Maldonboy38

Two very different teams probably vying for a similar position on the ladder. Stef Martin should go to Goodes but he can't. Goodes has an incredible footy brain - always runs to the right spot at the right time, and has those small touches and body-contact moments that put opponents out of position quickly. Martin's game is based on his althleticism, he is not a natural footballer. Goodes will cut him up like a hot knife through butter. I love Jonesy but he is too small, Goodes will kill him in the air. Could Joel Macdonald keep up with him pace wise? Although our midfields are of an almost even strength, we are quicker, but Sylvia is the man here. He is an explosive power footballer and I cannot see a Sydney player able to curb him. Our sub - Bennell or Bail. Someone to come on half way through the 3rd quarter and show up their lack of pace. Dees by 18 - 25 points .

Great post Bhima. A lot of food for thought. Bailey does have a game plan, and he and the assistant coaches can adapt it when the opposition is on a roll. I don't see any glaring weakness in our set up or plan. Our biggest problem is that very first instinctive movement or act from many of our ball-getting players. It is either a second too slow, or the wrong choice to make. We don't have any problems getting out hands on the pill in the first place: it is the instinctive decision making from too many of our players that leads to trouble, rather than setting up attack. How many times on this site have we lamented those dreadful suicide handballs, or that quick handball to the defensive side of the pack only to see it miss its target by 2 metres and land in the hands of the opposition? Or the un-pressured kick from half back going anywhere but on target? Bartram, Jones, Rivers & Moloney are great ball winners but we don't want the ball in thier hands too long or too often. Scully, Trengove, Gysberts, Blease, Watts, Tapscott, Grimes, Jetta, Bennell, Bail (if he can get his kicking right) - we want these blokes to be the main players, to help out Sylvia, Green and Davey who can't stand on their own much longer. No game plan works with turnovers and dumb decision making. Yes, we need our grunt players but only if they can effectively feed our game-makers. .

Can't agree more, High Tower. Although there have been better footballers, Goodes at his best and Kouta at his best were simply unstoppable. Tall, athletic, quick, amazing skills, goal kicker, can crash a pack - yep, the whole package. To call him an overrated spud is simple envy. Can you imagine him in a Dees jumper. Shivers down the spine. .

Haven't been near a computer in 3 days - so I immediately visit good old 'Land to get up to date and .... NEWTON IS ELEVATED!!!! I am not much of a swearing man but if anything makes me want to, it is this. @#$%*$!! Newton does have the skills and brains to play at AFL level but will not push through his natural abilities and extend himself into that zone required by athlete athletes, or in this case, elite footballers. I have never seen him push and extend himslef in a game. At VFL level he is able to rely on his natural ability and he therefore excels. AFL requires an application of will, and an ability to continue when feeling beaten or exhausted and in this he has shown to be really poor. Bad decision Melbourne. One poster wrote that there is one position up for grabs between Stef Martin and Newton. If we use our substitue position between these two blokes our chances of winning reduce immediately by 5 - 10%. Other clubs, especially the good ones will plan around the lack of intensity provided by these two. I am not knocking Stef Martin and I have him in as the sub for my round 1 team, but he also needs to demonstrate that he can push his limits if he wants to succeed. If you reckon I am slightly annoyed.. you are right. .

I am really struggling to figure out what the AFL clubs, including Melbourne, are looking for in the pre-season matches, be they NAB cup or NAB challenge games. In the media, Nick Reiwoldt, that injured Collingwobble defender and even the flawed-Messiah James Hird have stated something like "we are not aiming to win the NAB cup". We hear all the reasons spun by clubs like: [*]getting games into the young guys [*]practicing our structures [*]getting everyone match fit [*]seeing who will step up this year [*]etc... In reality, it appears as if none of these are true. In some games, some clubs have put their best side in each week. Sydney rarely even attempt to win. Our pre-eseason form last year did not simulate our real season game-play at all. St. Kilda the other night were not going hard at many contest (Lenny Hayes was not beaten - he just didn't go at it like he usually does). I didn't see any of the Melbourne/Lions game today but by reading the posts of those who were at the game you would think our backline was practising all things not to do during the regular season. Any ideas of what the pre-season is for?

