead up to him leaving, nor that the club did the best by him in that period. But he played quite a few games for this club and played well. Well done.

I'll just say this it was Jurrah taken over Rockliff, I don't care what great and brief performances he did over a short period. It was clearly the wrong pick

south park reference - The aim of the argument is to deliberately confuse the jury by making use of the fallacy known as ignoratio elenchi (irrelevant conclusion) or a red herring.

Has hanks produced the Chewbacca defence yet? If not they aren't serious about winning

They have been looking stupid for 18 months wylBut I guess that is not your question.

Worry a bit about his attitude with only a handful of games - this is also at odds with all the chat from coaches and draft camp. Can we please limits attacks on this kid until he's played at least 20/30 games, because he is just that; a kid. (As are Salem, Barry and Toumpas I might add.)

The mindset displayed on this site sometimes is terrible, the second half against the Hawks put the brakes on, we are still so far behind what were supporters expecting, this season was about Roos sorting the wheat from the chaff.......Barry, Riley, Tyson, Michie showed at the weekend we are on the right track....Roos comment at the end of his presser that players can't afford to wait till pre season will ensure that whichever 22 are sent out this weekend their minds will be set firmly on the task at hand

Wouldn't like to see Roos in a red vest - that would be a worry.

I know he had a quiet game but JKH must stay in.

Jazza - it is impolite to use the word pillow biter these days .The correct nomenclature is " young liberal" Also ,several of the fine beauties here at the gat have taken offence at your references . Anyway- it's colder than a witches teats . I'm going to set something on fire just so I can feel my hands again.

Anyone reckon James Harmes could be a smoky selection?

Sometimes I feel that Roos may have pumped Watts up a little too much and the reason he has not been dropped or subbed is due to Roos having to swallow his pride.

My view...fwiw We are simply after good players. If we have to pay market value then so be it. We actually accomplish what we need to do , get decent players. Many want to slide ol' Billy through on the cheap but if full whack then so be it. We still better our list, isn't that what it's about.

Roos had delusions that he could turn Watts into the +190cm midfielder. I would go as far to say that Roos' promise of 'finally giving Jack a consistent position' was the best part of why Watts signed for the extra 3 years. The non-negotiables and contested footy Roos preaches is so distant from Watts desire and application at the moment it's not funny. I reckon the coach would be wondering what he needs to do to get Jack to play that way.

Meh, he'll get less of the ball playing in a Melbourne forward line than at Casey. Probably an easier transition from injury. Also the only chance we have of getting more than 25 people there.

Package our 2nd rounder with Blease to Alice Springs?

Out: Viney, Tyson, N Jones, Jamar, Dunn, Dawes, Tmac In: Spud 1, Spud 2, Spud 3, Spud 4, Spud 5, Spud 6

A team full of Jack Watts' won't win you a flag either. Including in the VFL

Dude the guy is playing his 3rd game on probably one of if not the biggest gut runner in the AFL. The fact Roos had the faith in him to run with Hill is a big show in faith. The experience alone would have been so valuable to him for his learning and confidence. Just remember he tore Garlett a new [censored] in the VFL the week before. Thats someone who has over 100 game experience and kicked 43 goals last year. A massive learning experience for him and im sure will benefit in the long run.

A lot to like about Barry?! Gotta be kidding. He was given a run with role and he seemed more in awe of Hill than doing the job. Couldn't even lay an arm across the chest to put on pressure. There's a reason Crowley and Macaffer are good, it's because they apply physical pressure. Hill simply outrun him too, he was flatfooted at nearly every stoppage. One tackle, very few damaging possessions and looked completely out of his depth. Michie on the other hand I thought ran hard and offered something.

note..by a team that WE beat on THEIR Home turf..Funny game footy

Keep in mind they've both played under 5 AFL games each. Seems we're developing them properly, and holding them back in the twos until they start playing their roles consistently well. The same can't be said for a host of others on our list who have been developed poorly and who have less ability than these two. Confidence is a huge thing for younger guys trying to break into a best 22 and I'm sure Dom and Michie would be feeling good about their contributions yesterday which is a really positive thing for the way they'll approach the next game.

Saw that showed some real fast pace there was very impressed!Leave him Gawn and Michie for the rest of the year I reckon. Get some games and confidence into them.

have a looked at the play where Dom Barry kicked to Gawn in the goal square . Dom had to attack the loose ball with a Hawk player coming at him the opposite way and Hill on his tail He didn't flinch, took possession and with only a spit second to make the play he hit Gawn with a clever kick - resulting in a Demon goal very nice play edit - heres the play http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2014/20/haw-v-melb

Strange that there is so little love for Jack, He had 17 disposals at 94.1% efficiency, how many others got close, frawley had 14 disposals at 50%, Kent had 9 disposals, etc... Jack was far from the worst, he is an outside player but everyone is cursing him for not winning every contest. A few weeks ago everyone was cursing Maxy for his game at full forward, when the fault was not max's it was the way we were delivering it, today we delivered it to his strength, i.e. up high. Jack needs to be used on the outside to get be best out of him.

Pure distraction s-t-i-n-g-a. Any time you see Robbo, Chip Le Grand or a lawyer and academic called Martin Hardie associated with anything to do with this issue, you need to take it with a huge grain of salt. They are not neutral parties.In this case, Robbo concludes that the asking by Gillon McLachlan of the question as to whether the offending club was Essendon, automatically means that the AFL knew it to be so and therefore the inference follows that Demetriou warned the Bombers to self-confess etc. and did so in breach of the law. My take is that the asking of the question confirms the AFL had suspicions but nothing more at the time and this line will, like the many other distractions in Essendon's game of smoke and mirrors get them nowhere. The main issue in the case that begins on Monday is whether the joint investigation by the AFL and ASADA was lawful and if it wasn't, how much of the evidence gathered by the investigation (remembering that only part was conducted jointly) can be used in the ongoing case against the players. The case against the players is currently stalled at the show cause stage because of undertakings given by ASADA to the Federal Court at one of the early directions hearings. What the AFL knew or did not know is in my view a peripheral side issue but Robinson, by his latest effort, has shown himself to be a sloppy journo, and despite the lovable personna that he otherwise adopts on the AFL360 programme, he and his sidekick have lost me completely because their credibility is in tatters. In my spare time over the weekend (half time in today's game?) I will try to catch up on the submissions in the case to see if there's anything new or interesting to report.