binman

Thanks, i had a mini heart attack there for a sec.

Thanks jazza. Where is Mercer st?

I bought tickets a couple of weeks back. Reserved seats in the general admission area (gary ablett jnr stand) and they were amazingly cheap. I think somewhere around $35 fro an adult and 2 kids. First time i've been there for 25 years! I'm driving. Any tips on where to get parking? I have to be back in town by 6pm so can't get caught in the car park.

Exactly. KB was saying yesterday he's not the man for the job because he's not 100% committed and needs to be convinced. What bollocks. If he was not keen he'd say a flat out no as he did with Carlton. He's not going to commit publicly now, why would he and why would the dees want that now either. One assumes he want s to see what the makeup of the board will be and try and extract draft concessions from the AFL. I doubt even if keen he'll want to take over before the end of season and an early announcement would make it very hard for Craig and the team to focus on the job. I'll stick with my prediction that he will be announced as coach at seasons end (or close to it). I said Craig would remain as FM but I'll change that to a player mentor/development role. J Mac will be back and he'll bring someone in as his right hand man (eg Ling, Micky O) in the box.

You realise you said that out loud don't you?

Go to news.com.au . Has all the Hun articles

Come on pm in the words of John McEnroe you can't be serious. If Neeld was still at the club do you honestly believe that Syliva would have declared he wants to stay at the dees? My guess is that he would would have given the wait and see response. And by the by for those who argued Neeld should be given until the end of year (and IIRC you were one of them PM) one only need to look at the improved spirit of the team and the fact that 26, 000 people went to the G on the weekend as proof of why it is was so important he go. If he was still at the helm they would have struggled to get 20, 000 there so in that game alone we have probably made $100k more than we would have. I'm going to see the dees this weekend and i can tell you there is no way i would have even thought about if Neeld was still the coach such was the lack of spirit amongst players and fans.

Oh no! I can feel the pollyanna syndrome coming on again. It can't be pre season already can it?

Can't trade Fitzy or Dawes. Apart from both being required players we need to build a sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps. One positive about the Neeld era is that all the drama an angst may help build unity and team cohesiveness - been through the bad times together and come out the other side together. I know trading is inevitable but i'd really love them to not cut required players in the hope of getting better players in. Its a fools paradise. If they do need to trade players i'd hope it is more the win win type of trade. For example there is a real risk Jamar may end up playing a fair bit of VFL next year if Gawn, Fitzy and Spencer continue to develop. If that's the case perhaps he'd prefer playing senior footy with GWS who are in desperate need of a seasoned ruckman and may be prepared to trade a mid (eg Adams) for him. That said he is long term dees player and it would be a shame for him not remain a dee and be a one club player. As someone else noted perhaps he also might improve with the Neeld yoke removed.

I've heard this a bit - correct me if i'm wrong but it wasn't WADA who went after Lance Armstrong and brought him down. I thought it was the US equivalent of ASADA or perhaps the US cycling federation?

More likely a number of very modest bets (remembering the most you could get on was $20)

I had two bets. One agency would only allow me to put $20 on and the other only $8 believe it or not (meaning that bookie pays out a princely $56 - showing what a gimmick it is). Still as you say it would be a nice get and if it does get up i will give you credit as i took it on your tip.

Lets hope so GNF. Happy about the 7s if true. However not sure how your last post is going to help people not get carried away!

Yep poor kick but the alternative is Macdonald - who i like but he is alos a poor kick and he's not really the future

If Blease is right he should come straight back in (for Byrnes). If Frawley does not come up i hope they give Davis a go. The young players need game time.

I'm loving Fitzy's work. Always had faith. How many player have his height and speed? Very hard match up i would have thought and a he improves opposition teams will need to put one of their biggest and best defenders on him. Throw Hogan, Dawes, Clarke and Watts in the mix and you have a potent forward line (albeit one that is perhaps too tall). For me one of the most frustrating things about Neeld was that he gave mixed messages about performance in the twos. He made clear in his first year that that he would pick players on form. I acknowledge that playing at Casey for an extended period might have helped Fitzy but he has played great there all year and should have been rewarded earlier given Dawes and Clark were out.

That's true about A graders. I would argue the last a grader we've had was Schwartz but that's another discussion. I would also argue that we don't have a marquee player such as a Judd, Franklin, Goodes, Ablett and have not had one for years. A real star in other words. I don't understand fully how the A league marquee player works but i think each club can have one marquee player that sits outside the salary cap. Could something like that work in the AFL? You'd have to give it as form of equalization/concession for weaker team (eg bottom 3 from each year, or clubs such as the dees who have been down the bottom for some time) or else it would just help the top teams. I'm not sure if the above would work but what i do reckon would be good would be to give seriously struggling sides (eg the dees) a priority draft pick in the top ten that has to be traded (either that year or banked). This would allow the better club to get access to good young players while providing an incentive for them to trade established players to clubs down the bottom and wouldn't distort the draft in the same way. For example what if we were given the number 3 pick at this years draft but had to trade it. What would a club like Carlton give up to get that pick? They desperately need some good young talent but will only have pick 10ish as it stands. Would they give us say Yarran and pick 10?

That's his cover

Yep. Seems remarkable that he could be so adamant he would not change anything. I agree he was given the mandate to go hard and change the culture but his approach had to be more nuanced. Watts' quotes reinforce the importance having a different psychological approach to suit each player not a blanket sergeant hard ass approach, which as Watts says might work fro some but not others. Instructive that in his very first post match presser Craig elects to bring Watts with him. Instructive also that in the next game Watts plays perhaps his most complete game for the club (and Craig pumped him up and noted that he had been treated harshly thus far in his career - reading between the lines this could have been a comment about Neeld?). He has also pumped up Sylvia, brought Clisby in kept Fitzy in the side.

Yes very true, quite a difference.

And they replaced Watson with Duigan. I'm loving the hulk. A of glimpse into the future. Barry run and carry then a 50 metre bomb to Hogan who marks (and elbows/slaps the defender) and goals.

Jobe made it clear that the players were aware they were taking AOD-9694. It was on the consent form they signed!

As i've posted before i backed at Roos at $7 with two different bookies. Why? One would only let me have $20 on it and the other $8! So forget lots of bets of $50 or indeed any more than $20. A bookie is probably only holding a couple of grand on it. Purely done for promotional value. Still i hope the new quote indicates it is going to happen. Perhaps i should lay off. Does anyone want to take $2?

Its funny how people can watch the same games and come to different conclusions. I rate both Fitzy and Spencer highly, with Fitzy being a better prospect. He was terrific on the weekend, two clutch goals - one a banana from the boundary near the 50 meter arc and the other putting the jets on and running away from the chaser. He also took some great marks, the one down low being the best and at a crucial time. reports from Casey have been that he has been terrific for them this year. As fro Spencer i agree with another posters view that he shows great intensity, is surprisingly quick and puts in. Still improvement there so who knows what the ceiling might be. Both definite keepers as is Gawn. As for Jamar a keeper unless a good trade that gives us a mid can be worked out.

He was wasn't he. Very slow.