old55

I touched wood when I read Mitch sent one through post high.

Flower sits comfortably in the Ablett Jnr, Judd, Pendlebury, Watson, Swan, Mitchell, Hayes, Cotchin spectrum - Clark and Frawley are as good as any we've had recently in their respective areas. It's Flower, Flower and then Flower.

With the current state of our list it's Robert Flower, then daylight, ... we'd be knocking top 4.

less players = less congestion

The anti-Jordie!

I've got the largest one going.

I agree Dunn is faux-tough and the cognoscenti hate him for it - but I've got a bit of time for him - he can actually play and has found a role that really suits him. I recall the incident Left Field highlighted and it was a shocker, but the running with the flight spoil in the BP was all class - that's a very hard skill. If he can fake it until he makes it on the toughness front then he can become a very handy player. He's well in my starting 18 right now.

You've got to be kidding me - while we will play 30+ players this year and every year through injury and rotations, we'll be seeking to establish a core closer to 22 than 10. Stability and knowledge of playing together just cannot be under-estimated. Sydney had 18 players who played 22+ games last year and 22 players who played 17+

I think Evans has got some class and can find the ball, if his body can hold up he will make it I reckon.

Well, that's one unsurprising revelation but WJ is quite clearly alluding to far more.

Yeah - her top eight in those pre-season polls will contain her 8 people most likely to be sacked: Schwab, Connolly, "the Weapon", Robson, Thompson, Hird, Swan, Gale - well maybe not Gale.

I'm looking forward to a full exposition.

Very keen to predict people being sacked ...

He'll get the 3rd tall defender initially - the Jack Darling effect. That would be Watts, Dunn or Garland against us and I rate our tall defence. I think North's tall defence is their biggest weakness but they're not the only side without 3 capable tall defenders. One thing I liked in the North game was 2 or 3 defenders flying against Chris Dawes, add Mitch and Jesse and there's all sorts of problems for them.

I want you to be right, believe me, but I think we're all a bit jaundiced from Sylvia and McLean through Scully and Trengove to Viney and Toumpas ...

Thanks Jacqui!

Why did we lose and what should the club be doing about it?

Yeah I thought his field kicking looked very good.

It won't surprise me if Richmond touch us up in the regular season - they're well ahead of us now in the midfield and they've recruited well to fill some deficiencies and build their ready-to-go depth, they could have a very good year I think. Nevertheless we're better than them back and forward and if/when we bridge the midfield gap we can overtake them.

I was pretty happy overall. We were definitely competitive in the North game, they seized the momentum in the middle part but we had it at the end and could have run over them which is a very good sign. Our weakness remains in the midfield and we've taken long term steps to address that over summer with Viney and Toumpas so it's unrealistic to have high expectations of immediate improvement. The only new ready-made in the midfield is Rodan and I thought he was very lively. Richmond really smashed us in the first half of that game and poor conversion kept it closer that it should have been. But as Ben's Tiger quote shows they were playing their A team vs our B team, they were fresh and they played a different game style from North who wanted to retain possession from the back half rather than move it really quickly, even if to a contest - that would have been a tricky adjustment. That we came out even with them in the second half of the match was a credit to our adjustment and fitness. I think Richmond are a good side who'll push well into the finals. Some say: "But we didn't win". I say: "Hotel-Motel ..."

You'd have to be the biggest doomsayer and sook I've ever come across. I thought you were out of here if we didn't take it to court but apparently a hollow threat? Look I'll make a deal with you - if any of those 4 things happen (losing our liquor and gaming licenses and Webjet and Opel jumping off) as a direct result of yesterday's findings I'll never post here again and if none of them happen you'll never post here again?

No kidding!!! I said it before the findings were anounced - we won't be losing our liquor and gaming licenses and Webjet and Opel won't be jumping off.

Well that's what Dean Bailey didn't do - as Senior Coach he was senior member at that meeting he didn't report Connolly to management - that's why he was penalised. The club remains responsible for their employees - not knowing is not an excuse (eh Jimmy?)

He didn't tell on Chris?

According to you now Webjet and Opel jumping off later this week and liquor and pokie licenses revoked next week?