titan_uranus

No, by my logic Isaac Weetra played 2 poor AFL games, then got delisted. McNamara has played 3 AFL games, one of which he looked very good in. Stark difference.

B: Bartram Frawley Garland HB: Grimes Rivers Bail C: Scully Trengove Davey HF: Sylvia Watts Jurrah F: Dunn Green Petterd R: Jamar Moloney McKenzie I: Bruce MacDonald Wonaeamirri S: Morton Second ruck is a concern. Martin would have to be considered for this spot, maybe as the sub instead of Morton. Ruck Jamar flat out for three quarters then sub him off maybe.

Odd thread really. Why play someone who's not going to be there next year (or even in November) in place of someone who will. Sign up one of PJ and TMac and get them on the plane.

Good trade. McNamara has a much higher chance of offering something to this side, so I'm more than happy to let Cheney go for the pick we received as that will allow us to keep TMac on the list. This is of course assuming we choose to delist PJ, not TMac. Which we'd be stupid not to do.

Insipid bowling so far today (though Hilfenhaus just had a plumb lbw shout turned down). Hauritz is just so far off it it's not funny. Harbhajan and Ohja were getting decent turn on Day 1. Hauritz can't hold a line nor length, doesn't turn it enough, and is just not threat at all. We need to blood a new spinner, it should be Steve Smith, and it should have been done already. We're risking the Ashes with Hauritz as our frontline spinner. North has delayed his demotion with yet another timely century but no one should have confidence in him going into the Ashes. I know I don't. Hussey is close to gone IMO. Just not producing any more. His only century since the Ashes was the controversially made one in Sydney vs Pakistan. Bear in mind we've played West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand in this time period, and he hasn't cashed in. Clarke doesn't seem to be coping too well at number 4. I'm not sure if he'll stay there for the Ashes but he's struggling in India at the moment, another concern. Without Bollinger we look toothless. Johnson can't bowl with the new ball and is once again too erratic and George isn't proving the selectors right at all (why was McKay overlooked?). We need Bollinger back, and IMO we should be playing Siddle. Also, Andrew McDonald just cracked 160-odd runs off 120-odd balls. Is more than capable at Test level IMO and if we bring Smith in for Hauritz we could well bring McDonald in for Hussey to give us both batting and bowling support.

There's an article out there I just read (can't find the URL for some reason) that also says Tarrant to Collingwood is done. The whispers are that Carlton is going to land a 'big fish', and there are separate whispers saying Kerr is on the move. Putting two and two together...

A third round pick for Cheney is fine by me. Frees up one more spot, and possibly means we get to keep TMac for another year.

Oh please, the chances that we replace McNamara with 'another Jordie McKenzie' are low. McNamara offers very good disposal and pace for someone of his height, and can play forward or back. I also think it's wrong to say he's failed at AFL level when he's had just 3 games.

Round 2 aside, where he did brilliantly on Cloke, his best footy was in the second half of the year. Loved his run and carry, and his hardness at the contest. As has been said, he's no certainty to be in our premiership winning side but he's definitely best 22 material at the moment.

Disagree. Jamar's better than a pinch hitter, his kicking for goal is quite good nowadays (set shot kicking anyway. I still remember that kick vs Collingwood I think it was where he streamed into goal and from about 20 metres missed everything).

Disagree. Jamar's better than a pinch hitter, his kicking for goal is quite good nowadays (set shot kicking anyway. I still remember that kick vs Collingwood I think it was where he streamed into goal and from about 20 metres missed everything).

What's the bet North makes a century today, thereby securing his spot for the Ashes, and allowing the selectors to claim they were right, and then for him to start another run of 5 matches where he fails to pass 20?

I was wondering where you'd been, dee_tention. And you've stayed true to form. Westhoff is a lazy, weak and slow hack that I want nothing to do with.

Spots on the senior list are running out. Unfortunately for TMac he's uncontracted and I'd think unlikely to hold his spot, which sucks. Isn't in the team for the China game either. Hopefully we can pick him up again in the rookie draft. I really do think he's a promising young player who could make it.

So with Miller, Bell and McDonald going, and McKenzie and Spencer being elevated, at the moment we can only use our first pick. Looks like at least one of PJ and McNamara are gone, possibly both if we want to use our third round pick or go to the PSD.

No it isn't. His biggest problem is his inability to use his body. So we can't really put him at FF in the role we wanted Hale to play in that he won't crash through the packs like he should. Sure, he gives his all, but so does Bell and no one complained about letting him go. Unfortunately it's not enough.

Oops, he is, which is good to see. Sandilands, Didak, Lake and Enright are all better players than Thomas though.

I was more expressing my surprise that it happened, not that I think Spencer is an absolute dud. I too think there's potential in him, but more as a number 1 ruck than anything, and with the new sub rules I wasn't expecting a player like Spencer to be kept on the list, and I thought we'd be extending PJ's contract instead. Now that Spencer's been promoted it can't bode well for PJ.

It's a more salient question than that I think. A player like Spencer, who clearly has the FD's faith, is really only going to flourish as a first ruck, so instead of [censored]-farting around with NQR back-ups like PJ, or even Dunn/Sylvia/Newton, putting Spencer in the team and giving him the majority of the ruck work might speed up his development and be the best 2-man combination we can come up with. I'd still prefer to go with Jamar as the number 1 though.

The second question is a very good question indeed rpfc. I hadn't considered it, on account of Jamar being an AA in his current role, but if we played Jamar as we were thinking of playing Hale, that leaves the door open for someone like Spencer to play Jamar's current role. Clearly now with the new substitute rules Spencer could only make it as a number 1 ruck. You can't carry a player like him into a match as a second ruck. However I'd still prefer to go with Jamar as the number 1 ruck and work on developing Stefan Martin. That's what I'd like, but I expect the FD to use PJ in this role instead, which I don't like.

RR and Axis of Bob have gone over it already. Suffice to say PJ is lacking in the core ruckman abilities: he can't ruck (don't even try to argue otherwise, he cannot ruck), he can't mark the ball (again, you're only wasting your time to try to say the opposite), he never, ever, uses his 100kg frame the way he should, and despite the fact that his kicking is actually passable he manages to pick the wrong option over and over again. Jamar's problem was that he didn't put in second efforts, he didn't know where to position himself, he didn't run hard enough, and he didn't get involved in the play enough. He's fixed all that. I don't expect PJ to be able to fix his chronically terrible ruckwork, nor do I expect him to be able to fix his marking over night.

Absolutely no way Dale Thomas is one of the league's top 10 players. Not even sure Riewoldt is. I'd have had Hayes in there for sure.

No Johnson. End is nigh IMO. Also no Bruce, Davey, MacDonald or Rivers.

Honestly don't believe it. But it happened. Doesn't help PJ.

Whilst I don't really mind not getting him, I do feel the same way in that we started discussions in June/July, we clearly identified him as a target, yet we still didn't get him. We failed to get Judd, we failed to get Burgoyne, we failed to get Ball, now we've failed to get Hale, and whilst we can, and still will, be successful without any of them, it annoys me that we still can't land a player.