bing181

Yep. And St Kilda really have some soul-searching to do, there are a few names there, including some big names, that have been found wanting on the biggest of stages. Could be some interesting trades around. Apart from getting the most out of an only-OK list, Collingw&%$ have also done some decent trading ... e.g. Jolly and Ball today. Always good to look at succesful teams to see what they're doing right, some good lessons there for the Dees. Hard to stomach though, and as another one who's OS, glad to be out of Melbourne this weekend.

+2

His post was pretty clear on all fronts, and unless you have some solid information that would question his sources, why bother? Curmudgeon.

OMG! There's one from left field. Good luck to him though, and he's clearly still good enough to go around again. Could be another in the long line of Melb > Carlton trades. Not quite up there with Barass's move, but not far off it!

If true, maybe the temptation of playing alongside Ablett in the engine room was too good to pass up. Hard to blame him if that's the case. All this talk of premiership windows for the dees - GC are going to have a a premiership barn door you could drive a truck through ... with or without Jones.

Not necessarily disagreeing, but I thought that the main reason Fitzpatrick went at 50 were because of questions about his health and ability to manage an ongoing condition.

Regardless of who we get, I don't know that I'd be giving up pick 12 all that readily. There should still be some pretty solid picks around that number, notwithstanding GC's priorities. Re trading, I'd be careful about taking someone who's only going to be around for 2-3 years ... we need to be looking at least 4-5 years down the track.

... or at least the "F". Could be time to rethink Brad Miller's departure.

1. That Jimmy makes it. 2. To learn to play well under pressure, including the pressure of expectation when we meet teams weaker than us. 3. A better run with injuries. Must be about our turn. 4. Continual growth in membership. 5. No more Jack Watts threads

As Bailey says, the aim is to get games into the (young) players. Watts and plenty of others (Jurrah for example ....) haven't even played 20 games, yet alone 20 games together. For me, I just don't see a problem that won't sort itself out in time.

Welcome to the off-season .... already.

Morton, Bate and Wonna have ALL been in and out of the team a lot this year, what with injuries, form etc. etc. How many games did it take a superstar like Riewoldt to find his touch again after half a season off? All these guys need a solid pre-season, then some consistency ... then we'll see. All of them have at times had great games, and to be writing them off at the moment is just short-sighted, especially as they're still comparatively young. Especially in the case of Morton ... there's a very useful player in there somewhere, just waiting to get out!

Anyone know what the story is with Fitz and Strauss ... what kind of surgery?

Yep .. especially with Davey/Sylvia (Grimes) missing.

BEST Melbourne: Bruce, McDonald, Jurrah, Morton, Frawley, Scully, Trengove

Yes, but we have quite a few out with injuries ... Davey, Grimes, Joel Mac are important players for us, then add the likes of a possible Moloney, not to mention Petterd, Gysberts, perhaps Tapscott (would have been great first game, home crowd etc.) etc. Big ask IMHO. Interesting comments here re Miller, but same could surely be said re Maric. 5 inclusions, and he's not one of them?

Anyone know what the issue is with Gawn? Same knee?

With Moloney, Trengove, then Grimes and Gysberts to come back in, and Tapscott starting to knock at the door, it's going to be hard enough staying in the 22, yet alone getting into it. And with the whiff of a place in the finals in the air ...

McDonald and Trengove will come back in ... maybe Moloney. Might be stiff on some players, but those 3 have been consistently amongst our best/most solid. As we get better, these kind of selection "problems" will start to come with the territory. Mercifully we don't have to try and squeeze Grimes and Gysberts in as well ... Will be great to see how they back up after a big win.

Any reports on how Junior did?

Try living overseas! The AFL have no idea about what to do on the net, and then how to implement it. Go back 10 years and they're just like the record companies were re music downloads. The ridiculous thing is that the longer they fail to grasp the nettle, the more opportunities it opens for others. B

... or Grimes. Great chance for Wonna, Maric etc., but not ideal. This was a winnable game, now ... not so sure!

It's difficult to see what your basis is for attacking people who aren't prepared to buy into your speculative hypothesis. If you've got some actual supporting information to bring to the table, let's see it. At least Petterd was seen in Brissy watching a GC game ... To have a discussion, there needs to be something to discuss. Which isn't the case here. There is no "issue". Not to mention ... yet another Jack Watts thread. Sheesh. Has the off-season started already?

Who said Morton was sent to Casey to "harden up", or even sent there for a lesson?

... and Bate wasn't that bad. He plays better closer to goal for mine. Watts ... can't believe the negativity. Completely unjustified.