Go the mighty Dees

You could be describing Geelong too. It is interesting. We've certainly got a similar game plan to them. I think our advantage over a Geelong (in the long run) will come when Watts comes in to dominate. Geelong run and spread very much as we did on Saturday night. They don't have a particularly efficient power forward, but this is the clear advantage we much potentially have. It'll be interesting to see how we combat whatever challenges are thrown at this game plan.

Having seen Watts play a couple of time with Casey and seeing him close up in quarter and three quarter time breaks, I do not believe he will ever be a power forward in the mould of a Carey, Brown or even Neitz. He doesn't have either the physique or playing style. I think he will be more Nick Rewolt or Royce Hart, although quicker than either in hand and feet. He is a better kick than either, has fantastic lightening fast attacking handball like Tom Scully, but at this stage at least does not have the marking power of either, although there were glimpses of what was to come in that direct down at Ballarat last Sarurday. By the way I would describe Jack Hawkins as a power forward for Geelong, perhaps not in the Brown mode but certainly a target. JW will not be unlike him when've matures, except faster and more skillful.

Don't get me wrong - he will be a gun. Just not in the next year or so. We must all be patient. Personally I hope he doesn't play this year unless he plays two or three blinders in the 2s to get his confidence sky high. He doesn't look like doing that anytime soon, but you can certainly see the potential. In any case, the club's position has changed in the last week or so. We are now genuine finals contenders and all selection from now on in has to be done on merit, on current form. Jack is a long way off being selected on that criteria.

I'll be looking for a bit of Brock-stice too, with some Burgoyne-stice and Ball-stice thrown in on the side.

We don't need any of these has-beens. I'd back our young guns anytime (and our clutch of dedicated loyal veterans) anytime against that lot.

I'll make bets now that we win a flag before either Carlton or Hawthorn. In fact I triedgetting odds from the obvious candidate for this last week and they wouldn't play. Interesting!!!!

Liam Jurrah - still a long way away

Jared Rivers - will get his chance wghen we get an injury, or cop a belting

Cale Morton - automatic in

Jack Watts - doesnt deserve a game til he tears a game apart at Casey

James Strauss - hasnt done much to excite, to be honest

Austin Wonaemirri - will get his chance if he can stay healthy

Sam Blease - hasnt earnt a spot

Neville Jetta - loved this guy last season, and cant wait to see him back in the team

Woldnt mind an update on Addam Maric and Tom MCNamara either.

Maric was one of the best at Casey at the weekend. At the moment though can't see where he could fit into the seniors particularly as he would needto be selected before Bail and very soon Morton. Can't see that happening.

McNamara had a subdued game on Saturday

Just considering some of the players still to come into the team.

Liam Jurrah

Jared Rivers

Cale Morton

Jack Watts

James Strauss

Austin Wonaemirri

Sam Blease

Neville Jetta

Given our current form, who would these guys replace?

Well given the current form at casey, none of them except Rivers and Chaney areY ready. Wonna is playing in the casey 2s and looks well short fitnesswise and IMO is at least 3-4 weeks away from senior selection (although it would be nice to have him back for the NT game which by the way after the weekend is looking more formidable than we might have expected). JW's current form doesn't justify selection and is probably some weeks away from selection. Gone are the days when we select players for "PR" reasons as we did last year. We now have a realistic chance of making the finals this year and so every place in the team has to be fought over and justified on current form. Having said that, if Cale Morton and Liam Jurrah show reasonable form at casey when they come back I'm sure they will be selected immediately given their experience and the positions they play which will need boosting before the finals series.

Sam Bleeze is playing in Casey 2s and is still unfit. Still walks with a distinct limp off the field. Jetta is playing at Casey and certainly by the display at the wekend look slow. Don't know whether he is injured or unfit but was very sluggish at the weekend. Strauss IMO is 12 months away from senior selection. Is far too loose as a backman, and in any case has Rivers and Chaney before him.

