Bay Riffin

Interesting. I recently watched the replay of last week and thought our generAl play in the first half was ok. We showed some confidence before the avalanche started. It provides some hope perhaps the season isn't a right off yet. I still think this seasons story is yet evolve. I still watch to see what his coaching grouP can do.

interesting Jack Fitzpatrick has made it to emergencies. looks like he might be putting pressure on the rucks. Will be watching Morton. I hope the coaches are convinced he can now stick his tackles at least and not become a liability in traffic. If not, he should not be playing.

I got one more thing out of it, Lyon spoke about himself in the 3rd person.

Hit the nail on the head with thread. Was saying this on Saturday. So many times we had 3 blokes go in for the pill, win it the have no way to pass it inn under pressure. Just looked like amateur hour, at one stage we had 5 players with no lions player within 20 meters and turned it over by throwing the ball to a teammates right next to them. Just circa 2007 stuff. Malt house commentated on this last year. We played the eagles and were beating them then started to get sucked into the contest whilst opponents got in dangerous positions. He was saying this before we started losing the game or turning it over!!! Point is this does rely on players tackling well and having decent extractors and top defensive pressure. This is why I am loathe to bring in Morton and bennel who spread well but let us down in this area. Tapscott petterd mcdonald davis are the options

Well if you spent the year at Casey in the prime of your career, would you be looking? Neeld will give him a go. It's up to Bate to take the chances.

Yes just got back myself and I don't think they could have done it any better. Just then, at Fed square the 3 cheers went up as Jimmys number 37 and his coffin were brought outside. It was an amazing experience, i thought it was great how they included plenty of personal touches with speeches from his brother Brian, Gaddy Lyon and even Sam got up and spoke as Jimmy asked her to. Actually after a solemn, peaceful hour standing at Fed Square watching the big screen, the biggest cheer from Fed Square at the end came when Sam waved and blew kisses thanking everyone before hopping into her car. It was a great send off for Jimmy.

If Jamar can beat Leunberger we will be well on our way. he was very dangerous up forward against us at the 'G last time so Sellar may get the job on the mobile resting ruckman who goes forward. Brisbane do go in hard at the contest, but if we can match that, we should beat them around the ground.

I agree with Malthouse, play Watts at CHB, get him in amongst it. he has done some very good work down back. no harm in doing that. Garry Lyon, Pavlich, Glendinning etc gained confidence early on in their careers and excelled down back. Watts is capable. Grimes Watts Garland at half back releasing Frawley as an attacking full back would be a salivating thought for this year.

I agree. The idea was right, something had to give or we would have to chop one of these youngsters. It was the execution afterwards which left us so frustrated. James was a good leader, but was getting injured and kicking was below par lets face it. One decent game in round 1 doesn't change things. I wonder who supporters would have chopped at the time to keep McDonald ?

i hope you are joking.

Great questions. I too was very sceptical of point 3. Camerons private loan from the club, and would love to know the answer. I let the club know at the timeand they got a member of the finance committee (i may be using the wrong term there) to call me straight away. We played phone tag for quite a while, so much so i let it go and got on with life, but I still would like to know the answer. To me private loans are a no-no, even if the deal ‘appears’ incredibly good for the club.

I wouldn't say 'hung out to dry' as they are hoping on youngsters and as a collective we seem to be missing continuity in playing with some high draft picks, Tapscott, Grimes, Blease to name a few. Overall we would have expected more from all these high draft picks. most like tapscott have that as an excuse as they showed really good signs but I thought Gysberts in his thrid year should be aiming to play each week in what is an average midfield.

right at the end of a NAB CUp game. dammit.

hang on ? what action. Are you suggesting we would have changed our mind and taken Martiin based on an interview? I am wondering how good an interviewer he is to make us change our mind on a standout number 1 at the time and a bloke who tore it up in the SANFL finals !! remember hinsight only shows now what Martin has done. 2009 draft will be the least of our worries fellas. we have got some great quality in it. Crying over not interviewing Martin because Scully left is a waste of time. i wish they just didn't interview Fitzpatrick but the rest will be fine.

hinsight? they thought they were the two best footballers and interviewed well. Why would we bother doing something where no further acton was needed or could be taken.

If Scully and Trengove interviewed well and were considered better footballers, why bother? What could happen in an interview to change your mind?

2009 is stronger.

In summary we drafted some good players, had too many injuries but in my opinon drafted too many light weights who weren't natural footballers.

I am not convinced. I have seen many a match under Bailey with this same outcome.

he was defintely an icing on top player, or what I would call a finisher. Stupidly most questioned his work ethic although he turned up in great condition to pre-season and gave his all. I think he was slightly hard done by becuase he would play ok then get dropped, the opposite of some. also against him though, he didn't get his own ball and was finding it too hard in a bottom 8 side. I reckon with confidence he could be a great finisher but feel we won't lose out on this one.

getting sick of the sylvia rubbish on this site. Firstly his 'talent' since he started was actually skills of an outside player, he has slowly built on his weakness which was contested footy. He has built on this to survive as we weren't getting the ball to him enough, but to me this so called 'huge talent' could not kick non preferred, did not do the one percenters and did not have great skills in close. These he has worked on, and improved better than most. get him on an even playing field and I believe he will perform well.

Speaking of Green, can someone tell him he is not even in the leadership group anymore and stop yapping to the press. He just seems to love being quoted since he started but his comments nenver do us any good. just shut up and play footy. he is barely in our first 22 as it is.

what? in case they sound dergoratory? not sure anyone will blink an eyelid who has been reading demonland. i agree with him though, Frawley is our best player at present.

hang on..having a mature body certainly helps but Scully for instance had no problem with avoiding contested footy when he started. Nor did someone like Gysberts. I stand by my examples Watts, Morton and Bennell. Morton especially. I wonder what evidence we had he was going to be good when things got tough? my point is these blokes (Couch and Magner) look light years ahead in contested footy. and remember our 'new' recruits have had a few seasons now. the old rookie excuse is wearing thin when blokes can't hold a basic tackle.

Now that's quite an encouraging appraissal by Malthouse, but I am not so convinced anymore our list is that good. We lack enough real competitors (not enough Frawleys and Pettards for mine) and I can see Neeld is trying to address our lack of big strong recruits already in the last draft, with size and strength to play finals type footy. I am begudgingly accepting Prendergasts recruiting was below everage and reckon Cameron would have done better. He just did not take into acount size and proven contested ability in junior ranks. I worry when I see Bennell, Morton, Watts and even a high draft pick like Cook who start so far back in physical development. All look good at draft camp and the first three have let us down considerably since. I was encouraged by watts last year but to me he looks lighter and smaller this year - how can this be? I look at Buddy now and he is a behemoth. Watts should be gaining in size at least. I look at two rookies in Couch and Magner and they show so much more in contested footy than these high price recruits. I know they play pure inside roles but geez, you can't be outside always. They are the real worry for me. I hear people consistently have a go at Sylvia and Moloney the 'flat track bully' but I don't get it. they are the least of our worries and go in hard. I see Sylvia protecting the ball carrier, buffeting and tackling better than just about all of his teammates. They are the least of our worries. nothing wrong with Melbourne? I am not so sure as Mick, and reckon Neeld has a massive, a massive task to change us around as the blokes suited to his game plan are the Bartrams, Couch, Sellars etc who may only take us so far.