Damo

So much for the academics. I want to keep Bruce Green Jones and Rivers. Im jack of giving up proven players for a punt. We are not that good at it. I want the club to look hard at winning 8 or more games next year. Im happy to go all out and try towin each game this year by playing players whose goal is to try their damnedest. Farck off those who wont go hard and run hard to create options.(Bruce and Green do this) The gossamer hope of increasing the year end pick is not the jackpot it is made up to be. For every Buddy there is a dud. I want them to be searching the horizon to make sure we are in business in five years time. I dont believe Stynes will be any better than PG without a big injection of luck or hidden treasure. Thats the object of my desire, even though I sound like I accept little reward. It is a pragmatic approach. You have to be in it to win it and I will refuse to go if I think handbrake harry is pulling the rein.

Bell has had 6 years hasnt he? Jeff White dissipates team fervour to win IMO and is more a negative than a positive now. Jamar has no smarts but is honest. Id keep Yze in for this week, as it isnt fair to have one week in and it is a stage he can command. Chris Johnson now justs makes me ill to think how well I figured he would go. If I had a whole nother lifetime I could spend it waiting for CJ and Bell to come good.

Jeff White should not be let off yesterdays pitiful effort. When the ball was marked on the wing, he was not prepared to go forward and contest, he would many times run to space behind the ball and demand a soft kick. He tries to make sure he is not in a position to contest in any manner. If he was a decent kick for goal(at least 50 metres) I wouldnt mind so much but all he is guided by is getting cheap possessions. With Dutchy injured (I cant stand the thought Bailey didnt need him) White needed to use his run to create an option. I dont think any of the players on the field can respect White any more. It isnt right that courageous older players like Carroll and Holland may be shelved when Jeff gets off scot free.

Well said.

I note Bell still seems to be going through a bit of a slump... No midfield, No forwards, I have no faith in garland and Warnock(I hope Im wrong). With really average up and coming ruckstocks , Jeff White just doesnt seem interested. I also have to contend with a 6 year old who only gets to go when we fail miserably. Like the Fat Lady, He sang before quarter time that we should just give up and go home. Not even a "giant Hand" would do the trick. Unfortunately there was nothing to wave it at... I am now firmly in the Rich not Natanui camp. It is cold comfort.

I remember Ferguson's first game. I thought he was going to be a star....

Moloney's turnovers were crucial. he is getting better but he kicks long either to a contest or to the opposition. He is not a smart footballer as it seems the ball goes exactly where he wants it to. He has a problem in always kicking 50 metres. Maybe he doesnt trust himself to kick short. Or maybe he doesnt look for a 30 metre option. He needs to Drop his eyes. One wonders if the opposition are happy to let him possess the ball. I dont think Bate has played a better game. he made every possible contest.

Fun Boy Three "The Lunatics are taking over the Asylum".

OK. You are dogged. I disagree. Its absolute bollocks that PJ, whom I really like, could have been a better bet in the back line than Carroll. PJ isnt a defender. Hows that?

Thanks for that. Blind faith isnt enough for me. I compare him because Carroll can play football. And I disagree with your view of Bell. He does not always take a small defender.he takes a mid sized forward in my view. I realise you will not let a criticism of Bailey slip through without a dig, good natured or not. But the decisions the coach make dont sit as well with me as they do with you. I believe the reason we won last week was because he allowed the players to trust their own judgement after half time and just play football. He was indignant at games end because his master plan was shown to be the sham I believe it is. I believe he didnt want to win today and one way to ensure this was to cut Carroll. i wouldnt have been so peeved if Carroll didnt travel to Footy park and wasnt available. I feel sorry for those members who went today and the self satisfied defense of our "tactics" in playing duds and trust in the mastermind coach get so far up my frock I fair dinkum dispair!

I absolutely disagree. You put your best team on the park each week and Nathan Carroll should be one of the first picked. What confidence does it give any footballer (or supporter)to see Carroll dropped for NO reason? There is no communication from the club just speculation from trusting supporters. To have Rivers injured yet again and to play Bell while dropping Carroll is bad coaching. This total trust in bailey has hairs on it for mine.

