deeko

That moment when the missus books dinner for Friday night and you have to miss the game. Shattered:(

Just on Pedo, there is no doubt he has some good tricks which we all saw on the North Melb highlights vid (think its on youtube) and some cameo's last season where he took some solid grabs and had a great run & goal vs GWS. He just seems to be a massive confidence player. The difference between his best and worst is amazing. I have little faith in him ever being anything more than a depth player but hoping Roos may get a lot more out of him.

Hmm ok, I believe you know or have heard something but I'm quietly confident I've got this.

I was told from an ex Cats player that they were very impressed with his leadership attributes since arriving. He is also very well liked there. Not sure where you are getting that information from. Also, we lost a player who was and still would be best 22 and was loved amongst the players group. One of the most damaging things Neeld did in regards to losing the group. No world beater but he was good enough to be wanted by the cats so that says enough.

Aww you're just bragging cause he is your fave I wish him all the best and hope he really becomes a top grade player but I can't see it honestly. Anyone can play HBF. Half back is by far the easiest spot on the ground and we seem to have a queue of players wanting to play it in Grimes, Dunn, Clisby & Strauss (basing this on Garland & Terlich being the B/Ps) and I imagine Cross will rest on the half back line at times. I'd say the Toump may get a crack there as well this year. Everyone has there favourites (for some unknown reason I'm a Tappy fan so I can't say much) but I really can't see Nev getting much of a go. Prove me wrong Nev, prove me wrong!!

Agree they will have big money to play with. I'd imagine contracts to Clark and Dawes would have been substantially front loaded (who else did we have to pay those seasons?). Also, Cross wouldn't be on huge coin as few were super keen to obtain his services. I'd say we would easily match whatever Chip gets offered if need be so it all goes back to him wanting to stay. I'm in the he'll stay camp based on, well.... ahh...... he seems a good bloke?

I went Harmes. Have never seen him play and know only what I have read on here about him. Would rather take a punt and see what he can do after knowing exactly what Jetta does. Have seen enough of Jetta to realise he won't make it. Has been tried up forward, down back and for some runs in the centre and I struggle to see what some people see in him. Is slow, not overly skilful and has similar 'fake toughness' symptoms to Dunn. Anyone can bump someone late or dump an unexpecting player in a tackle. King is only there for ruck insurance. Georgiou is only there for key defenders insurance.

My brother played for Ord River Magpies who won the flag in the EKFL in 2012 knocking out Waylen's Kurgungu team (no idea what the spelling was/is) in the semi final and played on him for a fair bit of the game. Now the bro was a decent footballer, not exceptional, just a hard worker, played a fair bit of senior footy in the GVFL as a backman and played on some good forwards and usually held his own. He said there was no way in hell anyone he has ever played with could match up on Waylen. His jump from a standing start was just incredible in his words. You would be next to him, next thing he was on your shoulders. He was just amazed watching him. At one stage he had a set shot from the boundary. After confidently kicking the pill screamed out something like "get that so and so up ya" to no one in particular after thinking it was going through only for it to go through for a point. He just started laughing after it happened and had no concerns at all, just laughed. Would be great if he did get fair dinkum and played somewhere like the NEAFL or the WAFL so we could all get a good look but I think he is a bit to laid back and enjoys the social life a little to much to make the big time. Here's hoping however.

