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Thought that Spargo was in no way a lock for the senior team, and even (looks at feet), tipped him to be replaced during the season by a rookie. Stupid call. Looking at replays over the off season, and this kid has it. Senior head on young shoulders.

Anyone who gets stuck into Brendon Goddard a quarter into their first game goes alright by my standards. Actually finding it hard to fathom that he was 18 years old all throughout last season. Never had massive stats but played with the composure of a 200 gamer. Wasn't overawed on the finals stage either.

In his last 5 games in 2018, including 3 finals, Weideman took 13 contested marks at an average of 2.6 per game. Across the season as a whole that average would have placed him equal second with Jack Darling on 2.6 and just behind the best contested mark for 2018 Jeremy McGovern. What you envisage as a weakness is one of the biggest strengths in the competition.

Anyway, fantastic performance by the girls today. Loved the way they played the wind again with smart defensive footy against it and then attacking footy with it. Pearce led the mids really well and they were great around the contest against a strong Brisbane side. Used the ball by hand and foot in the right balance. Forwards did the job. Newman a weapon in space and crumbing. Hanks an absolute beauty, sets up so much with her clean hands, a natural. Hore was quite. Zanker stuffed up 1 goal terribly and another where she should've snapped but went a drop punt but he she keeps competing. Backs were dominant. Guest has made a difference after missing round 1. Downie is probably still building in to her game. So is Lampard. Edmonson a few iffy decisions but a lot of good. Cordner was probably best on ground. She monstered big Sabrina. Never let her get in to the game at all. Fantastic performance. BOG for mine.

It seems good enough reason to disband the abominable faux franchise club.

Pelchen made a name for himself on the back of the Hawthorn list, one that Dermott vehemently disputes. He screwed the St Kilda list before moving on, probably has as much to do or more than Lyon with their current predicament. Whilst the words are nice I wouldn't place a lot of faith in what he says. He's certainly conned a lot in believing he is some kind of list expert.

He doesn't have to be star. Just play his role. Target would be a couple goals a game this early on.

How many players can come into the side as a 21yo and 18 games of senior footy play finals and take the game by the scruff of the neck like the Weid did. He took Geelong to the cleaners and was almost as good the next game against the Hawks. Two sides we have struggled to beat since the days. Finals games are invaluable and for the Weid he flourished. IMO l have no hesitation to back him in without a doubt. Having a good side will help him as he will have some very good talent to support. him.

Terrific team performance today. I thought Pearce was best on, she was brilliant and dominant all day. Bring on Norf, the only downer was Cunningham on report.

Very scrappy vs the pies last week. Very clean this week. There has been some really good marking, overlap play and short stab passes to position. And our defensive structures are holding up really well. For a change we have kicked more goals than points. It will be a good win and a very good percentage boost (if I haven't spoken too soon...).

Here are the 3 specials ... French Ligue 1 Monday at 07:00 St Etienne v PSG PSG Win & Over 2.5 Match goals $2.20 Italy (Serie A) Monday at 6.30am $2.20 Napoli Win & +2.5 Goals Match Score vs Torino Italia (Serie A) Tues 6.30am $2.00 Roma win & +2.5 Goals Match Score Vs Bologna With the help of odds booster/powerplay one should be able to get 10-1 or even 11-1. And because the multi carries on until Tuesday, cash-out becomes an option. Good luck all!

Good things come to those that wait special: Italia Serie A Tues 6.30am $2.00 Roma win & +2.5 Goals Match Score Vs Bologna

Surely it's the other appointment that conflicts with the scratch match and the scratch match wins.

