Dappa Dan

Yeah. That was the bit that made it hit home. The bit with the players was pretty impressive, but it had nothing on the reach scene with the kids. There's times when a camera is on people and they get teary, or break down, and somehow it doesn't read true. You see it all the time in the news, and current affairs shows. People get teary for all sorts of reasons, often it's as simple as the fact that a camera puts the pressure on. The other day on ACA, some old bint got all sooky over a speeding fine or something. But that scene might have been one of the few times I've seen someone break down on film and see it be completely honest and natural. Which is sort of what made Crawford's thing ring true. He was overwhelmed, but partly because of exhaustion, and you could see that quite clearly. Seeing Jim break down like that, you could empathise so specifically with how he saw him realise he was mortal, how he needed some help being positive... So honest. And now everyone who saw that feels like they know him intimately. I wouldn't have the balls to do that fully healthy OR at death's door. It's one thing to be courageous enough to play 244 games in a row, and to fight cancer the way he has. But to do something that intimate for all of Australia to see? That's a whole different kind of guts. Jesus... I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. It's likely that, unless he's started a trend, we may not ever see that again. We say this word a lot, and it's misused most of the time. But that was extraordinary.

His kick is, at times, absolutely amazing. If he was ever to hit the same level of fitness as Riewoldt, and work that hard... The quality of his kick could put him ahead of Roo. Obviously he has a long way to go, and a lot of hard work to do to get anywhere near him... There have been a number of times I've seen Jack running into fifty, under the pump and looking like he might get chased down from behind. And to make matters worse he'd need to deliver with his non-preferred left boot. Then he places the ball beautifully into a nest of opposition straight down the throat of a leading player. People have had varied responses to a lot of things with him. His work ethic, his hardness at the footy, his contested marking... But what I love is that he'll never have trouble with how he kicks. Like everyone, he'll miss a few, but the class by foot is there. And in modern footy, when you talk about skills, this is by far the most important one.

Boy didn't he pick the perfect time to get out. Cats are stuffed. They'll be ok over the coming years but their best is behind them. Ling is nothing anymore.

That was it when that happened. I reckon even the Cats all went... "Well F#%k this..."

Now that's a good post. I like the word momentum with him. I also reckon he could be like Cloke. Not in terms of how he plays but in terms of career trajectory.

I picked Green. But it's not an easy one, like Richmond.

Mundy for 12? In a second. Freo would be filthy that that's all they got though.

They compared him to Corey cos if height alone. I hear from some people there's a bit of Hayes about him. Maybe a fraction slower. But I've not seen enough if I'm being perfectly honest.

You worry me sometimes. 2010 has been one of the best years of his career. He's been wonderful, particularly in the second half of the season where he's been absolutely superb. A one year contract is what you do with players 29 and up. So that's par for the course. But saying the game has "caught him out?" Who the hell have you been watching? Be as biased as you like hating whatever players you want to hate, but you've got rocks in your head if you think he's not still a quality player. Not a star, sure, but as always, no-one's actually saying he is one...

This is a very complicated thread when you consider how simple it is. If you rate our small forwards, and our smaller players in general, then there's absolutely no room. If you have concerns over them, or if you think they're just plain no good, then there is room.

Whether he makes it or not, or we make it or not in 2011 he'll be the single most important individual when it comes to winning our next flag. Whether or not he's around to see it, it'll be the Stynes premiership. All I can think is that young kid who walked over the mark in '87 would have felt nothing but devastation, and would have at the time sold his soul to repay his mistake. He already did that as a player, but I think even then the only thing he'd want to see is the premiership cup with red and blue ribbons coming off it. It kind of breaks my heart to think he won't be able to see that vision. At the same time though, he must have that solemn pride to know that what he's done has given us our club back, and given us the opportunity to win multiple flags.

Great Avatar. ... Oh. Someone retired? Des-something? Who?

We're talking about a specific kind of toughness here. Sylvia's main toughness is in marking contests, and he certainly does well in high-speed collisions on a wing, with some of the most ferocious tackling going round at the moment. But he's rarely the last guy getting up off the deck to contest the next stoppage. McKenzie and Jones are the real inside players. Moloney does this a bit too. Frawley is tough, but one-on-one against the bigger players and in pack-marking contests. Green likewise does the glorious things, and knows how to take a tackle, but he's far more use doing exactly this in the forward line. Any team in the league would love to have that left boot in there. Can you imagine if we traded him when we were going to? He would have won a Coleman.

