Elwood 3184

With all the doom and gloom surrounding the club at the moment it's important we get of to a good start by beating the Hawks in Round 1. The problem is that a number of our players have had very little match practice as they try to get right for the first game that matter. Cameron Bruce will return from a knee injury to play for Sandringham in a VFL practice match this Sunday and according to the Herald Sun, if he "gets through unscathed, he will be selected for the Demons' Round 1 clash with Hawthorn." The report says club has also applied for AFL permission to play Clint Bartram, James Frawley, Cale Morton, Lynden Dunn, Chris Johnson, Jared Rivers and Paul Wheatley in Sunday's game against Williamstown. No Wheels?

Agreed. It's time to recast the side and make some changes to the line up. We are toooo predictable, especially up forward.

Dunn played about half a game at Sandy yesterday so he would have to be above 50% if he pulled up OK afterwards. Wheatley and Grimes are probably close to 0% but Rivers and Bartram have two weeks to prove themseleves but admittedly less than 50% ATM. Bruce would be the same.

It might also mean that DB had other issue to deal with than to tag someone like Aker in a practice match knowing he has run with players like Junior, Barts and even Cameron Bruce around for when the real thing starts.

It might also mean that DB had other issue to deal with than to tag someone like Aker in a practice match knowing he has run with players like Junior, Barts and even Cameron Bruce around for when the real thing starts.

We know full well what we can expect from the usual suspects but most disappointing was that it sounds like the young blokes didn't make much of a contribution.

According to the report on Demonology from twodogs he dropped a few sitters in front of goal. Suggest he might spend a bit more time at Sandy before he gets back into the club's pyjama uniform.

This is what Westy's Warriors posted yesterday at 12.40pm on bigfooty - http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411746 "I actually heard last night that Cam Bruce has hurt a ligament in his knee and will be out of action for up to 6 weeks Did he mention anything about that?" It seems to me that if he indeed hurt his knee, it happened on Friday or alternatively Westy's Warriors is a clairvoyant. Either that or he hasn't hurt his knee.

If Bruce is injured, it did not happen today because I read about the rumour on bigfooty 2 days ago and didn't give it much credence.

When was that?

"Even Isaac Weetra is feeling like he can play the game. That's what excites a new coach." Is that supposed to suggest that this comes as a surprise to Bailey and that he might not think the kid's up to playing the game?

It's called Melbourne Sports Books and I think its close to the intersection of Flinders and Exhibition Streets. I doubt that they'll have the two MFC histories wiz mentioned although they probably have Lynda Carroll's later book.

There's enough in this series to answer 100's of trivia questions - thanks!

Geez, do we really miss some of them "gones" badly or what? Apart from Troy, the only one who springs to mind is Scott Thompson and maybe TJ but that's about it. And to think we were on top of the ladder after Round 18 in 2004!

From the Sunday Age Pssst column by Craig Hutchison comes the news that prominent boxing coach Rodney Ryan has knocked back Carlton's attempt to gain his signature, preferring to stay with the Demons in 2008 and beyond. "The fitness coach - who last year served as the club's runner for Neale Daniher and then Mark Riley - has been in high demand from a host of Melbourne-based clubs. "But the man who looks after other high-profile sportsmen such as Jonathan Brown, Olympian James Tomkins and formula one racer Mark Webber decided to stay loyal to the Demons and will stay at Junction Oval". Chalk that down to a victory for loyalty ahead of the chase for filthy lucre. The boy with the golden groin$ should take note.

Caroline Wilson's mail is usually pretty much spot on and she gets things right more often than some of her fellow journos of the male persuasion. I'd take Caro over Patrick Smith any day of the week.

It's one thing throwing everything they have at getting him but it's quite another thing managing to produce the goods to the Eagles and, in view of the loss of other key members of their team, they might be plugging up one hole and opening a dyke.

Bomber skipper Matthew Lloyd is offering the world for Judd - Bombers to offer WA boys for Judd: Lloyd. Essendon are prepared to use their West Australian first-round AFL draft picks Paddy Ryder and Scott Gumbleton in trade negotiations for Chris Judd, according to captain Matthew Lloyd. Essendon are considered among the front-runners to sign the former West Coast captain and Brownlow Medallist, who will return to his home city of Melbourne. The Bombers recruited Ryder at No.7 in the 2005 national draft and Gumbleton came to the club at No.2 last year. They will have the No.6 pick in this year's draft. "We'll have pick six and where I think West Coast are going to like Essendon is we have plenty of great West Australian young talent at our footy club," Lloyd said on radio station Sport 927. Just wondering if Lloyd is now the official spokesperson for the Bombers and whether their Board has any say in the matter? I'd be stunned if David Neitz spoke that way about trading his younger teammates.

How does that affect his ability to play for Sandringham or in the NAB Cup next year?

So what's in the drink?

It's too late. Carlton won't be tanking on Monday, they've already tanked with their team selection. Murphy will drop out tomorrow or Sunday morning to finish it all off. I agree with Clyde. The execution will be swift.

That said, surely there must be a contradiction between your message and your signature line "BRETT RATTEN - THE ONLY MAN TO LEAD THE DEMONS FORWARD". BTW according to Ratten on 10 News Fevola's season is over - a groin injury.

6. Nathan Jones 5. Travis Johnstone 4. Brad Green 3. Jeff White 2. Ben Holland 1. Nathan Carroll

Well, there's always the thread on Demonology which says, ...

Well that's something I didn't know. We had Kevin Sheedy and let him go to Richmond for nothing and then he went on to play in their successful era while we were weak. I wonder if the club let others go like this?