DeeSpencer

Watching Bate is like watching that once promising 2 year old colt constantly trail in the field of Saturday races as a 5 year old gelding. Eventually he goes to back to a midweek races and has a couple of wins and you think he might be back. So you get all excited and he fails again. He might run down the outside when the race is over one day, or hold on up front for a while, but he can never produce consistent finishes. He simple isn't fast enough anymore. Eventually you realise the dream is over. You think to yourself, the breeding never really was there, with hindsight you could have come out well infront if you sold him when he had the currency.

Every time someone starts one of these threads we got rolled. So thanks. Enjoy cursing us and don't do it again.

The St Kilda final - any final win is a great win! The Freo come back. The Broadbridge game. I think a game against West Coast (possibly?) which was a win for Jimmy Stynes was a great win. I think those 4 might be the only ones after 2000.

Are they playing 4 games or 2 at Hobart I forget. I think they would rather play GWS/GC/Port/Freo down there instead of us. Personally I'd rather us play North at Etihad. That way at least some of our fans can go, and we need to start winning games there.

We've had a good fixture, but this isn't one of the good points. I would have thought having the bye after the Darwin game would have been on our request list, so possibly it was one thing we got rejected. Our last bye (the WCE game) was a very short bye week as well so I don't think we've had full benefit of the bye's this year.

If we can win one of the next 4 and then beat Richmond and Gold Coast then I don't really mind what happens from then on - ie. finals or not. I think it will have been a decent season. However I don't really like our chances of winning one of the next 4. The biggest disappointment from a player perspective has to be Dunn. He played a great second half to last year but has delivered nothing at all this year. Besides that I think most players have been around where I expected them to be, with a few youngsters coming on well and a few probably not quiet reaching the level I'd love to see them at. The other big disappointment has been this Scully saga. It's been disappointing that it's drag out so long and with so much speculation. Hopefully we get through to the end of the year without any dramatic and can hold our heads high whatever happens.

Any of Davey, Macdonald, Bartram, Bennell, Dunn, Bate, Blease all pushing for selection should give us a couple of options for fresh legs. We didn't seem to kill Jamar too much tonight so hopefully he is fresh. It's the young midfielders who I see as the greatest worry - Trengove, Scully, McKenzie and Gysberts. Scully hopefully comes up alright and let's hope the others do as well.

If he doesn't commit before the trade/delisting period then we simply make the call for him. That's not harsh, thats reasonable. I like the idea of putting him on the rookie list if he still maintains interest but isn't 100% committed and back before the end of the season.

Thompson was so good for us in 2004 until he got injured, you could just tell he was going to be a gun from then on. We got a reasonable deal, but Moloney just isn't quiet as good. I know he hasn't kept the cleanest record off the field but I feel he'd be our captain at the moment.

Been watching a bit of Harry O this year. His defending deep is only average, and he does panic and just run and pump it long at times. Luckily he has Travis Cloke often near where they kick will land. That said his work rate is amazing and he's a tough opponent. His media stuff gives me the sh1ts as well. I think he's well meaning, but probably just needs to think a bit more before he opens his gob. I've heard less of him this year thanfully.

Oh god are we on ten. I can almost here the whining on their amateur commentary team already. The best bit may well be the Auskick segment.

He did as much as Trengove last year. It's kind of obvious as to why he hasn't done much this year.All players media appearances are guided by their situation, including on field performance and contract status, and I don't have a problem with that. If Scully re-signs he'll be doing a heap of media. If he goes he'll be doing even more. GWS would demand there star signing promote the club.

Port will fire up. They just don't like the cold and wet. But still we better win.

With Mohr its all about disposal from what I've seen of him. Big enough, super quick and likes to run with the footy, the question is do you back your coaches and him to work together to get those skills up.

Is there a breeze favouring one end? (ie the end Casey had in the first)

Bate playing well in the wet. The sky is falling. Hope some of the others are playing well as well. Tapscott for one.

I'm not a Malthouse fan either. At West Coast he coached a team of freaks, it would have been hard to lose. With this current Collingwood team he's been fantastic and whilst he's got the best group of players he is certainly getting everything out of them. They are the best coached group of players as well. However it took him 10 years, he won't get 10 years at Melbourne without a flag to show for it. But I feel at our club he would miss all the wonderful things he's had - gun recruiters, expensive assistant coaches, stand alone VFL team, sports science directors, Arizona etc. If we can't poach Clarkson, I'd think about Roos but I'd like to know how his philosophy has involved modern tactics and isn't just one v one, and then have weigh up who's out there in the assistant ranks. I'd probably try and do it all undercover and hope to reappoint Bailey if nothing is doing.

There should be 3 spots for the following players in Darwin: Macdonald (depending on fitness), Morton, Blease, Bennell, Bartram, Tapscott Old fashion playoff for selection. I'm going for Macdonald (recover from injury), Tapscott and Bennell.

Usually can float them through from 50 so I'm not sure whats up with that. His field kicking is ugly but usually not horrible. He'll never be a great kick but can still make it as a very good player. It's probably the reason he plays half forward and not half back.

If he does I hope he knows what he's getting into. Look at Houli and Grigg, they aren't better footballers at all this year, they are just getting regular games in a worse side. There flaws are still there. If Maric wants that he can have it. If he really wants to be a better footballer he'd try and get to a real club or stay at Melbourne if he has faith in our coaches/we get new coaches.

Dom Tyson - oh parents can be so cruel with the names they give their children.

Put simply. Stop turning it over when he gets it. He'd benefit so much by playing in a functional forward line.

Davey a chance for Darwin? I wouldn't think so but who knows. Hopefully we pick Aussie back up in Darwin, I thought this game would be the deciding point on whether he rejoins us or not. Fingers crossed.

Agree with everything except the last bit. Teams put serious effort into Judd which certainly makes Murphy's job easier. If he played for us he'd get the hard tag every week which considering his age and skill set I think take some shine of his performances.

Your description of Murphy is a perfect description of Gibbs!I rate them both. Murphy has been great this year and tore us apart, however he does have that look of front runner about him. The only way he'll shake that is performing in finals, which he may well do this year.