binman

He won't put Watts forward. I could see Dunn going forward but even so the main focus of this match is for people to practice their position and role and gell as units (eg mids, backs) so i would not be surprised if he just keeps everyone, bar Pedo, in the nominal positions.

He did. Good post too.

Good points. I'd add that players often looked frozen and perhaps were so focused on minding their man/zone they didn't want to take the risk to run to space or provide options. I'd say this had bit to do with a defeated mindset but also about being afraid of the consequences and perhaps also not having trust in teammates to cover their man for them.

From the HUN: MELBOURNE NAB CHALLENGE SCHEDULE: Friday, February 14 v Richmond at Etihad Stadium, 7.10PM (EDT) Friday, February 28 v Geelong at TIO Traeger Park (Alice Springs), 5.40PM (CST) PRACTICE MATCH Sunday, March 8 v Hawthorn at Casey Fields, 1pm (EST) KEY INJURIES Mitch Clark (soft tissue): Likely to feature in the first month of the season Colin Garland (ankle): Should be right for Round 1 Aidan Riley (ankle): Has been placed on long-term injury list and should be fit come Round 3 NEW FACES The Dees bolstered their midfield stocks in the draft, trade and free-agency periods. Experienced heads Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross will slot straight in, while youngsters Dom Tyson, Viv Michie and Jay Kennedy-Harris are likely to see senior action throughout the season. Paul Roos has stated he won’t rush the young players, so expect the slight of body Salem to cut his teeth at VFL level. ROOS ‘APPALLED’ BY WATTS’ DEBUT ON THE CUSP Jimmy Toumpas is flying. After a difficult initiation to AFL football, the No.4 draft pick has tackled his second AFL pre-season like a man possessed and his increased strength and endurance was on show with four goals in the intra-club match. It’s a make or break year for a number of Dees with James Strauss, Sam Blease, Luke Tapscott and Rohan Bail all desperate to prove their worth at AFL level. SUPERCOACH WATCHLIST Jesse Hogan ($217,300 fwd) Mitch Clark ($249,200 fwd) Jack Viney ($387,400 mid) ADAM BALDWIN’S FORECAST: Melbourne is desperate to get that winning feeling back and will attack the NAB Challenge series with vigour. Roos is not promising early wins, but he has assured Dees fans their team will play an identifiable brand of football, something missing in the red and blue for many years. Three tough practice match opponents is the ideal preparation for Round 1 against St Kilda. Link: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/superfooty-takes-a-look-at-all-18-club-lists-ahead-of-the-preseason-competition/story-fni5f22o-1226822393165

Where (ie that hoges isn't playing)?

I don't know about Plan a and plan b, but what the dees have had a huge weakness under ND, Bailey and Neeld was stopping an opposition's momentum when they got a run on. How often in the last decade have we been in an ok position only for the opposition to suddenly take control of the match and kick a swag of un-answered goals? As some have noted perhaps a tweak of the game plan in those circumstances is what is required, rather than another style altogether (something Roos was adamant in the Age article would not occur ie they will use the same game plan no matter who they are playing). The obvious tweak is to keep possession through short kicks, hold on to the ball for longer, create stoppages and control the tempo rather than counter attack with a slingshot out of defence (which will the normal modus operandi). This is how the Hawks, Freo, Swans and to a lsser etent Cats stop another teams momentum.

Healing wounds is what the club should have done after 186 - as i said at the time. The divisions and problems ran so deep that they simply had to be addressed if the club was to move forward. For me, failing to do so this was the biggest mistake Neeld and the then administration made (you can't blame Neeld alone the club should have ensured it happened). Instead of healing Neeld took the age old aussie male approach of drawing a line in the sand and walling off the past as if it never occurred. He said as much in that first speech that was on Dee TV. He then set about creating new trauma.

Really? The bombers got smashed with the penalties they received

Spot on. Its all about control. With a mark the player can stop if required and wait till an option comes up. Also controls the tempo, can disrupt the momentum of the opposition, allows players to get back into position or run to space to give an option. Its how Freo, Swans and Hawks all play and it makes perfect sense. As you say kicking long out of defense to the boundary line risks losing control of the ball - and how often did we see the ball coming straight back in to our forward line in the last couple of years. Bailey favored handball and/or fast play on from marks to get out it out of defense fast but again the risk was losing control of the footy. When it worked we scored quickly - when we lost control we got smashed. Still i preferred that to the Neeld approach were we got smashed and didn't score at all.

