Macca

Finding an order was the hardest part ... 6 - Nathan Jones (17 contested possessions and 9 clearances) 5 - Tyson (could be a star) 4 - Vince (15 contested possessions and 8 clearances) 3 - Viney (no fear) 2 - Watts (fantastic in the last quarter) 1 - Pedersen (continues to impress) Could have given any number of players some votes but the top 4 set up the win. Our clearance work was excellent (14-5 out of the centre was a great result) Stone is coordinating things nicely and our midfield is starting to work well as a unit. Vince's disposal efficiency numbers are misleading - he quite often gets the ball moving our way when under pressure. Providing our forwards play in front, that untidy kick can be quite valuable. Watts' last quarter was great. Pedersen took some telling marks whilst Howe looks good down back. Cross, Garland and Dunn all had good games. Gawn and Jamar both had noteworthy games. All our players contributed and we didn't have a poor player.

Aussies 1 and 2 in the Giro! ... Cadel is in a great position and Michael Matthews has done superbly well. First of the mountain stages happens tonight ... here's a preview (which includes the "profile") ... stage 8 .

Good start for the Aussies and Cadel is only 7 seconds off the pace after his BMC team came third in the team time trial ... Orica-GreenEDGE wins opening stage of Giro d’Italia Stage 2 (Belfast - Belfast) Live coverage every day from about 10.30pm - SBS & SBS HD.

Yeah, I'm happy to for us to draft another player from the Crimson Tide - Lacy is working out really well. Ha'Sean (his real name) looks a likely type and we certainly need to strengthen our secondary. As predicted, the Packers went for a WR in the 2nd round (Devante Adams) I see the Texans might have been looking at Bridgewater and they had their next pick after your Vikes picked Teddy at 32. Houston still haven't grabbed a QB after today's picks and that's a bit of a surprise (or maybe it isn't*) Garoppolo was drafted by the Patriots so it could be assumed that they're looking at life after Tom. Bryan Fischer from NFL.com has given the Rams, *Texans, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders and the Packers some high praise after the completion of their 3rd round picks. However, like all drafts, you need to keep your fingers crossed! 2014 NFL Draft: Second day quick-snap grades for all 32 teams

I'm not entirely up with things but have heard a number of good reports re Bridgewater. What happens to Ponder and Cassell now? Is Freeman off your roster? The Packers picked up a free safety with their 1st pick. "Interesting" name ... Ha Ha Clinton-Dix ... he might be able to play well and make us Green Bay fans smile at the same time! (ha ha) Johnny Football ended up at Browns - I hope he goes well after all the hype. 5 WR's went in the 1st round but not one RB (again) I heard Bill Parcells the other day talking about how the College system can often shape the direction of the NFL (in relation to the type of player that is produced)

... now we can all get some sleep! Great result - sanity prevails.

The whole thing is a total farce - it was only a matter of time until we fell victim to this utterly stupid ruling. If a broken jaw is sustained as a result of incidental contact from a fair bump, bad luck. Incidental contact should be viewed as just being part of the game. If the head is targeted, it's a different story. A reckless action should also be punished. Viney did none of that. If the appeal fails, the precedent has been set. Or has it? It might depend on the circumstances (Prelim final?) and the club involved. What if Pendlebury, Mitchell or Bartel are involved in a similar incident in a finals game? Does the hammer come down just as hard? One thing is for sure, incidents like these are going to happen again and again - our sport is a collision sport and that can't change. Players sustain all sorts of injuries because of just normal footy stuff. The rule is ridiculous and wouldn't even be in existence if it weren't for the AFL's own paranoia. It's a classic case of taking things too far. Sadly, I can't see the AFL doing an about face on this type of incident. What I can see is an inconsistency in the findings in all these type of incidents. As if we needed another grey area to our game!

Villa would need to do the business tomorrow morning for Liverpool to capture the title as I can't see my Hammers troubling City too much in the last round - although, you never know As it is, the title is going to be decided on the last day and if we get a repeat of what happened at the end of the 2011/12, we'll be in for a treat. Man City's title to lose though and to give credit where it's due, their scoring average away from home is over 2 goals and they've averaged over 3 goals at home. City play an excellent brand and they will be deserved winners if they triumph.

Reckon Salem meant to kick it the way it turned out. One of the commentators said it was an accident or a fluke but blokes with elite kicking skills can improvise well when under pressure. It was a rushed ball drop but it didn't matter - he was able to adjust. The distance he kicked the ball was the "tell" He actually kicked through the ball and that generally doesn't happen when you miskick it. He knew what he was doing IMO. Along with Watts, he's already one of our best kicks. I'd keep him as the sub for a bit longer though. There's plenty of time for Christian and we need to develop him properly. He may be a starter with Viney out though. Edit: Viney is now playing! (and rightfully so) .

