binman

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-need-to-show-they-are-on-right-track-20120510-1yfmm.html?rand=1336655150959

So good of you to so humbly give us our "options". I for one fall in with the dolts, for all the reasons i detailed earlier in this thread (way back in the mists of time), which i can't be bothered going back over. So i will make some predictions instead. Watts will prove to be an inspired choice as number 1. He will develop gradually (roughly on the same trajectory as he had done so far, perhaps a bit more sharply with Neelds help) over the next 3 seasons, during which time these arguments will persist. His intensity will improve as it did last year. By the time he is 25 he will be selected in the All Australian team and be a regular selection thereafter (something we have not had since Flower). He will play multiple positions (as Neeld has already flagged), including key positions (possibly at both ends of the ground) and the questions over his best position will continue, but more and more the discussion will be more along the lines off "well they just need 2 watts" His intelligence will become a feature highlighted more and more by commentators He will grow into a leadership role and end up being a key mentor and role model for younger players

Thanks Jimcor that's quite interesting. Someone made the good point that players take until the Thursday to fully recover from a game of footy so perhaps they are limited in how hard they can work the player in terms of building endurance during the season. However your astute observation about what type of running exercises they have been doing perhaps suggests a focus on endurance building continues from the pre season. It also may support my (hopeful) theory of having a high load in the first half of the season before easing up iin the second half, freshening up the players and taking advantage of an easier draw. Dare i say it but perhaps we'll come home with a wet sail and talk about having to take Viney in the top 3 will be redundant.

Nor any other illicit drugs i hope

By the by when scanning the thread titles quickly, a coupe of times i've read Friday night as Fright night. Bloody perceptive sub conscious!

and make it a line in the snow

Jamar hasn't begun any negotiations via the media. Neither he or his manager has said diddly squat. By the logic you suggest, Jamar, who is holding tight could be a flight risk

We have tampered with multiple drafts so we have form. The idea of the drafts is to equalize the comp and allow teams at the bottom to rise to the top. We have thumbed our nose at that philosophy and refused to follow the AFL directive to improve. We'll show em PS its not BP's fault

Well to be fair the way things are travelling for the dees at the moment if Jamar was considering leaving for the opportunity for the "ultimate success" as opposed to bucketfuls of money he sadly is just as like to find it at GWS as MFC. Dam he might figure he can get both there!

Indeed. And to think i was going to suggest having to wait 10 years but thought that way over the top (an may well have caused a valve to pop). Anyway we don't want or need a wuffian like Darling at the MFC. I'll bet he didn't even go to a private school. And if he did i bet it wasn't in the class of our Melbourne colleges. Darling isn't fit to shine David Cordner's boots (who by the way was our last last great forward, David that is not his boots)

Nooooooooooooooo - please don't start this again. BP got it right. CFC got it right about BP. MFC didn't get it right about BP. Darling has no upside, Cook was all U18 AA and in 7 years time will repay BPs faith. We don't need another hero. We don't need to know the way home. Please mods shut it down before i go crazy.

Interesting approach from Moloney's manager, presumably with Moloneys blessing. Interesting timing too. Rats and sinking ships and all. The desire for success is raised as a motivation for moving. I could see Jamar having value to one of the teams pushing for top 4 next year (Collingwood being one obvious example) but Moloney? I don't think so. Any team close to the top four and therefore "ultimate success" already have great midfields and he won't get in 'em. Can't see any of the current top 8 teams wanting him. Perhaps GWS or GC as they will want experience for a few years yet to compliment their youngsters but he could go to them in the draft Perhaps he could take Brocks place at the Bullants

I agree with this. Also you could see Neeld was seething about the hits on him and i'm guessing the players would have been also. He is one of the boys, part of the team already and this is a huge factor i reckon, in terms of team dynamics and culture. When he plays his first game for the dees there will be none of the "getting to know" the: team, systems, vibe etc or need to earn respect (he's done that already) that most other new recruits have to deal with. He'll be ready to go and it will be like he has always been around. I think with Viney we can see he will be a good player. Perhaps he doesn't have the tricks or potential of some others in the next draft, i wouldn't know. But surely a premium must be put on the fact that we can pretty bloody confident he will make it, is a dee already and has the sort of toughness and dare i say it intensity we so desperately need. To an extent it goes to the argument about picking the best player or the one who best meets your needs. In this case he meets our needs and i for one would love to see a player at the dees who goes 100% at contests and causes the sort of angst amongst opposition players (in his first game against men) that sees a veteran AFL player in his final year risk getting reported and sitting out games. Horse's for courses and we need this horse.