Great to see this topic. Too much other speculative debate/argument over possibilities and potential Premiers for '11: Pies (unfortunately) but Bulldogs looking good. Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Most Goals for Demons: Jurrah - 60 Leading Goalkicker in AFL: Buddy Franklin Brownlow: Brendon Goddard Final Ladder position: 8th Wins: 12 Most tackles: Jordie McKenzie Most marks: Colin Garland Most handballs: Nathan Jones Most 1%'s: Brent Moloney Best first year player: Lucas Cook Bluey: Colin Sylvia Biggest crowd: 90,000 Queen's Birthday Worst Journo: Caroline Wilson Best Journo: Gerard Whately (annoying voice but very good journo) Biggest news story: Footballer outs himself over honosexuality (non story for me - non issue) Quote of the season: "We won more quarters than we lost in 2011" - Dean Bailey. I hope he changes his mantra soon. This one of Bail's is driving me nuts.

1. Addam Maric is definitely our first pick small forward for 2011 2. We need 2 more backmen who can kick. Grimes can't do it all, Bartram is really improving but for Rivers, Warnock, McDonald I am screeming "Darren Gaspar" on the inside! We must presevere with Strauss even if it means learning through a couple of losses that we should have won. 3. I HATE Essendon. I agree about the comment above about bringing Matty Whelan back to run through Hird in the coaches box this time, and can someone please kidnap Matthew Lloyd next time we play the Dons and keep him away from the microphone.

Our midfield has some issues but we can't give a great v poor tag until we see them in up to 5 games of the regular season. However, like many Dees supporters, it is unlikely that Jones, Moloney, McKenzie and Tapscott can ALL survive alongside Scully, Davey, Trengove, Grimes Sylvia etc... Look at the Saints. They have the super-grunt work horse in Lenny Hayes surrounded by a group of midfielders who bring a different set of strengths - Del Santo, Montagna, Armitage, and then of course Goddard. For mine, I can't see Beamer maintaining his place long term. I love the bloke: what he does with the new recruits, his love for the red and blue, his in your face attitude. But his emphasis on the ground has one dimension - in and under. His long kicking that I used to think was such a strength has become his weakness because the other teams read hinm like a book and drop defenders into the 60m hole when he gets the ball. Gysberts will take Beamer's place permanently by the end of this year or earaly in 2012 not as a replacement like-for-like but simply as a better all round footballer. Can you imagine him with another 6-8kgs on his frame? Jones has shown he can learn and if he can break out of the idea that he can shrug off all tacklers he will improve out of sight. O, I almost forgot Rohan Bail. What position(s) he will play I do not know but he has a huge upside that is relatively untouched. His aggression and run make his utility attributes enormous on the scale of potential.

I started this thread because Trengove appears to have an unassuming manner, but also an unassuming public profile. It doesn't seem that other teams plan how to play him, whereas I reckon they plan for Davey, Green, Jurrah and Frawley. Maybe other Dees players haven't yet earned closer scrutiny adn study from other teams. Some players have natural grunt - Jones, McKenzie, Bail Some players look like duds early on but grow slowly into AFL standard footballers. Jamar, Watts, Garland Others have a sense of balance and poise from day 1, and these players are usually taken note of from the first. Trengove is one of these players with natural poise and balance yet doesn't seem to have drawn the targeted plans of other teams. However, if he plays in the NAB cup round 2 game with the skill and execution he showed against Port, the fovus of other teams radar may switch very quickly.

Great thread, because we have so much talent across the 18 positions. Although I am a huge Bail fan I know he has a way to go before he can claim a regular spot, so... Sylvia. Other teams should start getting scared of this bloke. He is going tear opposition teams apart in 2011 Garland. With Frawley out for the first few games he may feel free-er in being more attacking. Trengove. Absolute class player. Apologies. Scully, Grimes.

I felt a bit sad for Tom Macnamara.. Getting "pansted" is a perfect description of his night and he lloked well out of his league. Bail is a gun and he has a touch of aggro, but after watching a video of thr games his disposal has gotten worse over the summer. Has he been given a new kicking action like abrtram perhaps. Moloney looked slow and more focused on body contact at every opportunity rather than getting the ball or spreading from a contest as we moved forward. Martin lokoed good and is probably ahead of Spencer in the ruck department, at least after last weekend's game. Quick, agile, thinking on his feet but has no idea about ontested marking. Any clear reason why we handballed to players under pressure so often? Green, Maric, Jetta, Ttrengove and others.

