monoccular

Good work Watts, Petracca to set up that goal....and Brayshaw's kick to the top of the square

Not sure that the AFL see it that way - far more important (to them, and to Gil in particular) seems to be an ex assistant coach having a joke about a final score.

I wonder if AHPRA will finally "have a look at" Reid? Maybe Mick told them to lay off too?

4 pre finals....1 post GF

There is just no way to compare these preseason game results regardless of whom does what to whoever.

AVB and JKH seem cursed. Maybe these three initial nicknames are a curse in themselves - like JFK?

Please name one ex Essendon, or more recently, EssenDrug player who has been free of injury and / or performed up to hopes and expectations?

Be very happy and look forward to getting more monkeys off our collective backs. Absolutely NO reason that we should not win over Saints at Docklands, AND beat North, and Essundone, AND Carlton, AND make finals and win some. Belief, believe!

I also don't have an issue with the club acknowledging the anniversary, as you said without going overboard and becoming distracted. In other words not let it become a "Jimmy tribute game". That fell very flat 5 years ago. What i do like is Max acknowledging that he is inspired by the memory of Jimmy every time he pulls on the #11. Max is such a great character and I am sure it comes right from his heart.

GLyon also kicked a beauty as I recall at VFL Park in the wet in a final v Carltank to seal or maybe rescue the game. Tassie Johnson #8 used to drop kick from full back into the centre mud heap on a regular basis.

And we will have to keep an eye out for a couple of ours too. I did even wonder if it could be not such a good idea to have them both in for round 1.

Robbo, professional unbiased "journalist" that he is, predictably predicted..........who?

..........or do have but will not produce them because they are incriminating.

....and fierce aggression.

Poor guy - just cannot take a trick. Speedy recovery, JKH.

And how about his decision making, positioning and kicking to advantage? I like them even more.

That would require Gil to make a decision - will there be time to do enough opinion polling to guide his decision?

And Gil and his corrupt cronies still "award" this prestigious fixture to the cheating bastards.

I feel he is more solid, and stronger than Pendelbury at this stage of his career. Like you, won't carry on -- well not much -- but he could be a genuine A+ grader.

Mods - we really do need an "unlike" button :-(

He is already 'quite a decent player': with time he could well be a (hate the term) superstar.

I note that many are including both Melksham and Hibberd in their line ups. I am no expert, but as neither have played an earnest AFL game for over a year, would it be a risk that they could be a bit rusty?

....for a variety of reasons, injury being at least part of their limitations. When any player suffers a succession of injuries, or a serious injury, especially early in their careers, one cannot really tell just what level they could have reached without that injury. Molan is in my view a classic example: berated by many here as a "dud", he never got a chance to show anyone just what he could (or could not) do.

Geeeezzzz. I sure hope Trac delivers more than Diamond Jim did.....oh, he already has.

Are you suggesting that he is on a crusade?