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Whether todd is leaving or not l don't know, but the lack of appreciation for his efforts by many is appalling. Prior to him moving to list management and recruitment our drafting was terrible. Lost count how many first round picks we had that returned donuts. Likewise the suggestions of conflict of interest. Jack is captain because he is driven and leads by example. Just needs helping managing his body and some decent sports science staff.

Basil Fawlty? 'Don't mention free agency. I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it...'

I'll have a crack at this. As a wingman (specifically), he could replace just about anyone that's played (and failed) there this year. This includes Lewis, Jones, Brayshaw, Hunt, Baker, Stretch, ANB, JKH, TMac. I'm not saying we're getting a gun, not by any stretch. But we get him for nothing and as long as we don't pay too much for him or give him a contract into his 30's we're getting at worst an upgrade on our dwindling depth. He would have to be on peanuts at GWS with that star-studded list. We could also use his versatility to play forward or back. Hell, he couldn't have been worse than Hibberd in the backline if fed the ball and used as a distributor. The added run appeals. Langdon on one wing and him on the other would be orright!

Why does everything have to be stated publicly these days? I’m sure the coaches are well aware of the issue and it is something that will be rectified (or attempted to be).

He’s a good small forward, but doubt he’s worth pick 3. Late first round early second round I’d have thought. I know we need small forwards, but you draft on talent not need so early in the draft. If we used pick 2-3 on him, I’d seriously question the recruiting staff.

Currently broken. The hands are missing, the springs are loose, the cogs are worn, the glass is cracked and the battery is flat. The alarm still works. If it can be fixed who knows?

Hmm. Not bloody Sam Jacobs?! S Jacobs > sauce > tomato sauce > napoli sauce > basil required ingredient Tell me I’m wrong!

Not to worry, will be about 6 months until you see a missed kick or goal by us again

You are the most negative poster here. Look at your posting history. That's conclusive evidence if ever I've seen it

@dazzledavey36 talk about sick and twisted however I read through the thread and interesting to see how many posters this season if doom are absent in this thread our resident clown only posted once and it was to praise Chris Scott's press conference, which is obviously the first thing which would come to mind as a real Dees supporter after your biggest highlight in 12 years

Sorry i disagree, a coach is undoubtely important, but other teams have won premierships without Clarkson or Simpson. The players need to step up and take ownership for their on field performance, or lack there of as well. A coach can only do so much from the sidelines and with the players available.

The MFC are on analogue. But the game is now played on digital.

Its on daylight savings time. We are always an hour ahead of ourselves.

The Clock blew up last September in Perth No one has any idea how to fix it, but we always dress smartly at Functions

