Dappa Dan

Either they'll come out breathing fire and have a character building win, or this week will prove that they ARE soft in season 2008. When the coach makes that kind of call it goes one way or the other, never anything in between. Either it'll be an AWFUL ay for the dees, or it'll be an awful day for the Saints. Whoever wins will be immaterial...

Pj actually got three votes for WOG, with Croad and Young getting the 2 and 1 respectively... I thought that was harsh, but there were very few players on the day that performed badly. Was a good all-round match.

I thought Warnock was gone... and it's not the one really good match he's played that gives me confidence... it's the 4 or so he's strung together. I'm pleased enough that he's there, though I don't know that he'll ever go beyond a Carroll type player... The kind that is persevered with as a rookie-fringe player up until he fills out and then plays 100 games down back relatively unspectacularly... In saying that, I don't mean any offence... it's actually EXACTLY what we need. Another Al Nicholson, with pace...

Loves the contest, but was exposed by the hard-running Hawks. He's been ok, and cerainly good enough to retain hi spot, but when Grimes returns, it's definitely going to be Wona that keeps his spot... I wouldn't say he's DEFINITELY kept his spot in the side OR rookie list just yet, but he's on the way.

When Chris was hired I remember thinking, just for a minute or so, that it was a good appointment. He was probably not going to attract too much attention as a coach in other clubs, and he's one of the better performers in the media... All in all, it made sense, but there was not much more to it... Having watched him on Classified tonight, and having seen how he behaves in the months following his appointment, the more I think hiring him is one of the best ideas we've had in a LONG time... Think about other clubs who's media personalities are the big four... Coach, Captain, CEO and president... For teams like Collingwood and Carlton, they have the 4 that we all know, and for other clubs, they have maybe two... for some, just one big name as some captains don't do much in the media... For us we have Paul Gardiner who has ALWAYS held himself well in the media (except for the Daniher sacking/resignation)... We have Dean, who's handling of the media, under such duress, has been excellent, if not spectacular... Neitz was always a quiet captain who let his footy do the talking, and now we get an exciting young guy to adrenalise the place... and we have Chris... Who was sensational tonight... Absolutely sensational. When I heard he was going on, I thought we were going to be in trouble, but with the solid showing yesterday, he got on the front foot and absolutely smashed the media. He's obviously very proud of the red and blue, and when asked about Freo, almost looked surprised, and disregarded the question almost immediately... He's no embarrassment... Which I find stunning given the position we're in. We're the worst club in the AFL on and off the field, and this guy seems to spin it as well as anyone could manage... Hopefully in the future, DB or no DB he will take the focus off the coach somewhat. Very happy with Connolly at the moment. He even spoke well about the Casey thing, which is going to make some people unhappy to be sure.

It's not so much this year as next. We won't win a flag next year, and would be less than a 50% chance of making the 8, so while I don't advocate tanking, getting a priority BEFORE round 1 would be pretty awesome... ASSUMING the GC picks don't come into effect from '09... That would mean we get picks 3, 14 and 21 in '07, 1, 17 and maybe 18-20 as well in '08, and then picks 1 and another that'll be 2, 3 or 4... So that's 2 X pick #1, pick #2 (ish), pick #3, picks 14, 17, 18, 19 and 21 over the space of three years... to go with our current young crop that will be a much better 22. Maybe not a premiership winning one, but one that Bailey can work with and develop.... If we can't grab 3-5 stars out of that we're doing something VERY wrong.

Yep. Agree with that. Our backline has been a problem for a while, but we've recruited and blooded players in those positions that will develop the way we need them to. So they've started to come out of that dark tunnel... The forward line is years away from being as strong as it was in the heyday of Neitz, Robertson, Yze etc etc... And with our midfield being half-finished, I'm now more worried about our scoring options than anything else (besides, maybe, the ruck). We can't rely on Wonna and Davey to be our targets. That simply won't work in the long run. And as much as we all love Robbo, it's unlikely he'll still be kicking 4 a match with any regularity in three or so years. Also, Benny Holland showed with startling clarity what we miss in the square. And that's a big body that can cause a spillage against two opponents, and keep his feet. Robbo has never been this player, and as much as we all love Benny's work ethic, he's VERY old. Miller has been tried deep, and found wanting. Dunn has the body, but not the temperament. Newton would be a sensational option at FF OR CHF, but has not got the heart so far... We need a Hurley, or to do what we did in 2004, and recruit ALL all players.

What makes him great is exactly the OPPOSITE of the things that make Davey great. Aaron's too small to be a lead-up forward, too light to cop the big hits... He has survived and thrived on the fact that he has an exceptional footy brain, and does the freaky things more often than not. Austin doesn't do so many flashy things... He leads, takes marks, runs hard, tackles hard, doesn't take a backward step. He's a solid marking target despite being tiny. Its this reason I have high hopes for him. So often we get a player come out of the blocks early in their careers, and being pessimists, we look at them more in terms of what will hold them back, instead of what will make them great... Austin has all the solidity of a young Byron...