I'll admit it, had to google the definition of the word Ambivalent. Thanks O/D happy to learn something new from Demonland. Adelaide - Quite like, love Dangerfield and I know Jenkins pretty well so have a keen interest in them. Brisvegas - Almost pity them after the last couple years and more players leaving. Carlton - Can't stand. Hate the arrogance of there supporters and would love nothing more than to see them back down the bottom. Collingwood - I should hate but don't as much anymore. Love Pendles, he's a star. Continue getting some laughs via quotes from Grundy (saying he would happily box on with Buckley) and everytime Swan says something. Still, I really dislike them. Essendon - Can't stand. The fact there supporters still believe they have done nothing wrong really irritates me. Freo - Big fan. Always admired the Pav & Sandi. Also love watching there no fuss midfield going at it. Gives me hope that you don't need the best player in the competition to be in your team. Geelong - I still enjoy watching them play. They just always back themselves. Sick of there success and there supporters however. Time to bottom out... please Gold Coast - Nearly my second team. Wish them all the best and can't wait to see Jack Martin play. GWS - As with everyone else here it seems, can't stand. Hate the way they didn't trade any picks and kept so many draft picks and talent. However I do have to laugh at the fact that during the years they had all the draft they have missed out on 4 of the probaby 5 best players in Jaeger, Jesse, Jack Martin and Brad Crouch. Would love to see them continually at the bottom and players leaving through the revolving doors. Hawthorn - Same as Geelong, they play good footy but I have had enough. They sit in the middle for me but another premiership this year and they will slide towards the more disliked section. North Melb - I'm just sick of the press around Majak Daw. I like how they embrace the 'shin boner' spirit in the way they play and even how they run the club. No pokies is a risk but I rate how they went about that. Saints & Tiges - Mum (Tiges) Dad and bro (Saints) mean I have a soft spot for each. Can't believe how the tiges passed us so quickly in the rebuild facts. Suppose it just shows how lucky one can get during the draft years and another can not be so lucky. I'm jealous of the Tiges how they have such a great home base with so many great pubs in Richmond to celebrate after a win. Also, everyone has to admit, its a great song. (forgotten what ours sounds like) Feel sorry for the Saints however, feel its going to be a long few years and its hard to watch the old boy getting so frustrated at a team of no bodies after being so close 2 years in a row. Swans - Really loved them 2 years ago till they got Tippett. Couldn't help but wonder how a team could pull that off after a flag. After they picked up Franklin they are on the 'no Christmas card list' seems unfair. West Coast - Don't really care. Too far away

Quick example: Trengove for example avg 17 touches and 0.4 goals in 2013. However if Roos gets him back to his best (20.4 touches and 0.7 goals in 2011) then we improve. Watts 14.8 touches in 2013 where he averaged 18.5 in 2012. Clark 8.8 touchers in 2013 where he averaged 16 in 2009. Obviously we need luck with injuries and our players back to there best which I hope the great man can do.

So once again, my post season optimism is at its usual all time high as I check the odds of us scraping into the 8 this season. It’s different it feels this season however after reading some fantastic training reports, listening to players talk on the track (the couple I had the time to attend) and with a fantastic leader in Roosy. We had Roos as a guest speaker once at a work function and everyone in our very multicultural team absolutely adored the man, even the ones who had no knowledge of the game. He certainly has a great sense of awe around him and has the ability to inspire anyone who he meets. So it got me thinking that if he did get the best out of all our players, how close we would be to the cream of the crop. I have gone super simple here basing the analysis on possessions per game and goals per game noting we were last for the 2013 season in both these categories. My in depth 15 minute analysis is based off what I think might be our best 22 as follows: Terlich Frawley Garland Grimes McDonald Toump Watts Jones Vince Howe Clark Tyson Hogan Dawes Byrnes Jamar Viney Cross Michie, Gawn, Trenners & Blease For 2013, the top 5 possession winners are Pies, Bombers, Hawks, Cats & Swans. Average of the 5 is about 375. Melbourne averaged 318. The top 5 goals per game are Hawks, Cats, Roos, Swans & Bombers average about 15.5. Melbourne averaged 9.5. Now my best 22 above averaged 316 touches a game according to footywire and 9.6 goals per game (I added 10 touches and a goal per game for Hoges and 10 touches for Michie to make it balance out) If that best 22 all play to there best and average the touches/goals of there own best season to date we would all of a sudden improve to a 370 possession team per game and a 15.7 goals per game team putting us right up there. These 370 possessions don’t take into account for the natural progression of Viney, Toump or Tyson from last season to this as well which one would expect them all to average 4 or 5 more touches of the pill per game. This is obviously as simple as it gets from the stats point of view and is very optimistic thinking but it isn’t impossible noting the players would simply be getting back to playing levels they have reached before. So is it possible that we could be up in about sooner rather than later? Or have I just wasted everyone’s with random jibberish?

