binman

How did you think roos went with recruiting when he was coach?

Agree. Assuming you mean he is pretending to be an elite AFL player who is arguably the best kick in the league and moves like a panther.

Sure why not. Coz that's how professional recruiting teams roll.

You really think Frost has an upside with a bullet? He may have some incremental improvement left (eg he might improve his kicking a bit) but he has well and truly reached his ceiling Inside info? He's 26 or some such and has been in the system for 7-8 years. Its not as if he has been hiding under a bushell.

Yes x a million. If i was to choose one player in the league to come to the dees it would be a toss up between Gaff and Kelly

Hawks cooled on Frost.

I suspect that these days deals are by in large locked in well before the trade period begins so little value in staying in a race you are not going to win. Sure staying in the race might drive up the price another club has to pay but what comes around goes around and whilst the player managers love to play that game i doubt the clubs do.

So Adelaide sacked Pyke. Has Goodwin been signed up by the Crows yet?

I was responding to the comment: ' It shows up our excuses...and lack of depth.' I heartily agree with the rest of your post. GWS have really dug deep to get to the prelim. I like GWS and hope they go on to win the flag. Not least because i backed them at 26-1 prior to the dogs game. Their injury list is actually not too bad now and with Cognilio a chance to come back they are not too far of their best team (Ward, Delidio and Patton are the other best 22 out injured). Tough game to back of from but they have the class to roll the Pies and if they do they will have their chance at a GF. On Tomlinson i have little doubt we have more in the pipe line. He will add to our depth but as you suggest is not the answer to our ills. What he will do - as shown last night - is provide a viable option to give Maxy a chop out. Did ok when giving Mummy a chop out i thought. The clincher for me is we don't have to give up any players or picks for him. Only salary cap space.

Good points. Certainly now favours European 3 year olds. Getting very hard to win at the top of the weight range with some many good young horses nearer the bottom of the scale

Swap choice of grog (beer) and video games (sport sims) and it sounds strangely familiar to my summers as a young bloke (winters too for that matter)

No comparison rjay. One, yes they were hit hard by injury. But not as hard as us. Two, they had a good preseason so fitness was not an issue as it was for us (and as I and others have pointed out it's the combination of those 2 factors that really creulled our season). Three they have much greater depth. I don't think they had any players lining up who started the season in an under 18 comp or working on the docks. Four, they are an older, more seasoned team with an age profile that means their players are better able to cope with the impact and demands of an AFL season that goes deep into finals.

Having barely missed a game for a the last four years in a team that has made finals in each of those years. The same people who think we shouldn't get him based on one game probably salivate over highlight videos of prospective draft picks.

That exacta must have paid well. The wining record is what jumped off the page for me. Winners win. I actually ended up backing Scales of Justice (with a saver on Humidor) in that race. 2.20 in such a big field just worries me a little as the more horses the more bad luck can come into play or things pop up. But Gatting? Please. Must be one of the longest prices in group race in vic for many a year. Can't remember one longer actually.

Oh. Wasn't potting Mystic Journey. Thought it would win today. Lamenting my stupidity of not backing it in its last few starts Top win by Mosh Music. Good will to win.

Sorry have i missed something? I can't recall questioning any of the best bets. Had funny day. Went hard at three short favs in Sydney. Only Arcadia Queen got up. Defied the pattern too. very impressive win. But snagged thinking big at good odds and finished the day with a nice win on Mosh Music. Was amazed what it ended up paying. I had assumed it would start around 7-1. Normally goes the other way!

Leaders bias at Rosehill a pain. Mainly because the horses i picked are not leaders (except thinking big)! bivouac just joined my [censored] list

Rough start to the day for me. But snagged thinking big and dalsaan (both tough wins) to right the ship

A number of good things in Sydney tommorow, on a day where I expect favorites to dominate up there. My best bet of the day is Rosehill Race 4 no 3 Dabiyr. The import will give us another reminder how average our home need stayed are.

Is that you deeeluded?

I only know my best for the day one I've done full form for Vic and new and assessed prices and determined who I will ultimately select. But i can give a less researched best easily enough and will put one up tonight.

I wouldn't say i was a Lever doubter but its fair to say nor was i completely sold on him. But i could not have been more impressed with his attitude and approach in the last two games of the season, particularly in the horror game against the swans.. You learn a lot about people in adversity and when things are not going well. And Lever raised his intensity and will to compete and provided a clear example to others. That is leadership. He makes a terrific point about the best defenses playing together regularly. Its absolutely critical and a huge reason why the Tiger's back half is so effective.

Annoying the winning post comes on Fridays (it used to be Thursday) so i can't do my form until tonight and tomorrow morning (i'm a creature of habit and always use the WP). Will post my best as early as possible tomorrow morning. So annoyed i went with kenedna last week. I only marked three in that race, Homesman being one - a horse that i have backed in all its previous wins. Went with the fear of missing out on Kenedna again (Santa Anna Lane is another of my bogey horses). Never looked like it and as i have posted I love leaders and Homesmen won out front like a good thing. Lets hope Homesman and Mystic Journey square of in the Cox Plate. Winx was great but not much fun for betting

Great day's racing this Saturday. One of my favorites days on the calendar. Group racing in both NSW and Vic and good horses prepossessing to their grand finals in both states. Mystic journey is the real deal, but i can't quite bring myself to back it. An insight into my punting psyche is that the reason is that on prelim final day last year i flew to Perth and when doing my form on the plane i though to myself Mystic Journey is surely the vibe bet. Logic won out and i picked something much shorter. But the vibe was the go as Mystic Journey won at very long odds. And has cost me money since! For example in that new ballot race in the Autumn where i convinced myself he would get rolled.

How do you know the Hawks rate him?