DeeSpencer

Whilst we are on rule changes the other thing the NFL must do at the end of this season is scrap the redskins nickname. It's appalling.

Nope only way to get positional play back is to paint big lines across the field and enforce how many can be in each segment of the ground at a time. Changing from a bench to soccer style subs would only mean more talls and smalls are replaced by midfielders and guys who can play flexible positions. Thus ruining one of the great things of our sport that it's not based purely on guys of a specific size and shape. Luckily for the AFL we already have those lines placed on the field. Not to mention umpires who do nothing when the play is at the other end or middle of the ground (goal umpires). All we need to do now is enforce a rule that says at any stoppage of play (ball up or throw in) each team must have 3 players inside each of the respective forward or back 50's.

Yeah but that was round 1 and a Bengals special effort with brainless penalties and dumb coaching that got us to that win. Don't get me wrong I like the Bengals and watched Hard Knocks, really like some thing Marvin Lewis does but also doubt whether he's quite championship quality. The bears can beat good defensive teams with the offense at its best. But any team with a good offense will beat us. Hence the giants got close even with their O crawling along and Wash, Saints and Lions beat us. 4-3 seems to hold up really well when you get a pass rush from the front 4. I'm thinking Giants superbowl runs and when the bears have been good. Seattle at the moment are the same. But when you don't get anything from consistently rushing 4 I like the flexibility a 3-4 provides. The league is heading that way as well. Time for Trestman to make a statement on his defense after this season. I know he wanted to keep a good thing going but now that's over he has to show he can get a coordinator to shape a defense. Otherwise he's just the inverse of Lovie.

Yep heads up football is what they are preaching in high schools now and it should slowly follow through to the Pros. The idea is you tackle with your head up. That way your arms and shoulders make the contact not the helmet. They will react to the targeting of the knees as well. It's come about from players not being allowed to go high so they now go low. The other thing that the NFL needs desperately is a MRP. I know our one is a joke but they hand our indiscriminant fines that don't touch the surface on what these guys earn. They then rarely hand out suspensions but the most recent guy got his 2 game downgraded to 1. The two 1 game suspensions before that got let off on appeal. NFL is a lot of ways would be much easier to get clear definitions of illegal hits considering all the camera angles in HD and the helmets and so forth. If they are serious about preventing concussion then a simple MRP and demerit system will do wonders for weeding out dirty players. A proper fines and carry over point system will allow players to actually understand what they've done wrong.

Schiano is out Neelding the great man himself. Just replace Freeman with Moloney and a few other names and you get Mark Neeld at Melbourne. A power hungry fool is Schiano. And that cannon might just be Tampa's version of Melbourne's bugle. Anyway my frustrating sports fan life continues with the Bears. We finally get a coach in who has a clue about offense, O line play and protecting and utilising your above average QB in Cutler and our successful defense goes over the hill age wise and then has injury after injury. 3 DT injured, 2 starting line backers injured, gun CB Tillman playing on a dodgy knee and most of the rest of the defense is average as well. Bears are 4-3 and we've been in the games in the losses but the combined win total of our opponents isn't pretty (Minn, Cinn, NYG, Wash). Anyway it might be a slow decline for the bears this year with Cutler out injured. Wouldn't be surprised that despite being 4-3 now we finish 6-10 or 7-9. Major off season remodeling of the defense coming up. The offense got retooled nicely last year and this year we should re contracted Cutler and have contracts and talent in place on the O line, at TE and receiver. Defense need the past rush and front 7 completely remodeled and fresh talent in to the secondary. Change of plans to get back to good special teams would be nice as well. Losing our special teams coach to KC was a big loss. Seeing what Rob Ryan has done with the saints and watching Rex get the Jets back and going this year I think it might be time that the Lovie Smith 4-3 Tampa 2/cover 2 is out and we go for a 3-4 defense.

