binman

I wasn't comparing the two players or their relative ability. I'm not having a shot at you rjay, but i get frustrated when posters misinterpret comments. But perhaps i wasn't clear in this circumstance. I was comparing the rationale for trading in a player that was moved on from a club (the suns) desperate for talent because of cultural reasons and lack of leadership: well documented off field issues issues, talk he has been a poor trainer and suggestions he has not managed his injuries well. Many of those off field issues surfaced in Perth and it is unclear how well he managed his rehab. What is not in question is he is no leader. Why would we even think of getting such a player? The reason is obvious - we desperately need a player with his skills, in particular his elite kicking skills and ability to hit targets inside 50. The obvious irony is one reason we need those skills so badly is we traded out by far our best kick, decision maker and inside 50 score generator. We traded him, for peanuts, because he didn't fit the culture Goody is trying to build - leaders by example, and players fully committed to playing AFL (not being distracted by off filed fun and games as Watts has been accused of). A decision by the by that i am on record for disagreeing with but one that i respect and understand So the correlation is that Goody is trying to build a particular culture - the Melbourne brand- and ships a player because he doesn't fir that culture. It would be remarkably ironic if we were to trade in player that would appear through his actions and time in the game to be the very opposite of the culture Goody s trying to build. I'm not saying we shouldn't go after bennell. I'm not sure where i stand. But it would go against everything Goody is trying to do in terms of building his preferred culture.

I'm still confused. Did you miss my question marks? And is it a fact that at all three of omac frees were against lynch? I would be surprised but don't know. But you must be right. Because you said it is a fact. I'll have a look at AFL pro and check, just to check the facts.

Sorry dazzler. I'm confused. Why do I look a bit silly?

Did omac give lynch 3 free kicks? Or is that a #omacmyth?

Needed a new emoji. More than like. Not love. Really like is the one I need.

I do. Goody is trolling dl

A stat i would love - and it is one that does not exist - is the impact of missed pre season sessions on fitness levels

I couldn't resist doing it too. Though it ended up sounding more lime the south african bad gut (the blonde one) on die hard

Good lord. Are you really an advanced AI software program? Maybe the Russians have infiltrated DL

I'm surprised as anyone Omac is in. May forward might well be the reason.

#horemyth #closecousintoomacmyth

Question: 'Oscar played again after being dropped because Steven May got injured, not on the back of form at Casey. So if it weren't for Steven May's injury, Oscar would still be in the VFL and the 'myth' would be a truth. Would it not?' Answer: Apparently not

Love it. Angus looks so much cooler

On trading bennelle im not sure where i stand. On one hand I respect the Intel and view of psd that he remains a massive cultural risk. On the other hand if he could get back to something near his best he is exactly the sort of player we need. I remember watching him destroy us at the g early in his career and thinking I was watching a player who become the best in the league and a genuine legend. So much talent.

Supposedly we got rid of watts (a sublimely skilled player, who makes good decisions, kicks goals and one of only 2, maybe 3, elite kicks in the team) for 'cultural reasons. And if we got bennelle (a sublimely skilled player, who makes good decisions, kicks goals and would be one of only 2 elite kicks in the team) we would be getting a player who the suns traded for 'cultural' reasons (and allegedly has not settled down much in WA).

Crows or swans a chance of finishing 17th. Huh?

I wonder how many people who support us getting bennell supported us getting rid of Watts

Several posters said Omac would not play again for us. They didn't qualify their statements with 'unless May gets injured...'. So yes a myth. I wasn't comparing Omac and Weed. I just mentioned the two in the same post.

The old exception to the rule trick. That's the third time I've fallen for that this week

Egypt?

There is no doubt we dont have good depth - and certainly nowhere that of the pies. Or for that matter of wc, tigers, cats or gws. But to be realistic you need sustained success over 6-10 years to build good depth. We're years off having good depth, which is another reason injuries have caused such havoc for us. A good comparison is the lions. If you took 9 of their best players from that side their lack of depth would be exposed.

Excellent post skuit. Really good point about the challenges for a young team backing up after a deep finals run. In addition to the physical impact and any corrective surgery they have one less month of training which makes it harder to reach peak fitness. I suspect for older players (up to a certain age perhaps) the impact of that month is less as is the physical impact of being smashed for 26 weeks. Look at the teams in recent years who do back up - cats, pies, tigers and west coast. All have older lists and all have been playing finals for several years. The one premiership team that fell away in the last five years was the dogs who not coincidentaly had a relatively young list. I suspect this factor is a key reason why the giants have struggled to go all the way. They have had a young list (not so young now) and have been an as smashed by injury. Come finals time they have run out of gas. I think that they are better placed now as they have a much more seasoned, hardened list and it is for that reason I like them for the flag.

Give it far more weight and attention - in your opinion. Not mine. No one has argued that it is the only factor, least of all me, but it is the key factor (In my opinion). And as I have said many times it an issue that makes it extremely hard to assess the true impact of issues the penny hennys bang on about relentlessly (game plan, the coach etc etc). Consistently leave out more important factors - do you mean like me banging on for years that our foot skills are appalling and we should have been putting a premium on drafting in elite kicks not contested ball winners (and not trade out our best kick)? Or banging on about the need for outside speed? Omac myths going just fine too Steve. Like the one that was swirling here after he was dropped that he would not play again for us. Or that every goal a forward kicks is as a result of an omac error (Bruce says hi). On omac why will selection be interesting? As i have noted already if May comes in, omac comes out. Simple. I'm more concerned about weed than omac given we have a surfeit of defenders and bugger all forwards. IIRC you were a big weed fan and I might be wrong but you were bullish about him becoming a gun for us. Where do you sit now with weed given his horrendous form and not holding a senior spot this year?

Of course it is a factor. Fair dinkum what is so hard for some to understand that if a player does not build his fitness base preseason he won't ever get to full fitness before season's end? A fact that i'll bet London to a brick that burgess is at pains to point out when he takes over. Apply this maxim to a third of the playing group and you have a recipie for a team that can't run out games and is exposed at the end of quarters, second halves and most of all in the last quarter. All season. You know, like occurs with us. Or rather than ignoring a well known fact (the season long impact of interrupred preseasons) perhaps you are in the camp that our evident lack of fitness is misson's fault? The camp that sees symptoms (eg lack of fitness) but gets the cause wrong for all manner of issues (eg problem scoring) The pies had a stellar preseason and so fitness is less an issue for them. And so they will run out tbe game better tban us. Go figure

Reminded me of one of my favourite Greg Champion songs (an underrated musical treasure)