rpfc

To expand: we traded Pick 12 for Clark. A fruitful year to be sure... But lower down on the list of drafting failures.

I'll believe it when I see it.

And around we go again...

I prefer to go around in a mind numbing back and forth over my misinterpreted opinion, thankyouverymuch.

Let's say that Jackson is a chance. Is that not good for us in terms of his perspective at the Dees? His equalisation beliefs I am sure have changed (from his time at Essendon) and will be far more favourable than a Nisbett or Cook...

I will stop you right there. There are about 25 in the same boat. There is nearly three weeks to go and I don't think the 21+1 is settled, Viney is in the mix.

Viney doesn't need any.

Come off it - what do you say when someone has a similar refrain about Jake Spencer?

I am talking about Rd 1. If Viney plays against Hawthorn and can show his fitness levels are up to scratch he is only behind Jones, Vince, Trengove, Cross, and Tyson from midfielders picked at selection. Nowhere have I said that Watts and Michie won't play.

Poor kid. So if you were running the club, he is no chance? Try telling Jack that. Watts and Michie will play Rd 1. But if Viney plays against Hawthorn he is a chance to show. Agreed that Cross and Tyson ease the demands on Viney.

I really think that the fact JKH is 19 is going to be a reason Roos manages how much he plays. If Byrnes plays his role - great, he can play. I am sick of throwing kids out there based on anything other than their form. If JKH or Byrnes' form demands they play - they play.

It has everything to do with it - I said if Viney can get his match fitness up to a point that puts him into contention - he is more important in Rd 1 and beyond than Watts and Michie.

I think you have comprehension issues; I am saying that right now - Viney is a better mid than Watts and that if he can get some match fitness next week and impress the coaches in the 20 days before Rd 1 he will be more important in the middle. Nowhere did I say Watts would not, should not, play Rd 1 - in fact I have said that he could be an extremely damaging outside mid. Ironically, you have gone to the other extreme with this hyperbolic explosion about Watts; he WILL have a 'stellar' year, is a potential A-grader, and this kicker - 'he is already one of our most important 6 players.' Jones, Frawley, McDonald, Garland, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Trengove, Grimes, Clark*, Viney, Hogan, and Howe all say 'Hi'... Friendly bunch of blokes.

Well said. Someone has finally tried to rid him of his false bravado and brain fades. Wonder who that was... Good role player for the next few years. Moving on...

Streets ahead. If he can play next week and get his match fitness up he is going to more important in the middle than Watts and Michie.

He isn't match fit - but he is already an established pure midfielder with instincts for the footy in close - he is ahead of Watts and Michie.

Ok, it's possession footy. The idea is if you can move it forward quickly, you do it - that is option 1, if you can move it forward short and slowly - that is option 2, and the third (and last) option is you MUST retain the footy either through lateral or backwards handballs or kicks. The problem I have seen is that there are some players so worried about not carrying out Option 3 that they don't look for the first two options when they get the footy, hence we overpossess the footy. A players natural instinct is to go forward but it will take them a while to get the balance right. It will infuriate the members wing against WCE in Rd 2 but so be it. It's modern footy and a solid grounding for our young team in the importance of skills and running hard to position.

He had 29 touches against the Tigers in 64% game time, and he had 13 touches in 73% game time. It is not a huge stretch to say he was down on what he can do. I saw him on a fwd flank a great deal so I think he was playing a role up there.

I was wrong; I just had a look back at his numbers and while they do not tell the full story by any means I believe that my judgement of Trengove's career so far has been coloured by his struggles in the last two years. Trengove is so very capable of being a hard running accumulator of possessions in the mould of Lenny Hayes - I hope he gets there. As for my point about Jones - he is still in the best 21+1 at this stage. Mids: Jones, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Trengove, and Viney* are a class above. Watts, Michie, McKenzie, Jones, Evans, Bail and Toumpas are fighting for the final 4 spots in the rotation. Watts and Michie look to be solid chances for numbers 7 and 8. It is quite something to realise that the 2nd best midfielder in 2013 is approx. the 8th or 9th best mid option coming into Rd 1 2014. It's taken the recruitment of 2 solid pros, and 2 promising kids from other clubs, the movement of a promising kid to a wing, the return to fitness from a young leader, and the continued progression of a 'brick with eyes.' *Fitness permitting

Trengove was certainly behind Jones after their respective 2013 seasons. I am waiting for Trengove to demand he be talked about with Nathan Jones, Vince, and Cross in the same way Viney established himself last year and Tyson looks set to do this year.

I think most are pleased - if they know what they are looking at - but people tend to readjust their expectations very quickly once something they want has been achieved. As we have a discernible gameplan that the players have bought into, posters have moved to running lines through players thy think can't play this style or dwelling on why certain players are struggling in their first two games in the system.

As I said, perhaps I am being tough on Trengove. Higher expectations might have crept in to that analysis. The point is that whether Matt Jones is 6th or 7th in line right now is irrelevant, he is in the mix for the midfield and if Watts and Toumpas want to be thought of ahead of him - they should string some games together the way Matt Jones did last year.

None of those has had a season of AFL footy as promising as Jones' 2013. They may all go past him this year but they have done nothing yet have they? I am probably being tough on Trengove. But sometimes he finds it hard to find the footy. He played a flank on Friday...

Matt Jones was our second best mid last year (3rd on talent to Viney) he is already down to 6th behind Jones, Vince, Cross, Tyson, and Viney without a game played. But you need to have 10 players to run through the middle at least, Matt Jones will have his chance.

Well, how about we stop trying to define each other's characteristics and stick to the argument? I think it is important when you are a journalist to get our facts right. Especially the substantive ones that change the context of your story. If you don't think that the article I linked contains obvious contradictions in the first few lines then I think you are willfully trying to ignore facts to suit your argument. That's ironic, because that is what Wilson does... What does it matter anyway? Journalism is a wasteland now so why expect any better? If people have issues with Wilson or Stevens or Barrett - just let them. We are howling at the moon anyway, nothing will change.