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Joeboy, way off mate. I like the idea of the 3-worder. I usually agree with about 75% of your analyses. Today you're obviously upset as we all are. Hope you're back to your best next week.

What a load of [censored] this poll is.

I was at the game today and noticed a few things. # Jack Watts moved well, took a couple of good contested marks, handled the ball well off the ground. Positive start. # Early in the game we really lacked forward line pressure. The Eagles just bounced the ball out of our forward line with no pressure on them. # Later in the game the Eagles really pressed our backline run. We had to revert to going sideways and backwards. Plenty of turnovers ensued. # Trengove played really well early but looked absolutely exhausted in the last quarter. It might be time to invoke the mercy rule and give his young body a week off. Problem is the stupid f'n media would have a field day. # Jordie McKenzie played really well again. # Junior played really well. Again. # We had our asses reamed by the umpires. That was the most disgusting display I've seen in a long time; and I was at the Bulldogs game last week. They destroyed us early. # We missed Aaron Davey's run after he was hurt. # Colin Sylvia had a poor game. He got enough touches to be counted as serviceable, but did no damage whatsoever with his possessions. He was also beaten one-on-one in a couple of important contests which is uncharacteristic for him. # Paul Johnson had an absolute stinker. # Jamar was very good again but ran out of legs. His one man war against the rest of the AFL is possibly taking its toll. He had nearly double the hitouts of the WCE at half time, yet by the end of the game the hitouts were basically even. # Once again, we managed to let an opposition player dominate us from go to woe. Today it was Pridis. Surely we have the capacity to shut down one player who is killing us all day... # We had about 4000 handballs to the WCE's 100. We had far less kicks. We got smashed in the air with 40 less marks. We had more contested possessions than WCE but far less tackles. We had 30 to 35 centre clearances (which was more even until the last 20 minutes of the game when it was all over) - conclusion: We were beaten in the air, but still won plenty of football, but used the ball poorly and were corralled into too many handballs - leading to tackles and turnovers. So despite us looking flat, we actually had a crack but just didn't use the ball well enough.

Sorry mate, just can't agree on the Blease and Gysberts opinion. Not saying you're wrong, just that I don't agree. We need to have some faith in our selectors and understand that 18 y/o kids need to be given a bit more experience than zero AFL games to prove to us they were worth the pick. I'll even stretch this to say we need to see at least 20 AFL games from them.

The word is that the football department at MFC (I don't actually understand the term 'football department' as it pertains to a football club... but that's the common parlance) have had Cale marked down as a KPF from very early on in the piece. (I've heard this numerous times from officials at MFC). I don't know if they're ready to put him up forward yet, but given Petterd's absence, maybe Cale will get a shot down there earlier than previously expected.

OK. Who's hacked into Keyser's account? There's no way the Keyser who posts here normally would utter anything so... so... oh Geeze. McKenzie will be one of our most important inside mids, and IMO is the heir to Junior's throne once Junior retires. Blease and Gysberts, both high draft picks, both yet to play a single AFL game. Come on mate. Lift! Otherwise you should adopt rfpc's signature - "Apparently I'm better than that!" A-f'n-men brother. Well said. You just did! Seriously mate, are you okay? You're normally a great contributor. I think you're looking for Demonology, not Demonland. Off you trot.

I know the footy club rate Jordie highly. I'm sure he must have some cloud over him just for this week. I'll bet it's general soreness or something else reasonably benign. It might even be that they don't want to burn him out... give him a game or two at lower intensity and then bring him back. The QLD theory with Rivers being the only one left here sounds a bit 'iffy'. Reasonable thought though. Am OS ATM. Spewing I'm missing this game. I can't even get it on TV/radio, so I'm really counting on you guys to update this page and really appreciate any efforts that anyone's willing to make. I sense great danger in this game. They will be as hard as a coffin nail early on. Go Dees; looking forward to following the game here on this site.

Can't have that mate. I agree that Watts needs to be ready to come in, but we can't fall into the trap of not developing players for the sake of very short term gains. ND did this and we are only starting to recover from the policy now. I am confident based on what I've seen from the footy department thus far, that they'll continue to give the young blokes plenty of opportunity, while keeping the team somewhat balanced with experience. I think Rohan Bail is going to be a great player for us, and I was disappointed he went out. Can't wait for his return. Funny though, that he gave barely a yelp for Casey and was lucky to be promoted. Now look how he's improved from that chance. I predict Watts will get a similar chance when the time is right, and that will probably be before everyone thinks he's earnt that chance. Hopefully he turns out to be similar to Bail, in playing better on the big stage.

