bing181

" ... will be off legs all week."

The two aren't incompatible. His full and honest opinion may well be "glass half full". But then isn't that what he's there for, to get the best out of our developing players?

That's the problem. Privacy issues aside, passing on information that you heard as information that you heard is one thing. Asserting it as fact that you can "take to the bank" is very different.

Not disagreeing with you per se, but the "on merit" part is already fairly woolly because the coaches' version of "merit" and the average Demonlander's/spectator's version of "merit" are not always the same. Coaches will give games to players who do what they've been asked to do.

Nothing. Other players are ahead of him. Main knock on Frost was his fitness - that other teams had worked out that they could run him around for 2 or 3 quarters and then run off him once he'd knocked himself out. Whether the reason he hasn't been included is (just) because of that, impossible to know. He's probably going to need one of Lever or Oscar Mac to go down to get a game.

Whether players play VFL or AFL, the assumption is that in injury-terms, they've "recovered". So the question then is whether or not playing games at a lower-skilled, scrappier level helps with match fitness - and it would seem that increasingly, and certainly for more experienced players, clubs have decided that it doesn't, and/or the risks involved (injuries of different sort etc) aren't worth it. FWIW, I don't believe that playing Gawn or Watts at Casey would have changed anything at all about how they performed on their return. Gawn missed so much footy he was always going to be off the pace for the tail end of the season, and Watts, well, we know what happened there.

And just to add to that, let's not forget those were bitching about paying even that for them (or even getting them at all ... ).

Brayshaw has a position: on the ball. But given what he's been through and his comparative youth, he's being given the chance to find his feet and build some confidence elsewhere. It seems fairly clear that they're trying to keep him out of heavy traffic, at least for the moment.

Was really impressed with the just-OK players today: Harmes, Bugg, ANB, and especially Melksham. Just goes what to show what happens when you have decent coaches and decent development.

For starters, JLT2 is 22 players I believe, so if you want to bring in 5, you'll need to drop 7. Given that Frost was omitted for a 24-man team, hard to see him being included when there are only 22. Hopefully we'll bring in the other 4 you mentioned, then probably rest Lewis, but that still leaves another 5 to go out. I'd imagine Maynard and Wagner would be the first to be cut (through no real fault of their own), but then need another 3. Going to be some unlucky players if indeed those 4 are available. Think Brayshaw will hold his spot.

You made a rubbish observation based on nothing but ill-informed speculation. You were called on it. That's how forums work.

And just to add ... it's usually nothing to do with Misson or the "Sports Science Team" whether a player is over an injury or not. That's for the doctors and medics, and in Viney's case, much of this would have come from the outside specialists who did the foot op. Misson's job is to make sure that IF the medics say a player is right to play, that he's fit, and to maintain fitness during injury and build it back up after.

Nor of the inner workings of the human body.

Viney came back too early, though easy to say in hindsight and even waiting another week or two, hard to see that the outcome would have been any different. Watts we know about (general slackness), and after Max missed half the season it was always going to be game over. There's a difference between being over your injury/fit, to being "at your best". No player coming off a few weeks (or more) away will be immediately at their best, it's one of the reasons we're putting players through practise matches now. It's called match fitness, and you can't get it just training. On the other hand, Hogan played his best ever game for the club after being "rushed back".

Myth.

Spewing up? Tricky food injuries will do that to you.

Taken out of context - see preceding post - I was referring to having respect for other party's P.O.V./needs, even when there's a contract in place, i.e. being grown-up and reasonable. The picture you're trying to paint of heartless clubs and merciless players, all stabbing each other in the back on a whim, just doesn't hold up.

I wouldn't say "very" little, but apart from that, this is true of pretty well all contracts, especially employment contracts.

I just think this is nonsense, especially coming one of the first here to consign players to the scrap heap and want them pushed out the door. Watts was moved on because he was seen as a negative influence. "Loyalty" isn't some kind of carte blanche to behave like a dick. You only have to look at how we've treated players like Daniel Cross or Col Garland to see that it goes beyond signatures on bits of paper. Even bringing in in-house players like Fritsch and co. from Casey smack of decisions that are driven by more than just cold calculation.

Looks like they're taking it half-seriously.

At this level, no. But it's not designed for elite athletes, it's not even designed as a spectator sport, it's designed to give easy access to jo/joanne average who just want to try Aust. Rules football. As I mentioned earlier, I watch something similar to this all the time here in Europe, and you are NOT seeing players who can regularly and accurately hoof the ball 50 m. Scores in the game I watch are similar to/lower than regular footy, even though they play 4 x 20 minute quarters. I definitely think it will help to increase participation internationally. What place it has in Australia on a professional/serious level, difficult to say, and like most here, I wouldn't be queuing up to watch it.

As a spectator sport it doesn't have much to recommend - but could work well as an alternative format where there are fewer players, reduced ground size, etc. I get to see footy similar to this fairly often (in Europe), and it makes a lot more sense when everything is slowed down because skills and fitness are reduced. Not to mention, perfect as a social game.

The danger with that though is you start to normalise extremism. This false equivalence is what gave us "but the emails".

And so it starts ...

Also, unless I'm mistaken, they're giving 2 weeks free.