Anybody know if the game is being covered on a radio station?

I thought he should have been picked up 2 years ago. He is the player I watch when Ive been at Sandy. I am no expert (lucky we have a few on this board) but Im tipping all those negative know it alls will be damning him with faint praise when he picks up 20+ possessions within in his first few games. Most will ask why has it taken so long. While no Nathan Jones (and isnt it interesting that he gets a gig after Jones is tagged) I can see him not looking back if he is given a bit of a go in the middle. Good luck Shane!

I would have thought you would have been prepared to deal chook. To get a marquee player you have to give a lot.

Good Question. I was thinking about this myself. I scorned those that said Judd could leave last year and ate my words. But I think you have to look at players that genuinely are a chance of leaving their respective clubs therefore I would say Ablett, and Franklin are not on the market. I would give number one pick (and plus)for Brown Chad Cornes or Pavlich. I think they are gettable as well. I dont think the doggies Griffin is available but i would give 1+ for him as well. I would give a high first round for Glass Reiwoldt Simon Black, Rutten O'Keeke Minson(prob cant get him) or Fev. What about Hawks Hodge?they must be tight for salary cap.. I would give a second round pick for Haselby even though he is injured and we have one(brock). I just think he has a lot left in the tank at 25 and can be had. Ive watched his career and he hasnt had much of a go. Could be great.

I dont think Jamar should be compared so closely with Johnson This is like comparing Steve ODwyer with Jimma. They are different players. One is a crash and bash ruckman and the other is a tall skilled player who hasnt been great above his shoulders because he lacks the bang-bangs (a term used by a horse trainer to decribe Damien Olivers reluctance after a bad accident, to mix it with the up and coming jockeys who threw caution to the wind). There is no way PJ would have attacked Frankenstein like Jamar. At the same time Jamar would not be able to run and deliver the footy in a very acceptable manner. PJ can and does. He can contest the ruck moderately as well. I reckon it is maybe Jeff White who must keep pushing himself out of his comfort zone. He did last weekend IMO. Others look at stats and say he didnt. It will depend on the Crows lineup, playing the youngsters and matchups. But if PJ and Jamar are both doing what was required to stay in the team, who says one of them must make way?

In the paper it reported that Before half time some bookies were offering 95 - 1. Then they stopped taking bets on Freo because it was such a sure thing. If true and you spoke to a bookie you may have asked for well over 200 to 1.

I think Wheatley has had a great couple of weeks. I thought he was nearly the only one to hold his head up at half time. Im not a fan because I think he has snuck under the radar that has targeted travis yze green and godders. He has been ineffectual and compromising. Im a fan of good skills and hard work and thats what he is showing. His long kicking to the wing was on display for the second week in a row.. I hope he keeps it up. He has gone from lost hope to a maybe for mine. If he plays to my lost expectations this year it will be due to the coach. Nuhh. Ive just read this crap. Hes no good and wont make it.

Not far away. But who believes anything Dwayne says?

I think moloney has absolutely no place in the team. he got lucky late in the game. Iwould much prefer Yze forward or valenti onball. I do agree with you on White. I thought we wouldnt have won without his first and second efforts. I also saw Wheatley play the best game Ive seen from him.

It is a bitter pill we swallow holding our hands over the flame that is the Melbourne Football Club. The candle flickers in its tatty glory for me. I wonder if when it spits and dies if I will be gutted or emancipated. Rage, rage against the dying of the light..

I see improvement in Robbo working up the ground and we need White to accept change in his game. It is arguable if this can be achieved. But we are better with him until PJ can cope with 100 minutes in the ruck. They are not great leaps forward but you do yourself no favours by proposing mayhem. The graduations in change that may be coming through are hard enough to bear without chopping all class players.

Fai dinkum you two.... Whats the point of being a grumpy old man at any given opportunity?

Very diplomatic...

But not a bad question. i wonder if Griffen would be available for the number one pick? It would certainly win over my six year old who has ominously told me he doesnt need a new footy jumper.