Be in top 4 for lowest scored against Be in top 8 for goals for Watts & Jurrah show the start of a special 10 year forward line understanding Sylvia for the Bluey, Brownlow, and hey maybe even the Norm Smith Queen's birthday flogging of the Colliewobblers

I am a real Bail fan, but his kicking is either 100% lace out or misses by 5 metres or more. But at least he gets it. Strauss is a concern for me. When he gets it his kicking is great to watch but he seems to be in the wrong place too often. Fortunatley, these things for both these young men can be fixed. I remember being adamant about two players I was watching at the start of their careers, and thinking how poor they were - they would be hopeless. They were Adem Yze and Aaron Hamill. Both turned out to be outstanding in their own way and very effective kicks. Let's give the coaching staff some time. In December I started to put together a 2011 starting 22 and I had Strauss in for Bartram, but Bartram is way ahead of Strauss now.

I agree about it not being a totally accurate stat for the backline and mids, but efficiency in the forwrd line is essential. Having said that, Melbourne's forwards rated high in disposal efficiency but kcicked 2.5 in the last half of the Port game. Maybe you are right. However, those players in the 50% area need to examine their game.

Reading the HUN on line this morning and looking through the Port match stats, and there were a few surprises. First surprise: Clint Bartram had 7 disposals at 100% efficiency. This year, he might be able to replicate the small back pocket role of Matty Whelan Second: Sylvia (12 disposals at 83%)and Grimes (9 disposals at 89%) would indicate that grimes must have a decent go in the midfield this year. Third: Watts had 8 disposals at 88% which is a great stat for a major forward. Fourth: Nicholson, Dunn, McDonald and Blease had 100% efficiency but had low stats so the effieiceny impact is reduced Fifth: Bail, J MacDonald, Rivers & Moloney were in the 50% efficieny area. Not good enough. Only one with any excuse is Bail becuase he is young and has only a few games under his belt. For Moloney, he is going to have to be careful - Jones, Gysberts, Tapscott, Blease and others will be pouring pressure on him for his spot. Trengove: Only 67% efficiency but continues to get himself into the right places. What I find really interesting about this game and the stats, is that it looks like our forward line was the most efficient. In the last few years our backline has strengthened up and our midfield recruiting looks exciting, but maybe our forward line of Watts, Jurrah, Green, Dunn, Maric, Petterd, Wonna etc... could funtion at a better rate earlier than anticipated. Add in the possibility of Jamar resting down there, and someone like Cook or Howe adding more marking strength and we can go into games with other teams having to plan well to cover all the options: Any thoughts?

Over the summer there has been a lot of speculating and discussion about how this and that player need to improve, or how certain players are on their last chance. Scully, Maric and Watts in particular have received heaps of attention. Listening to the 2nd game tonight I had my say about my observations from the game, and posted a reply. As I was reading other people's posts I was reminded about the sublime skills of Jack Trengove. He is rarely out of position, reads the play so well and has a very trustworthy set of skills that don't falter too much under pressure. What do you think - does he get under many Dees supporter's radar? Does he get beneath yours?

Just finished listening to the SEN broadcast, and even though it is only the NAB cup, I am delighted to have won at AAMI, against two different teams and to progress to round 2. A few observations: That is the the most boring, passionless, pedestrian commentating I have ever heard. They could have been reading a recipe for leek soup. Great to hear Maric do so well. Petterd will have to fight him for a spot. This is good pressure to have. Matty Bate has also significantly raised his hand for a forward line spot. Against Port, our backline seemed to fumble a bit - was it greasy? My man-crush is swinging significantly over to a certain Mr. J watts. Contested marks, intelligent football and was a presence in both games. I haven't laid a bet in 20 years but Sylvia will have shortened Brownlow odds now. We have seen how far Cook and Howe have to go. But it was great to have them out there. Finally, I heard Blease's name called out in a match. His career is up and running at last I am not too fussed about how far we proceed in the NAB cup. Let's give the whole list a game or two and see how they gel. But I can switch off and relax now until the start of the season (or at least until next week!)

