Chris

Did you actually see it?

At about 5 mins to go in the third the free kick count was 10-16 our way, it ended up 22-19 their way. Says a lot, especially when Gawn gets done for holding when he was held all bloody day. Good effort, just couldn't get clean inside 50.

According to the champion data rankings of each draw we actually had the fourth hardest draw for the year (i think it was four, was definately in the top 6). I agree Jones could do more. You comment on the young players we have should reap faster success but don't want to give them time. We are younger than we were 2 or 3 years ago when we were winning 2 games a year, now we have won 7 and doubled our percentage with a younger group. That is real improvement. We are inconsistent, as all young teams are. If it doesn't improve in the next year or two then complain loudly, it is too early now, especially when our best pushes the best, as it has done this year.

The saints were just over a year older and more experienced. Roos' comments on the lion Era are in reference to the older players they have who have lots of finals experience and can lead the team. We don't have that, certainly not to the same standard as the saints.

Many of the team have had one year, many two years, and a few players have had more than two years. Not many teams are very successful when the majority of the team has had a couple of years of education. We are actually doing OK when you look at it that way. If we aren't in the finals, or at the very least in calculations until the final round next year then I will be worried. One other thing, the younger generation react differently, for many reasons, to authority and sprays from the coach. Roos has alluded to this before when he talks about them wanting an education and the learn how to be better, management in good companies are clued onto this and management styles have changed to get the best out of people. That doesn't mean you can't have standards, or expect them to be adhered to, but it does change your approach to doing so. In essence the playing group will always be getting an education and striving to be better, that is if we wan't to keep improving.

The probably will all depend on how the team are doing. If we are on the cusp of winning a flag he would stay, if we aren't he goes, and if we have won a flag it could go either way as it could be a case of job done, now go back to WA and surf with my mates.

Some stats MFC WC Diff Average Age 23.2 25.5 -2.3 Average Games 66.7 107.5 -40.7 Back Line Ave Age 23.3 25.5 -2.2 Ave Games 46.7 104.0 -57.3 Fol (includes wing) Ave Age 24.5 25.7 -1.2 Ave Games 99.8 126.0 -26.2 Fwd Ave Age 23.7 26.0 -2.3 Ave Games 82.7 123.0 -40.3 Int Ave Age 20.3 24.3 -4.0 Ave Games 23.3 61.5 -38.3 Melbourne Games Backline Fol Fwd Int total 0-50 3 1 3 4 11 51-100 3 3 0 0 6 101-150 0 0 3 0 3 151-200 0 1 0 0 1 200+ 0 1 0 0 1 22 WC Games Backline Fol Fwd Int total 0-50 2 1 1 2 6 51-100 1 1 1 1 4 101-150 1 2 2 0 5 151-200 2 1 2 1 6 200+ 0 1 0 0 1 22 MFC Back WC Fwd Diff Age 23.3 26.0 -2.7 Games 46.7 123.0 -76.3 MFC Fwd WC Back Age 23.7 25.5 -1.8 Games 82.7 104.0 -21.3 So once again we go in a fair way behind in experience and age. A couple of interesting things to note. West Coast only have 1 player who has played more than 200 games but have a big chunck between 50 and 200. West Coast are basically 2 years ahead of us in age and experience and have a similar age profile across the team, with a few more older players than we have. 2 years ago West Coast finished in 9th with 11 wins and a percentage of 116. That will probably be a win or two and 10-20 percent ahead of where we end up this year. My tip, 7 goal loss.

Would you prefer the weren't educated?

I will jump on here to read all about our upcoming premiership dynasty and how we are the best club in the land. Would make a nice change from the posts when we lose.

Probably not, we will need to win as many as them as I doubt they will catch us percentage wise. We may actually catch PA as well so we may not need to win one more than them

What was it Roos said about a Veil again?

The lowest point any other team got to was really where we reached at the end of last year. We have a way to and from here if improvement isn't faster then I will get concerned.

There is a big difference between and improvement and acceptable. Is losing acceptable - No Can we lose a game and still have shown improvement - absolutely.

From having a quick glance through there were a couple of final quarters we lost by very small margins as well, like the dogs game where it was 1 point. It also seems it is the third quarter that is the issue, we seem to come out after half time asleep, as clearly evident against the crows. Is it coaching or leadership?

he followed us as a kid and from all reports his entire family are mad dees, some are even coterie member, and still are even though he plays for the suns.

Some aren't even rocket surgeons!

Getting back to where we were in 2010 is no mean feat! We got to a point where we were so bad 2010 was seen as the good old days of being a good footy club! The next step is to go from 2010 back to 2000-2006 era (the good years in there, not the bad).

One sport where we will win less medals is the Sailing. In London we won the 470 men's, 49er men's, laser men's, and had a silver in the ladies match racing. The 470 men's should still win, they are still the top crew in the world. The 49er men's crew have been busy doing America's Cup duty and the NZ crew have lost one regatta since London, which was last week to the Aussie crew. We should medal but may not be gold. The men's Laser is a great unknown, Tom Slingsby (who won gold in London) is now on the US America's Cup team (which is basically Australian, including the skipper) and he isnt going to Rio. We have a chance to medal and who knows. The ladies match racing is no longer an event even though it was bar far the best event to watch, even for non sailors. I would be very surprised if we got a medal in any of the other events. Unfortunately I don't think our sailing team will be our most successful team this time around

He is a walk up start if he can walk. How much time has he missed with bad knees? That is my only concern, getting a bloke in to do a Dawes and be perennially in the rehab group.

Prestia out for the rest of the year with a knee injury requiring surgery. He has been carrying the injury all year. Either his price just went down or it is a no from me.

His comments wont have an affect on much at all, his comments also aren't the point. It the potential affect from the rest of the media pack that could be the issue, that is what he potentially opened us upto, that is where he needs to be wiser. Speak second not first.

It isn't even actually about the criticism fd, much of what he said is warranted, it is about him having a wiser head as to the potential outcomes from his comments. I'm not actually very annoyed by it at all, just got stuck in a conversation trying to explain why I don't think his whinge was very wise.

Yes it is all about can or may, it is about potential repercussions. The point is that does such a club man need to bring this into the spotlight with the risks that are attached to that? Any other Journo can say what they like, they don't have this clubs best interests at heart, he does and he needs to think it through a little more.

I agree he was a supporter blowing off steam, I agree all of our supporters should be [censored] with Sunday's effort and we all have every right to be as well. It doesn't take much to get the media pack going though and that is the risk he took, no matter how small the risk is. Do you think the current crop of young players we have should be exposed to a rabid media pack at this point? One of the great things having Roos there is we have avoided that for the last few years and the young players are being allowed to develop as a group without that added pressure. Remember this group is the youngest in the league and does lack solid leadership from a core group of experienced players, which is where the dogs and saints have a clear advantage in their rebuild. My point is that he should know better than risk things like that. Yes he is a supporter, yes he wants success, as we all do, but he is also in the media and has a public voice. You need to be very careful how you use your voice when in that position as even innocuous comments made with the best of intentions can go south very quick.

I said club and playing group, not player. You have no idea what is going on behind closed doors, neither do I. This on its own is fairly harmless, who knows if it is the final straw to some other bigger issue. Who knows what it would do if it were continual or started the entire media pack up again on just how horrible the team is. What affect could that have on confidence of a young bunch, what impact on potential sponsors etc etc etc. Think a little broader as to the potential impacts and repercussions. Ox should be cleverer than this as he has been in the media long enough. Then again he is just a footy player.