Maldonboy38

Blease, Evans and Viney have to be considered for next week. We lacked pace at a lot of times during the match, especially spreading from stoppages. Evans in particular is a seriuosly good kick n the run. What do we do about Pederson and Tommy Mac?

Georgiou - are you kidding? 6 - N. Jones. Still needs more help 5 - Watts. Great game with exceptional skills, poise and decision making. Would have been 6 but he still can't tackle 4 - Dunn. Is probably now our backline leader. 3 - Vince. 2. Trengove. Magnificent for 2.5 quarters. 1. M Jones. Improved as the game went on. Can't give Tyson a vote - the errors he made were true shockers, and took wind out of our sails when we had some momentum.

Grimes does some incredible stuff, and has a great turn of speed, but his kicking has to be addressed. He turns it over when under no pressure and all our players are spreading forward.

Kicking skills atrocious. Watts, Dunn and Jones outstanding. Trengove and Vince great for 1.5 quarters. Kicking skills atrocious. Michie and M Jones improved in 2nd quarter. WANTED: Someone to take a mark inside 50m. Pederson, Byrnes - how bad were they? Can Toumpas and Tyson run at all? (Tyson might have got 32 possessions but he wasn't good at all) The Saints were able to have 2 and 3 players free behind every stoppage, with plenty of run coming from there.

At least most of the general play is watchable. But our kicking ...How could Howe and Bail not take a few more steps and kick from 40m rather than 50?

I don't see any problem with our intensity, running patterns, or tackling. Even the 5-6 handballs in a row or the kicking backwards seems to be done at the right time and place. But our kicking is so bad. Turnovers are one thing, but un-pressured turnovers straight to opposition players in space just sets everyone up to fail. And Grimes specifically as captain cannot turn the ball over so badly when under no pressure at all. Kicking composure needed.

Very, very poor Jack Grimes. Until a bullet pass on his left foot. I don't understand this bloke.

Tyson's kicking is so bad. Spoiled two sure goals by kicking straight to the opposition. We need a forward line. Skills are atrocious. Watts - wow!!

Excited, nervous, can't wait. Georgiou has spent no time with forwards or mids during all the preseason training sessions. He is a backman at SANFL level, recruited to booster our backline, has played all preseason down back and will play backline tonight.

I have loved the game in every era, with each having its strengths and weaknesses. The late 70's, early 90's and early 2000's were three great phases of footy. And what stands out in each of these eras is the direct down-the-line style of footy. The modern two-way-running football is incredible from a fitness point of view but it diminishes two great strengths of our game: 1) The run and carry, and 2) One player beating one opponent, Both these things happen, but are getting less and less in the 36 man crush of modern footy. The main frustrations for me now do loom rather large on the footy landscape. Constant behind the scenes news, footy politics, TV rights etc... have their place but take up too much air time. Journalists drive this stuff and it is simply boring. Watson last night was exceptional - let's talk about him. The amazing coaching of Ken Hinkley - let's talk about that. Freo's demolition of the Pies - let's talk about that. Melbourne's resurgence - let's talk about that (hopefully!)

I thought Byrnes would make it. I can see him doing really well with some good coaching and a clear game plan. He played in 2 premierships with a good coach and a clear game plan. Rapt to see Ro Bail get a go, really love his energy, pace and hardness. I feel for Sammy Blease but he will be the first player in for round 2 for any player who performs poorly. I would have had him ahead of Michie. Pederson has been a total spud up until Roos arrived. Since then he has trained with intensity, and thrown himself into every game. Not a great team with a genuine lack of forward power, but Fitzy may cause a lot of problems with the Saints equally weak backline. Howe is the one the Saints have to cover. I expect a fairly poor standard game in the first half, and then one of the teams to pull easily away in the second half. It feels more likely to be the Dees.

I have always thought he had some real talent and still hold this view, but it looks like his body cannot hold up to the rigors of AFL footy. Because of all his injuries he is probably behind a few players, but he is ahead of Michie and Tappy. He is probably alongside Blease and Bail for that running forward type player.

I reckon this will be a year of big change and big surprise. The ladder is really tough to predict and I have no confidence in my predictions at all, with my biggest confusion being around Collingwood, Richmond and Carlton. But here goes: Hawthorn Fremantle Richmond Sydney Collingwood Essendon Port Adelaide Gold Coast Geelong Western Bulldogs North Melbourne Melbourne Adelaide Carlton West Coast GWS Brisbane St. Kilda

JKH is the find of this season. I continue to be surprised at his speed and agility over the first three steps and he has genuine goal sense. But I don't reckon he will play in the first few rounds because Roos has been very strong about protecting the young er players' development.

Just listened to Paul Roos talk at the season launch. Like many others I am waiting for actions more than words, but Roos' speech reminds me that words can be powerful and motivating. Roos acknowledged all the key people at the club - from board members to families to staff - and the work they do, but he made it plain that most responsibility/accountability rests with the players, with special emphasis on the leadership group. His confidence is a major factor in our performance this year. Why? Because it is infectious. Also, he "thanked" Hawthorn for giving us a hiding at Casey, because it is clear the standard we are pursuing, and the Hawks did it with class and physicality.

