RalphiusMaximus

However, we have only one Friday night fixture for the year. There are 44 spots fr Friday night games in a season. If the draw were even that would equate to most teams having three Friday nights and 4 only having two. I'd love to see that!

Given that he's getting those stats as a small/medium forward, he has to be a strong chance. If he were in as a mid, no chance against the guys averaging 30+ possies, but for his position He's a strong chance. Eddie Betts is another who will be competing for the small forward spot, but surely they could fit them both in. Our All Australian prospects are actually quite good this year. Jamar has to be close to getting in and Many of the experts are joining in the man love for Frawley. Both could have pretty strong claims as well. Edit: Just looked up Eddie Betts. 33 goals, 14.8 Disposals, 4.7 marks and 3.4 tackles. You'd have to rate Green above that.

Speaking of predictions, I've just picked 7 of 8 home teams to win. Guess which is the odd one out. For our game, I'm picking Jurrah to top the goalkicking this week for us.

I won't be tipping us this week, but I'd be thrilled to be wrong. I'm really looking forward to seeing the battle between Jamar and Sandilands. The two best rucks in the game at the moment. I just hope we put up a good fight and if we're close at 3/4 time hit the ground running and throw everything at them in the last.

Apparently they give the crap timeslots to teams who don't draw crowds. Given that we just pulled almost 50,000 to a Sunday afternoon game, I think we should see a slightly better deal next year. You never know, perhaps they'll take one of Essendon's 4 Friday Home Games from this year and give them to us. That'd be nice.

I think Wona is safe for the next year. If 2011 is ruined by injury he will be gone. If he gets back to peak fitness he'll be signed to a longer contract.

Well, the AFL has released the fixture for round 22, and would you believe it, we've been given a crap timeslot again! Friday August 27 Fremantle v Carlton at Subiaco Oval, 6.40pm (Channel 7) Saturday August 28 Geelong Cats v West Coast at Skilled Stadium, 1.10pm (Fox Sports) Hawthorn v Collingwood at the MCG, 2.10pm (Network Ten) Adelaide Crows v St Kilda at AAMI Stadium, 3.40pm (Fox Sports) Western Bulldogs v Essendon at Etihad Stadium, 7.10pm (Network Ten) Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans at the Gabba 7.10pm (Fox Sports) Sunday August 29 Richmond v Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium, 2.10pm (Channel 7) Melbourne v North Melbourne at the MCG, 4.40pm (Fox Sports) So we pull almost 50,000 to a sunday afternoon game against the bombers and they still won't give us a decent fixture. The old claim that we don't get the good times because we don't get the crowds just won't hold water anymore. What's the excuse now?

I thought he was 191 when he came to the club. There were a number of conflicting reports on how tall he was though, so I could easily be wrong.

A point to consider. Here is a quote from Bailey in This Article. Another tall marking forward is needed? A tall agile player who can contest, mark and bring the ball to ground. I would have thought that was Martin or Fitzpatrick. What does it say about these guys that the coach has identified this as a drafting target? For that matter, what does it say about the future of Miller and Newton? To me it says that the older two at least have had their chances.

Most of Watson's possessions were cheap handball chains. He had almost no influence.

Rivers was pretty good today. He wasn't our best back, but he certainly wasn't beaten. He's holding his own quite nicely.

The thing that stands out with green is not his kicking, it's his attack on the ball. Look at some of the marks he took against multiple opponents. His eyes never leave the ball. He just charges in and hurls himself at it. There is no regard for his own safety there, which is probably why he gets away with it. Every other player in the contest is paying attention to the other bodies.

Bruce was great today, no doubt. My one gripe with his game is that he gave one of his trademark hospital handpasses to Watts in the last quarter, high and under pressure, and set him up to be nailed in the tackle. Other than that, it was a great game. Easily one of our best today.

