FarNorthernD

Premiership player, All Australian, Pies B&F winner, Lions B&F winner and Captain. One opposition player I really like watching. Not that I think he is heading our way but even at 29yo Beams would be our 2nd best mid behind Oliver.

Wow, Ok 18 goals 12 behinds proves to me I have an anti ANB bias. Would have sworn it was closer to 9 goals 18. May have to watch him this week with a more positive attitude.

And aside from the physical aspects of the Darwin trip the game itself is woeful to watch. Everyone talks about the importance of ‘brand’ and this game isn’t helping ours.

You can probably add Pedersen to that list as well. Was ripping it up in the VFL, got concussed, was promoted to the seniors and then played like a bloke who was concussed the previous week. And then there was Viney from last year....

Agree. Whilst some of our backs are down on form, the All Australian back six would leak goals if the opposition are allowed to individually flood into their 50. Oscar ain’t the problem.

Joel Selwood was at our business last week. He was disappointingly approachable, friendly and polite. Naturally I asked him about Melbourne. He said we had improved but still had a long way to go. Fair call. If however we could beat Geelong on their home turf I reckon that would give the team the confidence and belief to set us up for finals. Obviously we need to get to this game relatively unscathed first but, you are right Petrac, it would be a huge scalp.

We won the inside 50’s by almost 30 (68-39) and the clearances 54-38. We should have won by 5 goals. Yes the umpiring was average at best but a good side doesn’t lose a game with those stats. We did not take our chances. We only have ourselves to blame.

Or Jonathan Pie. He could go a fair old rant about the AFL.

My favourite bit was where Clayton gets his Parma, coleslaw and salad, pushes the salad and coleslaw aside and tucks into the Parma. A man after my own heart.

Unfortunately after being laid out, Hird then pulled himself back together and through sheer force of will played a major part of getting his team over the line against us that day. That was back in a time when I had respect for him and wished we had a player like him. He had it all....

Pedersen also said about Goodwin He doesn’t have an office and sits in an area with the other coaches making it easy to have ‘chance encounters’. “Goodwin doesn’t hide away in an office”. You can have a joke with him. He is unrelenting about being competitive. If you are not competitive then you won’t play in a Goodwin side. Cam said there were flashier players who could be playing but Goodwin wants good, honest contributors. Goodwin is big on the what you are outside the club, the ‘higher purpose stuff”

Cam was interviewed on a ‘competing’ Demons podcast on Monday. He said he was knocked out for about five seconds during the VFL game. Apparently the first time in his life he has been concussed and he has pulled up well, is training and available for selection. Apparently Goodwin has acknowledged to Cam that he is playing very well and banging on the door. He said Goodwin had some sympathy for his situation and that there will be injuries and form lapses amongst the players and so Cam just has to keep playing well. He was the Captain of the VFL side on Sunday. Cam also said that at this level the players aren’t as strong or fast and he thinks he has most players measure in a marking contest. He is studying to become a teacher and sounded realistic about his contract situation joking instead of a two year deal he thought a month to month deal more likely. He seemed like a really good bloke. I hope he gets an opportunity at the senior level, through sheer weight of form, at some time this season.

Very happy this has been pinned. It is a great resource. Thank you muchly Luci H

Given the average wage for an AFL footballer this year is $371,000 (source below) and going up to $389,000 by the end of his contract you would hope Nev would be on a better than average contract. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-20/players-get-20-per-cent-pay-rise-in-new-cba

The best part of this speculation is that these days it is a reasonable proposition, rather than laugh out loud funny, that very good players - Lever, Wines, Gaff, Langdon - would want to come and play for us. We are an attractive proposition with as good as chance of long term success as any other team. The days of the Tom Gillies and David Rodan’s of this world being our big time recruits are well behind us.

Agree, a different yesterday leads to a different today and today is looking pretty bloody good

Woo Hoo. Keeping the band together

I’ve always been of the opinion that our MND round should be against Essendon. It is clunky to do it on QB where Collingwood have no part. So no problems that the Pies share QB with us and then we can finally get a potential blockbuster home game against the Bombers

There is a lot of pent up enthusiasm for the first game each year. The Carlton factor in that game is irrelevant aside from it being an AFL gift.

So that bit where you said you earn your fixture was rubbish?

And how has Carlton earned their fixture?

It could be worse. If you were a Collingwood supporter you would be identified as someone who is not too bright, unemployed and illiterate. Someone with questionable dental hygiene and whose family all have intimate and practical knowledge of the criminal legal system in Victoria. As a Melbourne supporter you get to drive a Range Rover, eat cheese with all your teeth and you have a winter holiday home.

With all the poo thrown at Pedo over the years I’d say he would rank being called a ‘poor mans Tommy Mac’ as quite the compliment

It may be a case of the longer vandenBerg is out the better he gets but I really think he could fit right in to this strong tackling and aggressive team.

In a weird bit of ‘laddering’ the top 8 teams play the bottom 8 next week. Will be interesting to see how many actually win but it’s a big opportunity for us to further seperate ourselves from the also rans.