Doggo

6. Frawley - answered the Riewoldt v Frawley question emphatically. 5. Dunn - has well and truly arrived! 4. Jurrah - straighter kicking and he would have been BOG (kicked 4.4, should have had at least 6 or 7) 3. Davey - the cream of the crop 2. Green - my favourite for a much deserved B&F award... 1. Scully - easy to forget he's just 18

I'll have a crack. My fully-fit best 22 (squad of 25) as at end of R18 2010. B: 32 Bruce, 8 Frawley, 27 Rivers HB: 10 Morton, 20 Garland, 16 Grimes C: 12 Sylvia, 23 McDonald ©, 31 Scully HF: 36 Davey, 4 Watts, 18 Green F: 15 Petterd, 24 Jurrah, 33 Wonaeamirri Fol: 40 Jamar, 22 Moloney, 13 McKenzie Int: 14 Dunn, 9 Trengove, 3 Bartram, 6 Bate (Emg:- 43 Bennell, 28 MacDonald, 2 Jones) Warnock, Johnson, Bail, just miss out on the squad. Bate is very lucky to be in the side ahead of the likes of Jones, MacDonald, Bennell etc, but IMO he is clearly best 22 and is just struggling for form atm. He'll bounce back; I've no doubt. Bennell misses out purely because i have a Wona bias, as well as the good form of Dunn keeping him out. Forgot anyone?

Played really well today and deserves to keep his spot, but likely to make way for one of McDonald/Moloney/Trengove you'd think.

If we're going purely on numbers, Rockliff has got them all... 280 disposals and 3 goals from 13 games (20+ on 9 occasions), 21.5 dispoal average (more than all of scu/tren/hann). His worst games have been 9, 14, 17 and 18 disposals. All of his other games have been over 20. Yeah he plays a fair bit of footy off halk back, but numbers like that (and the quality with which he uses the ball) should have him right up there IMO. Grimes-esque...

H - we can agree to disagree. HT - No joke here mate. I really rate the kid, and i was one of those who were sceptical of him pre-drafting. Something about an "undersized marking forward with limited pace/athleticism but natural footy nous"... that didn't sound completely appealing. I felt he might not be able to produce his junior form against men. What he's turned out to be this year has really surprised me after playing just the one match last year. I've seen a lot of Brisbane games this season (one of my best mates is an old 'Roys supporter, we watch a bit of footy together), and there is a LOT to like about Rockliff. Although not quick, he reads the play quicker than everyone else, is a strong mark, great evasive ability, and has, whilst not elite at this stage, very very good disposal. Yes, playing off-half back can inflate stats somewhat, but he has also spent some time in the guts and been equally impressive in there. To me, he is the Brisbane Lions' list equivalent to Jack Grimes. If he were a Demon and had performed the same way for us, there's a fair chance the majority here would be all over him ahead of Trengove for the RS.

Gotta be Rockliff for me. He's been phenomenal this season, and if he were in red and blue, no doubt everyone here would be talking him up. Statistically, he is the most prolific ball-winner of the young midfielders eligible this year also. 1. Rockliff 2. Trengove 3. Hannebery 4. Bastinac 5. Stratton Scully's outside top 5 at this stage IMO. I love the kid and this is no way intended as a dig at him, but if you think he's been better than Rockliff, Hannebery, Trenners, Bastinac, etc... take off the rose coloured glasses! I've no doubt the kid is going to be an absolute jet, but compare his year to some of the other blokes he's coming up against and it just doesn't stack up in terms of impact/effectiveness. Not to say he won't be a better player than those guys, eventually, but this year he's still raw as sashimi, IMO.

Jamar 3 goals up forward. Melbourne by 39 points.

Maybe it's because we're in Melbourne, but i'm astounded that Brisbane's Tom Rockliff isn't mentioned in Rising Star discussions more often!? He's been UNBELIEVABLE this year, and looks like a real gem of a player. He's not quick nor overly athletic, but he just knocks up getting the footy, uses it well, knows how to find the goals and brings his teammates into the game. In the month prior to his nomination (last week), he had averaged just under 28 touches per game, and is averaging around 22 from his 11 matches in 2010. For a 19 year old who wasn't picked up until the rookie draft and only played the 1 game last year, that really is great going. He's right up there with Hannebery, Trenners, Martin (if he was eligible), Scully, and early leader NikNat (who's nowhere to be seen these days). I'd love Trenners to win it, but i honestly think Rockliff will take it out at this stage.

