DeeSpencer

I think he had the meniscus he injured in the last round operated on. But touch wood should get a decent preseason in. His knees and hammy's are always likely to cause trouble. I think it's time he steps up and grabs the number 1 spot. Can't see either him or Jamar being good enough forward to play the tandem, and even less so with Spencer. But I don't want Jamar injured or pensioned off either. I just want big Maxy to grab the position and dominate in hitouts and provide a target around the ground. If there's an opponent where playing both suits or if he needs a rest then bring in the Russian. But Gawn's bigger, faster, better mark and probably just as strong by now. This is his year to show it.

It's for all teams. It's the AFL finally realizing that ask members to pay up more for preseason games is just price gouging. Also if given the choice between a one off fee for a game or buying your membership on the day more (than previous) will buy memberships and that will help the club. I do fear the line at Etihad for the 3rd game to buy a membership and get in to the game will be massive though.

He sits right in Stanley's spot. What would you rather? Stanley or pick 21 plus McKernan? The saints are trying to get as much top end talent as possible and would rather their list be filled with whoever they can find for a cheap price than to carry guys who tease like Stanley if they can trade him out for a top pick. They have 2 young first ruck types but no one on their list to fill that second ruck/forward spot so they might have a look at McKernan hoping he can play a role like Pedersen did for us (or maybe more like Sellar did). With Pedersen, Gawn, Fitzpatrick on our list, plus the rookie King and maybe even Peter Wright there's no need for us to fill the list with guys like McKernan.

What a shocking coincidence with those 4 teams. How did it happen! Maybe we can get together with the Dogs and work out a broadcast on either clubs websites. Absolute farce if it's not covered at all.

Yes but certain players never have full preseasons. Either their bodies seemingly aren't up to it or their minds aren't. Probability says that we will have some players miss time. We took a chance that Jetta would finally get a preseason in his 6th year after not doing so the first 5 times. It paid off. Delisting a player and making them train on with a rookie spot a possibility is a nice each way bet in that regard. It's why it wouldn't surprise me if we did it with Tapscott. I know Michie and Riley have had injury troubles and so a good preseason could see them spike in form. McKenzie, Spencer and Fitzpatrick are three others who would love full preseasons with the fitness gains but also just getting the skill work in. Overall though I don't think we had a drastic number of injuries or poor preseasons last year. I don't think we will run out 5 goals better due to fitness benefits. But there's a few who are Jetta eligible. I'm sure you'll let us know who's out there early in preseason and looking confident and improved.

Don't pay national draft prices next year for a guy you could rookie this year! We've got the former Sandy Coach! Plus several others. The VFL (especially if Casey is half decent this year) isn't too onerus for most 18 year olds. And there's always the VFL reserves (shudder). If he's borderline I think someone takes a chance on him just like Adelaide did with Craig Kelly's son last year.

I'll say one last thing about the injuries and if you don't understand it I'll agree to disagree. It's not an excuse for us losing. It's just a reason for why I think we threw a game in round 1 and then won the next 2 and have been horrible since and the reason is lack of depth. The injuries are the mechanism that exposes that. It's the lack of depth that is my comment on the Bears. And it comes from years of poor drafting, development and over reliance on free agency. There's no woe is me about the injuries. I do think discussion of injuries is fair regarding the NFL because if you lose a bunch of players from similar positions you can be exploited in ways or in particular games. I agree they are in no way an excuse for how your team finishes a season though with the exception of QB. In every other position it's about having depth on the roster. I think we are coming at the GB/NO game the same way you are just seeing it from a fans point of view as you blow chances. Personally I thought you went for an ambitious onside kick and still easily kept holding serve by putting up points and NO could only struggle to match you. Maybe that's the case that if you waste chances on the road they come back to bite you, I get that. But I felt to half time GB had their noses in front in terms of how easily Rodgers was working. You had a drop catch and a big penalty wipe away your chances of TD's. Where are the saints after the first drive seemed to be scrambling to get their FG's. Anyway all a bit irrelevant. But that flukey interception certainly changed the game. On Foles - I remember the 3rd last play. The 5 foot something honey badger jumps up and swats away a pass over the head of a 6'3 rookie WR. The new two are in the NFL highlights package. Second play was definitely catchable. He gave the defense a fair chance but it was a fast and safe throw to get a third play if needed. On the final play WR jumps through the air and takes what we'd call a chest mark and is then pushed out whilst airborne. The pass is landing in bounds. If he trails his feet and leans through the air he can catch that. I think CC said it's hard but possible to catch after the game. And that pass was after back pedaling when the Cards sent a 7 man blitz at him. Foles makes inconsistent mistakes with accuracy and occasionally bad decisions and missing receivers. I just thought he did a decent job on that last drive.