A smokey we might consider later this year is Fitzpatrick. from the little I saw of Casey 2s at the weekend he is remarkably skillfull for such a big man, a great mark and very quick. I canseehim being a great foil for the Russian in the ruck and up forward eventually. Shows great potential.

Also PJ played very well for Casey at the weekend and in my view would be next in line if either of jamar or martin went down injured, particularly since Spencer look as though he has done a hammy again

Who won the game, or did I miss it? I'd also like to know, if you can help, how Cheney, McNamara - if he played, & Strauss???

casey came from behind in the last quarter to win by 9 points with watts running into an open goal to put them in front. Cheney played well as a running back. Hard as nails, good kick and very reliable although not as spectacular as Rivers. Strauss was quieter and made a few clangers, also for mine a bit loose as a backman aswell as not as strong as either Rivers or Chaney. Is very skilful though, but for mine is at least a year away from senior selection. McNamara was quiet.

Just a note on JW. There was one stage in the last quarter when casey was having a shot from outside 50 on an angle where it was JW and three Ballarat backs in the goal square . Jack came from nowhere and very nearly pulled down an absolute screamer. I think it illustrated what he will be. IMO he is still very light framed, tall but not a giant but for his size very quick and very good with his hands. Has a scully like ability with handball but at the moment just does not get enough of the ball to make a huge impact. Overall I was sufficiently encouraged by his display to see why he was drafted. As the club says we just need to be patient with him. He will be a great player but not this year and maybe not even next year but as his body matures and he obtains peak fitness I'm sure we won't regret his drafting. At the moment tho we don't need him given Bate's form and the evenness of our forward setup. I'm sure though when we go deep into the final series in a couple of years time his talent and that of liam jurrah will be vital

The footy we played Saturday night would have beaten any team in the league. It's as simple as that. If you can somehow get the side to remain uninjured and playing like that, then finals are a reality.

I'm sure though, that a reality check isn't too far down the line. A lot is being asked of guys who are still very, VERY young. I'm positive about the side, and think we could possibly scrape into finals. But I'm not counting on it. I predicted 6 wins. Now I'm thinking 8 or 9.

I too agree our style and gameplan ARE very exciting, but the reality will set in once the other teams wake up to us. They will now be examining our replays with a fine tooth comb. Make no mistake: these wins, particularly last Saturday night, it was not so much that we caused an upset, it was more the way we won. We aniliated Brisbane, and every one in the AFL will be wanting to know why. The commentators reference to the "highway" about our play i have never heard before. Clearly we have very nearly perfected what everyone else was trying to do but couldn't. Our challenge will be when others seek to counter it, and to see how we respond. Mind you, if we implement properly, i believe it will be very very difficult to counter because of the skill level of the team which will only get better as we put more games into our players and they become harder and more experienced, as well of of course we get some of our most skilled back like Morton, Jurrah, Wonna. One of the keys to Saturday nite was our tackling and that is unlikely to drop off.

Exciting times ahead...

Footy's a funny game. The Roos are taking it up to a side that pounded us in round 1. They in turn got done more horribly than we have this season, in round 2.

The big thing here, is that up to 3/4 time (nearly), Macintosh (24) and Goldstein (20) have had 44 hitouts to 20. Now I know the Hawks have no ruckmen, but still. This may be Jamar's first real test... with the far greater one coming against Freo much further down the track.

If they beat him, or at least curtail him, that'll be likely to mess with our confidence out of the middle. Apparently the Lions beat us in clearances to 3/4 time, I believe.

This is not going to be anywhere near as easy a game as the Lions one. At Etihad? The forward line precision we've enjoyed may evapourate.

I doubt whether any of the players would describe the Lions game as "easy". Some of the most menacing running imaginable. The roos don't have the runners to stay with us if we play like saturday nite

I agree the coaching deserves immense credit for the way they play. It is a very risky style if their skills are down but since round one their skills have been spot on. With the accumulation of early draft picks we can expect this aspect to improve even further, so I think this style of play suits our list and when in full flight is almost impossible to stop. The other aspect of this is that individual responsibility for implementing individusl roles seems to have been embraced by every player. Just look at how commited Warnock and Fawley were yesterday, and how we have seen considerable improvement over the lst couple of games in Dunn, Bennel, Jones and Bruce. Each player is playing their part and it has become a fine team effort.

