Good Times Grimes

From Roos' Facebook chat: Q: Can we expect to see Trengove available for round 1 selection or will he be worked in through the VFL? A: Probably not round one, but it's great to see him back training, and we certainly will not rush him. However, signs are good that we will see him early in the season.

What I like about him is that he seems the type of player that would crawl across broken glass to get the footy, and he seems to have great awareness to know when he has time to dance around players to get a better disposal off and when he needs to get rid of it quickly. He also won't shirk any contests, which will make others around him walk taller.

Looking forward to hearing how Lovett goes

NAB Challenge Preview

As the AFL strives for multiculturalism and inclusiveness, I predict it'll fall under the soon-to-be-revealed Religious Reincarnation Rule

Pick 19, which ended up being David Cunningham.

He was my favourite player before he left...I'm not trying to undersell his talent. I don't know what went on behind the scenes, but I do know that the MFC were proven correct in their view that he should only have been offered a one year deal. Anyway, I didn't mean to turn a Jack Fitzpatrick thread into a Cam Bruce thread. Good luck to Fitzy at the Hawks; I'd be surprised to see him play more than a handful of senior games, but you never know.

I'm not denying his success, I'm saying that he didn't achieve what he thought he could as a player when he crossed over to the Hawks.

I'd prefer a 100 year contract that would take him through to his next lifetime.

I think he play there as a filler until Weideman/Hulett is ready to take over at CHF/FF

But he left because he thought he had more than a year of footy left in him. His coaching accomplishments are irrelevant.

His game against Geelong showed that he knows how to take a strong grab, which is something the coaches have been trying to tell him that he can do since he arrived at the club. Taking big pack marks is all about confidence, and it seems that Gawn's confidence is at an all-time high. I can't wait to see what he's going to do this season.

Cam Bruce excelled in his 10 games over two seasons dressed as a toilet bowl.

Just what we need, a surplus of ruckmen!

Still waiting for one flag in my lifetime...just one

I cannot wait for the 2024 draft.

Good luck to him, though I can't see him ever being more than a battler.

He's got a lot of very good traits: speed, hardness, goal kicking, x-factor. I think he will very quickly become one of our most important players if he can stay on the park.

Absolutely. It seems to be pointing in the direction that repeated concussions can lead to severe depression. In one summer a few years ago, three professional NHL players committed suicide, and all three had suffered from multiple severe concussions throughout their careers. It's a hard thing to avoid when playing contact sports, but greater precaution needs to be taken to reduce concussion rates. I'm not too sure what to do, but pro sports leagues need to figure out something.

Hey McQueen, if you ever have a chance to speak to him, there's no need to bring any of this up. Focus on Perth's bad features if you feel the need to talk about the place.

Absolutely brutal. Our first line is made up of fourth liners (despite Komarov's great season, he's no more than a solid grinder). I wouldn't be surprised if Kadri was being punished by Babcock for his suspension-worthy threat to Wideman in the previous game. It also seems that Connor McDavid can play. 5 points against the Leafs.

I think we all know where this thread is going...

All I'm saying is that it will be a good test for us to see if we can be mentally switched on even when we go into a match as (heavy) favourites. We failed on multiple occasions last year, and winning this match well is necessary for me to feel that my optimism about where we're going is well-founded. If we lose, or win like we did against Brisbane last year, it will take some convincing for me to believe that we're on the right track. All of that being said, I do expect us to win this game by a handy margin.

The pressure will all be external. Everyone will expect us to win, but there will be a strong showing from the Essendon faithful and the players will do their best to prove to their fans at home that they won't be pushovers. Make no mistake, if we're not mentally switched on for this game we will lose it.

It'll be a good test for us. It gives us a chance to play a real pressure game without playing against a quality opponent.