The Emblem

It's early days (game 5 to be precise) yet, and it's perfectly possible that Liam will not prove to be as good as those champions you mentioned. However, it's worth considering that it was only last year that Liam first saw the inside of a gym, that up until then he had never lifted a set of weights and had not really ever done any serious training. That suggests to me that there is incredible scope for improvement, as all we are seeing at present is raw talent. Whereas, Reiwoldt, Franklin and Brown, arrived at the AFL after several years of training in development squads, at the AIS academy etc. Even then, my recollection is that it took them a year or two to begin having a big impact at AFL level. Liam has had a big impact from his first touch. Ultimately, comparisons with other players are pointless anyway. Instead, you should all be simply enjoying watching Liam's development as a Demons player, in full knowledge that his best is yet to come. As i've said previously, he still has not had a pre-season yet, and when he's got a bigger engine plus an extra 5 ks of muscle, I reckon he'll be unstoppable. You all know i'm completely biased when it comes to our Warlpiri Warrior, so I probably shouldn't even post anything, but I couldn't help myself.

Several excellent points, what Liam already has is exciting and I think there is immense potential for improvement basis RudeBoy's arguements.

Liam has football nous in abundance plus the ability to play short and tall (often within milliseconds), barring serious injury Liam is going to enjoy a long career creating headaches for opposition coaches, heartache for opposition supporters and nightmares for opposition players.

Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Bias in a commentator I can cope with. I just think less of them. What I have no time for is the 2 second behind the play commentary and the not knowing players names, but there was a play where one of our players was steaming down the wing (appols to whoever it was) and he nailed Green on the chest in the pocket, honouring a beautiful lead, and that stupid Underwood's call was "He has no options". That sort of stuff should have her sacked on the spot.

Sexism aside, she was rubbish and that comment summed it up!

The concern I have with LJ is, that as I understand it, he was given permission by his tribe to come to Melbourne and play footy. I also understand that he has been earmarked as the future tribe leader.

I don't profess to know anything about aboriginal culture or customs but does this mean he could be summoned at any time to go back home to resume his tribe duties and that the career of our champion player in the making could come to an abrupt end?

Pello, relax, they're Warlpiri...not the Waffen SS

Actually Watts already looks as if there is some body development taking place ; the same certainly can't be said for Morton whose body shape looks to be regressing

Rumour (totally fabricated and unsubstantiated) that Ethiopian children are sending him food parcels!

it was also stevie wonder's & the guy off dancing with the stars first game too

Watched under sufferance but that blind guy was amazing and his perception skills far exceeded that of Umpire # 15...who should be more then thankful for Australia's recent gun control reforms!

As opposed to the bad case of premature adulation experienced by thousands of West Coast fans after last weeks fourth quarter effort. Very messy affair.

Yes its all very Rudyard Kipling

Don't have a spare $1,600 to make the journey!

But I will there in spirit. Hope we can crack 20K and put in a great effort for Jimmy!

Well done to the MFC for putting in the first instalment of thanks for all of Jim's efforts thus far.

6.Grimes

5. Jamar

4. Davey

3. McLean

2. Green

1. Warnock

In general a very even effort

A stupid comment!!

The KID has only just begun playing AFL football, and still learning the caper.

Quite agree, seems like a bad case of premature evaluation

All the best Jim,

There will be no shortage of support for you.

Again, well done fork

Payment made

Its a Nightmare $48.00 DN122837

A Midfield of Scully, Jones, Mclean, Blease, Moloney, Maric, Grimes, Strauss etc is easily good enough

I hope you're right, the premiership teams of this decade have mostly had at least 3 to 4 out-and-out "A Grade" midfielders.

Great Idea:

Put me down for $48

That is his number after all

Hannibal that's right up there with your other feat of taking the Elephants over the mountains

Robertson - Has to go. Play Newton instead

Robertson - teen-boys fantasy woman

(Always On Back)

These 3 word analyses are pointless and meaningless.

Also, while our fwd lind was not great last night, I think we lost it in the middle. Very few kicks into the 50 and whwn we did it was often under pressure, a hacked kick out of the middle. We were smashed in the middle, by Paddy Ryder and our lack of ability to lay a hand on any essendon player with the ball. We really missed Jones and Junior. Junior's brains around the contest are greatly undervalued. We also looked slow in the middle as well. I've been a big rap for Moloney this year, but he had an ordinary game last night. The sooner we get Scully, the better.

