The Emblem

I think you're underestimating the impact of Brendan Lade. One of the best tap ruckmen I've seen, plus has the other skills mentioned.

Aye.. the stats have a lie embedded in them..."winning the ruck contest" as opposed to "winning the ruck contest to effect". A great tap ruckman can give his midfielders an armchair ride...just slapping the ball anywhere doesn't.

Don't buy into the "modern trend" arguement about modern ruckmen...its just means there aren't a lot of outstandingly high quality tap ruckmen around at the moment.

Caroline Ferguson

Traffic Chick on 3AW and Magic FM

Also has Saturday Night 3AW show with Mike Brady during the summertime.

She loves the Dee's

Very hard to judge our midfield coaches because our ruck stocks aren't what we would like them to be.

Whitey got legislated out of the game with the ruck circle.

PJ is just getting back from a bad injury...so insufficient time to judge.

The Russian is serviceable but not dominating.

Meeson looks like he plays more like a tall Ruckrover / 3rd ruck option

The future blueprint of AFL ruckman now looks to be 200cm + giants...we have one, but he's 18 years old.

Until we develop our ruck stocks our midfielders will invariably be playing catch-up / sharking contests

Hillary Clinton?

Well spotted

Sorry Jarka, disagree. Bate is the closest player to a CHF we have at the moment and not only that but he plays it well, not unlike Tarrant played it at Collingwood as a link man. He has the capacity to take a lot of marks during the course of the game and if his fitness is 100% he should be playing how Travis Cloke is playing at the moment. Miller is a VERY DISTANT second to Bate at CHF at the moment due to a lack of football nous and technical ability IMO.

Whoever plays at CHF they must have the ability to kick a bag of 3 to 4 on more then the odd occaison.

Whilst Frosty's kicking for goal did improve towards the end of last year it still makes me nervous.

The Master is a good a good kick for goal and as MFC4life notes Bater does have a good motor so can play the link man role well. So with our current list Bater as a stop-gap measure CHF may work and therefore I agree withMFC4Life's view that "Bate is the closest player with have to a CHF at the moment", Jarka - your point is valid too, in an ideal world we'd have a power CHF and we'd play Bater as a flanker.

I'm pretty freaking agreeable today...sickening isn't it!

1. Jared Rivers

2. Brock McLean

3. Scott Thompson

4. Cameron Bruce

5. Nathan Jones

Here's hoping that there is a masterplan for 2008. 150th year planning should have been established at least 18 months ago. Perhaps is all going to be launched this weekend starting with the family day on Sunday.

Dead right Tony Melb, Mousey etc.

I think an early launch is particularly important for the Kid's and that our wee dee's [whether they be from Brighton, Baddaginnie, or Boronia] should have their members packs before the school year starts.

We should never forget that life's most important decision - who you barrack for - is often made at a very very very impressionable age.

If every other kid in the schoolyard has their footy clubs stickers, wallets, watches etc our little dee's could feel a bit neglected and discouraged.

We could lose a few and we can ill afford that!

Nasher, I Agree - "It Takes Two" is rubbish on every level.

I also agree that Robbo's best days are behind him on field and that there are numerous reasons why a player may have a poor year.

However, it would be interesting to compare how well players heavily involved with media committments have performed around those times:

ie.

Was it Brodie Holland who went on that dancing with the stars show? Anyone know how he performed on field around and after that time?

Others to consider are Fevola and Crawford while on the Footy Show week in week out (although that would require minimal to zero rehearsal and preparation), how did they perform around then?

I'm not sure I agree with you furious. When it comes to focus is quality that matters. Being engaged in "healthy" non-footy activities can probably help a player more then hinder. Robbo could "sing underwater with a mouthfull of marbles", its that easy for him so I can't see it being a big issue. I'd be more worried of he was on dancing with the stars because this would require a lot more time and physical exhertion.

or put is this way...I'm far more concerned about his knees then his tonsils!

