Pennant St Dee

As much as I think whilst playing home games in Victoria we should never have to play away from the G I like this idea, if we could negotiate some kind of deal where we played 4 games a year at a boutique stadium at Casey which resulted in us getting other games against Vic opposition at the G it would be a good thing. The Hawks adapted quickly after the 96 merger and we stood still, which is why we are playing catch up. Big Jim made moves from 08 which have brought us financially to where we are today but as 2011 taught us we can't stand still and need to keep looking at ways to make the club a power again and keep ahead of the pack. Whilst I think we will always struggle to match the supporter bases of the Pies, Bombers, Hawks, Blues & Tigers I think the Casey move has given us a foothold in a growing area. As other have said AAMI is a big step up from the Junction but the Cats and Bombers are already planning new state of the art facilities so the proposal is good for the club IMO and if it comes off even better!

I know a lot of us look at the club with rose coloured glasses, but intensity, game plan, physicality and structure seem to be the big changes from the reports we are getting. To Maldonboy, Freak & Joeboy as a supporter who lives in WA thank you very much for the updates becuase if it aint blue & gold we don't here about it in this town. Have to say I'm looking forward to seeing how the new training and natural evolution of the younger players will see us perform on the real stage this season. Keep up the good work guys

Still hoping for a miracle for Jimmy, Sam, Matesse, Tiernan and family. Keep fighting & inspiring Jimmy you are an absolute legend!

We will improve I have no doubt, natural progression of our young list, the GWS saga behind us, a lot of players with points to prove after 2011. Yes I would like to make finals but not just to make up the numbers, What I want for 2012 is to be a team that is hard to beat week in week out, cop no beltings and be pushing for the 8 and finally for there to be enough improvement even if we don't make finals for the doomsayers on this site to finally see we are heading in the right direction and have been for some time. Yes 2011 was dissapointing but remember this time last year we all thought everything was going to fall into place. We have seen the club and FD get the kick in the arse after this year and everyone realised the job was nowhere near completed. With continued hard work 2012 should give us something to be positive about IMO

I don't think the fact he is indigenous is the reason. It's his style of play, TJ was of the same ilk and Sylvia on a lesser note and do you remember Andrew Mcdougall pick 4 in National draft. laconic with talent to burn like the others. People expect LJ to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it off his own boot and with Aussie we remember the Freo comeback game and expected him to do that on a regular basis. Sometimes when you are so talented you don't have to work as hard as the others from a young age and that is where I think the issue is with supporters. But I believe what the club is doing with building his fitness base and increasing his aerobic capacity will benefit him greatly, he has the explosiveness and ability to create something out of nothing so I would not be criticising the club or LJ at this stage without knowing the facts behind his training programme

it's nothing to do with the colour of their skin, it is Manson's record of committment I am against, footy isn't that big a deal for him it is just something he is good at, in fact a freak. But he is not prepared to put in the hard yards, that is from his application at draft screening and also failing to put in the hard yards at Claremont, we seen what lack of fitness did to us last season the line must be drawn in the sand

Seriously "roost it" I think you validate your opinion higher than others may do, that may sound harsh but to think your view has more meaning than others, get over yourself. This midfield is developing and will take some more time, Eagles midfield was D grade at best in 2010 step in Shuey & Gaff allowing Emlbey to play as an outsider and on the wing, a fit Kerr although he didn't last the season and doesn't have that much more footy left in him and they had an A grade midfield in 2011. The changes in our list and development in 3rd & 4th year players will see us with a B grade midfield and take pressure of Maloney & Jones similar to what happended last season for Priddis and Embley. I don't kid myself we will flick the switch and be a Top 6 side next season but I really don't think we are that far away from making the 8 and with the growing maturity in our list cementing Top 6 to Top 4 regularly after 2013

The improved fitness overall will come in very handy and have a domino effect. Don't underestimate the effect lack of conditioning and tired legs has on disposal and being able to use fitness to create space and gain extra time will help, I'm not saying we will all of a sudden become an elit kicking side but better conditioning should provide some help in disposal

None of these names fall into the Manson or LJ project, they are not from Communities and have proved a track record of training week in week out at TAC, local Colts etc so don't see the same issues of progression to AFL although the step is huge for them they do not have the other outside issues.

Give it time and it will make the nucleaus of a regular Top 4 contender midfield, I'm not saying we will be top 4 next year But I expect it to take a step forward and progress. Top 6 2013/14 & after that we should be right up there

Will give you that but wouldn't like to be carrying another similar project on our list

But Jones has developed every year and what is he now 23-25 he is prepared to put in the hard yards, who was Dane Swan 3 - 4 years ago, Trengove is all class and will be a 10-15 year player, Gysberts is still a kid, Mckenzie had no pre season last year but great work ethic, Viney is to come, Grimes, Tappy, Blease are talked about to come into the midfield, I have said it for the last 18 months this team is the team around 86-87 all over at some stage they will click, I don't know when that will be but I look forward to the day, so I wouldn't be to quick to right this midfield off as never being any use!

