TeamPlayedFine39

He was named in the team, he was not an emergency. If Goodwin wanted him to play- he could have. People aren't questioning the technicality, rather the choice that was made for him not to play. Did we really need three full preseason games into Jones, Vince and Lewis? Maybe you and some others think so, but the frustration for many is the fact that we have shown little versatility over the three games and have left ourselves with many unknowns going into round one. Jetta hasn't played at all and we got carved up last night by Lecras; Weidenman is talented, but is he going to outperform Pederson, who we also haven't seen; are the two Macs in better form than Frost, again we don't know. If the plan was to have Trengove as an emergency, why not take over a first year played and give them some experience traveling and preparing interstate? It's not 'stupid' for people to be asking some of these questions.

West Coast were on to him early, if not a tag then they were watching him very closely at the clearances. Played a lone hand in the midfield until Jones moved in there in the last. Best game he's played.

Saw him in the warm up before the match embrace Watts, both brimming. Looked ready to play and looked like Watts was expecting home to play too. If his body isn't broken his confidence soon will be.

All I wanted tonight was no injuries and to see Trengove get a run... seriously, why didn't we save on the airfare??

Sure you're on the right website??

Neither team is playing with much rhythm and there isn't a lot of urgency from either side at this stage. Almost feels like going through the motions to build some match fitness. ANB is staking his claim for perhaps a defensive half forward role, Oliver has been in everything and Weideman gets to the right spots... but that's about it for us. FWIW- that Tyson kick was a howler, but no one was willing to run hard enough to create a free option for him- everyone was waiting for the siren.

Plowman and O'Rourke. Both highly rated but O'Rourke wasn't seen as a top 5 pick at the time... this did make them pass on Toumpas though.

Just goes to show what a (little bit) of on field success can do. IMHO Nathan Jones has been playing at this level consistently for the last four years, yet suddenly he is now deemed to be the 33rd best player in the comp.

Champion Data has not showered itself in glory this preseason. Rating Collingwood's midfield as the best in the league was the moment they jumped the shark and the above assessment is very poor and misguided. There is either something seriously wrong with their data model or they epitomise the fact that stats don't tell the whole story.

You're acting like this has happened already... My take on Hawthorn is that none of the players they are bringing in are better than the ones they are replacing. They won't be half the team they were IMHO.

After years of calling him an idiot and claiming he has no idea... can i really believe a word he has to say..?

Reminds me of Jack Trengove 2010-2011.

From AFL.com.au of all places: Jeff Garlett (hamstring, 3-4 weeks): The pacy forward injured his hamstring right at the end of the Demons' 54-point JLT Community Series game against Carlton. Garlett is racing the clock to be fit for round one, but at this stage looks unlikely to be part of the team. Just a completed fabrication.

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