Doggo

Agree, although when i think about it, i probably didnt pick him as an obvious option because of a lack of pace. His ability to play outside of defensive 50 is a bit unknown. Might pick him up at stages, but wouldn't entrust "the job" on him.

Goodes will in my mind be 'tag-teamed' by a number of different opponents including guys like Garland, Grimes, Bail, perhaps even Dunn. Depending on where he is lining up on the ground and on rotations to keep them fresh. It's be a tough job for anyone to stay with Goodes for 4 quarters, and to have the overall size/speed/endurance package Goodes has as well, he's tough matchup. 2 Brownlows... Morton is one of the few who has the tank and overhead ability to do it, but there arent many on the list IMO. I don't believe Garland has the aerobic capacity to do the job for 4 quarters, and i wouldnt want to see him played as a tagger like that too often as i think he's better utilised in the defensive 50, BUT.. i'd just love to see Dean Bailey try it out in round 1 on Goodes. I think 4 qtrs in a full on, "follow him everywhere" tag, would be great for his development (JCB would love it, especially if they started on the wing). The Swans don't have any real tall forwards other than Goodes available with White out, so i think Rivers, MacDonald, perhaps Warnock is enough in the back. I think Garland has the size, leap, speed, and importantly, the potential to damage offensively with long kicking and strong marking to go with a disciplined, accountable style, to tag the big Goodes/Pavlich types when they push into the midfield. The only issue in my mind is endurance, although i'm no inside expert on the matter. Can anyone in the know here comment on whether he has the tank to have a go on Goodes, not just in defence, but in the midfield too?

Ugh. Complete overreaction.

To me Jetta is more of a true midfielder than Wona, Bennell or Maric for that matter. If Nev is to make it, it wont be as a crumbing forward. IMO Wona and Maric are the genuine forward pocket crumbers on the list, Bennell is the small swingman, and Neville is a midfielder who rotates through half forward. Maybe at this stage of his development he's vying against those 3 for a spot, but with more bulk i've no doubt he'll play the majority of his career in the guts. Wona IMO is the best field kicker at the club behind Aaron Davey, over short distances up to 35m. His passing is superb, right up in the elite bracket. I think he's got a lot of hard work to do to get back into the team, but he is arguably the most talented (although the least fit) player out of our small forward group. Wouldnt write him off just yet. Pretty sure the club rate him very highly also, just needs a bit of luck to go his way.

Premiers for '11: Geelong Spoon: Brisbane Brownlow: Dane Swan, Colin Sylvia Coleman: Buddy Franklin (100.66) Rising Star: David Swallow MOTY: Ricky Petterd (QB v Coll) GOTY: Travis Varcoe MFC Final Ladder position: 8th Wins: 11.5 (scrape into the 8 by half a game) Most goals for Demons: Liam Jurrah (74.38 from 21 games) Most tackles: Colin Sylvia Most marks: Jack Grimes Most handballs: Colin Sylvia Most kicks: Aaron Davey or Jack Grimes Most disposals: Colin Sylvia Most 1%'s: Jared Rivers Best first year player: I'm gonna go with a smokey here and say Michael Evans off the rookie list. Bluey: Colin Sylvia (1st), Jack Grimes (2nd), Aaron Davey & Liam Jurrah (Equal 3rd) Biggest crowd: 89,109 - Haw v Melb, 1st Elimination Final Worst Journo: Craig Hutchison Best Journo: Martin Flanagan Biggest news story for '11: QB Draw, again. Quote of the season: "He's a once-in-a-lifetime player, Liam is." (Dean Bailey press conference, after Liam Jurrah's 14 goal effort against Port Power in Darwin, Round 17) Here's a couple more... Best MFC Player at Casey B&F (Troy Broadbridge Award): Tom McNamara Most disposals in a match: Scully (41), Moloney (40) Most goals in a match: Liam Jurrah is gonna go bezerk one day and kick a huuuuge bag. I'm tipping it'll come against Port up in Darwin; a 14 goal massacre

Ahem... Dual-Premiership ruckman, Darren Jolly?

Nicholson's a bit stiff to be dropped, thought he was pretty good last week and was looking forward to seeing his run and carry live. Injured, or perhaps just rested? Good to see Howie and Cook get another chance to show their wares.

Great memories from that 1st match Rollo! It's been a few years now hasn't it? I'm about a million kegs heavier than when we first started these games. Unfortunately i won't be playing this year (or anytime soon). Battling some pretty bad chronic tendonitis in my left knee. Think this might be the end for this former Vin Catoggio Medalist's long and distinguished Demonland career, often marred by inconsistency, injuries, weight management and "off-field" issues...

James Strauss and Stef Martin are looking a lot bigger in the upper body. Good signs for 2011.

