binman

good point. He had been important as that lead up player. Thought he was good last week on long leads. Also roos obviously likes 3 big guys up there so perhaps you're right. I hope do now (have changed on this as I was pretty down on him early but reckon he's been good in last 5 games or so)

sorry mike, no can do. I couldn't cope

Great article in terms of terrific information from Mahoney. Exactly what some, including myself have called for. If it doesn't pan out that way then so be it but at please we have some clarity. Also sounds if they have managed him real ally well both in terms of the injury but also keeping him engaged. Love the idea of him working with the opposition analysts.

What on earth are you thinking?????

My thinking was he was gone, but i'm not convinced now. That said i agree with posters who have suggested Roos has him up forward is an indicator he is planning for life without Frawley. Initially the move was born out of necessity but not so much now. Roos is pragmatic and synergy down back is vital. Having a key defender play in that back half unit all year would rock that synergy if he was to leave.

Yep, me too. If the situaltion is as GNF suggests then i reckon that is a really mature, sensible way to go forward and one that has a big benefit. If indeed MFC is the only AFL club Mitch would consider playing with he can get arms length practical support from the club and also continue to benefit from the emotional connection with the club. Not to say his ex team mates would not provide emotional support - i'm sure the friends he made at the dees do - but that sense of being connected to a club could only be a positive. As he has done already he can pop into the club to say high and get a lift from the boys and give them a lift. On a practical level it also means that stuff like getting the assistance of Misson with a training routine is more possible. As i say a good sensible approach that may or may not means he comes back to the dees but much more importantly might really assist him in his efforts to overcome his mental health issues and reduce the likelihood of them being an issue in the future. On a side note the idea that was floated, IIRC in a mean spirited fashion (and prior to his retirement) of him being a club photographer is actually not such a bad one.

Yep, that's how i see it.

3 does look good for some reason. By the by JRS love your name history

14

good post. Geez only 21? He has huge upside. Reminds me of Steven icke. A little ungainly but super reliable and very driven

its funny you should say that. Off all the players struggling in the twos tappy is the one I have a gut feeling roos could turn him around. Mainly because he has the grunt and attack roos loves, as does jordie, but unlike jirfie also has good skills and a legitimate weapon with his penetrating kick. Seems to me the perfect roos project player

Fantastic news. Please DL he has to go on the banner now! On a related note one of the equalization measures announced by the AFL is that clubs who under spend on their draft cap over a period of time (as we have) - to a maximum of 2 years - can bank this and use this to spend over the cap over a corresponding number of years. What is great for the dees is that it is retrospective so under-spend in 2013 and 2014 can be spent as overspend (so to speak) in 2015 and 16. At a time where we are likely to be much more attractive to free agents than the last few years that puts us in a great position to both ensure we can pay our current senior players well and be competitive in the market (eg with Frawley) but more importantly have the coin to attract some qulaity talent (without upsetting the apple cart and annoying current players who might otherwise not like some blown in getting a big salary).

I especially liked the line about the sole voice of this column. He's like a footy version of martin Luther king - one man against the many

One assumes the club will have put Watts up for the interview or if not certainly approved it. .

So, you offering even money that a woman will be be appointed a senior AFL coach in the next 20 years. Right. Unless you think it is actually quite likely (ie even money) you are offering to make a bet whose odds are completely in your favour. You'd have to e pretty stupid to take that bet given the odds are probably up around 200-1. I'll pass. Have i been to my local footy club and asked players if they would want a female coach? No, why would i and what relevance does it have? Do i think any player would ever publicy say a female coach is no good? Probably not if they are playing in a side whose coach is a woman as that would be pretty stupid (i don't recall a dees player publicly knocking Neeld while he coached us - despite having good reason). But of course i think a player would publicly criticize a female coach - there are morons everywhere.

Ok, perhaps you missed it. Question 1 was what your response would have been if you were asked 20 years ago if a women would be appointed as an assistant coach at an AFL club? Don't worry about answering that one as it is probably a rhetorical question. As to the second question of course it is unlikely a woman won't be a senior coach at AFL level in the next 20 years. Unlikely but not impossible (just as 20 years ago it was unlikely but not impossible that a woman would become an AFL assistant coach). A couple more questions. What odds are you offering on your bet? And secondly do you think a woman will become a head coach of senior Australian rules football side anywhere in Australia in the next 20 years?

Jazza i have said already your initial post on this issue made no mention of the likelihood of a woman becoming a senior/head coach. The thrust of that post was men would not accept a female coach - perhaps to be kind to you, you meant as a senior/head coach but if so that was not clear. As many subsequently noted Peta has already been accepted as an assistant coach by men playing at a high level. Two questions Jazza. First if you are honest what would have been your response 20 years ago if you were asked what the chances of a woman being appointed as an assistant coach at an AFL club? If you asked 100 people that question 20 years ago a fair proportion would have said no chance whatsoever/not a snow flakes chance in hell/ not possible etc. Well it's happened. Secondly, a question i have asked already when you say woman won't coach a 'senior' side what do you mean? Any senior Australian rules football side anywhere in the country? If so then as i have said there is a fair chance Peta Searle will be a head coach of a senior side given her skill set and experience let alone any other woman who might progress through the ranks. The AFL is a different matter but as far as i can see you have not narrowed it down to AFL only. If you are offering a wager it helps to be clear what you actually want to bet on

Sorry Jazza that just nonsense.

Jazz to paraphrase someone else - "whatcha talking about Wills?" Who the heck has been talking about a woman being head coach at a senior level? Certainly not you until your last post. I read your first post on this issue again to see if i had missed something. But no. Of course it is not likely there won't be a female head coach in the AFL in the 20 years given we are now only having our first assistant coach. But out of interest do you mean a female coach of a senior side at any level? I reckon there's a reasonable chance Peta Searle will coach a senior side in that time-frame given her experience (including now at the highest level),let alone any other women with the required skill set.

Love to hear Ayres response to Jazza's views. According to the Age article a few weeks back he is a massive fan and has been very vocal about how good a coach she was at Port Melbourne. By the by Jazza Port offered another contract but she knocked it back. Also i can't imagine many more blokey, rough clubs than Port and she thrived there and by all accounts had the full support of players, head coach and obviously the committee.. To paraphrase Frank Sinatra - if she can make it there she can make it anywhere.

Would be consistent with two of Roos comments about the draft. One that they did not plan on taking Kelly. Two that Roos was specifically after tall mids and whilst Billings was only 2 cm taller than Kelly when drafted he was still taller none the less

That's gold GM. Two weeks ago, great get. You should follow up now with a tweet to him with Roosy's quotes (which by the by they replayed on FC last night). I still reckon Edmund simply made the quotes up because seriously what recruiter would make such a big a call so early?

Frawley not strong enough for Cloke? I would have thought he is just about our strongest player (perhaps behind Jamar). Certainly stronger than T Mac i would gave thought.

The next two games after the pies game are both at ES and both at 4:40 on Sunday arvo. Shocking time, especially if you want to take kids

I agree. T Mac gets him and if beaten perhaps Frawley to come back and pick him up. Howe and Garlan can assist T Mac coming thrid man in and if T Mac can run off Cloke it could expose the maggies a bit.