I'm going to comment on this in another thread... I think you're absolutely right. But I am curious about our recruiting strategy. If KP players take so long to develop, it would make sense to recruit your spine FIRST then recruit your midfielders around them AFTERWARDS. As it is, McLean and his 23 and under brigade will play their best footy, inb their mid-twenties, while the spine is still in development. WHen they come good, McLean will be in his late 20s...

Oui DD...I think going for the "best available player" should be "best available to suit club's future requirements" [and yes I do remember the Luke Molan disaster but who knew he was going to break?].

Our biggest hole is CHF [Rivers is a natural HBF doing a great job as a makeshift CHB and can only manage to do so because he reads the game so magnificantly]. With a great young developing CHF we could have left Newton to develop as a specialist FF [and we still might].

Thats why I was so keen on Lachie Henderson. He is a genuine power CHF prospect and as I've said before they are as rare as rocking horse poo. Plug Hendo into the equation and our future spine starts looking like: Frawley, Martin, McLean, Henderson, Newton.

Looks a bit promising that...throw in a young gun ruckman and we're starting to cook with gas.

P.S. Morton will probably now go on to play 250 AFL games and win the Bluey Truscott 3 times

Agree with that. I don't care that Frawley can play FB AND the wing... It's a lovely thing for the coach, but if no-one can OWN one of those positions regularly (15-20 rounds a year, plus good finals) then it's useless, as you need to find someone who can... If versatility won flags, then Geelong would be full of Cameron Bruces...

Well said Dappa Dan...we need players that can OWN the position.

Trying to pick our best side by R22...its tough, because we have a lot of players who can "sort of" play here and there...so we shuffle them around and end up with no cohesion.

You used a fine example - the Cats - clinical side based on a good ruck division and great spine: Scarlett, Harley, Bartel, Mooney...and could even afford to play some other bloke who may or may not have wanted to be FF anyway!.

A great spine, thats why the development of our younger KP brigade is so important - KP backman Frawley, Martin, McNamara, KP midfielders, Grimes, and Valenti, and KP forwards Newton and Zomer.

Get this right and and with McLean, Jones, Bartram, Rivers, Pettard Dunn, Bate, Bell, Buckley, and yes Bruce & Green our future starts looking a lot brighter!

So come mid 2009

Bell Frawley McNamara

Rivers Martin Pettard

Bruce McLean Bartram

Bate Newton Davey

Green Zomer Maric

R: White, Jones, Grimes

I/C Meeson, Moloney, Dunn, Morton.C

Apologies to Sylvia, Buckley, Valenti etc

John Howard Bennelong - Neck (4 - 6 weeks)

Marvellous Post That Sydney Pennksi

Sat Mar 8 I believe.

Fantastic news. I was expecting us to fly to Canberra for the last weekend.

I was thinking the AFL would schedule either Broome, Torres Straits or East Timor!

5 most loathed players and given that its Oscars night - their most appropriate movie roles...

Matthew Lloyd, a.k.a. "the Guppy"...slawjawed moron...suggested movie role: dead heat between a role in "Deliverance, or just as a Stuka Pilot in "Battle of Britain"

Alan Didak...sheer flith....should be a movie actress, suggested movie role "Riding in Cars With Boys"

Buddy Franklin...the Ben Cousins of the Eastern seaboard...FIGJAM...suggested movie role "Blow"

Stephen Mile...quintessential little [censored]...suggested movie role...any sick violent Japansese adult movie

Rocca...a.k.a Rock Ape....suggested movie role: "Return to the Planet of the Apes"

On a more positive note, 5 most admired players from other clubs [in no particular order]:

1. Marty Clarke...its not his fault he went to Collingwood, being Irish how was he supposed to know?

2. Scott Lucas...I know a lot of you would hate him because he's a bomber, but how many players out there can play CHF & CHB and turn a game like he can?

