Hannabal

Unprofessional by the club. Clearly Warnock should have been listed as an emergency, irrespective of whether Frawley's ailment came out of the blue. "Emergencies" are emergencies for a reason.

How anyone could "quite like", or "not mind" the white clash strip would have to be one of life's great mysterys. It's hideous. I wanted to punch the closest person to me when I saw it on Saturday. Thankfully, I have extraordinary self control.

Sure, happy to help out. He started as a young backman and showed a bit when we had a dearth of tall backs coming through. He and Ferguson were blooded at a similar time. In his third year (2004) they switched him forward where he played arguably his best year as a hard leading centre half forward. Our kicking style under Daniher suited him down to the ground, we were a better team and mass flooding hadn't quite hit the AFL. As zones came in, flooding became rampant and we deteriorated as a footy side Miller started to lose his mojo and we started to lose the ability to kick through zones. Miller has no tricks, is poor on the deck and isn't great one-on-one, so the evolution of the game wasn't to his advantage. He found himself back and forward without making either end of the ground his own. He's always been a leader and well respected off the field, so it's no surprise that he's been in the leadership group and in many ways he's been at the right club at the right time. The club lost its key forward in Neitz and he's had no pressure from the likes of Newton, so it's not hard to see why he's retained his spot on the list and added to his games tally. The club also wanted him to be the bigger body around Watts while the latter developed. Henry Playfair is in his 7th year of AFL footy. While key forwards are hard to unearth average players will remain on lists. I watch him closely and he's not hard at it. He doesn't bust open packs in marking contests, or pave the way for mids. You only had hark back to the G last year to see how a young Joel Selwood was prepared to risk life and limb running with the flight of the ball unaware what was coming the other way, whilst the much larger Miller running towards the ball wasn't. Selwood took the mark while Miller avoided body contact. Miller has played 131 more games of AFL footy than me. He has limited ability, but he has ability. Any "heart" he may have had earlier in his career has eroded. He's not hard at the contest and has become a list clogger. Those lauding his heart and apettite for the contest are delusional, or just don't watch footy closely.

That would be an incorrect "fact".

I don't agree at all. He's insipid at the contest. I can forgive his lack of skill, just not his application. You and I watch a different footballer.

He has no heart where it matters, on the footy field. He's respected around the club and was pivotal in building the school for Trisha Broadbridge, which is great, but he has the heart of a grape seed where it matters to me.

It's a fine line bewteen getting much needed games into a player and at the same time protecting his pysche. Watts mustn't play QB imo. It won't do him any good and after his last two games he doesn't deserve to play. It was again pointed out to me today that he's yet to have a decent preseason, so there are valid reasons that are hindering his progress, bu he needs to go back to Casey and find some form and confidence. As for Miller ? I have no time for him whatsoever. He has no heart.

X3 I'm not necessarily talking about this week, but Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Bate, Bail and Strauss are the players I'd like to be developed. Rivers, MacDonald (hack), Bruce, Bartram and Jones are some that are on borrowed time. Jones is ok and has improved his kicking, but in reality he's just a plodder without any creativity. Bartram is having a good year and has also improved his kicking, but as we improve his class deficiency will expose him.

I actually loved the fact that they didn't [censored].

Flabbergasted. A lost experience to see the best first hand.

True, he's a freak that isn't a natural footballer. He's the most overhyped player I've seen. And it's embarrassing that some flogs just toe the line. He's done nothing more, or less than I expected, having seen him a few times at junior level.

Why do you have a picture of the Carlton coach as your avatar ?