A montage?! Excellent. Hang on, I'll just put the Rocky IV soundtrack on... ok I'm back. Here goes: Watts will be the same height as Sandilands, as fast as Davey, as strong as Jonathon Brown, smarter than Fevola, as courageous as Voss, and with better knockers than Pamela Anderson, and a backside and legs like Jamie Lee Curtis mid 80s. This, combined with Cameron Ling's pill, Koschitske's co-ordination, and Barry Hall's temperment wil see him lead the Dees up forward. Jack 'Montage' Watts.

I saw it too. It was on centre wing, MCC side after the ball went out of bounds. McGrath went straight up into Bennell's face and started ducking his head and carrying on. In what was a less than subtle throwback to Voss's days as 'an elite sledger', it was a clearly premeditated act that bore no relation to anything Bennell did on the night. Obviously the Brisbane team were worried about the impact Bennell might have with his blistering speed. They were spot on too, as Bennell ended up tearing McGrath a new [censored] over the course of the night. Maybe next time Voss will attempt to curb Bennell by putting someone on him who has a modicum of pace, rather than a bloke who sledges well but is too old to cover such youthful speed and talent.

Here here! Bruce decimated Troy Taylor last week. So superior in the one on one contest it was a joke. Without Bruce, it's distinctly possible we'd have been reading about Taylor as a rising star nominee. I know, I know, an experienced player such as Bruce should be able to pants a young new player, but my point is - that was Bruce's job (or part of it) last week, and he did it very well. I just wish he'd stop handballing backwards.

Thanks Harcourt.

From Vlad: THE AFL would have no hesitation in stripping premiership points or flags from its clubs if they breached the salary cap. That is the message from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou in the wake of the extraordinary punishment handed out to the Melbourne Storm by the NRL on Thursday. The Storm were stripped of the two premierships they won in 2007 and 2009, three minor premierships and can amass no premiership points for the 2010 season after the club was found to have systemically breached salary cap provisions over the last five years. A fine of $1.6 million was also imposed. "We wouldn't hesitate in stripping clubs of points or for that matter - if it was very serious - of stripping a club of a premiership," Demetriou said after stepping out of a meeting with AFL club chief executives. "All of the clubs are aware that those punishments and those sanctions are available to us in our code and to the NRL and they've used it." Although Demetriou said he was not privy to all the details, he indicated that a similarly serious scenario would be met punitively by the AFL. "Obviously it is a very serious matter", he said. "As someone who works in a code, I congratulate the NRL for the position they have taken - they must have obviously done some extensive work in the area to come up with these findings. "All supporters want to know is: is the code being run with the highest integrity? And issues that relate to salary cap rorting are issues that all codes take very, very seriously." Demetriou applauded the NRL for its stance and said all sporting codes were right to show zero tolerance on major breaches of the salary cap. "I think it sends a strong message to everyone to all people involved in the industry", he said. Demetriou would not be drawn on the implications of the controversy for rugby league in Melbourne, saying only that it was incumbent on all sporting administrations to uphold the integrity of their games. Well well well.... Let's await the first person to investigate what's going on at Carlton. Hypocrite.

I have said this before, but now seems a good time to recount a quick story: At the Dees Draft night event, I spoke to one of the coaching staff, and asked why they'd picked Gysberts. The response was: "He has beautiful clean hands in close contests, and will wind up being a premium midfielder". It's notable also, that the Sydney Swans had him firmly in their sights. Give him time gents, physical size can be attained, natural skills cannot. I'm looking forward to watching him over the next couple of years.

Where did you read that?

Great post Calabrese, and some good replies too. I agree with the Calabrez, that we are capable of winning, but probably won't. I also agree that going down by 8 goals is a distinct possibility and that it would not be the end of the world at this point in our development. I won't be saying anything negative if the wheels come off the wagon on Saturday night, I'm just rapt that we're, dare I say it, 'competitive'! That said, I wouldn't mind if Sylvia, Green, and Bate kick 12 between them. Good luck to Chip and Warknackers lining up on the two gorillas. Not a job I'd be looking forward to. Hopefully our midfield can break even with the Lions and minimise supply. Go Dees.

