Forest Demon

I don't think it is a matter of not getting the ball. It seems while the opposition are stringing possessions together, hitting up players etc, we are either being forced or by design just banging it long to a contest far too often.

Has everyone else lost the connection? As soon as they started talking about Melbourne, the first comment was something like 'Melbourne have had an inconsistent pre-season, they knocked over Collingwood and then got smashed in another couple of games'...must have included the intra-club

Remember his first year he played a couple of very good games, including one at Subi against West Coast which sticks in my mind, who incidentally later confirmed they intended drafting him with their next pick at that year's draft. But for whatever reason, he hasn't really come on as I hoped. Not sure what it is though, but I still have some confidence in him that he has a role to play in the future.

Will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. I have a feeling there will only be a couple of moves each year.

Amazing that a couple of quiet practice matches make most journalists and football followers forget an impressive stretch of football he had last year. Obviously he needs to work on his intensity and impact games more, and obviously he is a bit behind where most wanted him to be at this stage of his career. But with most of the commentary surrounding him you would think the bloke is a complete spud.

And get a pair of rose coloured glasses some on here seem to wear. Billy's view is more than reasonable, and one that I agree with. Ball is in Jordan's court now, so let's hope he can prove those of us wrong who are a little more reserved in our praise and expectations for him.

I complained all last year about our lack of leadership from our 'senior' players, and I wanted a leadership overhaul. Neeld came in and did that straight away and he has my full support. Obviously we have to wait til game day to see if he cuts it there, but I love the off field stuff he has done already, and I have a good feeling about him.

75% of football journalists and commentators are clueless. I am convinced that many general fans who watch a lot of the games know more than they do. If I, and half the posters, don't know more about the modern game and current players then Danny Frawley I'll eat my hat.

Although his predictions are completely predictable, I am absolutely loving the constant heat Malthouse is putting on Watts.

That was an absolute demolition job. They were bigger, stronger, harder, more skillful, the list goes on. Pretty [censored] weak performance. And I have watched too many preseasons to simply write it off as 'just the NAB Cup'.

Does anyone know the extent of the injuries. In the HUN article, Basil's wife says he had 6 stitches. For whatever reason, I was expecting the injuries to be more severe.

AFL 1. Franklin 2. Ablett 3. Judd 4. Pendlebury 5. Swan Melbourne 1. Frawley 2. Sylvia 3. Jamar 4. Moloney 5. Jones

Watched the first game(s) up on the Gold Coast and thought they looked perfect in the wet. Then when they ran out against Collingwood last week I thought they looked very pink, but then never noticed it again all night. Last season I noticed the pink the majority of the time. It is a mystery to me what's going on.

Good get Muzza. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it end up setting you back?

Playing games of football won't even be on the radar for the time being, and correctly so.

Cameron Schwab spoke excellently and did the club proud. The club obviously think a lot of Liam Jurrah the person, and are sticking by him.

I'm am trying very hard, while struggling, not to pass judgement until it all comes out by letting justice run it's course etc. But seriously, a machete. A bit of fistycuffs you could understand, but a machete. I won't buy any of the tribal law stuff, you don't take a machete unless you have something serious planned. Hoping against hope more comes to light to prove Liam isn't in as much strife as it sounds, but to be honest it doesn't look good.

IN: Trengove and McKenzie (from injury), Moloney, Clark, Rivers and Bartram (after being rested) OUT: Green and McDonald (rested), Gysberts and Blease (dropped to Casey) Cook and Sheahan I think are the other 2 out from last week's named squad, but neither played anyway. Interesting Gysberts is at Casey, not going to read too much into it but could be a sign of the midfield pecking order. For me, a fair few have gone past him in the pre-season so far.

2 Nathan Jones 3 Clint Bartram 4 Jack Watts 6 Matthew Bate 7 Jamie Bennell 8 James Frawley 9 Jack Trengove 11 Mitch Clark 12 Colin Sylvia 13 Jordie McKenzie 14 Lynden Dunn 15 Ricky Petterd 20 Colin Garland 22 Brent Moloney 25 Tom McDonald 26 Daniel Nicholson 27 Jared Rivers 30 James Sellar 34 Stefan Martin 36 Aaron Davey 38 Jeremy Howe 40 Mark Jamar 41 Troy Davis 44 Rohan Bail 46 Josh Tynan 47 Tom Couch 48 Jack Fitzpatrick 49 James Magner

Pretty sure a brittle body is to blame for this one.

I could be wrong but I had the impression, especially from the last couple of years, that he was a very good trainer. Last years pre-season training reports consistently had him as a standout.

Can't take back the suspension now, and probably a fair enough call in the end. But in saying that, as frustrating as he is sometimes, he is underrated on this site. Like it or loathe it, but he is in the top 3 or 4 players at the club at the moment.

Fair effort by James Strauss to be back available for selection. To be honest, when he suffered that injury I thought we wouldn't see him at all in 2012.

Not quite. Reporter asked Nathan Jones where he thinks we stand going into the season proper, and Neeld intercepted the question and said we finished 13th last year, so 13th, or we all start on the bottom. Jones looked happy that Neeld took the question because he looked a little baffled as to how best answer it. So wasn't really saying he was happy to finish above 13th, just saying that was where we stand going into the season.

Hope he drags it on all year, their season goes to [censored] and then leaves. Massive bunch of whingers at North.