Pates

Go down the guts, instead of going wide! Take a risk every now and again, look in board. I know he's young (and believe me i've got big wraps for the kid) but when Petterd kicked in wide in the final minutes of the match, he had someone right in the center square all on his own. It seems to be in our nature to go down the wing.

I'm in the new stand area next to the MCC, down there, when the game is in the balance, we get extremely vocal. With the Mohawk leading us, we chant as loud as we can to rival cheer squad behind the goal. PS, met the Mohawk after the game and is an absolute champ of a bloke. He's doing everything he can to get us home!

It's no surprise that they had so much left in the tank at the end, it's not like we used much energy in the first 3 quarters! I too am getting sick of "honorable losses", i was able to stand it when we had all our key forwards out and much of our core. But yesterday we had a decent team, one that showed how they can perform at their very best and very worst. NO MORE HONORABLE LOSSES, LET'S JUST BLOODY WIN!

I guess sometimes you have to get lucky with who you are around. The people that are around me are nice, and passionate. I came at half time and asked him what happened in the first half and we just had a good chat. Back when we were in the great southern stand we had this guy behind us who would just constantly bag the players, didn't have anything nice to say (much like the guy who made the Frawley comment destroy06). You don't have like the people around you just because their Dees fans, but to lump us all into that category is just pathetic YM. As usual you make a fair comment, but word it in such a stupid way that it makes you look like an idiot.

Has been fantastic this year. Watching him and Bell get plenty of game time and racking up to disposals has been a highlight in a poor season. As usual with bad seasons, it's the kids that have been the shining lights. Jones, Petterd, Bell, Dunn, PJ, Sylvia, and Bate have all improved this year and are at least giving us something to look forward to. Keep fighting Jonesy!

BTW Not happy about Miller still being in the team, maybe we're giving him the same amoutn of opportunities to Yze to regain his form. If that's the case, we'll be waiting a good while! PS. Happy to see Ooze doing well again, and i firmly believe it came from dropping him.

Exactly what i was thinking, Becks. And what's the deal with Brocky? I mean why put him in as an emergency? Wouldn't it be a better idea to have in the line-up and if he doesn't pull up then take him out? I'm not liking the I/C bench we've got, as been said by many here, it's very top heavy. I think we can win this week, but i'm not sure we are selecting the best team we can get out there.

I understand that, but to me i think a big reason why the SOO dwindled was because noone gave a toss about the Allies. The people that it was representing didn't seem to feel as much pride as a VIC/SA/WA supporter would, because to me SOO is about doing it for the pride of your hometown. Perhaps if they were to bring it back, they'd have to look at how they would market the Allies. But to me, thinking about all VIC players going out there and fighting against SA gets me a lot more pumped than facing a team of Allied states, which is more or less what footy is anyways. EDIT: to make another point, do the NRL do a SOO team for people outside NSW or QLD? I know there wouldn't be many would there!

Agreed Brocky! I think keep it during the day, but don't do the bastardised version of a night match called a "twilight game". Would be a disgrace to the tradition of the game if it were to happen.

I agree, i'd love to see it return. I became a footy supporter just when the SOO was winding down, so i missed out on the big years when rep footy meant something in the AFL. The international rules is just an excuse for us to belt the irish, and for them to have a good windge about it. With that almost gone now, i would like to see the Big V return. With the fact that there are three main states, Vic, SA, and WA, i think every year they should alternate who plays who. (eg, first year Vics v SA, second year WA v SA, third year Vics v WA) I think a kind of round robin thing would take too much away from the main league and from the players, so this way they aren't playing every year which could make it more of an incentive as they wouldn't get many as many opportunities to represent and bring up the excitement levels for the fans.

I think it's a nice touch going up and down the changerooms next to the MCC members, but ultimately i think we should have our own personal rooms. If they are doing it for the fans than they should think, what would the fans want more? Their team to have their very own PRIVATE rooms that don't get degraded my interstate and visiting clubs, or for them to walk out next to the fans that go to the snow when the chips are down? (The attendance by the MCC members ATM is just pathetic, it's bad generally as well)

I see him as a possible HFF who leads quite deep from inside the 50 but makes an option for the midfield. If he can kick 1-2 goals a game and get some inside 50s than i think his job is done.

I'm so sick of people saying we should sack ND now, it's not gonna happen and nor should it. As a member i would feel very disillusioned if the club decided to give Neal the flick at this stage, having to replace him with a ASSISTANT COACH who has been working under him, and having to pay him out anyway. If we do not improve (ie if we don't win many of our next 6-7 games of which seem to be well within our grasp with a full team) than he should go and i feel that he would be be willing to fall on his own sword, this was provide the club and ND a parting ways that's fitting for a 10 year relationship. Perhaps the club and Neal should discuss their future in the next couple of rounds and talk about options of going full on youth (just not playing any of the Ward, Brown, Wheatly, Bizzell, etc. and going for Buckly, Frawley, Neville, Newton, etc). This is something i don't particularly want, playing the kids doesn't mean they are going to learn from the hard knocks, they need the mix of experience to ofset thier nerves. We should maybe instead aim to have a certain amount of young players in every week, and should give almost everyone a chance.

