DemonDave

I'm sure a team at the foot of the ladder will be dying to offload a player whose shown more promise in two games than the rest of their forward line combined this year. Primus may as well start packing his bags now for him and giving him directions to get to Aami Park.

Haha too true! I didnt say he redeemed himself on one kick alone. His first set shot miss in that last quarter has happened far too often this year for someone who used to be a dead-eyed dick. The second shot was quite a tough one so can be excused. The problem with Green is he clearly does not have the pace to go up onto the wing/midfield/half back for as long a period as he has been able to do in the past, he seems to have lost that half a step that players quite often do in their twilight years. Hence he will be limited most likely to playing deep forward, which can be starvation corner when our midfield is (frequently) getting belted in the clearances.

Like most on here have already mentioned, I'd seen Blease play at Casey and thought he was nothing more than a battler, and the last two weeks its been a revelation to watch just how comfortable he is at senior level, and his confidence in himself to take on players using his asset of his pace. He doesnt just run straight lines either, and few people would have the ability to slice their way through a pack like he did in that third quarter. Very excited by the prospect of him getting a full (first?) pre-season into his body, get a bit of core strength up and develop even further.

Green wasn't all australian last year old dee, he did make the initial squad though. On fox footy show after the bounce last night they did highlight footage of when green came on and kicked a goal, he made a very obvious and pointed gesture of shaking his fist vigorously toward the coaches box. Think he made his feelings of being the sub quite clear

MELBOURNE Backs Colin Garland James Frawley Clint Bartram Half backs Aaron Davey Jared Rivers Joel Macdonald Centreline Sam Blease Brent Moloney Tom Scully Half forwards Jack Trengove Stef Martin Jeremy Howe Forwards Ricky Petterd Jack Watts Brad Green Followers Mark Jamar Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange (from) Jamie Bennell Lynden Dunn Neville Jetta Liam Jurrah Jordie McKenzie Cale Morton Daniel Nicholson In Jamie Bennell Brad Green Neville Jetta Liam Jurrah Out Luke Tapscott (soreness) Tapscott has been pretty ordinary the last few weeks been non-influential so not that fussed he's rested given its his first full season at the top level. Would like the final bench to be: McKenzie, Dunn, Jurrah, Nicholson

Plus Watts played as the sub against Gold Coast remember, so his gross figures for this year will be somewhat lower as a consequence...

You would think that Gerard would be keeping a keen ear to all of the ongoing discussions his younger brother would be currently having with the club about our makeup next year..

How do you thinks Essendons 2009 season was judged? They made the finals by scraping into the eight, and got flogged by just under 100 points in Adelaide. I wouldnt want to be in that position...

Gysberts falls victim to a wrist injury (probably overdue a rest anyway), and no Jurrah again: Melbourne B: Luke Tapscott, James Frawley, Clint Bartram HB: Colin Garland, Jared Rivers, Joel Macdonald C: Jack Trengove, Lynden Dunn, Aaron Davey HF: Brad Green, Jeremy Howe, Tom Scully F: Colin Sylvia, Mark Jamar, Jack Watts FOLL: Stef Martin, Brent Moloney, Nathan Jones I/C (from): Cale Morton, Jordie McKenzie, Ricky Petterd, Max Gawn, Tom McDonald, Sam Blease, Daniel Nicholson IN: Mark Jamar, Colin Sylvia, Cale Morton, Sam Blease, Tom McDonald, Daniel Nicholson OUT: James Strauss (leg), Jordan Gysberts (scaphoid), Matthew Bate NEW: Tom McDonald

I hope the Melbourne supporter that sat directly behind me in the AFL members area yesterday reads this thread. He yelled out 'Youre a spud Watts' after he missed that set shot in the first qtr. Took all my nerve not to turn around and berate him, but we were a slim minority of supporters in that area yesterday, didnt want to be at war with one of our few allies...

D'oh. Think you mean the Dallas Cowboys! The Mavs are also owned by a crazy rich tycoon, Mark Cuban, but they relied on a 30+ German to carry them successfully to the NBA title this year. The Cowboys also opened up a heap of cap space this free agency period and missed on all their targets so money isnt everything.. The arguments that Geelong and Hawthorn did not do altitude training are still valid. What happens if the Pies dont win the flag this year? Do everyone head to the sand dunes of Ocean Grove just because thats how Geelong won a flag?

Thanks I mustve blocked it out! Or I was too busy booing.

Thankfully for us no Carazzo for the Blues, he always plays on and completely shuts down Aaron Davey, not to mention niggling and annoying the sh1ts out of him. If Setanta was playing you can guarantee someone like him will always kick two or three against us too, so thats also a plus. Is this Brock McLeans first game against us?

Sylvia was the one photographed out and about on Saturday night last week wasnt he? So perhaps theyve taken a dim view of this. Possibly the first time since his debut year he's been dropped? Same for Jurrah.

If you base coaches 'ability' on their trading record, then Bailey trading out Brock McLean and Travis Johnstone for Gysberts and Grimes makes him Coach of the Century!

Because McKenzie is a plodder who lacks pace. Judd has blistering pace. While Jordie would be effective at tackling him in the packs, its Judds ability to burst from the side of a pack and break free using pace that makes him special. Jordie would be grasping at thin air. It has to be someone who can run at his side and keep up, certainly Sylvia has this but not sure of his dedicated defensive capabilities.

West Coast finished last last year, pretty sure they spent the same amount of money on FD in 2010 as they are in 2011. Or maybe the pumped more money into the FD this year and thats the reason for their instant success?

Hawthorn sell home games and they seem to be doing ok financially. Also geelong really only have 5 or so ' true' home games each year, last weeks game against the tigers at docklands was their home game. I think too much emphasis is put on ' oh if we had x million more to spend on the fd all our troubles will be over'. Essendon have spent $5 million on their coaching staff this year for negligible improvement. As I think it was a north melbourne official said a 15kg weight still weighs 15kg no matter where it is

Because Tom McNamara was dreadful for Casey today, barely had a dozen posessions, his man constantly ran off him...

For the first (and hopefully only) time in 30 years of going to the footy, we left at 3/4 time today. It was a horrible feeling picking up your bag to go and not hearing any team song over the PA. On a related note, what is it with Geelong crowds that they are so darned quiet during the game, you can almost hear a pin drop when they are not cheering a goal, its one of the weirdest things Ive ever encountered, and it happens every year...

We had a player on standby, Tom McDonald didnt play in the Casey side, and warmed up with the seniors at half time of the VFL. So for Moloney to put personal pride in the way of team functionality is simply not good enough!

Based on the Casey game that i was at, ins: Bartram, McDonald, Gawn (or Tom McDonald), Scully, Davey outs: Strauss, Maric, Dunn, Gysberts, Nicholson Thats not to say Bartram and Davey were deserving of promotion on todays game, but change for changes sake is needed

Just looking at their half time stats from the ground said it all, Moloney 0, Green 1 and Rivers was from memory about 3.

How on earth did davey get listed in the best? He was ordinary at best. Gawn, mcdonald and maybe bartram were just ok the rest forgettable passengers. Bennell was one of the worst on the ground just didn't chase. Wall and mohr as usual dependable and fev did his part, with limited supply. Lots of very inexperienced and short casey players out there today I had seemingly never seen play before. What a long torturous eight quarters of football that was to watch today!

Always goto Geelong each year, so yes I'll be there at sparrows to catch the curtain raiser (hopefully a win!) and then the main event (hopefully a modest loss)