Pates

I think he's there, i won't change my vote in the poll because i feel i was right at the time, but he's found another level of excitement.

I would have Frawley in as a certainty and Jamar as a probable, but Green i think may just be pipped. Frawley has been the backbone of our rock solid defense, but more than that he has dominated on the rebound. Maybe i am biased but i think Jamar has clearly been the 2nd best ruckman for the year and has definitely earned a spot in the 22. I will just about spew if Frawley doesn't get in.

Excellent point, we jump on to support players as quickly as we jump off. Miller is definitely the best example, although to our credit i would've thought most people said he should be played as a forward and nothing else. IMO one of Daniher's greatest stuff ups. McLean is another excellent example, still a bit POed that he ditched us but happy with the Gys! On the thread topic........Trengove? I have no doubts whatsoever about him, he was fantastic footy smarts and has shown more than enough in his first season.

1. The Ben Cousins talk - to say i'm over it is a MASSIVE understatement 2. Small injuries turning into big ones - seriously how many times did it appear like our players getting a simple 1-2 week turning into 6-8 weeks! Petterd's was the most frustrating, the guy can't catch a break! 3. Matty Bate - he's got some soul-searching to do over the summer, was poor way too often and with our building forward line he may struggle to find a spot next year. At his best he is a fantastic hit up target and his goal kicking is valuable, but something just ain't right atm.

1. Frawley - I don't think i've ever had more confidence in any defender to come through the club 2. Jurrah - Excitement machine, will generate public interest in the Dees and hopefully the youth 3. Debt free - How sweet it is!

Lol, one of my mates is a Carlton fan and he was saying he wasn't looking forward to taking another trip to Subi! I'll blame him! Still didn't sit right with me.

People are saying that their decision has been vindicated with the win on Friday, i disagree. They were in good form leading up to the Hawks match, and IMO they should've beaten the Blues quite comfortably but they got lucky and just scraped through. They flirted with their form and i think it's going to catch up with them, but having said that a second round exit is most likely. I can't see the blues backing up a second trip to Subi and winning.

Say what you like about the bloke (and i've said a lot!) he is a fantastic clubman. Not only is he so humbled in the offer for a final game that he continues to think about the best interests of the club, but in the interest of Casey, who he's played for for most of the year, he's opted to help them go as far as they can. Well done Brad, that is a top notch move in my books. Good luck to you in the future, i genuinely hope you get to another club.

I didn't see the Rnd 1 game thankfully, but i still reckon the WC game was easily the worst of the year. Everything about it was disappointing, it was pretty much Melbourne of 2008 (we at least beat them in 09!). One of the worst games of footy i've ever seen as well. Our best (to finish on a high) was Sydney, tough one to pick as i was leaning towards the Pies in rnd 2. The Collingwood game was great because it showed that we had come to play in 2010, and it set the benchmark for the whole year. Petterd was on fire, it was just so devastating to see that ball slip through his fingers. I hope it was the (re-)start of a great rivalry between our old foes, 1 point between us for the whole year! But as i said, i felt Sydney was the best and most complete performance of the year. To be so in front at quarter time, to deliver Paul Roos his biggest defeat as coach plus a myriad of other records, and to do it in front of an adoring, success-starved crowd, it made it the high-point of the year for me. I also reckon it sent a warning out the other teams for this year and next year, underestimate us at your own peril.

21 points appears to be a final margin, so does not reflect the day. Sounds like we've been all over them in parts, but we lacked the final bit of class to finish the game. Aaron Davey was a massive loss, being one down for most of the day is bad enough but when you lose your best player it just makes things 20x worse. The commentators are full of nothing but praise for us, and IMO we shouldn't lose sight of what the aim was this year: improvement and constant competitiveness. Well done to the boys today, and who knows what next week will bring.

Next year, yes. This year we are still quite immature. The fact that we are in it up to our necks is a credit to the boys. Back in touch, can't see us pinching it but who knows. Sounds like the umpires are bending us over.

I remember this point in 2008, i was so sick and tired of hearing Gardner's constant voice of "we'll be right when (insert new scheme) happens". I don't think we can ever say that it was this [censored] that fired the likes of Stynes up to take this club in a new direction, it was a culmination of the whole footy world pretty much saying we were a sinking ship that didn't matter. Would absolutely love us to beat them this week and i think we're half a chance at least, but it's one of the most significant games of the year. MUST NOT get blown away.

