CHF

TC, The swan down cushions will be reserved for the front seats that are upholstered in tiger pelts. As for Mr. Wells, I do not think it is HG. I believe I saw Mr.Wells brother in a movie many years ago', First name 'Oceans'.

A question... Haas the contract been signed as yet or ha there been any official word that it is 100% certain?

GoodW, just to be clear, I did not question your original post. I am sure that we have put an offer to Petracca. I was just asking if anyone had asked Judd's Granny, that guru of all information on Trading and Contract, if He had signed as yet.

I would look to have as little disruption to the forward and back structure as possible. Petty for Tomlinson and with the support of the senior defenders, May, Lever, Hibberd and Salem, I think he will be very much a like for like replacement. Get him into the team and get him some experience. Forwards to line up the way they did last week. Tmac in the team gives us a lot of options and flexibility as the situation last week showed. Midfield I would slot Sparrow into Viney's position with one of Melksham, Baker or Jones being dropped and the other two in the 23 with one of them as medical sub.

More than welcome. Just make sure you keep you seat right through until the end of the match. No jumping off half way through.

Mr. Wells, What you say about the past is 100% accurate and factual. However, it is history. While there are many versions of history depending on who is telling it, the facts are the facts. Predictions are not set in stone and we all see the future differently. You said that we are missing Fritsch which was a prediction. He is now eligible to play against Sydney if he is fit and well. Jump up here beside me on the Bathwater Express, experience the comfort of the roo skin upholstered seats, relax and enjoy the ride while you can. I am sure that we will run into some bad traffic at some stage in the season but this time next week I think we will have some added comfort of Swan feather stuffed cushions. Smile Mr Wells there is nothing to worry about for the next few days.

7-0 7 Rounds played….. 7 wins….. 28 points in the premiership bank. (took me a bit to work out the points total as it is approaching higher maths for me) What a turn up….. Top of the ladder a game clear of second. A strange situation that I am sure not many of us have experienced for a lot of years. Nice feeling though…. I predicted a 10 goal win against the Roos and I was half right… we won by 5. To my mind it was a very disruptive game for us. The game was disrupted in the lead up over conjecture as to where it would be played. There was disruption when Viney was pulled from the side prior to the game with a hot spot (whatever that is). There was disruption in the first quarter when Tomlinson went down with a serious knee injury. There was disruption with Tmac moving back. There was disruption when North out pressured us in the first half and played a hell of a lot better than expected. A lot of disruption. Good coaching and half-time adjustments saw us kick 10 goals to the Roo’s 2 in the second half. In all, while I was annoyed at how we played the first half I liked the way we responded after the break and settled into our structures and upped the pressure. And so, to the Round 8 encounter with the Swannies at the MCG on Saturday evening. I have to admit a soft spot for South Melbourne as a mate of mine played for them for a few seasons back in the dim, dark past. Always gave them some support as long as they were below us on the ladder and were not playing us. However, now they are Sydney based, I do not really give a flying fig about them…… More points….more points… I am greedy for the points….. Gimme gimme gimme. Oops, sorry I got carries away there. The facts: We are coming off a win over the Roos in Tassie, - nothing to rave about We responded to the game situation well and played the second half well – Advantage us They are coming off a tight win in Sydney against the team from down the road. – Advantage them? (not convincing – more like lucky) They are travelling down from Sydney – Advantage us They have one day extra rest – Advantage them Problem areas of the game for us. We have a few this week given the injury to Tomlinson and the suspension of Fritsch I am not sure I like this whole business of being undefeated as I find the lead up to each game just that much more fraught with thoughts about …”What if we lose?” Call it historical conditioning. Being a long term Melbourne supporter has conditioned me over the year to expect the team to find a way to screw up a good thing. Another win will be a step towards a strong belief in the team and coaches. Defence Will need to be as good as can be against the Swans. They were very accurate against the Cats kicking 14-6, 8 less scoring shots and 26 less inside 50’s than the Cats and running out winners by just 2 points. Looks like Buddy will be back in the forward 50 but I do not think he will be much of a factor in the game. We have the structure to close down the Sydney forwards. With Tomlinson as a long term out I would go with Petty to replace him. He was reasonable in the one game he had a couple of weeks ago and with May, Lever, Hibberd and Salem around him, he will learn a lot and get some good experience. Got them covered in defence. It seems that on every line we have the chance to show our depth. In the midfield we have lost Viney for a few weeks by the look of it. Tough to cover someone like him. Sydney have some potentially excellent mids that looked to have low possession games against the Cats. Then again, our mids had a half of gliding against the Roos. If we bring the pressure to the contest that we know is required, I believe we will come out on top in this area. With Viney missing I would like to see Sparrow back. Max played a very ordinary game last week. Not just ordinary by his lofty standards, ordinary by any of the game’s parameters. We need max back to his best for this match where he and Luke will be up against Hickey and Sinclair, not the most dynamic of rucking duos. Jackson to step up another rung and our mids to work out how to clear the ball in the center. Now for the forwards……. (again) The good; we kicked a winning score last week. Fritsch 6 and a week’s holiday The bad; The forward entries The ugly; Now Brown is in the team we can give Fritsch’s hair a rest. With better service in the second half the forwards settled and did their job. With Brown there and Tmac moved back it made for an interesting dynamic. Brown drew 2 and sometimes 3 defenders every time he lead. This opened up the rest of the space for the crumbers and for Fritsch to operate in. It worked well but I don’t think it will be enough this week against the Swans. We have a few questions to answer at selection and who is included will depend on what sort of tactics are adopted and what backup plans we put in place. Dare I say it???? Melksham to the Fritsch role with TMac and Brown as talls. Jackson and Gawn rotating there as alternative talls and Petracca and Oliver in the rotating forward mix as well. Definitely a 3 cheese platter night at selection this week. The Bathwater Express managed to hit a couple of pot holes last week but no long term damage done and all passengers accounted for. The road is flat and straight and flat to Saturday night’s horizon. Will need the head lights functioning for the night game but other than that all is looking rosy. Prediction?.... well I am tempted to go with another 5 goal prediction but I am feeling bullish. The G, Saturday night, a few points to prove… to me it all points to a big response by the team. I am going to go with an 8 goal margin for the Dees…. The Undefeated Dees…. 7-0… Had to write it one more time….

