Dr. Gonzo

Haha just [censored] myself laughing, good one would be great but the ferals would probably think we were honouring him.

Basically the player has to mime that he is trying to handball the ball out even though he, the umpire and every supporter watching knows it's pinned in and isn't budging.

The holding the ball rule has been broken for a couple of years and this year has been utterly destroyed. They had it right about 10 years ago with the "prior opportunity" interpretation now I don't even know what they're trying to do. It seems they want continuous ball movement but then complain about rolling mauls? The umpiring this weekend has been out of control and that goes for all matches. Clearly there's been a directive following some coach comments and media spotlight yet the AFL will insist there's no such thing as directives or rules of the week. Just coincidence that every umpire begins interpreting the rules a particular way all on the same weekend and in different states and even nations on the same day...

If you don't want to read people analysing the footy then I think you're on the wrong forum.

Apparently Roos made similar comments in his press conference. I assume Watts and possibly Howe had some home truths told to them this week and no doubt the leaders would be disappointed to see their response.

I think we do our team a disservice when we make comments like this. After one or two games you can say its luck but after 5 out of 6 I think we can start to say that the other teams don't look very good/don't convert their chances because we're not allowing them to.

When he got subbed in was worried that he may struggle on what had been a pretty hard fought tense game and I worried he may look lost out there a la Toumpas early last year - the difference could not have been more stark. He was only on for a quarter but he showed an appetite for the contest, an ability to run to the right spots and silky skills. In a word he looked classy.

His heads not in it, he's much more suited to the ammo's.

Please can we stop with the Pendlebury comparisons, they are just plain embarassing. Pendlebury was recruited in 2005 and by 2010 had won a flag and was one of the premier midfielders in the comp. By 2014 he is captaining his side and is in the top 5 players in the comp. Watts was recruited in 2008 and by 2014 hasn't done anything.

Meanwhile they continue collecting paychecks and we continue to watch their rubbish week after week. This is pro sport, if you can't handle the heat then [censored] off.

Watts goes before Jetta (if fit) Terlich and Bail as bad as they are in their own inimitable ways.

Kent when he returns from injury. Salem could take his spot also.

If they take his contract off our hands that's a win.

When Sydney were 5 goals up and the sting had gone out of the game.

Worst decision ever - until a few minutes later when they paid one against Jetta.

Great foot skills yet you'd never know because he always handballs backwards.

He did take a "hanger" though so all in all was a good game from him.

Howe is a waste of space, we should have traded him when we had the chance to get something decent back. Watts is just a waste of talent. I can't remember a professional footballer ever to be so scared to take the game on or seek physical contact. Can't believe we just contracted him for what 3, 4 years?

Wasn't exactly a spray (Terlich against GWS-style) but he pulled them aside and had some not-so-quiet words to both of them. He looked exasperated and just didn't know what else to say. He was pointing to each of them then a spot on the flanks so I assume it's either where they had each stuffed up/failed to go when it was their turn or where they were meant to be positioned and weren't.

We need to worry about becoming a good footy side, not pleasing the theatre-goers. Roos is instilling the fundamentals into this team, something we have lacked since Northey. It doesn't look pretty at the moment but the foundation is being laid for the future, no point pining for the days of free-flowing bruise-free footy, we've been there done that. We can look good doing that, can even get to a GF (2000) but would never win one.

Didn't feel like it watching on TV, he had a lot of short handpasses under pressure just didn't seem to have much effect on the game.

Anyone who doesn't get home and automatically delete the game from their PVR/IQ fast forward to 3/4 time and have a look at Roos' frustration/inability to fathom the ineptitude of Watts & Howe - and then have a look at the players reactions. Watts looks like he wants to be anywhere except playing a game of footy and Howe looks in disbelief like he can't believe Roos is having a go at him. I had flashbacks for a second to Zantuck/Barassi though of course not to the same extent. It's only a brief shot as the camera pans away but you can see Howe just standing there and looks like he's about to say something back to Roos. We won't improve until we get pretenders like that out of our side. They're not good enough for modern footy and never will be. Howe is still a one-dimensional, unaccountable player who can't even perform his one dimension competently anymore. Loved the look of Salem the kid is class. Overall was happy with the effort other than a couple of dishonourable mentions but our skills and poise are still deplorable. We got caught out too often tonight out of position, Sydney are a well-drilled team and our guys looked lost on occasion which meant they were running into each other/giving off to someone under pressure. We did OK in close tonight but couldn't get any space to get our attacking game going. Sydney were able to on a few occasions more than us and had cleaner ball use which was the difference. We're on the right track but we need to drop a couple of non-performers, turnover over about a third of our list who aren't up to it talent-wise and drill the gameplan into the players until it is instinctual. Nathan Jones was well held tonight and while Vince stepped up somewhat he was nowhere near as damaging. Didn't notice anyone giving Jones a chopout on the TV - that touched goal towards the end of the third could have made a difference but overall I don't think the Swans were ever really worried. They actually went better once Franklin went off as it opened up their forward line a bit, up til then they'd been kicking it on top of his head. After that they isolated Terlich, Georgiou and Dunn and Terlich well and we couldn't defend against them.

Exactly right and anyone who defneds this by saying "that's not his job" or "he's an outside player" doesn't know footy.

About time we got a silky left-footer.

1) He's been on for about a quarter 2) He said Salem puts his body into the contest, has nothing to do with his disposals