Copuchas

Think you'll find he flew directly to Perth from the Gold Coast....a longer flight than back to Melbourne but nonetheless a flight he was going to take anyway. And it's an 8 day turnaround this week. I think the WA trip will freshen him up.

Well, Wattsy goes at 78.4% (including his set shots), Dunn goes at 90.9. Jones at 70.5, Salem at 75 and Vince at 66.7. Always good to throw out the ABC (assertion based conversation) but to state that Watts is indisputably the best kick in the team doesn't withstand scrutiny of the stats and probably not the subjective aspects either....

I have Wattsy as an elite finisher / set shot but not always an elite field kick under pressure eg Hobart. Lynden and the others are very composed when the heat's on.

Can't believe this is even a thread. We are immeasurably better with Lynden in the side. He is one of four elite kicks in the team (Vince, Jones, Salem). Is there a stat for one on one contests? He'd kill it. I asked Andy Mac if it came out why he was left out from the initial teams but didn't see a response. I hope there was a seriously good reason because we were noticeably poorer without him, particularly against Essendon. Switch footy is such an important facet of the a fast offensive game. Well, he's the best switcher in our back half....can hit a target at 65m consistently. How many others in the AFL can do that?

With the Giants looking like winning, the ladder (and the season?) looks like it will be bifurcated after this round between the genuine campaigners (12 points and above) and the pretenders (8 and below). If ever our group had something to play for, it's tonight. I'm sure it's on their minds and I'm confident they won't let us down. Dees by 30+!!

Hampson out of the squad and Townsend in. You watch, they'll play Morris and Townsend and try and go the knuckle on the young Dees. Hardwick learned it from Sheedy....the apple never falls far from the tree. I think our boys will acquit themselves well if this transpires...

any clarity around the status of Stretch for this week?

Nutbean, I suspect they won't even play Clarry over at Casey. It's a 5.5 day turnaround for the seniors and 6.5 for the Casey guys until the Saints at Etihad. I suspect they'll want him to be as fresh as possible and hence it will be a genuine rest, not just a rest from the rigours of AFL.

Quite apart from the fact that Kent's place on form is nowhere near in jeopardy, he needs to be in Sunday night's side for physical presence. Richmond are backs to the wall and Hardwick will go the intimidation path on the younger Melbourne guys - he has form in this regard. On that basis I think young Hunt might be one of the guys to miss (if in fact we're talking two changes). The other one is probably a toss-up between rest Oliver and Matt Jones a bit sore. If Oliver does play, it would be likely he doesn't the following week with the 6 day turnaround. The Casey guys with a Sat night game have a 7 day turnaround so that lends itself to Petracca coming in against the Saints.

Was out of the country too long to understand the history of Russell's anti-Melbourne sentiment but I note the rather rotund [censored] from the Fairfax stable has just tipped against us again!!

was anyone at training this morning? Was Vandenberg there? If not (as per last week), I'd proffer that the surgery rumour has some basis in fact......if it was just a rolled ankle he'd be on the track....even if just walking / jogging laps.

Nutbean, more elaborate but we're on the exact same page. Would like to think that there is one more on the vulnerable list (Sydney?) but it's just not self-evident at this stage as to who that might be.

The next few weeks will reveal a lot. I think we need to ask who's in the 8 currently that could potentially fall out? Gold Coast top that list, having had an easy draw to date. Geelong is second on the vulnerable list in my mind - their midfield deficiencies haven't been overcome on the back of adding Dangerfield. We are one of a number of teams who could potentially fill those slots, the others being GWS and PA (if they get their mojo back). Even Richmond are a chance if they get on a roll like last year, as unlikely as that seems currently.

Can someone please go over to the Freo board on Big Footy and ask them what....exactly....would be the value proposition to Hogan? !!

Press red for Ed!!!

see AFL website http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-15/speedy-demon-jeff-garlett-in-doubt-for-pies-clash

Garlett doesn't look like he's going to come up......sigh..... Guess it's likely that Brayshaw and Hunt are the ins. I was quietly confident on this game a few days back but the Pies ins and our outs leave me thinking it looms as a significant task to get over them. We must hit them hard early and snuff out any resurgence in confidence to be a chance. I think the betting odds are in part reflective of the relative strength of the line-up changes for both teams.

my apologies, Vandenburg wasn't present.....well not that I saw anyway....

