Straight Sets Simon

From the sidelines?

He's easier to trade if under contract as he won't be able to walk into the draft.

I'm no fan of Riley but if a player is to be the sub then surely he is better suited than Grimes.

The problem is for so long there we were looking for the wrong type of player, aside from Trengove, Grimes and Watts the rest had no chance of succeeding.

I don't rate Toumpas, never have but he did show good signs at times this year and obviously works hard.

I'd say it's 90% drafting and 10% development. I just can't see Morton, Gysberts, Cook, Blease, Maric, Strauss, Tapscott, Watts, Taggert, Grimes, Trengove, Tynan or Toumpas being any better if recruited by other clubs.

But how will Fremantle go?

If they win today I'll throw in $10.

Melbourne has just as much control over Casey as they would a Melbourne reserves side.

No wonder many of us are negative, just listen to some of the questions that Matt Burgan asks Nathan Jones leading into his 200th game here.

I'd put the house on it.

They'll probably just go home and watch the 2007, 2009 and 2011 Grand Finals on replay.

Which is what I was getting at with "junior players".

But we'd be looking at what Toumpas was doing at another club and thinking how lucky we were to dodge that bullet.

Far too much emphasis is placed on SANFL form with junior players. Melbourne simply got cute by trying to compliment Viney's inside grunt with outside run (ironically Toumpas is slower than Viney). I still remember watching Wines in his first NAB Cup game and Ricciuto was commentating, basically said two inside grunt players (Wines and Viney) are better than one.

As much as I've been critical of Toumpas I do feel a little sorry for him. His game against the Bulldogs was very good but either through lack of opportunity or ability we didn't see a repeat performance.

In for Garland?

If the Suns did that trade then we know there is a serious drug problem within the whole club.

If he wants to take a massive pay cut then yes, otherwise I can't see him leaving Sydney while he is being paid so well.

This.

That's a not a problem at all. Unless he planned on trying his luck through the PSD he needs to be traded anyway as he is not a FA.

Titus O'Reily is very funny, but every now and then he also gets serious and again he is bang on the money with this piece.

Just about every club (except the Bulldogs who picked Bontempelli) that had the opportunity will be kicking themselves they didn't pick Cripps.

For the Melbourne Football Club to survive and prosper, this is the most important thing we can do.

I just would have thought not being on the injury list means a player is not injured.