titan_uranus

Can't decide between Jack Watts showing Naitanui who's boss, or knocking Carlton out of the finals. I'd also like to see Blease, Tapscott and Gysberts get some good game time this year and show us what they can do.

Watch the game. Then comment. Of course, if you have watched it, then you aren't the greatest analyst of cricket, in which case ignore the latter instruction.

I made this point a while back. Too many are using it as a negative. But if you weigh up the benefits of GWS vs MFC, it's clear that GWS only has one card to play: money. In every other aspect, we've got the covered, and that makes this situation distinct from Ablett, Judd and Burgoyne, who had all won premierships and various other accolades after spending 5+ years with their original clubs. There were more advantages for a new home for them, none of which apply to Scully. This is the reason which gives me the most hope. Money is obviously a factor, but to me, there's so much more on offer here at Melbourne that the smaller paypacket won't be a problem.

Why is navy blue so different from black? And thus, why do we have a problem developing red when Essendon doesn't?

No I don't mean he is worse than Clarke. Form ruts are just that. Ruts. Both Clarke and White are class players with the long-term form to prove it. Short term, neither of them is playing well, but they are terrific ODI batsmen. White needs to lift his game, no doubt, but if he does the team lifts to another gear (keeping in mind we just beat England 6-1).

Thanks for the info DHQ. I like the way the club strives to keep us in the know. So long as by Round 1 we're wearing the right jumper it's all good.

Played well in the warm up against India for about 70 overs. Then we were owned by decent spin. Clarke, White, Hussey, Ferguson all dismissed by spin for 8 or less. White is in an horrendous form slump at the moment. Not great timing. We bowled well, but let them get from 8/138 to 214. But the batting needs work.

Just thought I'd whet people's appetites by bringing this thread back to the forefront of the board. Some/all of the new features for 2011 are up. Doesn't say when the site goes live but from what they've said on their Facebook page it doesn't sound like too much longer.

GWS is only playing to even up the numbers. I can't see them scoring against Sydney.

They don't need to advertise for members. They've already got 52,000 of them, with 17,000 from last year yet to re-sign. Seems to me the whole thing was just a 'look at us' ploy.

Remember this time last year? After Round 1 of the NAB Cup, that kind of now infamous loss to Fremantle? What a difference 12 months can make. Sparked such threads as these: Compare that to some of the threads on the board now. Such threads as 'Can Davey win the Brownlow'. I know which kind of Demonland I prefer.

Of course he could. Calling it now, though, is ridiculously early. Calling it on the day is hard enough. I can't believe I'm saying this, but anyway...let's not get carried away. We won one game (it wasn't even a proper game). A NAB Cup game.

Although he did qualify it in a way by saying 'I haven't signed an AFL contract with GWS'. That doesn't mean, for example, he's signed a non-AFL contract stipulating that at the conclusion of this year he will sign an AFL contract. Whether you read that much into his choice of words is up to you. I don't, but I know people who do.

Whilst I'm not sold on Bate, he definitely looked better last night than for most of 2010. He needs to keep that up through the pre-season to ensure he's in the Round 1 side. Like JA says, if he plays like that and stays fit he adds another dimension to a forward line that is starting to take real shape. Jurrah, Watts, Green, Petterd, Bate, Dunn and add Wonaeamirri, Davey/Jetta at times, even Maric who kicked a couple, and the paths to goal are a lot more obvious than in 2007-2009. As for Cook, I haven't seen the Port Adelaide game but maybe he's the cherry on the top (not this year, but in the next 2-5).

I have no idea what prompted North Melbourne supporters to ring up SEN and whinge about the positivity Melbourne is receiving. It's the NAB Cup. We've played, and won. North hasn't played. What do you expect? After beating the usual suspects (Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon) I really want to see us spank North Melbourne this year.

It started really poorly but as it streamed it seemed to flow better. Odd.

http://www.afl.com.au/video/tabid/76/default.aspx#playvideo#playvideo For those who want to watch and/or re-watch, both games are available here (choose on the right). Which game had the Watts don't argue? I'd like to see that.

I thought he meant the mode. I also don't care what he means. I care what he writes. And I care about pointing out people's ridiculously hopeless mistakes. Fire away, DC.

Once we'd won the first game against Adelaide I was pretty darn excited. I wanted us to beat Port too. When was the last time we went through to the second week of the pre-season competition? Err... You never did statistics at school, did you?

Critics who argue that the impediment to our finals chances in 2011 is our relatively weak forward line underestimate Watts. From what we saw last night, he could really be one heck of an improved player.

Stats are not useless. But the effective disposals stat is.

It's quite unbelievable really that someone like Trengove can slip under the radar, but all this focus on Scully means he's doing exactly that. Cannot wait for him to unleash on the home and away season.

I don't want us playing in Round 1 with a jumper where the red looks like the red we had last night. Whilst I respect the fact that fixing the issue might not be easy, I don't particularly care.

Voted 6. 4 points of which derives from the fact that there will be some sort of AFL being played on the weekends now for the next month. 2 of which comes from seeing some of our young guns (mainly Blease) running around. But really, whatever happens tonight, it's Round 1 I want.

(Without having seen a single ball...) What a game! Victoria chasing 259 after Cosgrove and Bailey made centuries, slumped to 8/192 in the 39th over (of 45). Then Glenn Maxwell hit 61 off 27 and Peter Siddle 25* off 16 to win off the last ball of the match! Wish I was down at Bellerive to see that one!