Got along to training this morning. I believe the whole list was present save for Mitch King. Arrived to see a "sore / tightness" group jogging slow laps comprising Viney, Kent, Salem, Vince, Terlich IIRC. The rehab group consisted of JKH (hammy strapped) and Jeffy doing some quick hands handballing. Jeffy later proceeded to walk a couple of laps and then disappear. Not self evident that he'll be playing this week but perhaps just giving the ankle maximum rest. Pencil must have been lurking there too somewhere as I saw him later on in the session walking around the boundary. Oscar McDonald didn't participate in training and just jogged a few laps. Training consisted of the usual skills sessions. Highlights for me were: 1) Ben Newton looked sharp and must be close to a game with Casey; 2) Dawes participated fully and can't be far away; 3) Trengove showed no signs of any lingering impact from the hit out at Casey; 4) Petracca very enthusiastic and hit up Weed and others on a number of occasions with what's quickly becoming a trade-mark ie low, hard & accurate passes.....not quite Flash like but elements to be sure.; 5) a great camaraderie across the group with a high level of self assuredness ahead of what looms as a massive game against a backs to the wall Pies unit. The other interesting facet was a couple of media outlets being present, including Stevo who stayed for the whole session. So presumably a selection story brewing?

Lloyd has actually had big wraps on us through the pre-season and has emphasised on several occasions how much potential he sees in the playing list. I'd opine the article was firmly focused at the playing group and reflects his view that with some consistency of endeavour, the confidence that comes with self-belief and a scalp or two, things could really take off. Healy is of a not dissimilar view on the potential and was all but barracking ahead of the GWS game to the point that he was visibly checking himself to be seen to remain measured and objective.

Read my thread from three days ago on Gosch's Paddock surface quality.....if it was crappy turf he rolled it on, I'll take the blame for putting the mozz on him.....

If you head down there and have a look at the river end centre half forward position you'll see the area I'm concerned about. It is bare in patches.

The principal point of the email to MFC / post on here was that you accept the standard you walk past / tolerate. The surface at GP has been in decline over the whole summer on a/c of a lack of water due to a deficient / defective sprinkler system (and no hand watering to compensate). It IS a clear hazard to anyone training on it. So the answer to (a) is clearly of course not and there was nothing inferred along those lines. The answer to (b) may well be noticed (?), possibly, actioned (?), seemingly not........ You're not short on arrogance...

Just sent the following to the club. If this outfit is ever to achieve it's targeted objectives, there needs to be total professionalism across every facet of the club's operation. "I'm a MCC/MFC premium member and an East Melbourne resident. As tempted as I am to write to the MFC with some observations on yesterday's efforts, that's not the focus of my communication. I regularly venture down to Gosch's for a kick with my son and have noticed the surface is in an increasingly shoddy state such that it's a serious risk for players training on it (overly hard in patches, ungrassed, loose sand / soil). I'm not a trained horticulturist, but it's pretty self evident that the issue in certain parts of the arena is deficient water. This in turn suggests a defective sprinkler system which when combined with the extremely dry summer period has produced the current result. It needs to be remedied immediately before the winter no growth period and hence the questions begged are who is responsible for maintaining Gosch's Paddock to the elite standard claimed (MCC?) and who at the MFC is responsible for making sure they do their job?"

Who are the 5 Tigers? Cotchin, Deledio, Rance, Riewoldt, Martin presumably.. I have to confess to a major blind spot when it comes to RFC....maybe it's because we regularly beat them. But for mine Cotchin's failures in big games and regular ability to butcher the ball under pressure rule him out of something like a top 50. Dusty's lack of discipline at critical junctures has cost them dearly over the journey. Rance I can live with but the "Rance moments" weren't that far back in his career so I'll be watching him closely this year. Riewoldt's much lauded move up the ground last year may have seen a more team oriented approach but the fact is his output was down on prior seasons. Deledio...probably the pick of the 5 and worthy....