bing181

Good idea. If you're only following the club because you think we're a realistic premiership chance, then you're setting yourself up for a painful 6 months. Apart from anything else, you need a lot of luck to win a premiership, there are any number of variables that can't be controlled. Personally, I don't think we're going to be genuine contenders for another season at least, and I have to wonder with what's happened over the pre-season and all those operations whether or not the footy department doesn't feel the same way. Been plenty of "something we wanted to sort out so he doesn't have any troubles going forward" type remarks. This is about the next 5+ years, not a single game, or even a single season.

You cannot have 1/3 of your list, including a number of key players, in rehab for 3 months and expect to start playing like grand finalists in round 1. Firstly there are players who are underdone in terms of both fitness and match fitness. Secondly, the whole team suffers because they just haven't had the time together they need - a point which was noted in the pre-season reports in terms of the difficulties of training systems and structures with so many players unavailable. Going to be a rocky first month or two until the whole team gets up to speed and on the same page. Though lord forbid any further injuries.

Petracca had a (very) interrupted preseason with a knee arthroscopy, and didn't start full training till mid-January, after which he had to go back into rehab after a flair-up. https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-01-24/track-off-track-but-demons-hold-no-fears-for-star

Right then. With Viney so off the pace, we were effectively one down around the ball all day, and it went downhill from there. We look so rusty, at this rate it could take us the first 1/3 of the season just to get going.

Dam right. Get yourself suspended so you can't play, that'll really put the jeebies up them. Shades of Doug and Dinsdale Piranha here.

Predictable.

Of course it's not true. Fantasyland.

Yes indeed, the much-maligned RER B. As for bobo, yes, but I don't know that the 10e has a monopoly on a changing demographic.

We all do, they're compulsory in-car equipment. But like most of the locals, I only wear it in emergencies. Right-wing populism isn't really my thing.

Palaiseau (near Massy). 30 mins out, but we have house, garden, dog, (kids!) and easy access to open fields and forest. Helps to retain sanity. Nice area up in the 10e, must have been a buzz.

Paris

Would be great if he could get back to his 40-goals-a-year self.

The draw is a [censored]. Given our opponents, if we finish in the 8 we'll already have improved on this year. Let's not forget that in most of the home and away season this year, we'd hardly beaten anyone in the 8.

who currently has a serious foot injury, who didn't want to play for us anymore, and who's OOC next year.

Just made the mistake of watching some Hogan highlights. Weep.

Think that either Port or Adelaide will be tied up here, both have lower first round picks that they want to move higher.

10 and 14 to Adelaide for Lever plus a second round pick? A steal, and great work by Mahoney, Viney and co.

I just cannot see this happening without a lot of back-pedalling from all concerned: Freo by upping their Trade offer, us by conceding on what we want (5 + one or two second rounders?), and Hogan by reducing his 8/8 demand. Of course, if any one of those parties made serious concessions it could go through, but that looks increasingly unlikely. Welcome to Melbourne Football Club Jesse Hogan?

I think it’s a reference to some kind of biscuit.

Weep.

In terms of getting May, it would be better for us if they kept open the 11 offer, and upped the other part (future 1st round?).

Perhaps. It could also smack of Freo being not as into Hogan as everyone thinks they are ... could be the salary, could be concerns about the foot, could be ... well, anything. Perhaps from their side, they're just not that desperate.

Freo don't even have Pick 5 for the moment, and given how they're approaching negotiations with us, there's a decent chance that the Neale trade won't go through. In any case, there's no way we'd ever be getting 5 + 11, best we could manage given what's available would be 11 + next year's first - though is there some technical issue which means that Freo can't trade their next year's first round pick?

Also a mistake that was a major factor in them winning a grand final.

Freo on a hiding to nothing here. They need a low first or decent second round pick to get Lobb, but hard to see where it's going to come from, as neither we (Hogan) nor Brisbane (Neale) have one. You'd think that neither our second rounder (36) or Brisbane's (32) wouldn't be enough for GWS. Complicated.