He is still the best CHB I have seen. Call me biased but I don't care. I place him above Jakovich from WCE, Chris Mew, Leppitsch or anyone else. He played in the era of Hudson, Hart, McKenna, Wade and on most occasions came out on top or equal. Absolute gun. And he was seriously robbed of the 74 Brownlow. Keith Greig was a gun (very soft though) but he didn't play a Brownlow-winning season in 74 and he got 3 votes on the last round of the year and jumped past Hardeman.

From where I sat: Trengove was ok, but better in the first half. Watts was very poor Viney was a sub and only got a few touches before I left at 3/4 time Toumpas was poor.

1) It was a huge class difference, defined by cool decision making under pressure, and amazing kicking skills by the Hawks. 2) Roos' two way running mantra is yet to get full purchase with the players. Trengove and Vince seemed to get it but Tyson, Jones and Michie were all at sea. 3) We need a forward line. We will be dysfunctional up forward until we get at least two talls who understand forward play, who can be the structure around whom we place Howe, JKH, Byrnes, Trengove etc... 4) Spencer was actually quite good but we need 2 active ruckmen.

Just got back from Casey Fields - had to leave early for my son's birthday. Quick jump onto Demonland for an update. Getting absolutely monstered around the packs. Our stoppages seemed to be planned around stationary players getting th ball THEN spreading. Hawks have players running through the stoppage, getting the handball receive, and either running through or kicking through with ease. Roos has talked a lot about 2 way running. Our defensive spread has been terrible. Midfield horrible today, probably with the exception of Trengove. The inquiry above about Spencer: both Spencer and Pederson have not had a heap of the ball but they are chucking themselves in and at everything. Their physical presence has been impressive. We have no forward line in place today. I don't know if it is something Roos is not focusing on, but time after time the ball goes in to our froward line in a Pagan's paddock manner, and it is 1 Dees player to 3 Hawks - over and over again. Hawks field kicking is pure and perfect. I hate the modern day Hawks but their kicking is lime watching a very clean form of footy. Glad I had my son's birthday to come home to!

I was playing footy in the country in the 70's and some of the players were still using drop kicks and stab passes. One bloke almost made it to the VFL and his stab passing could cave your chest in. It used to hurt like hell on those cold winter nights at training. Ankle high boots, woollen jumpers, collars, plastic numbers on the back, and endless circle work at training. I reckon I would have liked to see the real Bobbie McKenzie play.

My mother would say "anyone who asks others to rate him either isn't as good as he thinks he is, or is an absolute w**ker"! No, honestly, she reckons Bobbie McKenzie was referred to as "a bit of a magician" by Ron Barassi. He was a great goal kicker in an era when individual goal kickers didn't shine at the Dees, Norm Smith 's mantra was teamwork.

Definitely not stirring the pot, I just see the current landscape this way. In similar fashion I don't see Viney playing round 1 because of the same principle. Roos sounds dogged when explaining how his coaching regimen will manage young players. He will protect them, he will take them slowly, and "make it hard for younger players to get a game". I reckon he sees a decent team maybe 3 years away and wants our young guns to be front and centre of this bunch. In the NAB challenge, look at Dunn, Bail, Pederson, even Georgiou - used extensively while some of the younger, inexperienced players were used sparingly. It is a bit sad because I am dying to see Viney, Toumpas, Hogan, Salem, JKH, Harmes and Hunt get a sold run for the Dees but I am having to wait.

With Roos repeating his words about young players earning their place, and older bodies "protecting their development", I reckon Byrnes will play round 1 instead of JKH. Both on display at Casey on Saturday so it will be interesting.

Parking and entry/exit: There are now multiple lanes and traffic lights. It won't be smooth, but then it has taken me 40 mins sometimes on Queen's Birthday to get out of the MCG. Also, don't go via Cranbourne, but stick on the Freeway until the Narre Warren exit 404, travel along this unti you get to Berwick Cranbourne Rd 407. This leads straight to Casey Fields. Be wary of parking in the new estates. Some are not as close to the ground as you think, and the police will book you if you park half on a nature strip. Why play the 2013 Premiers? Because that is who you measure yourself against, and it will expose those who cannot play under pressure. Being the last game before regular season we will get a clear picture of how/if we have progressed. What to look for? Which talls are fit and ready for round 1. Who will complete the back six: Georgiou, Strauss, Clisby, other Running forward role: Bail or Blease, Small forward: JKH or Byrnes Question: Reckon we can get on the ground for kick to kick?

My mum's in her 80's and is 3rd generation MFC follower. She has Stuie Spencer and Ian Ridley as the 2 best rovers we have produced. She can still recount all the great players and finals through the late 40's - mid 60's. She rates Flower very highly, but never rated Neitz. She loves Nathan Jones and reckons he would have a got a game in the 50's under Norm Smith.