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Freak, Petterd kicks floaters regularly. Grimes doesn't. Oh well.

I like the idea of the date. While it is about building a future, it is about recognising a past too. One doesn't cancel out the other. If other people think it is snobbish, then let them remain envious twits. We know what it means; we know what it doesn't. That's all that counts.

H, I gree about Hall's aggression. Garland's arm waving - as if to ask why he did it - was all that happened. Hall followed up by pushing moron with his forearmand said a bit. I wondered if it was a bit of harmless chat. Surely chip and warnock (boys with frame) could have 'said' a few things in return. That said, I'm glad that spencer seemed nowhere near it - he strikes me as the kind of guys that would happily have introduced barry to 'ranga rage. I like spencer a lot. He has grunt and a bit of c-grunt in him too.

Richmond were not creative. They swapped one for another that was virtually identical. As for us being creative, well, frankly I'd have no idea how to do that - sadly not my strength. I'm not sure appearing helpless is the way to do it, either. A company is hardly going to be put off by hearing that we are 'close' to signing a sponser...I'd hope that the message would be seen for what it is by everybody - which is a sign that nothing's been put to bed and that intersting offers would be seriosuly considered and pretty quick too. I do not see how saying something that says nothing can be seen as saying something.

What should they be saying, Deebest? That we're stuffed and we should all walk away now - because that is the position you seem to be espousing. Let's face it, 'honest' disclosure is going to get us pity but no sponsor. So let's here your ideas.

Big Red, I wonder if Sylvia was not going as hard as he might to ensure his body is o.k. Moloney too for that matter. That might be just wildly optimistic.

Today I thought that Zomer was a hell of a lot better than when I saw him, albeit once, on the same ground last year. Moloney was a bit underwhelming. Jeta was not. I like Cheney but I'm not sure why...I thought he read the play well, appeared composed under pressure and hit targets coming out of defence. A perfect Wheels replacement when he retires or is injured. Pettard looked much improved but I cannot comment on his kicking. Garland appeared smooth and undestated. Martin was good. Wonna is a little gem. Put some talent around him and we'll be enjoying him for years. Buckley is on a slowburn in my opinion. He is a bit better every year. If, and it is a big if, but IF he can hit targets better and as H is saying be more predictable to his teammates he will make it I think. I cannot say the same of Dunn. I would nt play him in the seniour team although he is currently better than jetta and strauss. I'd prefer to play both boys before Dunn to see if they will be better. Jones got a truckload of the footy; he used it well, he used it poorly. I also agree that many of the seniors just went. All in all, I think we are seeing that our defence is much improved and our forwards are in limbo (we're waiting for teh second coming). The big issue to my mind are the mids. I wonder whether we are better off playing 'lesser' players in terms of their current perforance (bail, jetta, bennel, grimes) instead of guys like moloney, dunn and valenti because we need the experience in the kids. From a pure footy position, I think we should. When you consider another season of losses, then I'm reluctant.

Demonster, I think people would be sad, for a while. But then they move on and the memory fades and they no longer care. That process took how long for the Roys (for the majority of the population) - 2 years, 4 years? They're well and truely gone now.

Yes, I think it does, mate.

Deebest, I love reading what you write. Respectfully, I think you have failed to understand people and the AFL. Fitzroy is gone and no-body cares. South Melbourne is gone and no-body cares. One of North or us will be gone soon and no-one will care. If essendon disappeared I would not care. If carlton disappeared I would not care. If west coast disappeared I would not care. If the saints disappeared I would barely bother remembering. I love my club. Not the AFL. Not rivalries. Just my bloody club. Get it yet? I reckon people care about their own and when it comes to it everyone else when resources are limited well they can go and rot. As for standing for something, well, no club 'stands' for anything really. Not when you actually think beyond simplisitic stereotypes. It is all crap. What counts is how you connect to people and how that connection can be 'sold' to sponsors for the benefit of their product. No clubs 'stands' (in the eyes of the AFL and the corporates) for anything else other than that. THE AFL however, will care a lot. The soccer is growing and the AFL could lose about 250, 000 supporters australia-wide if Melbourne disappeared. How many would take their kids off to others codes on the death of their club - I would for one and I would never look back. I'd withdraw from the MCC and throw my lot in with a new code. Thousands would do the same. I would grieve, but not a penny would ever be spent by me on memberships or merchandise. THE AFL would not dare lose that much support (I hope), risk lower TV rights packages and sponsorships in a delicate time. It, for mine, makes the casey deal just critical. We need more members and more community exposure (via TV or 'community projects') in order to boost our appeal and corporate 'draw'. Why the [censored] Jimma is playing around with the casey deal is beyond me. Get the community, and access to people and companies will want to use it. Then, we'll 'count' for something. Funny, 'casue we'll still count for nothing in everybody's else's eyes but our own.

What I do like about beamer is that I think he adds a physicality to the midfield that no-one else does. He really would be perfectly happy sizing up to anyone in the middle. The happy disposition towards bumps, blocks and sheparding might really help out the lighter boys and just remind other teams that they cannot rum amok. Getting the ball would help that too.