Reckon Roos gives "certain" players a few weeks to prove themselves - blocks of say, 3-4 games and if they show something, they stay. Obviously, there's a few playing at Casey in that same category so it may just come down to rotating a few in and out over a 3/4 week period. Almost all of those who were down against Sydney, did well yesterday (Dawes, Bail, Terlich, Watts, Howe and Jetta) Giving players a chance to redeem themselves is refreshing to see. That can work in a twofold positive manner - the player gets the chance to reward the coach's faith and by doing so, the coach then starts to have more faith in said player. Our players are starting to develop certain roles within the side and because of that, the trust in each other is prevalent. Still a ways to go though. A lot will depend on the progress of Toumpas, Garland, Kent, Clisby and Riley but unless there's an injury, I can see another "no change" scenario. It was a very good team effort yesterday and for that reason, you'd be loathe to make any changes.

Gotta leave out a number of players but here goes ... 6 ... Vince - tough to play well against your old side but he was most impressive 5 ... Viney - tough as ... 4 ... JKH - his first half set up our win. We've found a player. 3 ... Terlich - he never gives up and is super courageous - kudos. 2 ... Dawes - led by example and always creates a contest 1 ... Tyson - ball magnet Apologies to at least a dozen others. Jamar playing well is very important for us. .

We kicked their butt. A bit too hard at the ball for them, me thinks ... Total football - Roos style. Great teamwork all over the ground. JKH has got a huge upside - no limits for this young bloke. Vince was immense, so many other contributors but Terlich was as cool as a cucumber. Watts was much improved, Pederson stood his ground, Dawes led the forward line, Bail played like he belonged, Viney is as tough as teak. So many good players and no passengers ... a great team effort. Roos ... the master at work - worth every cent.

Yeah Cards, I suppose they'll do a quick catch-up of the first couple/few hours when the coverage begins. The SBS website might have the event live from the get-go but I'm happy to just watch the last few hours (or until I fall asleep on the couch!) Most of the mountain stages fall on Fri/Sat/Sun so that's a plus. I guess the "le tour" coverage doesn't usually get rolling until about 10pm so it's on a par in some ways. Wonder if we'll have an Italian chef like Gabriel Gaté to introduce us to the culinary delights of mediterranean? Excited that Cadel is still in the running to win a big tour. Even a podium finish would be an achievement. The last week will sort them out though - some big climbs. Nairo Quintana is the favourite whilst Joaquim Rodrigues is 2nd favourite. Evans is 3rd favourite. I've not tuned into this event previously (to a great extent) so I'm looking forward to it. Apart from the racing, the lure of these big tours is the fantastic scenery, historic buildings, towns, cities and such like.

Great news for cycling fans ... SBS and SBS HD are showing "live" every stage of the Giro d'Italia. Coverage starts on May 9 (in Belfast) and continues right through until June 1. Coverage will normally begin at about 10.30pm - 11.00pm. Cadel could well be a real threat to win it if the following article rings true ... Cadel Evans lauds "best ever" team for Giro d'Italia tilt ... Official site (there are a dozen or so grueling climbs in 5 of the last 8 stages)

Avs out, Sharks out, that's it, we're all done now - can't take a trick. I was almost certain that one of those 2 teams would get through after the way both teams started their series'. Semi final match-ups look interesting, all the same. Reckon Boston, Pittsburgh, LA and Chicago might get through to the conference finals but with my tipping history, all 4 could go out.

Yep, a lot riding on the result of that Everton/Man City game, Cards ... Chelsea got the win but they will almost certainly need both Man City and Liverpool to each lose one of their remaining games to claim the title. I reckon Liverpool will win their last 2 games anyway but the title is now in Man City's hands (if City can win out) However, even though Arsenal will probably claim 4th spot, Everton will still have an outside chance for a Champions League spot so ... they'll no doubt be going all out for the win against City (next Saturday) An Everton win in that game or even a drawn game would help the Reds immeasurably. Also, if Newcastle can take some points off Arsenal tomorrow morning, that would give the Toffees a bit more motivation. Regardless of all that, Everton's home record has been excellent this season ... table There's still a fair bit to play out.

Huge game tonight at 11pm ... Liverpool vs Chelsea. Everything is on the line for both teams. The reds can afford to draw the match just as long as they can win their last 2 games. However, just like the Liverpool/Man City game played 2 weeks ago, I reckon both teams will be going for the win - should be another beauty. Radio coverage for those without cable

First thing that was noticeable was that he gets to the front position - always a good sign, especially on debut. He looks to have time and he certainly knows how to kick a footy. In fact, he looked right at home. Classy and cool. Got a bit of size about him as well. Keep him as sub for at least one more game though. He needs to be handled well with a proper first year program, mapped out well. I like the way Roos is using our younger brigade. When Toumpas comes back in, he'll be better prepared as well.

