monoccular

I have only noticed one of each...........there are others?

Nice little soliloquy there old dee - do you talk to yourself a lot? Hear voices? :-)

I love your optimism - really typical of us Demon tragics at this time of year - but one would have to say it is a huge journey from suburban footy to the AFL. But then, look at Jeremy Howe. I would see his rookie listing as very highly speculative but very low risk recruiting.

Backing down would be a huge blunder: what sort of message would it give? That we are all talk?

I was thinking along those lines, but more so Wona. I must say I am pretty pessimistic about seeing him out on the G in a MFC jumper again.

Surely if he intention is the "slow the game down, tire the players" a far simpler and more effective change would be to restrict the number of interchanges severely, to maybe 15 a quarter. Coaches would have to hold back some in reserve until late in a quarter just in case. IF there is an injury after that the player is subbed out. It would still not over penalise a team with an injury, and it would not condemn some poor up and coming young player to sitting out 80 percent of a game on the bench, or two of them as proposed.

I presume you mean Tom McDonald...Tom McNamara is with us no longer.

More or less what I said - Colin has been one of the biggest disappointments of the last decade - his best is amazing but he lacks the mental application, and perhaps the intelligence, to put his best together quarter after quarter, week after week. And no more of the OP in his first few seasons rubbish - he just can't be bothered to do it, quite simply.

But Pendlebury is coming to us so they will have to look elsewhere :-)

I am glad that we are at Doglands - despite being a preseason game, it will be some sort of indicator of any change in game plan and mental approach to this soulless desolate place.

I think that all of our mids will be far better than they have been when we can develop a system that ensures that every player is required not only to win the ball but to ensure safe passage for the guy with the ball. Let me tell you this - it works well at Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood.............and guess what.........they have all 'done pretty well' recently. (OMG, that sound too Ruddesque)

I also agree that even if we had a great small forward over the past few years we wouldn't have been able to get much out of him - now that we have some decent tall forwards who may be able to function as such, the likes of Davey (if he still has the desire) or Lawrence or Blease may make the role their own, and the mediums can play their dual role as back up falls or crumbers. We have only had one look at them in action, under appalling conditions: give a little time, and by draft season we may decide we don't need one.

I would love it were Magner to become a ball magnate - maybe even own a few and get good returns on his investment.. And, he is already a ball magnet.

So are you saying hat the ridiculous OOB rule is scrapped next week? Thank goodness for that anyway. If so, why the hell have it this week? Change for the sake of change!

Is this call based on one "Clayton's game" played in appalling wet slippery conditions, the first game if you could call it that, of the season? By the way, I also think that he could be a top grade CHB, were he not needed this year as #2 ruck man.

I guess predictable to hear such negativity so early in a season.

Are you thinking of Cloake at GW$?

Haven't seen any of it and tried SEN on internet but of course Vlad has hijacked it again unless you pay his fee. Still, we have made history I believe - the only team to win after playing the previous game. To those who saw it - did they hug the boundary? Was there any noticeable difference in "system" (if any)?

Well, I guess Phil $cully isn't available or affordable now.............so.............next best.

I don't follow the Toiges: what has Dylan done to impress you so?

Rudi Guillaini cleaned up New York with ZERO TOLERANCE. He was berated by the bleeding hearts for his tough stand but the results are there for all to see. Is Mark Neeld our Rudi? ZERO TOLERANCE, guys - get used to it. Pity - I was looking forward to seeing Sam in his new forward role, but I expect he is a lot more disappointed than any of us here. Let it hurt, then learn from it.

From those holding the moral high ground, or who think they should or do, it is aimed at stifling genuine debate: stopping it dead in its tracks. A bit like pointing out to Tim Flannery that there have been huge floods in QLD the last couple of years; only a few years after he had said that SEQ would become a ghost area through lack of water - the pejorative put down from his ilk is "sceptic". I am proud to ge a sceptic.

The ruck stocks look a little thin, Jamar>Martin>>>>(Gawn)>>(Spencer)>>>>>Fitzy Fill ins maybe Clark or Seller?

I would prefer not to use that sniper's name in association with our fearless tackling machine. PS: this is a Jack Watts thread

Yeah - and against the same team, Brad Miller played one amazing game against Barry Hall and dined out on it for several seasons with very little input. What Cale needs to do is consistently do exciting, or team things and put in fearlessly. Make no mistake - 2012 is surely Cale's "crossroads season" - Neeld won't put up with the usual underwhelming and often insipid efforts we have seen, for whatever reason, over the past years.