Jarka

Soem of these arguments are just plain ignorant, just watching footy on tv contributes money to the MFC. Somepeople on here are so up themselves. (Well, just one actually)

If people aren't interested then they aren't obliged to read the threads.

Well I can't wait till the footy starts so these debates are put on hold for awhile. But to address the issue of captaincy post Neitz there seems to be 3 alternatives, Bruce, Green or McLean (or a combination of the 3). Someone made mention of Neitz 'growing' into the role and really I have to agree with that comment, a player should have the basic leadership qualities but on one is perfect and a ready made captain. It's a skill that's learnt over time. But leadership skill is the highest priority, and really most of us here aren't privvy to the inner sanctum of the MFC so we're really not in a position to made blanket statements such as what we've seen already. One thing though, it would be a mistake to give it to McLean before he is ready, let him develop his game first.

One of my favourite movies but... The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true. But then someone broke the vessel, so the pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!

Sandilands at 14 is, well, entertaining to say the least.

Is it just me or does going back and dragging up a quote from two years ago to prove your argument seem a bit, well, excessive?

I think Neaves is already a better ruckman than PJ

Not selecting Yze for the first game would send a clear message to the senior players, selection is not guaranteed in reputation alone. Would be a very good move, and I bloody hate that consecutive games crap, it forced Stynes to play a couple of games he shouldn't have and it's saved Yze from representing Sandy in the past.

Our ruck is a concern, White hasn't adjusted to the new rules very well and Jamar doesn't produce. Our midfield is our strength but we a level below the Eagles, Fremantle and the Saints. We have some good running defenders but we struggle against teams with big, powerful forwards. Our forward line is inconsistent and we rely on a 32 y/o bloke too much.

Every time I hear that it brings a smile to my face

Ditto

A trade with Melbourne could only involve either McLean, Johnstone or Bruce or some sort of combination of these guys plus picks. We obviously don't want to trade McLean so that leaves the other two. Perhaps TJ and Bruce alone might do it, who knows, but it would depend on some other factors, ie whether Judd is prepared to leave them for nothing ie preseason draft and obviously if he actually decides to leave in the first place.

Wise move with Pickett, he needs as close to a real match as possible to build his fitness, playing him with Sandy is really just a waste of time.

I'm not convinced that the modern game is moving away from the need for power forwards. Out of the last five premiership teams only the Eagles lacked a serious heavyweight forward but they got away with it because of their awesome midfield which is full of talent and depth. Judd, Cousins, Kerr, Fletcher, Stenglein, Embley etc. We simply cannot match them in that department so our success must come from a different route. Let's look at the recent winners and their forwards: Eagles - No standout forward but have an awesome midfield. Lynch their best with 65 goals Swans - B.Hall 80 goals 15 touches 7.9 marks Port - Tredrea 81, 15.6, 7.7 Brisbane 3 - Lynch 78, 9.3, 4.6 Brisbane 2 - 74, 9.2, 4.6 Brisbane 1 - 53, 9.3, 4 Brisbane also had a couple of handy blokes roaming around the forward line in Bradshaw and J.Brown. Essendon - Lloyd 105, 14, 7.5 Now I love our captain, he's a club champion, but he turned 32 this year and there is no way that he is going to be able to provide us with those types of output this year, and who will fill his shoes when he retires? Our spine is still a worry, Carroll is as honest as they come but he struggles against the better forwards, and in the finals that's where he'll get tested the most. Rivers (and McLean) is the only top class long term prospect but most of the time he doesn't even play CHB, normally as a loose third tall.

The fact that we don't have a standout CHF is a worry, it's compounded even more by the fact that we don't have a successor to Neitz when he retires. So that's CHF and FF that we have to deal with in the near future and if you look at our list it's a choice out of these players: Miller Dunn P.Johnson Newton Garland Frawley Newton I think has the talent to become our FF, whether he can get himself right is another question. At the moment Dunn plays more like a flanker, he'll need to get stronger to be a better target. Miller and PJ are not up to it, Frawley looks more like a defender and I don't know enough about Garland to pass judgement. Our spine is a worry.

Ok, i understand where you're coming from, and I agree with your last sentence.

So you're going to judge someone after one game but not someone like Miller who has continued to fail over many seasons? Interesting

Massive punt to play PJ at CHF? Please tell me the last time Miller had a good game in that position? Picking Miller at CHF instead of PJ is a much more massive punt because Miller has failed spectacularly in the last two years and there has not been one shred of evidence that he has turned his form around this preseason.

Sadly I don't think Miller has the football brain to play in the backline and his performance against Hall has been greatly overrated on this forum. The facts are that Hall had the highest shots at goal out of both teams and it was only poor kicking that didn't result in him kicking a big bag. Miller gets lost in the backline.

Dunn lucky to get a spot on present form imho, also drop Brown for Moloney, Yze for Pickett and Paul Johnson to CHF instead of Miller B: Whelan Carroll Bizzell HB: Bell Rivers C Johnson C: Bate Green Johnstone HF: Dunn PJohnson Bruce F: Davey Neitz Robertson Ruck: White McLean McDonald Inter: Jamar Pickett Moloney Jones I'd still be very tempted to drop Dunn for someone like Frawley or even Ferguson, our height down back concerns me against the Saints, especially if Reiwoldt, Gehrig and Kosi play. I guess I'd wait to see how their injuries go before making that decision.

Undeeniable, you made some good points however I have to disagree with you on Jeff White as a forward. The facts are that the most goals he has ever kicked in a season is 17 and he has been tried in this position before without success. One practice match against a team that is well known to struggle against big forwards is not enough for me to get excited, sadly I think the opposite is more accurate for him - we have seen his best.

It's a practice match, the result is meaningless, unless we lose by 200 points....

Thanks fan, did Moloney do a full session at 100%?

Read all my posts on the issue, I said that my concerns about him are that he has been at our club for ten years without premiership success and the style of footy we play in finals. Now if we win the GF this year then all my arguments are invalid and he deserves his spot - I just highly doubt that I'm wrong. Is it really that difficult to understand or are you just being a [censored]?

Where the hell did I post that?! Don't misquote me to prove your argument, it just looks poorly on you. WTF?! Sacking a coach just before the start of the season is lunacy, any intelligent person would agree. You can believe that he isn't the right person for the job but for the sake of the club you can also believe that he be allowed to prove himself up until the end of his contract. If Melbourne wins the GF this year then I'd happily fly the flag for him, i just have my concerns that he will never succeed with us based on our finals form during his stint.