Doggo

For those interested only xxl left in the home tops, they do have some away ones left in other sizes. Bit dissapointed I was hoping to get an xl in the home style but bad luck I guess

Thanks for that. XXL... my size, perfect!

Anyone know if they've got any more of the $79 'defect jumpers' at the Demon Shop?

He can hold it down. And it would diminish his value for him to play on a flank.

I would prefer he mitigate and run off one the 'focal points' then be placed on a flank and have some Dunn-equivalent shadow him around and negate his influence.

There are plusses in not 'freeing up' players.

Exactly!

I reckon Garlo is much, much stronger than his light frame and wiry build would suggest. He's got great balance and uses his body and reads the ball exceptionally well in flight. This, along with his leap and long arms, means he is able to play taller than his listed 191cm, IMO. In response to the OP, i voted Yes. He mightn't look like a genuine KPD, and when you consider that his speed, ball-use and run-and-carry are all above what you'd expect from your average key defender, it is easy to argue that he might be better suited up the ground 'freed up', or on the 4th or 5th mid-small forward, like Jack Grimes' role.

Whilst he has shown he can be a pretty good attacking rebounder, as well as a third-man up 'Rivers type'; his best role IMO is as an accountable defender, who can attack and attack well when it's his turn, but whose primary role is shutting down the oppositions 2nd best forward, whether tall or small. Garland's as accountable and disciplined a backman as i've pretty much ever seen at Melbourne. It's not very often you see his man getting easy touches or easy marks on the lead; he always seems to be right on their hammer. He's just never loose! Yet, he still knows how to push up the ground and attack when needed, and is a reliable decision-maker with the ball in hand. This discipline, coupled with great athleticism and aerial ability to mark or spoil, are his best attributes in my opinion and make him invaluable in shutting down lead-up talls. He's wasted on the 4th-5th forward IMO.

When considering some of the potential match-ups with other teams forwards in 2011, i feel more than comfortable in the knowledge that Garland could play on most, if not all, opposition forwards in the league. There aren't too many talls (or smalls) out there i wouldn't back Col a chance against, especially after you factor Frawley into the match-ups.

I'd like to see a change to the name of the "Rookie List" and "Rookie Draft" to something different in the next couple of years, with the new mature-age rules. Mature-aged recruits like Robbie Campbell or Brad Miller at Richmond shouldn't really be referred to as rookies (in the true sense of the word), when they are among the most experienced players at their respective clubs. Perhaps a return to the old "Supplementary List" naming and a "Supplementary Draft" might be more fitting?

When the rookie list was invented, it was intended to be a place outside the senior list for clubs to draft and develop smokey picks aged under 21 (i think but happy to be corrected?) who had no prior experience at AFL level. Now that there is no age or games-played limit on the RL the word "rookie" doesn't really apply.

i don't think that the dees' will have the breakout year that we all are seeming to expect and or wanting, although don't get me wrong i hope to god we win the premiership.

But i think we will have a 10 or so wins year, and then the year after will be the charge.

I reiterate that would love for a better year than i expect, but i feel around the 9-11 wins will be where we land.

My thoughts exactly.

It's on the AFL home page

What odds Sylvia?

Glad to read Blease is finally up and running at full speed. Here's hoping with a full preseason he can launch into the NAB cup and maybe push for round 1 selection.

^ Green missed AA selection in 2010. He did win the B&F though.

Maximum Gawn

Love it!

James Strauss will be whipped more often than not aswell I think.

Unfortunately agree with this. Hope he can stand up next year, but has a lot of work to do.

Our players will hit the holy spirits.

LOL !!!

If we aren't placed 11th or higher (around the bottom half of the 8 or just outside) on the ladder for the majority of the season, Dean Bailey.

I think whoever fills the much-discussed 2nd ruck/forward possie will continue to cop it- Robbie Campbell, if he plays and doesn't return to pre-2009 form or learn how to take a grab inside 50, Martin, Spencer, perhaps Newton- I feel will all be critised at some point in the season for not being able to provide a scoring target while resting up forward.

Jack Watts will also be under greater scrutiny to deliver, if not from Melbourne supporters, then from the wider football community.

I'm having trouble understanding what makes people think Campbell can play forward pocket/2nd ruck role forward any better than the options we already have on the list? He hasn't shown any form as a forward in his career at AFL level.

I'll say it again... 25 goals from 116 games, the majority of which were played as his sides premier ruckman (the "he played back" argument doesn't cut it for mine). To put that into perspective, PJ kicked 20 goals from 68 games, Newton 30 goals from 25 games.

He's a good 'pure' ruckman type, peanuts as a forward though...

Tbh i would have preferred Hale (eew i feel dirty), as at least we know he can play as a marking forward at least adequately (or at least his goal average suggests so).

As far as a low risk insurance policy for Jamar i'm wrapped with the pick. Just don't see how both he and Jamar will play in the same side, ever.

