Big Col

6 - Chandler 5- Oliver 4 - XL 3 - Trac 2 - Henderson 1 - Salem

I get the disappointment over this, but WE know how good the Duke is, and the longer he's kept under the radar for us, the better.

This is close to the perfect balance IMHO. (Maybe less U/23 and more 23 to 27 if we're winning premierships)

Turner has been withdrawn due to illness, according to the MFC website. One man's misfortune is another's opportunity. El Jefe makes the team and Johnson the bench. Let's see what you can do.

Luke Trainor looked a star too.

They were $10.50 on Sportsbet at the start of the game. It would have been staggering the odds when 41pts down.

GWS have moved to 3rd favourite on Betfair. $7 Hawthorn $7.40 Brisbane $7.60 GWS Round 1 form is always overrated. Get on the Dees for next week!

Trac and Clarry putting in good games was a highlight. No JVR meant we had little up forward. Hope he's OK. Langford and Lindsay were quieter than last week, but Johnson showed promise. I'm cautiously optimistic for the season (as I always am).

My shout if my $1 bet comes off ... (Also have every combo of 2 legs ie 6 bets of $10. I think Roo winning the Coleman is the least likely but what the hell).

I think they could reduce rotations further (say, to 50/game or even less) and get rid of the sub. Fewer rotations means there's less disadvantage to someone being injured and more strategy in managing interchange.

In soccer they're all subs.

Unfortunately once we tumbled down the ladder - accompanied by the perceived issues at MFC - we lost the opportunity to recruit this year's premier target, Dan Houston. We were the front runners early on, but yeah... I think we've done the right thing by getting ourselves 2x top 10 picks. We still have at least 2 years of Gawn at his top, and if Petracca and Oliver (returning to form) in the team then we have another 4 or so years with them. If our picks are good then they could easily be a part of a premiership within that time frame. (think of the impact of jackson and Picket). BUT if we are sh*&# again next year and we lose either or both and we decide to rebuild then we're a year ahead of schedule - especially with Caleb, Kolt and Jeffo.

What a cutting comment! Can you be more blunt than that?

I got exactly these odds ($26) on the eve of the 2021 season. Put $25 on it. (But then I have bet on Melbourne to win ever since about 2001)

There really were some games towards the end of the season when we weren't doing that well but Jack stood out. Heart and soul kind of stuff. Congrats Jack on your second Bluey. Well deserved.

Sydney need to bring on Ted Hopkins

The nostaglia has kicked in. Trade week has always been our Grand Final. We've been too focused on winning the damn things the last few years. Nice analysis AOB. It makes sense to me - and awesome that you've done the 'draft points' thing. What other clubs cou;d offer similar/better in your opinion?

I think you're right. Beachworth is less than 40 mins from Albury and the timing, school and occupation lines up.

Haha. That would have been fun.

Dual premiership player and 1953 Bluey winner Peter Kennedy Melville (Ken) passed away today. He played 71 games for the Demons between 1953 and 1956 - at the start of Melbourne's golden era. He won the Bluey in his first year and eas named vice-captain in 1955. In an era not seen nowadays, Ken played as an amateur and retired in 1956 a the age of 25 to pursue studies in the UK to become a Presbyterian Minister. On returning to Australia he played some amateur football again (but not VFL) and made the team of the century for Old Scotch and possibly University Blues. In 1973 when Norm Smith passed away, Ken was the Minister at the funeral. Around the same time, Ken returned to the club as a selector. He was also my uncle - my mother's brother. And what an awesome experience for a young kid. I remember being handed over the fence to my Uncle Ken at the end of games as he carried me into the Demons room full of sweaty giants who had just been walloped by their opponents (it was the mid-70's) and i met my heroes Greg Wells and Stan Alves and Gary Hardeman. Ken had lived in Perth for most of the last 50 years (excluding a period running a B'n'B in Beachworth in the 1990's) but I only got over there once in 2014 to watch the Demons play West Coast. It was a disaster and i have a photo I'll dig up later of Ken with his hand in his face watching the c**p we used to ditch up then. It was remarkable that he was able to see the 2021 Grand Final win. He was already quite frail and would never have considered travelling to Melbourne (like he had in 1988 and 2000) but had actually decided in 2021 that he would stay home in Perth and watch it on TV!!! That's when Ch7 and the AFL stepped in and picked up in a limo and gave him el primo seats for the game. For all the angst and regret that I have (we all do LOL) about missing out on seeing the Dees in 2021 this one gesture gives me comfort. Proud to have had you as my uncle, Ken (and apologies to any of my cousins who might be on DL if I jumped the gun with this). Go Dees.

I feel sorry for both of the GWS fans, but that's what builds character and will make their eventual premiership win all the better.

They started 'slow playing' with 10 mins left. That never works.

pre-2021 premiership I think supporters thought differently about ex-players. I know I did. I typically saw them as traitors. It's different now.

I think Freo supporters will be crying more at Jesse's performance. They gave us pick 6 for Hogan and traded him for pick 54.

HOGAN!!!!