Cranky Franky

I'm sorry but that is incorrect. Simmonds did not want to leave - he was offered as trade bait because we needed a key defender (Craig Ellis) so he was part of a 3 way swap. Simmonds may not have been AA but he was first ruck for the Dream Team which is close. He is probably paid half as much as Whitey & is not far behind him in value to the team plus he is 2 years younger. Jolly is a big physical ruckman who goes down & kicks goals & is probably one of the form big men of the last 2 years. We did have a choice with Scott Thompson because the year he left a Melbourne team finished last so he had no leverage - in fact if you go over the records he is quoted as saying that if a deal could not be done he would have stayed at Melbourne but Daniher decided he wanted Moloney & the rest is history.

Point taken and this exercise this of course is just fantasy However its not unrealistic to think we could of had James Kelly, Travis, Simmonds, Jolly, Sewell and Scott Thompson (and probably Alwyn Davey) all in the team this year and I think the main reason we missed both Judd & Nick Stevens was that they had no faith in the future of the Club

I have taken some liberties with the team that could have been. We could have taken Fevola in 98 instead of Lamb & in 99 Simon Black (T Longmuir) & Adam Hunter rather than P Wheatley & also in 01 Campbell Brown & Nick Del Santo instead of S Armstrong & L Molan & in 2000 Johncock was available ahead of D Breese. James Kelly ended up at Geelong as part of the Grgic/Bizzell deal & there was a possibility of a trade between Ryan Ferguson for Brad Sewell. I am also assuming we kept Simmonds, Jolly, Travis & Scott Thompson & am making the realistic assumption that with a half decent side Chris Judd would of come to us last year. Whelan Rivers J Kelly Johncock A Hunter Campbell Brown Judd Simon Black Travis Johnstone Del Santo Robertson Woanemirri Simmonds Fevola Davey Jolly Sewell Scott Thompson I'change - Mclean, Green, Miller, Bruce

There is no doubt all 3 of them have OP - another year down the drain & the Clubs future down the drain as well. The club is playing ducks & drakes about information with their injuries but I reckon it is crystal clear. Interesting that both Scott Thompson & Jolly had niggling injuries at Melbourne but since leaving have played almost every game. I will be interested to see about Travis Johnstone - averaged about 15 games a year with us & has only missed 1 since at Brissie.

You are spot on Matey. Garland's last game was probably his best but he was still flogged - Farmer beat him at almost every contest & could have kicked 5 on him. He squibbed a chest mark & punched instead which cost us a goal. Bell is in terrible form & has gone backwards yet still gets picked. Bartram is the one who has got away scott free - his form is woeful. We have replaced the Daniher love children with the Bailey love children. Adelaide will win by 15 goals.

The key point is that we are in danger of not winning a game in 08 & destroying the club - we just have to WIN.. Play the best 22 & give the supporters a win or we will not have a club.

I'll have to explain it to you since you don't understand the term. All coaches have certain favourites which is why some players have to change clubs becuse certain coaches won't give them a go refer Tom Hafey & L Fowler G Neesham & P Bell & R Barrassi A McDonald & A Joyce. Some coaches stick with their best 22 regardless (not a bad idea when winning) & other coaches tend to pick players on form. My point is that having made it clear that Yze, Holland & others were not guaranteed a spot in the senior side he cannot keep persevering with players out of form. Including the pre season we have now lost 10 on the trot so do away with names & reputations & go with form players.

Well everyone is just terrific - I can't work out why we keep getting beaten by 10 goals every week. We must be watching the wrong game Dunn's highlight was getting outmarked by the 178cm Hooper & I repeat that Jamar, Mclean & Bartram were woeful

I was glad to see Bailey drop Yze & make other players perform at Sandy to justify their place which is something Daniher rarely did but Bailey is now in danger of replacing ND's love children with his own version. Bartram has been terrible in the last few games, Dunn has been lazy and unnacountable & Jamar is so bad that we may as well play with only 1 ruckman. Davey has played 1 good game this year & Mclean & Robbo have been poor. Its time to bring in players who have shown good form at Sandringham. If Bailey is fair dinkum Holland, Yze & Bate should come in this week.

Very handy footballer, half forward /winger. Light but a prodigious left foot kick. Nephew of Michael Graham one of SA's all time greats who we were trying to bring to Mmelbourne.