In bed after waking up at 5am via streaming.

Any word from Judd's grandmother if Petracca has signed or not?

Firstly, I would love to have been close to listen to the Roos/Jetta talk It looked as if Roos was giving him a few coaching tips. Secondly, I loved some of the play that I saw from the Melbourne listed players. Bowey and D. Smith in defence look as if they can both develop into good players. Bradke looked a hell of a lot better than I thought he would. A couple of years and a stack of Kilos and he might just make it. Sparrow was very good and I will call it now, In two years time he will be in the first 3 picked in the seniors for the midfield. Harmes was good enough coming off a break of 4 weeks or so. Will be better for the run. Chandler and to a lesser extent, Bedford are both ready to step in a small forward slot if one becomes vacant. When Weid gets a run in the seniors he will be very hard to replace. Good to see that Casey are playing and structured exactly the same way that Melbourne play.

Do we have any idea when the Casey team will be announced as that will give a clear indication of senior selection.

Funny, I knew it was not right when I was typing it but did not check. Changed it now. Thank you.

Goodwin's coaches were Blight, Ayres and Craig.

Tempting to bring in B Brown but difficult to know who would come out. I think we have a good structure in there at the moment that is proving to be very difficult for the opposition. Do we need the distraction of Brown up against his old club? it may derail us a bit. Do not think any of the team would want to be 'rested' at this stage as they can see how difficult it is to get into the gameday 22.

Agree 100% with this. Said last week that one game will not make or break our season but win or lose last week the big thing for me would be how they respond in the Roos game this week.