We've had a couple of reprimands that got there by being downgraded with an early plea + good behavior.

Go Go Power Rangers!

Yesterday should go down in our history as one of our great days. I love the fact that of the $5 million debt, $1.5 was smashed by the average demons fan that just gave what they could. Congratulations must go to Jimmy and Cam for rallying everyone to the cause and daring us to believe in a grand future, onwards and upwards now!

Would've thought that's a bit too close to the Bombers. Dragons and Warriors, that's all i got. Probably no good though because of the two NRL teams.

I ran into Angelo (the Mohawk), and promptly donated some money to him, but he said his rattler was getting over-flowed and heavy so i guess that's a good sign! I've been trying to donate online, but i keep on getting some kind of error on the website. Will keep trying though.

Disagree with you on Morton. Morton - Almost broke even

I love it when he backs his pace to beat opposition players. He can look really good when he's on. And since that's the first time i've read that article, it'll be handy having him as a cricketer for the next time we player the filth in a twenty:20!

It was Goodes vs Melbourne today, he was the only thing standing between them and a 100+ humiliation. Whether or not he deserves Brownlow votes, i'd personally have Chip, Green, Sylvia, and Jamar all i front of him but he was a tough competitor against us. Easily the best win of the year and i'd rank it as one of the most important. They can be a genuinely tough team to break down, they are firmly entrenched in the finals hunt, and i rank Paul Roos as the best tactical coach in the league. The players looked pumped from the start, and the tackled with the ferocity that made us such an attractive team to watch in the earlier rounds. The best part is that we have 3-4 of our best 22 out of the side to come back in soon, and it's going to be a difficult ask for the match committee to fit them all in. A great headache to have!

From the outside i don't know whether the WB have handled him or the situation well. It does appear as though the Bulldogs have systematically moved closer and closer to getting rid of him in the past 2 months, but i think it'd nieve of them to truly think that every single player is/was on board with sacking him. Listening to Gary Lyon last night (and btw i thought he and JB did an excellent job) there was one question in particular that pricked my ears. I won't be able to properly quote it but it went along the lines of, "with the Bulldogs playing list employing a disciplinary tactic, that is getting you out in front of the playing list and having your teammates throw very honest words and suggestions at you, something that has been at the forefront of teams like Hawthorne, Geelong, and Sydney, is it possible that the problem is with you not been able to handle it properly?" Obviously i'm paraphrasing and there may be someone out there that can clean it up for me, but his point was that this is something that has been done at some of the most successful clubs of the last 5 years and the bulldogs used it because they felt it was the right course of action. Aker's response actually included a dig at Melbourne saying that it's something we do and look where we are, well Aker don't forget about the carp list we've had over the last 3 years. My point of all this is that the Bulldogs used this tactic, but did they actually stop to think if it was the RIGHT tactic to use on Aker? Everyone says he's an individual, we perhaps that what they should have done is say to everyone, "ok over the course of Akers suspension we want you all to individually go up to him and tell him if you have a problem with him, do it at training, in the parking lot or over a beer, whatever." Everyone talk how footy clubs have evolved into more of a teaching environment, well back at school if you had a problem you'd sit one on one with your teacher or your peers. I'm not saying that the above tactic is necessarily a bad one but i question whether it was the right one in this case. FWIW, i can't believe the Aker didn't see this coming and it's clear he does live in his own little ego bubble, this was a bad situation and both parties made it worse until eventually they just had to say enough is enough.

Crying shame that the club hasn't been able to launch it at their discretion, someone has really stuffed up here. I'm just so disappointed for Cam, he seemed really excited about presenting to the Melbourne faithful, almost like a re-birthing of the club on an image level. FWIW, i love it.

Their strip looks like a training top, it's like the people in charge of their design had a big night and just decided to submit the most basic design possible. Never thought i'd say this, but i prefer the Dockers look over them!

Jurrah to kick 4.3, Scully to get over 30 possies, and of course Melbourne to win!

You've pretty much summed up my thoughts. Let's keep the Ins and Outs simple, after all we did push a top 4 interstate contender away. I can't quite fathom the calls for the likes of Bennell, PJ, and Dunn to be dropped given their games on the weekend. Morton wasn't good on the weekend but i reckon he is slowly starting to find some touch, that said if Trengove is ready to go he would be my choice to make way.