Good call. We finally saw what most of us have known all along. That Sam is a human being, and an intelligent one, who is playing a character, in a show that's prime topic is a GAME. A detail most people forget, most of the time. He was overwhelmed a couple of times there and his true colours showed through... Certainly the finest moment I've seen on the show. And I've been a fan for years. And like you say DM, we've not been able to say it for a long time, but top marks Footy Show.

I understand what you're saying, but I reckon it's fair enough. The on-field side of things is what we relate to the most and the 22 is, in terms of hours spent, the biggest thing we have to relate to the club. (Besides designing clothing). Also, for me, I know when all the Jimmy stuff was first making news, Bailey and the players were asked often if they mentioned it at team-meetings... They said they might have mentioned it but never dwelled on it. Basically gave the typical line. Watching Bailey call on that in such a fiery way... we never get to see that. In fact we never get to see what he's like in team-meetings when he's not aware he's being filmed. It couldn't be more separate from his whiteboard wednesday video of the other day. That was a first in so many ways. I've always thought of Neale as the firebrand and one of the great inspirers. Lyon as well has this reputation. I feel like had we seen Dean do this in the past it may not have been so striking. One other thing. It had an almost Eulogistic element to it (if that's a word). Sounded a lot like "this is it," when obviously it wasn't at the time. I reckon it would be hard to be a demon fan (or any club's fan, come to that) and NOT shed a tear.

Is he going to go down as the best thing that's EVER happened to the club?

Mother of.... That was so hard to watch. How about Bailey giving it to the players in the huddle, bringing up Jimmy.

Even if we were compensated, it'd likely be after the third round at the very, VERY earliest... which is a pick we wouldn't use anyway.

Just an ok player at best. Next.

Did he? Wow. So did Daniel Bell though.

Really? I was left a bit cold. He's already huge, and while he moved ok, he did about as well as you'd assume a player of that size would. Kind of reminds me a bit of a poor man's Hurley. Which is as good as saying he'll be an ok player. But do we need another ok player in the forward line? We need one just a fraction taller, so he's not dwarfed by the bigger key backs.

I saw on a thread that Bartram isn't contracted into next season. Seems weird to me. He's a very quiet player that gets no media. You'd think if he'd have been approached by GC the media would have been all over him, regardless of his small profile.

Yeah. I started reading the Sheahan article, and couldn't believe where he went with the first few lines about drinking his own urine, then trying to be positive and saying it's "the best multivitamin you can get." I think I can safely say that's a first. If that's how I feel about just the opening paragraph, then I hate to think how a whole doco is going to make me feel. Bless you Jimmy.

Well done Deel. When I saw the news tonight and how they predictably dwelled on Watts (and fair enough... signing him for 3 years is awesome), I got to thinking about Bail, and how he would have been ripe for a Queensland shift. Plus the fact we've got him for 3 years (and spectacularly cheaply in point of fact), is huge, as he can't get snaffled for nothing... which is what we would have gotten had he been snapped up. I predict big things from this kid. Solid B-grade is well within his sights.

I was thinking about this the other day. If you look at the best defences going round at the moment, there's always one or two players who have some great strengths that are balanced out with not-so-great kicking. I reckon there's ALWAYS room for a Stevie Baker type, provided three things accompany him: 1) He is uncompromising in his matchups. He's been 100% in that this year. 2) He knows his kick is modest, and adjusts accordingly. Let him be the one who switches. 3) He's the only one (maybe room for one more) selected in the back six who has suspect delivery. When the pressure's on coming out of defence, it's important the team continues to take the game on. If he's the only guy that switches then it's a good thing as it keeps the opposition guessing. But if he's one of three, then that relieves the pressure on the opposition, and places it firmly back on the ineffective kicks in the side. When you look at our starting back six, (Rivers, Frawley, Garland, Bartram, Davey, Grimes), there's a lot of cause for concern in there in terms of delivery. All four names are genuine AFL players, no doubt about it. But of them, I trust only Garland and Davey completely. Frawley isn't a pretty kick, but deserves to be spoken of highly. The others, Rivers, Bartram and Grimes have some suspect delivery. In Rivers' and Grimes' case they are smart players who know their weaknesses and adjust accordingly, but to be honest, while they'd have to be among the best sets of 6 in the league for spoils and goals against... I don't think too many teams would fear them on the rebound. It's no coincidence that when Davey went down we struggled. Even against other bottom 8 sides.