binman

Not for the first time i agree with you Ron, not so much about the moral high ground, more that we've had our GWS hit and can focus on this season without what has been acknowledged by the club as a major distraction. I for one feel sorry for supporters from other clubs who might have to go thru the sort of drama we endured last season, but better them than us. To paraphrase my second favourite PM Scully was the defection we had to have

I agree. Its easy to forget how good he actually was last year. When Jamar was out he was the man. As noted by Trident his skills below his knees are first class and as he is a relative new comer to aussie rules, having only committed to it as an 18 year old, his skills will only improve. I reckon he's also got a good footy brain, that again will only improve with more games under his belt. Still heaps of upside for Stef and i reckon he could end up being as good as Jolly and better than Dawes, two players who contributed heaps to the Pies success in 2010.

Terrific report and really interesting to hear about stuff not covered in other reports. The sausage congrats circle is something new. The masters should be about the dees and then you'll be fully justified going to all 22 (plus finals) games and even more training.

Not so sure about this. The Bombers responded pretty quickly to Hird and there are some obvious similarities. Like the dees this year the Bombers were coming off a really tumultuous previous season, again like Melbourne were given a completely new game plan to master and finally were also considered by their incoming coach and fitness staff to be unfit and were duly flogged on the training track. Essendon (with West Coast perhaps) were near the fittest side at the beginning of 2011 which really helped them get going early, including an impressive NAB cup campaign (during which they ran ll over the top of an unfit dees outfit). I reckon we might go all right (though i though that last year!)

Cut and pasted from Demonolgy FYI (poster was Nick48, ta):

Yep, agree on both counts

Fair 'nuff

I don't agree with this. I was critical of Watts before the start of last season in terms of his intensity, hardness at the ball etc and felt that he really needed to focus on this area or play in the maggos until he had improved. To his huge credit i reckon he really improved his intensity last season and for my money, whilst prob not on a par with say MacKenzie for hardness at the ball was almost the most consistent player across the season in terms of competing, second efforts and attacking the ball.

I have to say i thought it was funny - and actually i reckon quite accurate. With Clark, Watts, Howe, Petterd and Green we have a surfeit of marking options. LJ will have license to go for the odd speccky but also be there to swoop on the crumbs - just like Wiz. When you think about he would make a pretty frightening "small" forward and dam hard to match up on too

BTW the way agree LJ could end up being, if not the best, in our top 2-3 within 3 years (so not a smokey). Really surprised how many posters seem to have dropped of him. Sure he needs to build his tank etc etc but he has so much x factor he could be a porn convention. Added to that he hasn't come through a full on junior system or played in a one of the true AFL feeder comps (ie WAFL, SANFL, VFL) so doesn't have the advantage most other young AFL players do of 4-5 years access to top shelf fitness and conditioning systems. Lets see what another couple of years under MIsson's regime enables him to do fitness wise Playing as a permanent forward his role is to kick goals and he does. Would be interested in a statistical comparison to the Whiz - i don't recall too many dees fans knocking him. Yes he's obviously alot taller than the Wiz but their role in the team is essentially the same

Watts - he'll be close to the top of the AFL heap within 4 years. Smokey ? Martin - came to footy late (18?), is a great athlete, improved out of sight last year and if he continues to trend upwards will be super valuable in terms of positional flexibility

Spot on. About mid way through last season i posted about how i see the fundamental cause of our sustained lack of success as our history of woeful governance and divided boards. The events RB note above have reinforced my views on this. All the dollars thrown at the FD will be for nought if the board doesn't deliver sound governance and is truly united (for the long haul not just a few months). Only time will tell.

We should have taken Darling no question. We needed, more than anything else a big bodied forward who could provide a contest. Darling met that need. But that call was not BP's alone. His role was to select according to a template provided by the coach and FD. He chose Cook to meet the criteria of that template. New coach new recruiting staff. The whole thing handled well with BP's dignity preserved and Neeld able to appoint his own man. All part of the change process.

Was going to post something similar. I'm not sure on the play on if it comes back into play as this represents quite a change to how the the game is played, though it would add some interest. But a ball shaving the post and going through the goals being given the 6 points would not represent a change to how the game is played, either in the spirit of the game or just in the practical mechanics of the game. It would also have the benefit of being free and would elimate errors like the Hawkins one a couple of years back. A very sensible solution

Set shot. Though last year Green, who has always been a great set shot , was a pretty shet shot.

One thing i like about Davey up forward is his set shots. Despite missing taregts more regulalry in the last couple of seasons i reckon that's more to do with his high risk choices rather than technique. If he plays up forward regularly he'll have his fair share of shet shots and convert at a pretty good percentage.

Yep, i agree. The amount of times last season he coughed it up trying to pin point a pass back into the corridor from hb were telling, partic at docklands. Those kicks spearing to a forward will be telling. If true, top move

Yeah Rod Owen was pretty good actually. Young cordner looked a likely type but in truth was probabaly closer to spudville than an unfulfilled talent.

Andy moir. Great leap and mark for his size. Never really fulfilled potential

Away in the Magner, no crib for his bed, the little lord Jamie laid down his sweet head (at the dees). Welcome Mitsubishi

Something a bit odd here. My post (above) has been edited, i presume by a moderator. In the part removed i questioned why a moderator would take the guy to task. I didn't insult a moderator (or anyone for that matter), swear or write anything inapproriate. I certainly didn't breach the code of conduct. Can a moderator please explain why this section from my post was removed.

Geez give the guy a break. What's the problem with his thread and/or posts? It's not malicious or scandolous in any way, isn't having a veiled dig, in fact it is a positive bit of info. Doesn't matter if the story is true or false. Why is necessary for him to reveal who the backer might be? It's neither here nor there i would have thought.

Yep, stayed in SA coz he wanted to go to the Hawks, told us so before the draft and then sat out the year (in the SANFL). Went to the Hawks in 88. This has always rankled with me. In 19987 he would have been with us when he played the Hawks in the finals - who knows he may have been the difference. Instead he played with the Hawks team that flogged us in the 1988 GF

This is my favourite time of year. We are unbeaten, last season is a (bad) memory, spring carnival is in full bloom and next season holds hope and the dream is alive. Looking forward to the first practice match, hopefully gainst Brisbance again at princess Park 9and hopefully they will have fixed p the beer supply problem).

To be honest i don't understand this thread. The club have made it clear we got him for the express purpose of filling the gaping hole up forward. He will be a permanant forward with some rucking duties at stoppages in the 50.