jabberwocky

Can't agree with that at all. Nugget is right the best midfielders can work in close with strength and be creative, but look just as at home recieving a handball using pace and good disposal to create scoring opportunity and when the go forward and score themselves. Ablett and Judd are the two hardest running, well rounded midfielders in the comp. Ablett is close to becoming the best midfielder I have ever seen and is the yardstick at the moment. Don't mistake Ableltt for an outside midfielder, he gets the footy in contested situations and somehow finds his way clear into space to deliver the footy a lot.

I think Bail for Bartram might happen but not quite yet.

Grimesy will be in as soon as he and the match committee thinks he is fit enough, very unlikely to see the 2's again after that unless it is a return from injury which we hope he won't have.

Add to that our inability to play four consistent quarters of football and our inability at times of the game to apply forward pressure when the game is in full flow. The panic that also sets in to our young players when we are under attack is also a worry. In many ways the four games we have played this season have been very similar efforts. Each result is merely reflective of the strength of the opposition. In three of these games we have faded badly. This needs to be a addressed whether it be a fitness issue, mental fatigue or more likely, a combination of the two.

Agreed, still can't see him on the smaller agile types. Needs more acceleration and agility IMO.

Bartram will keep his spot as it appears that he is favoured by the coach atm. He is the only one with the agility and turn of foot speed to stay with a Harvey etc and this is what keeps him in the side. It would be interesting if Rohal Bail could get a go doing the same job?? Has the running ability and may be better with the ball in his hands. McDonald and to a lesser extent Dunn don't have the leg speed to stay with a jet.

I am just taking a calculated guess but that tactic occurred just after Bruce said something tgo one of our young boys who had possession of the footy on the wing. Bruce was taken from the ground shortly after. My guess is that Bruce directed the team to slow it down and keep possession and Bailey agrees with everyone else in the world that it was far too early in the quarter to do, and he let Bruce know about it.

Sorry Mono, Its the player's responsibility to let the opposition rookie know that he doesn't belong out there, the pressure's too great, doesnt have the heart etc. If the opposition rookie lets this worry him too much then indeed he doesn't belong out there. Its not tiddlywinks, its dog eat dog out there. Its a process of natural selection. The rookie has a choice to go harder at the next contest............. or not. Rivers may as well have asked, "Well do yoyu really want to play AFL footy buddy?"

Have not been a fan but I thought he worked pretty hard today and chased and tackled. He provided a contest and importantly held most of his gettable marks. Many of the games I saw him play last year he got himself into a postion to win a marking contest and spilled the pill. Good to see him hold a few. Retains his spot but will need to keep working hard. He will need to keep working as he was probably pitted against one of the weaker back-lines in the comp today.

Jones has always had an ability to find the footy in the clinches and he is at a stage in his development where his decision making when in possession is improving rapidly. After his run of poor form last year he has done some mental reprogramming and is not running flat out towards our end of the ground everytime he takes possession. He is breaking tackles looking inside and bringing players into it. Even if he doesn't obtain a disposal his ability to force a contest ie a ball up when the ball is in dispute is unrivalled in our side. Probably our most important player along with Moloney in the clinches. I love his passion and his energy and his willingness to take the game on. You can feel his desire to impose himself on the footy game. Reminds me a little of Todd Viney with his strength around the stoppages.

6 davey 5 miller 4 mclean 3 jones 2 moloney 1 sylvia apologies to Martin and Frawley

That's tongue in cheek......surely??

Sydney pressure will do that to you. CJ looks good when he can play loose, unaccountable footy. Gets lots of it and uses it well. Does not cope well with stopping roles and physical pressure. This is why the first few years of his career were unsuccessful, he had to do his apprenticeship manning up players in the back half, didn't suit him. Players like him have a larger downside than upside IMO.

Yeah agreed Mono, I believe he was pretty close to getting a run too. I'll fire off an email to the club requesting that we be kept better informed. If people don't know it leads to all sorts of speculation, which is not good enough for members or the player himself. I don't think it will be long before we see him in a demon jumper. FWIW I have a good feeling that this guy will make an impression from game 1. He is a good young bloke too. I am going on record early and claiming him as my boy.

For those who have been wondering, Rohan Bail has had a quad injury and should be back in the VFL next week, if not the week after. That's from the man himself.

You are dead right but I see that you are a new poster. This topic has been done once or twice and has been known to polarise people (person). I look forward to seeing the responses.

