Bombay Airconditioning

Ground break? It's been happening for years.

Either I haven't explained myself properly or you haven't understood me. If you have the luxury of playing a midfielder in the role of lock down defender that would ideally mean that your midfield and midfield rotations on the bench are all players of quality. Depending on the teams set up you might even have one starting on the HFF and one on each of the back flanks. Your very best mids will start on ball but as you go down through the pecking order they can fill other spots. If the last spot to select for the starting 18 was back pocket and it was a choice between a lock down defender with great defensive skills but average disposal or a midfielder will equally good defensive skills but far greater disposal you should ideally take the midfielder. This gives the team great flexibility. When interviewed a few years ago about Geelongs successful team that won 3 flags, Bomber said we went against the grain of having small/medium defenders and we set about drafting as many skilled midfielders as possible and turning them into multi dimensional players. The premiership teams of Geelong and those of Hawthorn have mids that just play on ball, they have mids that can also go back, mids that go forward and mids that can do all three. As for your line "they will hurt you if they are playing on someone interested in being heavily involved in rebounding the footy", you have looked at this completely the wrong way. Players like Betts and Wingard will on occasions beat anyone inside the forward 50. But players like Betts and Wingard are also part of the reason the term "one way runners" came about. Their opponents can run off them and help set up play coming out of the back 50 and make them accountable. Great teams with good game plans and structures wouldn't and haven't had the problem that you speak off. When the opposition has the ball everyone becomes a defender.

Reading on FB Hawks looking at Yarran. Does Richmond miss out again.

Quit the infighting.

The point I'm trying to make is Jetta does a great job playing his role locking down small forwards but what if we had someone who could do that and have elite disposal and push up into the midfield if needed. We struggled this year again in the midfield but maybe next year depending on injuries but definitely in 2017 there should no such thing as a small lock defender or a mid sized defender and that's all they can do. It will be we have midfielders with elite disposal playing the role of a lock down defender or a mid size defender. Hawthorn and Geelong worked this out years ago and the results speak for themselves. I haven't seen a lot of Melksham, could be coming off the other back flank from Salem. Multiple options.

Trap Dawes....I like it.

Jack Grimes all over again.

Ugly stuff? So it would seem my attitude is aligned with the one he has displayed at times throughout the year. When you read about him it's never about his elite disposal/competive attitude/footy smarts, the first thing you read is things like great clubman. That's all well and good but we need more than that.

I will read the articles when I finish work, regardless of what he told his manager it would seem most players from any club have daily updates about their future, speculative or not.

18 clubs has stretched the talent pool. Many were surprised when Fitzy was delisted. If Dunn/Tmac/Frost play down back is Col the replacement depth. I didn't have Grimes in my starting 22 for round 1 this year while many others did. I'm guessing another player on a reduced rate.

3 years? Would want to pull his head out. Was it another case of no interest from other clubs? With a full he's not in my best 22, others will disagree and that's fine. Would love to know how much we're paying him.

Are we going to discuss all things Garland here or start a new thread like we did for Cross last night?

On a 3 tier scale 1 being poor, 2 being (AFL) average, 3 being elite he's average. I don't buy into kicking efficiency stats regarding some players based on the position they play as they can be misleading. Jetta being a perfect example.

Missed - Tyson/Kent.Whilst my team would be slightly different there's one thing I do agree with and that's the Prince. Joining the likes of Watts/Dawes/Grimes/Garland in the VFL. We keep hearing from the coach about a need for competitors and skilled players, it will be disappointing if he goes back on that.

In the other board on the "premiership 2018 thread" I did a team of our talent 23 & under. Our future is shaping up nicely.Who was the Bulldogs big fish last year? A kid on a million a year sent to the two's to learn his craft.

Daniel Robinson. Roos had a bit to do with him during his time at the Swans academy.

I mentioned this last week. My mate still thinks Watts to Sydney and Robinson to us is on the cards. Obviously more to the deal, last week Birds name came up.

No I don't think so.All these players that are going to be stars at other clubs......no interest as yet.... Dawes/Watts/Grimes could yet see out the last year of their contracts in the two's.

Rehab and development coach. At least we get one win this week.

Official off field role with the club. Very happy about this.

Big bodiedPremiership experience Creates a contest

Reading between the lines: 2016 we'll have the most expensive VFL team in history.

Sounds like a job for Petraccattack.

I read it as one post.

At the moment we have Jetta who plays the role of lock down defender. His disposal is average. He does play his role well minimising the impact opposition smalls have. We have Grimes who many class as a mid size defender. He can't play midfield. His disposal has improved to become average with the occasional trademark brain fade. Then we have Salem and 3 talls. Tmac/Dunn/Garland(Maybe next year Garland out for Frost). Once we have real depth on the list and more talented players our back six should be 3 talls and 3 mids. That gives us gear flexibility and we become a very dangerous side. We only need to look at the Hawks and Geelong to see how effective this is.