Skuit

Maybe we're keeping the slim-line Pedo.v2 under wraps for a round-one run-with role on Riewoldt? But I would give the gig to Hunt. He may be giving up 5cms on Nick, but he has a certain scrappy desperation to close and effect a spoil - obviously also has the legs and can do some serious damage going the other way if dragged up to the wing. If Riewoldt works him back deep to gain a body advantage we just have to make sure Hunt has support. Probably not the greatest idea, but I feel like Hunt is hungry enough and would relish the challenge. He's also brighter and more co-ordinated than a couple of other options on the table.

The season doesn't start for another month. We have one game before then over a week from now in WA. It's hard to know what to do really.

Ditto the Saints and McCartin.

I suspect now that we're not going to even bother. I thought last year Roos was quite stubborn in not being reactive. We won and lost almost every match entirely on our own terms. A training year: focus on executing the game-plan. But now I think they've concocted a game-plan based on some home-spun tactical wisdom. Score more goals than the other team and you win almost every time. If our diamond-defence and derring-do consistently creates two scoring shots to one, who gives a flying if we keep turning it over and the opposition continues to boot goals from the goal-square. Expect a year ahead marked by some periods of crazy brilliance and others of high frustration.

That would be Lynden Dunn. But it's clear now that we're going all-in.

Beliefs I'm ready to admit may well be misguided (after two whole preseason games): Harmes and Vanders will make it. Jetta is a walk-up start. Beliefs I'm in no way ready to part with: Tmac commits regular and horrendous errors of judgement and execution.

Feign ignorance of Donald Trump's latest escapades and confuse them into talking about the football.

5 JWs last night? Strange dream. FF Watts Hogan Watts HF Watts Watts Watts

Myself included, but I respectivate the old hackers on here and their hard-earned right for nostalgia and cynicism.

Old Dee isn't the one getting tiresome.

Haha. I'm not sure there's a stats column for that. Yet.

9 H/O - 1 Kick - 0 Marks? I know stats aren't everything and I only watched the last third of the game. But what was it that impressed?

Did Goodwin have a hand in recruiting Cat Phillips for tactical insight? The emerging MFC brand of footy: Ultimate Frisbee Smackdown.

Strange. Just yesterday I tried depositing some cash into an account at a bank near your homeland. I was told they don't deal with cash anymore. ?!

True. We only beat the runners-up in a pre-season match under Neeld.

In essence, I agree. My rationale was that if we were going strong-weak-strong (or the like) then this would be a 'rest' game for the young key-mid group while sharpening their skills and gaining more experience in their resting positions .e.g half-forward. The experienced mids would then get a genuine rest next week while the young mids went back to the middle and the run-throughs back to their half-forward and back slots. In the meantime, I believe players like Harmes, Vanders and JKH will benefit from more responsibility and getting their hands on it for a week in the middle alongside the veterans (Viney included). Basically, the idea is to manage workloads on field across the games by rotating the roles of the three groups of mids - while experimenting with versatility and practicing in the different positions. You said you were initially surprised we weren't fiddling more by trialing the youngsters?

Some received wisdom has crept in re. clubs ideally fielding strong-weak-strong teams across the three pre-season hit-outs. (Maybe the Dogs last year?). But we have an away twilight fixture in WA leading into the season to deal with so I expect some of the boys will get a rest for that (similar to WC going in weak against GWS) which equates to having a look at the newbies. What I'd like to see for this one though is to go in positionally 'weak', with our second-string and run-through mids - Petracca, Melksham, Harmes, Vanders, ANB etc. spending more time in the centre alongside our senior mids, while Salem, Brayshaw and Oliver etc. are stationed up front for longer periods.

I find it particularly upsetting when an aspiring young sportsman does their knee in a world of so many lazy, computer-bound people who barely use their own.

It was a very well-reasoned response to what would ordinarily be recognised as a deliberately unreasonable proposition.

Everyone seems a tad sensitive this week for some reason.

Just Goodwin finishing of Roos's mission to erase every last vestige of the Neeld era (besides our captains and mature rucks). Watts, Pedo, Trenners, Garland, Kent, Jetta all missing from the first JLT? Coincidence or #psychologicalscars?

MFC lacking a back-of-jumper sponsor. The sudden scrapping of our clash strip. The club's vagueness re. Watts heightening the attention on Jack and the MFC. Join the dots. 'Thank you everyone for attending this press conference. We have some very exciting news, but first of all, we'd like to Skwosh the rumours once and for all . . .'

Failing to meet training standards can mean a vastly different thing to having a poor attitude.

Decimated through injury - forced to include fresh legs? I recall a couple times Roos blinked with regard to resting players - Port in Alice perhaps? - and it appeared to cost us.