Gator

Your assertion is inaccurate. I'd love Watts to have his best year, kick 30+ goals and become a dangerous roaming tall that can help this club win a premiership. It's a make or break year and while I genuinely expect it to be his best I'm not confident he can consistently elevate his game. It's all between the ears, so I remain hopeful.

I may have a different take to some, but I have no doubt that the club has no intention of busting a gut to re-sign him until they're convinced he can take his game consistently to another level. He's started well, but won't want a dip in form or efforts in the contest.

He was poor against us in the last H&A.

You're being very selective. Schwarz had more marks and possessions because he played 25 games to Carey's 19. Carey averaged more disposals (18.6 > 16.2), more marks (8.6 > 6.9), more goals (3.3 > 2.4) and more ratings points (100.5 > 88.4) Schwarz had a great year, but Carey covered him by 10-20% in every statistic.

A fantastic talent, but always a rung below Wayne Carey imo.

I suspect Terlich never made the AA squad. You've decided Boyd is "past it" even though he made the AA squad of 40 last year, which is something Nathan Jones has never done ? I've decided that is an error on your part. So I have a question for you. Below I have listed the Dogs top 10 players, none of whom played on Sunday. Where would the Dogs finish on the ladder if they didn't have these players for season 2016 ? Unquestionably they'd finish bottom 3 and I suspect they'd be holding up the ladder. Bontempelli, Stringer, Murphy, Wood, Dahlhaus, Macrae, Boyd, Dickson (50 goals), Morris, and Wallis. Note: I left out Liberatore.

It's a good point you make. When one analyses all of the stats it's a game that should have been won by 40 points, but it wasn't reflected on the scoreboard.

It's a good point you make. When one analyses all of the stats it's a game that should have been won by 40 points, but it wasn't reflected on the scoreboard.

I've already said that too much is being read into a practice match. Many senior players would "go through the motions". But I'm not "over egging the omelette" when it comes to the disparity between their team and ours.

No-one will remember, but I posted a thread years ago that highlighted how the end of year ladder closely mirrored a team's top 6 players. It's a team's best 6 players that has the greatest significance on its fortunes (as opposed to the theory that it's the quality of your bottom 6 that determines your output and position on the ladder). To this end the Dogs had 5 AA squad players missing. We can talk of 15 best players, or 26+ games experience all we like, but clubs can't cover the loss of their very best players. They were missing Bontempelli, Stringer, Murphy, Wood, Dahlhaus, Macrae, and Boyd missing. Throw in Dickson, who kicked 50 goals last year. We were missing one. If the Dogs had those players unavailable for the season they would be vying for the wooden spoon. It's unfathomable to me that some want to play down the difference in personnel between the two teams.

Never saw his Father play, but I remember Tony well (as limited as he was).

We had 16 players who had 26+ games experience. They had 6. Anyone trying to diminish the advantage we had over the Dogs is a dullard. That said, (some) people are taking too much notice of one practice match. We have no clue as to what Goodwin was doing with regards to setups, structures, etc. There's way too much being read into one performance.

Jetta I Dunn I Garland Salem I T. McDonald I Lumumba Vince I Viney I M. Jones vandenBerg I Hogan I Kent Garlett I Pedersen I Watts R: Gawn I Tyson I N. Jones IC: Frost I Grimes I Oliver I Bugg

You can still get $15 at Sportbet.com.au

Jetta I Dunn I Garland Salem I T. McDonald I Lumumba Vince I Viney I M. Jones vandenBerg I Hogan I Kent Garlett I Pedersen I Watts R: Gawn I Tyson I N. Jones IC: Frost I Grimes I Oliver I Bugg E: Harmes I Stretch I Kennedy This is not my preferred team, but a prediction. Lumumba will play NAB 3 and will play round one. The sooner Brayshaw, Petracca and Trengove come back from injury the better.

They happened to be the first 15 placegetters in their B&F, including 5 players who made the All Australians squad. Your assertion is rubbish.

Some people are self effacing. You're reading too much into his comments (I know you're being jovial).

Stretch and Neal-Bullen aren't competing with Hunt or Wagner. Hunt and Wagner are trying to cement a position off a HBF and the other two are trying for outside mid roles. So when Goodwin, et al, sit down to select the team their consideration will never be to decide between Wagner and Stretch.

People take too much notice from practice matches played in isolation. Last week we beat a team many are predicting will return to the 8 and this week in tough conditions we found a way to win. I agree that beating a team without their first 15 place getters in the B&F is nothing to crow about. But I also know that tough windy conditions have a way of levelling teams that vary in talent, especially if you get off on the wrong foot. So once again you pick a few things here and there that impress you. Watts is going to have his best year and I'm really glad he hit the scoreboard, which is what I want to see. Oliver will be as good as Brayshaw. Oliver is better in close and Brayshaw better on the outside. Both are good in close and good on the outside. We are going to have more inside 50's and score more in 2016. Our structures are far better. Players, such as Gawn, AVB, Harmes, etc., that have been having good preseasons continue on their upward curve. And that's about it. The conditions meant we weren't great, but I'm not going to sweat over that and I also won't get much satisfaction from beating a team without their best 15 players. In 8 weeks time I'll hardly remember this match. It was virtually inconsequential.

I got the impression from Rawlings that Mitchie will be playing.

26 named, but 3 are non playing subs. Rawlings said Wagner was one of those. Not sure of the other two.

Unfair. At his AA peak he and Moloney had the highest tap/possession percentage in the league.

I'm guessing you heard Dave Colbert this morning on SEN with KB ? He stated that this should not be a celebration of the past and that Dees' fans should turn their backs on the Bombers rather than applaud a disgraceful regime.

Are you really using the Lions as the poster club for retaining talent ? Yeo, Docherty, Aish, Redden, Polec ring a bell ? Also, you're aware Zorko was coming out of contract at the end of 2016 and Hogan is coming out end of 2017 ? And you're familiar with an article in the HS last year stating "Dayne Zorko in no rush to extend his contract past 2016 as rumours of unrest persist" ? http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/brisbane/dayne-zorko-in-no-rush-to-extend-his-contract-past-2016-as-rumours-of-unrest-persist/news-story/c1e233904c88607224ff87cc8003611a How about we let things unfold...