Red Sox

Are you suggesting this the kiss of death eth? Certainly hope not!

Welcome back Chipper!!! Welcome back Jordie!! Anyone with the name Jack, James or Jordie/Jordan is good for this side!! But I am confused a bit by this squad.....cannot for the life of me see a match up for both Warnock & Rivers....how can both be included and Garland listed on the bench?????? Jamar smashed Jolly in rnd 2....if Miller is there we don't need Johnson....we dont need him anyway. Kyle Cheney's manager must be looking around already.....I am not his biggest fan but going on what I have seen at Casey he has been the most consistent performer and surely deserved a spot on an extended bench at the very least?! I would be very surprised if Jones played and even Sylvia (but probably more likely) and if that is to be the case then to me it is Dunn for Sylvia, Jordie for Junior and Chip for Jones......could've had Cheney or even Strauss (because I like this kid!) for one of Rivers/Warnock but not to be.... If Johnson gets a spot for Watts......well, I can't do much but I would be disappointed!

As far as I am concerned Malthouse coined that 'melbourne's grand final' phrase and complained that they have to be up every week because everyone always wants to beat them......HELLO??! I would've thought Geelong laid claim to having to be UP every week, isn't that the position any team/supporter would want to be in? Can't wait for the day that we have to make the same complaint!!

Agreed. Moorcroft, Henwood, Pickering, Adrian Campbell, Ellis...I have very few fond memories when trading. Anthony Ingerson excepted IMO, was a gem and still there contributing to the club!

'Blockbuster' is a media term anyway designed to generate interest....the true fans turn up wherever/whenever. IMO a blockbuster is two good sides going at it, see Saints V Geel last year, except for ANZAC day...that is a genuine blockbuster because of what Ess/Coll did together in developing that fixture, good on them and they deserve it. I look forward to Fri Night games, Sat Night Games, Public Holiday games because for me, there is just a little something extra in them when it is the single focus for those 3 hours....this of course does not make it a 'blockbuster'.....but Melb V Bris was a blockbuster of a night!!!!! QB will be a blockbuster game again when both sides are going well, for the majority of the last 10 years one has been up while the other was down. Yep I can remember 40-50,000 crowd around 99/2000 when the pies struggled.....dont you worry their fans drop off just as much as anyone when they struggle but they can still pull 40 rather than 70,000 + when they drop off because of the total numbers that support them......in percentage terms that is a larger drop than Melbourne who consistently have the same 20-25,000 passionate demon fans turn up each week. There is probably only another 10,000 that come and go...

Dave to quote you on the pick up from 45 here....'I honestly don't consider it a blockbuster. It is just another game to me. Yet Melbourne consider it their Grand Final...so are always more fired up than us. Crowd figures are atrocious. Most Melbourne fans are at the snow...and Pies fans usually make up the majority. This game is a failure, yet no one says anything'. The snow???? I cannot...repeat cannot stand that comment....it is not clever and is a throw away line by uneducated people that like to throw crap our way. Can't you at least come up with something new and clever than this? I actually enjoyed what seemed to be a fair and balanced preview....not any more. If as a Pies man you know your stuff you would understand the great rivalry from the 50/60's......Man City hate United as much as ever and for the best part of 20 years have been playing a lower division.....it doesn't take away from the feeling many supporters have in being connected to the great period, especially as a Demon fan. And what is wrong with holding on the great history of the past and letting that continue into the future or does everything have to be about the 'now'? It is so so easy to have a go at crowd numbers...you cannot create supporters out of trees mate, it is what it is and you know what, I actually enjoy being able to leave home at 1pm and cruise into the car park rather than sitting in traffic snarls outside Punt Rd every weekend. Whether its 20, 30, 40 or 80,000...it's about passion and the consistent 20-25,000 that turn up week in week out to support the mighty red & blue have it in spades.... It was only a few short years ago we were doing a number on the pies each QB and that day is coming again soon....

Was that your attempt to have the last word on it 45?

Contradictory outrage!!! Even better..... Anyway....I've had enough of this one...or have I? Until the Essendon game anyway...or more than likely the Adelaide and St Kilda games....maybe the AFL will kit us out in Red, White and Blue panels against the Saints....

Nice work Dave.... Hit the mark with us coming out well from the start could see us running over the top, also Didak and the need for him to be quelled as he always seems to do well against us. Also Jack Watts....dropping him now would shake his confidence IMO....I hope the coaches think the same and if he does have an average game on Monday, with the weeks break he could then go back to Casey with a little less exposure on him being 'dropped'...possibly? Hopefully he comes out, snags 4 sausages and takes that mark that Rick Petterd couldn't quite manage to get hold of! Go Dees!

Pixies? An improvement on Lady Gaga anyway...

