monoccular

Did Tom McDonald play? Blease?

I actually believe that more and more are getting to be patient re the whole team building process, but as many are becoming very impatient re Morton's lack of interest in becoming involved in just about every aspect of the game, save for his trademark "making space" aka avoiding the contest!

If he won't get involved in contests in his fourth season, when the hell will he?? You also mention him making space.....I could and probably would...just keep away from all contests!

He is in what, his fourth year? He hasn't filled out, and unlike Watts, Frawley, Garland who you mentioned he has not developed, or at least shown, the slightest desire to get involved in the physical aspects of the contest in what is really still a physically brutal game. How long FCS do you carry an unproductive person in a 21 1/2 man team? He still looks actually scared, as most of US would, when confronted, but we are not highly paid athletes who should, in this game, know and certainly show no fear. Where does he actually contribute? Name some memorable (positive) moments in his 59 games? I can honestly think of none. You say players of his size "take some time" - how much more can we afford?

Well if Joel is still out with a knee, maybe it is a good time to debut Tom. None of those debuting have let us down this year, which is more than I can say of many of their senior colleagues. If injury is preventing Jurrah from competing 100%, then maybe he needs a rest and Cook, despite apparently a quiet one Sunday could also have a run. Let us see all these enthusiastic young guys of the future before they are tainted by the Demon curse of cyclical apathy. And hell, I think we have all seen more than enough of Morton "making space" by running anywhere the contest ain't - in Tapscott who at very worst lets his opponent know that he is nearby!

The really annoying pert of e season so far to me is losing those three games at Doglands - all were against struggling sides, really struggling, yet we lacked the mental toughness to put up a real fight in any of them, other than an unconvincing lead vs North - otherwise just pathetic passive capitulation. ....."too hard to play here"....."never do well here".....mentally beaten even before arriving at the ground. We will never be successful until we get our minds over this defeatism..never!! FCS hire a bloody psychologist and find out what the problem is. We really should, if we were fair dinkum, and won these three, be on 9.5 win knocking on the door of the top 4, with Bailey signing up for a decade! Instead our defeatist attitude has us struggling for top 10!

I think that you are pretty much on the ball there -- it is bloody frustrating and disappointing to see our inconsistency resurface, but we are a young physically and emotionally / mentally inexperienced side and it is important not to throw away the babies with the bathwater. They need time together -- mass droppings are just that, droppings! What perhaps disappoints far more is the inconsistency of our more senior players, the likes of Green, Sylvia, Rivers. If the leaders stand up regularly, the babies will learn quicker and enjoy some more consistent success, which in turn will increase their self confidence. All that said, a win a Docklands this season is a must - unfortunately that means beating a resurgent WCE.....big challenge, leaders!!!! We have played three under-performing teams into form there, time we did it ourselves.

....but any worse than when he gets a full game???

Certainly well inside mine - see 'ology thread. A ready made player - he will of course now start to be noticed and matched up on by oppositions, though do you play a tall or a smaller quick on him? I would probably use a Garland type.

A very welcome change from the old ND "play the old favorites" days. And none of those debuting this year have really done much wrong - and Nicholson, Howe, and Tapscott prior to injury have all really fitted firmly into our best 22 at present. Well done recruiting team.

It may sound glib, but this really is a MUST WIN game for our young group. We need to show that we can win at that soulless amphitheatre; we need to show that we can beat the Dogs; we need to show that we can win more than three in a row. The injury curse following the Adelaide game may well be seen in retrospect as somewhat serendipitous - we have learned just what Martin can do, both as a ruckman and as a forward; we have unearthed Nicholson who to me looks like becoming a regular off HB or even as a midfielder; don't forget the samplers we have seen from Big Max Gawn, who did everything asked of him and looks to be a fine ruckman in the making, and Michael Evans who did well when thrown in the deep end; Strauss has had an opportunity to show his progress though he does have a way to go. So there have been many silver linings to the injury curse. Cast your mind back to mid 2000 - as I recall, we were absolutely thrashed by the Cheaters and by the Dogs, and many, indeed most, wrote us off for the season --- ultimately we reached the GF, though were far from ready for that task. Could this happen again? Only time will tell, but if the playing group maintain their enthusiasm and aggression, we could certainly progress at least a little way into September. It is over to the players and the staff. We watch with baited breath.

Exactly - the AFL have two, or maybe better to say multiple sets of rules to cover many situations, but woe betide anyone who dares question this megalomaniac's latest pet project, the expansion. He knows that it is the right way to go, because He dreamed it up, and He has decided that it must succeed, and stuff the clubs that have been part of the competition long before he or his forebears had even heard of Australua. Bugger tradition. Pay lip service to helping struggling traditional clubs, but let his new pet projects screw them as they start to rise anyway. The [censored] behaves like Mussolini or Pol Pot ---- "I know what is right, even if it is clearly wrong".

He is so multi dimensional - strength, leap, goal sense, second efforts, team work....a great pick up. Well done recruiters.

I am absolutely certain that DumbItrou would find, or create, some loophole, though not of course were a Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon player involved. (And I am not paranoid, it is just that the voices tell me that they really do hate me)!

Time has long passed for Morton to be given his marching orders - go to Casey for a month, toughen up or time is up!! I am getting sick of watching his insipid efforts. Average 0.8 tackles per game - the lowest at our club from one who is now a middle level of seniority and a top draft pick, who plays a tagging and defensive role -pffff!

And absolutely no prizes for guessing who is LAST on our list for average tackles per game, with an insipid 0.88 per game. Hint....skinny, tall, high draft pick, still highly rated by some on these sites! Bruise free footy at it's worst. Time long past to toughen up or head north.

We are getting close to having our best cattle on the field - Tapscott, Davey, Bail, Grimes all important but each not essential. We have hit some sort of form, with three wins out of the last four. I think unprecedented under DB. Dogs are not in good form. IF we are to be taken seriously and to have progressed this year, we just MUST pass this test and challenge the Dogs at this stadium - NO EXCUSES. A win would be fantastic; a well contested game would be reasonable. DB can say all he wants, but IT IS UP TO THE PLAYERS TO GET THIS PARTICULAR MONKEY OF THEIR BACKS. MFC PLAYERS - ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH; ARE YOU DESPERATELY HUNGRY ENOUGH???

Wasn't there. How did he play???

I agree He is not strong or big enough to be a tall He is not quick or slick enough to be a small He is not hard enough to be a mid So, where, what, when, how, who?????????

Put aside Max's first very nervous set shot at goal, which we all, Max included, will have a good laugh at in the future, Max really has hardly put a foot wrong in his three games. He has done all that is asked of him. - well done and great focus. He is currently ahead of Spencer in execution and footy smarts, regardless of injury, and of that other beanpole, the man allocated #48, Jack Fitzpatrick, who may or may not actually exist! Has anyone seen him?

Surely the maggots also have some duty of care to avoid putting themselves in the line of fire - some sort of mutual obligation. I am sure if for example Chri$ Judd made contact it would be deemed to be caused by the umpire and he would be offered an apology, and 3 bonus Charlie votes!

Maybe you should think before you comment - I did think , and as I remember for example Nick Sauntner said he couldn't be bothered with all the training and sacrifices required, and I am sure there are many other guys with talent but without the commitment to make the jump.

Agree The Macedonian megalomaniac may well decide that we need a 20 team competition by then, with more tainted drafts, and a final 12, or two conferences (God I hate that Americanism)!

Apologies Should be on line 3 with Cook.

Watts Howe Cook McDonald? Jamar / Martin / Gawn Netwon / Hawkins