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Completely agree - he will be our finisher.

Saturday night at McQueen's.

I think Colin Garland HAS to be in the starting side round 1 (provided he's fit). There are a few teams without him. It's great we now have more depth which put's more pressure on for spots but IMO he is a lock for a back flank position with Jetta on the other flank. I just can't fit Grimes in. Ex-Capt or not, as he admits, he needs to earn his spot and I don't think there is one there for him ATM. I would love him to be there but he needs to work on some deficiencies first and force his way in.

My understanding is that if at the end of the trial they're suspended, they remain suspended (i.e. ineligible) during the appeal process (as with other sports). This from the AFL doping code: "Decisions made under this Code may be appealed as set out below. Such decisions shall remain in effect while under appeal unless CAS or the Appeals Board orders otherwise."

I once asked a pommy fella what he drinks. "As much as I fookin can."

Most of the big brand Aussie beers are crap. Coopers are just OK. I like their Pale Ale best. There is something wrong when a beer has to be served a couple of degrees shy of being frozen solid to make it drinkable. Nothing beats good German and other European beers that still taste delicious at dare I say a balmy 15 to 18c.

I just wish we had more Saturday afternoon games, for no other reason than I enjoy that time slot the most. We need to be interesting to watch before we get the blockbusters. I don't really have an issue with that.

If this investigation hasn't already been going on for two years then something is very rotten in the State of Denmark. The Doctors and Directors should have the book thrown at them. Fined heavily if not incarceration. I wld go to jail if I 'forced' one of my workers to take injections not approved for human use. WTF are they waiting for??? I suggest writing to your local member and asking them. I have,

One of the best meals I have ever eaten was at the Strahan pub in Tas. A plate of locally ocean farmed atlantic salmon washed down with several pots of cascade. Love Tassie beer, sadly don't drink beer much these days.

Best of wishes, mate. When I became separated from my wife, and then divorced, I thought my world had ended. It floored me. Floored me for a good two years. But I survived it, and once I got up off the floor I found a whole new and wonderful life. It will hurt, and hurt for a while, but that will pass and better things will replace it. I won't lie to you and tell you that not seeing your kids 24/7 is something that will be something that you'll ever get used to, but if you can swallow your pride on some matters concerning them that might make you feel as if she's scored a point on you, but deep down you know it's the best thing to do, then your conscience will repay you in spades down the track as you see how you have done the right thing by the ones that really matter in all of this. After a couple of rough years my ex-wife and I are pretty good friends. Not buddy buddy close, but we talk open and honestly, and even share some laughs. Would I go back? Not a hope, but it's nice to know that even after all the crap both of us gave each other in the early days, we are still a team that needs the other to help them with the raising of our children. Hang tough. These are the worst days and they'll be over sooner than you expect, as much as I understand you might not see that right now. And anyway... late to the party... happy boxing day all.

There are some who regard the draft as flawed to a large extent ... these kids are 17/18 years old when evaluated and I would argue that at that age, it's impossible to evaluate these kids with any sort of real accuracy ... if we went through any draft prior to 2007 we'd find that the true order bears no resemblance to the original order decided upon by the recruiters. I'm by no means excusing Watts as a footballer but if we didn't have a draft, there's no way he would attract the criticism that he does. Judging a footballer (a kid) because of his draft number is unfair in my opinion. Judging Watts as just another recruit is perfectly acceptable ... the trouble is that it's difficult for people here to ignore the draft number when appraising any player.

Who's ripping it up? Which players are 'training the house down'?

I agree with some points you make NAA, but I think whether a club wants a player is often directly related to how much they can get in a trade for them. Tyson is a good example of this. Once he stated he was prepared to leave and Melbourne offered what GWS wanted for the trade, the deal was done. Sure they would have liked him to stay, but in a nutshell, they considered the price good enough to let him go. If Dom and other young trades were only loyal to their club of origin, we wouldn't have him, Frost, Newton, Michie or Riley..... and we'd still probably have HWFUA on our list. If it works for both clubs and the player concerned, then IMO loyalty would be a hinderence rather than honourable.

sadly we will never have a even fixture now its all about the $$$ I have always wondered what would happen to say one of the AFL preferred sides if they had a bottom clubs draw how many teams would kill for collingwoods draw every year , what 16 plus games at MCG and so on

If you like the European styles, as I do, Tumer Pils is well worth a sip.

Book me in next Saturday,

Haha, 2nd Test Australia v India @ Adelaide Oval 2003 Macca, Test cricket can produce strange results from nowhere. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64060.html Once we've either won or drawn this Test then I won't be concerned about what goes down in Sydney.

Your spot on about Boags. I was fortunate enough to experience that back in October this year. Was very enjoyable. Loved their Wizard Smith Ale which sadly isn't for purchase outside Tassie. That sucks big one's re the names. And sadly your right, the cost of court proceeding sup front are very steep and then if you loose become life shattering.....

If that guy hasn't got Toumpas and Viney In the list ahead of Salem, then he hasn't attended many training sessions.

I'm a Melbourne supporter, so I drink wine.

Adam may or may not make it to superstar level. He certainly has the athletic tools but to date he has suffered what a lot of our guys have, he hasn't got a lot of the ball and when he has it he has not been effective. He really started to show something though towards the end of the season. I think if GWS settle him in a position it will improve his game but it seems they use him to plug gaps and again in 2015 that's what they are doing by using him forward. He's been FF, CHF, CHB, FB, BP, FP, HBF, HFF, Wing, Mid and probably has had a go in the ruck. I reckon he started to settle at CHB and would be a great option to launch attacks from there. He beat up on us from there at the 'G'. I had info from mate level that he wanted to come home but was trumped by another poster (sorry can't remember who) who had family level info that he and a few of the others had a pact to see it through at GWS. He was right, better info... I think Adam may have been talked to about a move home and had considered it but in the end decided to stay on.

