Pirlo

Extended for three to make four. I agree he shou;dn't be in any danger yet, but what say we finish bottom four? And start next year the same way? The club can't afford to pay him out. Our financial position is built on six careful years of the Jackson administration slowly building modest profits. Talk of 70k is ludicrous, let alone the 50 they wanted this year. We have only reached 45 and that's coming off a prelim.

Why did we need to give him a four year deal? What was the rush?

He's a hopeless orator. Uses the kind of cliches that coaches insisted on using 10 years ago and offers absolutely no analysis beyond "we have to get better". That's a direct bloody quote from tonight. When we lost games like this under Roos, you felt like he was able to deflect media attention away and talk about areas that we needed to lift.

His decision to give Goodwin a three year extension on the eve of the season is just another in the long list of erratic captain's calls that saw him sacked at the Pies.

Nail on the head

So Jones and Viney are both unfit and missed most of the pre-season, but Jack gets a rest and Jones has to slog it at Casey. Right. Ok.

Out: Frost, Hore In: May, Stretch

Laughable overreaction

He was actually okay aside from that insidious drop that ended the game for us. I don't see anyone in the reserves that would do a better job than him, and he's far away from first in line to be dropped.

Jack Viney ran like Jack Trengove today. I fear for his foot, I really do.

The article in The Age suggests that Hogan has had mental health issues since what happened last year, and it certainly explains his dip in form after Queen's Birthday this season. Will miss him dearly, and feel like we were short changed (giving back pick 55 is a kick in the teeth), but its clear the club was hamstrung by a young man desperate to go home and decided that May was the man to bring in as a replacement tall.

God some people are stupid. Kennedy-Harris played one good game, and that was in 2014. McDonald has been excellent for 90% of this season. Who would you play instead? Petty? Keilty? [censored] stupid.

How many midfielders are game breakers within 100 games, let alone 50? Only one I can think of at Melbourne is Oliver. Cripps, Bontempelli, Kelly, Shiel stand out in recent years. Coniglio is rated by everyone these days, but took 80 games to really get going at all.

Bloody hell, the guy is out of form. Not sure why he deserves so many people casting aspersions over his character. He obviously needs to improve, but there's plenty of time for that. Lets wait and see where we are in six, 12, 18 months time before we start piling [censored] into a 22 year old.

Christ. Nathan Jones is not the problem. Ridiculous. Having said that, I do think his days as leader are numbered. He lacks the ability to delegate and isn't the best communicator. He was a great captain when effort was the word of the day, but now that we need to be winning games I think a more natural leader like Viney, who can rally the troops on field, is needed. I'd imagine we'll only have one captain next season.

We've got no choice but to be patient with him. Having said that, we can stop structuring our D50 around his fabled intercept marking until he sorts himself out. Would much rather have Hibberd in that role.

Bugg plays like he doesn't want the ball. Fumbly, nervy, inaccurate. If he doesn't turn that around, and at his age the odds are against him, then this will be his final year on our list. A side like Carlton may take him for a year to shield the younger bodies, but he's lost his mongrel since he knocked out Mills and allows himself to be pushed around. He's suffering a crisis of confidence and AFL level is not the place to sort it out.

That's what worries me. If he'd said from the start that they wouldn't be negotiating until after the CBA, then that's fine. As things stand, they've been at it for a few months and either the club aren't fronting the money (unlikely) or he just doesn't think he wants to stay.

I reckon he'll go, sadly, and have thought so for some time. Its the risk of drafting interstate players, not that the Bleeding Hearts who support Freo/WCE will admit (but, but, but we lost Dylan Roberton ). The narrative of "talking", "maybe negotiating" and "putting off talks" has been seen too many times and rarely works with the exception of players like Cloke who are openly after a payday that their clubs aren't willing to offer until they have to. Two things have led me to think this: He can write his own cheque here, for as many years as he wants. His manager referencing the reforming CBA is a positive, but then could also be the most convenient excuse for a person in the snake oil industry that is AFL player management. Every time he's been asked whether he likes Melbourne, he never really answers yes. I asked him two years ago whether he missed Perth/preferred Melbourne and he pretty much point blank said he missed and preferred Perth but likes Melbourne. At this stage, I think we're going to need a massive, massive year and to make finals - or he'll ask Mahoney to trade him. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'll hold us to ransom; loves the club for what it is and will drive a fair price for his own head. I just reckon he'd rather be surfing in Scarborough on his days off, rather than heading up to Torquay every six weeks and hanging out in the city when training is off. Club comes first every time, but if we go backwards/Goodwin ends up being poor - we could see repeats of 2008 doomsday scenarios :(. Lets just hope he does re-sign, and that Weideman is bloody good.

I'm as big a fan of his as any, but sometime you need to put your foot down and say that his attitude isn't good enough. Problem is he knows he has us by the balls, because he can leave and we need him to stay. Also, we beat Geelong without him.

Very encouraging, how Maxy went today, but one swallow doesn't make a summer. If he keeps on chipping away in the VFL and gets some form behind him then maybe, but Stewart is looking very comfortable at AFL level already.

With Patton still pencilled a spot at GWS, how about James Stewart as that resting ruck option? 21 years old, 198cm, can kick a goal.

I thought the Toumpas vs Wines debates were just parodying the ridiculous nature of judging a kid before he matures. Now it seems that they're authentic. 19 ... years ... old

People forget he's 20 years of age. It's amazing.

You can't blame Jimmy Toumpas for not being Oliver Wines. At least he puts in and seems to have the right attitude, unlike Morton or even Watts.