P-man

This is Saty you're responding to. They're all inspiring and sacred. I wouldn't mind getting a few more glimpses of King to see a bit more of this field kicking I keep hearing about. If he can slot them through the big sticks then he could be the answer. Can O Mac ruck?

Test: Pederson Yep, working well.

Pedo remains an interesting one. Having watched a replay of the Port game the other day, I forgot how well he played. He was dominant. I say that without exaggeration. Clunking contested marks, kicking goals and bringing his teammates into play. Everything you want from a tall forward. But generally speaking the teams needs to play well for him to play well. I think Pedo's time is far from over. He isn't that genuine quality KPF we need but as a utility I can see him sticking around for a while yet.

Thought this was worth sharing from Adam Burnett: It’s a tragedy of circumstance that’s left our game in tatters, A happening that makes us ask just how much cricket matters. A young man lost so suddenly without a rhyme or reason, How does one accept that Phillip Hughes has played his final season? But with the grief and sadness there’s also cause for celebration, For a life that scaled lofty heights and charmed this sports-mad nation. For a gift that burned so brightly, that was raw and hard to tame, For that cheeky grin, ubiquitous with mention of his name. From early doors they pinned him as a legend in the making, Macksville locals soon lost count of records he was breaking. The whispers grew, the rumours flew, the tales did the rounds, Of a cacky-handed run machine whose talent knew no bounds, A homespun style, an eagle eye, a focus few could rival, The simple traits that paved the way for this country boy’s arrival. Because despite the rural passion that defined him til his last, For Phillip Hughes the path was clear, his cricket die was cast. To Sydney with a bullet he flew straight down the Pacific, Within in a blink, while still a teen, his numbers were prolific. Here was a kid, a prodigy, who had to make his mark, The youngest man in baggy blue since a certain Michael Clarke. The youngest gun to make a ton in a final of the Shield, A bush technique honed on the land found gaps in any field. And as the hundreds piled up, we knew greater things awaited, Sure enough, to Africa, where a champion was created. The story now is folklore in the history of the game, With a pair of tons in Durban, Phillip Hughes had made his name. Cutting, slicing, arrowing, he took South Africa apart, He was 20, he was brilliant, he was playing from the heart. But what goes up, it must come down, a fact each player knows, With the glory and the triumphs come the failures and the lows. Four times he lost his place in his beloved Test match side, Four times he vowed to fight again, and he wouldn’t be denied. Until that fateful day when he would play his final innings, A knock that promised greater things, suggested new beginnings. We were clueless to the scale as the accident unfurled, Had no idea this tragedy would rock the cricket world. But in our darkest moments we cling to things that make life brighter, And the sport has been united by the memory of a fighter. And while the flashy blade and diamond studs could well have fooled a few, There was never any argument, he was country through and through. Because beyond the adulation, past the thrill of Test match battle, There remained a constant yearning, for his home, for Angus cattle. For the undivided love he knew from father and from mother, For that familial connection to one’s sister and their brother. So raise a glass for Phillip Hughes, put out your bat with pride, Let’s salute a little character who took life’s hurdles in his stride. The nation mourns, the cricket stops, but never be in doubt, That somewhere far above us, he’s still sixty-three not out.

He'll get more opportunities this season than he would at Port, but he'd want to perform to a high standard...

Can't see Vince ever getting pushed out. Didn't he lead the league for metres gained this season? He'll be best 22 til he retires.

Heard him referred to as "Track" and "Tracker" by a couple of players.

We are coming from a long way back. Let's not forget that. My optimism for 2015 extends to thinking we will get out of the bottom four, with a comfortable win or two coming amongst the likes of St Kilda, Carlton and Footscray. I also expect the Etihad curse to finally be broken.

How did he slip to 40 again?

One thing I am absolutely certain of is that if any draftees debut in Round 1, it won't be to appease fans. It will be because they have trained hard and have done enough in the coaches' minds to warrant selection.

Unbelievable scenes in the NZ v Pakistan test. "PH" under the fern on their shirt. No post-wicket celebrations. Some other great tributes included the retirement score in junior cricket this weekend being changed from 50 to 63. Never been an event like this. Will admit I've shed a tear today for someone I never met.

Yep, I've got a feeling the ride is about to get a little bit less bumpy, and a little bit more "[censored] yeah".

Petracca is also no turtle. In fact his explosive speed is one of his most hyped attributes. I think we'll be fine on that front. As bb said, speed of ball movement is the greater issue. Quick and smart decison-makers. It looks like we've picked up a couple of those.

Both Stretch and Toumpas were known for their pace and skill as juniors. In time, and at full fitness, those are two players we will look towards to provide some speed on the outside.

He just wasn't moving freely last season. You could see he was clearly labouring when he was running. IF that is rectified, and reports are suggesting that it might be, then we could be seeing a very different player from here onwards, but time will tell.

Some on the BF Dogs board are scratching the heads at overlooking McDonald (or "McOz" - so much love for that nickname). I felt like reminding them they overlooked Neal-Bullen as well, meaning they overlooked picks 21 and 22 in Knightmare's phantom draft, but didn't want to rub it in too much.

So he's a Pies supporter. Revenge for Pendles. Finally

Watched a replay of the Port game last night. The one where we dominated the match outside of the first and last 10 minutes and somehow lost. Yeah, that one. Still frustrating, but enjoyable all the same. We played exceptionally well in long patches winning a majority of 50/50 contests, with Viney and Salem giving enticing glimpses of the future. Anyhow, Grimes was giving me fresh headaches. His mistakes, one of them a turnover in front of goal, led to a number of Port scores. In a game they ended up winning by 20 points. Having your captain make crucial and silly mistakes again and again hurts the rest of the team. I have him in Round 1, but if it's the same Grimes from last season, he needs to be dropped. We can't afford it anymore and frankly we are now assembling a list where we don't need to afford it. His stint as co-captain for the time being should also be over.

Last night feels like a whirlwind. Combined with the tragic event earlier in the day it was just a surreal period of mixed emotions. The kind of day where you wonder if it really happened.

Round 1 2017. B: Jetta, Frost, Dunn HB: Lumumba, Toumpas, T. McDonald C: Vince, Viney, Stretch HF: Petracca, Dawes, Watts F: Howe, Hogan, Kennedy-Harris Fol: Gawn, N. Jones, Tyson I/C: Brayshaw, Salem, Neal-Bullen (Kent) Em: Michie, Garland, Grimes, O. McDonald, Garlett, Pederson, Newton, Riley and on and on she goes.. Okay, time to settle. Need to let these players build their name rather than the other way around.

Liking the multi-cultural flair. Greek, Lebanese and now Italian. And all three are guns in the making.

Twomey had him at 21. Half price http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-25/the-phantom-draft .

Didn't realise they were good mates. They seem like a couple of characters too.

A shame. A damn shame.

Commiserations Kyle.