1858

empty your glasses gentlemen, time to go ohm

You just couldn't resist could you?

I think that is true at the margins but "le revolucion" will not happen until the post below is realised...

I'm not suggesting a revolution here. I was simply following on from your point about bringing in some experienced and harder types into the team - it is as significant to our younger players during the week as it is to our fortunes on game day. From that pov, we give the next generation of senior players a better platform.

Your main premise: "I don't think our senior players are good enough to take us where we want to go, but I think they will have a better 2012 than 2011" I agree with.

It's up to those on the field to improve.

One point I will make about Neeld and Co. that affects this argument is that they have seen fit to push older boys into the team (Clark, Bate, and Batram) because they know that the kids need help - they need some strong bodies and minds in there. I would also include Magner and Couch in this argument but I do believe AFL experience is important to being a senior player in an AFL team.

It's not just about on the field though even though that is the end product.

Neeld made the pertinent point last year that our standard of training (not just pre-season but week in week out) needs to improve and the Magner types will contribute to this. Our collective mental hardness should make a move for the better this year but it won't happen over night. So preparation being a significant part of execution is a key.

Jones turns 24 this year and has over 100 games of experience. Had a ripping pre-season too.

The moral of your story though is the same though.

Good to see Cook added to the squad.

I actually think he's a very good bet in the Rising Star this year and should be another Melbourne player to receive his 2nd nomination (does he fit the age criteria?).

By the look of it he does. He turned 21 last month (Feb).

AFL terms:

To qualify for the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination, a player must be under 21 years of age as at January 1 of that year, must not have played more than 10 games to the start of that season and must not have been suspended by the AFL or State League tribunals during the season.

I was on an Emirates 777 last night, they must have the narrowest asile's of any aircraft I have been on.

And I should know I spend hours chasing my Grand daughter up and down.

It essentially comes down to the carrier.

Boeing regards the typical cabin layout as 9 abreast seating (3-3-3 formation or 2-5-2 formation) in economy class for the 777 family but many carriers like to cram 'em in with 10 (3-4-3 formation) - including Emirates.

This is a handy website: http://www.seatguru.com/

Isn't he also carrying some kind of injury or recovering from an op?

I wasn't actually sure myself so I thought I'd put it out there but you're right he was coming back from something, not in the injury list but he may still be unavailable.

Could Lucas Cook get a run this week?

Looks like China Southern's updating the 772 segment of their fleet.

China Southern to acquire 10 777-300ERs

They should sit nicely between the A330s and A380s.

He is a very good follower, and good at linking up and being apart of attacks forward, but Pavlich can get his own footy, has a faultless footy IQ and break through tackles. The guy can do whatever he wants.

I don't think Martin can do that.

And if Martin isn't rucking, what is he doing? Purely in as a mid? I don't think he would cut it as a pure mid. I would let him be a back-up ruck and forward/ute for the next ten years if his current form holds.

Very valuable.

I agree with all of that. We know he's a capable back up ruck and that Neeld has him in the forward equation, it is the utility aspect you mention which intrigues me the most though.

If our gameplan is one of using the boundary line then I think Martin (when not rucking) gives us a lot of value when we want to centre the ball on the odd occasion we want to mix things up. The beauty of Martin is not only that he has the hight and is starting to interact with other players but he also attacks the footy at ground level and more importantly in the air - he doesn't wait for the ball to come to him. When you consider the wide boundary of the MCG having a player like Martin as a centering option in the corridore is quite an asset especially if a lot of the passes hang.

I'm not suggesting him as a loose player but IMO a utility role has legs.

Dunn can no doubt improve under Neeld but the problem for him is that every player can (will?) improve under Neeld. In order to make a case to Neeld he needs air time in the seniors but gone are the days of just slotting in players for a look and a run. With where our list is going I agree with most others, he's in trouble.

Which ones were you wanting to make?

haha you're done.

Well you can bet London to a brick he is going to be on SEN to represent Collingwood interests and he is going to stir the pot. And its typical SEN fodder. I am not sure why you punish yourself. B)

I don't listen to SEN often either but it is beside the point in any case. They call him "Eddie Everywhere" for a reason. It is about tuning out from him when he invades your ear space but this week he was asked about an issue involving Melbourne, the same issue McLardy addressed - pretty simple.

So it comes back to making generalisations...

McLardy hardly goes into meltdown on every McGuire comment like some on D'land. And i would expect McLardy to be a bit more astute when deciding when and if to respond to McGuire.

