rpfc

You could argue that for any pick. It is an argument that any discussion over the merits of a deal is folly - not just the Kelly for Salem, Tyson, and Hunt deal.

No, you haven... ooohhhhh, I see what you did there... ... Jon Ralph sucks.

Love rumours. Happy to have them. My only comment: It's 'Dees.' It's a C-apostrophe! Haha... ... But, seriously, change it.

Would prefer to lose Frost and Kent than Watts and a pick. I would do the Watts deal for Lever but would want to move on Frost anyway so it would make sense to include him in that deal. IF he decides to come to the Dees of course.

I think he has him now. Just a great team player who usually does exactly the right thing and has enough confidence to do things that some leave to others.

He is slow, he goes to ground, he provides the odd Vince-ian howler of a disposal. But he is a leader, tough on the footy and uncompromising in contests. And I disagree with your assessment of the decision to recruit a Lewis-type. Forget the 'list' and talk about the 'team' - we have a team (and a midfield) that is very young, has no experience with being consistent, let alone big games like Sunday, let alone finals like we should be playing in September. Jones and Viney were asked to do everything when it came to that aspect and it was over and above what they could provide. Especially, if the worst happens and they both get injured, which they ended up doing. Viney looked so laboured when I saw him up close against GWS and he is a fighter and Jones is a warrior but they need to build on what they personally bring and focus on that. We have to think of the opportunity cost of not getting Lewis.

About 5 years ago...

I was wrong once.

Makes sense that Collingwood would want him. Every team would want him.

I don't remember saying that... Look, why devour him after he plays his best game? He has played some solid footy before this too. I just don't get it. You want him to contribute his fair share? Check. You want him to step up withou the skippers? Check. Maybe you want an easy scapegoat? Cheque?

You're a happy little thing. "Hey Jordie! Well played mate, best game for the MFC. But your (sic) done, mate! Here for your retirement funds you are! Good luck next week, hope we play finals! xoxo" - Fork'em

Yeah, I don't remember him being that way in the past. Of course, being juxtaposed against Viney, Oliver, and Petracca doesn't help because they rarely go to ground when picking up the footy. My main issue is the glaring wasting of the footy from time to time - looks needless. I would like to put it down to a new system and getting used to the kicks that were 'there' are not 'there' anymore in a new system with a different set of players. But, again, he was better and he will need to maintain it for the next month.

Workrate was up, and he was clever in close when he kept his feet. Don't remember him going to ground so often in the past... Anyway, he stepped up in the first game of a month that we need him to. Had a few other passengers today, good to get a win when you are just going.

Needs to reproduce his form of 2016. And keep his censored feet in close... I will back players as good as him to give us a month of footy he needs to give.

Fumbly contributions but was in everything. I thought a number of our boys were fumbly and nervous around the footy - Hunt, Salem, Tyson, and a couple others. Brave win considering all that we didn't have going for us - but Lewis contributed.

This post has aged well. Lewis was solid, hardly the reason for our dominance, but certainly a contributor to it. When he has talent to feed - he looks very good.

He's just a champion player. This isn't a portent of things to come, simply a reminder of what he has been for decade. Again, he doesn't look like is going to fade away without a fight...

Yeah, I just think we have an opportunity to run on Subi. Hard to pressure in packs on a bigger ground like we did today. More room, more 1on1s. I would go with a team with enough run. Don't know whether Bugg out and Gawn in changes the ratio...

On Subiaco?

This post has aged well... Seriously, though, can we fit Gawn, Pedersen, Watts, Tom Mac, Oscar Mac, and Frost? Good thing we don't have a hulking gun forward to fit back in...

Yeah, a few things: Tom is the better player. Oscar is a promising kid who is developing at a normal rate. Oscar is not best 22 in 2017. He is progressing well and the fact that he is 'making so many mistakes with the he footy' as 21 year old with 26 games is a good sign. The hardest thing in footy is getting the footy. But his brother and Frost are ahead of him in the backline for talls and they are more dynamic and versatile. Hibberd, Jetta, Salem, and Hunt are starting 18 backs and will make it hard for us to play the big three down back.

I am going to stand up for tackles here, tackles are great. Leaves tackles alone!

So people say you can't read tone from text... My little story answered your question - of course I would play a champion like Lewis ahead of more talented players because of the intangibles that he brings. If footy was so simple as to be the winner is the team with the most talented players - it would a lot easier to tip (and to coach). I always get uneasy when I see players written off when they are as good as Lewis. I am not going to say we won't move past him because that happens - players hit a wall. But my gut tells me that he still has a lot to offer the team on the field, even if it isn't with the footy in his hands.

I had 'hide' in inverted commas so I wouldn't read too much into that... Last year, I played a 28 year old with a shot body, no speed, fumbly with the footy early in the season... and I played him because he was like having an extra coach out there amongst a very young group. We could have won without him too, but in the last game of the season, the most important one, was the one we nearly lost but we didn't because when we were headed in the last quarter for the first time all year - we had someone out there who was instructing and imploring and pushing the younger players to keep their heads up, and keep doing the small things. He had been doing that all year - one of the few who did - and I think it paid off in the Grand Final. The kids saw an even bloke who was telling them to do the same things he had been telling them to do all year. He was one of my first picked, and he wouldn't have averaged 10 touches in the middle, but he didn't have to get the footy - we had plenty of talent - we just had no experience, brains, or calmness.

I think this would be a by product of his role in contests - we want him on the end of handpass out of traffic not in there competing and tackling to handpass out...