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'Chafing' at the bit? I think you need to rearrange your bit...

Lymphoma apparently. Good luck with the treatment Choco. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-23/choco-battling-cancer

It's a shame that we didn't draft Naitanui. We could've had NikNat & Paddy Mac

I am staggered that the Dr Reid gets let off. He is the club Doctor, the primary person at the club responsible for the medical welfare of its players, and he failed to followup on concerns he raise about players being injected with substances not approved for human use.

Art Vandelay

McCartin reminds me a bit of Jack Darling in both looks and attitude. Both are strong, aggressive at the man and ball and have good hands. Neither seem to possess a backward step. Obviously it is difficult to know if Paddy can step straight up into an AFL side. By the sounds of it he will need to work hard on his endurance running but Roos proved last year with JKH that he will promote first year players into the side despite preferring they serve apprenticeships at a lower level. If Paddy can have an uninterrupted pre-season then I think he could surprise and play half a dozen or so games. By the way, Darling played 23 in his first season

Scapegoating of one person? Now you can give ME a break. My major beef with Hird is that he instigated the cheating, and when he was found out, HE not only protested his innocence, but the contested everything in the courts and elsewhere. If he had have done what Evans, the AFL , and his PR advice at the time was suggesting this would have all been over by the end of 2013. Instead, he and his sociopathic wife sought to contest the obvious, and has prolonged it quite unnecessarily, and now look like taking it into 2016 and beyond. Hird is responsible for this - no one else. What will happen though is the ESSENDON board, the players, staff and supporters will be the victims. Hird will retire quietly with his millions, leaving victims all over the place. I have previously written, that Hird will be penalised, as will the players and staff. The EFC will go into liquidation after they are hit with writs from all and sundry. They will survive as a different entity but still under the EFC name, but a pale imitation of their former selves. If you think this is scapegoating one person, you are the only person who would think that. Hird, the board, the players are all in one way or another responsible, but Hird was the instigator and therefore should bear the major portion of the blame. He will survive, but not as coach, but many of his victims will be scared for the rest of their lives. You clearly think he is a scapegoat. Well you clearly have very different values to me.

I am chafing at the bit to see McCartin, Hogan and Brayshaw aplus HL, Frost and Garlett) all running riot in Round 1 2015.

Strange that Essendon is able to produce what appears to be a photograph of a photograph of something labeled Thymomodulin but it has absolutely no record of what was actually ingested by the players over a long period of time during which these substances were injected into the players.And the people who report on this garbage get journalism awards? Really?

If we were examining an 18 year old D Breterton I wonder what we would be saying. Undersized for a key position, not quick, can't play mid field, can't play back. Let's move on. But hold on he is a natural forward, he has heeps of mongrel and can take a contested mark and kick a goal. What do we do now? Is there some way of testing for that mental capacity to compete that the likes of Brereton, Hodge, Selwood and others have/had to get to every contest? If there is I wish we knew it because if you get one or two of those characters on your list and you are off and running.

Hogwash. The biggest concern is that the Bombers (redacted) (censored) (withdrawn) (lawyered) (sanitised) thread is making an attempt to catch this one with no. of posts. Now more than ever, we need to non-T$ our way clear of that all-too-serious thread and really up the ante on innane drivel if we are to keep this thread in prime position. Come on D'landers - shoulders to the keyboard and get those posts rolling!

he has also been working on improving his speed throughout the year too. As for Petracca, his explosiveness also comes through his power out of the stoppages. His force to go through a contest or separate from one is raw power, not to be confused with speed.

If I had better control I would treat your comment with the utter contempt it deserves but seeing as how I have none.Bull SH IT !

An interesting Freudian slip!

I am not going to demand Tyson give more than he gave in 2014 - he was superb. If he stays as productive I would be delighted - he is still young. I expect Viney to give a little more but Salem, Brayshaw and JKH are babies. Toumpas, Riley, Michie, and Newton is where our improvement will come from - and I just don't see them having much of an impact at all in 2015. If a couple of them can come in and be consistent members of the 22 then that would be great.

there are some good puns in there somewhere something about an angus beef meat paddy ill let someone else do it

His health issues are very manageable in my opinion and he will get over the niggles I think any key position player carries some risk but the reward of a second Hogan is far too good to pass up

I think you are getting over excited at the lights and sirens If WADA are so zealous on upholding the law, why haven't they challenged the soft NRL player penalties. They were nothing more than a tap on the wrist. And on what basis under the ASADA rules will Hird get "life"? If he gets life then surely Thompson and Reid must receive the same penalty. The only thing keeping Hird at Essendon now is his threat of a crippling legal action for "wrongful dismissal". The claim would be huge and the battle bitter and protracted. However if players are indeed banned then the pressure to exit Hird will be incredible. His battered reputation will be unsalvsgeable. And the players get four year bans??? Yeah right.. And everyone is getting excited over the Workcover investigation. It's nearly 2 years since the news broke about events that are 3 years old. The premise of ASADAs onus proof is for officials/ players to prove that they DID NOT take banned substances. I would have thought the issue for Workcover is to prove that the players actually DID take banned substances. The best Workcover could come up with is that the lack of record keeping may allude to a unsafe work places but I don't believe the case is razor sharp and I don't believe serious criminal sanctions will apply at all. Nor will it get to the High Court. And why hasn't the NSW equivalent of Workcover gone after Cronulla? Well ummmm..... I agree that whatever the actual outcomes there is a likelihood that there will be player actions against EFC and the AFL. However the naive duplicity of the players in this whole saga does not make their actions a sure winner. Bu the only winner out of this.....will be the lawyers....sadly.

