Jerry Lundergard

Remember that he is a North Melbourne. Sooks.

Did I read somewhere that Barrett is a Roos supporter? Brayshaw has already toed this party line. North Melbourne are the biggest bunch of "What about me?", sooking club in the AFL. They have a gripe about every little thing that goes against them, and will continue to feel that while they were being pushed up North, and now left to their own devices, we are being given a golden ticket. I can understand that perception and frustration from their part, but they just always cry foul in the media. No one actually cares....

I just vomited in my mouth when I re-read this. http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7335-dunn-is-a-gun/?hl=%2Bdunn+%2Bgun I think Lynden Dunn has as much potential as just about any of our young players on our list. Super competetive, smart, good hands and decision making in close, can play a defensive role as well as go foward and kick a goal. He just needs to improve his consistency throughout the four quarters of a game, as he tends to go a little missing at the moment, but i predict he on the bubble of becoming one of our best players in the next 2-3 years. I also believe he has leadership material written all over him, and don't think it would be a stretch to say he could be captian or vice -captain somewhere down the line.

My issue with the whole argument on whether we deserve a PP or not, is that it is being debated a lot about stuff that isn't happening on the footy field. I don't believe that matters off field should really come into account when deciding if a club gets one. I would like to know, if don't qualify for a PP, purely on our football performances on field, then how bad would a team have to be to get one? The AFL might as well scrap it completely, because if a team was to ever have a sustained period of pathetic performances like we have over the last 2 years(2 wins against non-expansion sides, multiple 80 point+ floggings, etc), then using our club as an example, they would not be eligible either.

I still think the changing of Rockets coaching role at the Pies mid-season, and his subsequent disappearance from Fox Footy shows seems all a bit fishy to me. I get the feeling his is our man.

I wonder if this new role that Rocket recently got with the Pies, which has taken him off shows on Fox, is just a smokescreen for a different role at the Pies where they want to keep him on, but have given him less access to their IP.

Just a random question....but wouldn't the new coach coming in want a say as to who is going up for trade, and whose not? I find it hard to believe we are already putting players and picks on the trade table when we don't have a coach for next season yet???

I have been laughing at all the fools predicting a massive bag for Cameron because we don't have Frawley. Tommy Mac is clearly the best best matchup for Cameron, and I think he will acquit himself reasonably well. Of course he will need a bit of help from our midfield, which is always a worry...

Is this for real? So are we to assume that it a guy like Rocket gets the gig, who can give a good spray, that Watts may walk. But if a zen master like Roos is hired, he'll sign?

I wonder what the record low attendance is for a game at Etihad? Could be in trouble. Probably break the record for two Melbourne clubs at least.

I am reading plenty about class and ball use, but not much about ability to win his own contested footy. Surely it is plain for everyone to see at the club, that unless we are able to win the footy in the first instance, forwards and outside mids will have little relevance in our team. The only time we have a chance of truly controlling the ball ATM is when we are kicking out from a behind....

Here is a couple of blurbs I have found from the U/18's "Patrick Cripps (right) was my pick of the Sandgropers. He stepped up in the absence of captain Dom Sheed, and the WA Vice Captain held the ship sturdy with ease. His work at the stoppages was all class, his work rate mirrored his team high disposals of 21 17 of which were contested. Adding to this, 9 clearances, 3 tackles and 5 rebound 50′s it was a complete game from the WA product. The third cousin of West Coasts Jamie Cripps should find himself on an AFL list with ease in November." - Supercoachpaige SA v WA "Patrick Cripps East Fremantle A true inside midfielder in every sense of the word, and showed it again with his grit and determination to win the ball for his club across all stoppages. Finished with a team-high 21 disposals (17 contested), 9 clearances, 5 rebounds and 2 tackles in what was a very impressive game for the kid. Could fall a little lower in the draft due to his lack of speed and foot skills, as he possesses more of a conservative style of play with his lateral kicks and tendancy to bomb it long. Nonetheless, a true prospect for teams wishing to increase their inside-mid stocks and could potentially be at a true bargain pick in the draft." - Madmondayshow "WA's vice-captain Patrick Cripps is the third cousin of current West Coast Eagle Jamie Cripps. The East Fremantle product is a 190cm midfielder who has grown 20cm in the last two years. "In the state 15s I was the smallest in the team so I've grown a fair bit," Cripps said. Cripps' size and prowess as an inside midfielder has seen him likened to the reigning Brownlow medallist. "I've been told I play like Jobe Watson, obviously not as good. But it's a complement to be compared to him," he said.- Afl.com.au

http://www.wafl.com.au/players/view/4972 Cripps caught my eye in the WA/SA last week, as an inside mid who looks pretty good stoppages getting the pill out with hands. Looks to me like the exact type of player we need and hope we might be able to snare him with a late pick. Can any of our WA demons shed anymore light on him?

We were obviously smashed in the middle, and one reason I thought we won the last qtr was because we seemed to win a few clearances. It was almost sickening the amount of clean ball Sydney were able to generate into their F50 from any kind of stoppage. Sydney were wasteful in front of goal, but that evened the disgraceful umpiring by the men in blue. Sydney have a great ability to keep the ball alive in close and get it to the outside for a clearance better than any team in the league IMO. The fact we didn't lose this game by much more considering the midfield dominance, is a real testament to the team under the NC era. Plenty to like, but just one major thing to fix....the midfield.

I liked the look of Cripps from WA for a later pick. Not sure where he is rated? An inside mid who gets first hands on the ball and releases it outside. Fits a need for me.

If the story about Neeld trying to trade him to the Roos for a 2nd rounder was true, then I guess that would be another reason Watts didn't like the man too much.

Isn't it also a mystery that Tynan got a game Rnd 1 last season, and has virtually been unsighted since. I presume injury would have to be a major reason for this?

So we are going to have Hogan, Dawes, Watts and Clark all in our forward line if fit? Way to build a balanced list. We need midfielders, small forwards and decent half-bank flankers with laser like kicks.

Did I read something in there about Thornton and grunt? Or did my eyes deceive me?

Not sure how Garlo was going to mark it with his eyes closed anyway.....

Before Half Time

Turned Game Off

Is there a matchup for him this week? I didn't watch the Freo game, so I am not sure who they played forward. But they seem to get a lot of goals through Mayne/Ballantyne/Walters. Frawley may get Mayne, or though he works pretty hard up the gorund. Then Garland may get Ballantyne, and Nicho on Walters.

I think the art of coaching is to deploy a gameplan that suits your players at your disposal. It seems Neeld has come in with gameplan he wanted to run with, and he wasn't happy with the players he had to carry it out, so he got rid of as many of them as he could. It would be like MM going to Carlton last season and decididng that there is no use have Betts, Garlett and Yarran in his team for his style of play. Instead he has adjusted to be able to utilise their strenghts for the benfit of the team. Rocket was accused of starting the flood with the Swans, but when he came to the Bulldogs and found he had quick players, with elite foot skills, he once again coached to the teams strengths. That is coaching. As much as David King has always annoyed me, he called it early last season when he said Neeld was trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Neeld, the club and the supporters don't have 5 years to wait to see if he can completely change the personnel of our team to suit his style, on the off chance that it may lead us to finals.

I think our best chance to get a top line mid is to trade down in this draft if we receive a PP and have access to the best KPF, then teams like the Crows, bulldogs, Lions and Blues may be willing to offload a mid or 2 in a packaged deal.