beelzebub

Okay...that number ^^^^^ is the current membership. Not too shabby for so early in the new season. Every year we do it , so see no reaosn not to continue Where will we end up regarding membership ? We picked up nearly 11% on the previous year 2010 to finish with 36,937 in 2011 Where to in 2012 ? Im sure the club will aim to crack the 40,000 barrier and I hope we do , but i'll start off with 39,666 and hope im wrong any takers......

The thing about draws is ; only so much can be forseen. Then we get the time honoured...this team or that has a charmed run home. But how would you possibly know this as the season's start? Often its only as seasons pan out that glaring inbalances seem to appear. . You can go only so far in summising from the previous season. Next year is a classic in point. We have 7 teams with new coaches and a new team. There was quite a bit of movement this past trade week and some notable retirements /delisitngs. About the only given is GWS wont win a game.

I already noted that its imperitive that we are able to compete with the top teams if not beat them ( some) We will have 3-4 wins as charity depending on the number of games v GWS and GC. So for 10 , 7 more isnt really that much of a stretch ( 0r shouldnt be ) Winning even 11 games is effecively saying youre only 50/50. We need to be far better than that. Its good to have varying indicators starting to work your way but in reality there is only one metric.

yep..and ill put pen away now. enough pixels wasted already.

There were very few games he impacted in a positive ( nett) way. So many focus on his close in effforts , and there were many. He undid everything the second he thought ( oxymoron surely ) to dispose of it. His ability to put his own team mateds under the pump sure made him one of the best players for the opposition. He had one really good year and then all poise and class got knocked ourt of him, literally. Bob..what sad is you stil think he was great..and not a liability on the field. Make no mistake. Football , like any competitve sport inevitably comes down to success, to winning. That he could run around al day is just marvee , yet how many times did he come off looking absollutely drained. ?? At least Trapper did. Ill sum up Cam shall I.. Probably a good bloke ( totally irrelevant) Great ethos at training. Probably played to 95-100 of ability. Probably put in 80-90% on game-effort. Ability to win ball, good. Ability to use ball bad. Had a very healthy self evalution come worth. Was obviously quite good at getting paid. In terms of rationalising his motives... full of sh!T !! That anyone would consider him anything more than a so -so capable player , well thats up to them. Im under no illusions. Cam was very fortunate to have existed at the club during an era when his ego was indulged.

Ill put Morton aside for the moment as I simply have no real faith hel'll come good (as some suggest) . He might, I wont hold my breath. I do however expect the likes of Watts , Trenners, Howe , Jurrah ( as just a selction) to benefit greatly from another solid pre season and simply benefit from their added experience. Im imagining that greater attention to those second and third efforts, to individual and team accountability will in itself provide more monentum during games. The effect of enertia is often overlooked. In the past weve just stopped and games pass us by. I think this will stop. Im not expecting but hoping a re -enerrgised Green , Sylvia and Davey can give that older more seasoned spark to the side. In the end..we 're all hoping they just come to play and play hard. The rest wil invariablky take care of itself Anything less than 11 wins will be abject failure in my eyes, and I still would like more. We need to be competitive against the higher teams. In essence we need to be one of them.

I actually think its kind of silly in a fashion to have the dwarves play th eSwans first up in such a conspicuous fashion. The Swannies will make mince meat of the fledglings. This is what the AFL wants ?? I agree youd think GC v GWs would be a tad more watchable. Still ...i fess ill be happy to watch them get their bums well and trully smacked, and that grin wiped from Sheeds face.

Very well put there Viney. As to CB..well you make your bed you lay in it. He managed to polarise supporters whillst at the club..and still does...lol .

he was being facetious im sure

7-10 might be reasonable. I do take note that Neeld had suggested there were gaps in the list and to date weve really only added one. Id be curious if hes looking to anyone in the psd/draft to fill a role. or if we simply fill x position(s) this year and look to finish it eos next year. Who knows...in the new atmosphere maybe someone will step up

Footy reminds me of Rabiit ears. If you get the antennae in the right spot and right direction its a perfect picture.. get is just a bit wrong and its a snowstorm. . Not far between the two.

Im sure it will look very much like the ad, wont happen overning but will happen. Youre correct in noting the Craig coup. Something that may have escaped some weery observers is even in the past month sor so there has to occured a monental change at the club as others are looking at us and dealig with us differetnly. Maybe I ought to wash my mouth out (or disinfect hese fingers ) for airig this but i almost fell of a chair , more than once, as man to man there were comments by those coming on board as to how professional and such we as a club were. Melbourne ? They talkinng about us ?? lol You just get the idea its no longerr amateur hour, that in the parlance , we've got our sh!t together and are to be taking seriously Big whoop'd de doo some think but its when you start getting your organisation right that the right things start coming out of it. Probably what caught most blind sided about teh Clark dealing was how relentless and unwavering we were in our efforts. Clark was one of a number of targets wed selected and we were going to get him and get him we did. Melbourne ?? yes Melbourne !!! We not only started throwing a bit of weight around we had the weight to do so and the beleif we could get across the line, even when it looked all over , even when they were shouting !! lol. Now its easy to get carried away and thats what off -seasons are designed for Im sure but take note. This is the way we do , or will set abuot doing things now. We have purpose, we have direction , we have resources and we have committment to the job at hand. Translate ALL of that onto the field and you will get demostrably different results to those to date. Its been accused of us in the past that no one really wants to come to us. But they are. In teh past we had to go chasing all over the place and often were unsuccessful in landing our prime choices but now we have players and officials selecting us above others. Thats huge. All this goes to the level to which things will be done. Lots and lots of things are barely noticeable form the outside but those in the club will be absorbing all of this. It will become the nature of the fabric now. To be frank...if we cant lift ourselves unto our perceived destiny now. We never will.. Its said a lot of on filed success comes from off field stability and successful steerage . Its looking liek we might wel have got to this point. Interestingly at a time more than a few clubs are struggling. In the Myan Calender 2012 is the year it all supposedly ends. Its now interpreted that its really one existence finishing and another starting. Yep, its when all Hell lets loose and the Demon rises. Go Dees