I see us lining up something like this: Strauss Garland MacDonald Grimes Rivers Bartram Morton Moloney Trengove Sylvia Watts Dunn Green Jurrah Maric Jamar Scully Davey Bennell McKenzie Bail Spencer Martin Gysberts I can't see Wonaeamirri being fit enough to make it, as he has missed too much of the pre-season. I am unsure if Gysberts will make it, but I placed him in because if he is fit he is too good not be one of the first replacements for other regulars. Strauss showed enough during the intraclub match, and even though doesn't replace Frawley, we need to get a look at him under match conditions. Jetta has probably earnt a place on training form but I prefer others at this stage. I am unsure if the Dees will line up exactly like this because I reckon Martin will line up on Tippett, but who knows their starting 18 Let's see some fire, boys. I can't wait for Friday!!

I reckon this is a poor decision. First reason is personal and selfish. I live only 20 minutes from Casey Fields and enjoy the summer training period to get up close to the players, and introduce my two young boys to their superstars. I am married with 4 kids and all 6 of us were planning on going. Now it is just me. Secondly, I reckon it is a short-sighted view of what an intra-club match can achieve. Last year at Casey Fields was packed with Dees fans and lots of kids. Yes, Casey Fields is a long way away for many but the Saturday made it achievable for most who wanted to attend. It was great for PR, for merchandising, for all the talk and gossip that appear on websites like this. It was more than just a match - it was an event. I have no problem with it being at Gosch's paddock and will probably be able to get along for an hour or so, but we have been so far behind other AFL clubs in making out players accessible to the fans and I thought we had improved. This is a backward step. I understand the purpose of the intra-club match, and that it needs to focus on player develpoment, performance and readiness but the MFC may have let a great chance slip by here.

Both Jurrah and Bail trained with the main group for much of the session, but Jurrah also spent a good 1/2 hour running. I didn't get a good look at Bail - I always seemed to be on the wrong side of the oval. When I was leaving I watched him for about a minute, and then the teams changed and he was across the ground again. I am a huge fan of Rohan Bail(check my favourite players on my profile). His run and carry could give the Dees a player like Paul Williams, especially when he went to Sydney. His skills are not in the Davey/Watts/Green class, but then few are. What I do think is important is he can kick at full pace and the delivery is the same as if he had settled. Put Grimes, Scully and Bail together and few teams could counter the run produced from these three.

My pleasure. I am also a test cricket tragic but this year I have experienced no cricket love at all. I was dying for the Dees training session today just for some news.