Let me help you out. I'd just finished having a beer after the game in the Bullring (just the one unfortunately) when the fellow I was with had to go. I normally stay a bit longer, but decided to leave. As I was leaving the stadium I tuned in to AW and they were just starting to talk about Watts. Shane Healy was overly keen to get Matthews' opinion. Btw, does Shane Healy annoy the hell out of anyone else ? Anyway, he originally asked for a mark out of 10, but Matthews didn't want to go down that path. Matthews decided to grade him, or any other young player mentioned, as either 1, 2, or 3. 'One' was for a "good AFL player now", and he put Jack Grimes in that category, 'two' was "may become a good AFL player" and 'three' was "not likely to become a good AFL player". Matthews graded Watts bewteen 2 and 3. Healy repeated the question, "so you'd put Jack between not a good player now and may not become one ?" to wit Matthews replied, "yes, at best". I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. I understood why he was saying that Watts had a "flanker's" body during the game, even though I was annoyed when he said he'd "hardly" bulked up from last year, but his comments after the game really riled me. Matthews toned down his thoughts about Watts in his AFL.com article that came out yesterday, but I really wonder about the bloke sometimes. Matty Richardson was slightly more complimentary, but not a great deal. It was almost like he just toed the line with Matthews. He gave Watts game 5 out of 10, which was fair enough. He said that Saturday was the first time he'd actually seen Watts "show something". Matthews really is a [censored]. He's not a stupid [censored], because he can offer very good insight. But he's either got something against Watts, or doesn't like Melb. Having heard that he doesn't rate our clubs golden era due to our advantages of playing on our home ground at the G I suspect it's the latter.

Hand on heart - not even close. Naitanui is the most overrated "footballer" I've ever seen.

I think you're confusing Walls with David Parkin.

I doubt that Watts has any attitude problem whatsoever. In reality, the sacrifices he's already made as a 19 year old in pursuing his vocation are admirable. It's easy to forget what oneself was like at the same age. Jack is a bit of a lad, but I see no problem in that. He's got the right people around him to help mould his character and I've got great faith in the youngsters coming through. Tom Scully has captain written all over him, as has Grimes and Trengove. With peers like that an already great young man like Jack Watts can't help but tread the right path.

I disagree with you. Whilst there are degrees of everything, I think you're selling Watts short. He is going to be far more powerful and stronger than you're asserting. And he will be able to "pack mark" against the best fullbacks of the day. Power comes from speed and bulk. Watts will have both in spades, ergo, a power forward. Just unlike many we've seen.

Dunn has been handy, but hardly a world beater. He doesn't kick enough goals as a forward and regularly gives away an undisciplined free kick at the most infuriating time. He's in his 5th year and is still to cement a position. If you can't drop Dunn to promote/develop a player of Watts class who can you drop. Dunn is the logical choice to make way.

I suppose it depends upon your notion of a power forward. For what it's worth, I think that he will be a "power forward", just one of the likes that has rarely been seen before. Watts is faster and more agile than almost all of the mids in the competition. His skills are on a par with the best mids in the competition. Is this why you don't think he'll be a power forward ? Is it because he doesn't fit the stereotype of a power forward ? He's going to be an extremely powerful man in 3/4 years. Sure, he won't stay in the square and wrestle all day. He'll use his speed up the ground and turn his opponents inside out by doubling back and he'll also be too quick on the lead, but it will be well within his armoury to outmuscle an opponent. I suggest he'll become the quintessential power forward. So, yeah, I beg to differ.

Examples ?

What is it about this thread that you hate ? Seemingly, unlike you, I find the keying of another person's car "reprehensible".

He was named at CHF and obviously played as a key forward, but how did he position himself ? Did he start each centre bounce at CHF ? Did he at times play deeper to goal ? Did he play almost in between FF and CHF ? Was he the main forward focal point, or share the duties equally with Newton and Miller ?

Just calling it how I see it. I've seen plenty worse and no doubt he'll play 60 or so games for the club, but I see an old-fashioned half back plodder when I watch him play. He's an honest and serviceable player.

Just a player. Won't be in our next premiership team.

My wife is a breast cancer survivor and was part of the inaugural Field of Women game. She'll be on the field again this Friday having been invited to once again represent this cause. And it's especially dear to her considering she's lost two friends over the last 12 months from the disease. She thinks it's a great event, but as a Demon herself she'd rather our jumper not change. The jumper change isn't that big a deal to me, but I'd prefer it be sacrosanct.