If you dont think Cross is AFL standard anymore then that's the reason not to go for him

I didn't read it as sinister. I saw it more as Lyons being contracted is happy to stay in Adelaide. Adelaide are happy to keep him. Both have the potential to move but it would take a good offer to both and in-particular Adelaide for it to happen.

Michie, pick 40 I agree. But Vince and Lyons are going to take value. Roos did some cheap trades but he also gave up a bit. Pick 28 for Marty Mattner, pick 28 for Mumford, pick 15 for Jolly. Plus at Sydney he was often trading in strong drafts for mature guys who no one was really sold on. Vince and Lyons in some ways have more value than that and their contracts mean we have to pay up. Giving away both pick 20 and the Sylvia pick would be a shame but if it got the deal done then it might be required. We can't trade pick 20, 40 and the Sylvia pick for just players though. We need to get some draft picks back and preferably in the top 40 to get some more youth in.

Agree with your point, but I'd say whist Freo will always have a strong base in Fremantle they really are the second Perth or even second WA team. I've never been there but from what I here Fremantle still has it township feel but it also a part of Perth. Geelong are really one out in maintaining a club based in one set community. I saw Freo fans campaigning to keep Freo's training base in Fremantle and I thought they were foolish. The hawks wouldn't be what they are today if they stayed at Glenferrie and same with the Pies at Vic Park.

What the hell is a social club? Who goes to one? Is this still in the 1960's? We have coteries and we have bars at the MCG. That's where our power base is. We don't need a social club. It would be lovely to have everything in one spot and to have a place where we can make money from members selling food, drinks and functions after games. But lets focus on what we do have in great facilities at AAMI and our admin being inspired to work every day at the MCG and staying out of the FD's way.

Jetta can pretty much play any position forward, midfield or back.....in the VFL.

It's both the for and against in the one argument. The last line is particularly telling - he is not a genuine AFL player yet in the eyes of Roos. So people who keep pumping him up can you please understand that. Roos will determine based upon the skills and intent he sees from Watts what position will best suit him. I for one certainly don't think it will be as a contested marking key forward. It's much more likely to be as a ball user between the arcs or on a wing. Then Roos will take the time to teach him the skills needed for that position and I believe will finally do what no MFC coach has been gutsy enough to do with Watts and will give him an extended period in the reserves if that dictates or will give him an extended period in one position even if he's been beaten a lot of time. That's what we are getting from Roos, a guy who is stubborn and has the runs on the board and wont be undermined by the media or perception. As for the debut can we all get over the aspect that he wasn't ready from a footballing perspective. He was extremely talented, our side sucked, he played decent VFL. He was well and truly due to come in to the team at some stage. It was the marketing campaign and external pressure that was the problem, not any Collingwood defenders bumping him around. Kevin Sheedy has debuted younger players on big occassions plenty of times, but he sets them up for it and doesn't pump the entire game around them and then he also protects them in the aftermath if things don't go so well.

Well he played a hell of a lot more games than Toumpas, who is his first year and I damn well hope by the time he's in his 5th year is way better than Watts. He might also get above Kent because he played some ok games, he had a real purple patch against Coll and StKilda in the middle of the year. But where Watts will finish in this years B+F is irrelevant. It's how he helps the team and in more games than not this year he's provided nothing. His game against the Kangaroos was a disgrace to name 1.

Obviously you mean Jack Riewoldt because Nick was as star from day 1. Hawkins was a mile off physically and as such struggled, but I don't see why Watts should be. Looking at him he's around 90kg and should be playing to those strengths already. I don't expect him to be playing as a true key forward because he doesn't have the body for it yet and I don't think he ever will. I've got no problem with what he does with the ball. I actually use to love watching Trav Johnstone lope around at half speed before delivering a lace out pass and the same for guys like Dal Santo or Pendlebury who have that vision and skill that make them look like they are playing a different game to everyone else. It's Watts' work rate to win the ball or win the ball back that is a mile off and hasn't improved whatever position he's been trialled in. I believe he's been lucky to escape most major injuries and to have decent preseasons. So why hasn't he developed the work rate to succeed. He's been on the list for 5 years now. That's 2 years more than Tom McDonald who will run all day at CHB and much longer than Toumpas and Kent who both came in under done and you can't say that Watts was head and shoulders above those 2 on output.

