Sydee

Very happy with Tom signing on - has plenty to offer Was surprised however his set shot for goal last night as it was such a stinker - had penciled it in as a goal such is the confidence I have in his kicking :)

Agree Joel did really well last night I've said this before but those who don't rate him need to remember he has struggled to stay on the park consistently and build his confidence and understanding of the game at the top level If he stays fit he has a good chance to continue his improvement and become a very valuable player for us

Talk about a complete dummy spit over practically nothing Hate to think how this bloke is going to deal with the remainder of the season if it really starts unravelling Wish someone had of followed up asking why these flogs keep getting an armchair run from the umpires each and every week

Interesting selections What happened to S May ? MELBOURNE B: J.Bowey 17 J.Lever 8 J.Smith 44 HB: J.Harmes 4 A.Tomlinson 20 J.Hunt 29 C: A.Brayshaw 10 J.Viney 7 E.Langdon 15 HF: S.Weideman 26 T.McDonald 25 T.Sparrow 32 F: B.Fritsch 31 B.Brown 50 A.Neal-Bullen 30 Foll: M.Gawn - C 11 C.Petracca 5 C.Oliver 13 I/C: L.Jackson 6 C.Spargo 9 T.Bedford 12 J.Jordon 23 O.Baker 33 K.Pickett 36 K.Chandler 37 D.Turner 42 Emerg: B.Laurie 16 B.Howes 22 M.Brown 38 J.McVee 41 Notable absentees: Harrison Petty, Michael Hibberd, Trent Rivers, Christian Salem

I'm a fan of Trent too but he is very much on the edge with others looking to take his spot. He will need to perform well leading up to round 1 to keep his spot imo

Correct thanks for providing some clarity - The Rivers one was a shocker and btw when trying to chase Cameron down after he was gifted the ball in the clear it was Smith that made up most ground - not Rivers I'm a fan of Rivers but you can't just look at the number of goals kicked you have to analyse how each happened

That's ok AJ I respect your opinion however simply comparing the number of games played is a pretty superficial analysis particularly when you consider the horror run Joel Smith has had with injury over several seasons I can remember plenty of games that Tomlinson has played where his contribution was not imo at the level we now demand We are lucky to be able to have such a discussion I do agree that the only real locks at this early stage in the back 6 are May and Lever, and perhaps Petty if fit - the others all need to keep their form at a very high level to retain a spot

I think the jury is still out on that question - both have a lot to offer imo Who is better? we may not know for a long time. One may be better than the other for certain matchups Personally I think its premature to make that statement but obviously you are entitled to your opinion

I have no doubt that it was - his ability to do so means he has a string to his bow that Tomlinson may not All three (Smith, Petty and Tomlinson) have legitimate claims for a spot in the back 6 it will be very interesting to see what the selectors do when it comes to the real stuff I am a huge Bowey fan and felt he was a great addition to the team late last year particularly with his excellent disposal - he and Trent Rivers need to be careful with form as there are a few hunting this spot (Jayden Hunt being one). We will unfortunately have a few injuries along the way hopefully nothing serious. I cant remember a time when we have had such strong depth across the field. The only areas that really concern me are ruck and key forward injuries or drop off in form there may have an immediate impact

For a number of reasons Joel hasn't played that much senior football He certainly has some great attributes that make him potentially a very good footballer. His practical knowledge of the game (ie: reading the play like J Lever does) and skill execution particularly under pressure has been questioned before which was probably fair enough He is definitely one that might surprise a few if he can consistently stay healthy because some of these perceived shortcomings may disappear or become less of an issue with more game time

This is what every good team wants - huge competition for spots Don't perform and you will be out - no easy way back if your replacement takes their chance

I sense a few may get a rest after half time

Hope everyone remembers its a practice match only and nobody goes into a complete meltdown if we don't win - perhaps that's too much to ask I'd like to think most of the young kids will get a taste and many of those who didn't play at the pointy end last year will get reasonable game time to put their case forward to selectors

Tayla's post match interview was very impressive She spoke extremely well and came across as a very genuine and team focused person Glad to hear that her family was there to watch her - she certainly put on a great show for them Hopefully she continues to enjoy more success with the mighty Dees

R Flower for mine unlucky Lyon Jakovich THEOX Jurrah

Just when you thought this blowhard couldn't get any more insufferable - he ups the anti to a whole new level

No pressure at all being applied there - Luke Dunstan I think needed to go a bit harder re the spoiling attempt

I'm old enough to remember the physical belting the MFC received from Essendon in our previous GF appearance That particular day we were simply not capable of tacking up the physical challenge and hurting the opposition If you watch the opening minute of the GF again it is Jack who sets the standard immediately in terms of uncompromising bone crunching tackling - we didn't look back after that

Fair enough BBP I could put 2 and 2 together and presume he is very happy playing with his mates at Melbourne and his parents see a great opportunity to move to Melbourne to spend more time watching him develop into a great footballer in a city that arguably has a lot more to offer than Perth I could be wrong Just don't see any value in speculating either way. I have no idea what's going on and neither do you He always comes across as being a happy lad - and why wouldn't he be. I finally have a level of confidence in our coaches and officials to get these things right. If we are concerned that he is about to get homesick and run back to Perth I find it remarkable that we have just loaded up with another 3 WA boys in the draft

care to elaborate on what this means ?

Running back to Perth didn't work out too well for Jessie - I think Luke knows he is in a very special place right now The core of this premiership team can enjoy sustained success and get handsomely paid too along the way If they stick together Plenty of examples of characters that chased the $$$'s only to be disappointed - its not all about money IMO

Please do not fall across this mans knees - freaks me out

done Conti's was a ripper goal too

yes he was pictured at most recent training sporting some new ink

Agree its Hunt & Hibberd competing for a spot not Bowey Tomlinson is too slow to play on a small forward so only see him forcing Petty out - unless he plays in another position outside the back six injuries and form can change things up pretty quickly but we now seem to have good depth - a great position to be in