deeko

Freeman is another Sam Blease.

Salem is alot more consistent and more of a precision player.. personally we already have a Blease, let's develop him into the amazing player he could actually be.

Although it would have been fantastic to have Freeman also and try to turn him into a Dangerfield type of player, Salem is a better fit.

Apparently Hunt could be anything and he's quick, maybe we have a gem in him

I read somewhere that Freeman loved the hard stuff and is a bit of a clearance machine.

Yet to see Sammy do much other than put the blinkers on, tuck the pill under his arm and run. I love it when he does this however he needs to do it more than twice a week.

I was hoping we would have gotten Freeman but that was based on no knowledge of either player other than reading a couple profiles, watching 2 mins of videos on each and reading some stats. Probably similar to most here.

Still, I have faith that what we did we will out fine, in time

I know its hard if comments are directed at you specifically but please just don't bite at what's said by anyone.

Some people just post to cause a reaction and continually get it. Be the bigger person, please just ignore it to stop derailing threads.

As for those making the smug comments, get over yourselves. You got what you're after, congratulations. Hope you are pleased with yourself/ves.

Apologies to derail this thread further but its quite frustrating sifting through this crap.

First post at Demonland, longtime lurker Didn't see anything posted about this yet, but Nate Jones gave an interesting answer to the tired Captaincy question at a rally presser today:

Q: It's obviously a job you'd be stoked to get, whether it be a co-captain or solo?

Yeah, no doubt. I think I said last week I'm willing to put my hand up. I would love to captain the footy club, there's no doubt about that, but I'll go through the process like everyone else, and firstly we've got to get voted into the leadership group (laughs). From there, we'll see what happens.

Read a lot here that people want him to captain but feel he's too introverted for the media commitments associated with the role. First time I've heard him say he wants to do it though.

Hi Lamashtu and welcome

I always thought he was an introvert but the more I hear from him the more I am impressed. Clearly his on-field performances warrant putting his hand up and I would simply love watching him bomb a few 'captains goals' on the run from 50 out which he loves doing. Imagine how much that would lift the troops!

In saying that though, I always have and always will have a soft spot for Grimesy. Have spoke with him once and was really wowwed (if thats not a word it should be) by his presence. Would be also happy for him to continue and believe it would be unfair for him to be stripped of it.

I have never been big on co captains but wouldn't mind if these two took the shared duties for the season.

Others who get frequently mentioned (Dawes, Garland etc) should form the leadership group which is starting to look stronger and more mature.

I reckon that is one reason dc

Surely thats the only reason

As important as Mitch's foot is, I think you having a baby might have been the bigger news story.

"LIKE"

No wait... love!

No hanged don't have to think; I know. The good judges rated this guy before his 10th game.

Case long closed.

Yes and they rated him highly. First year saw multiple 20+ possession games and five games I think where he kicked multiple goals. Oh and he picked up 4 votes in the Charlie. Who the hell really complained back then.

Sad thing for cale is that the game changed from free flowing back to contested and he was found wanting. He still gave is best more than most know and was continually crucified by his own 'supporters'

Unfort

Unfor

I suggest you watch the Darwin game from a couple of years back, He dominated. I have a soft for neve a crack like Nifty did.

I understand soft spots for players in fact I have always had one for Tappy but I now think if he doesn't show at least 5 good games this year he will be out as well.

Back on to Nev but, you are hardly selling him to me when asking me to watch one game 'a couple years back'

And as for injuries and lack of pre seasons he has still played at least 30 games (i think) which is a lot of opportunities to show something more than just one game

Toump and Trenners. Both have been judged to harshly and had battles with there bodies in there very short period in the game.

I think they will show lots this year and feeling a little smug about how good trenners will be this season.

I would love nothing more than Watts to rip it up. Not sure if he ever will but wow he desserves it to shut some very annoying people up.

I hope all our players kick butt Biffen but can you honestly see nev doing this? I can't recall him ever doing it before, in fact I can't recall him ever kicking multiple goals or getting over twenty touches. Not saying he hasn't but I cant remember many highlights. I'd rather Bennell or Bartram back anyday.

He is well down the pecking order I feel and maybe its due to being continually let down that I'm sick of my team carrying dead weight.

Edit - my disclaimer. I forgot to mention I thought Bennell was useless and soft as butter also but thought he added more than Nev

Summed up perfectly Theo. He adds no value to our list at all and would much rather an 18 year old spec pick rather than a never will be.