Pretty sure he meant Jones + 3rd rounder for Boak. Typo, right?

A few months ago I heard from someone within the club that Stef, as well as being injured, was apparently going thru a particularly messy relationship breakdown, and that the club had given him some time off while he was injured to clear his head up. Just passing on what's been told to me. I actually don't know if this is 100% true (although the person who told me wouldn't have any reason to lie i guess), but if it were true, i think it might explain a lot.

On average, once a month. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I find the more dedicated i am to posting on 'Land, the less dedicated i am to the things that actually matter in my life (education, work, social life etc)! I do like to jump on once in a while to read some news and stay up to date with what's happening at the club, but i rarely post anymore. It's just too involved.

I think pre-match preparations more than anything come down to the individual. Some players will be all jokes and chirpy, hyperactive, restless and bouncing around, as their own way of settling their nerves or even focusing their energy. Others may be the stern-faced quiet types. Some love a good yell and rev up or barging into a few bodies and slapping a few heads (and bums) to get the adrenaline pumping. It all comes down to the individual personality of each player. As long as the collective vibe is one that is positive and revved up, or 'switched on', things are fine. If as the OP suggests, the collective vibe is lackadaisical, then the leaders and the coaching dept need to review those preparations. And although it would be nice to have nothing but 22 stern 'switched-on' looking players with that cut-throat look in their eyes, week-in week-out... they're footballers (i.e people), not robots (unfortunately). Although as professional athletes, i reckon they should be as close to robots as humanly possible!

Nice little article with a couple of interesting midfield stats and lots of well-earned praise for Beamer and Russian.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/96416/default.aspx "THE TWO STANDOUT performers from Monday’s game against Collingwood were undoubtedly Mark Jamar and Brent Moloney, with both players reaching career-best disposal figures. But when you drill down even further into the statistics, it becomes clear that individually they have been brilliant in 2010, and even more so as a ruck-midfielder combination."

Jacobs has definitely looked the better prospect of he and R. Warnock this year, and is also keeping Hampson, who has shown promise in the past, out of the team. Well worth a look, but at what price, i'm not sure. Carlton would certainly be wanting more than we'd be willing to give. Not sure they'd deal him, and almost would be more likely to put Warnock on the table in order to handball his unreasonably large contract to another club.

+1

Massive FACEPALM.

I'd take Vickery for a 1st rounder for sure, but no way Richmond would let him go. He's yet to show much at senior level, but he's got an amazing amount of potential (there's that word again) being an elite junior and having great mobility for his size. From that list i wouldn't mind a Stanley or Hampson, but a 1st round pick for those players is far too high a price.

Does anyone who saw the game know who Dunn's opponents were for the day?

I don't mind it, actually prefer it to the red one, which to me looks nothing more than a training top. Either way i don't really care to be honest. We, along with almost every other club have to wear one every now and then. Big deal.

Well done to Gys! I'm glad he got it, and love that once again our kids are right up there in the award... But how stiff must Tom Rockliff (and Lions supporters) be feeling? He's had 30 and 29 disposals in the last two weeks, surely he would have to be next?

Care to elaborate? He's #1 at the club for clearances (67) and contested possesions (92), and #2 for tackles (56) from 11 matches this season. Those are elite numbers for a first-dibs, inside midfielder. Might suggest that his output in heavy traffic isn't as bad as some might think? The main criticisms i have had of Brent in his career thus far have been his inability to apply enough defensive "chase-pressure" at times, which can sometimes make him look awfully slow and vulnerable in space; and his occasional propensity to just "kick the thing" long (although since the beginning of '09 this has improved markedly and he now regularly lowers his eyes rather than just blazing away). I'd have never thought his output in "heavy traffic" was of great concern. What is it exactly about this part of his game that concerns you? I'm really interested to hear your reasoning as i think Brent's work in traffic is probably best at the club (although he is soon to be usurped by the two young guns Scully and Gysberts).

Agree with this.

Saw Ryan Houlihan at the Physio on Thursday (my Physio works for Carlton, and there's always a couple of the Blue boys in there. Saw Yarran, Kane Lucas and the big Fev, who still goes to see them when in Melbourne, as i came out of the treatment room.) Houlihan looked really really proppy. Possibly a late change perhaps? Could still see Brock in action against his old side yet...