old dee

This suggests to me that the AFL are feeling the heat on the Scully affair or why would they write this article! Their article is also full of holes. Yes we got White when he wanted to come home but at a cost of draft picks etc. We did not have an expanded salary cap and special conditions bestowed on the MFC But what about the ones that went the other way e.g. Scot Thompson back to SA. This looks to me to fall into that old saying " If you appear to be a fool open your mouth and put it beyond all doubt"

You are correct White does need to lift because he will get dropped! Clarke won't even if there were more zero's.

You mean he is worse than Clarke! Another big effort last night. A big fat ZERO. One score in six months the guy is a champion.

Beating anyone excites me

I have been hanging tough for 44 years WYL not sure I have many "tough" years left in me. Could we not have an "encouraging" year in 2011?

I agree with your concerns DD however the management of Stynes, Schwab, and the board have done a very good job over the last three years and I trust them to do the right thing. However I would like to know how the MFC intends to solve some of these problems

WYL sometimes it is hard to be tough! After a lot of very lean years ( the majority of the last 44 years )you do wonder will the worm ever turn. The pies had one long term injury going into the finals last year. In my living memory that has never happened at Melbourne. In a competion that gets tougher and more even by the year injuries can be the difference between winning the flag and finishing eighth. Take Swan, Didak and Pendlebury out of the grand final side and they would not have made the GF let alone drawn the first GF. After being down a long time to loose players like Morton and Frawley to serious injury this early is deflating. Carn the DEES

It does matter C&B. I hope we give a good showing after all the hype about TS this week I hope at the least we see some evidence that a few of our recuits who have had injury plagued starts at the MFC show us a few glimpses of why they were drafted e.g. Blease and Strauss as well as a couple of this years draftees displaying some skill that gives us a little confidence.

I knew it could not last e25 I cannot agree with most of your comment above. We have the best draw we have had in 10 years, Our young guys have more games of experience and we have addressed a couple of problems Everyone tells me that Watts will have 10 good games this year. Anything less than 10 wins will be a big disappointment to me. If we do not get more wins than last year I think we have to serious consider that our list is not as good as we think. However I do agree top 4 is ridiculous!

I hate to split hairs Deezman but 8 weeks is a long term injury in my view. Ok he may be available early in the season but if you miss 8 weeks of practice matches and early season games it will take 2 - 4 weeks to get back to where you should have been at the start of the season. What is wrong with Fitzpatrick?

Too long BB! If we have not seen something, anything by the end of 2012 it is all over for me. How long do you support someone who cannot get onto the the Park. They would want to be very very good to go beyond 3 years and even 2 years is testing my patience!

How come we are so poor /unlucky with injuries and the Pies so lucky/ good? Last years they got to the finals with one long term injury and we had double figures. After a pre Christmas with a full list we now have 4 long term injuries to good players. I do not get it. This depresses me more than Scully leaving!

IF he has "knee soreness" it is probably best he does not play. It is only 11th Feb. on Friday, a long way from September! As well it gives another spot for someone else to show their wares. WE know Tom can cut it at senior level.

How long is "long" BB?

I don't believe it. DB seems to be rock solid with everyone at the Dees. You should never say never but even if we wanted to we could never offer as much as Carlton. They want him badly I would say.

Do we have a choice RM? I agree lets get on with enjoying his play.

I liked it! Time to lighten up a little>

And he needs to get on the park soon! Because another year like last year would not be be good for his future. The competition is littered with players who would have been great if they were not constantly injured.

ID I don't think I was writing him off. It is just disappointing that he is not being involved in practise matches etc after a bad year with injuries. Lots of good comments about him when he was drafted and so far he has been injured most of the time since arriving. I just hope he is not all "looks" and we get to see him play somewhere in the next few weeks.

cannot remember the rules drdrake can we change the side between game 1 and game 2?

I agree again e25 this is getting too much. I keep forgetting it is 9th Feb for god sake. A lot of these guys will be eased into things, the first match is 7 weeks away. Still like to win on friday though

He needs to get on the park soon two years with little return will not be good. I get a faint Tilbrook smell here! Looks Good but all muscle and not much action. Hope to god he plays somewhere in the next few weeks.

It is not often I agree with you e25 but on this one you have my vote. Lets not jump at shadows. Nothing I can do about it! Lets worry about Friday night.

The Watts one is not finished yet drdrake! However this one is sprinting along might be a tight finish.

I don't think there are hard and fast rules the AFL seem to make it up as they go along. I cannot see us getting another No.1 draft pick!