CBDees

How can a game be over six quarters? Why not four thirds or five halves?

Understandingly there has been a lot of criticism of the Saints after last night but let's not forget that GWS has three-superstar key forwards picked up courtesy of their extraordinary draft concessions. It will be their three key forwards which are going to auger well for them this year and also for us if we can manage to get them on the paddock at the same time! We will beat the Saints!

If Toumpas plays, i don't believe he will be used as the sub [as many posters suggest]. He is too good for that!

We will be top four on Friday night!

Now that the drug enquiry has been released will Essendon have enough [non-implicated] players available to field a team in Round 1?

My revised team now that I know that we can have six interchange (& 2 subs) and that Pedo was injured at training today and replaced by Max King. Back: 41. Alexis Georgiou 8. James Frawley 46. Dean Terlich, Half Back 31. Jack Grimes 25. Tom McDonald, 14. Lynden Dunn, Centre 4. Jack Watts 2. Nathan Jones 5. Jimmy Toumpas Half Forward 38. Jeremy Howe 48. Jack Fitzpatrick 9. Jack Trengove Forward 17. Sam Blease 1. Jesse Hogan 44. Rohan Bail Followers 42. Jake Spencer 12. Dom Tyson 23. Bernie Vince Interchange: 22. Viv Michie 18. Daniel Cross 45. Matt Jones 10. Shannon Byrnes 15. Mitch Clisby 13. Jordie McKenzie Subs: 29. Jayden Hunt 33. Dom Barry, , Emerg: 26. Daniel Nicholson, 39. Neville Jetta 47. Max King

Pedo has just been named in the squad heading to the Alice so it cannot be too bad.

I already had six on the bench as follows [two of who are subs and one of which was Hunt]: Interchange: 22. Viv Michie 18. Daniel Cross 45. Matt Jones 21. Cameron Pedersen Subs: 29. Jayden Hunt 13. Jordie McKenzie

Such a shame that no Gawn, Viney, Kennedy-Harris or Viney! My guess is similar to D26 as follows, however I concede that Pedersen may play CHF as suggested: Back: 41. Alexis Georgiou 8. James Frawley 46. Dean Terlich, Half Back 31. Jack Grimes 25. Tom McDonald, 14. Lynden Dunn, Centre 4. Jack Watts 2. Nathan Jones 5. Jimmy Toumpas Half Forward 38. Jeremy Howe 48. Jack Fitzpatrick 9. Jack Trengove Forward 17. Sam Blease 1. Jesse Hogan 44. Rohan Bail Followers 42. Jake Spencer 12. Dom Tyson 23. Bernie Vince Interchange: 22. Viv Michie 18. Daniel Cross 45. Matt Jones 21. Cameron Pedersen Subs: 29. Jayden Hunt 13. Jordie McKenzie , Emerg: 10. Shannon Byrnes, 15. Mitch Clisby, 26. Daniel Nicholson, 33. Dom Barry, 39. Neville Jetta ,

Yes that is doubly disappointing as I hoped that both might feature Round 1.

If Barry does not play, then he will certainly be there as the MFC is staying on in Alice for their Community Camp.

Going to the Mountain View Hotel (Richmond) this Friday night with a couple of other Dees fans to watch the NAB Challenge on Foxtel. If we beat Geelong I am sure that they will rejoin!

I hope that you guys aren't planning on breeding!

Well the Dees have won six since i was born, albeit a distant [50 year] memory since the last one. We will regain our rightful title as the Premier Club, starting this year!

We are just as capable of pushing tinto the final eight as Port were last year!

Surely you are joking!

We should all get behind this. It is not good enough for our membership numbers to be half that of Hawthorn [who possibly has the closest demographic to us amongst the Melbourne Clubs]! Not only should all Demomlanders be seeking to recruit at least one additional member but those who have the time to donate should register with the MFC as volunteers for their membership drive.

I would hate to see Pedersen replace Dawes, so maybe slot Bail into the pocket? B: Georgiou, Frawley Dunn HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich C: Watts Jones Toumpas HF: Howe, Fitzpatrick Trengove F: JKH, Hogan, Bail Foll: Gawn, Vince, Tyson Bench: Strauss Viney, Mitchie Cross Subs: Salem, Kent

Getting back onto topic, namely selecting a team for this Friday's match where we are destrined to cause an upset: B: Georgiou, Frawley Dunn HB: Grimes McDonald Terlich C: Watts Jones Toumpas HF: Howe, Dawes, Trengove F: JKH, Hogan, Fitzpatrick Foll: Gawn, Vince, Tyson Bench: Strauss Viney, Mitchie Cross Subs: Salem, Bail

Hopefully by Round 1 Georgiou will have played three matches against last year's final 8 teams. I suspect that he will earn an upgrade but if he doesn't it augers well for the Club to think that Strauss or others have improved sufficiently to be selected ahead of him.

Hopefully we won't get the second pick again, as rudely suggested above, and possibly can pick up Angus Brayshaw with our first pick and Billy Stretch with our second round pick under F/S! This will give us two young good kids who have already trained with us and know the players and coaches and better still our coaching team has already evaluated them.. I would be very disappointed if we were eligible for the second pick [although not so disappointed if we got the retrospective PP from a contrite AFL that we deserved this year]

Fellow Demonlanders: This match is very winnable! Look at the NAB Challenge so far: Melbourne vs the Tigers - We won this by 14 points without the input of Dawes, Hogan, Watts, Viney, Clark etc. The Tigers didn't have Reiwoldt! Collingwood vs the Cats - The Cats won this by a mere 2 points. Collingwood vs the Tigers - The Tiges thrashed the Pies by 48 points. The Tigers again didn't have Reiwoldt! My interpretation of the above is that we should go into the game next Friday oozing with self-belief that we are the match of the top eight sides. Although many sides choose not to play their best 22 during these matches, they are still a good litmus test as to where the team is at. The last fortnight has shown that: we can match it with the Tigers, the Tigers are demonstateably better than Collingwood and Collingwood is on a par with the Cats. Accordingly, we have every chance of beating the Cats, especially when we welcome back Hogan, Dawes, Watts and possibly Viney. and particularly when the game is to be played on a neutral ground such as Alice Springs! The game is ours to lose!

and Terlich ahead of Pedersen in the backline [particularly when he has been training with the forwards]

I am sure Brayshaw would be over the moon if we picked up his kid ahead of North! What was he like when he trained with us?

After the Hawks comprehensive drummings of both Brisbane and the Roos, our performance against them in the upcoming practice match will be a true litmus test as to where we are at going into the season proper.