Dee*ceiving

ok...now that I've got that off my chest. Ralphius Maximus makes a key point. The fact that Neeld tred lightly with the delistings when he arrived coupled with the activations of the 2 compo picks for this years draft means a couple of things: 1. He doesn't expect to finish lower 2013 - 2016 than we will this year 2. He wants quality draft picks available to replace the junk with some quality at the end of the year Make no mistake, he will be brutal at year end, there were blokes out there today with hearts the size of peas and while they are being granted a game unconditionally week in week out we will not go forward.

I am also super keen to join. Didn't participate last year but would love to be included if possible

Agree, failing Dawes Jesse White is a worthwhile investment. Can break pack and seems to pick the ball up off the ground and turn well for a big bloke. Seems unlikely to clunk pack marks like Dawes but provides a big bodied foil for Green, Jurrah, Petterd etc. Regarding Darling v Cook. Let's not forget Darling plays in a forward line with 2 other established KPFs (Kennedy & Lynch) which means he gets the 3rd best KPD. or even 4th best when Natanui or Cox are sent down there. Any Melbourne KPF will need to stand the opposition's best KPD week in week out or else they will be left to continously out size the likes of Jurrah, Green and Petterd.

Definitely worth 2 years. If the Eagles had of applied this type of approach with their veterans over the last couple of years they may well have lost 1 or all of Embley, Glass, Cox, Lynch and Kerr and they all had excellent seasons. Good enough to propel them to a prelim. Brad has been in our best 5 players for for a long time. A 2 year deal for a bloke that won the B&F last year and staved off lucrative offers from Collingwood and Sydney not that long ago to stay with Melbourne when he was in his prime and we were cellar dwellers is hardly selling the farm. As for captaincy, I think he in consultaton witht he FD has earned the right to determine whether it is in the best interests of him as a player and the club to continue as captain in 2012 or handover to someone else.

What chance Goddard?

Sylvia = critical signature. He is just coming into his prime, must be retained.

The Peter Vardy experiment garnered some favourable results. Could LP fill a similar void? Maybe, though I tend to agree with others pointing back to the benefits of sticking with the youth policy

Next game is in Darwin, highly unlikely Jurrah or Bennell will be dropped. Particurlarly Jurrah who know's the conditions better than any one else on the list. Morton should be played forward of centre or dropped. In Tapscott, MacDonald Out Nicholson, Strauss Last chance for Bennell though, more football, more urgency and more tackles or see you later.

I have a couple to add. Stefan Martin has been excellent, particularly post Jamar's injury and; Joel MacDonald has been good to excellent in every game he's played. For mine Rivers has been 50/50, if a pass mark, not by much. Also a bit harsh on Frawley (assuming he is a senior player in your definition) built slowly coming on an interrupted preseason but has been solid since about round 5.

Good call dee-luded, and you're forgetting young J Howe who looks to be a real find. If there is 1 big bonus to the season so far its what we have managed to find out about players initially thought to be outside or at best just in the best 22. Stef Martin has grown considerably in Jamar's absence Nicholson has a good burst of speed and hunger for the ball Strauss is settling in down back by the week Howe looks to be a hard worker and a good mark for his size Tapscott (the bull) now appears a critical aspect of our defensive 6 Out of those, I would have picked only Martin as in our best 22 for round 1 and only just.

Midfield leaning forward of centre for mine where his speed and kicking can hurt teams where it matters...on the scoreboard. Davey [laying QB works at times but not enough to justify him spending time defending in the back 50 where his opponents often hit the scoreboard themselves.

I agree with WYL, Cale should be played forward of centre where his elusiveness and reach can hurt teams on the scoreboard. I think since Davey got injured the FD figured they could slot Cale into a QB sweeper role like Flash had been doing but it hasn't worked. He doesn't man up, struggles to put his body on the line and fluffs disposal under even minimal pressure. I can recall Cale kicking multiple goals as a floating HF against the Cats and maybe 1 other (swans?), for now this remains his best position. On the Davey topic, personally I think even he was struggling in this role before he got injured due to press football, maybe Tapscott's return will offer us another option.

Tapscott definitely needs a run in the 2s and we will only even see Warnock again in the event of an injury to Rivers, Frawley or Garland. If MacDonaly misses due to injury then I'd be making 1 change. Dunn for MacDonald. Morton may need to play the MacDonald role on the medium forward

Best Commentators - Dennis Commetti, Anthony Hudson, Hamish 'Hammer' McLaughlin Special Comments - Garry Lyon, Danny Frawley Absolutely putrid - Tony Shaw, Alastair Lynch, Matthew Campbell, Brian Taylor, Dwayne Russell, Glen Jakovish, Jason Dunstall, Michael Christian, Malcolm Blight. Everyone else is tolerable.

How many 'groins' does this guy have and if it's more than 1 I am very surprised any girlfriend of his would break up with him???

Steve, the incident you highlight were Sculls running back with the flight and Greeny leading towards it is completely off tap. As the dedicated leading forward Brad has the 'Green' light to go for those marks ahead of players running back in. If a Saints or Cats player did that in the early 90s they would have eaten a Lockett/Ablett elbow.

Did Tapscott play for Casey yesterday?

2 changes Out - Gawn, Bennell In - Jamar, Gysberts And i don't mind the thought of Jurrah playing as sub...one for the coaching staff to consider.

What? Why would you rest a bloke in career best form? A dual ruck combination where both blokes are mobile and capable of pinch hitting forward and in Stef's case back is what every team is searching for. Now it's Bails job to make it work. If those 2 are in our best on Saturday we will win by 7 goals +

Jurrah kicked 2 goals 2 behinds despite being out of touch and low on confidence. I wish every out of form, low on confidence Demon could muster that type of output. If the kid can run, he can play. 2 games a rest and a trip to Darwin sounds a good recipe for a return to form for me. Stick with him. Jamar comes in for Gawn next week, the Russian/Stef combination ruck FF will seriously stretch the young Tiger talls.

Another nodding in agreement here. hard as a cats head Joel

I can't agree hangon007. Surely in 2011 a club that has freed itself of debt, has a record number of members and increased it's bottom line by $6 million via the acquisition of the Bentleigh club can afford to spend upwards of $1 millions for a coach, if that's what it takes. We are in a far different position now than we were 4 years ago when we appointed DB

Even Neita took a couple of years to grow into the role, from 2002 on he was an on field collosus. We need to give Brad time, he'll get there, and will be aided significantly by the natural increase in maturity of players like Trengove, Watts, Scully, Grimes, Gysberts, McKenzie & Frawley.

If we can get Roos or Malthouse it needs to be goodbye Bails regardless of what the last 11 games brings. Failing Malthouse or Roos then a judgment call will need to be made based on the following criteria: - 2011 performance - On-going development of younger players - Success of recent draftees - Evaluation of gameplan effectiveness - His strategic plans for 2012 - 2014 on a slightly seperate note; Although unlikely to happen as the hawks are travelling nicely at the moment but I would like to see Al Clarkson coach the Dees.

Old55 makes a good point too. There will be a stack of pressure on Davey to hit targets out of the back 50 and Frawley to tuck the ball uder the arm and getting it moving by foot. Chippy-chippy with Riv, Nockers, Batram and MacDonald could end in tears.