SaberFang

Disgraceful. Why not earn some goodwill and get a few players to hand them out to the homeless on weekends? You seriously have to wonder about the people employed in admin.

Seriously? If Roos can't get this team into shape, nobody will. It's up to the players now. If they can't execute a premiership-winning gameplan because they aren't skilled enough, or simply lack the footy smarts to execute even the most basic decisions under pressure, that's on the players, not the coach.

Touk is a sensational player. I really wish we'd found a way to draft him. Can't wait to see him come out and star in his first match, against us no less.

Geez, can you blame them?? We've given them five years of games nobody attends, and neither broadcaster wants to broadcast. Surely the only thing working in our favour would be the low respect for Essendon. At least they have a healthy membership number!

Before I even opened this thread, I knew I'd find an asinine comparison like this after tonight's game. When did Collingwood last win a premiership? 5 YEARS AGO. When did Collingwood last play a grand final? 4 YEARS AGO. When did Collingwood last not play finals, before last year? 2005. When did Collingwood last finish in the bottom 5? 10 YEARS AGO. When did Collingwood last finish in the bottom 5 for EIGHT CONSECUTIVE YEARS? NEVER. When did Collingwood last have one of their best players leave the club each year? RHETORICAL QUESTION! Collingwood can afford to be half-arsed in practice matches, just as Port Adelaide and Hawthorn have. They can afford to stay in second gear and avoid injuries for the season proper, because they have a familiar coach and a familiar game plan, and winning cultures. None of those teams are even remotely fair comparisons to us, under a coach desperate to establish a winning culture. A coach who treated the NAB Challenge like Round 1, by picking his best 22 available players. We have no right nor luxury to be as brazen as last year's finalists after the last decade of mediocrity. If anyone from our club dared to excuse their poor performances by pointing to the losses of other, successful clubs' in the NAB Challenge it would be the most damning indictment of our playing list imaginable.

You have to wonder how long Roos will remain loyal to his best 22 if the loser mentality continues into the season proper. That said, just getting Vince, Howe and Kent into the side to replace the usual turnover merchants will help to the tune of a goal or two. Brayshaw I can see getting in without much trouble if he stays consistent.

I like Toump but I have NFI what everyone saw in him. Why have so many other players in that draft just instantly clicked into place yet he needs a third year of development at Casey? I totally understand that for a pick in the 50s or 60s but pick 4?! I can't get my head around it. It's like someone formatted his footy instincts the night he was drafted.

And he came out tonight and kicked 4. How refreshing to have a player not filled with a check list of pissweak excuses for not performing. He just goes out and does his thing.

Always an excuse with this mob. "It's only a practice match." "It's only the coach." "It's only because we tanked a few years ago and we're scarred." "It's only because our opposition was too good." "It's only because the conditions were too hot." "It's only because we don't know how to win games because we're used to losing!" "It's only because we get scared if a team we should beat takes the lead!" "It's only because the opposition had more to prove! They're playing for their careers!" Good teams don't need excuses because their actions do the talking. Does backing up that pitiful second half last week with the tripe tonight indicate a team that is learning... anything?

Suns are going to murder us in round one. Absolutely murder us. And the same old creeping fears will rear their heads again.

Can't decide what's worse for team psyche. The Hawthorn thrashing right before round one last year, or losing to a team of drug cheating rejects coached by a narcissist who deserves a life ban from the sport?

You really do just have to wonder if there is some kind of intangible brokenness to this team that cannot be repaired.

Beaten by a team of hasbeens that aren't even told what their gameplan is. Of ALL the teams to lose to, this was the one you DON'T [censored] UP!

Saints and GWS knocked off these losers by 50 points. Wow. 35,000 members after what we've dished up the last 6 quarters? Dreaming.

Kind of glad I only finished work now from the sounds of it. Had planned to go home and relax with some takeaway!

[censored] disgraceful. Who the [censored] breached his confidence? It would be a small circle of people whom he talked to, so I can't imagine it's going to be hard to work out. Maybe it's time C. Dawes, in his newly elected position on the AFLPA board, demand a few answers for such a gross breach of HL's rights? He was doing the right thing to insure he was in the clear but is painted as a stoner by this complete [censored] jockey. Meanwhile, a team of drug cheats remain happily anonymous at the AFL's discretion in the biggest team doping scandal in Australian sporting history. Sickening.

Lachie Hunter named in the Australian.

Bulldogs players bet on themselves to LOSE? Well that'll be great for morale tomorrow morning at training. Muppets. And as usual the AFL asleep at the wheel.

Supposedly the AFLPA have some minimum duration after matches in which clubs are restricted from undertaking any team training. 72 hours from their arrival home from their last match. I'm assuming they did their review Monday though.

Ablett will play even if only 90%.

And the two premiership favourites get an incredibly handy percentage booster to start the season off, further mocking the "equalisation" of the league. Fair dinkum joke.

Give Brayshaw a go against Essendon, I'd say. The second half was deplorable on Saturday. Time to change up a mid or two in our final dress rehearsal. Let's not forget what Roosy unearthed when he played JKH in our first praccy match last year.

Sounds like a shoe-in to me. MFC will certainly do their best to keep him under wraps though, unlike certain other clubs that start talking up their promising FS draftees a year out. Billy Stretch was a third round steal in the last draft. Here's hoping Lovett slips through as well.

Continues to impress. Has definitely improved his public speaking since he first took the captaincy and looked quite shy. Fantastic captain and leader.

If Matt Jones gets a game in round one I'll be flabbergasted.