rjay

Started with injury and has had a bout of flu or some like a few weeks ago. The injury didn't allow him to get in the gym time needed to build him up so he is behind in development, the illness may explain some of the indifferent performance. Even the ball magnet he is was not getting any ball and that's a concern but I would like to see a full season from him, a very tall inside mid, ball magnet who seems to make good decisions. A wait and see for me.

Too much time on the golf course.

I think the result last weekend was disappointing to say the least but it was NAB cup and some of the match ups/ selections would have been seen as tanking in the good old days. The WC game will set the tone of the season for me, not win or loose but if we put up a fight or roll over like last year, lets see.

Not just hanging them on this issue, I think in general they are missing at least one quality person to really get into the bigger issues. It's just that this is the latest. Yes, it is a sports station but that doesn't mean it has to be dumbed down, at least not all of the time. Finey's (Viney's) Final Siren, well they say truth is stranger than fiction.

I'm not sure if it's just me but the last week has shown up a major problem with the team at SEN. When dealing with a major issue such as the Jurrah situation, there was no one at the station capable of the in depth analysis that was needed to make sense of the issues. Love him or hate him, and a lot of the time I found him a pain in the ...Francis Leech has left a huge hole, he had the intellectual capacity, knowledge and experience to really dig into an important issue like this and ask the right questions. Thanks to some of the posters on this forum like Fork and the links to the Waitley/Leech interview on the ABC, I was able to get a better understanding. If you heard the interview Ox and Marco had with one of the Riolis' I think it was Dean the other day, it was just amatuer time. Again tonight on the Eddie interview topic they just didn't have a handle on the issue at all apart from the fact that Eddie had a blue with Pat Smith. I love listening to SEN, I love my footy and I don't want to character assasinate here but the roster is not well balanced at present. Marco and the Ox are both entertainers, light weights when it comes to the real serious issues. Unfortunately neither of them is guilty of doing their homework. This team is not working for mine, both seperate with the right partner or segment fine, but not together. Just to sidetrack for a mo did anyone hear the discussion with Rebecca Wilson this arvo, it was not that long ago with the Scully thing everyone (including most on SEN) was praising the NRL model of coming out and announcing when a player is moving clubs, why don't the AFL grow up. That one has sure turned on its head now. Enjoy listening to Half, although I don't think we get a great run particularly with him and Robbo, but again he is not equiped for the real hard hitting stuff. A mate of mine couldn't stand Doran but I think he is part of the brain drain at the station, he was a journo who would get his hands dirty digging. Breakfast is breakfast like all stations it's light and fluffy, KB is KB, champion player and good broadcaster and Finey is a true original, didn't hear his take on the Jurrah biz but he would probably be the most capable to deal with it. The overnight guys seem to be the work experience kids and their mates who are hanging around and get on air for a bit of a lark, apologies to Darren Parkin who does do his homework. Hutchy, Pickers and Doc make me laugh but they're not going to get into anything too serious, it's not their brief. Too many ex footballers and narrow focussed jouno's on air, I think SEN may need a priority pick in this years draft.

It's the experience that makes a big difference and premiership players at that. Kerr was a real bonus coming back from injury, a great player and I think Priddis is very under rated, Moloney nor Silvia are anywhere near Priddis. It's up to our young leaders to step up and I hope they can start this year, not saying we can't but it is a much tougher journey than the one West Coast embarked on with class senior premiership players coming back into the fold.

Ask the Saints supporters about that, he was their version of Morton in the early days.

We took Howe with that one.

Can't agree with you here, if he were playing for Geelong we would already be talking about him as elite.

Really looking forward to see Taggert, it's a pity he's been injured during these pre season games. Might have to head out to Casey when he is up and about, he is a strong unit, good hands and good kick.