My thoughts on the list and what they need to achieve over the pre-season. 1. May needs to get his body ready for the rigors of professional footy. 2. Jones needs to learn to hit targets going inside 50 and demonstrate some defensive intensity. Otherwise he won’t get anywhere near 300 games as he will be at Casey. 3. Salem needs to show more urgency in defense. 4. Harmes needs to continue working on his versatility. He’s our one mid who can play in other spots. 5. Petracca needs to work on his goal kicking. And his gut running if he’s going to play mid. 7. Viney needs a pre-season (sounds like a broken record) and a role in 2020. (Either run with player or defensive forward role) 8. Lever needs to work on his touch and tidy his kicking up. 9. Spargo needs to work on his physicality. If a defensive forward can’t stick a tackle he is useless to us. Speed and kicking penetration should also be areas of focus for Charlie. 10. Brayshaw needs to continue working on his two way running. If he wants to take his game to the next level he needs to work on his ability to hit targets by foot. 11. Gawn needs to work on his goal kicking. I’m a believer that the Gawn/Preuss experiment can work with a fitter Preuss. I’d love to see Max play more forward. 12. Bedford needs to insert himself into games more. He needs to find a way to get involved more, either through his tackling or by playing higher up the ground. 13. Oliver needs to learn to put the ball under his arm and break the lines. You be responsible for ball movement. Be the man instead of giving off the dinky 2 meter handball to a teammate in trouble. Only then will he take his game to a Cripps/Bont level. 14. Hibberd needs to be better defensively, and find that yard of pace he had in 2017. This game passes you by very quickly. 15. Stretch needs to learn to be a momentum driver, not a momentum killer. When Billy gets it, he stops, he props, he moves sidewards, he looks behind him. He needs to get it, use his speed and take more risks. 16. KK needs to play. We can’t afford to carry 3-4 blokes who play 2 games between them in 2020. Our depth isn’t good enough to cover it. 17. Frosty needs to do some meditation. If he can show some calmness and composure when he has the footy in hand he can become a top notch defender. 18. Melksham needs to work on his tank so that he can spend more time going through the middle. He was a real impact player in there in a couple of games mid-year. 19. Hannan needs to re-gain confidence and start jumping at his marks again. He can be a rare commodity in our team in that he is a threat in the air, on the ground and he can apply defensive pressure inside 50. 21. Preuss needs to get super fit and work on his hands. Stop dropping marks you get your hands to, you big lug! 22. vandenBerg needs to get on the park. As I mentioned in another thread, avB was a barometer for us late last year in that his aggression set the tone for the rest of the boys. He’s not the classiest but he was sadly missed in 2019. 23. Jordon needs to put on some size. This kid showed a bit when played as an inside mid in the second half of the year with his left foot penetration and ability to win the footy. He just needs to develop a body that can compete at the next level. 25. T-Mac needs to find his elite running capabilities. I’m sure he played with something this year and it impacted his ability to blow his opponent up by running up and down the ground. I’d love to see him smashing marking contests again. 26. Weideman needs to work on his hands and mark those balls he gets his hands to. I also think he needs to impose himself on contests more by throwing his weight around and having a real belief that he can impact marking contests. These things come down to self-belief. 27. Nietschke needs to enjoy his pre-season. He is effectively starting his AFL career at base camp and can’t fall into the trap of trying to fast track things too quickly. 29. Hunt needs to work on his small forward craft. If he is not traded this period this is the only position I can see him playing long term in our team. 30. ANB needs to work towards becoming a one touch player. I know he is often fatigued when he approaches a footy due to his gut running but he just has to be cleaner. 31. Fritsch needs to work on doing the simple things well. This kid will make the AA Squad of 40 next year if he plays the whole year as a forward, but only if he kicks 45 - 20, and not 30 – 35. 32. Sparrow needs to work on his delivery by foot. He is tough, wins the footy, and has good breakaway speed. The thing that may hold him back is his kicking. 33. Oskar needs to work on his game craft. As a wingman, a position we sadly lack options in, he needs to work out how he can become involved in games for longer periods and not just drift in and out of matches. And he needs a tank. Burgess is going to be busy. 34. Hore needs to work on his decision making. Can he become a player we can rely on when he has the footy? As that third tall/intercept player, he needs to differentiate himself from Lever through his superior ball use. He is far from at that point yet. More to follow.

Everyone looks good in a Dees jumper!