3. Scott Thompson...great midfielder and sad when he left us, still we should have known he would have got homesick for that traffic light in Adelaide

4. Adam Goodes...class, work ethic, think he;s a gem

5. Jimmy Bartel...great combination of work ethic, class and humility

I think that a few on here should be reminded that Green has been used as a tagger over the last few years and has had to scacrifice his game for the side. That said I believe he would be a better option up forward and could kick 40+ goals if left there.

I agree with you Robbie F...Green leading out of the forward pocket causes far more headaches for the Opposition. I'd rather see him used their with the odd short burst in midfield to help freshen up our midfield rotations.

We do seem to be very light on for tall power forwards and class ruckmen. We could do with a 196cm strong mark who's also very mobile. Trouble is that blokes like Buddy Franklin don't grow on trees.

True enough...tall power forwards dont grow on tree's...and yet Lachie Henderson "the big boy from Birregurra" was happy enough to go to the Dee's and we passed up on the opportunity...barring serious injury I think we will rue missing out on him for a long time to come...future AFL captain!

P.S. I'm not having a go at Cale Morton...is just that high quality CHF types are as rare as rocking horse poo!

yeah mate thats the only reason, im a struggling freelance journalist and haven't had a decent stable paying job so its been impossible in the past!

thanks guys ! i know it was a bit silly to make a thread like this but yeah just proud to finally be a member of the team i love to death!

Mousey for PM

what would be better of these 2

i) judd does his knee round 1 .. carlton spoon

ii) judd averages 35 disposals a game has a great year .. carlton spoon

Better still, Judd stays fit.

Cartel Football Club comes 9th 3 years in a row...missing the finals on percentage only.

A frustrated Judd leave's CFC for MFC and plays in 2011 MFC premiership side...our second premiership in a row.

One thing to keep in mind when reviewing the merits of the current board was that upon getting their feet under the desks they opened the said desk drawers to find monster unpaid ATO bills.

Given that they were dropped in the proverbial I think that overall they have done a good job in getting the club going again [the handling of Neil Daniher's departure aside]. Not to say the job's finished yet, but I'm happy enough with their efforts thus far, so I hope the rumours prove to be unfounded.

No Jeff White or Robbo either?

That's to be expected though

Why's that...dont they have their Scuba licences?

Whats "class" when it does not perform? ...Crud

If the line up for the NAB cup and reading between the lines of the Sean Wellman interview still hasnt got the message through...this is a football department that is planning for success over the next three years and is willing to take the painful steps necessary to build a formidable team.

You cannot build a formidable team when your supposedly "best" players do not consistently put in...that sends a message that's like a cancer throughout the entire club.

I fully expect us to develop into a tough, tight unit under this football department. And although we may cop the odd hiding along the way, it think it wont be long before we can leave the "soft demons" tag well behind us.

I suspect that newly drafted players would be 'untouchable' anyway. They are guaranteed 2 years on a list and I doubt the AFL would want them shunted after one year.

So do your top 10's without Morton, Grimes, ect.

Rivers

McLean

Jones

Bate

Dunn

Bell

Bartram [assuming he can come back fit]

Davey

Pettard

Newton

I hope people remember me being pumped up about simon this year.

You called it early Mousey

Yes the clinical Kitty's clawed us until we were clueless...speaking of clueless - what about that away guernsey?

Well done to Martin, Garland, Buckley and Valenti who all showed something.

Strap yourselves in for a rollercoaster ride this season, we will cop the odd thumping but also pull of a some great wins, and come the end of the season we will have a much better developed list, and if thats not enough for you...

We still have the best song and jumper [season proper that is]

Matthew Bate - Master

or Trade, if he loses form [although I doubt it, he's a gun]

had Guantanamo as a nickname for Cheney, probably too cryptic for most, well done to whoever came up with "Chainsaw" thats a ripper.

Ossie Won-me-over?

Who is pencil? is it Cale Morton? maybe we should call Cale Penicillin - because he's got everything!

Would you select colour film, or would you rather go with the simplicity of classic black and white?