How can you say he's developing nicely if he hasn't laid a tackle, put his body on the line or chased hard since he's come to the club. Dean Kent developed nicely as a flanker this year. Watts wasted another year shuffling between positions because he either can't or refuses to play physical football.

He doesn't have the speed to match Watts on a powerful hard lead. Which is how he got 3 goals. The other came from a rubbish free kick. It was certainly an open match without much pressure. Morris still shut him down and stopped him touching it for most of the game.

He started as pretty much all round soft. Then he developed courage in the air with his marks but still liked to very much take a big chest mark and protect his ribs. Certainly never saw him attacking the ball on the ground like a Jack Viney does now or a Nathan Jones. He went from a bit of a soft crafy forward pocket to a decent outside wingman to a full forward who hit the ball hard on a lead but didn't really do a lot else hard or otherwise. Certainly wasn't an ideal career progression for a guy with lovely skills, good reading on the play and strong hands for a guy of his size. Like Bruce he was never developed properly to maximise his strengths and minimise his weaknesses

He only got 7 touches yesterday FFS!!! How did he do 10 great things! At best Watts did 4 good things yesterday, he led up and made the most of shots for goal. The one great thing he did was leading very hard after he dropped a mark in the middle of the ground and then getting on the end of a piece of play. Besides that he did nothing of not at all. He played on Mark Austin who is completely VFL and Dale Morris who just doesn't have the speed for him on the lead. I don't think he'd get a similar match up that works for him against any other side than the dogs. I don't see how he's improved at all since 2011. Still doesn't tackle, still doesn't win contested ball, still doesn't fly for the ball in the air whilst putting his body on the line.

Sorry meant on the inside. The inside midfield was what Sydney were defined for. And they used guys like Kirk and Bolton and Benny Mathews to slow the role of every other AFL team and shut down the efficiency of Judd, Cousins, Kerr and co in particular. My point was at the same time after bottling up the opposition they then got it outside to some very good half backs and wingers. They also had a big, fast and skillful guy who played all over the park who went ok. It's a pipe dream to think Watts is every one tenth as good as Goodes but I don't think Roos will see height as a reason Jack can't play up the ground if he has the desire.

I'm not sure. I don't think Roos is overly keen on special games plans he just more has a style of footy he will want to be implemented. That will start from hard running midfielders who are super strong around the stoppages. I significantly doubt he would move away from that ideal. And then again for his backline he will want dour defenders on the full back line who are very disciplined and then half backs who can use the ball similar to the way he played. And for forwards he will want guys who can run all day in both directions presenting and chasing. He would want Watts because he's at that ready made age when he's right to step it up and he has speed and skills. But how he plans to use Watts (and Howe for that matter) will be interesting. Watts hit the score board today playing at full forward with sharp goal kicking and some good fast leading, but besides that barley touched the ball. I'm thinking we could get just as much success in that role with Fitzpatrick (who also rucks), Clark or Hogan. I'm hoping Roos doesn't overrate his ability to coach and fix Watts' problems when a great trade is staring us in the face. But if we don't get that great trade then I doubt a guy like Roos would be disappointed that he still has Watts and has a versatile skilled player to develop.

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.

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.

Same with when he ran through the middle of the ground yesterday, went to play on then got caught because he didn't back his first instinct. Everyone keeps saying drop him to the 2's to help build confidence, when clearly he dominates VFL and just needs time in AFL under the right coaching and mentality and it will come together for him. If we were actually winning games his decent performances and any flaws would just go without comment and we'd all be happy.

Buddy Franklin is a front runner North Melbourne are a team of front runners Melbourne of 2004 were front runners Gosh darn it give me a team of front runners again. Or any type of runners for heavens sake