I'm sorry to be cynical but LJ has shown glimpses without setting the world on fire and Aussie for a lot of reasons beyond his control just lacked the desperation and drive to make it. Fairytail stories rarely happen and it's time this club made the real hard decisions, Manson turned up at draft camp in thongs to do some of his runs and slept in for the day of the endurance testing or that is what was reported, so I'm sorry I am not willing to take the risk on him even as a rookie give me a Woewodin or Dean Cox any day as a rookie prepared to put in the hard yards and do whatever it takes to make it

I like your thinking but where's Watts, I think we saw this season how hard he was starting to run. Teams that run and work hard will find the ball easily enough and just maybe Davey can get back to breaking lines and give us the quality delivery he has. It's not about the best 22 it will be about picking the 22 for beating the opposition, we need 28-32 players who can just fit into a role should someone get suspended or injured, that is the Pies strength and hopefully will become ours

I like your thinking but where's Watts, I think we saw this season how hard he was starting to run. Teams that run and work hard will find the ball easily enough and just maybe Davey can get back to breaking lines and give us the quality delivery he has. It's not about the best 22 it will be about picking the 22 for beating the opposition, we need 28-32 players who can just fit into a role should someone get suspended or injured, that is the Pies strength and hopefully will become ours

Worth the risk at pick 54 IMO, Big Bodied players is what we need and we have one while others develop, Neeld is going to pla a Pies, Eagles press type game IMO and lets face it we wont do that b bombing it in to Green, Petterd, Jurrah and Howe. Eagles go long into their orward line and have Kennedy, Lynch, Darling & a resting Cox or Natanui contesting, while the Pies have Cloke, Dawes, Brown & sometimes Jolly. This gives us plenty of tall options even to swing back playing against the sides with the big forwards as we really only had Frawley & Garland with Rivers fighting out of his weight. I have had faith in Neelds decisions so far, doesn't care for reputations and seems to know what he wants to fit the plan and lets face it no one would have known more about this kid and his ability than Neil Craig. So once agin worth the risk I say

Forget him done and dusted, better off without any disloyal players, stinks of Demetriou all over this deal, Best way to stick it up the Afl and the former player is to move forward develop this young list into regular finals side, premiership contenders and win a flag or two. Lets see Tom end his career with nothing but thoughts of what loyalty may have brought him!

Absolutley love the man, he is inspiring and I hope something miraculous occurs for him and his family. All the best to you Jim keep fighting the fight!

It's is sad yes but unfortunatley the hard decision had to be made and probably due to matters out of Aussies control there really was only one decision to be made. Good luck Aussie hope life looks after you from here on in.

41,022 hit the ground running from pre season for the first time since 2000 and some unsigned members will jump on board

Dempster is the one who would interest me, wouldnt be on big coin and does the team thing plays his role and the perentages I think Lyon at Freo may look at him. In all honesty though who the Pies delist/move on like Mcaffer & Mcartney may hold more upside

Couldn't do it to many what if's, opposition, at the G, interstate, Etihad. But I think that may be a good thing I think reputation alone wont get you a game with us next season and Neeld and other coaches will pick teams to beat the opposition not just who are are best 22 players. I don't think Bartram is amongst our best 22 players but showed late last season he may be our best tagger, although if you want someone to Tag a player who runs all day Bail is your man. If Dunn could get back to his 2010 form of being a shutdown player in attack I see Neeld playing him against the likes of Hodge who likes to control the game from Half back flank. No matter what team people come up with there will be a player on our list we don't have in our best 22 who steps forward when given the opportunity like Martin did this year. At least with spots up for grabs hopefully the competition will make all perform and earn their spots

Jetta - this kid is naturally hard at it also provides tackling pressure, which along with Petterd and Howe providing same helps us implement the press and defensive pressure in the forward zone once Clark, Watts and rotating Jamar bring the ball to gron Bennell is also an option the kid needs to realise the talent he has

If he wants # 1 give it to him but my first thought like others here was # 31, make the statement you are forgotten and replaced pretty quickly plenty of supporters going around with that number on their jumpers. For what he has done for the club # 11 to me is sacred and we either do a Port # 1, Tiges # 17 thing and give it to our captain or give it to the winner of our clubman award for the previous season

I agree I meant to say Bail is an absolute running machine