Arsene Wenger

We'd have had a zero win season fielding a combined TAC/VFL side and as a result the club would no longer exist, so yes, we would have been a lot worse off now.

Hype. Matthews enjoys having a dig. It's funny how people try to say that Clark is a ruckman we're trying to play as a CHF, because although he was good as a ruckman, he was a CHF being played in the ruck.

It has been obvious since 2007 that we would never compete with the current crop. That means, until Green, Davey, Rivers, Bate, Dunn, etc. are gone, and the older players are Grimes, Frawley, Garland, Jones, Petterd, etc. we will not be where we need to be. We needed a cleanout, but the problem was that so so much of our list was made up of NQR senior players, means it was always going to take a long time. Long-term development players like Morton, Watts and Blease haven't expedited this process - they've exacerbated the problem. It doesn't necessarily mean they were the wrong choices. But I believe in Daniher's time we mortgaged our future.

That is a result of continuously being on the backfoot and being caught out of position, because of easy turnovers that our other players should reasonably not expect to happen. Also unfamiliarity with the gameplan leading to inability to read the play when attacking, contributed to this.

I actually loved Neeld's post-match press conference.

Nope, what killed us was inept use of the footy resulting in turnovers and soft frees, all leading to opposition goals. Far too many simple mistakes from Bartram - inexcusable. A handful from Tynan weren't either, even if it's because he's a rookie in his 1st game - he's had a taste, but should still be dropped. Positioning was bad too, but that's unfamiliarity with a new gameplan.

OUT: Macdonald, Bartram, Blease IN: Tapscott, Strauss, Bennell

I think not being surprised doesn't mean he expected it. Neeld is smart enough to understand that these players are learning a new gameplan, and that takes quite a bit of time. Some players, as he has already said, will struggle in his system. We are seeing that now.

I was thinking about Moloney pre-match -- is he not suited to Neeld's gameplan? Or is he just taking a while to adjust? For a while now I've thought of Moloney as a one-trick pony, and it looks like even that trick isn't working for him at the moment. I worry (for his sake) that under Neeld it won't work like it used to.

I don't agree with the OP.

Terrible case of rose-coloured glasses when looking at our players. Swan consistently hits targets, as does Judd, not taking into account the speed his usually traveling at and the defenses set up with the main aim of stopping him above anything else.

It seems sarcasm is too.

I know people often have trouble spelling Beamer's name, but this is ridiculous!

Gives us a much better chance of moving on one or both of these compo picks in exchange for players like Gaff, Caddy, et al. Teams like Essendon will be eventually exposed as time-wasters and moved on. If we had 3 weeks last year we probably would have had time to land Caddy. It will also be more painful.

As will I, and if we do we very well might end up having to pay over the odds.

I recall hearing Matthews copped a heavy knock last week

I don't think it's that at all. After shelling out for Scully, Davis and Ward, GWS don't have a lot of cap room to play with for signing out of contract players, unless they want to lose all their kids cos thye can't pay them.

It's all about mindset.

Doesn't have to be reckless. Being an antagonist is not something you can get suspended for.

I know that Jake Melksham has put on 8kg this preseason, the most at Essendon. He said he was put on a new weight gain diet at the beginning of the offseason, and for his first meal he was instructed to eat 1&1/2 bbq chickens. Surely we should be doing something similar. Although, it looks like guys like Gysberts, Watts and Morton have actually put on a bit of size. Some more than others.

In fact, the Hawks had Buddy bulk up and tried to make him more of a "Travis Cloke type" before realising it hurt his game and changing tact, getting him more slender again, and surprise surprise back to his athletic best. Watts at his best will be a similar player, in that he'll use his skill and athleticism rather than brute strength.

I have said since before he was drafted that Watts will be like a taller Pendlebury, and will probably one day lead the league in goal assists. I get it - we need a hulking CHF target, but I don't think he'll ever be that. Seriously though, isn't that why we went and got Mitch Clark? In years to come, Watts will increase his ability to bring the ball to ground, but he's not exactly a gorilla yet, is he? Compare the current body shape to that of Hurley, and it's a major determinant for the difference in their playing styles.

For those interested in Jack Martin, there is a youtube video Jack comes in at 3:38. Looks solid.

The tank is on! Those compo picks have Neeld foxing with a lame duck gameplan! Ever seen a coach sacked in his first season? The perfect time to play for picks. Of course, I jest... But if we are bottom 4 at any stage, just wait for the media to come out in force with accusations.

Not sure it has, but it hadn't been pointed out either. In any case, I found it an interesting exercise to go through, to see what the benchmark should be.