John Crow Batty

I would stay away looking at Fyfe until he demonstrates he is a 100% fit. Odd comment from Lyon and frankly dodgy. Long term injured stars are in no position to cherry pick for success.

Of course "Dicky Knee" Scully had the common decency to visit GWS's training facilities after the season proper.

Trengove says ouch!

I want to see 4 quarters of manic forward pressure from us. Want the Crows. moving forward like they have a ball and chain attached to their legs.

Will "on" last more than the first 10 minutes? That seems to be the pattern against sides that aren't "off". Our last 5 losses have us starting very well then folding when the opposition call our bluff.

That's the way we usually win. GC, Magpies, Richmond and Brisbane have been very disappointing sides.

Coming off five wins in a row for Adelaide may open the door for overconfidence and a premature penciled in win. Their game may loosen up enough for us to slide in for our usual trademark softcoque win. Seems the only way we can win these days.

About the distance of his wobbly run up.

Doubleview is one of those old Homes West suburbs which is equivalent to Victorian Housing Commision areas and which is becoming gentrifed due to its proximity to fine northern beaches and the CBD and would be a good investment opportunity. May be a coincidence but I am sure I saw Hogan at a restaurant in the area around February so he could have a connection with the locality.

Those two games feel like they were a long time time ago now. Since then we have been drifting in and out of inertia. Our inability to keep up a good fight against better teams is a concern. Like we play furious for only the first ten minutes then give up. The projection for the rest of the season does not look good if we cannot maintain some incentive to see the year out in a positive way. Post bye for the last two seasons we have been bloody awful. As bad as the Neeld days almost.

Same as against Hawks. Pressure drops after 10 minutes and they dominate.

If wet, I would like to see smarter wet weather play from us. I hope we learned something from the Hawks the other week.

The ducking move triggered by dropping the knees and throwing the head back could lead to someone becoming a quadriplegic. Neil Sachse of the Bulldogs became one. He did not duck but stumbled forward and copped an errant knee to the face from a player coming the other way. The dangerous issue is not the high tackle which is usually very low impact and incidental in nature but looks dramatic on TV. One of these duckers copping an errant knee or hip and breaking their neck will happen one day. Players like Sellwood are placing themselves at high risk aside from cheating.

Just being reported for ducking may have a shaming effect on a player. Will be hard to live down the jibes and ridicule.

That sentiment is for the players. Supporters can fantasise as much as they like.

An important consideration for us ATM is that there is still incentive for the players to make the finals. Last couple of seasons at this stage our window was already closed. A major factor with the modern game is attrition. If we can keep our best players on the field we are a good chance if one or two of the current 8 fall off. Remember last season with GWS. Injury ruined their season. Still a lot of ifs and buts but our season ain't over just yet.

Back in 1987 after a promissing start to the season we faltered somewhat and after round 12 we only had five wins and seemingly little chance to the make the finals. We all know what happened then. This season has started in a somewhat similar fashion. Sparkling form mixed with some backsliding performances and a radical new game plan that hasn't quite clicked in a consistent manner. A missing ingredient is confidence to maintain 100% effort and work rate with good sides and shake off some long standing bogeys.

Nasher gets to watch a Melbourne win live.

Sometimes I think Jones looks too content and comfortable in his position. Don't sense the fire in his belly to drag this club out of the doldrums.

A side that spends two or more consecutive seasons in the bottom half of the eight and just outside is not going anywhere. Genuine improvement usually happens quickly and not in painfully slow increments.

I wonder which one Jetta will match up on?

Once Leppa goes I would not be surprised if they put in a Carlton like improvement next season.

6, 7 or 8 wins is no way an improvement. The last two seasons it was fair to say we were improving early on and then fell away badly.

At this stage they are working them over better than we did and at their dung hole too.

Freo also look like they are getting some form back. 8 wins looks the max to me unless I start seeing a taste for elan coming from our players.