joeboy

Brayshaw - learnt plenty today Cross - tried but limited Dunn - was often exposed Garland - kept at it Garlett - only dangerous forward Grimes - was rarely sighted Hogan - was easily contained Howe - little to commend Jamar - was totally obliterated Jones - couldn't get involved Kennedy - Harris - totally lacked finesse Lumumba - couldn't get involved Pedersen - limited by size McDonald - our only winner McKenzie - an irrelevant footballer Michie - exposed by pace Newton- was rarely noticed Salem - loose before injury Tyson - continued disappointing season vandenBerg - out of depth Vince - no hero today Watts - embarrassing and insipid

Dennis Cometti has occasionally let slip that the Dees have always been his sentimental favorites

6 - Jones - sure, safe, courageous , and prolific 5 - vandenBerg - loved the wet conditions and was dynamic 4 - Jamar - played intelligently and his palming to advantage was outstanding 3 - Vince - harassed opponents again and still racked up impressive numbers 2 - Hogan - always looked menacing 1 - Dawes - contested strongly in 2 key positions

Brayshaw - loves the contest Cross - great stopping game Dawes - continually a presence Dunn - kicked ball superbly Garland - always imbued confidence Garlett - excellent second half Hogan - an exciting talent Howe - classy and safe Jamar - wonderful tap outs Jetta - quiet before injury Jones - back to brilliant Kennedy-Harris - some exciting cameos Kent - sadly started well Lamumba - a selfless game McDonald - confident and attacking Michie - effective when subbed Newton - quiet but contributed Salem - strong defensive game Tyson - worryingly poor awareness Vince - successful harassing again VandenBerg - aggressive and prolific Watts - surprisingly wasteful possessions

The sad thing is that Watts , seemingly playing without heart , is miles better than anyone from Casey who could possibly take his place in the team.

6 - McDonald - outstanding ( and the AFL website didn't even include him amongst our best ) 5 - Vince - aggressive and dynamic 4 - Lamumba - always at contest and prolific all day 3 - Jones - brilliant in and under 2 - Cross - loved his courage and energy 1 - Jamar - intelligent tap work and at least broke even against all odds

Brayshaw - was all class Cross - wonderful in conditions Dawes - always provided contest Dunn - was rarely beaten Frost - quiet before injury Garland - a disciplined game Garlett - crucial momentum killers Hogan - was often outnumbered Howe - attacking but loose Jamar - probably broke even Jetta - totally owned Betts Jones - great under duress Kennedy-Harris - creative but limited Kent - rarely looked dangerous Lamumba - prolific and creative McDonald - continued stellar form Newton - showed some energy Salem - cool and composed Tyson - gave little run vandenBerg -aggressive and willing Vince - a dynamic game Watts - embarrassing and insipid

Watts - just a potts

I was there and was actually impressed by the efforts of the ground announcer in trying to rev up the locals. There was a fair contingent of Dees' supporters in attendance, but naturally the locals outweighed us in voice and number

6 - McDonald - phenomenal game , even when we were being overrun 5 - Viney - fell into some old bad habits , but is totally committed and important 4 - Salem - limited physically, but reads the play beautifully 3 - Dunn - rarely beaten one on one, and still our best kick 2 - Hogan - we can all see it's about to happen but he's still raw 1 - Brayshaw - limited game time but made the most of it

6 - McDonald - phenomenal game , even when we were being overrun 5 - Viney - fell into some old bad habits , but is totally committed and important 4 - Salem - limited physically, but reads the play beautifully 3 - Dunn - rarely beaten one on one, and still our best kick 2 - Hogan - we can all see it's about to happen but he's still raw 1 - Brayshaw - limited game time but made the most of it

Brayshaw - had an impact Cross - was found out Dawes - limited big man Dunn- always kept trying Frost - just lacks finesse Garland- one dimension game Garlett - was totally flat Hogan - classy but limited Howe- game from hell Jamar - second half nightmare Jetta- loose and slow Jones - was brilliantly tagged Kent - had little impact Lumumba - disappeared when needed McDonald - our only winner Newton - slow but useful Salem - skillful not damaging Tyson - continued poor form VandenBerg - no heroics today Vince - embarrassing and unready Viney - played heart out Watts - the bad twin

Thank goodness for McDonald

During casual warm up earlier, Dunn cleared the netting behind the goals from the 50m mark

At the ground now .. beautiful day, calm and sunny

6 - McDonald - it all came together 5 - Watts - it all came together 4 - Garlett - was dangerous, creative and very team focused 3 - Dunn - was a constant rock in defence 2 - Viney - some howlers but finally took first options , successfully 1 - Howe - clean skills and so valuable despite the limited preseason

Dunn - did everything well Garland - turned back clock Jetta - great tagging game Salem - calm and controlled McDonald - career best game Howe - classy all game Lumumba - an exciting addition Cross - slowing but valuable Newton - played smart football Kent - some important touches Hogan - strong and versatile Toumpas - failed to impose Gartlett - great team game Frost - tough and brutal Watts - great opening performance Jamar - outstanding tap work Jones - captain my captain Tyson - occasionally lacked poise Viney - performance improved markedly Brayshaw - a tackling machine Kennedy-Harris - some creative crumbing vandenBerg - focused and tough

