Gator

I don't know enough about depression, but I'm not sure you should draw such a conclusion. As for Jack ? I'm more interested in the team and jumper than individual players UNLESS they're special players. I can take or leave Watts. I'm certainly not emotionally invested in him. But naturally I support anyone wearing red and blue.

We've definitely improved even though we haven't had the rub of the green. If Gawn doesn't go down before half-time against Geelong we win and we lost two players before half-time against Richmond, including our number one ruckman that day. We win those two and we're comfortably in the top 4 with 7 wins. We're number 2 in the competition for disposals, 2 for contested possessions, and we're the number 1 pressure side in the AFL. We've also won the 4th most quarters without our two most important players. It's not an insignificant stat. Check previous years and you'll note that the best teams win the most quarters. Get Gawn and Hogan back, and in time good form, and if Petracca can really start stepping up then I have no doubt that on our day we'll be capable of beating anybody.

Imo, the golf score should be measured against preseason expectation. For example the OP has Lewis -1 whereas I'd have him at +1. He's been sloppy by foot and missed 3 games with suspension. He's been below my expectation, not above. This is assuming the OP understands that -1, i.e. a birdie is better than +1 (bogey).

I'd take Lever. Gawn in the ruck, bookends in Hogan and Lever, plus Oliver in the guts and you've got a brilliant nucleus. You'll save coin and turn your attention to a lesser version of Kelly. Maybe a Whitfield type.

Other than @mo64, and perhaps a couple others, I think most who had seen him play thought he'd be the gun that he is. I agree with the rest of your sentiments though. I'd like a classy outside mid and another rock-like key defender, where you don't have your heart in your mouth every time they touch it, but I don't think you need to sell the farm to get them.

The photo looks like it has been taken from a video on Foxsports AFL. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl He's noted for his privacy, so I'm not surprised he looks like he doesn't like the attention. He gives a thumbs up at the end of the short clip.

Whether it's May or someone else I think the McDonalds and Frost are too flaky to rely on if you're on the cusp of a grand final. I definitely think a quality key defender in the May and Hurley mould is a necessity. Btw, Rance is in the conversation for best ever key defender. He's 194cm. May's height is fine, especially with his strong body and reading of the play. That said, with Gawn's return imminent I'm not averse to improvising with Pedersen down back. I like him more as a defender than stay at home forward. Also, Weideman is also struggling, but he's a smart footballer with good hands. I'd give him a crack in defence at Casey and see how he goes. It only has to be for this season, but he may prove his worth as a defender and be a viable option at AFL level later in the year.

You have to wonder what Melbourne supporters are watching or how they're processing football. Oliver got votes from BOTH coaches and yet many Dees supporters couldn't find him in their best 6 players. They must spend their time working out how to defend the McDonalds. But is it that surprising ? Jack Watts gets excused for years and years and years and years of putrid performances, yet Jesse Hogan, a young superstar, isn't rated and is often lambasted by the same posters.

If he's right to play he'll play, if they think he needs more time he'll get more time. It's pretty simple.

He was operated on a Tuesday wasn't he ? Game is on a Monday.

One day less than 4 weeks.

I like to critique a performance on the actual performance. If it's great it's great, if it's OK it's OK, if it's diabolical it's diabolical. There are threads about development, potential, things a player does well, things a player doesn't do well, etc. I'll give balance to an assessment in these types of threads. In a post-match discussion, which is merely to assess performance, I'll critique accordingly. If a player was woeful, like Oscar, I see no point gilding the lily. Watts was pathetic in the first half and very good in the second. See how it works ? There are enough threads to assess a player's long-term viability, but in a thread dedicated to assessing performance some like to assess performance.

I couldn't bring myself to watch the first half again, but I watched the second and you notice things you missed the first time around. A few observations: Oscar was worse than I thought. He was spectacularly woeful. Twice he missed simple overhead marks with no competition when the ball just went through his hands. He kicked to Hunt but missed him and the ball went out of bounds. There were countless others, including another missed kick under zero pressure, but I won't bore everyone with blow by blow descriptions. He is so far off the pace of an AFL standard key defender it's not funny. Neal-Bullen was much better than I remembered. He and Oliver waxed a lot. His ability to get his hands on the footy during our comeback was important and just as importantly he hit his targets with quality footskills. I've never rated Neal-Bullen, but I'm starting to change. He's much improved and much more composed than last year. Rocket said in his post match interview that they had 15 players out and expect 6 back next week. I checked the "outs". Other than Ablett there are battlers like Rosa and Grant. Day is OK (just) but may not play again and there's really no-one else of significance. Rory Thompson was probably the most significant, but what midget in Melbourne's forward-line was he going to take ? And Leslie played his role as well or better than he could. The list doesn't include Ablett, but did include Swallow and Hanley, who both played. Turn it up, Rocket ! Player Injury Estimated Return Callum Ah Chee Back TBC Ben Ainsworth Quad Test Sam Day Hip Season Jarrad Grant Knee Test Pearce Hanley Heel Test Jesse Lonergan Shoulder Test Trent McKenzie Hamstring Test Michael Rischitelli Knee Indefinite Matt Rosa Concussion Test David Swallow Knee Test Rory Thompson Hamstring Test

You're a star, Dees_in_O And when you see it from side on in normal play it's a very long handball. Oliver is a freak.