Selwood had degenerative knees. They said he'd never play passed a few seasons. Thorp was physical fine. Stringer had a broken leg and was meant to not even play AFL whilst he got his fitness up until his second preseason. He was good from debut. Toumpas had some routine hip surgery but it wasn't meant to hamper him. My point is you shouldn't read too much in to junior injuries. Almost all players suffer injuries if they play long enough. Juddy's groins. Hird's face and feet. Lenny Hayes' knee. Reiwoldts knees. Roughead's achilles. Buckley's hamstrings. It sounds like we wont go Lever. But I'd hate to miss out on another champ based on a flawed theory.

Much much better kick. Moves better. More filled out athletic body than Gawn's wiry frame at the same age. Slightly shorter. No previous ACLs. Red hair. No beard. The plan would be for Gawn to ruck 70-80%, play forward 5-15%. Wright to ruck 20-30%, play forward 60-70%. We'd be drafting Wright as a forward (I'd hope) who can be less athletic but bigger and stronger than Joe Daniher. Or eventually become something like Kurt Tippett. Gawny has shown an above average ability forward for a ruckman, but he really is a ruckman and so has to be in that position for half a game to have an impact.

There's no good reason to do it. But hey why not have a bit of mystery. The forwards are more likely.

They won last week and had reasonable performances against Arizona (10), Seattle (10) and Philly (3) points before that. So I agree. It's the blowout by the Giants that made them look silly. If Dallas win by 10 or more I think it might say more about them. At the same time it's 3rd string QB time for Wash which spells disaster! I'm not sure about the call either but I can see why they called it. It looks like he grabs the DB and pushes him down so he can get the catch. But then in slow mo on replay it looks like a dive by the DB. Guess it's one that if Smith keeps his hands to himself it's a catch. They would certainly call in defensive PI if it were reversed so I understand why they want to be more consistent this year. It comes down to whether you favour black and white rules and calling every breach or if you like a bit of incidental contact and want the game to be contested. I'd say just like the AFL it's a better game if not every single minor breach of the rules is called. Unfortunately you can't win either way as we saw this year with the AFL where they didn't pay anything and everyone was happy until the media revolted.

We've been through this before. I'm not saying the injuries are an excuse. Our defense just has zero depth and hence our defense covered us early in the year and now can't. I can take Cutler being inconsistent, I'm staggered at how consistently unproductive he's been this year though. It doesn't make much sense. I think Trestman has been caught out as a play caller and between the two of them they aren't making adjustments. Cutler is like a lifetime of Daniher era teams. Good enough to get somewhere but nowhere at the same time. His contract is structured so we have him for this year and 2 more and then can cut him (or keep him for 4 more years of misery). I'd be inclined to cut or trade him after the 2 years and take a chance in the draft. In fact if we have the pick and the QB is there I'd do a GB and grab the QB to ride the pine. However it would be a dramatic riding of the pine! I still Carolina are more physical than NO, just a matter of whether Newton finds his straps soon. Thursday night is a huge game for that division. You guys had the better of the saints in the first half. I feel the saints were lucky with some calls to be level at half time. Then the Rodgers hammy seemed to take the wind out of the game and I have big fears on your run defense. It's the missing link that gives another team too much momentum on offense. It's completely un-GB to make a big trade for a DT or DE (or dominate inside LB) but if you had the cap space I'd do it. The NFC is wide open. Philly v Cardinals was a great finish. Thought Foles did pretty well on his 3 throws in the end zone. Didn't waste the clock. Gave 3 different receivers a chance to make a play. Fantastic plays made by the 2 rookie safeties to bat down balls and push the receiver out of bounds. Oh how I wish the Bears hired Bruce Arians. He was runner up for our job and would have Cutler dropping long bombs to receivers and would've hired a better defensive coordinator.

