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Latest word around the traps is that next Saturday, both Ross Lyon and Brad Scott are going to rest all 22 players from this weekend's games.

Has a man-bun. It's a no, from me.

People can dream but he is going to Geelong. All the noise to the contrary is just that: noise! From the horses mouth: "I think both the Geelong Football Club and the Adelaide Football Club can come to some sort of arrangement. "I'm not sure what that is but I'm sure it will be fair and equitable for all." http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-09-27/dangerfield-confident-on-crowscats-trade-deal?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS+feed%3A+AFL+Latest+News The guy has so much integrity. He plays his heart out for the whole season not worrying about preserving energy or avoiding injury. Knows he is leaving but wins the B & F. Who can judge him harshly when he explains it like this: "Football is a huge part of my life but it isn't my life, it isn't the number one thing that drives me – that of course is family,"..."Over the journey [club personnel] become far more than just work colleagues and acquaintances, they really become part of your family..."So to turn my back on that is incredibly difficult, it certainly brings up a huge range of emotions. "Standing here in front of everyone, it's very difficult because I understand it's a decision not too many people were too pleased about but I'd hope that they understand it's [made] in the right manner. "I've made it in the best interests of myself and Mardi and the family we would like to start and head back to. "There's a certain amount of selfishness you have to have when you're making a decision such as this." He is a great role model for young guys in and out of football. The rapturous applause he received at the B&F was very fitting.

Big fish? I don't know. But there is the potential for a bit of a seafood combination. Tom (Moreton Bay) Bugg Rory Lobb(ster) Trent (John) West Jesse White(bait) Cale Hooker Aaron Mullett Aaron Black(fish) Farren Ray Mike Pyke

Bird turns 27 at the start of next year, after spending most of this year in the NEAFL. Jack and Parker were missing for the finals, and he still couldn't crack a game. If Watts gets traded, I'd want it to be part of a bigger trade that brings in a player that would be in our top 10.

Tippet and hogan would be an awesome combination. Pity we would never get it to them. Mids, mids and mir mids

Watch the second goal in the vid HH linked. It's more than just a "Joe the Goose" - he started on the HBF behind Lumumba and worked in to be an option in every step of the play. Agree that he's got a way to go and like his best mate Billy, has a truckload of physical development to do before he's true AFL threat. I'm bullish though, he has the tank, ethic and desire to make it. I think he will.

Bloody Hell.......People whining about umpires.... They have been doing this since the game began and the two captains were umpires.. This game is so hard to umpire with all the rule changes and interpretations. They don't have the benefit of replays or slow motion. Yes they make mistakes but less than the players do in a match. I wonder how many on here have actually umpired a game or two....I have (Junior level) and been abused and called a cheat when I had no preference for either side. Without them you don't have a game.

And I'm pretty sure you simply made that up.

Just showed a lack of IQ I thought.

But it defeats the purpose surely.Ostensibly you're trading for a capable player and paying that at trade values. What you end up with is a 2nd rate substitute and you've lost out at trade. This just has dumb dumb dumb stamped all over it.

Be a massive MelkShambles when he gets banned for two years. Enjoy, I'm off to seal my driveway.

not mineIf..rather when, he is pinged i for one will be interested in how the club explains its foolhardness.

I think the speculation should stop, as the man himself is quoted on the AFL site, as saying he is going to Geelong and that the Cats and Crows will get a fair deal to both sides done. End of story.

I'm already looking forward to us making the journey down the Princes Hwy for another win next year. Bernie to get the job done on Danger once again.

Off Facebook FWIW "Danger is deciding between Cats & Dees, Crows want Dees offer accepted, unsure on exact details of what the crows get from Dees but Dangers partner wants him to take the Dees offer"

They say only a mother could love a mug like that. Surely even Mrs Daniher has her moments of doubt.

A few mistakes or failures along the way are fine so long as they aren't allowed to linger (Michael Newton style) and the overall churn of good decisions keeps building. Have to remember that Hawthorn made a few proper draft clangers, Mitch Thorp being the top contender. Geelong absolutely blew a couple of drafts around 2002-2004, but had possibly the greatest draft run of any club ever in 1999/2000 This is why Geelong have a great big haul of players retiring now, and not so many experienced top players left to take up the senior leadership. They have just 4 players in the 25-28 age range; Selwood, Hawkins, Dawson Simpson, and Mitch Clark. So mistakes were made, but not enough to stop them becoming one of the all time great teams. As for Melbourne, well, we had an appallingly barren run for a long time, that is well documented. Barely a draft brought us more than one long-term player, for almost a decade. Things began to turn a little when we managed to get Hogan & Viney in 2012, and the Salem/Tyson double-up 'trick' in 2013. But a quick look at our 2014 draft is mindblowing. By next season, all seven of our selections may well be in our best 22. Even if it doesn't come to such phenomenal results, there will be more players on the field for us aged 18-24 than aged 25 or more. As for on the full list... not even one quarter will have had a 25th birthday. The only other club making any success out of such a young list profile is the Bulldogs... if only we could get our hands on the kind of youth development expertise that they had, or which Geelong put to work when making the most of their superdrafts.. oh... wait... who's that softly spoken guy with the beard that's been seen around the club lately? "Everything is going to plan"

I'd want Watts' replacement to be an upgrade on Watts, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Bird is more of a competitor, but I think Watts has more tools. Not to mention Bird will be 27 at the start of 2016. This would be a bad, bad trade, IMO. If true, it shows very much that the FD are happy to get rid of Watts for very little.

