rjay

He was back then, we picked him up as a rookie... Sometimes you get lucky.

Melbourne don't have a mental weakness with this group... It's just that our class players are all under 22 yo or yet to play 80/100 games, they're still learning the ropes...if we start losing games like we did this year in the next couple then I will concede the point. This is not the Melbourne of 186, unfortunately we are the same supporters and years like we've had take there toll.

It's the the first statement from the coaching cliche handbook... Sorry 'Sat', not trying to be negative but... I've never met, played under or heard a coach who hasn't used this one. However human nature says the coach will have favourites no matter what he says. It's not always a bad thing, it's just life.

I will be surprised if they play finals in 2018 but then again stranger things have happened...

Similar non personality to Lyon...but they're just dying to get him on air. Agree on KB, he is gold and still going strong but how much longer can he carry the station for? Einstein Frawely is being set up to take one of the available spots for certain and I notice they've got Michael Christian on in the mornings so he might be another. I just can't listen to him, like watching paint dry he's that boring.

Agree totally with this, Allen is good on golf. The 2 of them together was a vacuous few hours of radio...they should have sacked the person who came up with the idea of pairing them. Agree, that was poor form and also treating the listeners with contempt.

Just watch this space... They have been angling to get Hird on, it won't be drive time but they did a nice little softener with Mike Sheahan and Lyon using him as some kind of expert on something that slips my mind now. There was no context just an excuse to test the waters. That will be the end of SEN for me...

Great pix 'Six'...almost as good as being there.

...absolutely spot on 'ProDee'. Many years ago I moved interstate and worked with a small group of people, a couple of whom were said to be big smokers and inhalers I started going out with a local girl who was surprised I didn't even smoke cigarettes let alone anything else. The word around town was that I was big time into it. It was a great life lesson...if you don't know, you don't know.

Hiding from 'Joeboy'...

I think he could well end up as the understudy for Jetta...

Despite good intentions of the moderators sometimes these threads read more about the pre season fitness of those posting and a critique of their writing styles than the actual training and players...

I just don't understand your point. All clubs spend on FD but there is a cap on that spending. If you are trying to say our injury list is because we don't spend enough on the FD then I think you are way off the mark. 'Chazz' sums it up for me...

The only pattern I can see is that Hawthorn, Sydney (early in the season), West Coast & Collingwood all had a bad run of injuries that effected their season 2017. ...and if you didn't slip in Richmond as an after thought, none of them have won a flag in the last 2 years. Do I win the prize? edit: I don't think any of these clubs will win a flag in 2018 and that makes some of them with older lists much further from a flag than they would like.

Nice to see you on Demonland Gillon...

I posted this a few months back and thought it worth revisiting particularly with some of the rubbish stats that have been appearing in the media today. If I'm reading his, Ben Darwin's "team work index" right then clubs like Port will really struggle in 2018. Bringing in so many players from other clubs particularly those that have been in the system for a while is a recipe for disaster. Players bring there own ways and those of the clubs they have left behind and it's hard to develop an integrated game plan in that situation. I think we have approached it well in picking off players like Lever and not taking the scattergun approach of Port and in the past Collingwood. It looks good in the media and looks like you are being really proactive, I mean mental giants in the media have Port up there as a big chance...but lets wait and see. This is a really interesting interview for anyone really interested in team sports and team building...well worth the time to have a listen.

Personally I think Oliver is our most important player and have thought so since his first game.

You must be a journalist 'bing'... ...a beautiful job of selective quoting.

I think we had too many of the wrong people getting involved in areas they shouldn't have at that time...the board, CEO, friends and influencers have a lot to answer for.

That's because swimmers and cyclists don't have to run. Put them on a footy field for 10mins and see how fine they are 'bing'. ...players need endurance and match fitness for a contact sport. Sport specific training is very important at any level let alone the elite level.

I think she is doing a Mike Sheehan retirement...

Yep, and that's why he is an elite talent. We have the best young mid in the competition, the rest of the AFL will finally work it out in 2018...the opposition coaches already have, that's why they put a tag on him and give him votes in the coaches award.

Let me simplify it for you... Maybe none of these players are good enough. The FD would seem to think that's the case. We don't need more list cloggers but we can develop quality for our own needs and for future trade bait. You are looking at things in a very one dimensional way and we are far from done and locked out of trading or drafting in 2018...

Lever, Gawn & Oliver make the AA team. Hogan, Viney, Hibberd and Petracca make the squad. We finish top 4, don't want to mention the P word but... Kochie blasts Hinkley and the FD for Port's disastrous scattergun recruiting campaign, falls short of blaming Watts for the whole fiasco. Richmond have injury woes and miss finals. Buckley gets sack and Eddie stands down after more disastrous off field moves. The AFL muddle their way through another off field crisis after Dill assesses which way the wind is blowing...man of principle, organisation of the highest integrity.

This post makes little sense... You wanted us to draft 2 unknowns to boost our midfield depth when we have a few knowns in Brayshaw and Salem who at the moment have to bide their time on flanks where as you say we have them coming out of our ears. We will be in a good position to trade in class/needs over the next few years as Jones, Vince and Lewis move on. We do that by having better players on our list not by drafting/taking chances drafting players our recruiters and list management people don't rate to fill so called needs now.