W Y L....if Rhino ends up agreeing with you on anything I would start to second guess myself. The Pink/Navy clash with the umps is totally separate to the clash jumper point you have made. Are the AFL planning on having Collingwood run out in red and blue this week? Has there ever been two teams in the exact same color in it's entirety? 1st argument - The AFL allowing umps to wear exact same color as a competing side - outrage! 2nd argument - The AFL enforcing clash jumpers when there is no clash like Saturday - outrage!

Rhino....next you'll be saying Lady Gaga is a pop genius rather than an over hyped marketing tool!!

The inverted is fine if it has to be....the white IMO is just insipid and I don't like it....the socks of the red/white/blue is for the dogs not us. Not to say I don't like the actual design you have put forward Redleg.....it has merit and I like the MFC crest. Obviously the away or 'clash' team wears white shorts which IMO are preferable than red shorts. I dont like clash jumpers, never have, never will and don't think there is a need for them to be there or at least trotted out as much as they are...which I understand is the AFL's call but IMO Essendon is the only team we should ever have to wear the 'clash' It is not beyond the realms of possibility that a Dees V Carlton Grand Final could happen....and I would be devastated if we wore anything other than the strip I grew up to love. If the AFL back flip on Grand Final day...IMO it just proves how hypocritical they can be...my money will be on the AFL not enforcing this.

Rhino - all clubs, especially the strong financial ones make decisions based on their needs at the time.....the same as coaches always call for rule changes according to their agenda at the time..ie the cattle and game plan they have to work with. Do you think Collingwood pre Ed McGuire when they were almost broke would not have jumped aboard and complied with the AFL to bring in a clash knowing the revenue such merchandise could bring? IMO - which means little I know, they would have jumped at it because they would have had to. Good on them that they are now in such a strong financial postion that Ed can preach to the masses "we wont change"....I wish Melbourne were so financially sound that they could do the same. There is nothing wrong with peoples passions showing through in not wanting anything else but the jumper they grew to love being worn week in week out....I will have to agree to disagree with you stronly that there is such a concern of clashing was the reason the AFL mandated that change. I have not played the game so I wouldn't know from that perspective, I have played at 100 levels lower and never had a problem and because there is no cash at grassroots there is of course no clash!! I'm rambling and I've said enough... Go Dees and go the Red and Blue! Not the insipid Silver, White, Off White, Beige or whatever!!

Could it be possible that Jurrah has a better conditioning level due to the nature of his injury?? Maybe wishful thinking on my part?! Can't wait to see Jurrah again as well as Tapscott.....his highlights on You Tube are exciting enough, it really is like watching a Paul Chapman clone...if he can convert that to AFL level, we have a ripper on our hands!! More excitement to come in the 2nd half of the year.

As has been told to you???? Are you little's mother? Pace of the game...give me a break? Your just trotting out AFL press releases now!! If anyone believes that is the defining reason that clash jumpers were warranted I suggest pull your head out of the sand or have you forgotten who owns the rights to club merchandise? Counter argument to the pace of the game is far too easy.....they play on pristine grounds with hardly a speck of mud so it is quite easy to identify who is who, but again pace of the game has nothing to do with it. All the mothers day game proved is that the umpires should not wear the same color as one of the competing teams and the AFL made a massive blue....it wasn't a clash, it was the same damn strip!!!

Robert Walls talking about Carlton???? No!

OUT - Jones (inj), Sylvia (unlikely, cant see him getting up at this stage), Junior (likely to miss with a hammy), Miller or Watts (has to be one but not both in which case I would give Watts another week or two before Miller - could shake Jack's confidence if he gets dropped and was OK against Port, struggled against Cats which some great players do and had a shocker last week....deserves more time. Miller - someone above said he has no heart - seriously this is just not correct, yes he should be dropped on output alone, but no heart?) IN - Have we got three Chip Frawleys? That would be handy! Strauss, Dunn, McKenzie Chip is obvious, McKenzie will need to come in for one or both Jones/Junior, Strauss is an option in the middle and down back...push Grimes to the middle possibly and Dunn kicking 8 of 13 and putting his head down after going back to Casey deserves to come back. IMO he showed some better signs early this year than he has previously and I think for the time being he worked well with Bate, until Jurrah/Petterd are in that side it is another option to be explored....Surely a forward line of Green, Watts, Dunn, Bate, Bennell, Jetta can provide something...Dunn will need to play the role Rick Petterd played in Round 2 and keep the pies backline accountable by making himself and option to play through.

Rhino - mate, you tend to be wrong about many things IMHO! Nothing wrong at all with the inverted jumper...even against Carlton because against Carlton we should be wearing the traditional strip....FFS! Yep, the silver was a disgrace and the white is an insipid, uninspiring alternative.

