Adam The God

Cars driving around in circles is ever exciting?

Yeah, that tagging role could work against St Kilda, although Riewoldt would murder him in the air. We can't afford to carry a tagging midfielder and that's not the style we want to play, so unless we're tagging outside the centre square (ie. Riewoldt on the wing), I can't see that being a regular role. So he either improves his decision making and kicking or he may struggle for a position. He's too slow to play half forward in our set up too. I like Bernie, so I hope he can tidy things up, but I'm just about over his turn overs in incredibly dangerous areas.

Because he butchers the ball inside defensive 50, as well off half back. Mostly with dinky little flashy kicks that fail to reach targets or simply go down the opposition's throat. He needs to take better options if he's going to attack. We need cool heads back there otherwise the zone defence will never work. Think Gibson and Hodge in the days of the impenetrable Hawthorn zone defence. By comparison, we have the McDonald brothers (who one could never describe as 'cool headed'), Melksham (see the McDonald's) and potentially Frost (also see the McDonald's). We need cool heads and experience, so if Vince is going to be worthy of his spot back there, he cannot turn it over as regularly as he does. He's not alone back there of course, but at least the McDonald's are defenders and can defend. Vince cannot.

Yep, I just wonder too whether our mids still need an extra 20 odd games in them before they can really take their game's to that next level. The level required to reach finals footy. Viney (70 games) is in the right zone, as is Tyson (71 games). Oliver (13 games) will dominate this year and is one of those rare talents that doesn't need 50+ games under his belt before he starts to get on top regularly. But Petracca (17 games), Brayshaw (31 games), Salem (30 games) and even Stretch (27 games) may not have the necessary games experience to impact regularly enough in 2017. However, things can turn quickly and if you compare the amount of games the young Bulldogs had going into their top 8 season in 2015, there are some similarities. * Bontempelli (16 games) - Oliver * Wallis (56 games) - Tyson * Dahlhaus (71 games) - Viney * Stringer (28 games) - Petracca * Hunter (23 games) - Brayshaw * Macrae (34 games) - Salem While Libba (77 games) didn't play at all in 2015 and Daniel hadn't played a game. Let's compare Daniel with Stretch, except Billy is ahead in terms of experience. Their younger kids were then supported by the likes of Murphy, Boyd, Wood, Morris and Picken. We have Lewis, Jones, Vince, Gawn, Hibberd, McDonald and Jetta. Admittedly, our elder statesman group is a little younger, but there isn't a lot between those two groups. But as you say, if Dom (avg. 25 in '16) and Viney (avg. 26 in '16) can continue their 2016 form and improve upon it, Oliver, Petracca, Salem and Brayshaw will be able to go about their natural development and impact when and where required.

I reckon I could out-mark Brown and Carlisle is coming back after a year out of footy. That said, I like the idea of Hogan playing a bit of a Riewoldt role in this game. He doesn't have the tank of a Riewoldt, but he can certainly cover ground and if he can push forward and kick goals that's a good start.

Question. Is this PJ's domain or is it the CCO's? De Crespigny... not looking to string anyone up, I'm just wondering.

Agreed his versatility needs to be used, but I'd also be wary of ruining a good thing. He usually dominates St Kilda at Etihad.

Lol. Trump is a straight shooter that doesn't use spin? Righto, GV. 'Alternative facts'? In the last week, it's 'false narrative'. As for Watts, I think the club have dealt with this well and are perhaps showing a tougher, no BS attitude towards every player. No favourites. Now it's back to the start of the action classic Commando, on FOXTEL's Arnie pop up channel for me.

If Carlton get a priority pick I will [censored] on McLachlan's desk. What a joke that would be. Particularly, given we were denied when we were potentially the worst team to ever play the game. Carlton have had more number one draft picks than any other team in the modern era, so it would be an absolute disgrace. I love the Carlton arrogance though. Still one of my most hated clubs. Love that they haven't won a flag for 22 years and have been almost as bad as us over a 15 year period.

A great game from the women's team. Some of the link up play and skill by foot was brilliant. Misfud is a star, for mine. She is a beautifully kick of the footy. Probably the best kicking technique of any of our girls. Paxman and Daisy are stars too.

Vince is the worry in that lot. I haven't been as impressive with Smith as some others have, but I'd be very intrigued to see how he goes on a Membrey. He feels like he'd be a good match up and if he can attack and repel as well, he'll keep Membrey honest.

Brilliant news. Thanks, Wrecker. Let's hope you're right.

I've been a critic of Kent for a few seasons now and am on record as saying he won't make it. He may still not, but I cannot deny when he's in the team and on song, the pressure he brings to our half forward line is invaluable. His inclusion could be massive.

That makes no sense, WYL. What has the failure of the past administrations got to do with our inability to sign a BOJ sponsor? Settle down on the MFCSS, mate.

