45HG

We were absolutely killed in the fast breaks yesterday. i didn't feel we were beaten in the 50-50 contests, but it just seemed that when we won the ball, it was turned over or sent to the next contest, however every time north got the ball it was moved like lightning up the field. Hopefully this is just because we are building our preparations for the season proper and the roos are further in their development...

rivers - good early spoils, read every contest as usual, looks on again i think. whelan - on as a loose defender for how much of the game i saw. read the play well early, basically looked to be just getting some run into the legs bartram - threw himself around meesen - big boy! dunn - shaved head valenti - doing his vfl thing again. great courage, will be an interesting story to watch (only watched first half, and was hell tired so i apologise if i'm flat out wrong)

as a side note, what was with players getting the ball, running at an opponent on one side of their body, then incredibly slowly cutting back to their other side as some foolhearty attempt to bypass their man, resulting in more stagnant progress down the field that inevitably lead to a handball coming to a player standing still. i think as our handling of the ball, weetra, improves our team will look a bit better. and when THAT MAN rivers is back our defence will look better, but yes this will not be the 150th birthday year we were all dreaming about, but i don't mean that in such a negative way as it is a necessary step in becoming a force again

collingwood, carlton, essendon, richmond, geelong, arsenal

touch wood touch wood touch wood touch wood touch wood

i think it was meant boring as in boring prediction, as in that's what everyone will say

Tough to say wins and losses because each column must add up to 176, minus draws of course. BBP you're 5 wins over

GUN!

Did anyone just see the report on channel 7 news about our family day? Apparently Bailey forced the players into a 6am training session this morning as punishment for poor discipline on Friday night. Crucified by the umpires or not, i love that attitude as players should not give the mongrels a chance to get near us. He seems like a coach with a very level head, and one who wants to keep his players in the same mould. Loving your work D (Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere)

i think there are still %$t loads of postives about the dees at the moment, all of which have been discussed over summer and none of which have desolved. the only thing to come out of tonight to register in my mind is the amount of free kicks conceeded, resulting in concern over our disclipine. if anyone can shed light/quell this fear i would feel much more enlightened on our current situation. otherwise i don't see anything being different to what it was a month ago, bolstered by the fact i beleive bailey cares little-nothing about the preseason bar a chance to bare youth to the rigours of the game and perhaps put game time into legs that need it. but to reiterate, i would like clarification over the nature of the free kicks conceeded, especially so many 50 metre penalty goals, which can always be avoided by a discplined team, one that we need

CARN THE DEMONS!

ha, richmond beat sydney, maybe we're not to bad. yeah that's what i mean, good teams at 5 goals to 0 would usually find a way to keep it close, even if they aren't desperate to win.

It seems odd that we can go from fast flowing attacking plays to looking slow and getting spanked. Is anyone worried about this or passing it off as simply preseason? I don't think it's too worrying, although good teams always seem to have a knack of winning, regardless of situation and without excessive exertion.

no point debating i guess if there aren't replays to see at the ground...?

are these frees for real? are we hawthorn disclipine bad? or is it just munted umpiring?

so they've kicked last 7? 7/8? have we just stopped running? have people been off or is it just dogs playing well? has neitz been in it at all

thanks heaps! yeah it definitely seems counter intuitive to attempt to push the game in the country, yet fail to give it a go by even the most basic measure

slightly off topic, but is anyway able to tell me exactly where the ground is in bendigo where we'll be playing? many thanks

heard nathan buckley had a tif with eddie mcguire, so mcguire has now suddenly become head of the list for all other 15 clubs so he can bury collingwood.

so....does anybody know where whelan is?

i thought meesen had a very impressive debut in the red and blue. buckley showed a lot, and valenti, as he settled, showed somewhat of what i think he can achieve.

no wheels either

bit rough on frawley and garland i think, but generally i concur on each of these. top effort!

oh no! half the country will be watchin channel 7 on a night that we play football, broadcast on channel 7! oh no!

$%^ing tevez ha, watched the spurs thrashing of the gunners in a sports bar in cairo that didnt sell alcohol, that had a 25 pound minimum. ordered lasagne that was 24.90 and asked to pay 25 for it. the food didnt come till the 86th minute and it was spicy. all as odd as 5-1. come on you spurs!