Pates

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!

I'd expect Bizzell, Ward, and/or Brown to be delisted at the end of this year. Given Godders last three weeks I'd be inclined to offer him a one year contract. He fills a role well, however Bartram should be pushing him out one he gets fit. It won't surprise me if Miller is traded, he just doesn't seem to have it all there. He has flashes of good stuff, and then he does something completely stupid. Obviously we can't delist all the players like Wheatly, Holland and co. But we do need to get rid of AT LEAST three of these very average players. Replace them with kids, and look to the future. NOTE: Holland, Ward, and Brown all did well today, but they are not consistent enough and their mistakes cost us BIG TIME.

He was taken at number 3 in the draft, of course expectations are high. I think he'll be a good player for us, but not what our orriginal hopes were.

I wish Melbourne could have the same accuracy as Sandy!

He was throwing himself into more contests than many seasoned players. He's got guts and skills, but I'll let him develop before i make any rash calls. Deserves NAB rising star nomination though.

Any news on what happened at Sandy? [Edit] My bad, didn't see the report below.

Yes i was thinking that at half time. I saw that that sneaky little bugger that managed to get off from a report that initially got 3 weeks was only on 7 possessions. That's two weeks in a row he's done a great stopping role on a very good player. And i was also very pleased to see that it was really our young guns showing the way today, Chooka may be in line for captain, but i wouldn't mind seeing Chunky as our VC in about 3-4 years. Bate was ON FIRE today (just wish he could've nailed just one more of his outside 50 shots), Petterd just picked up where he left off from last week, and i thought Warnock did a pretty good job today.

Well if you ever see him again, get some ushers or something to kick him out. We may need all the money we can get, but we can do without disgraceful supporters like that that give us a bad name. Poor form. :angry:

This is from a poster named "Turbo Tiger" in the tigers forum. I found it kind of funny because there have been some pretty similar things been said on here and Demonology. Commiserations BTW to the toigs supporters, worse than over by half time. I can't imagine a more painful thing to endure.

I think the main problem today was that hey weren't consistent with what they were paying. Early on it seemed like the umps had made the call to keep the whistle in the pocket and not too call the push-in-the-back rule to harshly (Neitz not being paid early in the second one example). The thing that bugged me was that AT THE END of the game, right when it's preferred that they don't get involved, the ump decided to change his mind and pay the soft PITB rule. Keep it consistent, that's all we ask for. (PS. I don't i've ever been more livid with a umpiring decision than after the Junior got done for deliberate, that umpire should read the rule book backwards before he even thinks about stepping out onto a footy field again) :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: