TeamPlayedFine39

Garland's best was 2011 to 2013 and that was very, very good. He read the play well, attacked at the right times and had the Dustin Fletcher style 'go-go-gadget arms.' Unlike most on our list, his peak years were under Bailey and Neeld. We do tend to forget that he has also had some pretty serious foot and ankle injuries to overcome in his career, which may have inhibited his development. His best football easily gets him a spot in our back six, but alas, we haven't seen that for a few years now. Strangely enough, he hasn't thrived under Roos like others have and at this stage I don't see a place for him unless there is a big turn around in form. I hope he does; I have a very soft spot for Garland along with Trengove as they were players who stood up through the tough years and now look like they won't be able to be part of the good ones. Like Grimes, none of Garland's issues on field stem from lack of effort or passion.

I would suggest there's a big difference between a quality, fitted mouthguard and one of the cheap ones you buy at a pharmacy.

If memory serves correctly, Jack Viney was reported to be the most vocal player in the post-match debrief.

What's the Casey situation? Are there practice matches between now and Round 1 that some of our underdone guys can have a run in??

Hi game has definitely changed from what we have seen so far this year. Last season he would try to immediately move the ball on with a handball when in traffic. The last two weeks he's made space for himself more often and looked to kick with precision, when the option is on. This variation will make him even more dangerous in the clinches.

Don't see why we're not giving more guys a go. He deserves a chance to prove himself outside of training.

Little was, without a doubt, the worst possible choice on God's green earth to fill that position at that stage. His pugnacious, bullying attitude works when you're the most powerful person in the room, however outside of Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria and ultimately Australia- his voice meant nothing. They needed someone who was a strong communicator, diplomatic and most importantly, someone who could inspire empathy... he was and still is none of these things.

I just don't get it. How do some people not see that: a) Dank is a nutcase and was given too much freedom without sufficient checks. This is an acknowledged fact by all sides but seems to get lost when some are looking to point fingers of blame. b) He gave the players banned substances. You can argue all you want about what the players knew, but Dank sourced it, purchased it, imported it- with the intention of using it. c) The AFL had no motivation to see Essendon found guilty. d) The AFL had no motivation for the ordeal to drag on for years. e) The 'saga' spread over 2 governments and 4 prime ministers- it was apolitical. f) The only body to clear the players was the AFL tribunal. Every other legal and sporting/anti-doping body found they had done wrong. Most Essendon people don't want this dragged up again- the people who do refuse to acknowledge any wrongdoing by the club at all- even having Dank running amok. We can laugh at them from afar but I don't want Melksham and Hibberd focusing on anything other than football for the Dees.

There fantastic versatility in our forward line with no two players being the Sam style. Weid adds a very important element if he continues to develop the way we all hope he will.

Still no sign of Pederson..? Really hope Trengove gets a run at it this week.

This may fly in the face of popular opinion here, but the main confusion for players, crowds etc. is when the player's backs are turned. This is resolved by the new red backed Melbourne guernsey and even the Collingwood one, which looks farcical in the above image, but when worn on match day makes the players quite easy to distinguish. We probably spend too much time and attention focusing on the front of the jumper where there is already different colours and patterns - the backs of most jumpers are where the confusion lies. FWIW I don't hate the idea of a white clash strip, I just hate most of the design choices we've made over the years. Now that we have once again changed the tone of red on our jumpers (looks much lighter now) hopefully the League accepts this as an appropriate alternative.

Looking forward to seeing 1. Weideman continue to develop in the seniors. 2. A fit Jack Trengove light it up 3. Christian Salem playing on the ball 4. Clarry build match fitness and run out the game

Unfortunately we have seen it in 2012-2013... didn't go great. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/lift-your-game-melbourne-mark-neeld-tells-jack-watts/news-story/91bdf3b9d47460b8e67f32eb68588abb http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/jack-watts-says-former-melbourne-coach-mark-neilds-style-wasnt-for-him/news-story/9e66f3769ac3b20d18fbce5229ea4a33

But that's the problem- if it's not true the club is letting the media trash their players for 24+ hours. Would hawthorn not stand up for one of theirs?? If it is true, then it is naive for our coach to think this wouldn't get out of control. Either way, we've let the story get away from us and it looks like a Neeld-style public shaming.

The media is getting out of control with tips from DalSanto on how Watts 'can get his career back on track'. Very poorly handled by the club and Goodwin was the man who needed to address this front on rather than letting rumours and speculation take hold of the 'story'. True, false or somewhere in between, it now dominates the day's football media. 'Lighting a fire' under Watts has never worked before- as McCartney and Goodwin said last year: it's not how to motivate Jack. The media loves a Jack Watts story and our bumbling has handed them one on a platter.

Farmer's best was the equal of anyone who ever laced a boot- but outside of 2000 he was an inconsistent, temperamental yet utterly brilliant player.

We were hardly salary-cap angels ourselves.

When did he come back in poor condition? October break, Christmas break..? Surely we wouldn't be punishing someone for their condition four months ago??

This, this and this again.

It would actually be the ideal 'back of jumper sponsor' - "Red Bull gives you wings".

Bill Gates. Plenty of money and a history of charity.

Not concerned. He played out the game and, in all honesty, his awkward walk and gait kinda make it look like he's limping all the time.

I selected 'love it' but I would say that I 'like it'. It is a massive improvement on the Bali knockoff clash strip released over summer.

It would be the usual practice to spread the load over the first two weeks, then field a stronger team in week three. It would be counter-productive to play the same players every week leading into a long season (in which we will be playing 4 weeks extra at the end). I would hope every fit player would be given a crack at it over the next month. I think we'll have a better understanding of the coach's intentions after we [censored] West Coast. (and if Watts has his finger in a brace it would be utter stupidity to risk him in week 1 of practice matches)

A win is a win and you can only play who is in front of you. In fact, in the first round of the preseason you're more likely to get better performances from marginal players desperate to impress.