Well picked up. Will attempt to find out and post reply.

I would say HT that any AFL who has played 50 games has shown something or they wouldn't get a game. I could pluck out some very ordinary names and post stats etc highlighting that these players had "shown something". Hell I think event Brent Grgic might have got a couple of votes once. The problem with these players is that they don't show it nearly enough and often find themselves superceded by players who might have less ability but show more application and consistency.

I understand your reckoning but i don't think that either team will line up anything like as named. I don't know that Bartram is the logical tag for Deledio, maybe for around the ground but not deep in our backline. If I was wallets I would play Deledio out of the goalsqaure if Bartram lines up on him. I have a feeling that Deledio would outmark Bartram comfortably playing out of full forward. I imagine Bowden will play his usual recieving/loose man role in order to straighten them up and improve thier skills around the ground. Richo as usual is the man I am most worried about. From memory he carved us up last time. I think Martin may go to him, maybe Frawley. Rivers will be there to lend a hand if Richo goes deep. I think we can win this game in close and in the clearances. Hopefully Meesen can get his hand to the ball more often than not. Believe it or not i think our forward line can stretch them as I don't rate thier backline at all. Miller and Bate may do ok.

I think Martin may play on Richo, the only one who has the athleticism and height to go with him. Look out for Warnock and Rivers to have big games. Rivers will help out whoever is on Richo when he drifts forward. Frawley to take Nathan Brown.

I have Deledio, stick with him, you may be sorry if u don't.

I too agree with Hannabal, but how can you say honestly that you do too? You have been the judge jury and excutioner of bailey for a while now. Have you now done an about-turn and are stating that you are going to give Bailey time when every post you make says the opposite. Pessimism and optimism are one thing, but to completely shut youself off to the positive is just plain blindness. The reality is -Not all of our players will develop regardless of the skills of the coach. -Not all coaching moves will work and 25 games into a coaching career with a young list there will be an amount of experimentation that will need to take place to establish a game plan and find where your playing staff fit into them Your calls for long kicking to a forward line that boasts few contest winners is ridiculous and antiquated. -Regardless of whether DB is the coach to take us to the next level he is attempting to put together a list and put games into the young guys for the LONG TERM IMPROVEMENT OF THE CLUB, not to establish himself a cosy little coaching career. This is his mandate, let him try and do it. -Most Melbourne supporters do not want to top up the list to see us maybe scrape into a couple of finals series and never be a shot at a flag!!!! -We have an opportunity to build a side almost from scratch in an attempt to take us to glory, not this year or next but a few years down the track. Will it work,....f$%%d if I know but now is the time to roll the dice and have a crack. I am fired up MO, its not personal, but I find your posts difficult to take sometimes and obviously I disagree. Please give the man a chance, if things look like they are going backwards by the end of the year then we all may need to reassess. He is 25 games into a coaching career with what was a poor list that is and has been severely depleted.

Absolutely agree, he is all at sea in marking contests, will never be a kpp or be able to be played as a tall. Not elusive enough to be a genuine crumber either.

Fair dinkum! You don't think that you might be the one with the blindness MO. You constantly attack our coach, our game plan and our players. You shut yourself off to any optimism and fail to recognise improvement. Your arguments are nearly always flawed, incorrect and always self serving. Open your mind up to what is really going on. Listen to the people that know something about footy and try and enjoy and embrace the new feeling at our football club. Try to enjoy watching your footy regardless of the result and don't close yourself off to improvements.

Mclean - Easily our best player when on the park last year. Currently struggling for touch and match fitness on return from a serious injury. Sylvia - Development has always been stagnant, regardless of the coach. Jones - Has started the year well after a tough season last year where he tried to do too much. Bell - Other than early in his career has stagnated regardless and is currently injured. May not be in our best 22 anyway. Moloney - Was hitting his straps last year till struck down by injury. Is playing his best footy and has added leadership qualities to his credentials. Bate - Is playing well and looking dangerous after struggling with injury, form and lack of opportunity. Dunn - Found a niche as a tagger last year after being on the fringe as largely an unsuccesful forward. Probably not in the best 22. Davey - Working harder and getting more footy than at any other time in his career. His new role is a revelation. Johnson - Appears to be struggling for fitness this year after cementing a spot in the 22 last year, his best year to date. Had hip surgery in the off season.