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Good post, no reason why we can't be more than competitive with the team you have named.

The 2007 grand final result was Geelong 24 19 163 to Port 6 8 44. Mooney may have kicked 5 but Nathan Ablett kicked 3 if that's any indication. The game was over half way through the second qtr. I don't believe using stats from that game lends much weight. I know it was a GF but it was also a white wash. My personal thoughts on Mooney is that he was an average footballer in a side surrounded by stars. I'm not saying I'm right, it's purely my opinion. The point I was originally trying to make when I referred to Geelong and Fremantle was as follows. Geelong won 3 flags without a trio of talls, yes they may of had one or two of Mooney, Pods, Hawkins playing but it was their defence, midfield and small forwards that made them so successful. Fremantle had a horror run with injury's last year but had second tier players step up and they stuck to their game plan and made it into a GF. We find ourselves in a position where we have 3 power forwards coming back from different injury's. Your right, we don't have the compensating mid size forwards so we have to come up with other options. Toumpas kicked 5 in the intra club, could he repeat that against the Tigers? maybe not but 2 or 3 might be feasible. Slot Trengove up forward, he's a reasonable overhead mark and shot for goal. Throw Dunn up there for some aggression. Some people(I'm not suggesting you) seem to think with out Clark, Dawes and Hogan playing that we might as well pack up shop now, obviously we are a stronger side with them but we can't just throw in the towel. We need to find/develop a group of players that regardless of injury's/suspensions run out there with a mindset that were still in it(pre season/regular season)very much like that of the Swans.

Maybe, just my thoughts. Nathan Ablett goes down in history as s premiership player.

Rhino, how good is your memory mate? Back in your day as a moderator you jumped to the wrong conclusion about one of my posts when you though I had bagged out Brad Green and Cam Bruce. Hawkins didn't play 07, J Pod didn't play 07 or 09 and isn't your typical power forward ie Cloke, Brown, Clark, and Mooney didn't play in the 2011 flag. Yes they were all there at some stage but not all together in the same side. As for my simplistic claim that supposedly overlooks champions of the game such as Chappy, Bartell and Stevie J.....that was exactly my point. They didn't have big skilled powered forwards (Mooney was serviceable at best) so they concentrated on what they did have. Quality tall backs, back flankers, the best midfield since the Brisbane Lions and mid/small forwards such as Stevie J and Chappy. I can only assume Roos will be instructing the players to worry about who is playing and play to their strengths.

If you think so.But I will go as far as saying our I would back Chip, Tom M, and Garland against Riewoldt, Vickery and co. We now have some midfield depth and should give Tigers a run for their money. Vince and Cross add toughness and class. There's every chance Richmond will take us lightly. Let's be the aggressor from the opening bounce. We will have a make shift forward line, so let's mix it up and see what happens. I know the Tigers have a knack of beating Hawthorn but they are overrated. If your mentally beaten before the opening bounce don't bother running out.

Geelong won three flags without a trio of power forwards. Mooney while being serviceable for mine wasn't a star. Hawkins had a blinder against the pies but can also go missing. Freo had massive injury problems last year yet still made the GF. Good sides get on with the job, they worry about what they have got not what they havnt and play to those strengths. If they run out with a mindset of worrying about who's not playing they're already beaten.

Tall forwards can always go back but if the hype surrounding this bloke is true I don't want him leaving our forward 50.

Exactly....sorry forgot that he wrote that email that went a long way to clearing him. If this wasn't so serious one could be forgiven for saying the whole things a joke.

Spoke to a mate who has been involved with him at a junior level. He says Tommy Grimes is hard at it but like his brothers is very injury prone. He plays as a tall defender but lacks class in his disposal. He once thought he would be better than his brothers but now has doubts to whether he will make the grade. Needs a lot of work.

Geelong - Ablett, Ling , Bartell , Chapman, Stevie J, Taylor, Scarlett, Enright, Corey, Selwood......it's called class not luck.

Inclusion of three mids in Cross, Tyson and Vince. Effectively a new forward line if they can all get on the field. I know what Roos has done in previous years but we aren't the Swans. Last year our list was mentally shot, devoid of any confidence. Players need to get used to each other, especially with three power forwards. Looking forward to seeing Tyson and JKH, heard a lot and read the training reports so can't wait.

CARLTON - Arrogant COLLINGWOOD - Also arrogant. Nick Maxwell is overratted. RICHMOND - The whole team is overrated. Have an easy draw and should they make finals again I can see them getting rolled again. ESSENDON - I want infraction notices served and Watson to be stripped of his Brownlow. NORTH - Admiration. SWANS - Salary cap = cheating. GEELONG - How good is Stevie J. SAINTS - Start again. FREO - Where's the remote gone. PORT - Have shown us what's possible. CROWS - Betts is not your saviour. TASSIE GIANTS - Undecided. HAWKS - Recruited well. SUNS - Paying good odds to beat Richmond round 1. LIONS - Will need to offer their 1st round pick for Patton come seasons end. BULLDOGD - Hats off. EAGLES - Have potential.