In today's article a full page spread by Robinson in the hun about the palaver. Like Leach focusing on the length of time this is taking and the lack of answers (including a final swipe at the AFL - specifically the CEO and commission chairman - about the so called secret deal with Wylie). I just don't get how anyone, let alone a journalist would seriously have thought this would not take a really long time, given the complexity of the issue, the resources at ASADA's disposal and the precedent of any number of other investigations into performance enhancing drugs - both here and overseas. Where ASADA have been a bit stupid i reckon is not making this clear. By the by i can't believe the hun made Robbo head footy writer. Perhaps he's a good bloke but he is simpy a woeful writer and to think he is the heir to Sheehan is an insult to Mike

Soft, no ticker! Woops forgot myself.

More info please (ie not yet on the track or you have been advised he is not training today)?

Sorry didn't catch that - say again?

Great post BB. Could not agree more

Funny you should raise this. I love betting on the ponies, but in the main focus on the Autumn and Spring Carnivals (well when i say carnivals i really about now to end of May and September to end of November). I have looked into some punting sites but none have grabbed me and thought about a thread on the off footy forum (an area i never go into) on DL. So i reckon a horse punting thread would be great to share tips, thoughts etc (and perhaps tipping comp) given there seems to be a fey regulars who are keen punters. I also like footy betting (in the main line betting) so perhaps a footy betting thread?

I can feel the onset of my annual pres season pollyanna syndrome

Obviously you have your reasons for strongly disagreeing with the appointment of Jones however it was always going to happen given what he brings to the table (passion, a good character, an elite trainer, playing well in losing teams, on field leadership, hard at it style, consistency of performance - as evidenced by back to back blueys - and most of all the seeming universal repsect for him by the footy world and his peers) meshes so closely with the values and attributes that Roos has made clear are fundamental to his philosophy on football. Always going to happen and would have sent a strange message if it didn't. It is worth noting that Roos made it 100% clear that whilst the players voted for the LG he chose the captains.

Yep, that may be the case. Even with the magpies announcement we still got pretty good coverage in today's Hun and Age papers - better than Norths who didn't even crack a photo.

Well more fool clubs. Makes no sense not to try and coordinate these announcements to maximize exposure for all. But unlucky? Not in terms of the Maggies announcement - they made it clear some days ago Buckley would be announcing their captain last night so we had ample warning not to announce ours on the same day (though as i said perhaps this was their intention ie gazump collingwood). If we had left it until today we may well have snared tomorrows back page of the Hun and Age and certainly not had the reporting of it diluted.

A Small thing but if i was an exec at AHG (or any other sponsors) i would have preferred the dees announced our skippers today as opposed to yesterday, when the blues, norf, the suns and the big one, the magpies all announced their LGs and skippers. We still got pretty big coverage but of course pendles becoming skipper was going to be the lead story in the Hun and Age and got the respective back pages. The Maggies also announced a few days ago they were going to announce it last night. Perhaps the dees thought they would get in before then and grab some news space but even in this day and age a back page large photo would be worth a fair bit in terms of exposure for sponsors. Also i don't know why clubs couldn't have a chat and stagger the announcements which would maximize exposure for all.

I'm in for SC Name: The Phoenix

I'm keen to join (was in sc last year) the redlegs DT if a spot is open. Team name: The Phoenix

Post post ironic post.

Speaking of opening up a can of worms this quote from the Age to me sums up a key difference in approach from Roos and Neeld: Roos made it clear the coaching staff had the final say on the choice of captain, once the players had gone through the Leading Teams process to select the wider leadership group. ‘‘It was a little bit more transparent than it has been in other years, the players have been able to have a big say in who they want as their leaders," Roos said. "But it’s a bit of a myth that the players pick the captain, the players pick the leadership group," he said. "I think it’s really important that the captain is picked from that group by the coaching staff and the board, etc." Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jack-grimes-and-nathan-jones-to-cocaptain-melbourne-20140129-31me8.html#ixzz2rlADvM5y When queried about the the the risks of selecting two young skippers Neeld frequently put it back on the players saying that the decision was based on a survey about leadership qualities players had to complete and Trenners and Grimes were by far the top scorers and therefore had to be captain. Poor decision and one he never took any responsibility for.

Perhaps DL can trade him in from Big Footy. We could swap him for posters who figure high on ignore blocks