Let's not get going on the Jack Darling thing again. Cook can play, he has good skills however I'm not sure if he has the grunt to make it. It really concerned me when in an interview early last season he said he was looking forward to getting game time and development at Casey. Hardly pushing the bar there and maybe that came from the coaches. At least Neeld has told Leigh Williams that he will probably spend some time at Casey but not to limit himself, if he is kicking goals and playing good footy he will be looked at, it's up to him. Lucas needs to set the bar high and go for it, none of this nice development rubbish. I mean look at young Tynan, he probably won't get a game first up but he also won't die wondering either. When I first saw him at training early in the year he looked like a young kid (he is) with a long way to go (he still has) but he really has applied himself and made big strides in a short time. Some of the others could take a leaf out of his book.

I agree with Goodvibes and the proof is in Kyle Cheney. The last senior game I saw him play for us he had a go but was soundly beaten and turned the ball over on a number of occasions, he didn't look up to AFL standard. I'm not saying he will be a walk up start at Hawthorn, he will probably struggle for a regular game but he looked a polished player the other night with the Hawks. It's those 3, 4 or 5 top liners that make the difference for all the reasons stated above by Goovibes and others on this forum. Let's see who can step up this year.

So true, and that is a big problem. At Hawthorn a young player can come in and have Hodge, Sewell, Mitchel, Buddy there to guide their progress, at Melbourne they are on their own. The coaches are going to have to be the ones to turn it around along with the young leadership group, they are going to have to stand up.

Ok, well at the mo it looks like they are trying Benell back, small defenders/forwards, running half backs whatever they are similar types. For what it's worth my money is on Blease in either of these roles or as a running mid in the medium long term, he has the run and the skills and now needs the experience at the higher level.

That's true old dee, apart from Jamar we really are strugging in the over 25 department so it's up to Grimes, Trengove, Jones, Frawley, Garland and co to lead the way. Selwood has stepped into the captaincy at the cats with the likes of Bartell, Kelly, Scarlett, Chapman and Cory still around. We don't have that luxury so we will build it. Hopefully our young leadeship group will be spoken of in the same way in the next 5 to 10 years or else...well I don't want to go there.

I think we will be ok, well I hope we will. I guess I've been around and seen too many seasons go down the drain. At the moment we are looking at the rookie's and a few of the guys playing in different positions plus developing a game plan. For instance I don't think you will see Magner, Couch, Maloney and Bate in the same mids, strong bodies are ok but you need a good mix. You are going to have Benell, Blease and Davey pushing for similar positions. Strauss and Tapscott will be important with their kicking skills. Morton and Gysberts, who knows? ability is not in question but application???? if they come good then we are away. Also remember that Neeld hasn't coached a game of AFL yet. If Hawthorn run over us like this in the season proper then I will say we are in trouble as I did with Bailey's first game. In a real game that margin is not acceptable. NAB cup plus the off field issues during the week, if the group is a tight unit, and I hope they are then the Liam thing will effect them. Anyway rambling on a bit here. Over

First practice match of the season, even missed the intra club......the kid is a winner, he will come through. I still remember him winning us the game in Darwin in his first season. A good decision to make him co captain with Grimes, not a mistake. The 2 of them will be champs and we have a few more that will step up.

Funny thing Macca is that Gieschen swears there is no change at finals time, like there is no "rule of the week". We all know the opposite to be true...

Thanks for the report, good to hear that Strauss' comeback was a success.

Agree with you Macca that first he needs to establish himself, I just don't want to see him being a one trick pony and rely on the big grab. I would really like to see him play up the ground and move into the midfield at times, he seems to have the tank and all round game to do it. Being known for his highlight reel and as the new Robbo is not the stuff to build a career on. Having seen him at Casey before his debut and his games since he has shown a lot of other aspects, but as the coach said last night "he needs to be more consistant", more games under the belt with experience and lets hope he is a beauty.

Not comparing him at all Macca, many have labelled him the new Robbo, not me. I just hope he doesn't fall into the same bad habits.

I'm sorry but I just don't share your opinion of Robbo and hope that Howe doesn't fall into the same trap of going for the spectacular at the expense of the team thing. I think Robbo the entertainer took over from Robbo the footballer.

With you on that one, he has much more upside that Robbo.

Yep he usually does play well on him but Buddy towelled him up last year in round 18.

Same in the round robin first games, he made an appearance but Martin and Fitz did a lot of the work.