Demon Dude

Spargo has started playing up around the ball a bit more this year, rather than deep fwd. Bit more of an ANB type role. Coaches also rate what blokes do when they havent got the ball as well. Also I would of thought it was Hunt who is keeping Jeffy out of the fwd line at the moment. He's our speed down around goal at the moment and is a lot harder at it than Jeffy.

I think I remember something about MFC enquiring with the Eagles about this Jack Petruccelle kid during last years trade period. shame it didn't go anywhere, he's kicked 5 goals tonight and has got some decent wheels on him. could of been a good get for us running around on the big spaces of the MCG. looks just the sort we lack.

there's good and bad with Melksham. he's not overly quick, plays up a bit for frees, doesn't chase very hard/puts in token efforts at times when the oppo has the ball, and can be a bit hungry around goals. but he is also very good 1 on 1, a good decision maker, doesn't get sucked into the contest like most our guys, and is our best user of the footy going inside 50 in a team full of bang it on the boot specialists. as long as he's getting the ball and using it well he stays in the team imo.

well he should be fresh, 2 games in 5 days will probably do him good, so I say get him in.

not worried

out- OMac, Stretch, in- Lewis, Garlett, Lewis coming back in can release Fritsch and Salem onto the wing, which pushes Stretch back out of the team. playing Preuss fwd and having Gawn drop back to help out might allow us to play a smaller more mobile defence without a tall replacement for OMac. Garlett in for goal crumbing around Preuss's feet. if Preuss is injured bring in Keilty.

OMacs a battler and always will be. I doubt he gets a game once Lever and May get up and running but that could still be a while yet. His lack of speed, strength, coordination and intercept marking means he is well and truly towards the back of the pack when it comes to KPDs around the league imo.

backline looked good that qtr. Oscar must be off injured.

I reckon lose tonight and we will struggle to make finals, as we don't play our home ground very well and cant consistently win there, especially with a harder draw. while not expecting us to be guaranteed finals, I was looking forward to this season to see what change in game style Goodwin and co had planned for us to change this, but apparently it wasn't a problem for him, so changed nothing by the looks of it. plus we seem just too underdone this season to have an impact atm. I reckon we will improve in the back half of the season, but there might be a bit of chopping and changing of the team to go yet before we find a combo of players who can win games consistently.

Preuss, Hore, Stretch and Spargo, plus the 22 from last week, should make 26. who didn't get on the plane?

yeah I feel ANB is one of the main offenders of getting sucked into the contest when he doesn't have to, and not effecting the outcome anyway. his hands are no good, especially in close, so what's the point of him doing it. he should go back to Casey and spend some time on ball sharpening up his ball skills and try to get some confidence back.

while hopeful, im not sure that Hibberd and Jetta have another 3 or 4 years left in them. they seem to take a battering most weeks, and it will eventually take its toll on their bodies, just like it has on Jones. speaking of which, if it looks like we cant make finals in the second half of the year, then where does that leave Jones and Lewis? I mean one could argue that there isn't much point in continuing to play them if they aren't going around again next year, and would rather we try to experiment and put time into other players instead. I think its sort of the same for Garlett. if he can't recapture some form in the first half of this year and hold his spot, then its unlikely we will give him another contract for next year.

well I too applaud the Lions. for getting a coach out of the Hawthorn system, instead of the Essendon one.

May is 3 weeks into a 5 year contract yet people already calling it a failure. its a short sighted view imo. sure it hasn't started well, but there's plenty of time for him to make amends yet.

he's a key forward who wont be reaching his peak for about another 4 or 5 years. to say he is no good is short sighted and silly. for his manager to say he is worth 700k is just as farcical.

you're a very strange person.

who cares what they do. I said I wouldn't be interested in him, get over it.

I understand that but I also think we have enough injury prone players on our list as it is.

2 bung knees eh, pass.

hasn't Patton done his knee about 3 times already? I don't think he'd be on my shopping list unless he came very cheap.

criticism of this bloke, and TMac for that matter, is a bit rich imo. it wouldn't matter who we had down forward atm, the quality of our forward entries are amongst the worst in the AFL. I doubt Reiwoldt or Kennedy would kick 2 goals in our forward line the way we just ridiculously bomb it in the majority of the time. its the perfect set up for oppo defenders, its completely predictable and that's the way they want it coming in.

yeah we do that a lot. a symptom of too many inside types, like Jones, AVB and the like, playing wing etc. like I say there is a balance to be found, and we don't have it atm. the sooner we can get a KK or Baker in the side the better I reckon.

you cant chase down and pressure opponents with foot skills though. I agree moving the ball quickly will always beat running it, but its only half of the game. there is a balance to be found, and pace is certainly a handy thing to have when you don't have the ball. our midfield was very slow on Saturday, quite often when they won possession Port were off and running in waves and we were powerless to stop them, our blokes plodding along 20m behind them.

I disagree, he's already better than Hogan in his intended role. that's why we traded him. Hogan plays more like an oversized half fwd flanker than a key fwd and he's frightened of the big stage. that's why he always gave a poor showing in big games against top teams, and is probably the same reason why he wanted to go to lowly Freo. unlike Weid who plays like key forward, taking contested marks and bringing the ball to ground for the crumbers, and he tore it up on the big stage against good teams when he got his chance.

hope not, we got rid of Hogan for being a Hogan type.