Just got back from watching the boys train at Casey Fields. Really windy and starting to get warm by the time I left at 10:15am. Warm-up was again interesting to watch. A lot of banter but when it came to the 5 metre sprint it ended up being competitive, and just like last time it was Nathan Jones who initiated the competitiveness. I like watching him train. Enthusiastic, showing genuine leadership ability but fiercly competitive in every drill. Most of us remember him as of a couple of years ago - lots of grunt and able to get a lot of the footy but probably the worst decision maker we had a MFC for a long time. That Nathan Jones is fast disappearing and being replaced by the new Nathan Jones and I like what I see. At one point he referred to Stef Martin as "the Hoff" - a new nickname I think. Jordan Gysberts spent a lot of time with the running coach, probably half an hour or more. The poor bloke must have been exhausted but he joined the main group for positioning drills later in the session. His balance and poise are of a high quality and his decision-making when options are presented is first class. I hope he can get into the 22 and stay there - a real talent. When the competitive drills started up, he went back to running 100 and 200 metres at about 3/4 pace. He'll sleep well tonight. Robbie Campbell did some solo work with one of the trainers but limped off just before 10am. Didn't look good at all. I saw him later in the change rooms on his own doing some work on what looked like a rowing machine. Standouts today: The new fella Tom Macdonald looked great. A naturally big frame but light on with muscle. He runs well, leads well and presents as a footballer as much as an athlete. Super impressive and I can't wait to see what he becomes. Watts is laconic when he is resting but his skill level, pace and decision making put him in the elite group of players at our club. He is still light in weight but this is his natural build. It looks like he and Lucas Cook get on real well - often choosing each other when pairing up for drills as required. During the competitive match-play drill using handball nets as goals, Col Sylvia was the standout. Very competitive and imposing himself physically. He monstered a couple of the other players and got up smiling. He has developed a level of excellence a bit later than most, but I reckon he might be able to blow the game apart in a similar fashion to Brendon Goddard but in a more explosive manner. He looks ready to kill. The big fellas: Jake Spencer is quickly becoming HUGE. He is faster than I thought and trains with a genuine intensity but his kicking is going to limit his long-term usefulness. That atrocious ball drop of his gives opposition players extra time to spoil and make him clumsy. Jack Fitzpatrick. I think he might even be the quickest at the club over 100 metres - he really is quick. He marks well and his positioning is good but for me, his skills are average at best and from here I can't see him making it. Too many other big fellas more advanced in their development. Stef Martin. Could be a movie star and is very athletic for a bloke his size. I thought today, considering it was really windy, that his skiils showed geniuine improvement. When the boys separated into forwards, mids and defenders, he went with the forwards which I thought was a bit surprising. It was here his skills showed improvement. Let's wait and see. Robbie Cambell- see above. Max Gawn. I reckon we have a beauty here. He has a good set of standard skills from which he can build, without any major technical flaws. My 15 yo daughter came with me today and she was surprised that he was as designated ruckman because his skills were so clean. She quickly picked up the average skills of the other big boys. Cale Morton had a shocker. His kicking was way off, at one point did four clangers in a row and was really down on himself. When he runs he is super-quick and at times looks like a footballer but I have some serious question marks over him being a start-up in our best 22. The midfield training group were interesting. The pattern seemed to be that the ruckman brought it down to a midfielder who gave it to a runner, who kicks/handballs to the ruckman who had sprinted forward. This is where Spencer's pace but average skills stood out. I wonder if this means the game plan includes the ruckman pushing forward more often? If it does, we have to improve the skills of our big boys. IMO, the improvement in our midfield comes down to 2 things. Quality drafting and Scott West. The way we set up and operate at stoppages was the best it has been in years in 2010 and West seems to go by unnoticed. I hope we can keep him all the way through to a flag. Wonna was not at practice today and may still be in Darwin. I hope he is not away too much longer, he is a vital part of our front half. Dunny's legs are the size of my midriff and I am suffering from middle-age-spread! He looks strong, aggressive and set to really get at opposition players. Matty Bate's kicking was a highlight. Very sure, very accurate, penetrating and wasn't troubled too much with the wind. However, like Cale Morton I am struggling to see him in our best 22. His footskills might be the difference that keeps him in the team. Last time I went to training at Casey, I posted about Tom Scully's excellent training habits. Well, I have to rave again. He is lightening fast, sure with his hands, intense, and a model of a professional when training. He is also the only player without red hair who can't get a suntan. His is simply a gun and I can't wait to see him sprinting out of the middle on the MCG in 2011. Come on NAB Cup, hurry up and start!

Setting up a forward line, midfield or backline has totally changed. I reckon Col Garland is a KPP and a natural defender but I think you have to place him within the best back 6 we have and THEN determine his role. Most great modern backlines have two KP defenders, one great reader of the play who is the 'third-man-up', 2 runners and one annoyingly good small stopper. I was a great Matthew Whelan fan as an expert small defender (quite apart from flattening Hird in that Eliminiation final at the 'G - greqat moment and I was there to witness it). Col Garland fits in as a cross between a KP backman and a runner. His creativity when he gets the ball and looks up gives a similar sense of confidence as when Grimes gets the ball.In the same way I cringe when Bartram gets in the clear and tries to c reate something! As a stopper he is great. As a running and creative backman he is a real worry. The surprising thing about Col Garland is he rarely gets beaten by monster forwards. Has he ever played on Jonathan Brown?

I should have put in some info about Col Garland. In one of the drills they were kicking to a marking contest with the forward trying to mark and the defender trying not only to spoil, but to tap to it a ground player. Col's position was 10/10 each time I was watching. He sometimes makes me feel a bit like Watts does. It doesn't feel like he is really attacking the contest but he rarely gets beaten and his skills under pressure are effective. As much as I hate Carltank, Peter Dean comes to mind as someone similar.

Maldon played in Essendung colours yes, but not the same jumper. Please!!! We never called ourselves the Bombers, we were always the Dons. Later in life I had the opportunity to play in the Bendigo Football League and would you believe I could not play for Castlemaine because they had Colliwobbler colours so I went to Kyneton and put up with a Richmond strip. Old habits die hard.