Einstein

Is always the first team I want to beat year in year out. (Honourable mentions to Carlton, Essendon and Hawthorn.) Collingwood has Carlton this week, then they go to Perth for West Coast beforing returning to Melbourne to play Port. They could lose 2 of these upcoming games. Who knows, they could lose all 3. Wouldn't it be sweet to put their lights out for 2009? Hopefully we have some guys returning from injury before then. I'm already keyed up for it.

Love him to death, been one of our best over the last decade, but there is no way he has 3 years left in him let alone 3 good years. His body just isn't what it once was. Sorry. He doesn't have to play to remain a presence in and around the team. I'm sure the club could find a role for him. He'll be around, just not on the field. I do hope the club can send him off in deserving fashion if this is to be his last year. Like you say, he's always lead from the front and put his body on the line. Deserves to go out with class.

As a guy, I'm used to dating women who have no interest in football or sport in general. But most girls I've dated tend to give up whatever token football allegience they might have and hope for the best for the Demons, only because they recognise how much it means to me. What I have had trouble with are the girls who see football as a rival for my attention (and/or affection) and as a result resent it. Never did work out well with that type. But now I am married to a woman who used to go for Essendon but knew nothing about them, only favouring them because she liked their colours, and never having been to a game in her life. I am happy to say however that she is now a paid up Melbourne member. She still doesn't go to games though, preferring to stay home and follow the scores on the radio or TV. But she knows most of the players. (I think she has a thing for Brad Miller.) And she gets excited. When Addam Maric kicked that goal from 50 on Sunday she screamed 'Go little Addam!!'. So all in all, I've done well. :D

2007 was rough. I liken 2007 to 1996, which for me was the most despairing year I can remember as a supporter of the club. We finished with 7 wins, but we were going nowhere with an ageing list full of one time club champions and riff raff not up to AFL standard. And of course the season ended with the merger shambles. I remember a game that year, out at Princes Park against West Coast. Less then 9,000 showed up, no surprise really, and we were smashed by 106 points. I remember leaving the ground totally drained and forlorn. Success seemed very far away. But, two years later 1998 and we reached a preliminary final. 1997 was worse in terms of wins and losses, we only won 4, but there were young kids coming through, Farmer, Macca, Robbo, Woewodin, Yze. Tough year but you could see some future potential. As far as Bailey goes, I think the man is a true teacher. It's hard to judge him from afar but going by most indicators we are on the improve and that is as good a reflection of Baileys ability to instruct and teach as anything. Time will tell if he has the ability as a coach to take an emerging squad of young talented players to the promised land and ultimately fulfill their potential, but I have faith in Bailey and am enjoying watching this list develop and grow. Bailey has done nothing but shown great faith in his players and a willingness to let them play. An example was the other week against Geelong. In the third quarter Addam Maric made several errors but Bailey left him on the field to work through it himself, leaving him there until the end of the quarter. To me that shows great patience and tremendous faith in a young players ability to learn from his mistakes and can only give the likes of Maric and others the confidence to take chances and back themselves. I like the game style we are developing and the direction Bailey is taking us. It's going to be a long ride but hell, it's going to be fun.

How about WE receive the gate takings of the StKilda-Geelong game at the 'G and THEY receive the bill that would no doubt result in a Melbourne-Port game at the Docklands? Done and done.

Sad day for the Cordner family and for the club which Don represented so well. A true great. RIP.

This is one of those threads that is reflective of our limited potential to win games this season and our eagerness to get on with the winning from next season on. We want the future and we want it now. (As ruthless as we may be.) So I will play along....... Retirements- Macca, almost certainly. Whelan, depends how his body holds up for the rest of the season, but his days are coming to an end. Delistings- Jamar, isn't going to get any better. Times up. Wheatley, can't see where he fits with our future plans. Will have to really show something when he gets his body right or he is done. Possible delistings- Bell, on the outside looking in. Has been around for a while now and in 63 games has been good at best. Time is ticking. Has to make an impact in the remainder of '09 or he could well be gone. Other potential delistings, Newton, Dunn, depending on contract status. Buckley WONT be delisted. Yes, he is frustrating but he is 6'3" and can run run run. Has to improve his disposal but still has plenty of upside. Hopefully he can show a bit of development in the remainder of '09. He should avoid the axe. This is a difficult task without knowing each and every players contract status, not to mention there still being 15 games to play in '09. Will be interesting to see how and if opinions change over the next four months.

I think we will win every single game from here on in and finish the season 16-6 and continue that form all the way through September to ultimately claim our long awaited 13th premiership. How does that sound? Might mess with our draft picks a little I know. Seriously, every day there seems to be a thread on the number of wins we will achieve. People fall into one of two camps. 1 - we could win more than more than four but the club wont be stupid enough to do that. 2 - we arent good enough to win more than four so it doesnt matter. That's about it.

Is always amusing to watch the Pies get all the hype in the lead up to a big game..... ......then coming a mile short of the mark and crashing in a heap. Having said that, I have to say I am a little worried about what the Saints may do to us in a couple of weeks given their incredible defensive pressure and their ability to limit their opponents scoring (their opponents are averaging a mere 54 points a game so far this season) and our difficulty in putting goals on the board at the best of times. Going to be interesting. But still, always a laugh watching the Pies faulter.

Melbourne playing home games at Victoria Park? I feel ill at the thought. Won't happen anyway, that place is a wreck right now. Plus it has worse parking and public transport issues than Princes Park. Plus I heard they're bulldozing it in order to build a Cash Converters and a gay bar.