Being originally from Perth this Grand Final is a lose-lose for me. 1) The eagles win and I have to hear about it for months from moronic Eagles supporters who claim that the fact their club had +349 free kicks over the last 4 years is because they are first to the ball. 2) The Hawks win their 3rd in a row, Frawley gets a flag after jumping ship and I have to hear about how great the Hawks are from the people at work. Talk about between a rock and a hard place!

I get a little bit embarrassed when people start wetting themselves over SM banter. Then I remember that Ralph et al have build well remunerated careers around that very thing.

The Priority Pick system helped them immeasurably in uncompromised drafts. It's not that simple, but gees it's a bloody good start. Now we have Free Agency for them to top up with - McEvoy, Lake, Frawley. It's not the playing field it was a decade ago. I'd argue that priority picks are more important now under FA. Allow the bottom 4 clubs to bring in more talent and then give them time to develop it. If not then the players now have the ability to leave and chase success, or even ask for a mutually beneficial trade (look at how FA has impacted negotiations for none FA players). If Carlton had 2 top 5 picks this year then they could trade one of them for a player who a club might lose under FA the next year, and still bring in a young player for the future. So maybe the answer is a 'must trade' top 5 pick. I haven't done the math on it - but I bet if the rumours are correct Adelaide are kicking themselves for not taking the Dangerfield trade for a top 2 pick from Melbourne last year. Clubs will get better at it, and will wrestle back the player skewed system as it stands currently. The AFL could help with a tweak to the system too.

Livin the dream Ethan!

There is talk that we can't spend big cap space on a "big fish" because we need to keep the money for Hogan, but given that Hogan is contacted for the next two years I reckon one of the best ways to get him to sign that extension is to land a big fish midfielder who will deliver to him up forward.

I'm not an expert and hopefully someone out there knows, but quite possibly it would be part of the WADA rules that a player isn't paid if banned. It doesn't really make sense that you are banned, but still paid anyway. If you can still be paid during a WADA imposed ban, WADA please ban me from work!

The finals again have shown, just as we have banged on about for years, that the team that has disposal skill and works hard, wins. We need to rid ourselves of players with poor disposal and poor work ethic.

If that was true then how do you explain the significant improvement in the team's performances in 2010 and the early part of 2011 when they won several big games including the slaughter of the Swans by a record margin for them under Paul Roos? The thing that broke their spirit was the internal battle within the club between those who were for and against the Bailey style of coaching which failed against teams that applied the hard forward press like the Hawks and the Eagles who murdered us in 2011. Of course it had nothing whatsoever to do with the extra coin that Carlton was prepared to offer to Brock after we refused to give him a pay increase? After all, Carlton had no recent history of tanking at the time, did it?

There are so many ways of hiding extra non-payments that the AFL would need to an integrity unit to provide oversight.

A chemist about to be appointed coach of Essendon. You couldn't possibly make that up.

Well, as it turned out, Jeff wasn't a "d***head", just a naughty boy who became good. However, Bennell's a "Richard Cranium" of the highest order which might make a difference in the eyes of the list management team.

You can't get a passport over the river without a sleeve of tatts and a pair of girly slip on flat shoes with your jeans folded up-no socks. I'm still rockin' a wifebeater singlet and stubbies Col- serves me well.

Wellingham has a really cool man bun. Perth seems like a top place.

Effectively confirming what most people think of you...

He still has one match left to cost them a premiership. Please, football Gods, make it happen. Dropped defensive mark in the dying seconds followed by Josh Kennedy goal to win the match for the Eagles.

Bit of warning next time I was eating lunch!!

You're going about that terribly. Your 4th post here was to tell a respected poster they had no football knowledge and should be embarrassed. All over the incredibly complex topic of body language on the field. Completely unwarranted. We have enough angst in this joint without you adding to it for no good reason.

We can get the Melbourne supporters out first tho

This. In 2004, Hawthorn finished second last, third last for crowds (28K), and a modest 31K membership. 10 years on they are a juggernaut. Instead of wishing and whining, let's follow their example. And hopefully surpass them.

10 - 15 years ago Hawthorn were a club down the bottom with not many fans. Now they are possibly the best side ever and have a massive membership. Hawthorn shows that it's possible and are a cause for hope, not despair. Rather than worry about how well Hawthorn are going, how about we knock them off their perch?

maybe, but he's not what i'm herring

In other words Barrett has NFI but thinks we must be doing something!

If we hand to Goodwin fully now and don't improve out of sight we will be hounded by the media. In 2017 when we are 4 and 8 at round 12 media pressure could result in a turnover of coaches again. Roos status as no.1 in 2016 takes all the pressure off Goodwin as he finds his feat. But more importantly, it gives the footy dept. an extra 12 months stability to turn over the list, develop the kids, rebuild the culture etc. before the preformed becomes Goodwins responsibility. If we ate a bit flat in 2016, Roos takes the heat plus we get to have a 4th list turn over under the same footy department before Goodwin gets a couple of years to build a premiership side. Replacing him earlier than planned just gets rid of all the time that we need to get better that we bought ourselves with the succession plan.

The stutter run-up might disappear over summer, but I think we all know the true secret to Hogan's goal-kicking routine.

lol "This is why I left Melbourne. It was always my ambition to be a bit-part player of mostly kinda adequate standard, getting drastically overpaid and riding other people's ability and teamwork, all towards winning a premiership". Well, meh. the only way this should affect Demonland is a temporary un-censoring of the word f.l.o.g.

Agree we are trying to do that but it's just frustrating that every player wants to go to either Collingwood, Geelong or Hawks.

afl.com.au is reporting the offer to Dangerfield from Geelong is 800k per season Seems pretty low to be honest ... we might still be in the mix if we are offering a long contract at over a mil per year

I like long shots ..