DeeSpencer

Neelds restrictive coaching stopped him marking it?

Sellar, Davey, Jetta shouldn't be there next year. It's embarrassing that number isn't higher. Some others like Dunn and Spencer shouldn't be anywhere near a round 1 team. The big white hope is that we get a big improvement from some guys this preseason.

My grandma could've marked that yet Watts drops it. Where's the skills!!!

That's more like it! Good from Jordie not taking [censored] for Minson. Gawn and Sylvia having a go. If only they showed that much effort on the field.

not just a tackle but a tackle when he had the guy cold to put him on his butt.Instead he tackled with his hands. Just crap

If we improved our one percenters by half we'd be 5 goals better a week. Once again the lose man back is killing us. I'd rather we go a loose man in the midfield

Dunns man with a lace out pass to Jones who missed a sitter. Is that a stat?

2 minutes gone. One rubbish Dunn goal conceded. But he's a good defender yeah?

Everyone talks about Roos' game plan with the in close tackling and pressure but he also has always favoured having speed and skill on the outside. I remember in the West Coast games it was guys like Kirk and Bolton on the outside but then he'd always have Fosdike and McVeigh on a wing and Malceski from half back. But the problem with that so far is that we haven't seen Watts show consistent hard running to get the handball receives and open marks no matter where he's been played. Either way with Watts if he's to be a true tall forward he has to get more physical in the air or if he's to be an outside flanker at either end or winger then his work rate has to go up by heaps. I'm not sure either of those are easy to achieve, but I do see why Roos would want to try. At least Watts has a fitness base and a few preseasons under his belt, it's probably much easier to [censored] him into hard football than to start all over again with a second round pick who you have to build up.

For a David Rodan leadership/experience role: Joel Corey, Daniel Cross As legitimate good midfielders to strengthen our midfield: Daisy Thomas, Scott Thompson As a bargain buy guy who isn't good enough for a top 8 side but might be good enough to start for us: Matt Thomas, possibly Xavier Ellis if the medical report says he's a chance to ever string games together The rest I wouldn't worry about. I'd then look for out of contract younger players who we can potentially get for a 3rd or 4th round pick or maybe a second round pick for Taylor Adams. This is where you find the Ivan Maric, Bachar Houli, Josh Kennedy steals if you are lucky.

1. What an absolute ..... of a wife. Should deport her. 2. I don't mean to be technical but I though Jim had melanoma not lymphoma, not that it really matters 3. Great work by the club and good luck to the (big and) little man. 4. What a blight on the rest of the players that Watts is the best clubman at representing the club. He should be focusing on football and 30 other blokes should be doing this stuff but it's very often Watts

Why? Decent height, can run, can use the ball when not being too clever by half and likes to play on the outside. If Watts is developed as a third tall forward I'm struggling to see him getting a regular game. I'm pretty sure Roos named him on a wing when he named his mock Melbourne team. I know unless we had injuries to Clark, Dawes, Howe, Hogan or Fitz as that 3 of them were injured concurrently I wouldn't be putting Watts in the forward half. That's where my Everitt comparison comes from.

Your/our expectations of a solid year are pretty low. Watts has been awful on several occasions. What position do you see Watts playing under Roos and what aspects of his game do you see Roos magically improving? Personally I don't see how hardness at the ball and willingness to chase and tackle should have anything to do with a coach. Watts reminds me of Adreas Everett as a player and based on his experience at the swans I'd say that Watts is still 3 years away from being a consistent player with a lot of time spent in the reserves honing the physical aspects of his game.

Why not? We had Morton for a one year deal and we shipped him off and we got Rodan for the same draft pick. Regardless of on field work it seems Rodan contributed a lot more off the field. Which was the primary motivation for getting him. I for one am sick of the so called commentators hitting us from both sides in the media. We pension off too many old blokes we get whacked. We go and get David Rodan and we still get whacked. Which one is it?

surprisingly no poor record. How about a rule that says if you get the week off it counts as a week of suspension. 1 week sure but I'd hate to see Buddy miss a qualifying and prelim final due to this. That's a huge penalty

What's the go with Roos' wife? She's an American bird originally is she not? She seems to have an important say in all of this which is fair enough, they don't need the cash so it's a significant lifestyle move to go from relaxed work back into 80 hours a week and plenty of interstate travel. But they've ruled out Brisbane equivocally. Is there more to the story re: Mrs Roos? Is there a reason she is so keen to stay in Sydney or maybe relocate to Melbourne of pushed? Maybe PJ keeps working on Paul but he also gets Mrs Jackson (if there is one) to have a chat Mrs Roos.

Malceski got up and played on. No obvious injury..... Until he was subbed off! Whether it was bump related we don't knowAnd I agree with you in a lot of ways but the rules have been set for the better part pf at least 2 years now. Bump to the head is a report and if not suspension at least reprimand You can't say it was an attempt at a fair bump. It has to be a fair bump and it wasn't. As for why the AFL has done this - the NFL today agreed to a settlement of over 700million dollars for ex players re concussion. The AFL couldn't afford a similar sum

What exact jurisdiction or power do the AFLCA have. If a guy is getting a promotion it's up to him how he handles his current employer. What a load of trash and I don't expect any club to follow those rules. Trade and preseason period comes up very soon so the earlier you get your coach in place the better. I hope Melbourne have a coach in place before prelim final week

Yep so far no Taggert. Although Sellar and Bail were named for Casey and Taggert wasn't so it will be interesting to see who plays for Casey tonight. If Taggert gets left out of both squads you'd think that would be a very strange decision. Who knows there is always a chance of a late in but you wouldn't plan for a guy to debut as an emergency. To be honest it's hard to get too upset about no Taggert when he just hasn't done enough for Casey and was quiet last week. All the more motivation to know he was close but that he needs a big preseason to get that first game, maybe in round 1 if he's up to it.

Eade isn't the guy who takes a contract just to guarantee his future just to shove it back in their faces. If this is confirmed and he's signed on then he is out of the race The bigger question is what has made him go from all ready to interview and coach again to happy to stick to his current job. Maybe he has no interest in Brisbane, and maybe he has no interest in Melbourne either or he could've got news that someone else is in line for Melbourne.

a not so subtle dig at young dee on demonland.. Love it

Maybe. But then Carlton did it, Collingwood did it, West Coast did it. Why when we do it does it [censored] our culture and set us back 5 years? Maybe instead of accepting this as a dark chapter we own it and not give a damn!

Oh FFS. They are resting players in order to try and win finals and flag right here right now. They have every right to. You might find a few who agree with the tactic but you will struggle to find a Freo fan who doesn't understand it. The fact we got penalised when we tanked has nothing to do with Freo.

carlton, Collingwoods surgical record in 2005, west coast to get Gaff and Darling. All on par with us.Freo chasing a home final isnt tanking its player management which is fine

Only Damian Barratt could report Tudor and Simpson as smokies. 1. Simpson. Captain of his club, defensive and tough player, coaching under Clarkson who is flavour of the month (and rightly so) in terms of producing assistants and has already spawned Hardwick at Richmond and Cameron at GWS. He's the obvious choice for a first time head coach. 2. Tudor. Geelong VFL coach (VFL premiership) to Geelong assistant (premiership) to StKilda assistant under Ross Lyon (Grand finals) to Sydney (premiership). This guy clearly has the most outstanding record in the league for an assistant. And to me he'd also qualify under the 'experienced coach' phrase. Would I feel more confident that we'd at least build a competent team capable of winning games if we went for Roos, Eade or Williams - of course I would. But that doesn't mean that these 2 shouldn't be interviewed. I hope PJ would feel the same way, especially about Tudor.