I hope he plays, ND said last week that we rested him as a precuation rather than a necessity so let's just wait and see.

Is Brock playing or is he being given the week off to get his fitness right?

After this week week we have: v Kangaroos MCG v Adelaide MCG v Collingwood MCG v Richmond MCG v Essendon TD v Carlton MCG I don't mind us giving our youngsters a go at Subi vs the best team in the comp to make sure that our future captain is right for these games.

Can i assume that because you won't respond to me that you've conceeded your "youth policy" remark.

Good to see that he has said he's going to commit to us, but talk is cheap so let's see if he can back up his words. BTW i thought he was suspended for this week from both Melbourne AND Sandy, i suppose if they feel that's in his best interest to not give him this week off then so be it. In 4 weeks time i hope that we will be unleashing a whole new, determined Byronator.

You've sucked me in, what other younger kids? PJ, Bell, Bate, Jones, Warnock, Dunn all played last week. We've played Petterd (who was only forced out through injury) and Garland (who was clearly not ready), Frawley as an emergency but hadn't earned a spot straight up. Who of the young kids are left? CJ was out of form and i think it was a good move to drop him, Newton (by many reports) is not ready yet as he's only just started playing Sandy seniors, Weetra is a smokey pick and i won't expect him till next year, and Neville i've heard nothing about. We ARE playing the kids, and many of them are showing the way. You can't just pack a team full of young players and hope they'll learn their lessons, your reasoning makes no sense. Irronically i understood what you were saying before that garbage. I don't expect us to win this week, i won't tip us, BUT it's still worth discussing who to play on two of the best players in the comp. If you don't care than why go onto a forum that's all about discussing this very thing? On the topic of the thread, for me, we play Godders on Kerr. Chances are that Judd will tear us a new one anyway so i'd like to see us go with either Bruce to run off him and try and be damaging (pipe dream possibility), or as Doggo24 suggested, go with Bell. He's been a great improver this year and doing this will not only give him great experience but show some real faith in him (much the same way as we did for Bartram last year).

Petterd will play, or at least be right to play. Don't forget, he's still a developing you lad and you have to be carefull that you don't over do their workload. I think it was ND that said he just had hammy soreness and they didn't want to push him. Rivers will play and if McLean is right, he'll be a walk up 22 (off the bench as an impact player though).

If by over you mean finals, then yes. However, i think a lot can be accomplished from this year. As has been suggested, when faced with a choice of either playing an older everage player and a kid that's maybe not quite as reliable but showing promise, we should play the kid. I don't want to see us pack in this year and just purely play the kids, but when faced with the choice above we must go for the youth to try and push players like Ward, Brown, Holland, Wheatly, and to a lesser extent Godfrey. Godders isn't my favourite player but i must admit that the jobs he's done in the last 3 weeks have been fantastic, so therefore i don't mind him playing. However, once Bartram comes back, i hope to see him pushing Godders out as just can't see us winning a premiership with Godfrey in our team. We should be playing CJ, Petterd, Chip, Garland, and Juice as much as we can (within reason, ie if form does not warrent it then don't promote).

When i saw it on the TV i thought there could be a problem for Dutchy but i don't think it was deliberate. Hopefully he won't get in trouble. As for Johnson, i hop he gets 6 weeks for whatever he did, i hate him so much on the field! (recon he could be a good bloke off though)

Don't be too hard on Jonesy, he's young and was just a bit overzelous with his tackling. He'll gain experience from this.

Would you say Bruce makes more errors than these guys? They make more, and they are simple errors like when Brown it backwards and handed a goal against Sydney, but they happen on a regular basis. Bruce makes mistakes like everyone, but in terms of effective kicks vs wayward kicks he'd for the most part be in the green. Players like Brown, Ward, Holland, etc. constantly have kicks fall short or off target and give the opposition a chance to get a ball back. They each have their moments where they play well, but every time either one of the gets the ball i say a short prayer that it'll turn out OK. PS. I agree Bruce should be better, but you cannot lump him in with these guys.

Our boys are giving it their all, we are still about 3-4 players out from our best 22 and some of the energy being shown by the kids is really encouraging. Bulldogs are a better side than us atm, but you wouldn't have known that today. We matched them in just about every facet of the game and i couldn't be prouder. I'm now just hanging out for the breakthrough win. PS: The support today from our fans was really disappointing, every one of the Dees fans that were there were doing their best to lift the team but we need more coming out! Anyone that can make it, should make it. The team needs you!