Also, the ability to know when to go long, Sydney just have it. We don't quite yet. That's another big takeaway.

Just watching the replay of the St Kilda / Sydney match from the JLT Series and the major point I've noted is that if Sydney got held up on the wing/high half forward, instead of kicking into the corridor or deep inside 50, the Swans would look for an option just inside 50, but right next to the boundary. They then pressed that contest and completely swarmed it on every side, preventing any exits. A quick blind kick out from St Kilda would clear the area, but would then involve one on ones down the ground. I think this is a valuable lesson for us to learn. If we can move the ball quickly, by all means go through the corridor and the top of the square, but otherwise this is a tactic I believe we should employ. The other important note I was looking for was Sydney's pressure inside their forward 50. St Kilda's backs struggled with the pressure applied to them. We desperately need Kent and Garlett fit for Round 1. We can't afford ANB, Harmes and Bugg all to play. They're simply not good enough. We have shown we can carry one, but not all three.

Hickey beat him twice last season or at the very least neutralised him. Perhaps, they think this is a way of switching things up, as well as providing a tall target at Etihad. I hope they've improved their ball movement and leading patterns since the Eagles game though. Can't just kick it to the top of the square and have Gawn, Hogan and Watts all fly for the same ball.

4 of 21 think we won't make the eight. The rest do. Unless I got my figures wrong there...

A leader's ability not to put their foot in their mouth during media interviews is about all that's required in the media. Tick that and your sponsors are fine. Why? Sponsors care about eyeballs on their brand and how their brand is represented. If the club is winning - that's a tick. If the club has greater success - that's a tick. If their brand is visually present in the media without a negative foot in mouth experience - that's a tick. This has got nothing to do with Fyfe. You said media performance is a key factor of a captain's role. And I call [censored] on that front. As has been pointed out, Hodge is an ordinary media performer, as is Jones IMO. If the MFC leaders become known as winners, that's far more important to sponsors than whether a captain can string a sentence together. Further, as Billy says, we have blokes like Gawn on The Footy Show every week, Lewis on AFL360 and Bernie I'm sure will also appear. This is brand exposure and has little to nothing to do with leadership on or off the field. We're playing football after all and although the business side of things is vital to a club's sustained success and ultimate survival, a captain's media performance is not anywhere near the top of the list of priorities.

I'd say our budgets will be well and truly out if we gave up potential sponsorship dollars like that. Even though morally that'd be great. The Barcelona's can do that stuff because they rake it in on multiple financial fronts. I'd hazard a guess that we couldn't afford to do this.

IMO Oliver's biggest issue last year was his tank. He couldn't run out games. If he can run out four quarters, even three and a half quarters regularly, he will rack up the stats. 25-30 possessions per week easily. And as you say PD, if he continues to develop his outside game, he'll have no problem hitting 30 touches weekly. The West Coast game should be his blue print for the rest of 2017. He used his feet superbly to open up play, but still got a tone of it inside as well. Hogan will be a star and what he's managed to do for a CHF is nothing short of phenomenal, but Oliver has walked straight in (similar to Ollie Wines really) and had a major impact on the inside. That's why I have Clarry's ceiling as higher than Jesse's, but I want both of them in my team. They're both match winners. It's important to note that the biggest difference between the ceiling of someone like Wines and even my favourite Cripps, is Clarry's ability by hand and in particular by foot. Both of those other guys are limited by foot. For mine Clarry is a Sam Mitchell clone.

I'm a little surprised, I must say. How hard can it be to sign a BOJ sponsor with our upside? If we've managed in previous years and teams like Carlton can manage it, surely we can. Yeah, okay, we might be looking for a bigger deal, but it seems a little unprofessional to enter the season without.

Oliver will be right up with Cripps this year. In fact, I predict he'll surpass Cripps this season.

Hopefully one day Tyson and Viney will demand a tag, but I don't see any of those boys, with the exception of Clarry, demanding a tag at this stage. But if Tyson and Viney are free to go without a tag, we will have a very dangerous midfield. Especially, if we learn to block and work for each other. No side is going to tag two mids, but there were certainly times last year where Viney was either tagged or received heavy attention at stoppages. Oliver's rise makes us all the more unpredictable, which is terrific. This all said, I'd be chasing hard for one more A grade mid at the end of this year. Reckon we're still one short. Brayshaw, Petracca, Salem and for the next few years Lewis, Jones and Vince can all push through there, but I think we need one more to be a flag contender in a year or two.

I've told the family that I'm not interested in going to pre season matches there anymore. It really is a hole, but if the men's side played there in the season proper, I would follow them. But I don't think Gosch's Paddock is the right option and the Junction Oval certainly isn't. So it's Casey for the moment.