Ted Lasso

I think belief is a really funny thing like that, there is a difference between seeing no reason you can't win, or liking the idea of winning or genuinely believing you can win. I think Hawthorn are the only side in the AFL that would go into every single game feeling as though a loss would be a failure, so if you aren't in that frame of mind, do you genuinely believe you're going to win every week?

I think it's as simple as Jacks destiny is in his own hands, he's in the team right now and so long as he continues to play the way he did on the weekend i am 99.9% sure he'll get another contract at the Dees, if not he'll finish his time at the Dees having captained and played 100 games for the team he grew up supporting, which is what most people dream of.

Tom is a quality player and there is no doubt he's attracting outside interest, but all the talk coming out of the club such as Roosy saying " i'd be staggered if he leaves" tells me that the talks are either well on the way or he's already locked away and they haven't announced it yet.

It's interesting that you of all people rates Jack so highly Picket, given he's never been a contested ball animal, which is the type you seem to love.

Must admit i am a little surprised Jayden Hunt isn't in there, not that it has anything to do with a Jack Watts thread.

I think it'd be a bit silly, Watts is in great form up forward and is one of our biggest attacking weapons against an undermanned back line, I'd personally be trying to stretch them down back as much as possible. I think playing someone on him like Vince who will do as much damage the other way is the go, make Roo accountable and back our backline to cover him if he drifts forward.

the trouble is he's been playing on the wing, not sure we can afford to not have TMAC down back.

Couldn't care less about your career unless you're running out for the Dees on the weekend picket. game has evolved. Our points against this year are plus 2 points and our scoring is plus four goals ( not exact figures but very close ) that to me says the new plan is working, our defense hasn't fallen off a cliff and our scoring has improved out of sight. any time you implement a new plan in anything until it is executed the right way consistently it can look ugly, i am extremely confident we've nailed it down enough that we'll be able to limit the Saints scoring and win the game. Tommy Mac has had a very good year in my opinion, his disposals can be an issue but fine on the weekend, he's taking intercept marks and attacking, and playing his role.

You are aware we're playing a zone now? this means our defenders don't really have direct opponents as such, if a goal is given up it's the failure of the team, not of an individual unless they've not played their role, which i can assure you, Tom does very consistently.

So much comes down to which Saints side shows up. They played a fantastic game and beat the Saints, and then got done by the Suns and barely fell over the line against the Bombers. I think we will win this, i reckon the boys will set themselves to break this one, it can't be nice being beaten over and over by a team that is a direct rival in terms of rise/ladder position. if we win this game i think we can win 2-4 more and it'll be an amazing result for the club.

Did he get it?

Bit dissapointed in the drop off. The comp is so tight we need to learn to really put teams to the sword for % great to win but the margin flatters freo bigtime.

Best possible return. Stoked for him!!!

Running with bulls is prep for training with jack viney

Brother of nathan is starting to come on a bit.

Hurley knows well the type of deal he's going to get at the bombers, and that he's going to get similar if not more money at other clubs, i imagine if he were to come to the Dees it'd be for pretty significant money. A dream outcome would be to bring in Hurley & Hibbered as DFA's and then allow us to pick up someone like Dion Prestia via trade. In a perfect world we'd keep TMAC and Hurley would allow him to be the second call defender giving him more of a license to take the intercept marks which is his real strength.

If the club wants Dion Prestia we will get him ( My opinion only) based on estimated cap space and family ties and the upward trend of the club i believe we'd be a pretty attractive destination. I think it would be pretty unlikely the club would rule out a player of Prestias talent at this point when he is OOC regardless of his asking price, i am sure he'd still be on a list of players that we'd bring to the club if the price was right at the end of this year. in terms of the Crouch v Prestia arguement. I think Prestia is a B plus if not A grade mid, with great leadership qualities, and fits the type of player the club has been targeting, competitor, loves to tackles, does the defensive stuff, and can use the ball. Crouch i think is a fair bit more talented, but as has been reported has a few small off field issues that need to be sorted, i think the right coach/culture could see him explode as a player and be in the best handful of mids going around as soon as next year, but i also think he's fairly unlikely to leave the crows considering his brother is there and the've invested heaps in him and they're looking like a premiership chance over hte next few years.

So much of our plan is going to come down to if we have to trade for Bombers players or not, we simply won't be able to land anyone else if Hibberd and Hurley decide to come and we have to trade for them. if they're DFA we will have the option of looking at other players we might be able to bring in. I suspect we will have to trade for Essendon players to get them over the line.

If he's touring the Collingwood facilities, the pies and his management are in all sorts of trouble. can't be done in contract. If they would take a third rounder for him then sure, happy to trade Lynden Dunn for him?

I'm not sure we'd have anything to trade for him, i doubt they'd accept our second rounder for a guy who's won a rising star in the last couple of years.

It sounds as though Fremantle have decided to re-build through their draft, so recruiting Jesse Hogan who has already missed a year of footy through injury, and would cost two first round draft picks as well as a huge chunk of their salary cap, it seems a little irresponsible if they're going down that path, especially with tabbenar starting to show good signs and McCarthey is a good player as well so that should be a more than capable forward combo.

Really want to see salem play the devon smith role, creative half forward

Hes a massive asset of half back with pace to burn

While i think he will stay, if he was to take off to the Swans, what sort of deal would we accept in return? assuming we don't get Hurley. I don't think the Swans first round pick is enough for a young key position player who's going to be around the mark of All Australian for the next decade, i'd be hoping for that pick and something else. maybe the first rounder and Dean Towers who looked good the last few weeks but struggles to get regular games, is a very good young player. and then as a replacement i think a New enviorment might really do some good for Nathan Brown from the Pies who has fallen off the cliff as a player and is said to feel the program over there isn't for him.

We should belt Freo on current form, but that makes it almost certain that we're going to lose by 10 goals.