Tough week for selection with the two injuries and no Casey form to go on except for what they did the other week against Coburg. I'm not sure Spencer should come straight in even if he is fit. Could do with a week at Casey. PJ showed he could hold his own against probably the best ruckman in the league last Sunday and it wouldnt surprise me if Bailey let him go again. We do ultimately need a second ruckman in the lineup but I'm not sure an underdone Spencer is going to give us much at this stage. Will find himself in the lineup soon but not just yet. People suggesting Maric should be dropped amaze me. Sure the kid looks like he's only 13 years old, but he played a good game on the weekend especially considering the shocker he had a week before. He responded incredibly well for a young player with another 13 touches and 100% efficiency not to mention 2 goals, with the goal he kicked late in the fourth quarter on the run from 50 showing some true class and some badly needed ability to finish. Leave him in for gods sake. At this stage: In- Cheney, McNamara. Out - Rivers, Frawley.

Will almost certainly happen. As great a player he has been for the club, you can see he is past it. But it was great for the club to recognise his efforts over his career by making him captain this season. A player well worth the honour. As for next captain, it will be Brad Green with Moloney and Miller as probable vice and deputy vice. Davey would also be a certainty for a role in the leadership group.

Bennell will get one soon. Plenty of people are taking notice. I'd say if he plays another game this week like he did on Sunday, he'll win the round 8 nomination. Grimes will get one too but my bet is Bennell first.

Maybe. It would be a source of consternation for some. Winning five would indeed be cruel. I am of the belief we arent good enough to win five and will probably win three or four. But watching our performance on Sunday in Perth, it also wouldn't surprise me if we win one or two we're not expected to along the way. Time will tell. In the end, we win as many as we win and we get the picks we get. Hopefully we can have a successful season with much improvement and development of our list, pinching a win or two along the way. Four wins sounds about right and is the best result. The constant speculation and ongoing anxiety about the number of games we win is however, becoming tiring. Try and enjoy the games without worrying about whether winning is in our best interests or not.

I wouldn't have thought so. Both Rance and Green had eyes for the ball. It was hardly intentional on Rances part. Could have easily been injured by Green as Green was by him. I hope the kid makes a fully recovery and is back throwing himself at the contest once again. He's definately one of very few Tigers worth watching.

It's one thing to console ourselves after a hard fought defeat with the fact that it will ultimately end with two prized draft picks at seasons end. But it's another thing to actually hope for a loss. While the game is played, I want to win regardless. Once the game is over and I've witnessed a pleasing performance from a young improving team, then I can live with the loss knowing it may be in the best long term interests on the club, as hard as even that can be to stomach. As tempting as Scully and Butcher sound, I find it hard believe people actually WANT us to lose. How do you do it? Must make for a long and conflicted season.

Bennell certainly has a great deal of natural talent. Displays poise and awareness well beyond his , well, beyond his seven games to date. Also has tremendous balance and ability to win the ball. Could become anything. No doubt as a young player there will be times this season that he may go missing. But he hasn't yet. I think he's shown something in each game he's played. Cannot help but be impressed.

6- Jones 5- Morton 4- Davey 3- Moloney 2- Johnson 1- Bennell

Here's a report of the game from the Age website. http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/wa...1727663972.html They showed some footage on TV last night after the Carlton-Fremantle game. Showed him running around, getting a few touches and getting slung to the ground in a bit of a wrestle. Glad to see him get a run with his school mates. But what he does at school level is of little interest to me. So long as he remains injury free. I'm more concerned with what he does against mature age players at Casey.

I dated a mad Collingwood supporter once. It's true. Relationships can be difficult enough without bringing football into it.

"Think the best not the worst." Agree with that. But I'm not about to burden a kid in his second game with high expectations. Let him play. Let him show what he can do. He'll be fine.

Four names I'll be keen to see go about it this weekend. Jack Grimes - Will only be his second game so we won't expect too much from Grimey. But he showed some form in the pre-season, particularly the practise match against Sydney, enough to generate some excitment about his upcoming year. Coming off an injury he might be a little underdone but it will be good to see him get a few touches and show a little of what he can do. Addam Maric - Disposal let him down last week which was surprising as he comes with the reputation of being skilled by foot. But he showed he could get the ball collecting 13 touches and looked as though he reads the play and moves without the ball well. Should adjust to the pace of the game better this week and will have come away from last weeks game with a few lessons. Will be interesting to see how he responds. Stef Martin - Where will he play? Forward? Back? Ruck? Will likely assist in rucking duties around the ground. Hopefully he isn't thrown into the centre bounce. (Please spare him this Bails). Could see some time forward again as he was thrown up forward in the second half last week. Definately has the pace, spring and the hands to take a grab and could cause some headaches as a lead up forward on the long Subiaco ground. If he can develop as a forward it will make our lineup a little more flexible and less predictable. Let's see what he does this week. Paul Johnson - Huge task this week for Johno and equally huge an opportunity for him to prove his doubters wrong. Not sure if he will as he comes up against arguably the best ruckman of the last decade Dean Cox. Early season form of opposition ruckman has the faithful nervous about this one. Cox must be licking his lips. Hopefully Johno can compete well but his limitations as a genuine first ruck option will be exposed if he doesn't maintain a high work rate throughout the game. Good luck Paul.

I don't usually rate Barrett as a football writer. But he nailed it in this article. Good to see. http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/afl/our...s_waynes_world/

Great day that day. 3 goals down in the last quarter and we come back to pinch it. I still don't think Macca's goal in the last was a goal. But so what right? We won.

I used to live in Brunswick, so Princes Park was no trouble getting to. And generally enjoyed the games there as it was the last of the suburban grounds. I no longer live in Brunswick and now live a little out of town but still go week in week out. If we played games again at Princes Park I would go. But like most have pointed out, its a terrible ground to get to unless you live closeby. I think most on this forum would go to the moon to watch the Dees play. It's convincing the 'maybe' element to attend games there that is and has been the problem in the past.