Macca

Here's a few previews of the bigger match-ups

You make sense with what you're saying but the leap forward for draftees is always a factor. And that includes the gap from the VFL (Casey) to the AFL If he wasn't also a ruckman I'd be more cautious but we need someone to give Gawn a rest during the games so who plays that 2nd ruck role instead of Jackson? Effectively. We need T-Mac to focus on his role as a KPF and if Jackson plays then Weideman probably doesn't play. Petty or Oscar are vying for the one KPD spot it seems. Pruess is pure back-up for Gawn. And then there's Smith who might be able to play a role forward or back There's a number of options but who is best equipped to play as the 2nd ruck/Forward? Give us your alternative plan old dee

The messiah attitude can be a thing but not in this thread at least. From my point of view I've got Jackson in the forward line instead of Weideman and he can also ruck for 10% - 15% of the game. There are at least 6 or 7 other forwards rotating through and the expectations are equal for all of them. Same for all members of the team in fact. And it won't matter when he makes his debut ... there will be hype. Probably better to get it out of the way (done quietly with zero fanfare) Besides all that if he's best* 22 play the bloke. It's just 1 spot in the team. Pickett is in my team early as well mainly because the other small forward options aren't much chop. Rivers can also force the selectors hand early as well if his training form warrants a spot in the starting 22. *My best 22 nearly always means with a bit of an eye on the future.

Pats Rams Packers

Weideman being tried down back has a bit of merit though @Fifty-5 Possibly for similar reasoning re T-Mac in the forward line. Again, what have we got to lose with such a move as next season is probably make-or-break for Sam. He's got to start making an impact otherwise he'll end up as back-up only. Minding a man, punching from behind and then running on to the ball then dishing off isn't all that complicated compared to the work involved to become a proper KPF. It might just suit him. Worth a try anyway

If I was an optimist, I wouldn't be surprised. And if I was a pessimist, I'd be totally shocked if we were a genuine premiership threat next season. Realists on the other hand are often boring but mostly right. 'old dee' for instance is a realist and he is often right with his views on the team. I rarely argue with him If we win more than 12 games I will be surprised. But there's often a fine line between 10 & 14 wins so a plus and minus factor needs to be a caveat. To win more than 12 games we'll need to fix a variety of issues A lack of genuine leg speed around the ground and away from stoppages Disposal is often woeful including kicking to position, targets or space Kicking for goal is also a huge problem that needs to be overcome A dysfunctional forward line devoid of real marking power and proper systems Clearance work that leaves a lot to be desired considering we have a dominant ruckman We also lack dash out of defence and we don't set up enough scoring opportunities from our defence 2nd & 3rd efforts are not of a great standard either (especially in comparison to the top sides) It's all in front of us 55 ... anything is possible of course but we've got a lot to improve on if we're to become a genuine threat. Right now, I'd happily take 10-12 wins (for any number of reasons including not having to dispense with the coach) My wish is finals but I'm a realist.

Best team (with an eye on the future) is my go-to measure. But don't go overboard on youth as we have done previously. You need a good mix but we can afford to play 2 or 3 youngsters as part of the 22 (right now, all things considered)

It is not like we're going to ruin him if we play him from the word go. All thoughts of Watts, Cook & Weideman should be eliminated. This bloke (Jackson) looks a lot different to other talls that we've drafted in the recent past. Plus, he's a ruckman. I reckon he's possibly/probably ready to go and we're only going to find that out if we play him straight off. That doesn't mean that he won't need a spell after a time during his first year And forget about what you and I might be thinking ... what about what Goodwin is thinking?

Yeah, seriously. What the hell are you worried about old dee? It's not like he's going to be broken in 2 in the big time. He also plays as the back-up ruckman ... it's either Jackson or Weideman as the other key forward and I only see Weideman as back-up right now. And Weideman can't ruck. I'd be getting games into Jackson whilst we're miles off being a contender. Same for Pickett. If we were a premiership threat then it's a different approach. We'll be lucky to win 10 - 12 games next year though so it's time to develop players. And the FF spot isn't really FF anymore. Jackson could play as a tall key deep rotating elsewhere in the forward line as well as a few stints in the ruck and on the ball. No time like the present. We have drafted for position with all 3 draftees and that tells us a fair bit. Goodwin's comment that Jackson could be a 200cm midfielder reveals a bit too (in terms of how he'll be used) Time will tell.

Emery out and Freddie in at Arsenal. Unai seemed to be under pressure from his time of arrival. Still, nearly all the sacked coaches bob up elsewhere soon enough. They don't go hungry.

