Lord Travis

LATE CHANGES Geelong: NilMelbourne: Dean Kent (corked thigh) replaced by Matt Jones in the selected side.

Hope the boys put up a good fight for his last match today. Disappointing we weren't able to make finals this year but we have improved a lot and Roos has done a great job getting us on track. Enjoy Hawaii Roosy!

He's had one good game, that was this round last year against GWS. He was able to intercept and cut off attacks and then hit up targets well with his good kicking skills. Other than that game he has had 28 average games where he has not had an impact. At this stage he is averaging less than 10 games a year and is statistically identically to Toumpas...but ironically lays less tackles. He's averaged 255 metres gained per match, which is below average for a half back flanker who's job is to rebound well and gain territory once we have the ball. The point is he has struggled to get on the park and hasn't been able to impact games when he has played. Earlier this year before his health issues were uncovered he was amongst our worst players and eventually was dropped. This may have been due to the health issues effecting him and they hadn't been diagnosed yet, but the fact remains he has not impacted games regularly. He has talent and I want him to become a good player for us, and he can become a good player for us, but in the past we have given guys too long before getting rid of them. We would have guys like Juice Newton and Rohan Bail on the list for 6-7 years before cutting our losses. Salem is already coming into his 4th season and hasn't cemented or found his spot yet, so he needs to start stepping up soon. Let's hope he can because he's talented and we've had too many talented player not make it at this club over the last few decades!

If we were offered a top 10 pick I'd take it and run. He's averaging less than 10 games a year at this point, and when he's played he's barely had an impact. He is definitely talented, but you can only last on potential for so long. In my opinion, he's got 2 more years to get his body right and start impacting games. If he still finds himself on the side lines or struggling to cement a position after that time, that's then 5 years on the list and you move him on. Hopefully for his sake and the team's sake he comes good and can stay on the park and start fulfilling his potential!

Good move to give him a one year contract. It gives him a chance to cement himself and if it doesn't happen he's not taking up a space on the list for a number of years like a Garland or Terlich type is at the moment. Trengove is a good player with a great football brain. Thought he was stiff to be dropped as statistically he was comfortably in our best 22 players and unarguably better than a good chunk who kept getting fed a game at the time. Hopefully he can make it back to what we all hoped he would become.

If another club offered a first round for pick for him I'd take it. His value will likely be diminished now though as he has been injured and not developed as expected.

I'm not as impressed with Salem as others. No denying he has good kicking skills and goes when it's his turn, but he's also come on slowly and not developed certain aspects of his game the coaches were getting him to work on. He's a poor player defensively, to the point where opposition coaches instruct their players to go through whoever is his closest match up (know this for fact from assistant coach at another club). He loses one on one contests in the air and gets outbodied if it comes to ground. He'll never make it and a half back if he can't learn to defend competently and thus far he hasn't. He's also failed to impact games offensively. He doesn't get enough of the ball, and when he does he doesn't use his kicking skills to good effect, often chipping short with noting kicks. He needs to learn to find a decent longer option and start hitting those passes to release play. Hopefully this comes with experience and having more options provided by his teammates. He's still got plenty of time, and he definitely is talented and could become a star, but at this stage he hasn't developed as expected and needs to come on quickly over the next 1-2 years. It starts with getting his body right and then building form from there. I'd prefer to see him play midfield in the future. We want him to be the player kicking in inside 50.

Most disappoint effort I can remember. Playing a bottom 4 team who haven't won for nearly 3 months and this is what we serve up. Yes the umpires have been horrendous, but we are playing dumb football with zero intensity. Soul crushing.

You're right. Garlett is a lot better They have shot themselves in the foot though. They can't expect to get any decent return on an old bloke they've dropped multiple times.

Yep he's worth a second round pick. Would do the trade and walk away happy.

Good news for us. We're one step closer to landing him. He'll be a good half back flanker for us, offers great rebound, and it would allow Salem and Vince to play full time midfield.

That's what the MFC has done this year too. Jetta signed nearly a month and a half before it was announced, and Watts signed weeks before it was announced. They both said so in interviews. I assume all clubs do this. It's a shame we missed out on Hurley. Hibberd would still be a good addition if we can land him. It's also a shame there doesn't appear to be a big fallout for the Bombers after what's happened. They've signed up nearly everyone now.

It's judged on how they performed this year. That's why Weitering, Petracca and Oliver will be lower down, as they have missed a decent amount of games at AFL level.

The order will be 1. Daniel 2. Mills 3. Parish 4. Weitering 5. Petracca Caleb Daniel has been the best of the bunch this year, consistently bringing in good numbers and impacting games. Long term though the award means nothing and Oliver and Petracca along with Weitering will be the best players assuming injury doesn't get them.

Hunt definitely deserves a nomination as he's Ben great and is having an impact on games. Caleb Daniel deserves to win the award though. He's been consistent all year bringing in good numbers and providing run the Bulldogs need. Great little footballer!

He was much higher but unfortunately he has missed too many games to be a chance. Think he missed 4-5 games? And his output tapered off before he was dropped. Regardless of that award, he will become the best player of the lot in my opinion.

Don't want St Kilda to win. They've got Richmond and Brisbane to play and are a game clear of us so they'd make the 8 then regardless if we won all 3 remaining games. We need Saints and North to lose and we need to win it all!

Sh*t. Didn't realize Saints were a game clear of us and have Richmond and Brisbane. Makes it hard for us to get there... The losses to Essendon and St Kilda come back to bite us. If we'd won any of those 3 winnable games we'd probably be playing finals this year.

North have thumped the Hawks since quarter time. 9 goals to 2 in the last 1.5 quarters. Hawks lead down to two goals. Looks like Norths percentage won't drop off far, if at all if they continue on to win. Very disappointing to watch them come back here!

He won't get there unless we play finals. Even there he needs to have huge games. He's been brilliant this year though. The top 3 ruck/rover combos this year are all Melbourne! Gawn/Jones Gawn/Tyson Gawn/Viney Shows how important he is to us as we're a contested ball team that builds around winning stoppages.

Dammit. North have come back and got back to under 4 goals at half time. They were 8 goals down at quarter time. Hawks got a few injuries too.

North getting belted. If we can get up tonight we move one step closer. I thought finals this year was 0% chance to happen a few weeks back, but who knows now! KEEP FIGHTING DEES!

Disappointing to see Weid out as it would've been for him to have a few games in a row to see what it takes at AFL level. Pretty decent replacement comes back in though...

Thank god that's out of the way. We've now locked away all our young talent! The only one left is making sure Hogan re-signs before the end of next year. With less pressure on the back line as we get better we may see less brain fades from TMac and more of him doing what he does best and just shutting off opposition attacks.

Pathetic. Hopefully they start losing more and the love affair ends soon. They get a seriously good run with the umpires and media. It's sickening. Sam Mitchell is possibly the dirtiest cheat to have played the game in my lifetime. Such a soft c*ck!