Jaded No More

I like PJ and I rate his workrate. Hell, he is even winning ruck contests, but gees he can't mark for [censored]. He is seriously lost as a forward, and his kicking is ordinary too. He is about as good up forward as White is, minus the ability to take a contest mark and kick. When Dutchy has a better game up forward than anyone, you know you are in real trouble.

I heard that this is not Big Brother. If he is a smart arse, if he is a tool, if he has issues... I don't care. If he can play football, I care. This is not a personality contest, it is a 'how well can you mark and kick and chase' contest. Plenty of smart arses have played the game before Netwon very successfully. In fact, some of the best players in the history of the game have been slightly less than perfect. Who the hell cares? This should be about his ability. If he has some, then he should get a game. Especially since many players in our side, who I'm sure are lovely people, have none.

He wouldn't be the first on my list, and I would rather keep him, but let's be honest, would you not trade him for Judd? Here is the problem, Davey is very very very good when he is on, but he has too many off nights. He is yet to impress in finals, he has a very short attention span and can lose his cool far too easily. I love watching him, and his value goes far behind chases, tackles and goals. He brings in the crowds because he is great entertainment, but winning a premiership will do all that and more.

It kills me to say, but you are spot on. Mind you, nobody else in the leadership group did anything to inspire really. Brock is still the pick of the bunch, but he had a dirty night. Can't wait to see what he does next week, it will be a true test of character for someone who has plenty of it. Actually thought Frawley did a couple of nice things. Petterd's behind did a good job warming the bench for Yze.

Take out Davey and put in Jones and you're just about right. Bruce and TJ should absolutely be put on the table. Green and Davey are not safe either. Trading a big name player now, will get us something good. Don't wait till it's too late, the way we did with Yze. Be tough and you might pull off another Shane Woewodin deal. I don't care who coaches us next year, as long as they are PROACTIVE. If they have the balls to put our big name players up on the trading table, then they will also have the balls to shake this team to the core and we will hopefully never see a repeat of tonight.

I'd love for them to not come out in the media this week and just say nothing. We've heard enough. Enough excuses, enough pathetic support for our coach, enough of the 'no leadership, didn't come to play, my nana's dog got sick' [censored]. How about for one week, our players keep their mouth shut and just say nothing. The only person who I would like to hear from his Brock. I'm sure he'll have a pretty honest assessment of his game tonight as stand-in captain. He really disappointed me, but then I am sure he is just as angry and upset as I am. He'll bounce back and he'll lead this side successfully for many years to come, but I can't say the same for a lot of his teammates. Ricky, Sylvia, Bate, Belly, Jonesy, Frawley... if we don't hold onto these kids, what hope have we got? And if Ricky is wasted on the bench for the entire first quarter while Yze can't be bothered bending over and picking up a ball, than he should be filthy. He got dragged for what exactly? Going into contests courageously and kicking a goal?

Newton would have made no difference to the results tonight, but then you made the comment that selecting Yze ahead of him, or Dunn or Miller (could have gone on to Richo?) was a pathetic, uninspired move (Ok, I've twisted your words a bit there, but the point is the same). In fact, it was the move of a coach with very little guts to just go forward and try something new. The season is shot, it was shot long before tonight, and long before we beat Adelaide. And yet nothing, absolutely nothing changes. Well now that we absolutely cannot make finals, I want to see Newton, Dunn, Buckley get a game. Don't care how mentally ready they are. This is football, it's a tough game and if you can't hack it, go home. As for trying PJ up forward, they did, and he still can't mark. I find that it is actually a big problem when someone the size of King Kong can't extend his hands and grab the ball. Will never make it as a forward, never ever.