6-0 6 Rounds played….. 6 wins….. 24 points in the premiership bank. Looks good huh? I am on the wrong side of 60yo….. the wrong side of 6’ ……. And, if my wife is to be believed, the wrong side of 80kg. However, I am on the right side of one thing….. The Fence. The fence that divides the MFC supporters from the rest of the AFL supporters. And what a pleasant view it is from where we sit. Nothing but wins……. So far…. Hell of a lot of the season to go but I would rather be where we are rather than where we are not. Richmond looked as if they thought if they turned up and did the minimum they would find a way to win. A few of their ‘stars’ would do the necessary and Bobs your uncle….. 4 points. Oops…. It has all been said by others in the press and on this and other sites. We absorbed their early pressure, turned up the wick a notch or two and found them wanting. Ended up controlling the majority of the game across the field with a good, strong consistent pressure game in all lines. I predicted a 5 goal win and came close. I know it is traditional that the players get the accolades for a win and the coaches/selectors get the kicks for a loss but a big shout out to the coaches and selectors for getting it right so far this season. The players are well prepared, well drilled and carrying out their roles perfectly. You cannot ask for more. And so, to the Round 7 encounter with the Roos in Tassie (for now) on Sunday. What to say about this iteration of the North Melbourne team? We, as Demon supporters, know their situation very well having lived it for a long time. Is that a reason to go soft on them? No bloody way! I want the win, the points and a percentage boost. I want the team to prepare exactly the same way they have for the last 6 matches. I want them to be confident in their approach to the game but understand that, if they drop their intensity and pressure a little, they will pay for it. The facts: We are coming off a win at the G against the reigning premiers, Richmond- Advantage us. We were in control of our game for long periods – Advantage us They have not won a game, or looked like winning a game all season - Advantage us They are travelling back from WA – Advantage us The game is in Tassie – Advantage them ( I had to find something to their advantage) Problem areas of the game for us (this is getting harder and harder to find. I may have to change it to problem areas for the opposition): I found my reaction to watching the game on Saturday very different. I was on edge in the early part of the first quarter until Salem kicked the first for us. When that happened, I smiled, sat back and enjoyed the rest of it. I had confidence that we would win. A very strange feeling. Defence is up there in the best in the league, if not the best at the moment. That was one of the best defensive performances I have seen from a Melbourne team against a ‘quality’ attack. The test for the defensive unit this week will be to ensure that they keep up the intensity for four quarters. Good structure, balance and leadership in the team back there at the moment. Just keep on keeping on no matter the opposition. We have the Roos covered in the middle of the ground. If both teams play to form, that is a big understatement. The form of Petracca, Oliver and the rest is excellent. I know that there is talk of the players being selfless and I agree with that but, to my mind, it is the fact that the mix in there right now really compliment each other. Strong individual connections as well as strong team connections. I wonder if any one has done an analysis of the percentage of times the ball goes directly between players like Petracca and Oliver or Langdon and Hunt. Roos will have huge problems trying to contain us in the middle. Ziebell has been a stand out for them but has little quality support except for possibly Cunnington. Not a lot there after those two. Max and Luke come up against one of Max’s old sparring partners in Goldstein. Supporting Todd will be Campbell most likely. Again, the Roos pair will have their hands full not just in the ruck contests but also around the ground. I can see that they will be in a very defensive mode against the Max and Luke show. Now for the forwards……. (again) The good; we kicked a winning score last week. The bad; The game was too short…. I was enjoying it so much I wanted it to continue The ugly; Fritsch’s wet hair….. it almost looked natural. What I like about the present players/structure in the forward 50 is that it makes us so very unpredictable and hard to defend against and I think that will be a big worry for North. It would be tempting for the selectors to bring Brown of the ‘B’ variety into the team to play against his old team, but they may decide that there is no need and that we do not need any distraction in attack. Love that TMac has re-discovered his old form and making selection an automatic for himself. I predict a big win for the Dees. 10 goals. I looked over the North team and their stats in recent matches and it would be the biggest upset in many a season if they got up in this one. The bandwagon, that has been christened “The Bathwater Express” is purring along like a 70’s muscle car. The big 351 throbbing with latent power just waiting to be opened up on the straight. Might have to do a bit of adjustment along the way to get it to handle the corners and tricky bits. Seats are filling fast.

Loving this.... problem is it is so good I am forgetting to drink.....

Good team play. We are asking the questions of Richmond and they are not finding any answers. Will be interesting to see how each team resets in the second half....

Richmond asked us a few big questions in that quarter and we had the answers. We will get to ask a few questions of our own before this game is done.....

Game starts at 11.25 am my time and I will be watching.... Too early for a drink or 7?

It is a great game to get. a real feature of our fixture calendar. I cannot help but smile at this season's ANZAC day 'blockbuster' with 14th Vs. 16th on the ladder and little hope of either making the finals.

The game this weekend will not make or break our season. We will either be 6-0 or 5-1 with more than 2/3 of the season to come. Make no mistake, I want us to win and believe we have the players and game to do so. However, win or lose, I will be most interested in our team/players reaction to the result. After the game is done and dusted, I want the players and coaches to do what they appear to have been doing all season so far. Turn our attention immediately to the fixture next week and prepare fully and properly. No matter who we have coming up. So far this season we have met every challenge by ensuring we are ready when the ball is bounced. I want the same thing each week.

True that.

There has been a lot of talk over many years about our lack of ability to develop our young players. However, I found it interesting that at the first bounce on Sunday we had Petracca, Oliver and Kossie at Max's feet while Hawthorn had Mitchell, O'Meara and Wingard in the center square. Our three have all been developed in house via the draft and the Hawk's three were all imported as mostly finished articles from other clubs. It has to be recognised that we have had access to a lot more early draft picks than Hawks. having said that, out talent spotting has been very good in the drafts. Kossie and Oliver were considered as 'brave' picks. Petracca fell into our laps because of the Saints preference for a forward. In defence it is different. We have an imported defence with Hibberd, Lever, Tomlinson and May. !7 of last week's team of 23 came to us through the draft and been developed in-house. Given the way we are travelling, our development of mids is very good but it seems we need to import key defenders. In all other areas of the ground except for the wings we have developed our players very well over the last 5 years or so. Maybe with Yze and Williams joining Goodwin they have all added some polish to the almost finished goods.

Would love to be a fly on the wall during the selection meeting this week. First name confirmed will be Jones, and deservedly so. Has been great for the club in difficult times and I think the role he has played in mentoring a number of young players has been tremendous. His influence on this list will be felt for many seasons. May in for Petty if he is 100%. don't risk him and leave Petty in place if there is any doubt. I don't think Fritsch will be ready for this week. Wiedeman in for M Brown and B Brown to have another run at Casey to get him in trim to face the Roos. The only other change that I can see might happen is that we may rest Jordon if it is required. Swap Sparrow in and have Jordon as Sub.