grazman

I think the concern with Dutchy was they couldn't put the shoulder back in right away and he may have a fracture as well. I think your right deanox in that the extent of the inury will determine his spot on the list. In the harsh reality of modern footy can we really afford to keep a 30+ limited skills, immobile KPP that potentially can't do a preseason - even one as brave as Benny?

I know this won't seem popular... but I feel Sorry for Johnson. As soon as he'd made contact he knew he'd made a serious, serious blue. Those of us that have played enough footy know that sometimes you do things on the spur of the moment and you think "What did I do that for" - it's so completely out of character, you aren't proud of it and you can't explain why. You could see throughout the game that he was really concerned about what he'd done. Dane Swan came up to him and said something to him and Johnson pushed him away and gave him a mouthful, he then went back to Swan and apologised. I'd be very surprised if he didn't seek Belly out afterwards... not that he could offer much by way of explanation. As far as the tribunal is concerned (even with their lack of consistency) he is in deep poo poo. It looked bad and was bad.

Yes I will Just as a point of clarification - for mine in order of importance. 1. Strong unified back six with two genuine class talls and a third tall stopper, one small stopper and three silky skilled rebounders (one to the bench) 2. A hard running midfield capable of kicking goals a la Geelong, West coast etc. Genuine class is instrumental (delivery under pressure), but just as importantly to apply physical pressure by tackling, smothering, chasing etc. One quality stopper is almost a given. 3. Dynamic multi pronged forward line. Two tall targets, a third running tall a genuine roving small (the other two flankers aren't really forwards, they're part of the midfield - either resting forward or pushing up) 4. Dominant ruck - in the abscence of this simply a competitive ruck. Possessions are desirable, physicality essential. I'm happy to sacrifice the Forward line to ensure the back six hold up.

Imagine if you can that it's 2008 and we have a twenty year old David Neitz showing excellent promise playing at CHB, but correspondingly we don't have a Michael Newton... What do you do? Leave Neita at CHB or push him forward to develop him as a Full Forward.

I think we can bounce back strongly in 08, but only if we develop a more accountable style and get back to learning how to apply physical pressure on our opponents (our tackling tonight was better, but far from great). I watched both games the Doggies and Swans played here in Canberra and the physical differences in the two sides was enormous, the dogs don't apply any physical pressure and their game plan has fallen apart like a chinese motorcycle. We were good tonight because our opponents let us be, last week were ... you get the picture. 08 needs to be based on how we want to play the game, not how our opponents let us play.

I was optimistic at the start of the season and there's no doubt that injuries have cruelled us. The nucleus of our side for 08 is substantially weighted to the Under 23 brigade: Mclean, Sylvia, Jones, Bartram, Rivers, Bell, Frawley, Moloney, Newton, Petterd, Bate, Garland and Dunn- they still have a lot to learn. Like all lists however, there are still deficiencies. I think if we could get the opportunity to draft the likes of Cotchin and Henderson then we will have come close to addressing at least half of the problems. To do that though we may have to trade some of our more established (maybe even popular) players to get the extra draft pick. And we will certainly have to make some far tougher calls in pruning some older players from the list.

I can only think it's because he's going to pull the plug at the end of this year. The real problem for Neita today wasn't his teammates. He dropped a lot of marks he normally would have taken and chose some really bad options.

I wonder if one of them will be Ratten?

The talk of McKenna worries me, he's been passed over numerous times... and then hinted that other people had stolen his ideas for their own presentations and because they were better speakers got the nod....WTF!!! Firstly being able to communicate is a vital skill of any successful coach... Secondly and I know this is only the internet... but those who have claimed to have played under him in the WAFL (and I've read about three seperate comments) all claim he is no good. Most of the people pushing for his appointment appear to be coaches themselves. You have to ask yourself why no players are saying he'd be any good.

Dunn playing for Sandy, infuriating...

Please let's not mention Langford... I was pretty young at the time, but I still remember we were on the verge of trading Roger Ellingworth to the Hawks for Langford, then they got cold feet.... I nearly cried.... then to make matters worse we decided to trade Elshaugh.. then I did cry.... oh the early eighties were bad.

Can't agree. The board isn't the problem.

The Lions underwent a similar process to the one by the Swans "Bloods Code". They have a relatively young side, but they are being ingrained with a winning style. What I've always liked about Matthews and his coaching is that he just hammers away at the fundamentals.... tactics and matchups don't matter a damn if the fundamentals are missing.

Well that is another thing in itself Maurie... I'm staying stum on the Cousins farce.... but I think you're right... as the Bulldogs found out last night ... legspeed is one thing, getting the ball is another. The Lions midfield were excellent winners of the ball, not overly fast, but physically strong... win the ball and give it to a team mate in space... doesn't sound overly complex does it?

