Bedraggled Dee

I watched Georgiou at training on Australia Da and I have to say I was surprised. He showed a fair bit talking iot up and running hard. I cant say I noticed Jetta except once where he did stood out for jogging out of defence when gut running was the order of the day. My pick would be Georgiou. I like Jetta as a player but for a bloke playing for his career he just looked lack lustre.

How many decent free agents have re-signed with Melbourne in recent years? I cant think of too many who would have received decent offers who have stayed. Chip will be courted by any team looking for a key defender and unless we show significnat improvement I thinl that althougth his preference would be to stay, money + finals + getting older = Chip gone,

Injuries permitting Hogan will get the third best tall defender or a medium sized player asked to play tall. He may not kick a bag on the Harry Taylors, Scott Thompsons and Corey Enrights of the comp but with Clark and Dawes in the side I doubt he will play on them. I am bullish that this young bloke willhave an immediate impact on the side and sould kick 30-40 for the season. We have seen players with less development the Jessie in other sdes do it and there no reason he cant.

One thing is for sure some teams will get better and some will get worse. I think we be in the former and potentially have the side to match it with most teams with the exception maybe of the Hawks and possibly the Swans. I would back our back line and forward line against any of the other sides and the midfield while a work in progress has some potential. i dont think will be flogged in the midfield like we were last year in every game. If we can break even with possesion in half the games I am sure we can restrict the opposition and kick enough goals to win. I dont know who we will beat but I am pretty sure we will loose the odd game we all thought was a win and win the odd game we all thought we had no chance in. Look at the Essenon game a few years ago, we had no right to win that one. A midfield of Trengove, Watts, Viney, Cross, Toumpas, Vince, Tyson, N Jones, Mackenzie, Blease, Michie, M Jones, Evans, Kent, Strauss, Nicholson, Riley, Tapscott, and a decent Ruck brigade of Jamar, Gawn and Spencer will be okay. As I said we are still short 1 or 2 experienced stars but the basics are in place and they have the fitness base to do the job. The first seven are all quality players and I have seen enough from M Jones Strauss and Evans to think they will make it. I also recon mackenzie can do a good tagging role and will be handy this year. Like a said a pas for me is 9 wins and i recon we should come very close to that.

If we dont win 9 or more I will be very annoyed. Unlike some others I think we have the cattle on the paddock to be competetive and all thats required is a decent game plan and confidence and that can happen very quickly. We are probably still 1 or 2 quality mids short but we have some depth now and should be able to match half the sides in the comp.

IMO there will definately be infraction notices that will be served on the club officals under rule 6 (I think) of the ASADA rules. This includes Dank, Robinson, Hird, etc etc. While is think infrcations to players is probable I am not so confident there

I know. It may take this next season or so to happen but when it happens it will happen quickly. I dont expect a top 4 finish this year and I am sure there will be bad losses but once everything gels I think it wil be a steep curve of improvement from there.

Had a listen to the boys speaches and was really please to hear the way PJ laid it all out, no spin just the facts. I reckon its also of note that the fundamentles of this club that he he inheritted are good. The financial structure is good and we owe a debt to the people who did that. Roos just fills me with confidence as do the comments from Vince and Cross that the side is not the basket case they observed on the paddock last year and the talent is there as is the desire commitment and fitness. I think when we come good it will happen pretty quickly and the Dees will rise from the ashes to swat the upstarts back to their proper place in the competition. Can't wait for the new season to start.

Traditionally clubs can take a couple of diffferent approaches into the NAB series, what will be Melbourne's? Will we blood some young players or use the comp to get our senior list better aquainted with Roos game plan or maybe a bit of both? From memory I dont think the Swans ever put a full side on the ground for the NAB Challenge. I think there is an arguement to play a good side through this comp to get a few wins on the board provided they are ready. I think a significant issue for Roos to overcome is the mental state of the playing group and the best way to improve self belief is to win. What approach do people think we should take and what do you think the team for this game will be? My guess is that they will play some young players but I think while not taking any risks with players we will put our best foot forward. With the injuries we have I would guess the following line up Terlich Frawley Dunn Grimes MacDonald Pedersen Trengove Cross Tyson Watts Fitzpatick Howe Hogan Dawes Kennedy Harris Spencer N Jones Vince Toumpas Strauss Michie Evans MacKenzie M Jones

I hate them all with a special level of revulsion for Essendon and I find Hawthorn supproters particularly bigheaded

From what I have heard and seen Chip is in the same boat as Watts last year, he wants to stay but doesnt want to spend his career struggling at a third rate club without getting any success. If we show something to give him hope I recon he will stay

I was at the raining session just before Chistmas and he went off feeling his hammy and a quick chat with the medical staff. That was around 5 weeks ago and at this time of year I think any hammy strain is a week or so off for physio and healing and a progressve retun over 4-5 weeks depending on the nature of the strain. He showed no sign of any foot issues in the pre-christmas session.

I believe the offences against the ASADA rules are civil not criminal. If I read things right the WADA code is agreed to by signatory countries and to enact that code in Australia the government legislated and created ASADA and the ASADA rules. Sports governing bodies then sign up and say yes we will comply. There are sports in Australia that havent signed on and dont comply. The offences are against ASADA rules which mirror the WADA code. If WADA intervenes it does so by appealing the ASADA decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport who will then review the case and outcome. The claim that ASADA gave the wrong advice in relation to AOD is not yet proven. I havent read any reports that the letter Dank supposedly recived from ASADA has come to light. From memory I think ASADA clamed they have never given incorrect advice however there is a suggestion from the ACC and Dank that the advice they may have given in relation to AOD may be incompleted advice. That by itself does not absolve the athelete of their responsibilities but may provide a mitigating factor or a possible defence of mistake in fact if that applies. I think the joint investigation was a huge error by the AFL and ASADA and will never happen again. The news ltd vs AFL thing is just noise. Neither the AFL or any media outlet have any control over this issue now

Nope but it does say something about Clark given comments on here recently stating his foot was knackered.

