rpfc

Valenti certainly should be given some games. We are in another losing season, let's see what the kids can do...

Jakovich played with similar faith in his instincts. And confidence in his abilities... Give him 13 next year.

Absolutely, with one caveat - a wingman goes forward, he doesn't need to switch to a CHF in the game. Richo gets a kick ahead of the play and takes the saving mark, or a pack mark and goal. This is where Cale Morton should be shooting for - to get forward and back from a wing and not just a link across the midfield. Needs a bit of muscle but he showed against the Cats that he can get forward and take a grab.

McLean will be better for a full pre-season. CC said he didn't do sprint work so I'm assuming he missed a chunk due to his ankle problems. I just don't know why we are risking him in these pointless games. Play Valenti or McKenzie and make sure Brock McLean is at his best March 2010.

This is the most amazing thing to happen to my football club. Sometimes footy is more than just footy. It's a shared vein of Australia. Well written WJ, and good luck and well done to all those involved. It's going to be a fun journey.

Huh? How would a player cost a PP? Players don't tank. Tanking is player development, early starts for 2010, and youth development. That is what the coaches, and the selection committee does. Player's chase a ball for two hours...

'List management' from Melbourne would mean a two goal win for us. We are no chance to lose that game.

I took it for what it was worth - a facetious, pointless remark about the 'tank team.' I want to win. I want to win the whole fracking thing. Our interests toward that end lend me to believe that we should be as young as possible and adventurous as possible against Richmond and NM. Drooling over Scully I ain't. I want two of the best prospects for my club, given to the worst teams. And with a win loss record of 11 and 49 since 2007 I want the club to do what is in their best interests. Continue with the self-righteous rantings and I will continue to set you straight.

The only chance Freo is of another win is against PA at Subi, and Port will have to rock up as mentally unprepared as they did against us. Whatever happens, we won't get another spoon. So the season's a success? NM will finish on 5 and a half wins, WCE on 6/7 wins, Rich on 4 and a half wins, Melbourne on 4 wins, and Freo on 3/4 wins with an awful percentage. That takes into account the Tigers beating us, but they way they played that second half - jeez...

We had 38 Inside 50s and we are still stuck on the forward line? I thought we had this argument about 2 months ago - we need a decent midfield. Our forward line is raw but promising, our midfield is in dire need of some class and run.

What does this mean? We have won 11 games out of the last 60. Surely you jest. They receive our plaudits when they do well, but when they play like they did in that first quarter people are well within their rights to criticise. Especially when the offenders in that first were our 'senior' players, or 'leaders' - if they could be described as such. I'm not a doomsayer when it comes to this club but misplaced (or not) criticism from fans would be the least of its concerns.

Oh, please. Some on this thread don't like her because they don't think their footy should be called by a woman. Frankly, I don't have time for most commentators and she has got a problem with her cliches and stating the bleeding obvious but would there be a long thread like this for a male just starting out? And I stand by my Michael Christian comments, he is awful.

List management, player development, and player protection = tanking. If you don't think we should tank, but think we should play people out of position, bring in more youth, and send off injured players for an early start to 2010, you're a hypocrite. That is what tanking is. But don't feel bad, we have been tanking since halfway through 2007, why stop now?

Be careful not to break an ankle coming off that horse... We have been 'tanking' since halfway through 2007. Players have been retired early, youth has been given games they didn't deserve, and the injury prone have been wrapped in cotton wool. Why the eff should we stop now? Our 54th loss against St Kilda since the start of 2007 will 'reward' us with an extra potential star, a 53rd loss against St Kilda will not give us that extra potential star. You sure are uppity about one win against Richmond on the 2nd of August...

I really enjoy her writing but on this occasion she has written an article that would best suited for about 6 weeks ago. We are where we are, and that is losing against Sydney, NM, Carlton, and St.Kilda to finish the year. So it becomes 4 or 5 wins to finish the year, I would prefer 4 and a loss to Fremantle (not a likely scenario) or Richmond (a must at this stage). This will come to a head, not against St Kilda like Emma wrote in her article, but against Richmond on the 2nd of August. If we win that I will stop talking about the priority pick, because it would have been gone. PS. And BB59 - I'm getting sick and tired of 'anti-tankers' looking down their nose at me for 'wanting to lose' and then implying that 'list management' and 'protection of players for 2010' is not tanking. That is how you 'tank.' I guess some of us just don't want to live in a fool's paradise where we can say we are not tanking and only 'list managing.' You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I would put the challenge to McLean to perform against Sydney or they'll rest him for a couple of weeks. Or if he's injured, get him right for 2010. His form had been better of late but Saturday was a disaster. Robbo out for Newton. Bennell stays. PJ in for Martin. I prefer Martin but form is form. Batram gets a decent run. Valenti in if anyone is under a cloud. Wheatley? For whom of our backline?

