grazman

Sandy have a bye - no one will be playing for them this week.

Yes. Neville, Weetra etc I'd happily conceed on, but I wonder how Newton and Buckley are feeling? Maybe someone had SMS's Rev the Quarter time scores at the Telstra dome

The worst example on the weekend was the free they paid against Fevola, - watching the replay of the Neita Free Kick I thought that the free paid was fair enough, he gave the Port player a decent shove in the back after the marking contest to give Aaron the space to kick the goal. The real problem isn't the law it's the interpretation, you can't push a player in the back, that's been the rule since for ever, but for the last twenty or thirty years blokes have been pushing and shoving each other and using their hands to climb for marks, I think that the umpires should go back to what the law was designed for, to stop players being unfairly taken out of marking contests.

Did you see the highlights from Brisbane V Freo or Ottens missing from 15 metres out? Brad Green (with the exception of last year when he had an injured foot) is easily our best set shot at goal.... I think he needs to go back to the forward line when we get some midfielders back. Poor kicking at goal is poor footy.

Let us know after today Sleeve. His first was pretty good - all the things I'd expect from a 50 gamer.

Dan its an interesting topic you make and for most of us footy tragics is the reason why footy forums exist in the first place... if only.... My understanding of the Ferguson/Sewell trade (and I am happy to be corrected because obviously this is all based on heresay) is that both clubs were keen for the trade to go ahead. The Hawks wanted a tall defender and we were very keen on acquiring Sewell as a tagger/small defender. My mail was that Fergs wasn't all that keen to leave and in the end the clock ran out before we could get the deal over the line. It does go to show however, that we do have some astute judges in the footy dept. because at that stage Sewell was still a relative unknown. As far as our current small defenders go I think we are in pretty good shape. Of course we have Wheels as the elder statesman, but his soft tissue injuries now are a real concern. I think in Bell, Bartram and Petterd we have players that are the future of our defence (along with Carroll, Riv and Frawley) All three have the flexibility to move into the midfield if need be, and all three have courage, skills and pace - and significantly discipline to do a job. (I am still heading the movement to make Belly a tagger though!) CJ is a source of frustration for me because I look at him and see a wingman. Yes I loved watching his dad play, but its not just nostalgia -He has height, pace, accurate foot skills (including the ability to kick goals) and excellent vision. I know some on here have already stamped his ticket and think he doesn't have what it takes, but the way he is used in the side at the moment is driving me spare... I guess there's a reason why I post of forums and others get paid to make these decisions.

Terry Wallace is a genius. If he wasn't going to play him in favour of youth five matches into a season why recontract him at the end of last year.? Maybe I just don't understand.

I'm surprised that people are even talking about Tarrant and Polak - I hope its not the same people that have been criticising the club for a lack of leadership. Both Tarrant and Polak carry significant baggage. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty certain that Tarrant was interested in getting out of Melbourne which is why he went West. As for Polak he was recruited as a CHB, yet hasn't played there. He apparently played a very good game against the Eagles, but I don't know why people are saying he's having a good year. I watched him closely against both Collingwood and the Bulldogs and while he does a couple of nice things he goes missing far too often. He really should be establishing himself as a dominant player now if he were going to be one, he's not mentally tough enough to be that sort of player. He is destined to disappoint.

Agree. to quote REM - I'm losing my religion.

Unbelievable. The tribunal has swung 180 degrees. May as well instruct our blokes to trip, headbut, punch, elbow and take flying drop kicks, They'll be cited, but they won't get suspended... Oh wait they play for Melbourne - disregard the previous comments.

It was and I'm certainly not saying the list doesn't have its problems - it certainly does, but there is also reason to be optimistic. No team including the Eagles, Swans or Lions before them have had a "perfect" list.