Here's my list assessment: Backline: A couple of years ago I was lamenting that we had too many half-backs on the list - now we don't have enough. IMO Hibberd is finished, Josh Wagner is conclusively not AFL standard, Lewis is gone, Hunt and J.Smith have been moved away from there, Jones is no good there and Fritsch has moved forward where he does his best work. We need 7 backs in the 22. I have faith that Nev will get back to at least near his best which was THE best in the AFL. May and Lever are no-brainers. Salem has to stay back here, Petty is too good to stay out of the team and will benefit from another pre-season. In this line-up Frost has to take a small which I think is fine. Hore is the next best back-line player on the list but I don't like the mix that he offers to that existing 6, we need more run, not more intercept marking. We need to trade in a running half-back, the only other ready-to-go player on the list that I think could succeed there is Hannan who would be worth a try if he can get over his injury issues. Otherwise it's Hore or Hibberd as 7th back. Jetta May Lever Salem Petty Frost Bench: ??? Depth: Hore, OMac, Hibberd Developing: Nietschke Mids: We need 8 mids in the 22 including the ruckman - and we're short on quality here. Gawn, Oliver, Brayshaw, Harmes are my go-to starting centre square set. We've got nothing on the wings - we need to close the Langdon deal and for one of KK or VDB to get fit to play. Petracca and Viney can rotate through and I've got them in the forwards. Despite the protestations on Demonland, Jones is still an AFL standard mid, just not in the starting set. I think it's pretty clear Billy Stretch is not up to AFL standard. JKH is just OK and is probably our only mature midfield depth standard. We need one or more of the development players or a new draftee to make big strides over the summer and cement a spot - it's not an unreasonable hope, you'll find all the finalists this year have 1st or 2nd year players in or near their starting 22s. Gawn Oliver Brayshaw Harmes Langdon KK/VDB Bench: Jones, ??? Depth: Preuss, JKH Developing: Jordon, Sparrow, Baker, Lockhart, C. Wagner, Dunkley Forwards: Surpringly, given our poor conversion this year, this is the area I think we're best served. I acknowledge our over-supply of inside mids and our under-supply of small forwards - moving Viney forward solves both these problems in one swoop - he's genuinely quick, a true contested crumber and will deliver ferocious defensive pressure. I have faith in TMac and Weid as marking targets, particularly with the progress of Fritsch. We need 7 forwards in the 22 and a couple of them in Petracca and Viney who can rotate through the middle as required. I think it's clear ANB is not up to AFL standard. We need one of the Smiths to get fit as depth. Petracca TMac Fritsch Viney Weideman Melksham Bench: Hannan Depth: Hunt, T.Smith, J.Smith Developing: Spargo, Bedford, Chandler, Bradtke So in the wrap up: Delist: Lewis Garlett Stretch ANB J.Wagner / Keilty Maynard Walker? Trade out: Hunt? - probably the only depth with any trade value, pick 3 in a pick swap with GWS Trade in: Langdon, running half-back or quality mid (maybe in a GWS pick swap deal) Draft: best available, but it would be nice to have a 1st rounder and get some more young mid or half-back quality onto the list

Where would I look that up, doc? Same page as the difference between "your" and "you're"? ?

Don't stop believing

I reckon in time Petty playing next to Lever will be the intercept equivalent of McGovern and Barrass. By all means play him forward for the moment, but I'd have Petty back before Hore. Maybe Marty playing back next year allows another year of development in Petty before we send him back, but I loved Petty the year of his draft and saw a Lever clone in him. He'll get there if given time.

Do we know anyone that can replace her and has experience catching water bottles, thrown by Clarko?

It’s Paul Puopolo, his nickname at the Hawks is Basil ?. And we take their retirees.

they need to come up with their own 'brand'..

What the F is a premiership clock?

Or 0 for 2 as the Poms call it. Only rain can save England now (you'd think) Went audio only late and next minute I was woken up by the Joe Root dismissal. Great delivery apparently by Cummins. Smith supreme (again) Only a low chance (10%) of precipitation tonight so the Ashes are there for the taking. But that's what I said going into the final day in the last Test! I also predicted that they'd win the series 3-1 after we blew that test so who am I to judge Wadda! Anyway, I occasionally get 'all' emotional! Gotta own ya own words. Go Aussie! Edit: Will we see a final twist tonight? They can't win but they could save the test with one of their batsman having a 'Faf du Plessis' type innings.

stats have shown that we have been killed on the scoreboard because we turn the ball over so often and our opposition scores from it. I dont know how many time this season i have seen players under no pressure kick to opposition players, or handpass to one of our own players feet. this is a game of skill, and our side was not up to that this year. As i have said before we play a brand of football where we zone off hoping to pick off the easy miskick, pass etc. that does not work against good sides that do not miskick. We have the ability to get the ball forward but either we are out numbered, out marked, or simply out played. Some players are always looking sideways and backwards rather than moving the ball forward. and we frequently play players who just are not fit enough or have the form to deserve to play, in some cases i would say they dont even have the right attitude, i.e. they dont chase, they dont tackle, they dont shepherd and often miss giving or receiving simple kicks and handballs.