Not having watched the game... I am left to assume that such "pressure football" has two vital ingredients that have been the hallmark of not only the Eagles, but the Swans and the Lions before them. The first is Accountability (Zoning off is fine as long as players aren't cheating their teammates by refusing to chase or man up an opponent) the second is the willingness to make a physical contest rather than avoiding them. From here teams work over the opposition, crushing any belief in their game plan - faith in their teammates etc.

The answer is no he won't. I don't want him. A lot of people mistake Essendon's rise as being predominantly based around Sheedy. He was good at what he did, but to do what Essendon have done relies on more than one man. He has a direct hand in who is recruited to a club and he often chooses the wrong blokes.

At present not a lot.... Crickey we've only won three games.... but where were Hawthorn, Geelong and the Kangaroos this time last year... let's project forward.... let's begin our preseason in October a la Dean Laidley and have fully fit list to choose from. I look around the league and running and bouncing out of defence, and delivering with effeciency, Who do we have? Ricky Pettard and Daniel Bell I look around the league and tagging of other teams prolific ball winners, and also hurting them the other way, i see the likes of Ling, Sewell, Kirk and Rawlings. Who do we have? ??? Yes I agree problems... we need to develop someone - I've been arguing for Belly, but we are going to have to manufacture someone... someone that in preference can win enough of their own ball anyway - Jones? I look around the league and taking on the dangerous full fowards of the league and winning more often than not, i see the likes of Rutten, Glass, Firritto and Scarlett. Who do we have? Nathan Carroll is a good third tall - Frawley is developing and Rivers is all class - Miller won't command a decent trade and needs to be persevered with as a key back. I look around the league and getting tap outs to advantage in the rucks and giving their teams first use of the ball, i see the likes of Cox, Mcintosh, Lade and Taylor/Campbell. Who do we have? Jeff White - still solid.... the problem is who next - PJ is OK, but not a fulltime replacement - Charman would be the answer. I look around the league and imposing themselves on games and not allowing their teams to slip into mediocrity, i see stars and leaders the likes of Hodge, Reiwoldt, Brown, Cornes, Judd, Harvey. Who do we have? I'll nominate three players here - McLean, Bate and Jones all exude leadership -they are all still babes, and we will be able to supplement them with a couple of other very good players come the draft - but if we can't get anymore out of some of our 23-28 y.o. then we need to trade.

Why the hell was he dropped in the first place. Brown played at HFF and Dunn in the Magoos WTF! I thought the rest of the year was about developing youth.... did I miss something in the last game because Dunny to me put his head over the ball and won a lot of it... FFS I'm well and truly over this year.!

Ahhh - why bother having a selection process when we can just poll the members... Maybe the club can run with this idea, let's run a poll and select a coach to deliver more members to the footy club... Nope I think the process should remain, if its Chris Connolly its Chris Connolly.

Nicely put Jack... I feel very sorry for Jeff, far more than for the media's darling in Cousins. I'm conflicted about his future. I'd gladly welcome him back at the club via a suitable trade or PSD IF he could get his head right, but that's a very big IF... I am not sure what sort of collateral damage would be caused by him going off the rails, but I suspect certainly no more than the Pickett situation. I hope he can turn it around because he appears to be very troubled and unhappy.

I agree with YM in terms of the approach by the players.... you never, ever want your players to be anything other than competitive beasts that want to win every contest... on the other hand you can select a team and play tactics that will help produce a more favourable result. (How ironic that losing is a better option than winning). Resting the likes of Neitz, White, Bruce, Junior and Robbo for 08 would go a long way to getting the best result. My suspicious bastard nature suspects already that Michael Voss has been offered the Head Coach job at Carlton, they definately do not want to win anymore games - two more high draft picks - gives him a very good platform to build a team around. The only complicating factor could be an attack of pride by Dennis and some of the players that are on the way out.... C'mon the Blues do it for Kouta. All that said there's a long, long way to go till rd 22. We may win a few along the way, Carlton may sneak a win... let's wait and see.

I can't agree, the rule as it stands is a nonsense... and the evidence is overwhelming, the players think so, the coaches think so and so does nearly every supporter you talk to. The old interpretation is best. You can't PUSH in the back(take a player out of the contest illegally)... the hands IN the back rule doesn't work. As for the CC issue, I don't know where this is coming from... there's certainly a lot of conspiracy theories that were started even before the season kicked off that there'd be a direct swap between ND and CC, but given that a decision on the senior coach isn't even close to being made I think a lot of people are making judgements based on assumptions grounded on presumptions.

I've heard or read somewhere before that Jeff was very, very keen to stay at the Dees... he even had a press conference to say as much. His partner then told him come home or it's over.... So torn between having a career and no family or having both he made the logical choice to join Freo. For a variety of reasons it hasn't worked out. I am not sure we would take the risk with him, but it would be sad to see him end his career this way.

and of course you're hoping they won't have watched any of his other matches....

Coaching isn't a popularity contest. Even so, from what I've read from a number of different sources about McKenna and Sumich's coaching in the WAFL, I'd much rather Chris Connolly.