Wiseblood

Let's be honest - the side that runs out in a fortnight will be very, very similar to the one that got rolled in Perth. May will be the major inclusion, but I can't see any of the kids getting a run, while KK is still a few weeks away from being in the frame for selection. That side made a Prelim, so I've got every faith that we can start off the year in good form.

As above, Jones said that Viney was a bit sore but had pulled up fine otherwise.

Came from Goodwin himself. I'm on my phone so I can't get the exact quote, but he said that the docs confirmed he won't miss Round 1. Edit - @Redleg there is article on the MFC website about it.

And Harmes is playing Round 1. So, basically, we can just add JKH and possibly Preuss.

That wasn't my point. I acknowledged that he is a fantastic footballer, like Oliver, but that he probably gets a few more plaudits as he plays in a side without many other players at his level and therefore stands out a little more. That's all.

Sorry, LH. I was looking at the list at the very top. Totally missed the other one.

Great pinning.

Bump. Melksham signed on for another three years, Salem close to another two years.

Weideman.

Underrated player. I only say that because, with Oliver, Brayshaw, Viney, Max etc in the midfield, it's easy for him to slip under the radar. Sublime skills, tough as nails and deceptively good overhead. Now that he's fit we are seeing why he was a top 10 pick. His range of abilities compliments the rest of the on ball brigade, and the half back line, perfectly. He'll never win a sprint contest but his vision and footy IQ more than make up for it. Hopefully he settles into a wing role without too much fuss and is hitting players lace out on their chest for the next decade.

Not only that, but statistically in 2018, they were extremely similar players. Cripps gets plenty of love, and rightly so, for being a fantastic footballer, but he stands out in a rubbish football side. Clarry is an absolute gun in a side that has plenty of gun players around him. That speaks volumes. I'd wager both of them are well and truly on the same level and Lloyd is well wide of the mark in his assessment.

Normally you might say this is a big call, but it really isn't. His ability in close, his excellent hands, footy IQ and so on is just sublime. You would have expected him to struggle a little to find his feet after two shoulder ops over the summer, but it didn't make a lick of different. 32 touches in under 70 percent game time says it all. A gun of the highest order.

Hannan could be a handy addition, much like AVB, in the second half of the season. If you watch the highlights of the last 4-5 games of the season, which includes the finals, he was a key contributor in either scoring goals or being in a position to assist them. With our depth I'd say he gets plenty of time to get himself right and put himself in the frame to make an impact come July or August.

I'm always flabbergasted that people still do this sort of stuff. I mean, what in the world does it achieve? I agree that they should be named and shamed. Deleting the post almost gives them the anonymity they don't deserve.

I'm in again! Adam / Van Buren Boys

If they have had off season surgery, then it's an interrupted pre-season. Fact.

I'd like to think we'll be fine, as I would rather the players get themselves right for the season ahead than rush back and collapse in a heap by about Round 17. Having said that, we do have plenty of players who are in the rehab group and that's never a good thing. Maybe it's simply the price we pay for getting deep into the finals, when before the players had an extra month or so up their sleeve to get themselves right?

Don't peak too early @binman. It's only December!

Of all the players/coaches/staff at our club, Goodwin is one I worry about the least. He is building something special here, and the Crows have come knocking before, which he said no to. I have no doubt he'll sign an extension before the pre-season footy really kicks off in February.

Classic pre-season interview - it's great to hear, but like pre-season training, means little until things really kick in. What I do like is that we have a very experienced person in the role who, aside from a tainted finish at the Pies, has runs on the board as doing some excellent work as a CEO. If he has learned from previous mistakes and helps us set up a much better facility for the club, then it's going to be a great appointment in my book.

The big one for me on that list is Weideman. While we are not privy to how he is feeling, I think the club has done a terrific job at developing him and getting him back to full fitness after the injuries he suffered as a junior. Hopefully he sees this and is keen to sign a long term contract with the club, as we are now putting plenty of faith in him with the loss of Hogan. You would be pretty confident in some of the other main players, like Melksham and Salem, that they will re-sign sometime during 2019, but Weideman is the key one for me.

I predict we finish in the Top 4. Not sure exactly where in the Top 4, but it will happen. I also predict that we'll have a mini slump during the season - now that we've made a Prelim, we'll be the hunted more than the hunters, and this might take a little to adjust to. It might be a few losses in a row or something like that, but I think it will be the making of us next season. Jake Lever will make a successful return from injury and slot into our backline alongside May superbly. Weideman and McDonald to combine to kick more than 80 goals between them. Oliver, Brayshaw, Harmes and Viney to combine with Gawn to be the most effective midfield in the competition. Nev Jetta to finally be AA, where he belongs.

Here is his pic:

A smart pick for us. You would expect him to develop at Casey over the next 12-24 months, but he is just the type we need moving forward.