Wiseblood

You are meant to pretend that didn't happen!

Pressure is so much better around the ground too. Forcing turnovers and not giving them easy kicks going forward. It's amazing how much better we look when we do it for more than a few minutes at a time.

3 in a row... stop slashing wrists, it's premiership time!

Big difference here is that he isn't an unrestricted free agent. Plenty of water to go under the bridge. But it also continues to highlight the need for us to continue to improve. Give Howe every reason to stay and it won't be a problem.

Spot on. Can't read much into these games. It also shows we put far too much stock in training and the intra clubs. Nothing like playing a real side. A bloke who is an average kick will still be one when the real stuff starts.

Good start overall. Thought Newton was the standout of the new boys, and I thought we looked better in terms of clearance and stoppage work. Skills still not flash and our forward entries weren't awesome but it's NAB so it's nothing to worry about.

My reaction when Hogan kicks the first goal of the game:

Are you trying to suggest our wooden spoons and awful football for close to that last decade hasn't been down to a laughable list? I'd love to hear what it's really down to then.

Come on now Saty, it's his opinion, we know how you like to talk about opinions, let the man have his own OPINION on how he wants to watch the footy. It's his opinion after all, you might have a different opinion but there is no need to get personal about someone's opinion on his opinion of watching the footy. It's just different opinions. Edit - didn't have enough opinions. So.... opinion.

I think he will be just one of the players left out of the finished squad.

Strong side with no real surprises. Guys like Terlich, Fitzy, O Mac etc aren't in the best 30 for the club at the moment and I'm glad to see Stretch and Vandenberg get a look in as well, as they are two who would go close to a run in the seniors in the early part of the season.

If we were playing a side like Richmond, or St. Kilda, or the Dogs for example, and we couldn't stick with them then I'd be inclined to be a little worried. But Freo have tremendous depth and a tough gameplan to crack. I wouldn't be too worried about the outcome unless it's a complete smashing.

I was talking responses to the outcome of the game, but go ahead and delete the actual post to suit your wit.

Thursday can go one of two ways - a victory that will give the optimists a hard on and the pessimists a meagre smile, or a loss that will give the pessimists what they want and the optimists will just claim it's NAB Challenge and it will be all good once the real stuff starts.

After the loss? The wrist slashing will begin when Freo kicks the first goal.

I'm already cracking the shits at the sound of his name.

Fair call jnr, and with the addition of Hogan I think he will have a better year not being the focal point of the forward line. Add Garlett at his feet as well and the pressure to be 'the man' in the front half is not as great as it once was.

Bloody knee injuries. Wouldn't wish them on my most hated player. Libba going down for the year is just terrible news, fingers crossed he can come back strong in 2015. With those two injuries and Jack Billings doing his hammy today as well I'll just be hoping we get through Thursday's game unscathed.

Agreed, although to me they still have the same problems for the time being - a genuine threat up forward (Boyd is still raw) and good key backmen. Their midfield is class but their spine still needs plenty of work. Good on them for playing at Whitten Oval today, although they celebrated a win against half a Tigers side with a little more gusto than what's needed at a NAB Cup game.

Not surprised as he kicked 3 and looked superb against them in the final game of the season. If he can stay fit and improve his tank a bit then he is in for a good year I think. He seems happy at the club so I see no reason why we should be worried... at the moment...

That last sentence puts it all into perspective as well. I'm certain our own scouts are out monitoring players, particularly at interstate clubs, and doing the same due diligence. It's the way the landscape is and, as someone said earlier, we need to start winning more games to hold on to these players.

It's not surprising. We can't do a Hawthorn and rest half the list in the knowledge we are already ahead of most of the pack. We need to get our guys out there and playing to get off to as good of a start as we can, which I'm hoping we can do!

I think we need to remember that we still can't read much into them, both positive or negative. The key word is simulation - it's not at the same intensity, pressure etc as match day and should be taken as such. It's good to hear about some players lifting their game, or playing in a different position, but outside of that we can't put too much focus into it.

Col didn't put the work in though IMO. To me he could have easily improved his overall fitness but enjoyed the 'party' lifestyle a bit more than the extra work to be an elite AFL footballer. His efforts over in Perth haven't been all that flash. He could have been a gun midfielder, but he ended up being a handy half forward instead. Jake Lovett already sounds like a bloke who will work his backside off so I'm hopeful that will translate into better fitness levels.

Spot on. I've based my comments on what guys like GRRM or mo64 have said in their training reports. Based on that, and being a mature age rookie in good nick, I think he will step up and bring something positive to the side in 2015 if he takes his opportunity.