GawnWithTheWind

Final 22 for me will be Outs: Weid (inj) Spargo (rested) Tyson (omitted) Ins: Pedo (like for like), Garlett (like for like), Viney (upgrade) --- On a side note, there is no way that Rowe and Jones will be able to complete aerobically with Hogan and McDonald. If they both get moving like they have over the past 2 weeks, they will burn those two out very quickly and will be able to get on the end of a few goals.

Outs: Stretch - Kent - Harmes Ins: Pedo - Fritz - Lewis ------ FB: Jetta - Oscar (Joe D) - Hibberd HB: Hunt - Lever (free him up to held O.Mac) - Wagner (Stringer) C : Salem - N.Jones - Vince (Tag Merrett) HF: Trac - Hogan - Melksham FF: Garlett - Pedo - Weid R: Gawn - Oliver - Tyson I: ANB (mid rotation) - Fritz (small fwd rotation) - Lewis (mid rotation) - Brayshaw (mid rotation)

The main take away from last night was an example of two teams being at either ends of the confidence spectrum. If you asked any coach/player/informed follower about which list has more talent, majority would lean towards Melbourne. However, Richmond play with unwavering confidence and belief in their abilities... Whereas Melbourne play with disbelief in their abilities and then “try too hard” to execute and lose their natural footballing instincts and talents. Confidence allows freedom and dare.. but more importantly resilience to adversity. How does a team and a group of individuals get confidence and belief back? Is it the leadership groups responsibility? Or Goodwins? Without an answer, Melbourne will quickly fall away from the race and reside in all familiar mediocrity again in 2018.

Out: Bugg, Melksham, Frost In: Hunt, Tyson, Pedo ---- FB: Hibberd - Oscar - Jetta HB: Hunt - Lever - Vince C: Lewis - Salem - ANB HF: Trac - Pedo - Kent FF: Garlett - Hogan - Fritsch R: Gawn - Oliver - N.Jones I: Tyson, Harmes, Wagner, Gus E: Hannan - Melksham - Frost

If Goody is true to his mantra, picking a team on form rather than on reputation, there should be at least one change this week. ----- Inform from the 22: Wagner, Lewis, Frost, Vince, Jones, Clarry, Gawn, Trac, Kent, Hogan, Garlett, Bugg, Salem Neither Inform/Out of form from the 22: Oscar, Jetta, Hibberd, Lewis, Tyson, Fritsch, Harmes, Out of form from the 22: Lever, Melksham, ANB, ---- Inform from Casey: Balic (6 goals), Pedo (26 + 15 marks), Weid (5 goals), Hannan (25 + 3 goals), Brayshaw (22) ------- My 22 vs Hawks: FB: Jetta - Oscar - Hibberd HB: Wagner - Frost - Lewis C: Harmes - Jones - Vince HF: Trac - Hogan - Kent FF: Garlett - Fritsch - Bugg R: Gawn - Clarry - Salem Int from :Tyson, Lever, Melksham, ANB, Balic, Pedo, Weid, Hannan, Brayshaw My choice: Tyson, Lever, Melksham, Pedo

Interesting to hear Roos defend not picking Frost, with the mention of Hibberd and Wagner playing taller than they actually are. However, I think its affecting the make up of the rest of the back six, mostly Hunt and Lever. Hunt needs to be one of the two out-and-out attacking defenders, and with Wagner there, it seems like he is hesitant to attack and holds back. Lever obviously needs some confidence, and we need to do the right thing by him and play him as the 3rd tall. Both of these things can be fixed with Frost coming in for Wagner. ---- Bugg gets one more week. Remember everyone was calling for Garlett to be dropped, and he literally won the game off his own boot. With depth, you need to string good performances in the twos together to warrant a game. You can't come straight in after 1 decent hit out... So if Bugg is poor again, Kent/Hannan could come in. ----- FB: Jetta - Oscar - Hunt HB: Hibberd - Frost - Lever C: N.Jones - Salem - Lewis HF: ANB - Pedo - Melksham FF: Garlett - Hogan - Fritsch R: Gawn - Oliver - Trac I: Tyson - Vince - Bugg - Harmes E: Kent - Wagner - Stretch - Brayshaw

Didn't anyone else notice we just couldn't will ourselves to get infront? Late in the third and the whole fourth quarter, we kicked confident goals to bring it back to under 6 points. However, any forward entry or shot on goal when it was to put us in front, we choked. Oliver, Melksham, Trac and then Gawn all choked when we needed them to step up. No idea how to improve that... maybe some more of Mrs Roos meditation classes.

