P-man

Acres being listed as an emergency is interesting. He's one of the players Saints fans tend to be most bullish about. I have a good feeling about tomorrow. Instincts served me okay last year, most telling examples being my bad feeling going into the Essendon game and my good feeling going into the Hawks game. Let's see how they serve me this season.

I just realised Stevo was correct when he said back in November that Hannan would play in Round 1. Dumb luck perhaps.

Go Nev Jetta you good thing

I don't think it's an outrageous list tbh. You can't fit everyone in and they are all senior players in the comp bar Lynch who is a star and Greene who is AA. If for example he had included Daniher and not Hogan then it'd be an eyebrow raiser. What does it really matter anyway? Brown was the one championing Hogan to be paid over $1m a year. He rates him very highly.

I admit to having similar reservations, particularly on points 1, 2 & 4. The Watts situation was always going to be a tricky one from the moment it was deemed Watts hadn't met the expected standards. It is however too early to declare these as poor decisions. The proof will be in the pudding. We wait and see how Viney and Jones take to the new captaincy arrangement, how Watts performs in the season proper, how well the Spencer experiment works (although if it doesn't go ahead at all then it's been a bit of a waste of three JLT games), and most importantly, how the team performs as a whole.

I remain unenthused by the co-captain decision. "But it worked for Sydney!!11" No, having a good team, gameplan and coach worked for Sydney. If Viney takes a backward step this season, I'll be annoyed. It wasn't necessary.

I think the Saints are slightly ahead. I'd also be tipping them to finish higher than us this season. But like us, they can be hot and cold. Anyone who saw their worst performances last season can attest to that. We just always seem to get them at their best. Which isn't frustrating in the least...

It surprises me with all the effort going into the rebrand last year that more work wasn't put into the website and social media. The website has been poor for a while now. Granted, most who post on here are diehards, so we would care more about getting regular updates than the average fan. However it's no excuse to have player profiles dating back to 2015. That points to a general lack of attention to detail which isn't good enough. As for Burgo, seems a nice fella but you need more than that for his role. It's a noticeable difference when Robbo steps in. More energetic, engaging and draws more personality and information out of the players. There's certainly room for improvement.

Just reduce the damn turnovers at half forward. If any side knows how to punish us going the other way, it's the Saints at Etihad. They're a good side but they're not the St Kilda Globetrotters that we always seem to make them look like.

Brisbane will trouble a lot more sides this year than last. Will likely be bottom four again but teams wouldn't want to have an off day against them. Midfield is nothing to be sneezed at with Beams returning.

Which is a bit disapponting tbh. Surely one of the JLT matches could've been used to practice a similar ruck set up to last season. The fact Spencer played all three games points to him playing in Round 1. If he doesn't, you'd have to say it's been poor planning in terms of utilising the JLT.

Overreaction for mine. The skill level was pretty damn good against the Dogs. Carlton gave a false read but was also decent. Certainly the Eagles looked a class above but overall the conditions weren't helping either side. Not sure why Salem, Watts and Lewis are the only ones singled out. Jones is an excellent decisionmaker and executer more often than not. Oliver looks to be the complete package. It's within the likes of Brayshaw and Petracca to improve. They are hardly hacks. The skills in patches were undoubtedly poor but we are capable of better. Many opportunities went begging. On another day they would've been taken.

The umpiring really was diabolical. If that was a regular season game I'd still be mopping up the foam. Forwardline felt too tall. Garlett would've mopped up a few of those chances. Fingers crossed he'll be good to go because he was missed. I'd feel more at ease with Jetta in the backline. Harmes isn't anywhere near the best side. Bugg did his chances of Round 1 selection no harm. ANB can make it if he's given opportunity. Tyson comically bad. Hopefully cobwebs. Stretch disapoonting. Looked out of sorts. Viney will be filthy with himself. And rightly so. Watts did enough. If Oliver can run games out he could be our best mid by the end of the season.

This is getting very old Melbourne like.

Spencil 3 goals lol

That was an absolute garbage decison from Trac. We need better than that. Oliver is BOG atm.

How does an umpire miss that high tackle on Harmes from 5 metres away?

Eagles have the look of a top four side to me. The fact we're staying with them has to be promising.

Watts is clearly playing in Round 1.

T Mac....... So, so frustrating.

Hello there. Just noticed the goal umpire. Game just got a lot more interesting.

Great play from Watts then.

Really not not a Harmes fan. Good overhead but his ball use just isn't good enough,

Is Bernie on limited minutes? Sighted him once so far. Nice one Spencil.

Can't remember ever seeing that before. Extraordinary.