nutbean

I'll paraphrase for Stuie - (presuming it is a mental health issue) "how do attitudes like this still exist ?". I don't need anyone banned but can still be gobsmacked by a post. The last sentence - "I know I'll get belted for this post.." that should have given the poster pause to reflect and ask himself exactly why he thinks he will get belted. Then after figuring that out he maybe wouldn't have posted that in the first place ?

my brain hurts

or pleasantly surprised ?

I put that in for a good reason - "With all due respect, I don't want to upset you however, Don't take this wrong way but, No offense but" are phrases I seldom use but when I do see post 896

Exactly !!!! Perfect call and glad you brought it up. I said I had no idea whether he would stay or go but was willing to take him at face value. I did say I took him at his word that he he envisaged he would stay but stressed I had no idea what would eventuate. The same as I am doing with Mitch now ( please feel free to go back and check exactly what I said in that thread. I have been accused of sitting on the fence and happily accept that because if I don't know something I won't make a wild pronouncement either way.

With respect MJT, did you take any lesson out of your previous position " there is not a hope in hell that Paul Roos will coach Melbourne - lets all move on" ?

Got tickets for Groovin the Moo - so many I want to see there - my head is spinning. - band I hadnt seen, the naked and Famous blew me away at BDO. Also love me a bit of Karnivool ( although I find Ian Kenny a bit uncomfortable to look at). My ears are gonna bleed listening to Park Drive then gonna get my big boy homie pants on for Illy and then dancing shoes for Peking Duk.

Definitely see her. Not sure what she will be like in a bigger envirnoment as she played a smaller intimate venue in Melbourne and made you feel like you were the only one in the room. The other one not to miss is Clairy Browne and the Bangin Racquettes. She goes off like a frog in a blender. My other recent " I'm too old for this" was at Big Day Out. Some kids asked me for the artists times and which stage they were on. They hand out a small booklet with this info but I printed it out from the web page and blew it up to A3 - The eyesight aint what it should be. When I produced the A3 version the kids who asked me for it thought that it was hysterical.

Bernie has the one thing that we have been and still lack - class

Yup - Friday night - loved it. Enjoyed QOTSA but loved Nine Inch Nails. I am a bit of a concert groupie and will just about go and listen to anything and everything. Went last night and saw Kate Miller Heidke - she is uber quirky but is magical live. If anyone gets the chance I highly recommend her live. Little story - went a couple of weeks ago to the Hi-Fi and saw Illy ( Australian hip hop) who was also sensational. I was right near the front and mid concert he asked "who was born in 90's - about 2/3's of the crow cheered. He then asked who was older from the 80's and the balance cheered. A little lull and I have screamed out - "WHAT ABOUT THE FIFTIES !!!" - got a mix of laughs and looks of WTF. I was definitely the oldest there by a good 20 years.

You can't build a culture at all if thats the way you want to treat players. People on here suggest getting this player and that player to the club. No player will want to come if that is the way we treat our players.

I can confidently say that I have no idea whether he will come good or not. I have been badly burned by so many " yeah...he''ll come good" that I now wait with anticipation and very guarded optimism.

soooo...by extension ..you don't agree with Paul Roos when he says that you have very little expectation on a first year player and you take them along slowly - some will put their hands up and develop earlier than others ? You don't agree with that ? One season - shown little - consigned to the dud pick classification ? (I'd be telling GWS to get rid of O'Rourke and Plowman - taken 2 and 3 in the same draft for having substandard years as well)

Perhaps I could have phrased it better. I don't have the expectation that Toumpas will crash and bang like Wines but he has been somewhat shy of the physical. But by the same token - I 100% agree with you on the expectation of a first year player - especially ones that have had hip surgery over the preseason so limited training and with a slight body. I don't have expectations of Salem or JHK this year.

The reality is that Toumpas has played one season. You want to call it now after one season ?

No it isn't I think most here recognise that Toumpas is not and won't be the same sort of contested ball beast that Wines is. The comparison is being made because most thought that before Toumpas slipped to pick 4 , that we would pick Wines. So the comparison is natural thing to do. Two obvious points - Wines had a seriously good debut season. Toumpas was ordinary at best (you can give whatever reason/s you like - I actually don't hve high expectations of first year players). Secondly I don't think we are comparing their abilities to win contested balls - we are looking at how Toumpas ( compared to Wines) went at contests and he needs to improve this area of his game.

I will get shoot down ( load your guns). I understand the notion of player responsibility and when players are outside the club and ingest anything they need to have care. Justin Charles goes to a doctor outside Richmond Football club and gets caught - no sympathy - he got what he deserved. I can't help but feel some sympathy for the Essendon players that were put on the program by club officials within the club environment. As a player I would have the expectation that anything that is club sanctioned (big disclaimer - unless they knew it was illegal) is safe and within the rules. I have zero sympathy for the club itself and the administrators/coach - feed them to the lions.

Actually - I was onboard Howe when he was mentioned pre-draft and I saw his highlight package.

I know this moves a little away from the topic but I still believe a lot has to do with development. Good teachers at good schools with good culture produce better end results.

Simple - considered too small and light for AFL.

Nonsense ! I have seen his highlight reel - he doesn't knock doors down - he kicks them in. If you think that Viney is tough - watch this space.

So he earned all Australian CHF for the under 18 competition by accident ? I believe he would have gone under pick 20. On Gysberts - We picked him much earlier than experts expected however he was always considered a 20's pick. It highlights again the huge gap between TAC and AFL and what a lottery drafting can be and highlights to me that the safest option is to take the BEST players available not gambling for needs sake.

9th in the league last year doesnt make him a contested ball beast ? Only 9 behind Selwood of Geelong ( who played two more games). Pendlebury doesn't dive on the ball. He just gets that hard contested ball as if by magic - pure class.

Whitfield was always going to go number 1. There was little separating Plowman and Toumpas. O'Rourke was the surprise choice. Kept hearing the same whisper from dodgy sources regarding what was given up for Hogan (pick 3) and who we wanted to fall to pick 4. Wines was only ever mentioned at pick 4.

I'm calling it now - Aiden Riley - will be a huge pickup for us ( Note- I called early on Newton, Bate and Gysberts so my track recording on calling is pretty uninspiring)