They ran 56.69 for the 1000m too Wadda ... Osborne Bulls has really come of age after working its way through the grades. It will probably win a G1 race soon enough but the sprint races are tough to win. I'm not sure any of the sprinters can get near 'Nature Strip' over the 1000m or 1100m though. NS will be running in the Oakleigh Plate next week and then the Newmarket you'd reckon. The 1200m might test NS but it's the quickest horse in Australia up to 1100m. Gator reckons NS is the quickest horse in the world over 1000m! But for the others (including OB) there's also the upcoming Galaxy, the TJ Smith, the All Aged Stakes, Ubet Classic, Doomben 10,000, the Goodwood, the Kingsford Smith finishing off with the Stradbroke. All Group 1's from 1100m up to 1400m for a lot of prizemoney. Shoals, Viddora, Santa Ana Lane, Pierata, Redzel, Le Romain, Showtime, and a number of other sprinters are set to return as well. And then there are the emerging 3yo sprinters such as Sunlight, Graff & Lean Mean Machine. The sprint races are very very competitive. They may decide to set Osborne Bulls for a few of the above races ... it will probably run in the Newmarket next but to win a race like the Newmarket, a horse generally needs an ideal run.

Gee having another look at that Lightning Stakes, did realize Ossie really sort of missed the start and had to go around the outside of the field. Its last 70m was going 2 for 1 to every other horse.

Lists 6 midfielders including three rotating not-full-time mids (Salem, Nibbler, Petracca) but managed to overlook Harmes who played the final third of the season as a crucial part of our midfield mix... makes me hesitate a little when considering this evaluation. Reading the full article, a flag goes up for me in that he has continuously used the very amateur habit of running off half a dozen impressive names and using that as an alternative to real analysis. I think of it as the "Carlton supporter's list analysis" because for about the last decade, at any time, anyone supporting Carlton could have done that kind of 'analysis' and come away thinking 'yeah, we're really building'.

Macca...how many Ladbrokes accounts is it possible to open?

Best Bet Strike Rate 88: 35 - 14 - 12 Australian Group & Listed Races And here are a couple of replays from yesterday (Apollo Stakes & Lightning Stakes) followed by a replay of the CF Orr Stakes from last Saturday.

Winx ran 01:20.88 for the 1400m yesterday which is .30 off the track record. And she wasn't extended by any means. The horse is so quick I reckon she could break 01.20.00 for the 7 furlongs. But that could really only happen if she needs to be extended Her final (?) 3 races will be over 1600m (Chipping Norton), 1500m (George Ryder) and then the QEII Stakes over 2000m. And there is no horse in Australia that can get near her in those 3 races. After yesterday I honestly believe that Winx could go on and win a 5th Cox Plate. But the chances of the connections racing her on after this Autumn are slim. But you never know.

By comparison Hogan took 3 contested marks total in the 6 games against top 8 teams. For those thinking I’m bagging Hogan I’m not. I am on the record as saying Hogan could have kicked 100 goals last season if we used his once in a generation talents properly, which for a 100kg power forward is his speed and strength. He kicked very few goals after taking marks at full speed on the lead and none that I can remember in the big games. Hogan has no vertical jump and will never take many contested pack marks. Weids does have a leap, and already takes pack marks. So for our game style we are already better off. I would however like to see us lower the eyes a lot more in 2019, and bomb it long as a last resort. If we can do that we will be far more dangerous.

Ran 2nd ... had every chance as it got a good run. Worth following up on though as the winner was just a bit too good. It wins an easier race though as the race it was in yesterday was a Listed race.

Interesting times ahead. I'm not going to try and re-write history and say that Jesse wasn't a great gun for us, but I do think that our mids looked for Jesse when there were better options about. We did seem to play a little more unpredictable when he wasn't in the team, to the detriment of whoever we were playing. So where does that leave Weed? One swallow does not a summer make, but he has the tools to be a very good player. Good hands, good kick, and, like his grandfather, loves the tough stuff. And he is still a kid. I think that in 4 years time he will be a handful for even the best defenders. But of course nothing is set in stone, but I do like what I see from him so far.

I bet he wished he did miss the Sydney game. But the vision of Isaac Heeney’s mark of the year in Q4 says he didn’t.

Well, I'll be there. It's going to be a bit strange barracking against a few girls I've coached. Any other QLD Dees planning on attending?

