Adam The God

For me in this clip, he still does exactly what he does now. He marks a ball. He then takes a few steps backwards and takes a few extra seconds to assess the next kick. The game is too quick for this now. Even since 2009, the game has changed dramatically. You have to get the ball moving quickly and Grimes is literally the only one that doesn't consistently. You watch the St Kilda replay and every time he gets it, he will take a few steps back and assess the options. I've never been a fan of Grimes as a footballer as many of my posts will attest. I've liked him as a clubman and I hope he can improve his game this year, but I think he's one of those with just too many scars to re-program. I wouldn't necessarily be unhappy if they gave him a rookie spot though at the end of this year.

Especially when Hawthorn have the third hardest draw. So our draw is marginally easier than Hawthorn's. An absolute joke! I reckon Tyson and Viney will make A grade sooner than later. The more support they get from the rest of the midfield brigade, the better they'll be. Share the load and everyone will be better for it. Tyson was certainly carrying a niggle. He needs to learn to take the first option and he'll be a damaging goal-kicking mid.

I'm an MCC/MFC member and the problem with the MFC for too many years is that it has pandered to a financial elite and that's it. We need to diversify our fan base, not alienate people. $20 is not a lot, but if you look at it in the context of multiple people (families), on top of multiple expenses, they all add up. It shows a really ignorant attitude towards, well, living really if you fail to see that.

How the hell did I forget Terlich? He'll definitely be on that list too. I think Spencer will be safe though, unless there's another ruckman on the market, as you imply. PS. Total non-sequitur, but I'm loving watching GAS kick 12 or 13 goals on a young James Hird on FOX at the moment. Hilarious.

Thanks for these thoughts. I missed our episode, but caught the first episode. Having just seen the trailer I couldn't help but Tweet FOX FOOTY and complain about the direction. Seriously, the dollying is nauseating. Glad I didn't have to watch it.

I guess what I'm saying is even Jack Watts has worked out that more physicality is required to be in the new Melbourne. There's no place to hide in our team anymore. If you can't win your own ball, you won't play. Furthermore, I'd say that applies for any team in the AFL (except for those basketcases Carlton and Essendon ). So while he may come in and offer some neat disposal, if he doesn't improve his contested work he'll be gone.

For the record, I'm not entirely writing him off, I just think our list management will become more competitive at the end of this year. The first time in a while. Grimes, Matt Jones, Kennedy-Harris and Newton are the early ones on the chopping block I'd say. Each of them have a chance to stay on the list (obviously), but they'd be my first in line from the senior list.

I agree that you want diversity in a team, but I don't see the Suckling comparison. Nothing I've seen from him tells me his disposal is elite in the way Suckling's is.

I've heard that the major knock on him is his defensive work. But I also can't recall a real hard ball he won last year and I was probably at 17 H&A matches last season.

Stretch offers pace and I'd say he's just as tough if not tougher than Newton. ANB has them both on that though. It'll be an interesting year for ANB too. Newton's a bit older than them both and has been in the system a little longer and I'd be expecting a bit more from him.

Reckon Newton might be in trouble at the end of 2016. He's a distinctly different midfield prospect to the rest of our young midfield. He's not hard at it. His contested work is average, he can hurt on the scoreboard, but he doesn't get involved enough. It'll be interesting to see how he goes this year. If he starts to attack the contest like Kennedy and Bugg and manages to get involved more we'll have 'good' selection problems. I don't see it though.

I didn't quite know what to do with myself as I was walking away from the ground. We've become so accustomed to dissecting loses and the expectation is they'll always be negatives, but there were very few on Sunday.

Well, I was thinking he'd get 4 weeks, down to 3 with an early plea, until I realised how many times he'd already lined up opposition players. He's an out and out sniper and I'm sure his record went against him.

Not harsh. He's done this three or four times already and he's only been playing as many seasons. Have to stamp this out.

I remember one particular kick last year that he stabbed home from 50-55 metres, but it didn't get much air. Generally, he struggles from further out than 45m.

He also has a history of this stuff. He's a f-ing sniper. Would love to play on him and clip him over the ears.

I'd take the fine and run. $1k is fair.

I'm confident if we bring the press we've been implementing successfully throughout the NAB challenge, we'll be able to take care of Wilson and Shaw. Although, you're right. Their defensive rebound is vital to their game. I don't think we give them a chance though if Gawn can dominate Mumford, but it's a big ask.

We watched him pre-game yesterday and he was kicking them poorly. I'd say it was just an off day and he'll ease into the season and nail 3 or 4 against the Giants. There's no doubt it's a weird action that may well come to haunt him unless he changes his action. But then equally, Stuie raises a good point with West Coast's Kennedy. His stuttering action didn't seem to impact upon his kicking too much last year, just he often lacked penetration, as ProDee said.

He may not have dropped his head, but when he loses contests, particularly up the ground, he often gets so angry with himself, he simply fails to chase. I hope they're pointing it out to him, because it reads as petulance. But I love that he had a shocker and still managed two, plus a couple of assists.

Mark Neeld...

He's more than just a forward pocket. He can play high half forward, he can play on the wing, he can even run through the middle. We look so good when he's in the middle too.

Devon Smith always kills us as well. We have to quell Shiel, Mumford and Smith for mine.

I think Roos will do exactly what he did with Longmire in his final year. He'll coach from the bench and Goodwin will be in the box. This has played out during the NAB games obviously, but this will continue. In fact, Roos has said as much, hasn't he? I'm sure this is the plan anyway. There's no doubt Roos has a large ego, but it seems to me that the plan was always to back up Goodwin this year (hence the original will he or won't he coach a third year).

Healy normally [censored] all over us, but watching the replay last night, he was actually very complimentary at every possible opportunity. He actually sounded quite biased yesterday.