Don't think for a millisecond (one thousandth of a second for the lay-persons out there) that the majority of supporters at any club would give one toss about us if we were in Richmond's position. In fact, we have been in that position many times over the past 40 years (at least). All we ever got was shitty media coverage (remember trying to glean the details of our weekly demise on 3DB amidst the constant switches to Randwick for the 4th?), contempt from other clubs' supporters, commentators, and more recently, a pile of f-you's from elite players doing anything they could to avoid playing for our club. In short, we got nothing. We had to beg our supporter base to donate thousands or even millions of dollars to save us from an ignominious fade out to non-existence. We had to get our larger-than-life Jimmy Stynes to come back and lead us out of the darkness, despite the fact that he was already flat out with a family and a huge charity organisation. Think about Fitzroy and how much you really give a toss about what happened there and how much you miss them and think about them each footy weekend. Their supporters do. So frankly, stuff Richmond. They last won a flag in 1980. At least I was alive at that point. No more of this detached upper-middle class pseudo-objectivity. Come on chaps, fair go. Tally ho. Rally Demons. etc. Until we get a bit of mongrel in us as supporters, we can't ask our team or staff to do the same. I hope we absolutely bury the Tiges on Sunday. I'll be spewing with anything less than 8 goals. If you feel differently, go have a quick look at the Yellow and Black website and see what they have to say about their far superior (yet just a little out of form) midfield compared to ours, and how they'll have us covered in a couple of years. Their hearts aren't bleeding, so why should ours? It's time to draw a line in the snow.

My opinions only - Wonna won't be back. Jurrah should never again be played in a key position. The rest of it I like, particularly if you're talking about the end of the current season. I just like the idea of two >200cm bohemoths on the full forward line, with Gawn helping out Jamar in the ruck, and the nightmare of all backmen (Jurrah) adding some magic. The half forward line with Watts at CHF taking speckies and breaking packs, and two of our best running goal-kickers feeding off him on the flanks. Davey just needs to be anywhere near the action, so I'd have him on a wing, but can't argue with him at half forward either. The future looks bright in any case!

Fair enough, but those 'similar things said about Grimes' seem to be coming true... don't they!?

Sorry for Newton, I don't think he deserved to be dropped. Victim of the 'getting games into kids' protocol I suspect (and don't disagree with). I wonder if it's indicative of the coach's plans. Surely you wouldn't drop him after a good game if he was part of the planned future forward line... Or maybe they don't feel he played so well? There's no way we'll line up as stated. Even if the named forward six actually start forward, Sylvia will not be wasted in a pocket, and Petterd will not be at CHF. Bail will play up to the wing irrespective of where he's named. In any case, it looks like we'll have a vacant forward fifty for most of the game and persistence with the ploy of creating space behind the forwards and requiring them to run back towards goals to gather the ball. It's of concern. I hope it's only until Watts/Martin/Jurrah/Gawn etc are ready to provide the necessary targets. As an aside; I was speaking with one of the Sandy Dragons coaches who was involved with Gawn, and he stated that Gawn would have been a top 10 pick if he hadn't done his knee. Big call, but he's in a reasonable position to make the claim. I hope he's right. Future forward line: F: Gawn Fitzpatrick Jurrah HF: Green Watts Sylvia MATCH UP ON THAT!

Those thoughts had crossed my mind too. I think back to Dean Wallis' contribution to the Bombers' 2000 flag. Brought back into the side to punch someone up, with little else to offer. It'd be interesting if Sheedy could have then immediately subbed him off after mission-accomplished. Not that it mattered on that day of course. There has to be some slight penalty for subbing, such as no interchange for 5 minutes of play following the sub. The other issue of course, is the player who keeps making the side as a sub only. He can't play and keep his fitness in the twos, and if that happens for even two weeks in a row his form will drop off. I suppose the answer might be that subs are enforced at half time (with no penalty), so that everyone gets at least half a game.

So it's official... Garland might play today.

I think Collingwood have some good ideas with their membership categories that the Dees should at least consider, happy to be corrected if these are already offered by the club: 1> A guernsey signed by the coach and the captain as part of one of the premium membership deals. 2> Option for 3 game membership - people who realistically can't get to the footy regularly - the 3 games are nominated, so one of ours might be the Collingwood clash on the Queen's Birthday, and then another high profile clash, but make the final game one that usually has really poor attendance such as North Melbourne, or Port Adelaide if we get to play them at the G. 3> Kids' memberships include a footy clinic with the senior players once a season, AND they go into a draw to have one of the players come to their house for a kick to kick in the back yard - I think that's a fantastic idea. I won't go into more detail, as you can easily just log on and have a look at what they offer in more detail. Overall though, they seem to try to include as much player access for kids as they can, and offer their supporters a heap of options. We probably don't have the supporter base to carry as many options as the Maggies do, but I think we could try a couple of their ideas.

Love the players listed, hate the positions. Hope it's the usual misleading rubbish. Goodwin is in. On paper, the Crows' line up is very strong, it's just form that brings them down. I hope we don't play them back into form! Am optimistically cautious (rather than cautiously optimistic) about this game. Come on you Demons.

I think Bennell showed a bit up forward last week and that's probably what saved him. But I agree that Bennell, like Strauss, has shown some very alarming signs of not having played 50+ games yet I don't think either of these blokes need to worry, and one of them had to go. I would be surprised if Strauss doesn't break back into the side over the next 1 - 3 weeks.