We had about 6-8 players who didn't do enough tonight ... Watts, Howe, Frawley, Bail, Dawes, Jetta, Terlich and Byrnes all had questionable games. We needed at least one of Frawley or Dawes to stand up and both those blokes can play a lot better than what they showed tonight. Jamar played ok and hopefully, he'll start to involve himself more as the season progresses (in terms of possessions) Roos will want him to link up and do a lot more running and let's hope he's up for it. He's ahead of Spencer at this stage. Toumpas, Riley, Kent, Garland and Clisby are chances to come in but after that, the cupboard is becoming bare. Hogan will come in when he's ready and Michie might force his way in. Hunt needs time to develop. The rest need to find something and they had better be quick about it. What is becoming increasingly obvious are those who can and can't play under the Roos game plan. That transparency is there for all of us to see. It's hard work playing the way Roos wants them to play and our players are certainly finding that out (finally) There's absolutely no room for lazy players anymore. However, our attack on the ball and our 2nd and 3rd efforts has improved quite substantially. 29 clearances against Sydney's 35 is a fairly good result, all things considered. Our contested possessions matched their numbers as well. Keeping them to only 9 goals is another plus. The difference of course, is the finishing skills but that important area needs time and the recruitment of a number of good footballers. Could be quite a lively off season by the looks of it but until then, all our players will need to make the most of their opportunities. What was also pleasing was that we didn't go to sleep for a quarter. The quarter time scoreline didn't reflect our team's efforts. A reasonably solid performance and we're showing some promise and progress.

Many fail to acknowledge that none of our players stood up in those losses in 2011. Players such as Garland, Frawley, Green, Jamar, Dunn, Rivers, Sylvia, Davey and co were nowhere to be seen when we were being mauled. Our younger players were thrown in amongst it and it's any wonder we ended up where we did. Hopefully that's all about to change for the better. With regards to those 13 losses in 2011, Jones did ok but he wasn't in anywhere near the form he is in now. There's no one else - that means we can point the finger at about 40 listed players from that year (including Moloney) Save for a few individual performances, our players all went missing when the heat was applied in 2011 - that continued on throughout most of 2012 and 2013. We went from having a whole team of flat track bullies who played a bruise free style to having a whole list of no track bullies by the end of 2013. It's a team game and when the team under performs, it's everyone's fault (generally) Coaches, players alike. The only bloke who can be given a pass mark from 2011-2013 is Nathan Jones. The rest failed (on an overall basis) With Roos and PJ at the helm, we've at least got a chance of becoming a relevant footy club again.

The Roos game plan can work well but only when we have enough talented players to carry it out. We'll need to have 5-7 proven good footballers (or very good footballers) from our existing list by years end. ... players who play well, week in, week out. Jones is the standout right now but there's quite a few that can step it up. There's also an abundance of players on our list who have very little chance of becoming proven good footballers. They will be de-listed or traded out. In the off season, we need to bring in as many talented footballers that we can lay our hands on. By the end of 2015, we'll need to have 10-12 proven good footballers on our list. That will bring us up to relevant status (in terms of winning games) The Roos era could very well reflect the Barassi era. At the end of a one win season in 1981, Ron brought in players like Icke, Johnno, Willo, Jarrott and 1 or 2 others. In '82, we at least became relevant again. The next influx of good players wasn't until '85 onwards (although, to be fair, a number of young players that were added between '82 and '85 just didn't come on as expected) Whilst I agree with what Roos is trying to do, he's hamstrung by a severe lack of talent. Same as Barassi was. Our game plan is going to be broken down by our own poor disposal skills and a general lack of ability but .... as more good players are added, our game plan will get appreciably better. We do have at least 12 players on our list (right now) who could turn out to be very good players for us. If half of those 12+ players can become good-very good players for us, we're well on our way. A measure of this is the Bluey Truscott award - we need a lot more players to be in the running to win it.

2 new comedies well worth a look ... Silicon Valley and Broad City. Both are original and cleverly done. Broad City is quite edgy and offbeat whilst Silicon Valley is a little more mainstream with a good dose of sarcasm thrown in.

"Two years ago, Yasiel Puig fled Cuba in the hands of black-market smugglers. This is the story of how the cost of the defection journey - in money and human lives - shadows him still." ... No one walks off the island

Here are the playoff match-ups ... tips in dark italics (I'm really only confident with a couple of tips although both 1 and 2 seeds from each conference should get through) East No. 1 Indiana Pacers (56-26) vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (38-44) No. 2 Miami Heat (54-28) vs. No. 7 Charlotte Bobcats (43-39) No. 3 Toronto Raptors (48-34) vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets (44-38) No. 4 Chicago Bulls (48-34) vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards (44-38) West No. 1 San Antonio Spurs (62-20) vs. No. 8 Dallas Mavericks (49-33) No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder (59-23) vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies (50-32) No. 3 L.A. Clippers (57-25) vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors (51-31) No. 4 Houston Rockets (54-28) vs. No. 5 Portland Trail Blazers (54-28) All 4 West match-ups look interesting and the Rockets/Blazers series could be a beauty. In the East, it looks a bit more straightforward although the Wizards and Raptors can win their series. ESPN are kicking off their coverage with the game between the Grizzlies and OKC this Sunday morning (11.30am AEST) Edit: After Sunday's game, the next live cable match doesn't seem to be until next Wednesday (although that could change) .

Classic opening game in Tampa ... highlights Canadiens @ Lightning