Yep drivel AODees. I have watched him at traning and during those times his attitude is the oposite of your description. SFKA agree completely

They must be confident with Clarks foot. Very good news for mine

Not sure what your pont is DF but I would hate to see the work of those in the photos derided or taken for granted. IMO Stynes, Schwab and Mclardy saved this club and you can add Cuddles in there as well. Never forget the dire straights this club was in when Jimmy and Co took over and they worked tirelessly to pay off our debt. I am not saying mistakes weren't made but we should never forget the work these blokes put in and good things they acheived and the hardships they endured over a number of years. I cant think of group of club administrators and coaches who have endured such a long a wretched set of circumstances in my time following this game. To be able to navigate all the issues and get the club to a reasonably viable state was a fantastic outcome. (PJ will have us in the black in one year, thats not a club without good fundamentles) The on field was, as we all know, shocking but every club with off field issues have problems and we had loads more than most combined with poor recruiting young nexperienced coaches no traing facilities and half an FD n the early years. I for one would happily buy any of these blokes a beer and wish Jimmy was still here to drink one.

Hoopla, I think the exact opposite. The lack of commentary/leaks from ASADA IMO is evidence of a well run ship. I dont think it would be the lack of trying by the media that information has not got out. The investgation will take as long as the investigation takes. These things can take years. I dont know anymore than you but I suspect that evidence in relation to the Essendon investgation is closely linked to evidence relating the Cronulla investgation and that from ASAD's perspctive they need to resolve both in coordnation to maximise the outcomes aganst all suspects. I think that while the Essendon and Cronulla players and officials will be dealt with for breaches of the WADA code the key for ASADA will be to identify those persons invlved in the illegal trade and distribution of regulated subtances and refer evidence of possible crimnal matters to the Police. This will follow on from ASADA outcomes against players and officals and will be managed in cooperation with Federal and State Police. The long term aim of ASADA is to get these people and anyone associated with them out of sport for good not to issue infrngements against Essendon players.

I would not be surprisd to see Dunn in the LG

This article should pasted to the locker doors

I think a few on here have undersold the effort and ability of Matt Jones. He was an oustanding addition to the side last year and arguably our second best midfielder behind Jones. If his developement continues this year he will be a good mid for us and IMO has the wood on Michie, Trengove, Watts, Mackenzie Toumpas and Viney. Not saying these blokes wont be good players and all probably have bigger up sides but that is potential against proven ability and on last years form Jones is better

The problem in using a 2nd ter t develop talent is that thy wont retaiin the talent for long and act as feeders for the 1st tier. That can be managed somewhat with the rules but I doubt the AFLPA would accept quarantining talented youngsters int low tiered clubs for less money. Moving to a two tiered structure would IMO inevitably reult in an open market for players within the contraints of the cap. What the salry cap would look like is a whole topic on its own but it is safe to say that the competition could not support another dozen salary caps of a similar size to the existing ones

Paul, Not sure your suggested model would stand up. To be a competetive outfit all the B Div side would need to provide similar stucture to A Div sides including training and administration. You cant go from a part time club to being a professional outfit over night. There is barely enough money going a round now, your model would spread to money across double the sides. A good example is the one you used above. Do you think loosing millions of dollars to a Tas side would have no effect on the Hawks? I know they are doing okay now but with a sustained down period they would face the same pressures we are facing now. I follow the baggies in the EPL, the soccer clubs always struggle to make the transittion from the Championship to the EPL. More often than not they drop back the very next year. These clubs are all supported by rabid fans and own there own stadiums located in their heartlands and have a much greater population to support them. The AFL is structured very differently. If the Dees were relagated the club would be forced to contract significantly and probably could not afford its existing training facilities and administration. We would cease playing at the MCG as well

Great post I agree completely. In addition I think it is likely that flowing from the NRL and AFL enquiries police and the Theraputic Goods Adminstration will lay some criminal and civil charges for supply, use and import of controlled substances. If this occurs the Medical Board and Pharmacy Board will get involved and a few deregistrations will follow. Hird is in trouble for breaching the WADA code if infractions follow and may be in trouble from Worksafe but the ACCC and Police matters will not directly affect him.

Relocating or sharing a team in team in Tas is the answer there and the Hawks/North are on the way. IMO North does not have a sifficient base in melbourne and will need to expand into Hobart to stay viable probably to a greater degree than the Hawks are in Launceston. The launceston/Hobart rivalry means a team based in Hobart will not work nor will a team based in Launceston. No one in Launceston will change support from the Hawks to a Hobart team and vice versa. I agree with the Master, there will be sigificant pressure on a number of Vic based clubs in coming including us. We cant compete untill we get sustained success and start getting prime time exposure to attract money and support. This needs to occur over decades not a couple of years. I also think free agency will put pressure on the poorer Vic based clubs that may see one or two fold or relocate quicker than we think. As player moves become more commonplace the hold clubs like us, the dogs and Noth have on their players will diminish. Look at any other sport around the world and it is common for professional atheletes to look after their own interest first and the clubs second.