Cards13

Bate would be very stiff to be dropped, someone mentioned in a previous thread about Bate did clutch at the groin after Swan's smother and might not get up. He should not be dropped even if he is under done and needing of game time to reach his peak in about round 8.....

It was a tackle.... the idea in todays game is to pin the arms so they can not get a handball out.... ease up.

Yea so would I, that still doesn't tell you too much about the quality of the Bater as the rest of our "tall" fwds are not great. He does a job but he has a number limitations is all I say about him. He will have games where he excels and games he will look like he is not getting out of 1st gear but it will be the same effort each week.

Wicked so we're starting all square at the 1st bounce this week then???

Round 1 he looked brilliant, not as good last week but he is definately one to watch and enjoy playing footy for the next few seasons.

You turn up on Sat in your kit then your fit to play, if you're not then get back to the 2's to get match fit.

Do you know from inside the club that was his role Saty? My gripe with Bater is his lack of pace, inability to get any seperation from a direct opponent, his lack of ability to get off his feet in marking contest and his ability below his knees. Other than that he has the ability to be our best fwd from the middle/older aged players we currently have.

1st time I noticed him hold thr groin was right after the Swan smother. He winced and grabbed at it a few times after that. I doubt it would have affected his pace at all Ravi he's not the quickest out there

HHhmmmm tough issue this one. It is horrible to see a player pull out of a potential contest on the field and if you're playing with them your 1st reaction is to blow your stack... I do hope we have gone away from that in todays footy. Not to sure giving someone a spray for it is the way to go unless it is a continueing theme for that player. Take him aside and have a quiet chat, show him the incident and mention he must continue it. I'm sure he would have been disappointed in himself and felt some shame for it BUT it is something that can change over time and I hope it does. If not then it can tend to dilute the confidence you have in that team mate on the field and denegration off it. Bennell shows a lot of dash and drive out of def 50 and his little bit up fwd on Sat was nice to see. He needs to lift a few things and heres hoping he gets the support to do it.

Not sure a 12 possie, 5 mark, 1 tackle performance is turning the corner but he did look better than last week and the 2 goals were good to see. The rotating fwd line looked ok against a flat Pies side. Am really interested to see if we can back it up this week or the rollercoaster continues haha.

The MFC players should have tried to take advantage of the situation and tried to milk a free kick from it.

And if he continues to play like that and stays fitt all season he will deserve it. He monstered Jolly yest. Was great to see Jolly sitting on his behind 3 times in the last qtr shaking his head after Russ has out muscled him for another tap and clearance to us.

Rollercoaster.... rollercoaster.... oh oh oh rollercoaster... (chilli peppers)

Pies supporters for all of the feralness I can truck with.. the [censored] Blues supporter is not my bag man.

Yes but we've had a "clean out" over the last two years of the worst sections of a substandard lot and the ones left over are so very frustrating to watch. I'm heading along today with excitement at seeing my 1st game of the new season but with absolute trepidation as I'm going with a mad pies supporter.

Hopefully not with your head buried in your hands, pulling your hair out staring into your 15th empty light beer cup....

Nup I'd still go with Grgic, to have been drafted by the [censored] after his career with us..

What I get frustrated with is the lack of improvement/leadership (that we can see on field) in the older players, we know the younger guys are going to take two years at least. They have 5/6 months of off season training yet they show very very little if any improvement in where they left off last season yet some of these players get hailed as "greats" and "champions".

Hoh! I am unsure if this is tongue firmly in the side of the face KS, you do have a tendancy to do that but you can be very serious about it too.... That would be amazing to see him slip from one of the best players in the comp to out of the game in 2 seasons. Does that count this season by the by? And you mentioned 2 seasons tops.... So he could retire after this season?

Thats not like you RR, in one breath you're saying "In absence of either area expertise or the facts.." then in the next you're talking about him leaving without and expertise or facts. From what Rubeboy has said in the past he is a very driven man and wants to carve out a special career at Melb and he is here on Walpiri business to do just that. How so? Liam has Davey, Wonna, Benny and the Jet as a support network at the club where as Sean basically had nothng of the sort and had some very unlucky injuries. He kept breaking his wrist or thumb then shattered his leg horribly while playing for Carlton.

Hhhmmm I thought he had eased off two steps before the bump. He was head down chasing hard, he got hit in the jaw because he had eased off and his head was up from what I saw. But we all see different things brother.

Ha that is very amusing. As you said he left his feet before the ball got there (if my recollection is correct) then turn his shoulder as hard as he could into Bartel's head.... Ah old Fraser, one of the softest players I have seen. Didn't he try out as an umpire as well?

As a few posters have mentioned Col was easing off the chase when Kennedy got him. It would have been perfect bump if Kennedy was not taller than Col. Kennedy's shoulder collected him flush on the jaw and as Col was easing off he had his head held high thus the shoulder collecting it. If it was consistant rulings then Kennedy would have got weeks. Also I can not fathom how David Hille did not get weeks for his bump on Bartel. High, Late, Deliberate but no for some reasn he gets off, it is such a grey area.

100% RR he has been amazing and to see his teams over the last few years as you said "disciplined, dedicated and hard working footballers who none at this stage are "stars"." They continue to play deep into finals when at the start of the season are written off. Wow how good does Harry O'Brien look this season too!!

For his future.... Aren't his next 2 years pretty ecure?