Maybe they should just msg him....Hope youre enjoying your hols, no need to rush back. Or as hes notoriously into vid-games..GAME OVER !!

this is supposed to direct us to what particularly ?

No, not all bitter and twisted, some just have memories, good ones. You folk are not the only ones to have met anyone. Stangely Cam effervesces a very Cam-ness on occasions I met him. Thats not to say he wa unapproachable or such just I got the feeling he was very focussed as are many of us. His 'loyalty' was very much at the centre of Jnr going so for mine that all cancels itself out. Dont be mistaken, dont be mislead, Cam Bruce wanted hat he thoght Cam Bruce should get. And he came unstuck. We could wax lyrically about the two sides to his game, i.e he could get the ball and he could murder the ball. HBA must have had him as their poster boy.....king of the hospital pass !! He was very hansomely rewarded over the years. Personally I feel we deserve a refund.

I think one aspect that Neeld will undoubtedly follow in the MM mould is that all players have roles. As such the all players have responsibilites and are acccountable. This has been an area we seem to have been shocking. Some players coming into and out of the game almost seemingly as per their interest . This will stop. Just knowing your team mantes wil lalway sbe at the contest will eventually lift the result. Undoubtedly there were times when those that were putting in were wondering why bother when half the team went walkabout. The club has made wholesale changes to those who will guide and direct the game. its backed it up with improvements to howhte players will be able to play the game. This isnt minor tweaking...its radical.

if overseas then yes thats the decent thing to do . Whens he back lol ?

A little dose of reality couldnt hurt the boys from blacktown. And if a little is good then a ton would be great !!! B)

Go Swans !!

AFL releases some clues about the 2012 season Saints and Dockers to meet in Lyon grudge match Some aspeccts. ALl teams play 22 games over 23 weeks The GF back to last Sat in Sept Only one bye for each team ALL teams to travel interstate a minimum of 5 times. even the Filth !! lol. Some will more according to their deals etc. Opening game is stand alone GWS v Swans

Well...you are getting pessimistic and you seem oblivious to all the change that has happened. There were many facets to our lack lustre 2011 as well as legitimate holes in our list. It can only be summised from looking back at our year that we lacked accountability at many levels that went from players through to the FD.Yourre not likely to get terribly far going about things in this manner. On the field we lacked a forward structure thatrequired utter respect from an opponent. We lacked a 1st order kpf . The ramifications of that is that it becomes easy for other teams to out muscle and overbear our forwards. We lacked poise and grunt up the sharp end. In the midfield the engine wasnt quite purring like the good V-8 required. It seemed a little all over the shop at times lacking , well you pick,: urgency, direction, dedication and possibly the greates of all , belief. Some will add to this a structure or game plan not up to scratch. The back line is probably the most sound aspect of our setup. But injuries can take their toll and no matter how good you might be if you're constantly under siege from your opponents because others are letting their side down, well then you'll still get your bums smacked. You can have much of the necessary ingredients but if the cooks and equipment arent quite on the money then youre behind the eight ball before you start and so were we. This has changed, even now, even before a ball is bounced in training . The structure and the very makeup of the coaching dept hase churned all but completely.The people coming into these positions are there for one simple job. To harden up the team and knock a bit , well more than a bit, of accountability into the players. Whether it be sand , grass or existing only in the mind mark this as given a line is now being drawn. Things will be done differently. The adition of Clark is huge. he not only provides focus at the business end it has a knock on efffect releasing our other forwards to be minded by lesser order opponents. In short we get some breathing space. It would be fair i suggest that we're used to the idea of a "new beginning" , of false dawns and endless rhetoric but invariably these pronouncements havent been accompanied by serious intent. It has this time. We mightnt fly straight or soundly for a little while as things get sorted but we will get better.

Thats a lots of desks !! and yet still only half compared to the filth, just for persepctive. But geez, weve stepped up a bit. Fantastic.

So,..... he hasnt been cut adrfit ?? Unreal

Farewell Robert. All the best Would like to think there was something for him to do at the club. Time will tell.

I am yet to be convinced that Cam was a bootlace of a leader. Sorry thats my view. Cam was an elder for sure..a leader.. I doubt.