MadAsHell

The way this series looks like it's going to go says to me it's time to introduce a two tiered test system. Promote Ireland & Afghanistan and have two tiers of 6 teams. You play a home & away series against each team in your tier over the course of 3 years, and after that the bottom ranked team from tier one is relegated and the top team from tier two is promoted. One sided series like what we're about to see aren't good for the game.

Announced the 13 man squad for the next today. Pattinson in (early) O'Keefe (baggy blue/baggy green selection) S. Marsh (FMD!)

Not till Boxing Day.Give him a chance to build his fitness up.

Struggling unfortunately Faulkner. Made 105 runs in 6 innings so far this season @ 17.50 with the bat. Taken 9 wickets @ 28.11 with the ball however at an economy of 2.69. I think Mitch Marsh keeps his spot due lack of options. I do think Marcus Stoinis is a better option personally as he is a batsman who can bowl more then useful medium pace. First class batting average of 39.5 with a bowling average of 61.71 with 14 wickets from 25 matches that doesn't read that well. However last Shield season he made 785 runs @ 49.06 and took 7 wickets @ 40.14 with an economy rate of 3.16 having bowled 88.4 overs, so he's a bit more then part time. So far this season he's yet to take a wicket, however is averaging 43 with the bat with two half centuries in his 4 digs. Having said that I reckon they'll stick fat with Marsh. Won't happen, but I'd like to see 4 changes for Adelaide with three debutants. OUT Johnson (ret) Khawaja (inj) Marsh (dropped) Hazlewood (dropped) IN Siddle Fawad Stoinis Klinger Australian XI Burns Warner Klinger Smith* Voges Stoinis +Nevill Starc Siddle Lyon Fawad Watch Hazlewood & Marsh keep their spots though.

Further to my above comments re: Hazlewood, so far this series he's taken 4 wickets @ 68 with an economy rate of 3.8. With Johnson's retirement i really hope they do bring Siddle & Pattinson back into the XI. Could really do with Siddle's experience.Three wickets for Pattinson for the Vics today also helps his chances.

I don't watch it myself, but amazed this thread didn't get bumped last week.

Been out of action on this thread for some time. The thing that's annoyoing me is we're no longer seeing an even contest between bat & ball. New Zealand have done well to make something of this match, but teams shouldn't be making 400 & 500+ everytime they bat first which is sdaly becoming the trend in Australia. Agree with your point about trying to have one of England, India or South Arfica out here every year. And I thought I read somewhere that South Afrcia were going to come out for Boxing Day again, but I'll have to search for that. On an individual note, Australia should be concerned about the significant loss of form of Mitchell Johnson. Since the start of the Ashses, Johnson has taken 20 wickets in 6.5 tests (including this one up till stumps Day 3) @ 40.90 form 204.1 overs, meaning he's also going at 4 runs an over. I think it's fair to say Mitchell Starc has become the leader of our attack. Josh Hazlewood has also been hugely disapointing. It must be said, that our wickets have turned into roads, but if that is the case then CA should look at players like Siddle who know how to bowl on these dead wickets. For me, I'd look at bringing Pattinson & Siddle in for Johnson & Hazlewood. I'd bring Siddle in as early as the Adelaide test, and maybe hold Pattinson over until Boxing Day, just to give Mitch a few more tests to get his mojo back. As for the question of who comes in for Khawaja. I hope Klinger gest his chance, he's in great form, and at his age you can justify him coming in for cover for two test matches given he can bat anywhere. Also if Handscomb can make some runs in the 2nd Innings he'd have to come into consideration given he made a 100 in the openning Shield Match and didn't get a chance to bat v NSW. If Shaun Marsh comes back into the test team, I'd have to consider giving it away I think!

The more i think about it, the more i'm convinced we'll take Parish with our first Pick. We've been linked to all of Curnow, Weideman and Francis who are all talls, who are all also a chance of at least one of them being available with our 2nd Pick. Parish is the only genuine mid we've been strongly linked to and we know wont be available with our 2nd pick. Fingers crossed for a Parish/Curnow combo from me!

If we decide to go tall at Pick 3 rather then Parish, then I'd be very happy to see us take Tucker at 7. Don't get me wrong i'm a big fan of Oliver at 7 also, but Tucker's probably a little more versatile.

If he's a jet who breaks the lines and hits his team mates lace out then I'm not to concerned about his contested marking. Don't see Nathan Jones or Jack Viney taking too many either.

Not sure how some older members will feel with a player with this appearance running down the wing on the G?

Not even a 4th round pick back!

Trade Radio just said something else will be coming back our way also.

Howe to Gold Coast for Pick 19 Pick 19 to GWS for Bugg & Pick 27 Pick 27 to Essendonfor Melksham Howe gets us Bugg & Melksham. Win for me!

Your optimistic. I don't think he'll get past Essendon's Pick 4!

When i say early, i don't meañ early in the draft, i mean earlier then where they were expected to be taken.The names you mentioned were all expected to be high draft picks. Cook was expected to be a mid 2nd round pick and Molan early 2nd round from memory. Weideman is expected to go from about pick 10-16 range, so i'd have big concerns of we took him at 6.

Why are the first two names i think of when it comes to drafting KPF'S early are Luke Molan and Lucas Cook?If Charlie Curnow is available at 6 we'll take him. Otherwise expect us to draft a midfielder like Mathieson, Tucker, Balic etc.

Disapointing to see the series v Bangladesh called off: http://www.espncricinfo.com/bangladesh-v-australia-2015-16/content/story/924781.html Good for the domestic ODD competition at least, and all our test players will also get a round of Shield season before the NZ test series begins. Feel for the Bangladesh fans, who don't get to see Australia play there very often. Wonder when (if at all) they postpone it to?

In response to Redlegs post about Kennedy, you said: Implying because he's small, you have zero interest in him. Not making any comments regarding disposal, hardness or overal ability. To top it off you then insult Redleg when he rightly points out that there are several good small players.I know it's tough trying to keep yourself from flying off the handle when living your life as a keyboard warrior in your ivory tower. But maybe you can do us all a favour and dissappear for awhile.

Refuse to deal with them Dees, let Melksham walk to the pre-season draft. Lets face it, no one will pick him before us with a 4 year deal contract terms attached.

I hear Barrasi's packing his bags for Princess Park. Surely not true?!

Harley may be keen on them, but I'd be amazed if Freo took that risk given their success with Josh Simpson & Colin Sylvia recently, plus Ross Lyon's success with Andrew Lovett at St Kilda. Ross Lyon has been burnt three times already recruiting talented, yet questionable (for one reason or another) characters. Would he really roll the dice again?

I may have started that thread at this stage last year?Don't want him now though. Not enough strings to jis bow and we can get Cameron Giles instead for nothing.

Only one on the St Kilda list of delistings that slightly interests me is Markworth. So promise no White or Siposs threads from my end!

I'll go for 2018 EH. Allow for finals run next year and near miss the following. Also gives us tome to find that forward who pinch hits in the ruck to support Hogan.