Nasher

Adelaide at AAMI are a totally different beast. Since they've joined the competition they've won 65% of their AAMI matches and 39% elsewhere.

It would be a bit of a shame if this turned in to a Nick Naitanui thread.

Yeah. I was just assuming he meant Bohdan Joel Hocking. Glad that there was some AFL grade players who played today applying some genuine pressure on the guys in the side. Selection this week was too hard for me for all the wrong reasons - too many crap performers to choose from for omission and not enough quality in the VFL to replace them with. No such issue this week.

Agreed.

The final changes feel a little like changing deckchairs on the Titanic to me, but that's not surprising considering what we had available at Casey to choose from. We've picked the best we had and dropped the worst we had, so it's hard to argue with that.

I'm pretty sure he can 'retire' from the AFL, effective immediately, if he wants. I think you're right though in that I can't imagine it being possible that he could be playing at another club at any level before the year is out.

He made two points in that article, both of which are actually spot on. AFL _does_ dilute the talent pool (and funding pool, probably) for our international sporting codes significantly, meaning that as a sporting nation we are crippled in these other sports compared to how we could be if there was no AFL The AFL is somewhat of a "dead end" for professional athletes in that there's nowhere to go once you're in the system other than back out of it. The money is not as lucrative as the international codes and there's no opportunity for travel etc These are both very valid points. Where he's wrong is the assumption that any of that actually matters. Point one doesn't matter - the majority of fans in all states other than NSW and QLD still love the footy - more so than any other competing sport. For many, including myself, watching the World Cup is a nice little gimmick, but what I really care about is what is happening in the AFL. Point two doesn't matter either - the lack of really lucrative money and travel doesn't seem to be bothering the masses of players competing in Australian Rules football at various levels. If these professional, talented sports people choose to play Australian Rules football instead of anything else then that shows that it's not that important a factor.

Less lately. Like many I find myself bored stiff with the hysteria when we're struggling. It's frustrating at times but overall I'm enjoying the rollercoaster ride we're on, but I don't feel the general vibe of Demonland (or Demonology) is in line with that. The good quality analysis is, by and large, missing at the moment.

The Grimes undisciplined thing is another one of those running gags about silly posts by the usual suspects (typically it's Freak but I can't remember the culprit for this one). Other ones that come up are "192cm players have no place in AFL", "Michael Newton has no flaws" etc.

I wouldn't limit it to the contest. Needs to learn how to get the ball at all; contested or otherwise. Having an elite kick means nothing if you get the ball three times a game.

Needs to learn to get the ball first.

Keeping the side reasonably static does not equal "no change". It just means there will be one or two changes, not 15 like some seem to want.

No, if he really really has to be in the defensive 50 during kickins, then I'd prefer him to get a cheapie in the back pocket and use his speed and skills to get it out that way. My primary preference would be for him to be the receiver on the HBF though, as between the 50 arcs is where he is most damaging. We've got lots of weaknesses, but I'm reasonably happy with Garland taking the kickins at this point (not so much Grimes - this role highlights his weakness and does not utilise his strengths).

I think that as professional athletes, anything that protects their 'assets' (i.e. their feet), enabling them longevity in the short and long term is a good thing. I know that sounds a bit Wank Factor 100, but I think telling professional athletes to toughen up instead of looking after themselves belongs in the 1970s.

Heh, your timelines are a bit skewed there. We got Dunn out of the Darren Jolly trade. That feels like a lifetime ago now.

You state this as if it's a given. How do you know his role was supposed to be defensive?

Interesting, thanks for that. It answers the questions I was wondering too. I saw the title of this thread before openening it I immediately thought of how many times I saw Scully and Watts slip over during the game. Nice to know I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Millar and Dunne would be in contention too?

An incremental step up from his existing contract. Like most players would get on their second run around. Rocket surgery at its best!

I can't be buggered voting today, because coming up with anyone after Bate and Frawley is too hard. Interesting you gave JG a vote though. I love the boy to death like as much as the rest, but I thought he was our WOG today. He just torched it so many times, it was very frustrating. JT wasn't too far behind in this regard. FWIW I thought Dunn was reasonable today and I'd probably have him in my 6 somewhere.

Can we be a little bit more shit in the second half please? How about a few more turnovers? Don't think I've seen quite enough overusing it or passing it straight to the opposition. There's also been far too much going hard at the ball, perhaps a few more instances in the middle where we've got three blokes, none of them go for the ball and the opposition runs off with it uncontested? Just a few more mistackles would be good too. That'd be great. I don't think we're being humiliated quite enough yet.

If Beamer had put that comment where it belongs, I'd be unequivocally behind him as the next captain now. As Stevens remarked in his article, it's condescending and insulting. I want the players to be pi$$ed off at the insinuation. Overly emotive? Probably, but I don't care.

Excellent Jack. Now it's you, me and Mark. I posted something about that around the QB weekend and was essentially called a drama queen.

Indeed. I finished that article feeling like I knew as much about his intentions as before - SFA.

I'd love to know this too. Given that Miller and Watts have both been very poor in recent weeks, in my eyes the only distinguishing feature between the two is that one is young and has a chance to redeem himself and the other has been playing like that for years. Why do some of you prefer Miller over Watts?