TeamPlayedFine39

He got that number from Gysberts!

Well, we're all going to find out, one way or another, very soon. I'm all for expanding the game and making it appealing to a broader audience, I just don't think that AFLX is the way to go about it. It doesn't sound like an appealing product and I don't agree with the way the AFL is rolling it out. I don't believe it addresses issues that are prohibiting involvement in Australian Rules Football. But, it's all hypothetical! We'll get a look at it in the next few weeks and will know a lot more then.

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Yes, but 20/20 came about following a decline in attendances at test and one-day level. It was fashioned to address this specific need.

Like ‘New Coke’ ‘Vegimite 2.0’ and BBQ shapes ‘new and improved recipe’? I somewhat agree with your point, but the game is currently growing. I don’t see the point in a rousing an interest in, what is essentially, a completely different sport to Australian Rules Football. Every country town in NSW has a cricket oval.

Neither did I, but 20/20 as a cricketing product did have a few years of development, popularity and success before it was launched here. 20/20 also came as a response to a specific need or gap in the market. People who didn't have an entire day to spend at the cricket could see a condensed match. It also focused the action on a shorter, intense period of time. I don't see the correlation to the AFL as the matches are already a similar length to 20/20 cricket and the game is constantly moving with consistent scoring. 30 goals in a match by world sporting standards is a huge amount of action!

I look forward to seeing: Filipovic Smith Keilty Wagner McKenna Petty King Baker Balic Spargo Take this competition by storm!!

Have heard very little about Clarry this preseason. He's looking good in the photos - very excited to see him unleashed this year! Can anyone comment on how Jones was looking/moving in the rehab group? Same with Weideman. Do they look far off??

Genuinely impressive debut! Gysberts burst out of the blocks too.

Clayton Oliver?

I think he’ll make it to 300. His body has been amazingly resilient over the years so hopefully he can hold it together for three more. The end does come quickly though, so hopefully this calf injury was just a blip along the way.

I’ll second that! After last years disappointment, I’ve had a pretty bitter taste in the mouth and I haven’t been counting the days to round one like I have in previous years. The recent coverage of training on DL however has started to stoke the flames again; starting to feel excited about what’s to come!

This is an article from the week leading up to the Carlton match: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dons-longterm-weight-gain-brings-shortterm-pain-20120415-1x1mm.html This paragraph from another article is particularly cringe-worthy: “At the start of the 2012 pre season coach James Hird promised the playing group that they were in for their hardest pre season ever, with an emphasis on bigger bodies and overall fitness. Apart from the occasional one paragraph news article tracking the Bombers progress through the pre season we have been basically kept in the dark with the club choosing to close down most training session from the prying eyes of the media... Internally the club appears to be ecstatic about the progress made over the pre season”

Essendon put of so much press at the start of that season about their off-field program. They were boasting about how much weight and size their players had added, whilst maintaining their speed and endurance. They were hiding in plain sight.

His body shape has completely changed over this preseason- he’s unrecognisable from last year. I have no idea if he has the skill set and talent to ‘make it’, but he’s certainly starting to look the part.

I think the Essendon Cheer Squad even had a banner saying ‘We have the Weapon’... cringe.

I think I've said Salem for the past two years so I'll go Salem again! Would love to see Brayshaw play 22 games. Think Hunt and Petracca will take the next (big) step.

Are you saying he's done his calf again?? He's been back training for a while now....

It just shows that it s a lot easer to damage your reputation than it is to build it.

Geelong plan to use Dangerfield up forward more this year. As crazy as it sounds, Frost may be the logical match-up as he has the pace and strength to go with him.

As far as I can see/read, we still haven’t been told what the injury actually was. This article refers to it as a ‘setback’.

How was Viney looking/moving? Does he look far off??

I think they had 4 injured on the bench too...

Agree - on top of that, I don’t think Petracca has played a four quarter match yet. There is some scary potential on this list.