Wiseblood

I think it's simply down to one thing - we have played good footy without a recognised ruckman, and unless we have a very talented player returning (Gawn) then I don't think the FD see any reason to change it. I've said in other threads that Spencer doesn't necessarily improve us as a side, and although it may straighten us up a little I don't think it improves our chances of winning. The players are used to not have one at the minute and with the Doggies only going in with a part time ruckman as well (Roughead) there is no real need to play someone like Spencer.

I don't think our efforts were towards May in the first place. If we're as keen on Lever as they say we are then you would assume we would have put all our energy towards getting him back to Victoria.

How can you claim it means anything when you admit yourself that the back line players get the ball under less pressure than the midfielders? You just made your own analysis redundant with that comment.

I had high hopes for Kennedy. But as you say, his tank is tiny and his disposal is questionable at best. He's behind many players at the moment.

You're never excited about anything so that's hardly surprising.

I may be looking through rose coloured glasses, but I feel as though we match them all over the ground. Dogs don't scare me, which means we probably lose... Happy to go with no ruckman - we have wpn more than we have lost without one. Spencer won't make much of a difference.

This doesn't concern me too much this year, as I think we've proven that we have the capacity to run out games very well. I think we are very fit and, if we come to play, then we can knock the Dogs off without too many worries. The turning up to play from the opening minute is just the stumbling block at the minute.

As others have said, it's a great pick up Dappa, and indicative of why he is in the side. He got a hard hit in the marking contest and was actually sore when he got up, yet from the moment above he put that aside and sprinted between the arcs to affect the Treloar kick. The FD would have noticed that and he should get plenty of praise for it. It's a shame others can't see it, as Buggy is having a positive impact on our forward line at the minute. Some want to drop him, which shows how little they watch the game.

Whinging for the sake of it. He was asked the question, so he answered it. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have worked that out by now.

Not allowed to mate, sorry. The crux of the article is that we, along with others like the Dogs and Hawks, are interested in either Lever or McStay from Brisbane. Mentions that Garry Lyon said Lever could be worth upwards of 800k. Nothing suggests Lever wants out, just that his contract is up at the end of the year and he has delayed talks.

Herald Sun are reporting that we are going to make a big play for Jake Lever: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/jake-lever-and-daniel-mcstay-in-sights-of-victorian-clubs-in-this-years-trade-period/news-story/41488cc02f736fd6f6dc42a55b963898 Not surprising and, let's be honest, he would slot in superbly in our backline. Very interested to see how this unfolds in the coming months.

Is he? He kicked two goals and, if you watch the replay, had a hand in a few others as well, especially in the third term when we were at out best. He kicked one, passed another on to Watts who goaled and then crashed a pack which allowed Pedersen to goal as well. That's just what I remember off the top of my head. While I love what Stretch brings to the side, Buggy is ahead of him at the minute for his impact on the game and more than deserves to keep his spot. No one needs to pot you, Steve. You do it to yourself when you drop Tyson for JKH.

C'mon Jaded, you're better than that. Bugg has brought some real positives to our side, not to mention the fact he plays a vastly different role to Stretch. It seems to me Buggy is starting to get a bad rap from some and I'm not entirely sure why.

Thought it was most relevant here - the club has officially listed Hogan as being 4-6 weeks away from returning. Disappointing from a purely selfish standpoint as I'd love to have him out there, but the fact he can still return at all this year can only be seen as a bonus. We have some big games over the next month and we'll need to continue to dig deep without him. Sounds like Maxy is a 50-50 chance as well and it will all depend on how he trains this week. Fingers crossed that he plays so we can have Pedersen and Watts play as permanent forwards.

That thread is glorious. You can practically taste the tears.

Hey TGR, here's a tip: You only need to press ENTER once to start a new paragraph. Not 500 times, just once. Cheers.

Everyone should be. He knows what success is, regardless of whether or not he plays a stinker. Everyone has them. You would have to be an idiot to ignore his instructions and advice during game day.

I feel I will be in the minority here, but I'm liking what Buggy brings to the side at the minute. He is a deceptively good mark, he puts on some pressure at ground level AND he knows how to hit the scoreboard. Granted, he has wasted opportunities over the last month, but I think that will improve for him over the coming weeks. He is offering more than guys like Kent, JKH and even Harmes, at the minute and I think he deserves to keep his spot going forward.

Going by what PJ had to say pre-game, Hogan won't play this week and may not play the following week either. I'd only make a change if Gawn is ready to return. I don't think Spencer changes the needle enough to bring him in, so if Gawn is ready then he gets a gig with someone like Harmes (?) missing out (I don't necessarily think it will be him, just an example). Otherwise I'd say we make no change.

Joeboy on Tyson - regular as clockwork.

Agree with much of this, binman. The only error that made me cringe was his wild kick in the first term when I thought he lacked a little composure, but his next three quarters were terrific. Took some good marks and made some excellent spoils as well. He no doubt has a future at the club, it's just a shame he has been potted so much that at this point everyone jumps on board when he makes a mistake.

All I've got in me is this: I [censored] LOVE this footy club! We are NEVER out of it and shame on anyone who thinks we are! DEMONS!!

A little harsh on the kid - he still has 22 touches, 13 of which are contested and 6 clearances to 3 quarter time. Maybe he has set the bar so high now that a game like this simply seems 'average'. Not a bad place to be in I guess.

Say one thing for our club this year, say that we're never out of a game. Great fightback but the big test is the next 30 minutes. Win and we're in the 8, lose and we're just another one in the pack.

Is that what I said, or even implied? No. For someone who seems relatively intelligent you say some stupid things.