Bang Bang Bang

Can we get rid of the '[Pedersen]' filter. It's actually more annoying than people spelling his name wrong! I agree with the OP. Pedersen had a good year last year. Perhaps his lazy efforts at times (shepherding, chasing) has kept him out of the side but he clearly offers more as a forward than Dawes.

I will have a go anyway. Ins. Watts, Viney, Jetta, Jamar, ANB, Hogan Outs. Salem (inj), Toumpas, Stretch, Spencer, Brayshaw Dawes ANB sub.

It's a tough one because the following players all need to be dropped/given a spell. I've also included Salem (injured). Salem (inj) Toumpas (forget the draft number guys, he's not up to it) Stretch (not up to it yet) Dawes (poor form) Bail (not up to it) M. Jones (not up to it) Brayshaw (needs a rest) Spencer (not up to it) That's 8 players. You can't make 8 changes. And we don't have 8 genuine options to come back anyway. Worrying signs.

I met him when I was 13. Honestly don't think I've met a friendlier bloke, just had a massive grin, firm handshake and seemed genuinely happy to talk to a young fan. Shattering to see what he's going through. He still maintains a sense of humour and positive attitude, thoughts are with him and his family.

He's B+ I reckon. Below the Ablett, Fyfe, Pendlebury, Selwood, MItchell level (A grade) but on a par with the rest (including our very own Nathan Jones). He's an absolute gun. At 26, you'd expect 100 games from him barring a catastrophe. What are the chances of getting 100 games and a B+ player with pick 5? It's a lottery and all you can really do is hope for one (well... you hope for A grade and 250 games, but that's bloody rare).

Awful changes IMO.

Erroneous. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-26/the-next-crop-of-free-agents The Crows are also going to have to find enough salary cap room to keep other prospective free agents such as Richard Douglas satisfied, along with star midfielder Rory Sloane, who comes out of contract in 2015 but is one year shy of qualifying for free agency.

Describes himself as someone that can win a game off his own boot. LOL. Love his confidence.

Would you swap our first pick (let's say for argument's sake that it's pick 5) for Sloane? 26 years old at the start of 2016. I would.

This concerns me. You haven't been wrong for a while. I was optimistic leading into the Freo game and even thought we could bounce back with a competitive effort against Sydney. On both occasions I was way off the mark. Just once, I'd love for us to beat Hawthorn. I'll even take us being in striking distance at 3/4 time. I'm sick of them smashing us.

I thought he was the Petraccattack?

Clubs will have to be smart about this. Let's imagine that it was introduced this year and let's imagine we trade our 2017 first round pick for Harley Bennell. In 2 years, we might be pushing for the top four (= pick 15-18) or we could still be languishing in the bottom four (= pick 1-4). Bennell is definitely worth a pick in the first category and definitely not worth a pick in the second category. Clubs will have to be realistic about who to target and not just assume they'll be near the top in the future. Most clubs are guilty of overrating their future.

I wasn't overly worried about Petracca but after the Scully/O'Rourke/Boyd epidemic of recent years, anything was possible. Great news. A few weeks back on AFL Game Day, they put a list of Melbourne's young guns up on the screen and asked our skipper which one excited him the most. Without hesitation he said Petracca, a big wrap given Hogan was on the list too. Can't wait to see him in action.

"Not up to it" after his first bad turnover.

I remember when 'Grand New Flag' was the king of this forum, has to be 'Dees2014' now. Kudos for your long, detailed and accurate posts over the past month. How much kool aid has Jon Ralph been drinking? There's absolutely no way the public will side with Essendon on this. Mark Robinson one of the most insanely unprofessional articles of all time after they were found not guilty by the 'independent' (LOL) AFL tribunal. A good time to revisit it. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-james-hird-have-right-to-feel-angry-after-being-found-not-guilty-by-anti-doping-tribunal/story-fnp04d70-1227286254704

If we had kept pick 2 and drafted Kelly, then the same idiots involved with that infamous article would be criticising us for overlooking Bontempelli. I actually rate Kelly very highly though. He always kills us!

Our leading goalkicker last year was Dawes with 20 goals. Both Garlett and Hogan will probably surpass that before the bye. Trading for Garlett and giving up a packet of chips in return (pick 68) was great trading.

He is an example of good recruiting and good development. When he came to the club, he was a skinny kid and couldn't find much of the ball in his early games (although when he did, he looked good). Now, he is bulked up and his form is on an upward spiral. The way it should be. One instance in the second quarter last night, he was being chased and just as the Swans player (I think it was Rohan) was about to tackle him, he did a little shimmy to the left to buy himself more time. It was class and poise on show! Those who criticised the Tyson/Salem deal are looking sillier by the day. They combined for 50 possessions on the weekend and that's even with one of them playing well below their best. Well done to the list management and recruiters on this one.

Agreed, it makes no sense to give him a bronx cheer when he has literally just come onto the ground.

He's harder at it than Yze.

Outs. JKH, Pedersen Ins. Viney, Jetta A few things: On first glance the team balance might look out of whack with those changes but Jetta can slot straight back into defence. Howe can then move forward in place of Pedo. Viney straight swap for JKH. Play Stretch as the sub and then sub Brayshaw off halfway through the third quarter as both show plenty of promise but don't yet have the tank to play four quarters. Brayshaw had 3 touches after half-time and Stretch 0. Controversial opinion maybe, but I don't reckon Spencer was THAT bad. He at least broke double figures for possessions, better than Jamar's normal output. Give him another week. If he stinks it up against the Hawks, then trial Gawn for 2 weeks. If that fails, bring back Jamar and target a ruck at the end of the year (we probably will do this regardless). JKH has been next to useless this year and Pedersen/Dawes are too cumbersome to play in the same side.

Dunn was well beaten by Tippett. Newton did some nice things after half time. Watts was alright as the sub. Agree with the rest.

This is part of the problem. JKH isn't up to it but bringing back Matt Jones - who also isn't up to it - won't solve anything. The problem I had with Toumpas' game tonight was the amount of times he missed the target by foot. I can handle him being outside and slow but he needs to be a good kick if he's going to make it.

Positives - Tom McDonald is a certainty for AA if he keeps this up. - Salem is class, keeps getting better. - Stretch and Brayshaw were good early. - I thought Tyson had done his ACL, but he didn't. He actually played his best footy for the year after it. - Garlett very good after half time. Negatives - Smashed in every facet when the game was on the line. - Dawes and Pedersen completely ineffective. - Toumpas. I've defended him, but he looks like another Cale Morton. - Dunn getting pantsed by Tippett. (We missed Frawley for the first time) - Disposal and lack of run. I think if you said Sydney by 38 points before the game, most people would have agreed. But I think the scoreboard flattered us massively.

Salem has brilliant game sense and poise, compared to Toumpas who has neither. I have defended Toumpas and still hopes he makes it but think it's just not going to happen.