We're one win from 4th place due to our percentage. We should be top 4 right now. We would be top 4 if it wasn't for injury. Maybe it hasn't been a bad thing to help players to not get ahead of themselves. The harder they have to graft will hopefully hold them in good stead.

Yeah, it just showed great vision and precision to execute a 15-20 metre lefthanded handball to Neal-Bullen who didn't need to break stride. The wide angle shot and not the replay shows how good it was.

I don't have the capability, but I'd love to see a gif of "that" handball

He's been very good. I don't rate him as a stay at home key forward, but the ruck/forward role has helped him. His career numbers are through the roof. Cameron Pedersen Career Season Num MT Team K Avg H Avg D Avg M Avg HO Avg T Avg FF FA G Avg B SC Rat Avg 2017 21 5 Melbourne 45 9 40 8 85 17 28 5.6 81 16.2 23 4.6 4 5 7 1.4 3 45 506 101.2 2016 21 9 Melbourne 61 6.8 66 7.3 127 14.1 38 4.2 33 3.7 16 1.8 9 12 6 0.7 7 43 542 60.2 2015 21 7 Melbourne 46 6.6 42 6 88 12.6 37 5.3 23 3.3 18 2.6 7 5 6 0.9 6 42 462 66 2014 21 19 Melbourne 136 7.2 118 6.2 254 13.4 82 4.3 92 4.8 58 3.1 16 15 14 0.7 9 93 1278 67.3 2013 21 10 Melbourne 66 6.6 69 6.9 135 13.5 57 5.7 15 1.5 23 2.3 4 12 5 0.5 2 32 614 61.4 2012 39 2 North Melbourne 15 7.5 7 3.5 22 11 10 5 4 2 4 2 2 3 2 1 1 13 115 57.5 2011 39 14 North Melbourne 132 9.4 59 4.2 191 13.6 74 5.3 29 2.1 34 2.4 15 10 18 1.3 5 113 999 71.4 Totals 66 501 7.6 401 6.1 902 13.7 326 4.9 277 4.2 176 2.7 57 62 58 0.9 33 381 4516 68.4 He's a poor ruck due to his height and an average key forward, but being able to be mobile around the ground has seen him be very effective and hit the scoreboard against the opposition's ruckman.

The omnipresent michael Hibberd.

They flew in at 2.30am according to Bernie Vince on channel 9.

AFL.COM.AU Summary. Oliver given best. MELBOURNE 2.1 4.8 9.10 18.14 (122) GOLD COAST 4.5 7.7 9.8 13.9 (87) GOALS Melbourne: Garlett 5, Jones 3, Harmes 3, Hannan 3, Tyson, Petracca, Neal-Bullen, Watts Gold Coast: Matera 3, Lynch 2, Wright 2, Barlow 2, Sexton, Lemmens, Kolodjashnij, Hall BEST Melbourne: Oliver, Jones, Hibberd, Lewis, Garlett, Melksham Gold Coast: Hall, Swallow, Kolodjashnij, Leslie, Matera INJURIES Melbourne: Nil Gold Coast: Nil Reports: Nil

Yep. And he's the only ball magnet I've seen at the club since Greg Wells (Brian Wilson had one year). I've spent years wanting players that have the skill of actually getting their hands on the footy. We've uncovered one of the best. A ball magnet at last. The first in 40 years.

I believe he's not always mentally hungry or switched on for the contest. His arousal levels have far too may peaks and troughs. I reckon Goodwin lit a firecracker up his backside at half-time, which led to a different mindset. We're all wired differently and for me Watts isn't always mentally engaged from the outset. I question how important winning and succeeding is for him. Note: no further correspondence re Watts will be entered into.

In the cool light of day and once the fury has subsided you take the 4 points and move on. That said, we're definitely short a quality key defender and a classy midfielder. We won't take any significant steps without addressing these two issues. And Watts ? He was back to his putrid best in the first half and his much better second half showcased that he picks and chooses when to impact contests. He plays on his own terms. I'd jettison his arse out of the club at year's if a suitable deal could help address the two above issues. I know I'm in the 1% that would, so please refrain from quoting this post.

A lot of people use the word laconic when they actually mean lackadaisical. It's a s simple as that. There's no more to it.