Maybe its because I'm a keen student of history, or maybe its because of my appreciation for ironic symbolism that I’m drawn to this topic. Almost certainly some will argue that I’m clutching at straws and I can’t completely discount that either, but as footy supporters if we don't live in hope - what other alternative is there? Round Six 2007 looms as much as a watershed for Neale Daniher as it did in 97 for Neil Balme. I made mention the other day of the complete contrast in the reactions to both Paul Gardner and Joseph Gutnik in response to poor on field performances. It was against the Saints in this very round that Joseph stormed the commentary box and promised the Melbourne faithful that things would change or heads would roll. Three weeks later after a dismal outing at AAMI against Port Balme was shown the door. Many would claim the current season was derailed against the Saints and a similar showing against Port in 2007 will virtually assure the same future for Daniher. I won’t head down the slippery slope of blame and recrimination, there are plenty of others doing that, but it is striking the number of similarities in the seasons. Ten years ago we managed to topple the reigning premiers (North) in Round 1 and from there it was all downhill as we copped a bath a week later against Collingwood. We hit Round 9 against the Power at 1 and seven. We front them this week, at 0 and five and realistically are only a slightly better chance of beating them this year as we were ten years ago. By round 9 we may realistically even be in a worse situation than we were ten years ago. The most obvious parallels between the two years was the impact that injuries had on the field. There’s no doubt that Balme was unlucky. . As the Footy Almanac suggested, 1996 was a dismal one for the club on the injury front, it certainly wasn’t destined to improve in 97. Schwarz was returning from a third knee reconstruction, Prymke never played again, Lyon managed only five injury ravaged games and Tingay only three. Glen Lovett (14) and Leoncelli (12) ensured that there would be no continuity in keeping our best players out on the park and left far too much to too few. Stynes, Viney, Febey, Ingerson and Brett Lovett battled on, but the supporting cast was thin. There were the youthful Neitz, Farmer, Yze and Woewodin, but the rest were largely football journeymen that were not to endure for much longer. A break down of the lists suggests that the lists are relatively similar in age composition Aged 18-21 - 1997 (13) -2007 (17) Aged 22-25 - 1997 (11) -2007 (8) Aged 26-29 - 1997 (11) -2007 (9) Aged 18-21 - 1997 (7) -2007 (8). The view at the time was that the 97 list was no good – the worst ever, well until this year apparently. Like most when I think of future on field performance, I look to the junior talent. For the sake of comparison the following names were 21 and under in 1997. Mark Bradly, The CC twins (3 games between them), Farmer (37), Clayton Gardiner, Grgic, Hayden Lamaro, Nicholson, Yze (19), Woewodin, Mark Winterton, Todd McHardy, and Leigh Newton. Of those at the start of 97 only two had indicated that they would be regular senior players and only Woewodin, Nicholson and Grgic would join them to become established league players. In 2007 we have: Bartram,(22) Bate (14), Buckley, Dunn(11), Frawley, Garland, CJ (13), Jones (8), McLean(47), Neville, Newton, Petterd, Weetra, Bode, Hughes, Neaves and formerly Hayes. It’s debatable, but I’d argue that the 2007 season saw us far more reliant on our juniors than we were ten years ago. We know not all will go on to play senior football, we know some will become very good players This is even more evident if we are to compare the 22 and 23 year olds. Rivers (61), Moloney (51), Sylvia (36), Bell (28), PJ (11), and Warnock (2) opposed to 1997’s Charles (43), Leoncelli (33), Pesch (31), Neitz (3) and Gaspar (0). I’ll let others prognosticate as to the relative merits of the two lists, the point I’m getting at is that there is a core group there to move beyond 2007 as there was in 97. Port Adelaide have shown that the fortunes of a footy club can turn around very quickly. In 1998 significantly we had a new coach, the No 1 draft pick, a high profile recruit, a seasoned veteran courtesy of the PSD and importantly our best players back on deck. I have no idea how the rest of the year will shape up, (Its still far too early to start dreaming of draft picks), but if the trend continues, then I am happy to look ahead.

In hindsight I'm glad we picked Brock and not Tenace - as many supporters wanted.

Thank you Diesel, I hope a lot of the posters who purport to follow the Dees reflect on yours and Real Demons comments and ask themselves not what the club can do for them, but what they can do for the club!

Ryan Griffen was taken in the 2004 draft, Sylvia was taken in the 2003 draft.

He's killing Chris Connolly's career.

I can understand the reasoning behind Andrew's assessment's of Bell and Sylvia, but disagree on the final verdict. I think though that Bell has been a more than solid citizen for us this year - his disposal is actually very good and the problem with his decision making is he is always trying to hit the best option - he just needs to take the first option - problem is a lot of the first options aren't that good because his team mates are standing flat footed. (actually it was Old55 that pointed that out to me). I'll continue to push the case for him to become an "on ball tagger" We don't have one and Bell's pace, aggression, discipline and skills make him the ideal candidate IMO. Old also fancies Sylvia off the half back flank, and I'd have to agree that when moved back and allowed to attack the footy he looked a lot better - I just don't think playing forward or midfield is his go at the moment, he still has a lot of footy yet to learn, but his aggression and clean handling were very encouraging. (Sorry if I've mis-quoted you in your abscence Old )

I thought Sylvia has struggled when he is put forward. I thought he actually did a lot better tonight when moved to half back. White's game was extremely disappointing. I think he needs to play the Peter Moore Ruckman roll now where he plays a kick behind play. I was hoping this was going to be Jamar's year, but he's almost gone - provided nothing tonight. Bell was good.

I don't think it is as much of an issue as supporters who think that players shaking hands and catching up after the game (it was Junior, Davey and Hall who all played in Ireland that were sharing a laugh) is somehow indicative of a poor culture. I believe the FD conducts a review every year, I think many of us would expect some very difficult and maybe unpopular decisions to be made. If all you have to do to be seen as competitive is to look sad after a loss even I could be competitive, hell if I shouted at my team mates enough some would even consider me a leader. I'm not having a go at you specifically 64, but I thought our attitude in the first quarter sucked and after that it improved. I'm not concerned on the interaction at the end of the game as much as I am about how they do it in a game.

or the fact that it is completely irrelevant to the argument at hand.

Good on Paul Gardner, I can just guess what some will think of this. Compare his response to that of Joe Gutnik's when he stormed into the commentary box in 97 at half time against the Saints in Rd six and we were looking at a fifth straight loss.

Exactly Jaded, but just to clarify the situation, the original injury was from the Hawthorn game, he then reinjured the same shoulder in the Freo game.

Oh, you mean the game he dislocated his shoulder and kept playing.

Yep, the one and the same, in reference the 1928/29 season where Australia got pantsed and Bradman was out for 18 and for 1 before being dropped.