I reckon all 3 draftees will be in the team by round 2 rjay. Plus Tomlinson & Langdon. Baker comes in as well possibly to add some more pace. My reckoning is we're going to see a very different side in 2020. We are not going to see the 2018 model again and the 2019 model was largely forgettable Time to change things up and let's face it, we've really got nothing to lose by taking risks. So there's no risk by default. HF: Melksham T-Mac Fritsch F: Pickett Jackson Jones I've got Petracca up around the ball but more so the stoppages. It's time to find out how good a player he can become.

2 points on offer this week as we approach the last quarter of the season. And there are a number of road teams that are in with a chance. Good luck! Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 10 - JV7, Go the Biff 9 - Dee Zephyr, Gorgoroth 7 - Dappa Dan, Layzie, Macca 6 - Clintosaurus 4 - DeeSpencer

Ravens do look very good and if they can bridge the 1 game gap on the Pats they'll then have the tie-break advantage. The Pats could easily win their last 5 games though with their only tough game being @ Houston next week. They are at home against KC in week 14 but they'll probably win that one. And home field throughout the playoffs for the Pats usually means another SB appearance. Pats schedule ... Ravens have to win-out the rest of the regular season Dappa to stand a chance for the 1 seed ... and that's do-able but they meet the 49ers next week (SB Preview?) Ravens vs Pats instead of Pats vs Ravens is probably a 15-20 point swing. Ravens schedule ... As for the Niners, their schedule is tough but they are playing really well. The Packers aren't that good but we were completely dismantled by San Francisco, all the same. San Francisco schedule ... The Saints stand in the way of the Niners for the 1 seed and they meet in the New Orleans dome in week 14 (Dec 9th) Saints schedule ... There's a lot of big games coming up in fact ... as it normally is in December. Packers, Vikings, KC & Seattle can all feature as well but all 4 teams probably need to win-out to have any chance of a bye during the playoffs Anyone up for the power index as per rating the 12 top teams? Or should we wait until after week 13?

49ers far too good ... their remaining schedule might in fact be tougher for their opponents rather than vice-versa One could argue that San Francisco would be 11 & 0 if Garoppolo's receivers didn't drop so many simple catches against Seattle. Packers remaining schedule isn't tough by any means but Green Bay just need to win their next game (at Giants)

Weekend Special France Ligue 1 Monday 01.00am Bordeaux vs Monaco Bordeaux (Win) & +2.5 Goals Match Score $4.60

Raiders Steelers Lions

My first reaction is that it just doesn't seem the right fit (similar to Jose at Man Utd) ... Spurs have traditionally played an enterprising and attacking brand of football and Jose's style is often anything but that. Hope it works for you & DZ and the rest of your fans but I have doubts. Jose's style only works if it turns into silverware and although Spurs haven't won big for a time you've at least been very watchable on the eye. Not sure what the hell happened with Poch - chocolates to boiled lollies in an instant. Jungle drums say he'll end up at Man Utd so we'll find out soon enough GV. Or maybe we won't

Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 10 - JV7, Go the Biff 9 - Dee Zephyr, Gorgoroth 7 - Dappa Dan, Layzie, Macca 6 - Clintosaurus 4 - DeeSpencer Not a great deal on offer this week in terms of road winners but there are some excellent match-ups nonetheless.

Tomorrow's divisional clash is line-ball though Dappa. The Chargers will take it up to the Chiefs and it might easily be a close game throughout. In fact the AFC West winner is up for grabs with the Chargers not far away in the standings along with the Raiders (who have won 5 of their last 7) The line is set at -4.5 (KC) which is often interpreted as the 'Vegas' line. Should or could be -6.5 or even down to -3.5 but the bookies would prefer to design the betting.

I went with your pick in the multi (later on) but earlier on I used DZ's & my pick together with what I thought were a couple of 'Sure-things' (Vikings - NFL & France - Euro Qualifier) ... just to boost up the overall odds by 60%. Got the collect eventually with England scoring the 4th goal in the 90th minute along with the Vikings coming back to win after being down 0 - 20 at half time! Always need a bit of luck with any collect Wadda.

Apparently you're barracking strong for the Chargers tomorrow? But as of right now you are leading the tipping comp DZ!

Saints, Pats, KC

Weekend Special Euro Qualifying Monday 4.00am Kosovo vs England England (Win) & +3.5 Goals Match Score $3.10

Lakers & Celtics leading their respective conferences ... that's a throwback And haven't the Warriors fallen away? Clippers have their next 5 at home so their record could easily improve. There's a lot of teams in it this season including your Sixers.

Your D is very good (2nd in yards allowed) so Garoppolo doesn't necessarily need to be a star QB. Your running game is 2nd in the league too (behind the Ravens only) so Garoppolo just needs to be managed well. The Packers/49ers is a good match-up too as the Packers have improved their D and their running game as well. Thus, taking the pressure off Rodgers (about time!)