Discuss

Bail - shouldn't retain position Cross - wonderful tagging game Dawes - provided a target Dunn - steady and safe Frost - often got involved Garland - was rarely proactive Garlett - creative and exciting Gawn - little to commend Grimes - safe and steady Hogan - better final quarter Jetta - loose and careless Jamar - virtually no influence M.Jones - skills are lacking N.Jones - struggled to impose Lumumba - easily our best McDonald - successfully commandeered position McKenzie - played no part Newton - reliable and composed Salem - continued to excel Toumpas - failed to impose Tyson - prolific but wasteful VandenBerg - committed and focused Viney - often amateurish disposal Watts - some useful touches

I actually appreciated the efforts you took to present a regular training report for people who weren't as lucky as you,and were employed , so I'd just be interested to know ( in 3 words per player only ) how YOU viewed each player's performance on the day ,and yes I was at the game.

Bail - was rarely sighted Dawes - was almost unsighted Dunn - reliable and steady Frost - 2 great tackles Garland - just a game Garlett - exciting and talented Gawn - way too erratic Grimes - way too flakey Hogan - tried but disappointing Kennedy- Harris - effective and creative Jamar - dominated tap outs Jetta - great defensive drive M.Jones - provided effective link N.Jones - missing when needed Lumumba - classy and effective McDonald - was always reliable McKenzie - had little impact Michie - little game time Newton - classy but quiet Salem - outstanding 3 quarters Tyson - prolific but wasteful VandenBerg - injured very early Viney - often careless disposal Watts - some useful plays

Bail - was scarcely noticed Cross - professional as always Dawes - played his part Dunn - lacked normal ferociousness Frost - athleticism and aggression Garland - worryingly careless occasionally Garlett - encouraging second half Gawn - had little influence Grimes - tight but wasteful Hogan - gradually displayed potential Jamar - had little influence Jones M. - never inspired confidence Jones N. - always inspired confidence Kennedy- Harris - disappointing first game Jetta - useful before injury Kent - some useful involvement Lumumba - loved his carry McDonald - was generally sound Newton - looked at home Tyson - prolific but wasteful McKenzie - struggled for relevance Pedersen - didn't enjoy conditions Salem - a little disappointing Toumpas - had little impact Van den Berg - size and talent

My 3 word team summary of expectation this year , with ladder position . Hawthorn - team to beat ( 1 ) Sydney - powerful and threatening ( 2 ) Geelong - recruits add potency ( 6 ) North - will not slide ( 4 ) Footscray - will not prosper ( 17 ) GWS - readying to pounce ( 9 ) Gold Coast - Ablett the key ( 8 ) West Coast - don't seem convincing ( 10 ) Carlton - poor recruiting repercussions ( 16 ) Melbourne - expectations bely reality (15 ) Collingwood - key position weaknesses (12 ) StKilda - 3 years away ( 18 ) Richmond - around the mark ( 7 ) Brisbane - remarkably a contender ( 11 ) Adelaide - hard to gauge (14 ) Pt Adelaide - continued upward trend ( 3 ) Fremantle - massive home advantage ( 5 ) Essendon - disruptions will hurt ( 13 )

My first venture out to see the boys this pre season, and the following are my highlights of the events: N.Jones, was dominant, classy, prolific, and everything you expect of a leader. Salem will be a revelation off the half back line.. his silky skills and reading of the play were clearly obvious today. He made difficult passes look simple, and he was creative and impressive. Garlett will quickly become a fan favourite.. he makes something out of nothing , and his skills are sublime. As Baghdad Bob said earlier, he'll make Malthouse look foolish, which is not a bad thing. Newton, looked to be coasting but got a lot of the ball and regularly used it well. Toumpas was neat and efficient, but his gait looks weird, and it's hard to tell if he'll ever be quick enough when the pressure is exerted. Hogan had little to beat, being matched up against an undersized, top up player, but he has obviously been given the liberty to travel far and wide for his kicks, often marking the ball around the wing area. He is strong, fit and aggressive, though I noticed him pull up from a possible collision with a much smaller opponent for fear of having to attend a funeral the next day. I have no doubt he'd be happy to attend once the season is in progress though. Gawn looks very fit and actually looks like an athlete rather than a woodcutter. I liked the way he moved around the ground and actually did more impressive stuff below his knees than above his head. Dunn is a general and is taking his vice captaincy role very seriously.. he was very vocal and extremely instructive Disappointments from today: Ball movement was still not as slick as hoped for. It WAS very hot but the day was still and conducive to effective transfer of the ball. No dominant ruckman who could regularly impose on a game. Brayshaw appearing to sustain a jaw injury, albeit seemingly not serious. Senior players, who will remain nameless at this early stage of the season , making the same clangers we've grown to detest. The umpires, who continued to make game changing decisions against us.