Does anyone have any intel and/or expertise about our current training load? How about Hells Gate, can you shed any light on this question? perhaps rudeboy It would be an interesting question to put to Misson, perhaps Burgan can do so. I remember a few years back Eade really flogged the dogs about 2/3 into the season for a few weeks and was quite open about it. They really fell away (after a very strong season to that point) due to the resultant fatigue and there was a fair bit of debate about the tactic (as it turned out it didn't really help, they lost a few and then couldn't and then found it hard to get their mojo back)

Interesting. He got reported for hitting Viney earlier in the match also, I saw the hit on tv i think (looked fairly light but a hit to the face none the less) - it must have also been been after a review as they didn't mention it on th Channel 7 when showing the footage of him playing. We have a new arch enemy. Bastard

I second that emotion, freaks me out every time i see it

I don't think his possession and goal stats is what he will be judged by. Bails performance is irrelevant to Watts situation. Neeld mentioned he was to back to Casey to work on specific things, in particular pressure and tackling. I think its reasonable to assume meeting the related KPI's will be criteria for a recall.

A query for the board. I've been thinking how slow we seem to be and how despite a big pre season we are struggling to run out quarters and games. Obviously one big pre season is not likely to be enough if as Misson had suggested we were way under the required fitness standard (though Essendon seemed to improve their fitness substantially between Knights and Hird - perhaps we were alot further back). And we do lack leg speed across the team. However i wonder if Misson is continuing to train the squad super hard, perhaps thinking ahead to 2013 and this is contributing to our obvious fatigue. Perhaps they looked at the fixture and thought we are in for some pain in the first half of the season any way (partic because it will take at least half a season to get the game plan) so why not [censored] them then ease up or taper a bit in the second half when we have alot more winnable games. This sort of heavy loads and tapering (albeit in shorter cycles than half a season) has been part of footy for along time and i'm pretty sure is something Craig favored as did the pies This might serve the purpose of building the fitness to the level required to implement the game plan . It might increase the number of games we win the back half, build the belief of both the team and supporters and provide a great platform for 2013 both in terms of fitness but also confidence. A long bow perhaps but perhaps a necessary step as we are clearly not fit enough to implement Neelds game plan and what other alternatives are there to get them up to the fitness level required in a hurry? Thoughts? Does anyone out there have any knowledge about how hard they are currently being pushed? Am i clutching at straws?

They won't pick Watts, one tackle won't do it. Jurrah won't come back, not when you have the player himself saying he needs more time at Casey. Bennell definitely will be selected, he showed the kind of intensity the last couple Neeld is looking for. Besides we will need his run to have hope of covering the Hawk's spread.I wonder if Couch will be elevated off the rookie list and selected as he was again among Casey's best this week, in a game that was pretty willing by the sound of it. Sellar to be dropped (never to return in my book, i'd rather Juice in). Do we need another big man to replace him? Probably but perhaps Jamar could go one out with a chop out from Mitch. Tapscott to get dropped. Agin they need runners and even though Bail played poorly on the weekend Tappy was not that much better and offers little run (suddenly we are a team of plodders, Gys out is a bummer, what's the stroy with Blease?)

Sellar has to be dropped, he was hopeless, a liability. His stats for someone who played close to 100% of the game were simply woeful (3 i think)

Wouldn't it be 23 players?

Interesting idea. One problem Jack will have though is the 2 week break the Scorps have. Perhaps he'll play in the development squad (i highly doubt it). A two week break is nonsense and won't help Green or Jurrah for that matter

The Scorps play tomorrow then next week then have a 2 week break (a bye and the state game or something) so he will need to really star in the next 2 games or else he is likely to miss at least a month.

I made the point that Neeld would not be picking Watts if he wasn't showing the required level of intensity. Well he's dropped him and i take from that he believes his intensity is not where it needs to be. That's good enough for me. I stand by my comments about Jack's talent etc but i also trust Neeld and i'm hopeful he really does know how to get the best out of players. I'll be fascinated to read KC's description of the Casey game as i reckon how Watts responds will give us a great indication of where he is at.

Jeez i don't know about that there have been some pretty out there suggestions. Recently i read a couple of suggestions that we should trade Watts - surely that trumps it in the stupidity stakes