IMO - the white jumper stinks, not just ours but the entire competitions!! Not only is it uninspiring and insipid but all teams look the same, WCE and Hawks especially. It really only makes sense for Dogs to wear it being that it is inverted. If...IF we have to wear one....it should constitute the same colors....the mighty red and blue or blue and red in this case! It seems to me that the AFL and others use the UK soccer argument....if it's good enough for MAN U etc etc....well at least the English FA have enough sense to keep MAN U in their traditional red stripunless there is an obvious clash....for example they play Chelsea twice a year, Birmingham for the most part twice a year, Portsmouth twice a year....all these teams wear blue and MAN U always wear the Red against them...why?? Because there is no clash! Invert, Invert, Invert or leave the thing alone!! PS - I actually think Collingwood have done the right thing and do invert and I can tell the difference even against St Kilda....it's not that hard!

Just had a quick look and the winner seems to be.......FITZROY!!! They had 6 noms in 1994....Barker, Molloy, Scott, Hawking, Clarke, Johnson.......a pity that none ever got to carry that club forward! (yes, some did at Brisbane.)

I know Essendon had 5 in 1993....Hird, Fletcher, Mercuri, Misiti, Olarenshaw....this would have to be close to the record.

How can people have a go at Grimes disposal?????? Granted he probably averages one ugly turn over a game - specifically after a team mate dishes it off to him when he is not in a good spot to dispose of it! Takes a chance....

Rating: 6/10 We should really have got to 6 wins by now....this would have seen a rating of between 7-8 for me as I was looking at between 8-10 wins for the year from where we have come, to have had 6 on the board would have been a great achievement. I was going to mark it 6.5 but the games against Nth and WCE have dragged it down to 6. As bad as the shocking performances have been, we will still see some of these but need to reduce the difference between the best and worst......our starts have been terrible (Bris & Port excepted) and this needs to be addressed. It can be a very long day when you are 5 goals down after 20 mins and being a young side I would have excepted the opposite, that we would fall away later in games - not sure what the problem is there but needs to be fixed. Our work at stoppages, clearances, tackling has been a highlight....tackling does need to get back to where it was rounds 2 to 6. 3-2-1: 3. James Frawley - Chip is a joy to watch and IMO should be right up there for an All-Australian spot, can play small and tall, has had games where he has been beaten early but on those rare occasions he just works to get back on top and he does. He will get better too and IMO has everything to become the premier defender in the game - big call but it is all there for him! 2. Mark Jamar - Sandilands is the # 1 Ruck but Jamar HAS to be # 2 and given a spot on the All-Australian bench at this stage. Dominates most games now and gives us first use of the ball quite often not to mention that he really attacks the opposing ruck from the start, a few knees into the midrift and they back right off (hello Nic Nat and Kruezer). 1. Brad Green/James McDonald. Weak to sit on the fence I know!! But I cannot split these two (rather than media types that like to attack our 'senior' leaders they should concentrate on those 'senior' players that dont deliver rather than leaders like these two)...both are terrific leaders, Green has had to be used forward due to so many being injured and is on target to kick 50, if the ball was there more often he could easily kick 60-75...can be used to great effect anywhere on the ground. Junior Mac is just all heart and soul and I would've expected this was his last year, happy to see him continue to lead the way in 2011. Team Highlight: Firstly, as individuals added to the 'team' - the introductions of Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Gysberts are IMO the MOST exciting highlights for this season. The Brisbane game. I love a Saturday night game - I love it more when we smash an undefeated opponent by 50 - the most commanding performance from the side for a few years and showed that we do have plenty to look forward to when it starts to click. A double edged sword would be the Dogs game, a Friday night, sitting with mum (it took this game for her to sit with me!) who is currently fighting cancer and a terrific performance from a young side on a shocker of a night weather wise.....still hurts we let that one slip but again IMO plenty of positive for the future out of that game. Team Lowlight: The West Coast game. Had we come into this game without a win on the board I would've expected to win this one....obviously the players had the same mindset which was very disappointing. Surely no one can be ahead of themselves? It seemed like it this day. Biggest Surprise: Our form - should have beaten the likes of Dogs and Pies - would've had us more advanced than I would have thought Biggest Disappointment: Our form - dropping games to WCE and Nth OUR FIRST QUARTERS!!! Cmon Bails...FIRE EM UP!! Individual Highlight: Scully's fourth quarter against the Dogs.....it really is hard to go past this, but again the introductions of all of Skull, JT, Jordie Mc and Gysberts Individual Lowlight: The individuals in the forward line that we badly need to return - Rick P, Jurrah, a fit Wonna...Matty Bate..copped it terribly from the outer against the blues...unwarranted IMO as he didnt do a pre-season and struggled early this year, the dogs game he started to make an impact again and then injured again...

Anthony Hudson gave us a B (B for Bate, Brad, Brent)