.Great post. The club has made significant changes off field and has recruited well. The players are running out of excuses. Paul Roos won't be around forever, the senior players need to set the tone not a first year player.

I agree, everyone's talking up the Saints as front runner but I was thinking of Hawthorn myself. We can match the dollars but not the chance of immediate success.

Disappointed Viney was included. I hope Frawleys inclusion wasn't linked to him coming out of contract.

Just making the point that people choose which racism bandwagon they want to jump on to.I'm with Baghdad Bob, let's get back to the footy.

I am racist, and I'm also guilty of passing on my way of life to my daughter. It was less than six weeks ago I decided to decorate the house before my daughter arrived for Christmas. I even went as far as hanging Xmas lights in the lounge room window in full view of the street and anyone who should pass. What the bloody hell I thinking. ....oh sorry that's differant.

No idea whether ASADA had requested an interview but always thought he would be last on their list so they had plenty of ammunition. I know these things take time but it's now bordering on ridiculous. The interview with players would have shed little light on anything. They would have reeled out the company line of "our medical team said it was alright", a medical team that consisted of Dr Reid who had nothing to do with the program, had serious concerns about the program, wrote emails to various key staff at the EFC about the program then decided to lock himself in a cupboard while it all went on. Drug testing is expensive so only certain things are targeted in tests, with the list of things thrown up as potential things taken, could be a safe bet some of them wouldn't have been tested for, plus most drugs are out of your system in days, hence no positive tests. Time to cut the crap and break Danks plums to get the facts. Good on the Cronulla players for seeking the truth, however any player stupid enough to take part in systematic injecting program deserves to be rubbed out of the game. At Essendon when one player stood up and said no wouldn't you start to think...why, I don't remember getting injected as a junior, then I need to sign a contract to keep my trap shut about it. What ever the result this whole saga needs to be put to bed.

Ability to play on tall and small forwards, provides some run out if defence with reasonable disposal. As for being beaten by Betts, well I can't think of a player that has never been beaten at some stage of their career....maybe Hird. Trading him is a stupid idea he's only 24/25. As for drafting another key defender, isn't that what all clubs do, with players for all positions. Problem is there is now 18 clubs so until this massive untapped talent pool of Greater Western Sydney kicks in were stuck with him, something I'm very happy about. Was it Col and Chip that held Buddy and Roughy to 2 goals between them a couple of years back?

Dont mention Tassie.....

Interesting how they have viewed Richmond, I'm tipping them to slide. They have an easy draw but ultimately will get found out.

You make some really good points, and I understand all arguments for and against. I can't add much more than what I have written in my previous post.

The point you make with regards to the talent pool is a good one, something I hadn't considered. League is a good came for tv because of the games structures, but it's all they seem to be able to get their heads around. I've often asked league fans why doesn't someone kick on the 3rd or 4th and try and catch the opposition off guard. They look at me like I'm stupid. Until the backs start to throw the ball around its so bloody predictable. They struggle to sell out finals, their passion isn't anything like ours. Manly Sea Eagles were required to play some of their home games away from Brookvale(their home ground/boutique stadium)and play at the SFS when playing some of the bigger league clubs so that more supporters from the opposition could attend. The die hard Manly supporters refused to travel the measley distance in protest. It's like Geelong supporters refusing to watch games at Etihad or the G. I'm not willing GWS to fail, but I think they will struggle for years to come. I don't think some people up here fully understand the tactics or lack there off in their own game let alone try and follow ours. But they are there now, and there to stay. Any talk of further expansion or multi tier leauges, should remain just that. As has been mentioned before, the squeeze of ten clubs in Victoria might force one into the Apple Isle.

I honestly hope you are right but from my experience most people from Sydney tend to be bandwagon jumpers. GWS needs to have sustained success.

From what I understand, people think for us to remain the no. 1 sport in Australia we have to have two teams in Sydney because of the untapped market/potential growth/number of people living there already and only one team currently based there/tv market. On that same logic rugby league should start a second team in Melbourne in 2015. We were before, and still would be without GWS being established the no. 1 sporting code in Australia. We have a monopoly on Vic, WA, SA, Tas, possibly NT, only playing second fiddle to QLD(where we have two teams to leagues three, I think Titans are propped up by News LTD) and obviously NSW. I'm from Melbourne but have lived in Sydney for the last four years. It's a known fact that rugby struggles to get crowds at games. Most clubs have these boutique stadiums which they can't bloody fill. As much as we love our game it doesn't mean everyone else is going to. If Swans had a waiting list for memberships and were selling out every home game fair enough. I do understand the concept of this is for the next generation of people from Western Sydney, but ultimately I think it will fail. I hope I'm wrong. As for the tv rights argument, numerous weekends had four AFL games live, with a minimum of three thanks to 7mate. So there's still plenty of advertising available.