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Agree completely... Although I think he'll surprise a few people...

i think one interesting thing is that Liam has played 4 games, but Newton has only played 18... Really hasn't played that much senior footy has he?

you obviously still have to pay them match fees if they get a game, whereas older players may not be paid per game they play... so there is some expense involved...

There's a new rule this year, where clubs are allowed to play their rookies without elevating them after round 11... Part of the compensation for the Gold Coast getting all the draft picks coming up... So we don't have to elevate anyone, if they want to play any of the rookies, they'll play...

I definitely got that feeling too... They mentioned the word tanking, and he went on about playing players i different positions and giving the young blokes ago, almost as if they accused him of tanking... I think Bails may be on the ball here, he still doesn't have total control though...

even more reason to get two top picks... if one of them is off the mark, then the other one will be a superstar...

it is a difficult subject... I think Gary Lyon summed it up perfectly tonight on Footy Classified... He was wrapt when heard Melbourne were winning on the radio, however afterward when he thought about it, he wasn't sure if was the best thing... His head told him one thing, while his heart told him another... I was at the game Sunday, I've been to every game in Melbourne this season, and I'll go to every remaining game in Melbourne... But when we won, I didn't enjoy it as much as I should of. I did enjoy the win, but there was just this empty feeling sitting in my guts, not sure whether what I had just witnessed was a good thing. I couldn't help the feeling, I can't say I was happy it was there, I was actually frustrated that I couldn't enjoy the win properly. But that's how I felt. From a personal point of view, even if I don't want to, I'm going to enjoy our 4th or 5th wins even less than our win yesterday. I don't want us to finish bottom, and it's not even all about getting Tom Scully, I really hope we do win one more, but only one more. There's a big difference between getting Pick 2, and getting Picks 1 and 3. There's an opportunity to add two superstars to the Melbourne footy club. We've been bad for so long, I feel like we're entitled to this priority pick. I ask you all this. Remember when we beat the Bulldogs at the Dome in 2007, a game I remember and really enjoyed the win the Dees got that night. If we had lost that game, we would have either Daniel Rich or Nick Naitanui wearing the red and blue, along with Jack Watts... Was that win really worth it?

Wasn't on for all that long unfortunately, about 10 minutes... They covered the Jurrahcane, Watts being played on QB and the his development and 'earning' his first game, the tanking debate and how he as a coach deals with it... That was about it really, not a whole lot else...

Bails is the guest on the couch tonight, with Gerard, Mike and Hirdy... Will be on quite soon... about time we had a demon on the monday night footy talk shows! we've had one all year in Brock, that's it...

because he moves like this guy?

Are you sure? We signed him for 2 last season? I doubt he got a 3 year deal... I am almost positive that his contract is up at the end of this season...

he was down back quite a bit, playing on Chad Cornes when he went forward... did a good job, and showed he can play pretty much anywhere on the field... I do like him best playing in the middle, winning his own ball like he did in the first half, while resting in the forward line...

well we'd still need to win 5 to lose pick 1... if we win tomorrow, and we have freo at home, that's 4 wins... could we snag another somewhere, perhaps... however I don't think we will win tomorrow, I think we will beat freo, and hopefully that's it... although I'd be happy if we snuck 1 more win in somewhere... I'd rather finish 14th or 15th with less than 4 wins, wouldn't bother me if we got pick 3 or 4 instead of 2, and would rather that than getting the spoon...

I agree, I thought Newton definitely looked the more natural forward... Still needs to improve his kicking for goal, although that one he slotted from the boundary was a great shot into the wind... Bails said on the broadcast he's been working on his goal kicking, and he's shown he can kick, it's obviously a mental thing, and hopefully it will improve with some confidence... He leads better, and runs to position better than Miller... Really demands the ball, and hits the ball at pace... Miller is obviously stronger, hits the packs harder, which causes spillage which creates scoring chances, but just doesn't seem a completely natural forward like Newton... Along with Newton, Miller also got a couple of cheap goals, like the free kick he got directly in front... I keep blowing Juice's trumpet, but I think even if he's not kicking many goals for Melbourne, he would straighten up our forward line and give us a better target to kick too deep inside the forward 50...

Bail has a 2 year contract, as he was drafted in the national draft... He's safe for the time being... Valenti, we have to either promote him or let him go I believe... If we don't promote him, we can re-rookie him, but would have to do so through the draft... Hughes is in the first year of his rookie contract, so we can extend this to a 2nd year if we so wish... Which I think we will do...

Hopefully he plays a blinder, and they fall for the old "he was pretty good against us, lets pick him up" we've fallen for that one a few times...

MELBOURNE v PORT ADELAIDE Melbourne B: Cale Morton, Matthew Warnock, James Frawley HB: Paul Wheatley, Jared Rivers, James McDonald C: Neville Jetta, Brock McLean, Liam Jurrah HF: Cameron Bruce, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd F: Russell Robertson, Brad Green, Nathan Jones Foll: Mark Jamar, Jack Grimes, Aaron Davey I/C: Brent Moloney, Lynden Dunn, Stefan Martin, Daniel Bell Emg: Jamie Bennell, Brad Miller, Clint Bartram In: Dunn, Bell Out: Colin Sylvia (susp), Jamie Bennell Port Adelaide B: Alipate Carlile, Toby Thurstans, Jacob Surjan HB: Nathan Krakouer, Chad Cornes, Peter Burgoyne C: Steve Salopek, Domenic Cassisi, Tom Logan HF: Robert Gray, Warren Tredrea, David Rodan F: Brett Ebert, Brendon Lade, Justin Westhoff Foll: Dean Brogan, Kane Cornes, Danyle Pearce I/C: Josh Carr, Jason Davenport, Michael Pettigrew, Paul Stewart Emg: Matthew Broadbent, Danny Meyer, Matthew Westhoff In: C. Cornes, Pettigrew Out: Troy Chaplin (susp), Danny Meyer the final squads... i guess Bell was amongst the best at Casey, and they do need to give him a chance to earn a spot on the list for next season...

surely just the one change to the final team, with Bell, Miller and Bartram as emergencies?

i was at that game... if they kept the tape rolling, Hughes had a shot at goal, went across the face and came up short, and another Casey player took a hanger on the line...

he played well there on Saturday, however I'm not convinced yet long term that's the right spot for him... I've got a feeling that he'll end up in the midfield to be honest, that's still a while off yet though... he's played all his games for Melbourne this season up forward, and that's probably only the 2nd decent game he's played... needs to be more consistent if he's going to play in our forward line...

I agree he needs to work on his kicking for goal... And that his kicking for goal in that Adelaide game was atrocious... But given the way the rest of our forward line has been operating, I'd take a full forward who isn't a great shot for goal, over leaving him out and not having our forward line work as well... It's not like he'd be the only full forward who has been having trouble kicking for goal... Look at Cam Mooney of late...

agree to disagree ?

I don't think selection of players is ever that black and white, but I agree completely. If he starts playing badly for Casey, I'll shut up... But he's been consistent all year down there, was a scapegoat for our loss to Adelaide when he was dropped... Think he more than deserves another chance...

Just want to keep pushing the cause... So you'll remember me when he has success at AFL level If his form at Casey is poor, then I'll stop, but he keeps getting 15-20 posessions a week from full forward, having 5+ shots on goal per game, and most weeks is laying a heap of tackles... When he stops doing all these things, I'll stop bumping the thread It may be hard to find him a spot, given we had a lot more contributors last week... I'd bring him in for Petterd personally, even though Ricky P played quite well, I'd still think Juice could do a better job... Play Juice at full forward, Robbo could play Petterd's role perhaps.