^ 5:23 in, Green answers a cheeky question about the captaincy...

He's not. Pretty handy ruckman though. And when did Jamar kick 6 against the Hawks?!

My side for Round 1: B: Bartram, Garland, Rivers HB: Grimes, Frawley, Morton C: Davey, Moloney, Scully HF: Petterd, Watts, Green © F: Dunn, Jurrah, Wonaeamirri Foll: Jamar, McKenzie, Sylvia Int: Trengove, Jones, MacDonald Sub: Bennell Emergencies: Campbell, Bate, Bail, Warnock That was pretty tough. Plenty of young names that I wanted to squeeze in, but i think this side is pretty close to what we'll see round 1, injury permitting.

Got the exact same bet on with my best mate for 2011, except it's $100 for whoever finishes higher at the end of the H&A season. Like you, couldnt shake his hand fast enough

BINGO!

Cheers. Glad others agree with me, i suppose. Unfortunately, it seems the more i post on DL, the less attention i tend give to my everyday life... It's just too involved! I'll be posting more regularly once the footy is back on, no doubt. Otherwise, i tend to do my best work in the wee hours of the morn, when insomnia strikes.

LOL

Hmmm.... So you rate Rivers as better suited to a Key Position Defender role, ahead of Garland, because Garland is better below the knees? If we made the Poll "Is Rivers a KPD?" surely he'd get even less votes than Garland, right? If Garland, who IMO has played most of his career as a KPD, isn't best suited to that role, (as yourself, daisycutter and others have insinuated), then isn't he too some sort of NQR (for want of a better term)? An undersized key tall back? (I'm putting words in your mouth here) but all of a sudden we've gone from having a pretty good, well-settled backline which has improved rapidly in terms of score against and losing margins since 08, to basically Frawley as our only non-NQR? Obviously everyone wants the PERFECT backline, but i believe we already have an accomplished, solid back 6. While there will be some minor changes here and there over the next few years, the core is strong and established. And the Garland/Frawley tall duo is it's centrepiece IMO. Good night.

Night matches perhaps the exception...

I tend to agree. They'll look cute on kids and the ladies. Might look and feel a bit lame on the more 'blokey-blokes' of this world...

Agree with this. Here's something to ponder... Would you prefer the current setup of Garland/Frawley as the FB/CHB with Rivers the 3rd tall? or Is Warnock/Frawley with Garland the 3rd tall (and Rivers out) preferable? If Warnock and Rivers aren't ideal in the same side together, then the above are basically our only two setup options when picking from a full list. Which do you guys prefer? I prefer the current setup, but that's because i rate Garland as a genuine tall back. If i didn't, i'd have Warnock in the side ahead of Rivers, with Garland 3rd tall.

In 20 or so years, these defect jumpers are going to be worth so much more than the non-defective ones. Buy a couple and keep them vaccuum packed. Will be well-worth it...

I get ya, was just using Warnock as an example of a genuine key defender in your definition. I'm hopeful that Warnock can return to his best form next year, though i tend to agree with your sentiment. He was playing more than just "ok" football at Casey and was really unlucky to not get back in. He finished 3rd in the Casey b&f despite playing 13 games for MFC. Late in the year he was in red hot form at Casey, getting a couple of really emphatic match-winning BOGs, but was kept out of the side by Garland. He's a handy player, is Warnock...

I think Chipper is better suited CHB, and Garland to playing deep on lead-up forwards. But they are both flexible enough to rotate when needed. Yep

I think if Warnock were in the best 22 ahead of Rivers, then you might then get your wish structure-wise. Garland slips into Rivers' 3rd tall spot, Warnock and Frawley are the 2 "genuine KPD", and Rivers is 3rd tall depth. When one of Warnock or Frawley goes down, Garlands fills in the key post and Rivers takes over Garland's place... Is that the type of setup you are envisioning DC? Just on Warnock. He really has slipped quite a lot from people's minds. After two top 5 B&F finishes, he goes from being one of the first picked in '08 and '09, to a fringe player in '10 and looking towards '11. I personally don't have Warnock in my best 22, but this is mainly because i believe that Garland really is a genuine key position (tall) defender, best suited to that role. Warnock IMO is actually really unlucky we have a player of the quality of Garland filling that 2nd key position defender role. Garland is effectively keeping Warnock out of the side; not because Warnock isn't good enough IMO, but because Garland is simply better. Warnock's not a bad player; he's strong, a good size, very fast and absolutely dominates VFL level, and is solid at AFL level. I'd go as far as to say that if Warnock were at say, Carlton or Hawthorn, he'd be their #1 defender. But Garland just seems to shade him in all areas as a FB/CHB.