Funny you say that, I'm born & bred in Strahan. Lived here my whole life. Hamers Hotel is the pub you're talking about!

Any chance we can get Adam Tomlinson to the club when his contract ends? Is he not best mates with Tyson? He will be a superstar. As will Bontempelli. But everyone knows that.

I remember my first beer

Nothing wrong with a Mountain Goat.

The only fair draw for mine is - Year 1 - play all teams once, then play 1-5 a second time. Year 2 - play all teams once , then play 6-10 a second time. Year 3 - " ", then play 11-15 a second time. Year 4 - " ", then 16,17, 1, 2 , 3 a second time. And so on. It constantly evolves. 1 being Adelaide and 17 being the Eagles, not ladder positions. This purely dictates how many times teams play each other in any given year. This doesn't have to dictate the order in which you play them. Armed with the knowledge that everyone plays each other once you could start by marking in Anzac Day, Queens Birthday, grand final replay then slot everything else around it.

There's been a lot of talk over the years about the need for an uncompromised draft but not so much about the AFL fixture which is comprised on a number of levels - ■ the stronger teams get the better draws from a commercial perspective: blockbusters, Friday night and special games whilst avoiding the poorer drawing times and venues; We should do a North of the eighties/90s and take 9 monday night games. The afl want it and the last club to do it recieved a bonanza in credits. ■ the fixture is drawn so that the top teams from the year before play each other more often and similarly with the weaker sides. This often results in teams having a more favourable draw from the point of view of them being competitive in the finals fight but it also gives the stronger teams a further commercial advantage. The only fair draw is 17 games and reversed every year. Macca actually hinted at liking this. ■ AFL teams play all of the other teams once and five teams twice during a season, leaving more room for compromised fixtures. Probably sounds good, but could lead to totally unfair draw for somebody.And we already have that. My question is whether it's better for us at our stage of development to have a better fixture to help us be more competitive or whether we need a fixture to improve our financial outcome at the end of the year? We need to consolidate onfield first. So a better fixture is always the aim.,

Love everything about Tassie: Wine, Food, Art, landscape, lifestyle! Would move there but too far from family, friends & Demon football games!Not a beer drinker but always love a Cascade on a hot summer day!

Steve Smith has turned in to a phenomenal player. Doesn't feel like that long ago when he was a 21 year old not-quite-batsman-not-quite-bowler selected early, that had everyone going "bloody NSW bias". Just another case of mugs on the outer thinking they know more about the blokes paid to select the team, really. His early selection was an investment in the future that has definitely paid off.

If you can drink rams [censored], [censored] you can drink almost anything.

I'd rather bottle goats [censored] than drink cascade.. But thats just my opinion.

A room at the GAT might do you the world of good. Biff was down on his luck before he was given a room there. Within a month he started to oversee a prostitution ring and also started a medicinal supply shop. I would imagine he takes you under his wing and in no time you could be cooking with gas {so to speak}. And the upside is on the way home after a demons win,you and your best new mate Biff,could collect the days takings and still make time to enjoy a big saturday night ripping off drunk customers.

Thank me later B - Jetta - Frost - Dunn HB - Lumumba - T.McDonald - Michie C - Vince - Tyson - Kent HF - Howe - Watts - Salem F - Garlett - Hogan - Gawn R - Jamar - Viney - Jones I.C - Cross - Grimes - Petracca - JKH

Thanks guys, one and all. Sorry to bring down the tone and yes Nasher I've thought the same as you but the real thing after 28 years is so confronting one can't imagine it or prepare for it from the outside. But I'm not the first and others like Jazza have had no say in their tough situation. I have a few good mates - unfortunately followers of Essendon Richmond and Carlton, which is why we called ourselves the MERCs as a cycling group, as well as 3 great kids and good family support. No need to grovel for a room at the Gat just yet. Just give me an actual good year in 2015, Dees, instead of a promise without delivery. Let the normal programming resume!

Dance away, jazza. Rain at this time of year is great for the veggies, and the roses, and the hydrangias (and the fuchsias )

Ive never seen a player develop "competitive edge".You either have it or dont. JWs output will be judged on other players doing his hard work and giving him the pill for good use. Based on the fact he has been given 100{roughly}games to get this right,my judgement is .transfer needed for both entities.

Perhaps it's because it's his club/list now.

No he's not. Watts is simply a very good player with the ball in his hand and we shouldn't expect anything else of him. He is no good at getting it or competing one on one. He never will be. He doesn't have the appetite for a contest. He is an outside distributor and almost always delivers the ball to someone in a better position down the field. The question is whether you can afford to have him in the team with those limited attributes.

I remember taking my young cousin to a footy clinic run by the MFC, and Troy was in charge of his age group's session. He was so kind and caring with the kids and you could just tell that he was a ripping bloke. I only ever spoke to him the once, but I can't help but think about him every year at this time. His final act was the most noble thing that anyone could do-- he sacrificed his life for somebody that he loved. RIP Troy. Gone but never forgotten.

Don't close the thread I've actually really enjoyed some of the discussion and I'm thinking of converting to a "semi" paleo diet to give it a run. Probably won't stick to strict diet but will try and cut out bread/Pasta/rice and sugars as much as possible. Some of the links to recipes etc have been great also, I went and loaded up on some ingredients before and am going to give the home made Granola a run, we'll see how it goes. I've been eating Sanitariums Granola with Vanilla oat clusters and love it but it's got added sugar and I'm assuming it's a fair bit. Also the grains etc full of carbs so I'll try this one out and see if it works for me.