binman

My position on OMac is obviously well known. I think he will play regular senior footy next year. Bu i also acknowledge my confirmation bias. But leaving that discussion alone i think it is worth seeing Omac's 2019 season (which was horrible, no question) in the context of his pre season hip surgery . In many ways he is a microcosm of the whole team and the season for many players. Hip surgery and the resulting rehab can't help with core strength or burst speed - two areas he is struggled with as many people noted on DL, much more so than in 2018 - an issue for a lock down defender of opposition key forwards. Then you add the impact on his ability to put good fitness and strength base down, add in the fact he is clearly a confidence player and struggled with that aspect and was in a back line missing most of it best players and you get a recipe for a poor season. You could replace OMac's name (and type of surgery) with any number of players and you get the same result - poo seasons. On top of the list is Gus.

I'm a big jack watts fan but I think that is a completely reasonable comparison. I wonder if along with both being highly skilled players who haven't fully delivered what was expected they also both have suffered from poor development at resource poor, lowly clubs.

We're using them on Martin

Whole lot of charlie

I'm still waiting for my sides to stop aching form all my laughter at this brilliant humour. Based on your assessment he is extremely unlikely to play senior AFL football next year. The joke will be on you i'm afraid.

Steady on. Agree that he doesn't seem to get the achnowledment he deserves and I thought he had a great year last season. And I expect he will get better and is a chance to become a star. But firmly establishing himself as a great of the game? Chris Judd had won a brownlow, a Norm Smith (in a losing team) and captained his side to a gf win at the corresponding stage of his career. That is establishing yourself as a great.

Jeez, a fair bit of angst for a simple article that makes a correct point that Tomlinson and Langdon will mean players who are not natural wingers wont have to play there, instead playing where they are more suited. Which will improve us. I thought the comment about Tomlinson do some ruck work and allowing gawn to push forward more often was interesting actually.

If he played hb Salem could play as a mid

A touch of the oxymorons here but i like the cut of his jib. If indeed he is the best player at 3 then it is serendipitous as above all we need an elite kick and Young appears to be one and it removes all discussion about best pick of over filling needs. Love that he is a lefty too as i'm positive they have a slight advantage with opposition instinctively looking to cover the right side. Did your mate indicate if he could move play as a mid? And any discussion about his ability to play AFL next season?

And also has to be factor in any deliberations about drafting Martin. Let's say we pay Martin 650k and he is just an average year. And harmes another top 5 in the bluey. And asks for 650 k.

I'm on record as saying Martin is player i would like to see at the club. But whilst we can no doubt afford him i don't think it is entirely true that money is not an issue. If say we agree to pay him 700k a season it will immediately put him in say the top 5 players for salary. And that may create some issues if his teammates believe he is not worth that sort of coin, or they think they are worth more. Which might be an issue for morale but more pertinently might become an issue at the end of next season when a number of key players will be renegotiating contracts. The players will have advanced notice of the plans to get Lever and may and so the logic for their high salaries would have been more evident. Both are likely future AA players (may might have been already?). It is a bit harder to argue the case for martin. All that said i would be thrilled if we get him.

Not a shock, but a shame for those two boys. I reckon both a chance of getting picked up by another club, with Stretch being more likely i guess. I hope GC grabs them both. Stretch could play as an inside mid up there which according to hi dad on his DL podcast interview is his best position (and one he hardly ever had a crack at at the dees).

The running power of Langdon and Tomlinson will be huge for us and are exactly why we targeted them. One of the reasons we lost so much with Hogan going is he played that role. Only ANB (and tmac perhaps) has the capacity to run the sort of distances at a fair clip those two boys can. Which is why he kept getting selected and why he got recontracted. KK is probably the other one who can cover the ground, so let's hope he can get back. Of course all players will have to get fitter, and will if they can avoid interupptions. But even at peak fitness some players are burst players and simply can't cover 300 metres at the required speed. Gus, Jones and trac are three that come to mind. I reckon Oliver might get there though.

As they say rode him like he was the best horse in the race. Kept him out of trouble and trusted his ability to run over the top of him. Our middle distance and up hoses are hopeless when compared to the best European and Japanese horses. Ans the Japanese horses are brilliantly suited to our racing because unlike most European horses they can run slow then accelerate and the end of distance races

I like mer de glace in the cup. Well like is probably a bit strong. A raffle really. And I really like Acadia queen. I think it is the next star of the turf.

I don't back futures as a rule, but thought about backing it for the derby before this race. But clean forgot today. Win made more impressive by humma humma's win as that showed there is no leader's bias

I was on board. That donald win was brilliant and this was a carbon don't, stack them up a bit then pur tge foot down and clear away. I was hoping it would be a bit better price but ill take the win.

I have been struggling to land on my best. Vasilating between arcadia queen, royal meeting and brutal. But have landed on royal meeting. Caulfield race 8 no 2. Group one winner at its second start in Europe and is up against an average lot in a small field. $3.40 fixed odd atm so good value.

On the small forwards they targeted Elliot but couldn't land him. I am assuming they will target one in the draft now. At least I hope they will!

Totally agree in all points. I'm constantly amazed how lazy almost all footy commentators are in particular ex footy players, in terms of research and analysis. Plough's evident work he puts into the work should embarass 95% of his colleagues

Disagree. Sure sign the club is in crisis and is a basket case.

My understanding is that they can do exactly that (pick him up in the pre season draft). From memory there is a process where a player can essentially appeal getting picked up buy a club they don't feel they can play at, but i could be wrong. But really they would only want him if he was fully committed. At this sage they can't afford a player negatively impacting the culture. They essentially said they have so many draft picks they can do without the the blues were offering.

I've heard it all now.

Can we do that? By the by 'grown some balls' and other [censored] related metaphors seems to this years's trade period bent over.

I have no clue about draftees. But I really like the insight of a handful of posters who know their juniors and have actually seen them play live. I fully get the argument you make it simple and select the best available. But that is by definition a subjective decision. What we need though is two elite kicks and at least one player with good outside endurance and run and a quality small forward with natural goal kicking instincts.