I smell some mysogyny... It was her first game. And Ten employs Michael Christian... Enough said.

We have a dearth of leaders at this club, and I don't mean people who are good at standing up in front of the media, I mean people who stand up when they need to. Grant Thomas is an arrogant tossbag but he was on to something with the rotating captaincy. It puts short-term pressure on to those who might need some focus and drive. And rewards the hard work of the dedicated. My view would be to give Davey, Moloney, and McLean the job over the next three years and in 2013 reassess. Those three would be a chance and so would Watts and Grimes.

Motives are rarely unselfish. I don't begrudge him that attitude - all players should have that sort of ambivalence to the issue. Clubs and players can be poles apart in their priorities, let's hope they are for the final month and a half.

Hey, everyone, Scully is a good player. It would be nice to see him play for the Demons. But this isn't about Scully. it's about getting two players of high skill and potential. And all we have to do is lose our 54th match since 2007 against St Kilda...

Freak, Freak, Freak. Let me hazard a guess and say that you're 'posting rate' diminished over the past two weeks? Hopefully, the mods can check on that... And it was PA and their 'leaders' that screwed up. They should have beaten us and they didn't. They were awful. But you are probably right though... That Richmond game isn't going to be fun one for me to go to...

So you have gone from thinking we have a good enough team to beat Geelong at the cattery to wanting to trade Brock McLean? The two hours of footy I saw wasn't that bad. Reality people - we only beat two interstate sides on the G, who had their best players out (Cox and Kerr) or out of form (Cornes, Tredrea, Burgoyne, and Pearce). Our only possible wins to finish the year will be against Richmond and Fremantle. Let's hope one of them turns up on the day and we finish on 4 wins.

We have had the cue-in-the-rack since half way through 2007, anyone remember the the banishment of stalwarts like Brown and Bizzell and the chances given to Newton? Our cue has not been out since, and why the eff would we get the cue out now? The season's done. Let's see if Valenti, Newton, McNamara, McKenzie, etc. have a future, let's see if Grimes can play RR, let's see if Jetta can play HBF, let's see if Bennell can play FP, let's see if Morton can play CHF etc. Let's make sure that Rivers, Jamar, Moloney, and McLean get a head start for 2010 if they are carrying anything. Scully might be a good player, I couldn't give a flying - that's up to BP to decide. All I know is that having two picks in the top 4 is worth losing 6 more games. And if you think there is more honour in going 13 and 53 over the past 3 years rather than 12 and 54 then you have some abstract principles. I have put up with too much sh!t from this footy club over the past 2 and a half years for them not to take the opportunity offered to rabbles like us.

To be honest with you, the only thing I hear from friends of mine who are keen footy supporters is that they reckon we will finish on 5 wins. You know what they do after they say this? They laugh. And ask how we could possibly screw this up. 6 more losses and they'll respect us when we are beating them.

Who said anything about 'best' players? They contributed more than the kids who replaced them. I can recall vividly an On The Coach quote from Mike Sheahan saying that Nathan Brown had finished in good form and that the Demons could have kept him on, if not for the rebuild they were about to embark upon. This has been the policy of the Bailey era: to, at the expense of the current day performances, build a team for the future that might become a top 4 team. That policy continuing in the last 7 weeks should be encouraged, not discouraged, as we are 3 and 12 an another losing season. It may apply to Wheatley, Robbo, and Junior. It has meant Grimes playing ahead of Whelan in the backline, and I love Grimes as much as the next red-and-blue blooded Australian but a better defender than Wheels he ain't. You don't have to think about it, I have already, as many others have, said that player's don't tank. And I'm not in favour of dropping perfectly healthy players who are in form. What I am saying is that if Brock or Brent or Jared are carrying injuries then what is the point of playing them for these last pointless games? Give them a head start for 2010, considering that season is now our focus since finals in 2009 are out of the question. We embarked on this rebuild in the October 2007, and just when we are nearing the end, people are losing their nerve.