Yes, a brilliant strategy to get his wife to apply for a prestigious position overseas. Why is it that when anyone leaves the Club they get canned? Watts, Hogan and now Mission and that's just off the top of my head. Misso came to MFC when we were a basket case and we are now an elite organization. He's part of that. Thanks Misso. Good luck and thanks.

Hogan is a special talent and we’re fooling ourselves to think he won’t be missed. Weed shows a lot of promise but how he performs in the longer term is yet to be determined.

A bit cranky this morning 'Franky'.... His turning circle is ok for a big man, he's pretty good below his knees and he won't need to do a whole lot of ruck work. He is a work in progress and progressing quite well I would think. Not a million miles off but still some work to do.

Nothing like taking the roof of your mouth off with volcanic hot baked beans in a jaffle in the middle of winter. He might be onto a winner here.

IMV... the GWS jumpers have changed colour, and their Grey appears almost Blue... in the AFLW game. We have to protect our brand.

i don't see any clash problems with either the shade or quantity of their orange

Orange G on dark grey yet "We need to protect out brand" I suggest spec savers

Our new theme song: Blue dubba Dees dubba da:

Signed up the week it was released... Cancelled my Foxtel subscription 2 days later... Onward and upward!

How did JJs bb go? Had a bit on this arvo....

Well, JJ hosted today from Morphettville which meant some other dude (not Adam McGrath) was giving out the tips. But of course we want JJ's tips so it was annoying! Other times he's just not there at all. Could be that he's on Demonland reading the training threads - who knows? Interestingly, Gator hasn't been on the 'Get On' Thursday night show at all this year (so far) ... but at least his tips are available on Racing.com (Wednesdays) In all seriousness, I do rely on JJ's tips for exotics & straight-outs so I'll have to find a fall-back plan B Wadda.

Thank you Mr DJ

We had the greatest jumper and still should be wearing it - the royal blue and a crimson-red; only the brighter blood-red jumper was an acceptable alternative. Both were lively, smart, identifiable and distinct. It bred the killer instinct that we are fighting to regain.

Is the ‘grey’ in GWS’ jumper too blue? - Thread needs a poll.

The good thing with Sam is that he actually performed really well in the finals, so he knows now that he can do it. If he had played poorly and we had just scraped through it would be very different.

It is obvious most people do not realize the amount of time it takes to get one person to the elite level of their sport let alone an entire team, at the moment the mfc are light years ahead of where they were prior to Misson joining the club. Injuries will always occur.

Sorry CF. I might be wrong but I can’t think of too many big men (194+) in our squad that are better than him “below their knees”.

The lengths players will go to not take on the Demons.

The umpires notice kicking more than handballing. When Clarry starts to do more damage on the outside and kick more he will get more Brownlow votes. So many demonlanders harp on about us having no outside pace, but it could be staring everyone in the face. Clarry was one of the quickest at his draft combine, and if he can get more outside ball (maybe mix up inside and outside if Viney plays a full season), then he will be seen as a true superstar and win a Brownlow. Think how Brayshaw, Martin etc kick a lot more and attract the umpires attention.

Did you stand on a soapbox when you posted that?

Yeah, real great contributions

Yes, but you jinxed him?? gave his head a good belt on the ground during the tackling drill, left looking a bit worse for wear, uptil then was really good, received praise a couple of times for his shot selection during ball movementt drills The small forward competition is on, during the tackling drill Garlett, Spargo, Bedford, Corey Wagner and JKH all trying to outdo each other which can only benefit the team Forgot Chandler, edit Walked back to AAMI with James Harmes, had a laugh comparing the skinny blonde kid with the toothy smile from 5 years ago to the man I was walking next to now, he said he is the fittest he has ever been and is one solid unit Oliver completed the whole session with the main group

Agreed and I don’t see why anyone would be upset at Saty asking people not to use his photos without permission

Why don't you go to training to see for yourself what is going on, no one is forcing you to read Saty's posts. For supporters like myself who don't live in Melbourne all the training reports are appreciated.