titan_uranus

First sentence = half bad. Yes, it's not all about possessions, but it's also about hard running, creating space, linking up and providing a target. Second sentence = good. Too many on here get angry when one of our players doesn't get a nomination without realising that there are 15 other clubs out there. It's not the 'MFC Rising Star' award. As such, Hurley will get the nomination this week.

In: Moloney, Trengove Out: Bennell, Johnson/Jurrah Bennell and Jurrah need to learn about consistency. I'm also not entirely convinced that Jurrah is fully over his shoulder injury. He doesn't seem to have the same confidence in his overhead marking that he had last year. Johnson shouldn't be required against Richmond (rucks being Graham and Vickery) so I think it could be one of those two. As most have said, Moloney and Trengove pick themselves so it's a matter for the FD to pick players number 21 and 22 from Brisbane.

Sounds like an obvious question, but we've seen this year Carlton and Essendon cop a lot of pressure and hence flak for not living up to the expectations placed on them as a consequence of making the finals last year. Personally, I hope we don't make it. The important thing is for us to keep playing exciting football. That will hopefully get the AFL watching, and in turn get us a better fixture next year. If we can finish 9th or 10th, I think that will be best for us. Keep the finals as next year's goal.

Jurrah and Bennell are the two I want to see improvement from next week. That is, of course, assuming Bennell holds his spot over Trengove, Moloney and/or Maric. Both these two seem to try to do the extraordinary a little too often. Bennell goes missing for long period, Jurrah probably still isn't fully at ease with his shoulder and is still adjusting to AFL football but there's a lot of room for improvement in these two, and if we get these guys to help Watts, Green, Dunn and Wonaeamirri out we'll smash Richmond's defence.

It will be Hurley this week no doubt.

When he's on we dominate. He dominated vs Essendon, he dominated vs Sydney, he dominated the first half last night and we were 30 up at half time. If he's off, however, we lose his spark and drive through the middle.

Warnock's not going to get back into the side until we need him. At the moment we don't need him. It's not that hard to comprehend. Frawley, Rivers and Garland are coping fine, with good help from MacDonald, Bartram, Bruce, Bail and Morton, and we're winning. Absolutely no need to change the defence at all.

Based on SEN (surprisingly average call): 6 - Sylvia 5 - McKenzie 4 - Frawley 3 - MacDonald 2 - Jamar 1 - Watts Hard to know after the first two based only on the radio. But I'll definitely get around to watching the replay on the Game Analyser some time this week.

It's petty, but I want to win for one reason tonight: if we lose we'll be in the bottom 4 (Port Adelaide has just defeated Hawthorn which puts them above us on the ladder). I don't like that. We'll win though.

No late changes for us, so no Trengove or Warnock. For Brisbane Sherman replaces Polkinghorne. http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/99386/default.aspx

77. Missed some absolute howlers (Buckley, Carroll, Ferguson, Valenti, Walsh) but also some obscure ones (Chisolm, Clark (who?), Cook, Funcke). I'm pretty happy with that. When did Tingay retire?

Keeps Rivers honest.

Got all 16 captains and their numbers. Tried number 5 and got 9 out of 16.

Averages since the end of the Ashes (thus the series against the West Indies and Pakistan at home, New Zealand away, and Pakistan in England): Katich - 61.93 Clarke - 57.46 Watson - 46.87 Hussey - 44.26 Ponting - 40.05 North - 30.26

But in those cases we didn't have our captain ready to return. FWIW neither Cheney nor Hughes were any better in their first game than Maric was, but Maric had pressure on his spot whereas the others didn't. If there's going to be a late change it will be Warnock for Watts I'm thinking. Last minute panic from the FD with regards to Fevola.

Let's hope this is the week we break the curse...

It's weighted based on the winning/losing margin. We won by a lot, so the points on offer were sky high.

We've had the theme from Superman as well.

Agree. Warnock did do well in Round 5 but our defence has been really good for 10 of the last 12 quarters we've played. Frawley will take Brown, I think Rivers will get Fevola (from reports from Geelong he's not fit so his pace is down) and Garland to Cornelius.

I tried this last year, trying to get a definitive list of who was signed until when (i.e. not ID or RR telling us who is out of contract but links to articles whereby the MFC tells us). It's hard.

They certainly can. The trick for them will be to avoid Fremantle in the first week, which they should be able to do. They're likely to finish 5th I think, which will give them Sydney, Carlton, North or Adelaide (maybe even us...lol). A real chance to break the streak of top 4 premiers. But for mine it's Collingwood. I bloody hope it's not, but this year I think they've got the edge they missed last year.

FWIW, I thought he was improved yesterday on his performances of 2009. Much improved. But he was, in my mind, the 22nd best player, and if the talent of McDonald, Trengove and/or Moloney is ready to go (not a certainty) and we have no injuries (no certainty), Maric would be the first one I'd drop. Good. I'm not the only one who thinks like this. Maric is contracted for next year. He doesn't need the pressing game time to push his case like some think he does.

It'll be Grant.

In: McDonald, Trengove Out: Maric, Watts (rested) I have a strong feeling Watts will get the week off after the way they worked on his leg at three quarter time. I've made my feelings on Maric clear: with McDonald, Trengove and possibly Moloney coming back into the side someone has to go and for me that's Maric.

Well there you go. I still believe we're better when we kick it more than we handpass it.