whatwhat say what

yes, and it's not working as they've not cracked the 50k like they expected to do. they can moan and groan as much as they want, but they're behind their targets.

potentially a great get for revenue alone. doubt we'll be able to drive memberships like the hawks (and to a lesser extent the kangaroos) have, but money on the bottom line is money on the bottom line. would i rather play gc17 / gws at docklands or tio? tio, everytime. if anyone ever has the opportunity to go to an afl game up there, take it. it's a brilliant experience of watching footy.

Older demon and mjt on the money for mine. Fortunately my kids are too young to know any better, so they support the Dees just cos dad does. Fingers crossed we are successful sometime in the next decade, otherwise we'll lose yet more of what's already a dwindled supporter base. The Dees and the Dogs face the biggest challenges in the AFL to maintain a supporter base. The new franchises will ensure that the money that used to go to propping the likes of us, North and Port up instead will go to those two northern money pits. If the broadcast rights deal for 2017-2022 isn't another bonanza there'll be serious repercussions.

Unfortunately it's about where I expected us to be. Still, the opening round looms and who knows, we could be 6-3 and happy little campers heading into Round 10. Here's dreaming.

so watts is back in my dream team side i guess...

AFL Predictions: Brownlow Medal: Nathan Fyfe Coleman Medal: Buddy Franklin Rising Star: Brad Crouch Grand Finalists: Geelong V West Coast Premiers: Geelong Wooden Spoon: GWS Biggest AFL Story of the Year: It's already happened / is happening - the peptides / Essendon drug scandal The Biggest Improvers: Brisbane The Biggest Sliders: North Melbourne MFC Predictions: B&F: Nathan Jones Leading Goalkicker: Chris Dawes Best First Year Player: David Rodan Most Improved: Jack Watts Final Ladder Position: 15th Biggest MFC Story of the Year: Board turmoil

Dream Team is awesome. Ahem. Everyone should register. At least 20 times with different email addresses. Thanks muchly!

I'd rather Lewis and Thomas.

He's a gem to watch, but I don't think he'll ever be a permanent midfielder. We are no chance of getting him either.

Would love it if Thomas was at the Dees. Ellis is another UFA I believe that would add harness as skills to our list.

I'm unsure as to why Howe is set to be stationed in the forward line this season. He showed real ability as a wingman in 2012. Sylvia is a classic [censored]-tease. I expect him to be very good for the Pies / Hawks / Swans / Tigers / Crows / Eagles / Whichever contender he goes to in 2014 and beyond.

Unsurprisingly, I'm in the no camp. We lack the depth and class required, and the history of development has been previously so poor that those who have been with the club over the journey can't possibly cut the mustard. Our skills have been woeful for years, and thus far show little signs of improvement under the current regime. One big difference though has been our fitness levels, which seem to have improved tenfold.

You might also like to check afl photos and see if they had an official snapper there.

Tipped Saints by 46, expect it to be about that with the wind at their back.

What's happened to Frawley?

anyone know why wilkes changed his name to maiser?

still reckon he'll end up playing at tigerland.

His tackling was excellent last night, but the one thing he wasn't doing that he's not really done since his first year at the Dees is run to each contest with real intention to impact upon it - he just sort of mooches around the outside of the pack these days, rather than going and getting the ball. The contrast between him and Greene is extreme. Whether its instructions from GWS to be more of an outside player who knows, but when Greene is the only player who can get the ball for them in a pack they really need Scully to be the inside-outside player he promised to be. 2013 looms as a big year for him. He needs to show a lot more.

I've been espousing the completely socialist model of the pool of gate receipts being split evenly for at least a decade. I've spoken to people at the AFL about it, from 'rich' and 'poor' clubs about it, and the general feeling is it will never fly because of the likes of the Silks contingent will never support it. I still say it makes sense, and is by far and away the easiest way of evening things up - that way there's no need for a cap on external revenue sources (eg pokies, membership, merch sales etc) or football department spend. The latter will be the next thing that comes in I would imagine. It won't work, the wealthier clubs will continue to find a way around it. And the AFL changed their nomenclature to fixture from draw quite deliberately a few years back. It's forever destined to be uneven now as its geared towards tv revenue more than anything else. Great thread btw, really enjoyable reading.

Buddy was the biggest champ running around on gran final day 2012? A certain dual Brownlow medallist might have a case to argue about that... Swans have a host of players I'd consider superior to the Hawks, including one who used to be there.

Nab cup is not free.

it was his positioning and his kicking that pleased me the most.

he looks a lot bigger across the shoulders. it's weird, cos he's ostensibly there to play a 'small' role if frawley, mcdonald are the key defenders. he made a couple of errors, but he was hardly alone.

Best episode in years.

bizarre findings and fining. caro and co. will have a field day with this.