TeamPlayedFine39

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.

This was the best of the (limited) preseason matches so far this year. Both fielded good teams without any crazy positional experiments, both teams wanted to win.

Looking at teams on paper is always difficult for the pre-season. the unknowns of training loads and motivation make these games impossible to predict. FWIW I would think our preparation should be ahead of theirs in that we've been back at training for four weeks longer due to finals.

The big issue with O'Meara is - will his knee allow him to get enough miles into his legs so that he can run out an entire game of AFL? That was what stopped Cooney in the years following his Brownlow- the ability doesn't disappear, but if you can't run out matches, you're a liability.

Could also be said that after he left Port Adelaide (and gave that pretty average farewell) they became an infinitely better side...

I've never been completely sold on JKH as he can one minute look like a 'rabbit in headlights', then the very next minute try to do way to much with the ball. With that said, I also get the sense that he may have been playing out of position for the first couple of years. He doesn't strike me as a small forward and I am interested to see how he goes playing much higher up the ground now that fitness may be allowing him to do that.

This is genuinely weird... are there two Barry Prendergasts..?

Just tuned in to see Dunny kick a super goal and set up another. Good on him!

Agree with your second point. If there's one thing the last five years has shown us is that 'the boys club' doesn't work in a modern professional sporting code. The "but he's a good bloke..." excuses need to be done away with. Let retired players take up commentary and let other run the comp.

Does anyone know the criteria for the award? Is it open to all the players in the league (as the league has only just started) or do they need to be under a certain age? On a side note, Tayla Harris must have the most amazing kicking action of any player (man/woman/child) to have every strapped on a boot. Every photo looks iconic.

And was clearly our best player in that grand final- 21 disposals and 3 goals.

While not confident, this post has at least made me feel a little better about round one. Bring it on!

Opportunity for a borderline 22 players like JKH, Harmes, Trengove and Kennedy... can one of them seize it?