Here's hoping Martin can recapture some of that form and potential he showed earlier in his career and really step up next year as the 2nd ruck/forward option, or even (more likely) as a defender who can chop Jamar out in the ruck.

More of a forward than Fetta

And is quick too

We have an All-Australian ruckman and some want to turn him into a FP in lieu of a VFL ruckman?

Get real.

He will be in the running to play the backup/FP role like Spencer and Martin and good luck to him.

He is the same height as PJ but at unlike Paul - he is aware of his height.

Don't know who said that. I just think Campbell is better suited to playing #1 ruck than he would be playing that FP/2nd ruck position. Problem is he's been no good up forward- 26 goals from 116 games. Yes he's a better mark and more physical than PJ, but he has shown little to no ability to play forward at Hawthorn, so what makes us think he can play that backup ruck/forward role now? Replacing PJ with a PJ equivalent (as a forward), really.

Jamar has shown a real ability to take contested marks up forward. I prefer him in the ruck where he is excellent, but if we're going to play them both, i know i'd prefer Jamar up forward to Campbell. Robbing Peter to pay Paul perhaps, but Campbell does represent an upgrade on PJ in terms of rucking ability.

It isnt hard for a ruckman to fill the hole in the backline. Stand 30 metres out, and get back to defend the long ball, and just clog space when the ball is 80m out. Quite simple, really.

More common back in the 90's early 2000's, but hasn't been used much in the AFL in recent times. The problem with playing a ruckman behind the play and filling the defensive hole is that they can be quite easy to work off of; teams no longer bomb it long like they used to and ruckman generally aren't great at defending forwards on the lead; and it also allows a loose player for the opposition up the other end. Now this wouldn't be a problem if every club was using their ruckman to fill the hole, but when you've got Campbell filling the hole at our defensive end and the opposition are filling the hole at the other end with attacking 'loose' players like Hodge, Goddard/Sam Gilbert or Heath Shaw/Maxwell, etc, it's easy to know who's loose man is going to win out and have more influence on the game.

Not as simple as it seems...

With the interchange changes maybe a few more teams might like playing 2nd ruck up forward. He could then play as a defender on them. Wouldn't be a definite for each game but could work out well depending on match ups.

I'd prefer to play Stef Martin in the backline ahead of Robbie Campbell.

Robbie plays as #1 ruck, or he doesn't play at all. All this "but he can play back" talk is non-sense IMO. We have a very settled backline and he would be at least 6th or 7th in line for a tall defender spot, so no need to play Robbie there just so that we can have 2 rucks in the side. And to be honest, he wasn't great as a KP back at Hawthorn anyway. He made his name as a full-time ruckman, and that's what he's good for. What we really needed was a ruckman who can play forward! Robbie is not that.

Whether Jamar can make the transition from full-time #1 ruck to mostly full-time forward/2nd ruck, will determine the amount of games Campbell plays for us. Campbell allows us the opportunity to try Jamar forward more, but Jamar has just come good as a ruckman and at this stage i'd prefer to see him play on-ball mostly. Campbell is not a forward option, and is behind Martin as a key defender / 'backline' ruckman.

Having said all this, if the FD think they can make a Jamar/Campbell duo work in footy's current climate, i respect that and hope they can prove me wrong. But just my 2 cents, i'm not sure it'll work.

How could i forget Beamer?! And Sylvia's close too... Haven't seen enough of Tapscott to make an informed comment on his kicking distance though.

We can now rest a ruckmen forward or back. Makes good sense to me (on paper at least)

Except that ruckman don't get a "rest" playing back, unless they are playing as the loose man, which is a role normally played by faster, more agile and skillful running players.

I like Robbie as a player and had rated him a top class tap ruckman pre-retirement. He is a great backup for Jamar, and is an upgrade on Paul Johnson in terms of rucking and marking ability.

However, i don't think there is room for both he and Jamar in the team unless Jamar is going to spend majority time in the forward line (which i see as doubtful).

Campbell is that #1 ruckman type player, much like Spencer. A specialist ruckman. He's either going to be on the ball or resting on the pine, rather than in the forward pocket. I know he can/has played back, but he would be rated 5th or 6th option for tall defender. Which means that the only way we're going to see him play any footy in 2011 is if Jamar gets injured. Would be nice if he could play as that marking forward-line ruckman, which is what we wanted from Hale, but history shows us that he has not been capable of doing so, and therefore is about as much use as a player as PJ was on the list IMO.

Pretty good insurance, and will replace PJ at Casey well, but don't expect to see him play unless Jamar gets hurt.

Looking forward to seeing this kid at Casey next year. Has an absolute weapon of a boot, roosts it 60 effortlessly. We haven't had anyone else on the list capable of that, except maybe Dunn, since the departure of Wheatley.

FWIW, i used to rate Campbell as a #1 ruck type when he was at the Hawks, but his credentials as a resting key forward aren't great... 25 goals from 116 games is actually much worse than PJ's record (20 goals from 69 games).

I've seen BennytheJet play. Reckon you might have given Nicholson a run for his money.

Gun!