The players should get a LOT of the blame. For me to sit at a game and actually wonder what the hell is going on with Brock McLean, well that is just unheard of. I was thrilled to see him toss the coin, and it went horribly down hill from there. I blame Daniher solely for selecting an unfit Yze ahead of the 3 tall forwards he had at Sandringham. I also blame him for not making Richmond's loose man accountable for half the match. I blame him for letting Godfrey get so much of the ball then turning it over. I blame him for the forward structure, and his persistence with PJ who cannot mark to save himself. What I don't blame him for is players not hitting targets, players not chasing, players showing NOTHING. Not even our best player and future leader in Brock McLean was in any way, shape or form impressive tonight, but this is his first poor game at the club... how many poor performances have Neale put it? I am gutted. Getting smashed by Richmond... it does not get any lower than that.

Is that a hard-ball get?

It would go something like this: "What do you think about Melbourne's season?" "We're [censored], but we'll still make finals and win the premiership" "Who are you excited to see play this year?" "Newton, he is the next Gary Ablett. No, scrap that, he is BETTER than Gary Ablett and Wayne Carey and Chris Judd. He is probably better than Jesus too" "Anything else you'd like to say?" "Yes. I would like to formally deny that I am involved in any way with Colin Sylvia. My love for him is purely based on his football ability. He is the single greatest footballer to ever walk the earth and he will probably win every Brownlow from now until he retires. He might win a couple after retirement as well"

It's 1-1 for disturbing gutter-comments made by us today.

What sort of refined ladies do you hang around?

Damn you! Always stealing my thunder. I think Brocky would appriciate it more if I was driving!

Come on, spill... who do you know? <_< Nothing surprising though. Hopefully Yze has a good game and we get to see Juice soon. Oh and BROCKY FOR CAPTAIN. That is the new bandwagon I'm driving tonight.

True. It's not like we've got finals to get passionate and excited about! If we didn't have the kids, we'd pretty much have nothing, and since we talk about the awesomeness of Brock, Jones, Belly, Bate and Sylvia (not so much when certain posters are on holidays ) all the time, we got bored and decided to jump onto the 'Michael Newton is better than sliced bread' bandwagon. I was really certain he'd play tonight for some reason, but I'm starting to think it was just false hope.

Come on, you left me right open and my gutter brain just went into over-drive. It was an obvious call to make!

Well it was raining before while I was driving home, OK?! :angry:

It's looking likely to turn nasty is what I meant. Unlike yesterday when we had blue sky throughout the day. Dutchy to FF is about as useful as bringing back Phil Read. Unless you just want him to be a decoy. I really hope that the days of Dutchy missing from 10m out are over!

It's raining on and off, so the ground will be very wet and heavy. Sky is looking nice and dark. I'll give it till about 6pm and then it is likely to bucket down. It's also cold... very very cold. Expecting Brock and Godders to have a night out! :D

The nasty weather makes me think more and more that Yze will replace Neita. Also wouldn't surprise me if they drop Dutchy and bring in Brown.

I think it already has

But so were Yze and Brown... Maybe Neita will play afterall.

Well let's think about this logically... All week they told us Neita is out injured. Dunn, Miller and Newton are the 3 replacements if we go tall, but only Newton is named as an emergency. If they wanted to play Yze, they would have dropped someone and named him. He is not an unknown proposition. Maybe the reason they named Juice as an emergency is because they are trying very hard to keep a lid on the kid, and they think that a low-key introduction to footy might be best for him. I'm sure he knows whether he's playing or not, and so do his family and friends... but imagine the hysteria if they named him tonight! They might want to save him the extra pressure. I'm clutching at straws, and Yze will play instead, right?

EM: Newton, Brown, Yze IN: Pickett OUT: Johnstone (achilles) I see it, but I don't believe it I actually hope Neita doesn't get up for tomorrow so that we can see Newton line up, but I'm almost certain Yze will replace Neita in the line-up, especially if it's wet.

All I've heard so far is that they've named Neita and Pickett. One could assume that as it stands, the outs are TJ, with Pickett his replacement. But what we really want to see are the emergencies, as there is no way Neita will play tomorrow. If Newton is an emergency, he's some sort of a chance and we can all get excited.