Wells 11

Agreed, definitely the highlights. So it seems like a cruel irony that all three missed goals they probably would kick most times in the last quarter.

- signs of the player Fritsch is going top be. - Petracca looks like taking another step up this year - Maxy gawn dominating the ruck all day . ( one painfully bad kick doesnt ruin the brilliant game he had)

Agreed TK. Looked to me that they were looking to go long too often...where as Geelong seemed well drilled about taking the short option to set up space. Goodwin complained about us not being able to lock the ball in our 50 but its pretty easy to defend a long ball to a two on one or even a three on two. Which results in not only a wasted entry but also an easy set up for a geelong forward thrust. Which they punished us with. Im no football genius but being at the ground that much seemed really obvious, and, given that tactic is hardly new to football, I have to ask why goody allowed it to keep happening for the entire first half.

Geelong are, in my book, a top 4 side . Ablett, if he stays fit is a massive inclusion. Im not as confident as many on here about the result, but it will definitely give us a good look at how the dees go against top opposition. Go dees....hoping to see them gear up for a big 2018. Hogan to kick 6.

Im partly excited and partly conerned. The highlighted part of the sentence made me nervous. We need somewhere to call home for 25 plus years or longer not a quirky stop gap. I guess, the location makes guessing at least a bit easier. A./ take over from collingwood IF they move more fully to there new base at olympic park? B/ the triangle at gosh's. But as you point out, could that be ready by 2020? How long to build something like that? I have no clue. C./ the existing facilities at the MCG vacated by cricket victoria with an oval where the car park is?? too many buts on the last one I think.. Im just thinking out loud. Where else is close by?

While in part I agree....there is also the prospect of EFC again pushing the retarded notion of being the innocent, hard done by party. Part of me is disgusted with the bombers, part of me wishing the dees had had the money and/or the balls to take the AFL on in the same way over the tanking saga. I dont see any "welcome back to football" stories for chris connoly for example. Yes we tanked....as did everyone back then, but we let the AFL royally f@ck us up the Arse, as the sacrificial lamb it needed in order to make its point on behalf of the gambling money that had come into the game. Essendons actions and approach to this , while infuriating and disgusting, has also demonstrated what a powerful club is able to do to push back .....and, sadly, we are a long way off being one of those.

No Viney is a bit concerning. Any news on that front?

Personally I love that he said that. The last thing we need it too much hype. We're still going to be underdogs in big games this year and Im happy with that. if the dees are going to be anything this year its going to come with the intensity of application accross the board. Something that I genuinely think Goodie will bring out in them. And hopefully we'll be able to shove it up Blighty at the end of the year. A way better player and coach than he is a footy commentator I have to say.

You guys will start feeling it when we start winning. We're so close to being a top team we all just have to re adjust our stances . We have a Good innovative coach, stars popping up on all lines, great development coaches, good recruiting ( Lever, Hibberd, Melksham) . Its true that the big joy of winnning games against bottom teams (or of being super happy that Melb is even in the game at 3/4 time) is gone. But this is what we all have been waiting for ...a season with real expectations. Not necessarily of flags but at least of finals and the unfolding of just how good ( or not) this team can be. get excited!!! 2018 will be one to remember.

....and the other commentator rattling on about how "its too late" for the Melb players to go back in the last 19 secs. Only to see Salem comfortably cover Hurley at that centre bounce. But I did love their excitement....one of the most rewatched 4 mins in my supporting lifetime. Still get a kick out of it. We had such a frikn awful side....and couldnt buy a goal that year. Suddenly we pulled out what was probably the best passage of play for us all taht year AND in the final minute. Against .......the druggies. Soooo satisfying.

I think the upside of someone like Frost is huge. if he's not in the starting 22 ( and I dont think atm he is) then, imho, he'll be a quality replacement. We bat deep this year...as deep as I can remember for years.

If Im remembering it right we got in 2 late picks as steak knives when we traded pick 25 (?) to GWS for Frost. Those steak knives got us O mac and ANB. So, Frost, ANB and O mac for pick 25 looks pretty frikn good to me.

Best idea yet....really hope they can get this one through.

Agreed! Best recruit we've signed....well...since the pig lol. Certainly he was a big fish imo. I think the size of the get was over looked in all the hand wringing post season re losing to the pies and the perception we overpaid...which I honestly dont think we did. I think the exchange was at the very least fair if not in our favour. When the season starts and hes down there with Pig and Jetta and hunt ...watch out. I for one cant wait.

cant read this as Im not a subscriber. Apparantly Blight had a go at him for it. Anything noteworthy in the story?

Im never getting over that period of time Jumbo...forget about a bridge...I wont cross it. Well....ok, when they win a flag I'll agree to never mention Neeld again. You have my word!

Ans yet...listening to Gawn talk about it, and his relaying of how Goody handled it, was the first time Ive felt comfortable about it. I had a moment of being re relieved Neeld is no longer the coach.

put your foot down dude! talk some sense into them lol. 2018 is the year we've been waiting on since 2006. Big things coming

just to re-live the draft where we got him . Pick 23 to GWS for Frost and the picks that got us Oscar and Nibbler. That has to be one of our best trades in a decade or two.

?? Jones has been top 50 for a few years now

Its a while ago..but my memory is that we had a week off after beating the hawks for a second time and before that final against WC. They had drawn with collingwood and the AFL had to replay that game teh following week so we got a week off. Everyone said WC couldn't win due to the travel etc. So, being out of energy wasnt our problem....it should have been theirs. O"Dwyer accidentilly knocked out Gary lyon on the Thursday night at training before the Sat and he missed the game, which didnt help. But we also played Waverley poorly that year and to my mind went into the game thinking of the following weeks . To this day 1990 is still the 2nd biggest disappointment of my 46 years following the dees. It remains the one year of those 46 that I thought we were arguably the best side in the comp and should have won it. 1987 comes first for the sheer intensity of the moment. The two losing GF's equal third ( I expected to lose both) and losing to the pies in the last game last year 5th.

Ding...if you're not renewing ( and its not a financial imperitive) in my mind you lose a bit of cred on this site. Still, ok thats your choice ....but would you mind not trying to talk other people out of jumping in at whatever level they feel to. FFS dude.

Im with you re Crameri. Insurance if Hogan has more injury concerns. But how the hell is trading for a AA 21 yr old Key back trading for instant gratification!? Geelong with Ablett is instant grat... but Lever has 10 years in front of him. So.... Im hoping to be gratified over and over again Biffen. Instant... and long term :-)

Yes, mainly by complaining to the AFL and getting the rules enforced a different way. Still crapped off about that.

should we keep Hibberd and Melksham away from the youngsters too?