'Some' being the operative word. Generalisations aren't required when posters wish to voice their opinion on issues related to Melbourne and making them adds nothing to the discussion.

Its always the same from McGuire. You know what he is going to say. The double standards are mostly obvious and consistent. He wants a better deal for Collingwood...period. Most of his talk is self spun and serving promotion that just stirs the pot and the chooks go for it.

Which is why most people try not to listen to him either in a football capacity or non football capacity. Listening to SEN in a week leading up to a Melbourne vs Collingwood game is hardly being "rivetted" to McGuire.

The continual hand wringing here over Eddie continually spruiking Collingwood's interest is hilarious. I am not sure why so many are rivetted listening to him. He is a frist class spruiker of his own or Collingwood's interest. Its the same thing time and time again.

A bit over the top.

He made inflamatory remarks towards Melbourne to the point where even our president has made a not so thinly veiled response.

When will McLardy get over the hand wringing?

Eddie on SEN no

So according to Eddie they poach people "respectfully" where as what we're doing isn't. I think I get it now.

Ended up with 4 wins.

It's a periphery problem in my view. Either Davey does it, or a kid like Blease, or a kid from rounds 2 onward in the next draft, or some fringe player from another club, or Jurrah does it by himself.

Well in relative terms to top class mids I would agree it's not as big a priority but in isolation as an issue of discussion I would disagree - no problem each to their own.

We need a star midfield to get the ball down there to make this thread relevant.

It is this kind of sentiment where this site suffers IMO.

This is as relevant as any other thread. Do we dimiss any discussion about our rucks (they won't have any top class mids to palm the ball to), do we dismiss any discussion about our defence (they won't have any top class mids to kick to)?

Our forward line is an important part of the ground - especially as we develop a forward press. We've discussed the need for a tall target for some time ( to the point where some promoted the idea of pick 12 for David Hale), such discussion didn't lose it's relevance simply due to our need for more midfield class. A small crumber is another component of our forward line, the club needs one beyond Davey and the discussion of this is as relevant as ever.

I was getting ahead of myself.

The comp picks. People want to use our currency on things; a small forward, a lamp, a fullsize mirror, potential star mids, etc.

I want a star mid.

Anybody who suggests we use our compo picks towards a small crumber one way or the other needs their head read. I can't find any posts though where such a suggestion has been made.

Midfield class is surely at the forefront of our compo picks.

Depending on how many we delist though we will have options with subsequent picks and possibly traded players (but that remains to be seen).

The OP has highlighted IMO a genuine issue which needs to be addressed. The mere notion of Davey being moved forward shows how much importance Neeld shows towards that role but Davey won't be around for ever. Lawrence might be an option but the percentages are not on his side. If we can't manufacture a decent prospect with what we have we need to multitask come end of year as we did last year getting some hardened mids and a KPF.

If we trade those picks, it will be for a mid.

Which picks?

Our needs aren't mutually exclusive.

We definitely need some more midfield class but I agree we need that 1 small crumber who interacts with the taller players who can bring the ball to ground. Jurrah is good at playing that role at times but he also offers more than that so to pidgeon hole him in that role is unnecessary given our options. Surely with a 2nd round pick or a trade we could get someone in who can perform that role in an acceptable dedicated fashion. Short players who can go in and under inside forward 50 are an asset as they put their opponents under pressure not to give away head high frees and they garner more value out of the talls and add more options to their play.

Well of course the interesting thing for Carlton is that $6.3mill of their debt is current. No doubt they'll grovel to Westpac as with previous years. The AFL's guarantee for this debt facility expires in October at which point they'll make a new guarantee I'd imagine. So all in all they'll "manage" it but they have fixed and floating charges over their assets, no doubt some debt covenants placed on them and also a bigger risk to lenders so their cost of credit will be much higher for future projects unless Westpac give them more rope.

Fairly Good Sponsor to get on board with at first look....this could be huge for the MFC

Massive actually. I really hope this rumour comes to fruition.

Apparently there was a period there where Emirates gave filth members discounts on certain flights - not sure if they still do it though and I don't know the details but I read it somewhere. A similar setup with MFC and an airline would be great at getting new members on board.

They would be Australia's number 1 & largest energy broker. A far cry from some hack airline from China flying aircraft that should be in moth balls

For a fleet of over 400 aircraft it isn't that bad. No 727s, 747s or 767s. Predominantly A320s, A330s, 777s, 737 next gens and they are now bringing in the A380s. Hardly moth balls.