Running would be the one thing he really could have improved at over the off season by continuing training in his break to prove his determination to stay on the list.

It's public knowledge now that Magner was pi55ed with the club & said as such to the herald sun about how he was handled last year by Neeld & the coaches. If it happened to Magner I'm sure he wasn't the only one.

There were a lot more than Magner 'disenchanted' last season. I'll say most were.

It's a bit of Jekkyl and Hyde when asking. During the year you will get the politically correct response as to how they are feeling and what they are thinking (just trying to improve, be competitive, win quarters, learn the coaches game plan bullcrap).

As the end of the season, away from the cameras, having a few beers is when people really let loose, paints an awful picture of some non playing staff. On one hand what I have heard and seen I struggle not to be frustrated as a supporter and member of this great club but on the other and talking with a couple from the group you would not see a more excited group going into this season under Roosy.

But, moving on.....

Nev, yes he can lay a tackle but that's it. Likes to bump people late which isn't tough.

Would much rather take a punt on someone then give him another run but still wish him all the best.

Neitz debuted in the backline and became a great on the forwardline. Maybe Hogan can be our greatest ever fullback?

Not full back but if we had a fully fit squad over the next couple seasons then I see no reason why Jesse couldn't become a fantastic CHB.

That leaves Chip at FB where he is his best and if Fitzy continues to show a bit he will be the forward who can chop out in the ruck and leave Mitch at FF.

But in all honesty, I would just be happy to see him play at least a dozen games and maybe crack open a couple packs. I can' think of anything that will would get me up and about more than seeing Jesse, Mitchy & Dawsey just strutting (with bulk amounts of swagger) out on the ground bumping a few opposition players on there way to there positions.

As long as all the teams who have planned to nab Zac before our pick No. 40 realise that they only have him for two years to get him AFL-hardened before he comes back here to play with his older brother!

Just like West Coast and Brisbane thought when the Cat's picked up Joel Selwood.

Even if Nathan became captain I doubt it would happen

What's with peoples obsession with left footers? I personally couldn't give a stuff which foot they use as long as it hits the target.

I voted Freeman. He is powerful, quick and likes the hard stuff.

You can't teach someone to embrace the physical side of the game and he seems to love that and has the ability to break away from the packs once he gets the pill.

Sold

Yes, for those who don't have it - it will allow you to use the awesome mobile skin which means it is easier to use and you won't have any ads on either platform.

I really have to pay as spend so many hours between work on this site it's ridiculous.

Is there a way to keep the advertising but? Most times I log in the "date older women" advertising pops up. Now I'm only 29 and have a missus but I don't mind the occasional old duck smiling at me in her little dress.

Nab's share price has gone up today, clearly as a direct result of me working 8 hours uninterrupted yesterday.

Please don't let that happen again..... ever

interesting comparison. Unlike Jordie ...this bloke can kind of dispose of a ball. Gof forbid , what are we creating... a bloody football team!! crikey

Crikey???? really?? Streuth, that one was unexpected.

Knowing little about him, I just wanted to make one of the many pointless comparisons I read (Freeman = Danger.. wtf?)

I just compared based on the fact they both have an ordinary scone. That's all

not everryone cared much about the supposed loss incurred by the departures of said Moloney, Martin, Gysberts and Pettard !! just saying !!

I cared.... and I was wrong to.

I like Aidan, seems like a quicker and more skilled version of Jordie Mc. And that is based on absolutely nothing more than his picture.

All the best buddy

Similar to Magner, Couch and Valenti?

Don't like your logic.

Valenti is the best on that list would have to be shattered he wasn't born five years later. He was just a solid c grader in the big league but would have been in our top 5 if he was on our list last year.

Well to play Devils advocate here. Something definitely doesnt either add up, or bear relation.. We are 6th at hitouts ? yet we're 2nd last on the ladder.

You infer winning hit outs correlates to clearances. But our effective clearances in 13 were shizen.

If you have a good ruck /roving set up you ought to win the ball and use it to advantage, thats the theory. Thats old footy too. There are in reality only a couple of exceptional rucks out there, what every team needs to do is win/shark the ball and gain control that way. You are better off in reality only forcing a contest and disallowing the opponent carte blanch but pouncing on the dregs as they occur. Any coach worth his salt will realise the likely hood of the tap and instruct his minions to close off opposition paths and to play to their strengths. Watching the game there are incredibly few clean directed winning hitouts.