Cam Howatt is an A Grade Turnover Merchant - the Richmond version of Daniel Ward. Every second disposal goes straight to the opposition

Yes I would take a punt on Whitnall. The reason is that we would not have to give up anything ie he would be free & would play for match payments. He showed in a couple of games last year that he could still be useful. If he could hold down CHB for a year while Frawley got more experience it would be terrific. There is no gamble here because he is costing us nothing so it is worth a punt.

Thats all very well but the Judd /Connors camp is treating the public like idiots. I mean whats this rubbish about eliminating one club at a time - it sounds like a juvenile edition of Big Brother. He obviously knows where he wants to go so get on with it you pratts. I hope this all blows up in their face like the Nick Stevens affair or even better it could end up like Jade Rawlings.

The fact that we have very few hard nuts in the team might get Pickett another season. It might be ok to turn up to pre season training overweight when you are 25 but you cannot get away with it at 30. They could offer Pickett a one year performance based contract with very rigouros fitness & weight guidelines he has to meet.

The reason there is a lack of forward options is exactly because by the time Wheatley & Carrol have spent 5 minutes chipping it backwards and forwards to each other all the opposition players have flooded backwards

What is happening to Paul Wheatley. He is probably the longest kick in the AFL. His long kicking is a terrific attacking weapon & breaks the flooding & the defensive lines & catches out the opposition defence. In the last month he has stopped kicking it long, he has become hesitant. He kicks backwards & sideways to Carroll, Brown, Godfrey etc who then invariably put in a poor kick or handpass & the pill is turned over. Great for getting his stats up but not much use to the team. Someone please tell him to kick it long & kick it quickly.

Nasher has a point although his facts are a little astray. Bell shouldn't have tried to explain anything to Brogan he should have told him to F#*& Off & some other Melbourne players should have gone in to support him but without Carroll the other defenders are an insipid lot. A smart player would've probably sucked Brogan in & got him to retaliate & scored a free kick.

In our group of supporters Ward is known as The Turnover Merchant. Say no more. No doubt over the next few weeks different supporters will plead to retain Bizzell, Ward, Godfrey, Pickett Holland, Brown etc The best guide to future performance is recent past performance.

If we could salvage just one thing from this miserable year it would be a promise by players and coaching staff to eliminate kicking backwards and sideways for the rest of the season. It is woeful football. The only time we look half decent is when we kick the ball long & do it quickly. Please fellers do this one thing for your long suffering supporters.

Dear Rogue Are you a paid apologist for the club or something ??? On Saturday our on ballers contesting the clearances were Mclean, Jones, McDonald, Godfrey & at times Sylvia & they were being fed by White & Johnson. That is enough strong bodies & talent to break even or be close to break even around bounces & stoppages instead we were smashed as we have been against Carlton, Richmond & most other sides this year. Nothing wrong with the talent the problem is either with attitude or with coaching.

THE BIZ IS BACK - FAN BL@@DYTASTIC A slow 30 yo who finished 2004 at Sandringham wil save us. Meanwhile CJ & Warnock who need game time so we can see whether they measure up play at Sandy.

Ross Lyon recently complained that St Kilda managed injuries poorly and that they had to look at the clubs that had the best record in this area ie Sydney & West Coast. Its about time we did the same. Whelan has NEVER played a full season & is always injured at the business end. Travis is not far behind him & Moloney is in his second wasted season with a groin. I am worried about Brock & Jared & Col Sylvia going the same way. Robbo & Neitz have been played when obviously not fit & I am convinced Bartram was rushed back in after his ankle injury & then did a knee. Now we have Whelan, Brock & Petterd all rushed back in for a big game on a big ground - bet Whelan doesn't last half a game. Lets go out & poach Sydney's medical staff or at least get our lot trained up to their level.

Whoever wrote this is an fool & I don't know why some people get their kicks out of humiliating past players. Also you can't spell. Shanahan was a top notch full back & had a great first year but then played one year too many. Holland has been a very handy footballer. Norrish was a handy player who won a B&F at Freo. Charles was a brilliant talent but was hampered by injuries & a poor attitude. Vardy was outstanding when fit. Prymke held down CHB for 2 years before being injured. Doyle & Irving were both reasonable players & Newton had his career wrecked by injury. Fair dinkum do you actually ever go to a game because you really have no idea.

Well its early days of course but Isaac is having injury after injury after injury while Joe Anderson lines up for his third game tomorrow. Time will tell.