I like the kid, and always saw he had a few skills that would translate to AFL level, but was concerned he hadn't found a home, much like PJ. Seeing him look good in a specific position is awesome. I always thought he'd be more of a rangy forward-flanker, which he may go on to be in the future. But for now, beating Franklin every chance he got (I don't count those few lead up marks he took. NO-ONE could have stopped those) was as much of a confidence builder as you could ever hope for. Now. He beat Franklin, but would anyone be stupid enough to play him on Johnathan Brown? Or Barry Hall? No. He'll be a good defender, but won't be a giant killer, at least not yet. He'll be a second-tall player. Frawley had a howler, but will be played more often on the power-forwards along with Carroll. As such, Garland will need a few more strings to his bow as Warnock, Carroll, Rivers all have to be played. It's a great start, and he's all but guaranteed to be persisted with, given his attitude... Which is all we can ask for really.

Yeah, was an ok day given what we expected would happen... I was thrilled that most of the best performed were young... I've found that when I've gone this year I've seen a few things that made it worth coming. If only other fans felt the same way.

Where do you get $1.5mil from? Neitz and Ooze are on fair money, but one or both are on the veterans list which means only half their pay-packets would count to the salary cap... Holland COULDN'T be on much money, he's a year-by-year signing and would have been retained on an amount that would be close to league minimum, as they most likely never had plans to play him TOO much. And White will stay on he's got at least another year in him, maybe more...

I tell you what. That's not bad...

There's got to be more than one entertainer in there, surely.

Superb use of the word "Frack" there.... curse word of the future... As for Jeff... Have you ever seen a bigger hanger-on? He wanders around like he's the driving force behind the Hawks' resurgence. Anyone with half a footy brain could see they were headed places. He's just trying to push us in that direction so that the future is more secure for HIS club... The difference between Jeff and REAL football people? No other REAL lover of football would ever advocate the moving or watering-down of another club. Especially one with a history that is shared with their own club. There is nothing lower in the sporting world than a mug who willfully campaigns, even in a small way, for the shifting or merging of clubs. Anyone who has ever met a former die-hard Roys fan knows what I'm talking about. Hawks have one of these jerk-offs for a president. We'll remember this one Jeff. And when the Hawks capitulate in 5-10 years, we'll be the first to jump on your clubs back. Our memories are long, Jeffrey. They have to be. We follow a club with a longer history than yours...

I would have had a different song, different arrangement, more chronological takes, more written words... But then I have no idea how to do it... I actually saw this video yesterday, and I thought it was ok then. It's youtube people, not channel nine.

I watched last weeks game there. I actually quite like it... The only thing is people would mostly rock up at interstate games. Which we lose. No-one enjoys themselves as much as you would like... In a year where we're a flag chance it would be pretty good I reckon.

We should all take it as read that we don't have players that are suitable to be captain. Whoever we pick will either be not quite up to it yet, or just not quite up to it at all... That said, a few years ago no-one at Geelong was suitable to be captain either. And now look at them. It's a short list of about 6-8 players, and the one that'll be chosen will be whoever is in vogue at the start of next season, when they HAVe to make a call... Brad Green Cam Bruce Jared Rivers Brock McLean Nathan Jones (WAY too young) Brad Miller James McDonald And that's not counting Yze, Robbo or White who SHOULD be up there, but aren't seriously considered by anyone.

Neitz. My favourite player from childhood. In my time I've not known a player to be our equal in the red and blue, and probably won't for a long time to come. You will be missed, but have been lifted to immortal status at this club. One of our greatest ever. In more ways than I care to count (and repeat) You deserve every happiness you can find in your retirement.

He has pace. We need pace. And he doesn't have the faults people keep crapping on about. I'd put him relatively close to Petterd for excitement level for me.

One percenters were a feature. Created 2 goals from them. Vision both when delivering into forward fifty AND when in the clinches was great too. For a kid, a sterling effort... Though I don't expect we'll ever see him streaming through the middle a la Hodge/Judd etc etc More of a stop and prop deliverer. Which is fine too, as long as his kick are accurate.

Leighoak is ok. Big space, big screen and lots of dees fans cheering the action on. I'll be going there tomorrow.

Whenever I see John... with anything written afterwards, I just switch off... And especially since Johnstone left... There's to many of them... And so CJ was BOG in a 150 point thrashing? So what? Means nothing. I was hoping some of the players on the cusp would kick 6 and force their way in. We know after tomorrow there are going to be probably 4 or so players that will struggle. I was watching the Pies game, and there was a run of about 8 players that made me think I was watching Sandy. Dunn, Jones, Johnson, etc etc... Must be confusing for the commentators...

What the s&%t?!!!! 150 points? Without Valenti? Watching the scorps and Pies and at quarter time it's pies by nine... And the score? 9 to zip... I was hoping to see Maric with 6 or something. Oh well. And it's a worry that among the best players there, none were demon-listed.

Garland's last game earned hi his spot this week. There were only a couple of under-performers 2 weeks ago, and one of them (Bell) got 3 brownlow points against the side we're coming up against.

Yep. Nobody wants to say it... Well... Nobody with credibility want to say it... But I think you may be right.