As I said in a previous post, the reason we are so ordinary in clearances as we only have one mid (as we were playing two stoppers lots of the time) in the guys vs the oppositions 3.

I know a lot of people still rate Jamar, but I'm not one of them... but for two reasons. The first is that he just hasn't played enough with injuries since his AA form...

The second reason and perhaps more important reason is that the game... and more specifically the game rules have passed him by.

The ability for ruckmen to not engage before throw ins etc... has taken away on of the main strengths Jamar had... which is his strength.

The other rule (came in a couple of years back) was that one that required rucks to effectively come from the opposing sides of the centre bounce with a limited amount of room to run in. (Sorry for the non technical definition here)

Both these changes have a made Jamar more ineffectual due to the fact that:

a) he is not big in terms of ruckmen... 198cm-ish and

b) he is not athletic and a big jumping ruckman, he is a bullocking strength type of player, but without the ability to engage the opponent ruck prior to the bounce/throw in,... you basically have to be Sandilands or Andre the Giant to employ such a strategy and get away with it...

Edit: Sorry forgot to add that Gawn needs an engine upgrade before he is considered our best ruck, and Spencil too has deficiencies. I actually agree with whoever said it earlier that we would be a good chance to pick a ruck up as a rookie this year... Just have a hunch that these three we have now... won't be all there at the end of the season...

I don't mean to turn this into a Jamar thread but I just highlighted a couple points above for further discussion.

The first point I highlighted in your post intrigues me as I know what the rule is but the moment the ball is in the air the ruckmen engage anyway, it kind of seems a pointless rule unless someone can tell me different.

Final point is on size, who really cares how tall a ruckman is as long as they win the tap. He played injured for the first half of the season and still ended it 4th in the league in hit outs per game. I doubt they would have all been to advantage but not sure how this could have been possible with us effectively having two taggers in the square and one midfielder being tagged himself.

Who knows going forward, he might have three mids in around him to tap it too and we can see him back to his best.

No doubt he would have been hurting following some of his long term mates getting ditched and then for a reason we don't know he was dropped from the leadership group.

I think people here are too quick to right off the big Russian. He is another that I am excited about under Roos to see if he can return to some form and get a bit of confidence back in his game as he looked a complete shadow of his former self over the last two years.

Hoping so anyways and apologies to derail

So woupd this mean he has to nominate for all drafts with the expectation Carlton will select him in the rookie draft? If so I'd have a little giggle if GWS picked him up just to slap Carlton in the face.

Would surely still be in the blues best 22 but will finish next season

Pedo will surprise a few next year.

Really??

I think he will end his career one day with some very nice looking highlights that are off set by some shocking low lights.

You can't teach courage and Pedo is clearly lacking in it. He is one those very good for VFL players who just don't do enough in the ones ala Juice, Mags, Couch etc (had to mention the great Juice somehow.... ah bless)

Still, I hope he proves me wrong and makes something of himself like I do with all our boys.

No he was fine, in the 'rehab group', but didn't seem to be struggling at all, they all did a lateral test, and they all had no problem with it, you know the knees up going sideways for about four steps, I was actually baffled why Viney was there, but couldn't be bothered asking, Hogan was there because of his knee, think it was all just precaution, Evans had his foot and Dyson a thigh, if you want to look at my Twitter account which is Demonpk, there is a picture of Michie looking 'miserable' at being at the Dees

Thanks Saty, thanks for the twitter link as I do like my photos (in a non creeping kind of way)

Thanks also to six6six as well, fantastic job just like last preseason!!

I think it paints a picture of what we already knew that the club was very very ordinary at managing it's players. I was never a Magner fan but he definitely desserved to be in the squad in the guts. At least he would have smashed some packs having a crack.

I don't care if players whinge, it shows there human. Not all of them can be as cool and relaxed as a Jimmy Bartel or Tex Walker, lots are complete hot heads and it would be hard not to show emotion getting angry and frustrated when things don't go there way, especially in this case when Magner didn't know why it wasn't.

Let's not forget, they are at this level as most have an amazing amount of confidence in themselves and back themselves everytime, this is what makes them great. I love seeing them show there human side and with the constant ridicule they get for it we are left wondering why when players get interview they come up with the standard crap like:

• We are just working on our game plan
• I'm just try to do my part for the team
• I'm just playing my role.
• etc

Bring back the great days before all players were made to take "media training" and everyone ran there mouth and showed there true emotions blasting team mates and opposition players!