Melbman, I disagree. I really think that most - hell almost all - people who write hear and well-meaning passionate supporters who really do not know nearly as much as they think they do about footy. This is our place to use as we wish - not some forum for the club to mould us in their image or let us know what they are doing across all aspects of their jobs. To assume that Jimmy not posting is a sign of him disrespecting you is nothing short of grossly self-important. If you really want to 'know' and meet the movers and shakers, why don't you join the Tridents or sponsor a player? That way you will get to meet players, recruiters, coaches and board members, get to listen to them, question them and be that bit closer and more involved. If that is what you want, the method is clear.

G'day Fat Tony - nice first post! Here's my go at the same best 22. B Garland Martin Whelan HB Bruce Rivers Buckley C Wheatley McLean Green HF Sylvia Miller Davey F Bate Robertson Wonaeamirri Fol Johnson Jones McDonald Int Jamar Morton Frawley Moloney Emg Maric Bell I've put Buckley into HB over Bartrum because of my perception of superior run - a quality we need desperately. I absolutely agree about Bruce off half-back. I've included Frawley as a possible replacement defender - Warnock is unlucky but we need toknow if Frawley can develop beyond Warnock. Frawley can also take small or tall and could be rotated with Bruce if we wanted to paly him through the middle or forward. No Dunn for me. In fact, I'm not getting a 'defensive' midfielder at all. Having a defensive side to your game is important and if you don't I'm not picking you. Mclean and Jones better have learnt the lessons of last year- if not I'll drop them for Maric or Grimes or even Belly until they do. Wonna is in for me - he earnt a place on last year's performance. Jamar takes his place on the bench becasue we need more than one ruckman. Morton stays on the bench to rotate through centre and half-forward. Robbo, Sylvia, Bate and Miller provide marking targets through the forward line; davey and wonna provide run and sparkle.

Great stuff JJJ and BR - I needed my 'Demon fix'!

And how exactly would you know this? Have you ever attended the trade days or been part of draft/trade negotiating for an AFL club? If not, then this goes again to consistency - that you accuse others of not have it while failing to demonstrate it yourself. Put up or shut up mo. Say how you would ahve handled it. As for your entire argument - that this was 'handled badly'- can you say what 'handled well' might have looked like and how you would have achieved it? Kinda crucial to your entire argument but you've not offered much

What, mo64 took the time to have another go at Dean Bailey with nothing but his own hot air to support himself? Try this mo, tell the world how great you are by saying what you would have done, given all of hindsight. Would you have tried to trade CJ? Would you have accepted a pick in the 100's as offered? Would you have told CJ that he was up for trade? Would you have offered a 2-3 year deal? How would you react to CJ refusing to commit after you decided to keep him? Let's all see the superiority of your decisions.

Yep. I agree now that you mention it, old. Would you play him in front of bell? I would. I have often thought he needs to play forward.. but that train has sailed.

I see Dunny as stuffed also. If the job of a midfield (among others) is to be an attacking force, then Dunny is in really strife. We desperately need skilled blokes winning the footy and hitting targets. Dunny does neither particularly well so far. Using him instead of a bloke who might learn to win his own footy and hit targets is robbing peter to pay paul, i.e., self sabotage.

Mo, you have no idea what the gameplan is going to be or how it will work. Your criticism of Bailey is boring, repetitive and inconsistent. You state that people should have patience with Valenti and don't offer the same consideration for a brand new coach - it is bloody amazing. As for saying that Jones is a victim of Bailey, well I did not realise that he was the complete package before now and that now we've ruined him!. Talk about unfounded melodrama. Valenti is too short and too slow. The others listed are exceptions rather than the rule. Exceptions make bad examples - find what Valenti has that puts him anywhere near this exceptional group and then the comparison is worthwhile - no-one has done that. No-one will. I very much doubt that it is there. I am all for giving him another year to see what might come of it BUT I would play every one of the new recruits before I would play Shane. I know what he can do and we need to find people that can do it better.

I think right now that he might not have the body to play KPP so I'd play him instead of bell on the smaller forwads. I'd still want to move him over to the gorillas if it works out. That said, he may be one of those blokes who plays smaller than he is. He was pick 12 I think - we really need to find out if he can develop. So, given that we know what bell can do, I'd prefer frawley in that role.

Monkey-boy, I absolutely agree about needing time. I'm certainy not saying that he cannot imrove or will not improve over time. He needs more grunt and more exposure to the top flight. And you are right about deciding where to play him - a KPP back will do

I think that James is going to take a while BUT I think he will take Belly's role. He is not afraid of body contact, he is quick, he has good height and I think he has better awareness than Belly. I agree that he has shown some signs that he might take to the 'run and carry' game style. HE needs more grunt - more weight on the frame. So he can take the annoying midsized small forward and run off him.

So fuschia, I like you right, but I wish you'd just bloody well say what you actually think!

THe '04 group is that one that I'd pay attention to, too. I also think that petterd and frawley better start to show a bit more than they have to date. I would not be surprised if Barts struggles this year.

Thanks Casey Scorp for all the information. If we think about the impact of the deal acorss the next decade, and the grounds and facilities maturing all the time, then it is pretty exciting I think.