godees

I was just saying it was possible, as deanox was suggesting it was not. I don't think we should do it.

Also I'm pretty sure (although i have no firm evidence to back this up), that the so called 'heffernan rule' does not exist, and so any player, including the 6 who recently signed, can be traded IF THEY AGREE TO IT.

can people stop saying carol will be delisted. he is contracted for next year.

They can still delist him - they would just have to pay out his contract.

Just go into some pub or sports bar with heaps of screens and ask them to put it on one for you.

Thanks for the updates DA. Keep them up

I missed it but my friend who i was watching the game with said he is now jogging

How about giving us one Friday night game all year, that happens to be live against the gate and falls on the same night of the Olympic opening ceremony. A big thank you to the AFL for that boom game and the thousands of $$$ we will reap from the gate .

I'm surprised that more hasn't been made of this. We have one (? can't remember another) home night game this year on free to air (good expoaure and crowd) and it is live to the gate on Olympics opening night! Seriously thi sis unbeliveiable. Can't they give us a break for once....

Just read Lovell's report...ben holland 9 contested marks! There's no stopping the dukes

the worry for everyone on demonland should be this...

if we pick up Watts, we are certainly picking up a player based on our dire need for a KPP and not on best available talent.

Not true - the geelong recruiting manager, who built their premiership team, was asked during the U18 champs who he would choose if he had the first draft pick and he didn't hesitate in saying Watts. Just because Rich is a better footballer NOW doesn't mean he is best available...maybe watts has more room for improvement, potential.

I'm not a huge fan of discussing trades at this stage of the season but I think it might be worth offering him around and see what offers we can get in trade week. He, now, seems to be surplus to our needs and is one of our few expendable players who might have some value (given he is very young, was selected 12th in a very highly rated draft, and does have good physical attributes and potential to develop into a good player).

Ash you forgot Miller in our tall forward stocks. He just turned 25 so has a lot left in him. Which makes Miller, Newton, Bate and ideally Watts. If we draft Watts I think we will be alright up forward.

My ideal scenario post-season would be getting Watts, Warnock and a classy speedy midfielder with our second pick. If that eventuates we will be pretty well covered across the board with quality youngsters (or at the very least highly rated with plenty of potential).

Spine spine spine...essendon's biggest problem is not there. Their midfield looks very average to me. Their current spine is flattering the performance of their midfeld. We definitely have them covered there as well as in defence into the future.

Not worried about essendon at all.

Retirements - Neitz, finalised

--------------- Yze he must have recognised the games too quick for him now.

--------------- Holland writings very much on the walls

--------------- White I hope he's decided to go so we can give him a good farewell.

--------------- McDonald not sure yet, but with Green & Miller stepping up as leaders & McLean, maybe don't need Junior so much.

McDonald won't/shouldn't retire. the rest...yeah probably

Anyone who wants to trade Green is stupid. Full-stop!

And as btdemon said - you have decided you want to trade anyone going well. Although, I do understand where you are coming from with Jones, he is young, committed and we can work around his deficiencies IMO.

And I think a lot of people on this forum have no understanding of how trading works. It's highly unlikely we will be involved in more than one or two trades in a normal year. This year, with a very good batch of U18s and GC17 coming in next year to plunder the draft in 09, clubs are going to be very very reluctant to trade.

can't we just make a forum rule that anyone who starts a discussion about trades gets an automatic week ban?

Yes please. Roost it can get a ban first for being stupid. Did anyone else play that game with their younger siblings when they were annoying you - "see how long you can go without saying anything. I'll time you". He/she might fall for it.

Anyone who doesn't have martin and garland in their top 6 didn't watch the same game as me.

I think it was leigh brown - pick 5.

That was a massive joke. Freo were losing White even if he didn't go to melbourne. There is no way they should hav got that pick.

Even though we have improved significantly from the start of the year (particularly since the 2nd hawks game), we are developing quite a list of injuries. I can't see us winning too many without Robbo, Rivers, Moloney, McLean etc. But as long as we are competitive and make sure the opposition have to fight really hard for it, I'll be reasonably happy.

That's interesting news Eastie. I am really happy to hear that. As much as NN could be a great player, he is a risk and we are desperate for tall forwards. From the reports I have read about Watts, he sounds very promising and is apparently a good contested mark! Also he is bottom-aged. Obviously, its best to pick the best available at no.1 but if Watts is rated the best available by us I would be stoked. Add Warnock in the pre-season draft/trade and we are looking well covered all over the ground with youngsters.

This game is going to be a must watch.

I was fuming. There is not much that can get me as fired up as poor umpiring. How was the holding the ball to O'Keefe? against CJ at the top of the swans 50 in the first quarter. Prior opportunity?

Funny you didn't include Green in your top 6. I thought he was our best. Showed some of his teammates a thing or two about hitting a target (including inside 50). Closely followed by Bate and CJ. I wasn't at the game though.

My votes

6 - Green

5 - Bate

4 - CJ

3 - Dunn

2 - PJ

1 - Garland

Whelan assuming the reason he didn't play for sandy last week (on sat) was because he was the emergency for the seniors (on sun)

What is the deal with Rivers? I think they said one week at the time of the injury so he may be in contention this week. Although, I suspect they will be ultra cautious with him.

Bring Whelan in.

I think a lot of people really underrate how good TJ was for us. He wasn't traded because of what he did on the field, but what he did off. Having said that, I do believe he under achieved with us.

He is NO BETTER at Brisbane. I don't know where this belief is coming from but TJ has had some good games, some match winning games, and some bad games this year...exactly what he did with us. There is no majical 'mathews factor'.

I'm not surprised about the Swans. I live in sydney (moved from melb 3 years ago) and a lot of people follow the swans (as in at least watch their games when on tv, know players etc). It has really caught on up here and I think even though the swans play ugly football at times, they are the perfect team to have up here because they are successful and so dependable (ie. consistent). They don't disillusion their supporters with pathetic performances, like some other teams (!!!!). AFL also gets more free to air coverage (sat arvo, sun arvo, and fri/sat night if swans play then) here than NRL (fri night, sun arvo) and super 14s (fox). Its probably pretty similar to the way soccer has gone off since the a league and the world cup. Unless you are so die-hard AFL that you feel you are betraying it by supporting the other code, most people have an interest in the a league and socceroos.

But then again, no one really cares that much about sport in sydney.