In the communication mode of this thread shouldn't this read:

Analysis, Pointless, Meaningless

Scully, Please, Draft

I think some of us are we overreacting and perhaps taking what Lethal said out of context.

Although I did particularly enjoy the silence from the commentary box when Jack slotted a laser-like kick soon afterwards.

Some interesting points in this thread about young developing KPP players, especially about Jonathan Brown. I've no idea about that the football department will do but I'd hope they continue to play Jack in the seniors, that's the pace of the game that he has to adjust to and he was showing signs of that as the game progressed.

I feel the list is already taking a big step forward when a young tall KPP is getting bagged by some for a performance where he kicks multiple goals.

Ok, for all you football knowalls, do you realise that some clubs don't maintain the same gameplan for a whole season?

In response to a discussion of our own forward spy Sneaky Dave Dunbar, Robert Shaw revealed that forward spies have become more prevalent in football because clubs can change their gameplan every 8 weeks. Get that, every 8 weeks. And that's understandable given that clubs have already started to dismantle Hawthorn's rolling zone.

So you nuffies who believe that we should build a list based on a gameplan that will become redundant in 12 months, are clueless.

Pacy players who can accurately hit targets by hand or foot are unlikely to ever become redundant whatever game plan is implemented.

It's a shame you didn't, Mark Stevens! :D

Note to Herald Sun professional journalists...Microsoft word spill chuck function is not fool proof.

Otherwise, Go Liam, really looking forward to his debut!

Ah yes, but this plays into the irrational argument that Bailey should choose a gameplan that suits the players he has, not the players he wishes to have...

Far too many threads have degenerated into a steaming pile through this argument.

Point taken Enforcer 25...by the way is your pen name in reference to Kyle Cheney "the baker boy from the Beal"?

The club admin & footy departments seem fairly united in attitude, build for a premiership, from the ground up, selecting and developing the players they think they need to achieve that.

The new players selected thus far by the football department have mostly been "kicking" players, and yet many people who slate the current game play say "too much handball".

Any posters who can come up with a brilliant game plan as an interim measure should immediately provide the club with a detailed step-by-step manual. Although I'd suggest that any individual possessing such genius should perhaps focus their talents upon bringing about global peace and putting an end to world hunger.

awful english

What makes you think Kallioota is English?

On a more serious note, Mo, I know you hate the game plan, understandable because we aren't winning.

Consider this though. It may be that we aren't seeing the full game plan yet. Not out of any surreptitious intent by Dean Bailey, but because the necessary players (many who are already developing within the list) are not yet ready. Already this year there have been some quarters (not as many as we would all like) where the passing to the forwards has been crisp and we have looked fairly sharp.

The players we need to make this fast moving, accurate by foot, game plan work are players like Blease and Strauss, hitting targets like Watts and Jurrah. Add in the development of other youngsters like Morton, Maric, Grimes etc and I think then, and only then, will the football department be able to properly implement the game plan they desire.

Once the above mentioned players can be deemed to be "regulars" we can then start to judge the effectiveness of the game plan accordingly.

Words, nothing but sweet, sweet words that turn into bitter orange wax in my ears.

We know it's likely Miller will come back in and you'd expect Bennell and Jurrah too as well.

Selection is going to be VERY interesting this week.

Bradley is much maligned, he does however provide a physical presence that I think will make life easier for the likes of Watts and Jurrah.

There is a saying in the fashion industry; only real men can wear pink.

That is all :D

Thanks Jaded.

I'm quite fond of my collection of "mannish" pink shirts.

Not for everyone mind you, some may not have the requisite complexion.

No right or wrong, but different ways of approaching things.

At the last Mates of Melbourne Bash the MFC football department spoke about the statistics re the average amount of experience contained within a premiership team and that they had on average 150 games under their belt. Given the hole that we have in the 24-28 years age bracket it is therefore unsurprising that their stated approach will be to get as many games into our developing players as quickly as possible.

This is not to say that they we can expect to see them all playing together at once. However from what was said I would expect to see quite a few of our younger players getting some game time towards the end of the season.

I can see the logic in this approach given where we are and where we plan to be.

Perhaps if we had a more balanced list (experience wise) than an approach more similar to Neil Craig's would be taken.