Interesting comparison ... Mark Taylor scored 839 runs in the 1989 Ashes series in England. 6 Tests it must be said. And Taylor was only in his 2nd year of playing Test cricket.

I’m pretty sure they’re the same person posting under two different usernames.

If you're working hard into space and your teammates are continually butchering the delivery it makes it tough to keep running with confidence that they'll actually reward your effort with a decent disposal. Double edged sword.

Longest day ever.

Was borderline All Australian a few years ago playing as a tall half back. His main strengths are his endurance, running power, and kicking skills. He’s played the past year or two as a wing working between the arcs and has averaged a touch under 20 disposals in a team that doesn’t use the wings much. His kicking skills going inside 50 will be useful. I think he’d be perfect as the lead up forward for us. Similar to Tom Lynch at Adelaide or Hogan when he played up the ground. He’s a great size, but doesn’t split packs. He’ll run anyone off their feet how Hogan used to, just wont hit the scoreboard as often. Because he’s a free agent and therefore no trade required, I’d hope we go hard at him. He’d definitely be in our 22 for a few years to come.

Very happy to back Petty vs Hore. I think Hore could be best 22 but it's a matter of team balance. Petty is a superior prospect IMHO.

Roos slammed the idea of an external review of a football club, going so far as to say that you should just fire the coach and CEO if you feel there is a requirement for a third party review. He went on to say a review of operations is the weekly, monthly and yearly job of those inside the club, and they are the ones who should be tasked with conducting any review. I’ll side with Roosy on this one.

It took less than 6 weeks for the St Kilda caretaker coach (and now permanent coach) to publicly proclaim that his team's inability to hit targets and nail goals from directly in front was an absolute killer. I wonder why our own coach hasn't said the same thing. To be fair to Goody, he regularly mentioned "basic fundamentals" during press conferences but I'm so sick of watching Melbourne players miss goals, miss handballs and miss kicks. The success of Hawthorn and West Coast in recent years has been based on many things but in particular their exceptional kicking skills. Interesting that Ratten has identified it straight away...let's hope our recruiters are thinking the same way instead of recruiting contested bulls who butcher the footy. I will watch our drafting and trade targets with interest!

Good point DJ And during that era we had any number of top players who couldn't get into the team (mainly on the batting side of things but a player like Stuart MacGill might have got 500 test wickets if Warne wasn't in front of him) And to win 16 tests in a row (twice) was just incredible. We were blessed with talent for a prolonged period of time.

yep.. should get to that this is a 3 hour session. The time/run equation is still telling me around 400... maybe 375

wow 10 runs off the first over

The Thommo Lillee days were big but that Ashes series marked the start of perhaps what was the longest period of sustained domination by any team in cricketing history. India have come close but at best they matched us, Hard to compare earlier eras as they played comparatively few tests.

That was the start of Australia's dominance

He only has to get to 13 to top score....

Our Steve Smith has to hang tough here.

I just think if your sledging your not concentrating...i reckon he knows it too, judging by those dressing room shots

We do the hard yards and then Zeus sends down the lightning bolts And there's another

i cant miss a minute Macca......i get grumpy if i have to go to bed even !

The series has been quite incredible DJ ... packed full of drama. Just enough in the tracks to help the bowling but the good batsmen can still score centuries anyway. Test cricket is at its best when the bowling is slightly favoured. A century therefore scored by any individual is hard earned and often memorable. I cannot get enough of it.

Still hes gonna be the next F1 star i think. Hes a very good driver. That accident last week in the F2 was just incredible. Ive been to Spa and that part of the track is exceptionally fast. Very sad.

I can assure you..... we could

LeClerc but it was farcical ..... all the drivers bar one mistimed their last run' Looking similar to the cricket

I would love Jamie Elliott, if he can stay fit. Can’t see him leaving the Pies, tho’.