ArtificialWisdom

With 2 good performances we have the unique opportunity to ruin both Collingwood's and Richmond's (assuming they lose to WC) years in the space of 2 weeks. I dont really think we will beat both of them but i hope to get at least one of them.

Yeah i agree with this, I think we need one of them in though we have to expose the young talent to AFL. and also his idea of a HBF coming in for a potentially unavailable Garlett doesnt really make any sense, that would leave us with Wagner, Salem, H and Hunt all playing the more or less same role! I like Hunt and wanna see him have a run but 1 of the other 2 will need to come out first. I also agree with selection "ping pong" (i like that terminology i might steal that later haha) they need to pick one and stick with it. Whoever they play this week should be assured of the next 3/4 weeks to give em a chance at getting some form. If then they arnt firing then maybe revisit the other or dare I say drop them both for dawes if he is fit.

Good to hear, we can be patient, he'll come in and he'll be good. Just give him time to build. And if he continues to dominate at VFL level he will come into AFL exploding with confidence

I've been a jetta doubter for a long time and am starting to come around. But one thing i have always given him is he is a strong little bugger. For a small he is very strong, i think thats why he did well on Betts. Betts is very strong for little man too and used to being able to push off any opponent his height. Jetta is able to match him though, its very good

What would really make me smile? next week having to debate over who is so damn unlucky to make way for bernie coming back in!

Geez, I'm all for optomism but did he have blinkers on while watching the game. Goldsteins performance was pretty damn good. I agree Gawny has the the talent and is the right age but he needs to sustain this over the whole year and into the next few before he takes Goldy's crown. "greatest talent Melbourne has recruited in the modern era." This line though, could be however be the truest statement in the whole article. He is only realisticaly ranked as an "emerging" ruckman and is already the most important player in the side. Right now i think by quite a way.

I would have to think this is residual from his NAB injury and has pulled up sore on the weekend, he was limping quite a bit after the game. Hopefully he can just have a week or 2 off it again then come back. Even if it is through the VFL. Edit: I have no medical expertise or reason for this estimation, could be out for 6 months for all i know, or maybe he could play this week but they are playing it safe.

Jetta on Fasolo will be an interesting.

Would this be what he went down to the rooms for at Qtr time against the bombers? Or is this different? Been a while since a good player has been suspended but we have had 2 such good quality players coming in.

Would be a very good pick up. But its round 4 ask me again in round 20 if he is still uncontrated. We have to show alot of improvement before we would be looked as a viable option. Also if Adelaide keep up their start to the year then he would need a hell of a good reason to go.

Bugg did aim for the right spot but it hung in the wind it started out to strech's left then floated all the way to his right. Criticise all you want but I'd like to se you guys make that kick in that wind under that pressure. He made the correct decision and was an inch off on the execution. Their play in the last 20 seconds was fantastic to be that close to a shot on goal is an achievement in itself. There is a reason clubs rarely win from there.

and a sign of an imporoving team. One less walk-up means one more competitive spot.

I still think he needs more fitness before he plays AFL. But, I couldnt agree more with this particular point! I hate hearing people say they are playing at casey so they dont risk get injured. I think if you had a chat to JKH, Trenners or King they might back that point too.

Saw him limping a bit on his way onto the plane Sunday night (although Kent was too just not as bad). May just be managing his load heading into the weekend

Come on your being a bit harsh arnt you? 8 disposals (6 contested), a clearance, 4 tackles (including 1 brilliant chase down), 3 1%s and didnt give away a free in a game where the whistle was blowing non stop. And he spend quite alot of time swaping with jetta on Thomas who didnt kick a goal in a 21 goal game. All in his first game off the rookie list... what more do you want from the kid? Grimes has played many a worse game than that in the last 2 years

Yeah i thought he showed a bit, earnt himself another run but will be under pressure from below to keep showing that or he will lose his spot. Given the conditions it wasnt easy for defenders. I mean the wind was blowing though goals from everywhere. I'd give him this week and next then make a call on whether he is consistantly up to it or if he needs to go back down. At least then there be a clearer picture on what he needs to work on. I'd also like to see Hunt get a run so maybe if he keeps showing good VFL form he might get a go when Wagner gets dropped or has a rest.