I agree that Spencer and McKenzie have to be upgraded, so we need to find 5 spots on the senior list in all. The obvious first. Bell - He's been around the club for long enough and has never shown us anything. Others all have their strengths and weaknesses, so it's hard to say. Personally I'm looking at the following: Miller - He is regarded as a strong leader in the group and has acted as a protector to the young forwards, but he isn't good enough in the long run to keep around. Possible trade bait, although I don't know that we'd get many takers. PJ - Has all the talent in the world, is a huge guy, but never really grabbed the chance he was offered. It's a huge pity given his athletic ability, but there are a couple of young rucks in training who will quickly move past him in the pecking order. McNamara - He's been serviceable nut not great at Casey. I know he's young, but so are the majority of our backline. The big question is who will he take a spot from? We already have too many tall/medium backs, and he is at the bottom of that heap. Junior - He's been great this season, and on form could go again. I just have a feeling that this hammy issue could wind up spelling the end for him, much like Richo a couple of years ago. We've been told that there is a complication relating to the area where tendon was removed for his knee. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see him recovering from this one. Lucky to avoid the chop/On notice: Cheney - His saving grace is his hardness. His disposal is sub-par, but he won't take a backward step and can dish it out with the best of them. Needs to become more reliable with his kicking and work on his defensive pressure a bit more. Bartram - He's been great this year. I had him as a certain delisting six months ago, but he's reinvented himself as a small defender. As with Cheney, his issue is his terrible disposal. We can't afford to have the ball in his hands. I don't really see him surviving in the long run unless he can remedy this flaw, but for now he's had a great season and has earned more time. Wona - His best is amazing and the club will be hoping that he avoids further injuries and regains that brilliance. His year has once again been ruined by injury, although he's playing regular football now and regaining fitness. He needs to get a big preseason in next year and come back fitter and leaner. If he can play most games next year he'll be fine. If he has another year like the 2009 I don't think he can be persisted with. The rookies: As I said above, Spencer and McKenzie to be elevated. The rest are gone. This gives us plenty of room on the rookie list to fish for new talent in the VFL and other state leagues.

The thing with Knights glaring at the Umpires at 3/4 time was that right before the siren they got three or four really dodgy calls in their favour. Surely he should have been thrilled with them at that point?

The notion that Subi is a kicking ground pretty well rules out Cheney. His kicking is the biggest weakness in his game. Likewise I question Joel MacDonald's kicking and decision-making. Bartram is another with abysmal kicking, so has to be in consideration. Therefore I'd be quite happy to see any of them sit out. I can see PJ getting another run because of the distances involved. It's just cruel to ask one ruck to do all the work out there. Morton has a huge tank and is regarded as a very good kick, so could be a good shot at coming into the side. Likewise Bail is hard running and has good disposal. My changes: In - Morton, Bail Out - 2 of Bartram, Cheney and MacDonald.

Watts wasn't bad today. He's still a little shy when it comes to body contact, but he's improving. He took a couple of big hits to get the ball into a teammates hands, one of which was a direct goal assist to Sylvia. THe biggest problem is that he backs off when they put body pressure on him. He went for a mark in the goalsquare with Jurrah waiting for the crumb and when his man backed into him he gave ground without a fight and wound up jumping backwards for the mark. The defender was given a free punch with almost no opposition. The other are he really needs to improve is his running. He gets the ball and slows down to asses his options, allowing the opposition to tackle or corner him. He needs to get the idea of taking the ball and sprinting with it for a half dozen steps just to get clear of his immediate opponents. He has the pace, but too often he's too busy looking for the next play to use it. But aside from that, he kicked a goal, he took some marks and he did a couple of brilliant things that won't register on the stats. Not a great game, but not terrible.

You forgot the bit about inventing the game in the first place. And yes, I think that the powers that be want one of Melbourne, North Melbourne or Richmond to be moved to Tassie in the near future. That way they maintain an 18 team competition and still allow the massive Tasmanian bid to have their team. Richmond are probably the best fit, given that they can still be called the tigers, but I doubt anyone at the top cares which of the three go, as long as one of them does.

I predict a dummy spit by the supporters of one of the two teams.

This round they allow the clash. Other games they have forced us to wear the colours most likely to clash with the opposition. As I also mentioned, why is it that clubs like Collingwood don't have to have a clash jumper at all? Why is it that the AFL is so eager to avoid clashes that it puts the umpires in pink so they clash with us? That they make us wear white against the saints? That they make us wear our away jumper to home games because the opposition's clash jumper is too similar to our regular one? Mark my words, the AFL plans on having the Tassie Devils in the competition in the near future, and we're the one's pencilled in to be moved down there.

Once again it's an example of the attitude of the AFL towards MFC. THey want us gone and have determined to give us every disadvantage possible. Why is it that the pies never have to wear one? Why is it that they make us wear one at every opportunity, including some of our home games? Anything to upset the fans and possibly get rid of some of the gate receipts or memberships...

lol

Bad Call. When he hangs around in the forward fifty he gets monstered by the bigger defenders. We saw how well that worked in the pre-season. He was awful when they made him play out of the goalsquare. He needs to be able to rove freely. Play him on the half forward flank and give him license to float into the midfield or drag his man deep to the square as required. Using him as FF or CHF is a waste of his abilities.

Not every player is dropped to the VFL to find form or to learn something. Sometimes it's because they aren't pulling their weight and the team is better off without them. This is a very straightforward kick up the backside for Cale to tell him he needs to work harder and his spot in the senior side is not guaranteed.

So does anyone have anything concrete to add to this? An article, a quote from a reliable source? So far I see two pages of baseless speculation.