One aspect of this gameplan though is that it is high intenity to implement with relentless running and tackling, so it is very tiring on the individual players, particularly the young ones. There were times later in the game when you could see how exhausted Trengove was, and Scully was very quiet for the first three quarters, but then of course played a blinder in the last. This intensity on these guys will only increase as other sides realise how good they really are. Scully was heavily tagged yesterday, and took three quarters to shake it off, but of course quality eventually surfaces and he subsequently kicked one of the best goals of the season to seal the game for us in th last quarter.

I think as we make our way through the season we will need our strong reserve group as this will be a very tiring journey on the player group, which is sure to put considerable physical strain on them. But there is nothing like a winning culture and the competition for places if anything will only get more intense which is a marvelous thing. Having also seen the Casey game yesterday there are a couple of players putting their hands up big time for inclusion in the team, but with form like this in the seniors you would not expect any changes for next week. Can anyone for instance expect Bail to get his place back? Martin added balance to that side yesterday, so unfortunely I can't see any changes for the game against North. He is very unlucky, and that will not be lost on the others.

We could well win our next four, and with Port Power beating the Saints yesterday, it shows anyone is beatable.

This is the highest potential melbourne side I can remember and i've been following them for over 40 years, and yesterdays display was one of the best i have ever seen from a melbourne side. Anything is now possible!!!!

I would consider Jurrah and Morton walk-up starters, Bail and Rivers on the cusp of selection, Wonaeamirri only match-fitness away from the cusp, and everyone else miles from being in the team.

I saw Rivers today, he was brilliant. I think he is an outstanding talent down back, and Garland can play very effectively forward. IMO that change would very considerably improve the team. Having said that, they are going along very very nicely....

All of a sudden we are all smiles. The new recruits love it. We are handing out footys after the game and slapping hands with supporters.. the things successful teams do.. 50 point win... what script are we folowing indeed!!!

Jones- Great

Trengove- Best game yet

Macdonald/Mcdonad- Great game

Sylvia- Strong and becoming increasingly consistant. Maturing. Bloody exciting. Stepping up big time!

Molony- Becoming a pillar of strength and reliability

Scully- Will become a star. So so lucky to get the Tren/Scull combo. We have been blessed people.

Frawley- Say no more. This man is inspiring.

Talking about inspiring, the team song is going.... THE BOYS ARE BLOODY PUMPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And rightly should be!!

All this without Jurrah, Watts, Wonabona etc.... it's almost looking like even if they were firing, it would almost be hard for them to crack in.... what a truely joyous position we are now in!! Everything is smiles, roses, cupcakes and fairy bread down at the MFC for now, and we can almost afford to laugh at the prospect of the kangas next week!!

I almost want to cry!!

Woooooooh, hold on a minute. The moment you start laughing at your opposition is the moment you start losing.

North will be formidable as they always are. We should never forget respecting the opposition and understand the need to maintain intensity

I'm amazed Warnock isn't getting some sort of vote here. His back play was outstanding

Did Bell play? How did he go?

bell played. Understandably a bit underdone

Was at the game at Ballarat this afternoon and jarad rivers is back. Just a solid solid game down back and was very much responsible for allowing Casey to be in a

position to roll over ballarat in the last quarter to win by 9 points. PJ also excellent in the ruck as was Spencer before going off injured. Jack Watts got 2 touches in the first half but improved somewhat in the second and was responsible for putting them in front in the last quarter. By the way he is a long way from being a key position after forward but is quite a nippy wing

man. Good kick, excellent penetrating handball in the Scully mode. Just at this stGe does not get enough of the ball, a bit like nicnak!!!

Fitzpatrick, wonna and Bleeze played in the 2s, only saw 10 mins of it. Fitz in that time took a spectacular pack mark and is quite quick for his size.after the game, though Bleeze was playing when dressed he had quite a limp. Doubt whether his injury is near over.