binman

Great news!

He got a fair bit bigger this year (to be expected i know) and with another pre season under his belt we will get a real sense of his potential next year

If true a massive risk i would have thought sacking voss then going to a first time coach, albeit one with big wraps and a fair bit of time as an assistant

His current coach has lauded his attitude this year. A yes from me if Roos decides he can keep on track. As i said in a thread about Martin there is no way they would risk taking him (and haven't obviously) but might well take a punt on young fella like Garlett, especially with Flash still at the club in some sort of mentoring/welfare capacity.

Quote from the Hun article this morning which suggests we won't get a priority pick: It means the AFL’s equalisation discussions are critical to the well-being of the league......... It means even the most powerful clubs are slowly coming around to the idea that radical measures might be needed to keep the competition in balance. Radical measures are ok but not the use of a PP to help MFC get better more quickly? The quickest way for a club to make a profit is for them to start rising up the ladder. Simple stuff really but apparently clubs not keen on this particular equalization measure. Apart from PP the obvious measure is revenue sharing from all big games and block busters (including corporate money from those games).

No

I'm also really confident JT will be a gun. It's incredible really how things have changed in terms of our expectations of first year players. Of course they come to AFL more prepared now but still the footy world seems quick to make definitive judgments. I mentioned a while back (in a thread about where roos might play watts) how important elite kicking is to Hawthorn's game plan in terms hitting up their forwards (and of course transitioning from the hb) a point Clarkson emphasized in a Hun article today and Walls also noted in the age. Think of how often the dees give the forward no chance by poor kicking into the 50 - either by not drilling low ones that hit a target or being unable to kick a high one to a forwards advantage. JT will be a crucial player for us in terms of improving our kicking to forwards.

100% agree. To be honest i don't care that much, though of course it would be ideal to get a PP. But i get furious with some of the arguments as to why we shouldn't get one, including the argument that by asking we are reinforcing a losing culture. Any suggestion we shouldn't get one because we got Roos is just plain moronic, i mean jeez how on earth are the two things connected? Similarly moronic would be any argument that Port's success could be a factor or that the other clubs being angry should be considered. I understand why the AFL made the criteria for a PP obtuse but this is turning into another example where the AFL just make things up as they go. When they make their decision i hope (but do not expect) that if we don't get it there is some level of transparency and accountability as to why. Agree redleg - if we don't get it scrap it.

And i reckon Lions will be next.

Makes those posters who were so stridently saying we should sign him look a little silly doesn't it.

So it is set in Stone?

Me too. Roos would not be that stupid. The article is interesting in that it notes that contact with MFC was initiated by Carr not MFC. It is also interesting in that is public (back page headline) and categorical. We don't want him, now or ever. For those posters who argued that we should 'man up' and take Martin, Roos and the clubs definitive call on Martin (and for matter the almost complete lack of interest from other clubs) should be evidence enough that sort of thinking is out of date and belongs to another era.

Saying this for the first time....... Roos took on troubled players into a side that had an established bloods culture in place where there were clear senior leaders and clear expectations and consequences. I think Roos will wait until he has developed the same culture at MFC before taking a risk with some one as volatile as Martin. Perhaps at a pinch he might take a risk with an untried young player in the draft like Gartlett but not Martin

Intersting question. I heard a Roos interview with Parkin (and i think a couple of other 774 people) and Roos said that Parkin had inspired the idea for him in Sydney with the succession plan Parkin had in place with Brittain

Spot on. We are not the Swans or Geelong who could perhaps absorb and help settle a bloke like Martin. We cannot afford any more drams, particularly given we are not out of the woods with ASADA yet. We need some clear air with no late night sightings and questionable connections A big, big no from me.

Hilarious piece. Andy totaly goes Homer Le Grand. I don't think I've ever heard a reporter get such a savaging from an AFL person

A common thread thus far with Roos in his discussion of players and the comments in the articles above is players having clearly defined set roles and positions. Roos noted that that is what Watts needed (that's a mouthful!)'. McDonald said Roos talked to him about his role and what position he would play and Grimes said he discussed with Roos about what the new coach expects from him from next year. "I really need and want to get a set position, where I feel like I play my best position," Grimes said. "I love to have the flexibility in my game, but I feel I'd like to really nail down a No. 1 position." I'd love to know by the by where Grimes sees his best position. I suspect Roos will play him at half back flank.

I think you misunderstand. Of course they are powerful and as WJ and RR note they have significant clout. But they cannot hand out sanctions or penalties, only recommend them (nor do ASADA for that matter). Take the AFL or NRL examples. Lets say players are served with infraction notices by ASADA, found guilty by an AFL or NRL tribunal and penalized but WADA feels the penalty is wrong. WADA can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but they can't can't come in and hand down penalties on the players or the AFL or NRL. That's up to the AFL and NRL. Of course they can (and would) go the Federal government and threaten all manner of things. The feds would then in turn threaten the AFL with loss of funding etc etc. But, as i understand it WADA have no power to sanction.

Is this true of Jolly?

Good post, however technically i don''t think WADA can impose any sanctions punishment per se.

I agree that those would all be important KPIs for him. I'd also include inside 50's and rebound 50's and an avergae of a goal a game. What i meant was his key KPI (if that makes sense) should be score assists as his strength is his kicking and our forwards will need good supply. On Talking footy (i think) they highlighted how important Hawthorns kicking skill was in terms of setting up goals, showing several examples of pin point passes from the wing/half forward. As it stands Watts is our only elite kick and it makes sense fro him to play a key role in spotting up our forwards. I'd be tempted to play Strauss on the other side for the same reason.

I wonder why the pies simply axed Jolly rather than trying to trade him. Surely they would have got something?

Watts will play wing, high half forward i reckon. Which i in this day and age is part of the mid field. Interesting interview with Mick Turner (ex cats champ) on SEN last night. He was saying how in his day there was a huge emphasis on players needing to be physical whereas today whilst it is important to have players who get the ball, outside runners are crucial. He said receivers were key players in modern footy. Turner reckons he would thrive in today's footy as he was an outside player who could run fast all day (he noted that in today's footy if you can't run all day - ie be a super athlete - you'll never play AFL). Also interesting that Turner pushed forward in his last 3 years and and kicked 40-50 goals in those seasons. I could see Watts in a similar role, certainly as an outside receiver type but also one that pushes forward. As i have said previously i'd set his KPI as score assists.

Agree. With one change. 6. get small forward who can regularly rotate through the midfield (which by the by is the role i reckon Roos will try Jetta in)

I hope Webjet renew. Given how often their image has been at pressers with some dram or other as the main focus they deserve to have their brand associated with some more positive events, such as last weeks Roos presser (did it really happen?)