I'm not one for making excuses, but he was definitely battling injuries last year and really looked to be struggling a lot. The years before however he was continually improving in most categories and fantastic around the stoppages. I'd say at the end of the 2012 season he was worth every bit of pick 2 and destined for greater things in which if he gets his body right again there is no reason why he won't reach that level.

That statement indicates to me we are watching different players. He is incredibly tough, I can recall multiple times last year where he jumped back with the flight into packs. Has super courage in the air and is very hard over the ball. When someone says 'mongrel' I think of a sniper behind play or someone throwing cheap shots. He doesn't have this and I'm thankful as it means absolutely sweet f.a. The man is a glove and a very solid defender. For those who worry about him not being a match winner you should worry as he never will be. But as Cards13 said on the last page he is a game saver and does it well. Is super flexible playing on bigs (shut down Milne and Betts multiple times) and then playing on the bigs (remember him dumping Cloke QB last year??) and always goes well in a backline that gets completely pumped continually. I fear for the day where we have to play Dunn & or Pedo because Judy is out as they are useful as two away imo.

Good that Pedo is optimismistic about getting a spot. Should create some greater competition for spots with players having a belief that they should be in. Also, reading the reports he seems to be in pretty good nick this preseason which is always positive. Still, I'll be a very sad lad if he is in the firsts come round 1.

Didn't Watts have some amazing 20m sprint score as well? Don't quote me but I am pretty sure it was close or mirrored that of Sam Blease. Maybe someone was a bit slow on starting the stopwatch

That's right Young Dee, he doesn't have the wheels to be a high marking flanker even if he does have good jukes. Besides if we ever get the big 3 KPF's on the park together we will have Howey/Vince/possibly Watts as high flankers who all move a bit better than Trenners. Could be even a case for Tappy becoming a HFF if he can bring his training form to game day and if his body holds. I like Trenners in amongst it in the hard stuff in the centre. If he never takes a backward step, has good hands and loves a big tackle. As others have alluded to, you don't need to be super quick to get the pill out. He just needs the fitness to be able to get from stoppage to stoppage and go again. He had a few ok games late last year I believe getting 20 odd touches. Hopefully with a preseason he can build on this.

I'm guessing a reason they have training early in the morning is to avoid the heat peak after midday. Also (another guess) is that common sense would prevail

That makes sense if they have had a significant time of there life around the one club. Also means we could pick up Juice's boys in the future should some willing lass feel the need to contribute.

I have always had a soft spot for Tappy even when he has battled in the previous 2 years to get a kick. I thought his first season playing (second year on the list) he showed enough to get us excited only to go backwards and a rapid rate (not alone). I remember him kicking 6 in the twos early this year and then came back in the ones and had a fair dinkum crack in the first half looking good and then went missing later on. I can't recall who it was against but I thought early that game that he had finally arrived. He hadn't. Still have high hopes.

His progression this year and next should be measured against others who have also only had the opportunity to play 12 months at the highest level. I think we should remove age from equation from Jones noting he has only been in the system for a year. He will continue improving, will never be a star but will be handy depth and I can handle that at the moment if that forces Toump, Salem, Tyson etc to work harder to pass him.

Gunston would have received probably the 5th choice defender not third noting Hale started in a FP and Cyril just lurked around.

Jacko was before my time but I would have loved to see him play. If not for anything but the comical value. I think his concept of 'showmen' is interesting and how there is none left in the game. He may think being a 'showmen' is someone who will suspended for 8 weeks following a massive hit, or threatening an umpire or mouthing off at opposition supporters. That may get attention but I think we all agree it's for the wrong reason. I'd take a hanger from Howe, a dash from Hill, a snap from Bartel or a chase down from Nic Nat long before I'd see entertainment in someone being a thug or a moron.

Agreed. Is an absolute star and love watching him play. Made most long term AFL defenders look ordinary and has a lot of sh!t in him. Gotta love that.

Yep, really.

Imagine if our Rd 1 forward line ends up missing all of Dawes, Clark and Jesse I'll cry a little.