RalphiusMaximus

MacRae is in the doghouse a bit over his defensive pressure. They want every player pulling their weight defensively. It's why Minson still can't get a game.

Probably means they get a 2 year ban. After that who knows? They may find a home in the VFL and get drafted again.

Just remembered my tips weren't in yet. That means I get Carlton by default.

Watts to have the run-with role on Murphy. Give him a task to stick to. I wouldn't mind seeing Fitzpatrick in the side. He'll hit the scoreboard if nothing else, and it's not like they have quality talls to go against him.

Have to agree that Harmes is ahead. I think White is probably the better prospect long term, but he's not ready yet and I think he's got some work to do on his body.

This three weeks is the worst run we face during the year. It's gone now. The next four are Bulldogs, Port, Pies and Saints. While I think the team has been badly shaken by the magnitude of the losses we suffered in the last month, they will still look better in the upcoming weeks than they have. As with the first four rounds, looking at this it's easy to think we'll drop all of them, but I think two wins are very possible. Not only are they easier opponents, but we will start seeing a few injured players getting back into the side as well. Now is not the time to freak out.

I have high hopes for White. If he can get his body right to play AFL he has all the tools to be a really good attacking HBF for us. His intercept marking is good, he has the courage to take a high mark in front of oncoming players and risk getting flattened and his kicking is all class. Decent pace too from what I've seen. The question has always been whether he can stand up to the physical side of the game or if his body will fail him. I think they need to be a bit more coutious with him and make sure to build him up physically before they put him into the firsts, but he could be a great players for us.

The big difference is that the Doggies have been recruiting quality mids for years while we have been stockpiling fairly average talls and have wasted a huge number of picks on mids who never made it. They can afford to play a game that relies on winning a contested ball in the midfield, while when we do that we get smashed. Repairing the damage to our midfield has been Roos' goal from the start, and it's still going on. What we've seen over the last few weeks is that we are still well behind the good teams when it comes to our midfield stocks.

Wasn't that after Garland stuffed up a short pas and kicked it straight to a Hawk who goaled? I'd be a bit upset with myself if I did that too.

It would. Might make people a bit less inclined to crash into his head.

With Luck Watts goes to CHF for Casey and gets given a mission to play a physical domineering game. He needs to show everyone that he can play like a tall, not just an oversized Jamie Bennell.

I actually don't mind these changes. Yes, there is some dodgy disposal, but they can run, tackle and win the ball. All good things. They are all 20+ disposal players as well, so that should help. My concern is that we're going to be a little short, lacking a second ruck option and possibly a tall forward.

One aspect of this case which I hope somebody in the media cottons on to is the massive slap in the face WADA have just delivered the AFL regarding their integrity. By ASADA declining to appeal through the AFL's own system and then WADA taking it right out of their hands, they have basically said that they have no faith in an impartial judgement being delivered by an AFL body. In essence, WADA and ASADA have just told the world they think the tribunal is crooked and delivers results based on the wishes of the AFL and not the evidence.

LEts watch our team try to put pressure on them and take note of what happens. I'm tipping another 50+ point loss.

What he said. We always knew we were going to get thumped in these three games. I can't be the only one who looked at the draw and saw us sitting at 0-7 with the media crawling over us like the parasites they are and the fans calling for blood. We are exactly where we should be according to the most positive realistic assessment of our chances this season. Fortunately, after the Hawks next week we start to see some more even games and we'll also start to see a few of those injured first 18 players coming back in to give us a bit more hardness. Yes, we've looked bad the last couple of weeks, but that was against two of the best sides in the league. Anything from 7-8 downwards we're in with a chance and we'll give a much better account of ourselves.

Hogan, Salem, MacDonald. If that doesn't cheer you up a bit you need to be medicated. We're still seeing the same issues. When the opposition takes away our time we start panic bombing rather than passing and Sydney just set up a few extra men 40m forward of the play to mark it and bring it back in. It's all a matter of composure and being willing to take the hit to get a proper pass away. A little work off the ball to create time and space for the kicker would help too. You can't blame the forwards for having low numbers today when the ball movement was so terrible. They had no supply and the few times it did get to them they were outnumbered.

6 - TMAC. Towering performance. Kept Buddy goalless even if he did get a lot of ball on the wings and backline. 5 - Salem. Just the poise and skill he showed. Knows what's around him at all times, delivers the ball and can defend. 4 - Hogan. Worked hard to have an impact while being double- and triple-teamed in our forward line. Did well to get two goals. 3 - Garlett. As with Hogan, he worked really hard. Had an impact when he went into the middle and hit the scoreboard. Just needs to kick straight and he's going to break a game open for us. 2 - Jones. The usual. Worked hard, won the ball, kept fighting. 1 - Watts. I know people will disagree, but he came on and got a clearance with his first touch, he go his hands dirty and made a difference. Apologies to Billy Stretch, who started brilliantly but faded right out of the game. Still a pretty decent debut.

Still not kicking to our forwards properly.

How good was that kick from Hogan? Just pummeled it low and hard over 50+ meters. I wish he'd done that for the other one he had earlier.

It's funny, we actually have a forward line now, but we still can't score because the midfield persist in these ill-directed bombs rather than actual passes to the advantage of their forwards.

Loving Salem's game. Take's on Buddy and wins. Intercept mark to Hogan 35 out.

That was great play though. Good kick out of the backline from TMac, good cross from Vince and then we worked it down the open wing and scored. Exactly what we want to see.

Lamumba just played for a high tackle and everyone went right past him and kept after the ball.

Is the siren had held off for two more seconds we would have had a shot at three in a row. Leigh Mathews says that three goals in a row is the golden number in a chase.

That was great play. Garlett clearance to Brayshaw who hit Hogan for a goal. If only we saw that at the first bounce.