6teen

Frawley and Reiwoldt read like a bizarro-world situation... pick 12 vs pick 13 back vs forward same height and size both developed in poor performing teams relation to champion saints defender vs relation to champion saints forward both having their break out years this year perhaps both AA (although the dees always fly under the radar for the selectors - I reckon Wowodin would be the only Brownlow not to be in the AA team) Ultimately it is very hard to chose between them. I can assure you if we had Reiwoldt there would be no regrets regardless of how good Chip is. Chip and JR will play major roles in both teams rising up the ladder. And when Chip is tearing forwards apart week after week while we are on the eve of winning premierships and Reiwoldt is kicking 100 while Richmond languish in 9th place...then we can all be sure we made the right pick.

'making it' is a vague term...as are most. It has obviously been clarified between me and my mate. We all know that most players peak between 23 and 26, give or take a year. If a player has cemented a spot over that period and is in the best 22 when fit they have made it. Another good indication is that the club is making positive steps to sign them on for further contracts. now with all ambiguities removed, based on that understanding, Maric will not have a permanent spot in the team over that period. If he does, and we have to go chill in Fiji as a result, I'm sure it wont be too bad

I am so certain that Maric will never make it that I bet with my mate that I'll buy him a trip to Fiji...the kid has no chance. That being said...I hope he proves me wrong

Rohan and Bate to have a head splitting collision. Noone notices the blood amongst the intense fiery red hair. Both play on with Bate to kick a bag

Injuries are a result of many factors. In no particular order these are: -the age of players and how developed their bodies are -having players that are injury prone -the quality of the fitness staff etc etc the catch all is definitely luck. All clubs have their bad luck and their good luck. Its not worth winging about it because you can't change it. Ultimately the one thing that can be changed is professionalism. Players need to be committed to recovery, stretching, warm ups, warm downs and building up their core strengths and other parts of their body. This also depends on having the necessary money for facilities and staff to instill the right practices on the players. Our list has now completely turned over but the long injury lists and 'disappearances' of players for minor injuries remain. For that reason I am concerned about our professionalism. On another note. There has been a consistently conservative approach to bringing back players this year. I hope that this is the reason that seemingly innocuous injuries cause prolonged weeks on the sidelines.

It's easy to look at the second half and conclude that players played well. The game was lost due to poor performances in the first half. The second half revival was due to all the pressure released after having nothing to lose combined with a great second half of a few players. We need to address the realities of why we lost as opposed to the hypotheticals of how we could have one. We need to improve our foot skills coming out of the backline, we need players that start well to be in the key positions from the outset and we need more reliable kicks for goal. The only player that doesn't deserve his spot is Morton. Bennel was the only clean player when the rest looked like they were playing with a rock, Macdonald and Johnson did important things at crucial moments and kept us in the game. We have do something about a half forward line that is getting fed by Jones, Bartram, Rivers and Macdonald. I don't care how good these players were...this is not a winning combination. Out: Morton and Jones In: Trengove and McDonald Morton to return bigger and better in 2011. This year is not for him.

Implied in comments that we may have made the 'wrong choice' with Jack is that all other teams would have made a different one. All Melbourne teams would have gone for Jack over those has-beens from the other side of the Nullibor. So the only choice you can criticise is whether tanking was the right option and whether instead we should have tried to finish 5th and taken Hurley. Which is an absolutely ridiculous suggestion. Its the nature of the beast that is recruiting. The variable is not the choice of player at number 1. It was always going to be Watts, Scully has been touted as no1 since 2008 and correct me if I'm wrong but we once played in the Kreuser Cup. The variable is how you develop them. The pressure is on the footy department to make something of these players, keep them focused and make them winners. The recruitment team has done exactly what any recruitment team would have done.

It's a relief to finally read some rationality regarding our boy Watts. There has been way too much jumping to conclusions and unrealistic expectations thrown around our fortress of solitude here on Demonland. Jack has all the attributes of a player unlike any other to have graced an oval field. His piercing set shot, explosive pace, clean hands and that beautiful pickup on Sunday are all testament to that. But there remains one concern...you would agree that ticking all the boxes doesn't make someone a star. I think we have all seen moments where Jack looks lost on the field, in no man's land, too far from the contest to impose himself but too close to exert pressure on a potential receiver. It is CRUCIAL that Jack is coached to play in a position that he can own and learns the ever illusive 'art of the AFL footballer' In one game I witnessed Jack as a full forward, an on baller, a half forward and even contesting in the back 50. Each week Jack silences his critics by producing something that he is heavily criticised in the preceeding week...attack on the contest, goal sense, finding more of the footy, taking the game on, using both side of his body etc etc. What I wanna see does not come from Jack Watts. It comes all the way from the head of the snake. I want to see Dean Bailey say - Jack...you are going to be a ten year centre half forward. Now play in the position week in week out and make it yours. I've had enough of the Daniher days of trying to make everyone a utility and ultimately resulting in a team full of players who are JACK of all trades but a master of none. Mind the pun (PS- this is my first post- be nice)