Some of them have smaller pay out clauses these days. But if you want a big name who's happy on a good wage at the Pies you probably have to pay up. Maybe instead of 750k per season for 4 years the deals should be 2mil in year one followed by 300k per year after that but no pay out if you get sacked.

The swans had plenty of academy picks to take care of, the lions had 2 plus Scott Clayton's son as a father son and needed the picks for trades. So either side might still be very keen on him for the rookie draft. But they weren't keen enough to put him ahead of the guys they took. If he's a raw prospect then our new beefed up development team plus Goodwin will be the ones training him up.

Pick 50/PSD/Rookie pick I'd say but I wouldn't at all be unhappy if we did pick him up. He's got the bloodlines. If he wants it bad enough he'll be a player and Roos will have pretty little to do with actually coaching him.

Eade's twice the coach Worsfold ever was. And half as crazy as Bomber.

Simon Goodwin, Bomber Thompson, Neil Balme, Brian Cook, Cam Mooney, Matt Scarlett?

Sam McLure on 3AW reporting 4 year deal imminent. Reckon he's a great match and they'll be instantly improved next year. From 1:04 Rocket heads the beach each day Then he goes a gives a big spray Hope Gaz's shoulders not lame This is how win our games Rocket's coaching days were gone Soon he'll be on Metricon's lawn Hoping it doesn't go bad, At least he'll have a great ex Cat

How the F did we need Spencer in the side over Jamar in 2009. It's 2014 and Spencer played a game injured to get through just so we could not rush and then get Jamar back! I like the Spence. But 2013 was the first time he played well and overall he's played about 5 decent games in his career. Oh and we didn't need Sylvia getting OP as well. How would we have flogged him to Freo?

There was talk earlier in the year that Wright was our number 1 choice. He's bigger and a better kick than McCartin. He's more versatile. And he'd compliment Dawes and Hogan compared to McCartin who would force Dawes to ruck if that was our 3 prong forward line. I don't think he'd be a surprise at all.

DS: Picks 2 and 3 Josh, how many players are you seriously looking at for those positions? JM: Down to 3 or 4 by now MA: Brayshaw goes alright Josh JM: He'd be one of the 3 or 4 Didn't say much on Petracca. Speculates about talls and inside midfielder, or two mids, or two talls. MA: Paddy McCartin he'd look pretty good JM: You're trying to get all 4 out of me. McCartin, Petracca, Brayshaw and Wright are around the mark. I'd say at this stage they know Petracca is going at pick 1. They know they are going for Brayshaw. It will come down to McCartin, Wright and maybe Lever as a smokey that they are keeping under wraps. Really I don't think we learnt anything knew.

Not starting until Feb. That's a pain but probably not a huge problem. Agree it's a good idea for McCartney to freshen up.

Speed? Ball winning ability (hardly a pack marker or clearance machine) Ball finding ability (doesn't get to the right spots) We wanted Paul Chapman. We got a hard, tough goer who can kick the ball a long way. But he can't find it and doesn't use it.

Following the well trod path of Jobe Watson, Cameron Ling, Tom Rockliff etc from undersized key forward to hard working midfielder. I like his kicking. I like his frame. I like the small amounts we saw of him in that video at clearances with the way he dished off to good options whether by hand or foot. I agree we will likely have a younger rookie list with King and Harmes and maybe another 18 year old so his age could be an upside not a concern. Would be an interesting dynamic coming to a new club but ending up under the same coach in McCartney. That said in a different position he could be a whole new player.

Would you rather Mitch Thorp or Joel Selwood? Jake Stringer or Jimmy Toumpas?