Rogue

3-4? Hrm... McLlean, Rivers, Whelan, and Robertson would give you the four. No room for Pickett? Bartram played virtually every game last year and Petterd has looked really good in his two games.

I agree that much of our youth look really promising, and I've noted this before. However, how many of those you've listed are KPP's or Rucks? No rucks listed, and the KPP is Frawley [who hasn't played a senior game] and Rivers if you swing that way.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, but yeah - it's not on the money. McLean, Rivers, Whelan, and Robertson are walk-up starts while I'd squeeze Bartram and Pettard into the team. That's ignoring Pickett.

Not every player needs to be an out and out game-turning star - you don't need that to win a flag. If Sylvia turns into a player that is deserving of a best-18 spot at most clubs I'll take that. I hope he can string some games together in the 1's after a good performance today.

Could be a bit like Wheatley should have been when he was on the wing. I don't mind seeing Dunn learn a bit about playing on the wing, but I do think - particularly with his creativity and footy smarts - he's suited to a forward role. I'd rather see him on the wing rather than on the bench though, and if it develops his game that's great.

In fact they'd probably get less in fines for players and coaches ragging on the umps

Agreed.

Is it reasonable to judge anyone based on two weeks, particularly when they've been around for ~8 years?

Exactly.

Newton may have dominated in the 2's last year, but it says something if he wasn't able to crack it in the 1's. I'm sure Sautner wasn't the only reason for that. I'd be interested to hear why Garland was picked over Newton too... I'd like to see Dunn play every game providing his form is okay so I wouldn't want to see him dropped, and I think it would send the wrong message to the team if we dropped Miller for this match considering his form so far. No doubt Newton will get his shot at the big time if his form continues. CJ is a guy that should be included in the team for x number of weeks unless his form is terrible. As others have said, he is the perennial scapegoat despite not getting much game time and never seeming to be the worst. Plenty of AFL players have said they didn't start to fulfill their potential at AFL level until they felt they 'belonged', and were more secure with their place in the team. I've said it before, but CJ should be getting as much game time as we can give him this year. Lets see whether he's any good.

Those are the phrases I was looking for

This is a little off-topic, but lets try and turn down the hyperbole. I'm not sure why a player needs to either be brilliant or absolutely terrible in the eyes of many posters. This thread is an example of that, but so are debates on Miller (if he's not a Riewoldt/Brown class CHF it means he is a complete dud) and every other player.

That'll get the fans through the turnstiles!

From memory 'P.PRYMKE' had a bad back that crippled his career. Agreed. I'd put Ellis in there instead of Nicho.

I heard it - I thought it was a bizarre justification for the 50m penalty. Maybe had something to do with how close he was to his opponent (who chose to run through the mark) the first time?

Strange indeed

Well said. Ironically we seem to have more patience for our experienced players who have shown they're not up to being consistently good players at AFL level compared to our younger guys who are unsurprisingly inconsistent.

Don't think it was as bad, but I remember being at the 'G one afternoon for a match vs the Cats and we'd barely scored come half-time. Back in the Lyon days iirc.

Good to hear. Banter is great, but I don't see the need to abuse people simply because they support the opposition; particularly kids.

It's not necessarily all about the end-result - if we'd kicked an extra goal it wouldn't have actually meant the performance today was actually that much better, despite losing again. With games as close as they were today, they can go either way without much difference on how well you play - as Williams said in pre-match, the ball bounces differently or whatever and the result can go the other way in a game so close. I think it was really great to see such an inexperienced team do alright. Guys like Petterd, Warnock, Jones, Bate, Dunn, Bell, PJ, and Sylvia are pretty inexperienced but we put together a solid performance.

Oh please - I'm so sick of the generalisations made about members when crowd figures are low. Show some maturity. I make a financial contribution to the Club every year that, for me, is not an insignificant one. I've done so every year since I was ~15. I've also done some volunteer work for the club, albeit only a couple of times. Pathetic indeed.

I know I've commented on it in another thread, but the McDonald FA for deliberate was terrible. I also thought the free kick against Carroll was poor too. I'd rather the holding the ball rule be modified so that good tacklers and players who make the play are both rewarded. Have prior opportunity, get tackled, and legally get rid of the ball in a timely fashion? Play on. Have prior opportunity, get tackled, and don't legally get rid of the ball in a timely fashion? Free kick against, even if the 'ball is held to him' or 'arms were pinned'.

Agreed. Not much point crying about the poor kid after the event.

It probably didn't help that our forward line structure was a fair bit different to recent weeks, and many of the guys probably haven't operated together.

I thought similarly, but moreso that it's understandable that young guys can make mistakes like that. The Neitz free was probably there, although in the context of the game - where they'd put the whistle away - it was pretty surprising. The free against McDonald was utterly ridiculous.