With the confirmation of injuries, potential line up for Sunday FB: Jetta - Oscar - Hibberd HB: Hunt - Lever - Lewis C: ANB - N.Jones - Salem HF: Trac - Hogan - Melksham FF: Garlett - Pedo - Harmes R: Gawn - Oliver - Tyson I: Fritsch - Hannan - Vince - Brayshaw E: Frost - Wagner - Bugg

Now that JLT is finished, we can relook at what Round 1 is shaping up to be... My team is as follows. FB: Jetta - Oscar - Hibberd HB: Lewis - Lever - Hunt C: Harmes - Oliver - ANB HF: Trac - TMac - Melksham FF: Garlett - Hogan - Fritch R: Gawn - Tyson - Salem I: N.Jones - Vince - Hannan - Brayshaw E: Pedo - Bugg - Wagner - Frost Unlucky: Stretch - Maynard Injured: Viney

FB: Jetta - Frost - Lever HB: Hunt - Oscar - Hibberd C: Lewis - Viney - Gus HF: ANB - Hogan - Trac FF: Garlett - T-Mac - Pedo R: Gawn - N.Jones - Oliver I: Harmes - Melksham - Tyson - Salem E: Vince - Hannan - Weideman Next in line to come in with injuries: Maynard, Stretch, J.Smith, Vanders, Bugg That's a pretty solid unit of 30.

We grossly overvalue draft picks in the AFL. You go into the draft with normally less than a 50% draft of turning a first round pick into a 150 game player, let alone a superstar. We have essentially bet against the draft, and secured a guaranteed young talented player who will impact games automatically. It's a smart trade, and a huge win for our club. Love it.

Welcome Jake!

Delist: - Lumumba - Hulett - White - Trengove - Kennedy Trade Bait (but keep if no good offers): - Watts - Frost - Tyson - Spencer - Kent - Harmes - Stretch - vandenBerg - Vince - JKH - Wagner

Roos flagged this personally 6 months ago. Huge upside to declan.

Welcome Michael! Looking forward to seeing you stream out of the backline along side Melksham, Salem and Hunt. We now have a 'warchest' of HBFers that can seriously break the game open (TBC for melky)

Will be rookied next year. Most likely with us.

Delist certainties: Michie, Terlich, Newton, King Delist probabilities: M.Jones, Trade: ANB (keep if no trade), JKH (keep if no trade), Grimes (DL if no trade), Dawes, Garland (DL if no trade), Dunn That should be 5-6 spots freed up on the list for Hibberd + Wagner + 1 more trade in + 3 picks in draft

It will be 27 plus maybe a swap of picks later, only maybe. Don't believe everything you read. Of course Essendon aren't going to come out and say "we are happy with 27, deal done"..... Its like when your selling your fridge, you don't advertise you happy with $100 straight away, you say $150, even though you know you'd be happy with $50 and a 6pack of VBs.

Shop/Trade: - Grimes, ANB, Dawes, Garland Delist: - Terlich, Michie, Newton, Lumumba, Retain: - Trenners (rookied) -------------------------------------------------- We will have to delist at least 5, maybe 6. So, I would say Dawes/Grimes may be let go if they can't find a new home. Garland/ANB will be retained.

Captain? Haha great....

Besides T Cloke, who else has had this much media scrutiny + delayed talks... And stayed in the end?

If we win 10 or more, I think he would more likely stay. If we win less than 7, he will walk back to WA. Simple as that. I am so sick of good players wanting out, and so jealous of Geelong and Hawthorn.

I for one, welcome the milkshake. Let's hope he adds some mongrel and aggression to the half back line.

Can we give them Terlich and M.Jones for him?

Motlop. Let's get him.