Thats a fair reason but we hear all this talk about not having passengers and right now he seems to me like a bit of a passenger. But yeah maybe thats what is best for the other 2 right now, having someone who is just out of their way.

haha yeah that is true, but like i said earlier i feel that frost is more of a decoy than anything else. He wasnt really involved in much of our good ball movement on the weekend. Does someone know his score involvements? that would be an interesting stat. I dont mind pedersen cos he can take a mark 70-80 out as a get out of jail kick. Frost and Dawes both struggle with this. Dawes is a better lead up, not a contested mark and Frost is kinda nothing. He seems more like an oversized FP better front and centre than a FF/CHF which i think is what they lack. We have 3 small forwards who have all shown they have talent 4 if you count harmes but he plays a little more up the ground. We dont need frost at ground level we need him in the air and he hasnt provided enough of that as of yet

haha i think alot of us share this opinion. But for the sake of understanding the game better i think we should have Pedersen in. If they really insist on making him a forward then give Frost a year at Casey to learn the forward craft with Weeds, and revist that next year. Having Frost with a footy brain, Weeds, Hogan, Watts, and Garlett/Kent/Kennedy is a pretty decent sounding forwardline. But right now frost just doesnt understand where to be and when.

Yeah thats fair. Maybe it is time to start making those harder calls. It was easier a few years ago where effort always got a game. I also have him in simillar 17-25 bracket. on current form/fitness i have him 17-20 which means he is over a few at the minute. The thing i think he has given us alot of is spread. We have quite a few that are good getting out of the pack but not so many that spread quickly on the outside. Strech will get there i think but he is still a step or 2 off it IMO. Maybe ANB? im not sure. Looking at the bulldogs for example, their spread from players off the ball is what makes them seem so fast, because all our guys are in and under we struggle with the outlet. That is what makes us look so slow. Matt isnt particulary fast but he makes the team look it when he runs so hard off the ball to get into space.

sorry you just happened to be the last person i read say it so not just you i have seen others call for him to be dropped too. I meant "hate on" meaning i feel he has copped alot of unjust criticism from a number of people for his performance so far this year. So yeah, I didnt mean it as a direct attack on you specificly i just thought he has been playing pretty well and working pretty hard so far this season and deserves a bit more of a go.

Ok no i partially agree with you. We are on the improve and what we say on the weekend is the standard we aim for. However, we are still young and our performance will go up and down. Expect to see a few performances like that and even better but there will still be a few below that. If we play like that we will win more than we lose, unfortuantly we wont be able to do that every week. Hope we do it this week and ill cheer 'em on either way but have to be aware there will be a few drop offs thoughout the year. I hope we win but i dont think it is a must win. I think over the next 4 weeks 2 wins will be a good return for us. Any more is a bonus.

Can someone explain to me the hate on Matt this year? I know he has been a problem in the past but his run and spread has been fantastic this year. Hell i overheard crossy and misso at the airport after the game saying that he topped the K's run for the day. His gut running has been so good and he trys so hard to provide an option. I think he has earnt a bit of a run at it the next few weeks. I agree once CP5, brayshaw, ANB and such are all consistant AFL players then Matt will probably go out but right now i think he should be in. I know he turns it over occasionally but no more than Tmac and tyson. After rewatching the game last night i agree Bugg is on thin ice but he was ok and wagner i think deserves another run he showed a bit, his chase down tackle was fantastic. Pedersen, Frost swap seems so obvious but i have a feeling it wont happen....

I noticed this when looking at the fixture a while back... I guess it doesnt mean all that much i mean hell a few years back we played our first 6/7 games ath the MCG then got shipped interstate the whole back half of the year. I like the idea of having a few more at home down the back half. I like the idea of Petracca playing forward a bit when he comes in but maybe 2 or 3 more weeks. Watts on the other hand, I think he and Hogan are starting to get a bit of consistancy between them they both work so hard to get each other in the game (too hard in the 4th qtr sunday) . Watts is a 3rd tall playing the 2nd tall role atm (lets face it Frost is a decoy at best) and is doing a pretty good job (excluding rd 2 but hell Kennedy was the only decent player that week) Point is i think Watts needs to stay forward while it is working.

I think they will implement it, for 2 or 3 years, then apologize and remove it. Sub rule style. The "professional free kick" of 2017 will be kicking it out deliberate rather than kicking it into the corridor and have it turn over there anyway.