No way! Me being still alive in this week's tipping is my only reward for my team flushing it's season down the toilet in embarrassing fashion.

Just turned on the international rules... cant watch it with those 2 drug cheats playing for aus.

I think we will see a gradual improvement in the midfield at the very least on the basis of the following: No one in there aside from Cross and possibly Vince should go backwards. We have not lost anyone in there of value. Tyson and Viney coming into a further pre-season are definites to improve. Full preseasons for Riley, Michie and Newton and the inclusion of at least one high draft mid will add better quality depth at a minimum. How big a step Viney and Tyson take and the unknown potential of Toumpas and Salem in there will determine how far.

Next you will be telling us you lived in a shoe box in the middle of the road.

So 6!

Obviously Billy Stretch is at the club and will be officially selected on Thursday. But today I read that Brayden Manyard's father played (IIRC) 8 games for the club before going on to become a SANFL star at Glenelg. And Tom Lamb's dad played 4 games after being an under 19. Obviously they aren't eligible under the father son rule and both will almost certainly go between our picks 3 and 40. Is there anyone else in this years drafts or previous drafts who's fathers (or other relatives for that matter) played for the red and the blue? I'm pretty sure (the Pies) Ben Sinclair's father played 50 or so games. It's really just nostalgia, but any names out there?

Brisbane Roar sack coach after 5 losses in 6 games this year on the back of two premiership A league cups in 12 and 13 plus coach of the year award. It's Norm Smith all over again! Maybe the curse will be transferred?

He tried but they wanted to focus on their media careers

Start treating supporters with contempt and not listening to their complaints, one day they will wake up. It will be all too late. The AFL is heading down the same path. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-south-africa-2014-15/content/story/802517.html

Time is on his side.

I think it is a bit of a furphy that St Kilda are in such desperate need for tall forwards. They have Riewoldt obviously for the short term and Spencer White is breaking through and they have Tom Lee and Tim Membrey plus Longer and Hickey to fit in as well. The reality is Stanley May have struggled to get a game unless he played as the second ruck or key back, which assuredly is where he'll play for the Cats.

Relax you've got this.

How on earth could a tread about a pack of cheating low life's get even close to this wonderful thread. That other thread should be closed until there is something to discuss. Disgraceful is the only word that comes to mind.

Yeah he lost the plot in the last game. Got himself suspended and gave away 2 50mts penalties. Very irresponsible and pathetic leadership that day.

The 2.81 sprint was in March, presumably at AIS or something like that since he didn't test at the draft combine. Petracca ran 2.96 at the combine which is still pretty fast.

Early 6AM start today with GD minding duties. We had a good day, at 2 PM when her mother got home she said to her "mum what do kids do who don't have a PA? Her mother started a long explanation to be interrupted with " NO, who watches you tube with them"? Are there truly anything better than Grand Children?

I think that is how the Dees see it too.The comment was made that there is no McCartin in the next 2 drafts and a young kid with 9 games just got $7m.

correct r&b, i see this thread as merely in its infancy much more to come....watch this space

I hope the Saints dont take him, id prefer Brayshaw to Petracca Angus screams Joel Selwood to me No pressure

That's Saty isn't it, playing with his Ballbags at training.....

I'd rather mccartin and brayshaw to petracca.

I like what I'm reading about Lynden Dunn who has taken a long time to mature and establish himself as a regular senior player of value to the team. For so long it appeared that, like so many others who have come and gone at the club, he would never live up to his first round draft selection. He was Dunny, the larrikin with the dumb moustache who had needless scraps with teammates and injured them at training, who suffered brain fades during matches that were costly to the team. Suddenly, nearing the twilight of his career it's as if the penny dropped and he's become one of the club's solid citizens setting an example for his younger teammates not only during the season but in that important time of the preseason when much of the hard work has to be done to ensure a successful year ahead. Who would have thunk it?

Yes.

If they get rid of the coin toss I will not renew my membership

I like the coin toss, we win more than two of those a year...

Move the coin toss where???? And why.... Turn off the Music between quarters so i can chat to my old man

Darwin Awards contender?

scratching ones balls is a much undervalued pastime

It is nice to see other Demonlanders are prepared to keep members 'abreast' of available meeting places for before the game. One hopes that that our players will do our 'strip' proud.

sure thing, i'll meet you and your eldest at The Royal across the road from the G' on Punt Road. A quaint little establishment with excellent bar service. Oh, be sure to bring some money to tip the "waitresses" too.

Taking pictures of Petracca's backside would be very creepy indeed deeko. Unless of course, he goes to the Saints, where nude selfies are club policy.