Keyser Söze

Maric got a lot of the footy and in some tight spaces. Some of his kicks were precise and found the best option. A couple he sprayed. I think posters are used to criticising him, but he played a good game and I'd have him in the side for round 1. Could take Petterd's spot if his injury is bad.

Have to agree with Bhima about Bartram. He was very good defensively, but with the ball in his hands he is a danger to himself. Sells himself into trouble very very easily. Moloney I have to agree on also. Can't believe posters earlier saying he was BOG. He got a bit of the footy, but he seems to only know one thing: slam it on the boot and kick it long. Even when he has considerable space.

Michael Evans - had 5 mins where he looked good enough to be in the 22. Marks, precise kicking, providing run and finding options. Still feeling his way around, but will develop nicely. He belongs on a senior list somewhere, but I don't see him getting elevated at MFC for some time. Definitely another find by BP, in any case. Dan Nicholson - saw him get the footy once and was anonymous after that. Needs a bit of time. Wouldn't expect him to play senior footy this year.

His knee looked fine (no signs of the PCL from last year being an issue). Ran a lot, as he always has. He has such good size for a player that covers so much ground. Consistently managed to find space between the flanks. He went on a few long loping runs as he does. Reasonable pace (deceptive). His overhead marking was on display. At times because of his run, I remember seeing Scully man him up. With his marking ability, he's going to be damn hard to match up on. Size-wise, I can tell he has put a bit on. He even looked a bit fat next to Scully, but that is far from the case. You can see the definition building in his arms and thighs. It's taking time, but the guy is making slow progress.

In the very first period, Sylvia and Jordie were jogging side by side as the ball had just been kicked away from where they had contested a boundary throw in. Sylvia knocked Jordie to the ground, with not so much a bump, rather he just shrugged his shoulders and knocked Jordie flying. Before the game I'd been impressed with Jordie's better size. He looks a bit like a crowbot now. Sylvia's many fend-offs on all sorts of opposition throughout the match, was another highlight. The guy just doesn't really have any weaknesses.

On Strauss today, he convinced me he could make it. Until now, I had serious doubts. He was also my highlight. At the 2nd main break, when Royal was talking to the defenders on his squad, he took time to single out Strauss and tell that he now looks like he belongs out there. As he was doing this Bails appeared from behind to pat him on the back and say the same thing. The kid was chuffed. Seems a real confidence player. Has done since day 1.

Yes, Strauss went into no. 7. Beamer wore jordie's 13, and jordie wore 22 for some reason.

That is so idiotic. What if he genuinely wants to make his decision after the season? By making that move we would be making the decision for him. Why force his hand if we don't need to? NB Pavlich waited until after the season to re-sign, yet stayed at Freo. It happens. And how often has this club been "treated like Cinderella"..? Get a grip people!

We won't be able to exactly match any offer from GWS. I said close. Depends on your definition of close. I think close enough to keep him here. Also, I think his earning power away from the club with endorsements, etc is greater in Melbourne. But it's not all about money for a kid his age. Far from it.

How can you possibly profess to know what MFC would offer him for his new contract next year? With front-loading we could come close to matching it.

I think he's right in saying that. Anyone would be stupid not to consider it in isolation. It's just that it doesn't take into consideration what we could offer him; that being, much more than Geelong was able to offer Ablett.

Aug 09 isn't exactly a newbie, just someone who is selective with what they post. For whatever reason.

Nope. All unsubstantiated rumour to the point no media outlet is willing to put it in writing.

Yes, but you can't possibly expect the AFL to adopt the same mindset. They are concerned with the future of the game as a whole. Really drifting off on a tangent though, aren't we? Not sure how this is relevant to Scully staying or leaving.

How could he not?

I agree, but the capacity to come back from a sizeable deficit is also a good skill to have. And let's be honest, we will find ourselves in that position in 2011.

There's not "nothing in the bank", I just ignored what was a nonsense question because old55 already answered it sufficiently. Nobody has once said the game is in "need" of betterment. But that is not to say it is not a good thing. The game and it's administrators should always be striving to grow and improve the game where it can. Manageable expansion is good for the game. I don't need to go for a run or eat fruit, but I choose to because it is beneficial for me. You may be familiar with the saying "if you're not moving forwards, you're going backwards." It may not seem necessary to expand, but in time you may find the game gets weaker or misses opportunities because it didn't. I just can't figure out where you find a negative in all this. Maybe it's selfish reasons for you and you're only concerned about MFC? I'm a football purist and want to see the game prosper, above all.

You're ignoring logic. I'm not even going to bother trying to further explain - it really does seem too complex a concept for you, otherwise you'd already understand it.

But they aren't all that new. He had previously been teammates and close friends with all of Jack Watts, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jordan Gysberts, Sam Blease, James Strauss... And he has made those friendships now. It's not just about developing new ones, but about turning your back on existing relationships.

What about simple quality of life? I'd take a job that paid 10% less to work with a bunch of my good mates in the city I love, as opposed to working with a bunch of relative strangers in the west of Sydney for more. And if I was earning an inflated AFL salary, I'd probably be happy with 30% less, because I know on that money I'd still be very comfortable. For us normal people, the money would make a real difference, but at that level it'll just mean he can afford an extra jetski and a second apartment in New York..

Pure greed? You really do have blinkers on, don't you? It's for the betterment of the game.

It will also make a difference with the generational change. More exposure and more kids growing up playing the game, will lead to bigger crowds. We need to get em young, and that's exactly what the AFL has set out to do.

The AFL will never let the GWS team fold. I firmly believe they will succeed over time. The exact same things could be said of the Storm before their introduction. The Swans have a steady supporter base. Having a second team to create a rivalry and greater media exposure is the key. "Derbies" and "Showdowns" create hype and interest. But at the same time, it'll be 100 years before they have a stadium and can get crowds anything like we can at the MCG. There just arent enough pros other than the money to entice a bloke like Scully.

Strained a hammy a few weeks ago, didn't he? Did he even have a hip operation? He injured his back last year. I know Tapscott did...

The paranoia that makes you think just because Scully hasn't signed by mid-season, that means he is sure to leave..? That is absurd. The smart thing for him to do, for his own welfare, is to wait until the end of the season before making any decision. You will not know definitively that Scully is leaving, if he so decides, until the season is complete. Obviously if Strauss does not progress beyond his current standard, he will have no trade value. For this scenario, the assumption has been made that he will develop further, play more games and prove his value. The soonest we can trade him is after the 2011 season. Its not that complex.