titan_uranus

6 - McDonald 5 - Green 4 - Grimes 3 - Bruce 2 - Trengove 1 - Scully Rubbish. Absolute rubbish. Dunn was appalling. Should be dropped. He is lazy, unskilled, doesn't man up, doesn't work hard enough. Just awful.

-Uncompetitive -Not enough inside 50s -Skills sub-par Same thing as he would have said 2 years ago.

I can't wait either. Can't wait for the first siren. The first bounce. The first goal. The hysteria on this site if we win. The hysteria on this site if we lose. Ah, it's the best time of the year.

Hawthorn are unbelievably over-rated. Unbelievably. If we can score early (by that I mean not go into quarter time 4 goals down as has been the case in so many matches we've played recently), maybe establish a bit of a lead, I think we're in with a real chance. We won't win if we're playing catch-up.

Actually, let's be honest here. It's not Hodge we need to stop. It's Mitchell. When was the last time we played Hawthorn and Mitchell didn't destroy us? OK, so we need to stop both then.

Gonna be hard to care about cricket when there are much more important things happening today... Australia 2/63. Ponting just run out for the second time in consecutive innings. Just a bit of a wobble here. Time for Hussey to stand up.

I think Hodge will play midfield to help cover the loss of Sewell and Bateman. In which case I think McKenzie should play on him. If he plays half back I'd put Dunn on him. He'd then be playing as a forward, but he has the tank to go with Hodge when he pushes up the ground.

Absolutely amazing stuff Two Sheds.

Speaking of which: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/91109/default.aspx Says that Roughead might get a go in the ruck.

He's better than Valenti was.

I thought Warnock was pretty good last night. Mobile, willing to have a go, and did well when he was in the ruck. But it's perilous to judge any Carlton player based on last night. Richmond were terrible, as per usual.

Despite the youth in both teams (HUN says Hawthorn's average age and average games played are both less than ours), Hawthorn's experienced players are all better than ours. Mitchell, Hodge, Roughead and Brown will dominate in their positions, and that will hurt us. Having said that, if we can kick some early goals, and maybe get a quick lead established, who knows? We haven't played a game from in front against a decent opponent since who knows when.

I think the second is more likely than the third. I think Hughes is actually better suited to batting at 6, where he can counter-attack if necessary, or pile on runs before a declaration. His practice with opening the innings also allows him to take things slow if required. So I think he could bat down the order, allowing the Watson-Katich partnership to be preserved. Agree, and you have to give them credit for this. Most (me included) didn't think North deserved his spot in the team, but he did what was required. Hopefully he carries his form through the series, and into the Ashes.

Hawthorn's team, as per their website: B: Birchall, Gibson, Murphy HB: Guerra, Gibson, Ladson C: Lewis, Mitchell, Ellis HF: Osborne, Schoenmakers, Hooper F: Morton, Roughead, Brown FOLL: Renouf, Hodge, Moss INT: Kayler-Thomson, Peterson, Shiels, Suckling EMG: Duryea, Stratton, Williams Obviously something wrong there, with Gibson named twice.

McKenzie played last year vs Sydney.

Whoa I missed that. I guess Spencer prefered as a ruck, he isn't good enough as a forward, and he was squeezed out of defence by others.

Rohan, Rockliff and Podsiadly all emergencies. Damn it.

From Melbournefc.com.au Backs: J.Bennell, M.Warnock, J.Rivers Half backs: J.Grimes, J.Frawley, J.MacDonald Centreline: A. Davey, C.Bruce, N.Jones Half forwards:J.McDonald, M.Bate, R.Petterd Forwards: B.Green, B.Miller, J.Trengove Followers: M. Jamar, L.Dunn, B.Moloney I/C: J.Strauss, J.Spencer, J.McKenzie, T.Scully Emg: A.Maric, R.Bail, C.Bartram Dunn?!?! As rover!?!?! Can't believe it. At least McKenzie's playing

It's not based on form, it's based on who he thinks will be the best 50 players in 2010.

No. In your team, I'd put Strauss at half back, move Grimes into the middle, and put Green in the forward line. Maric has not performed to a level in the pre-season that warrants senior selection. Strauss did better. As for Jetta, if he's fit he plays before Maric. I don't expect him to be fit though.

How a final 9 could work: 1. Extra elimination final - 8th vs 9th beforehand, then the finals run as they are currently 2. Group system - a much more confusing system grouping the 9 teams into 3 groups of 3, where the higher team always has the home ground advantage. The top 3, plus the next best team go through to prelims. 3. 1st gets a bye, other 8 teams play in 'pre-qualifiers'. Worst team gets eliminated, then 8 remaining teams play finals under the current system. Just goes to show that a Final 8 works best, and thus should be retained when we expand.

Strauss makes it before Maric. IMO, Jetta does too.

If you don't like it maybe you should be the one who leaves. Exactly. The Old Xaverian, on the other hand...

Game over. Australia 0/106, Hughes scoring 86 off 75, Katich 18 off 65. NZ bowled out early for 407. Hughes is going to feel very hard done by if Watson is fit, as it seems unlikely the selectors would drop Hussey to keep Hughes in the team. But once again, as it was through 2009, Hussey seems the most vulnerable of our batsmen, and he was the only one not to look at all comfortable in this Test.

16 Plays FB/CHB, and does a good job too. Likes to peel off and attack when Essendon has the ball. Gave Fevola a towelling last year, amongst others.