Dees2014

The whole point of the post was that many of the experts are saying it is not the top six which are critical in winning finals, it is the bottom, hence my claim that that gives us an advantage over most teams. Many will disagree I’m sure, but it certainly looks like we have it over most teams in that respect, especially Geelong who fall away quite quickly with their bottom 10 because of their salary cap skew towards the big 3 mid fielders and Hawkins.

Here is my likely team for Friday week: B: Jetta. Omac. Lewis HB Hibberd. Frost Salem CC Neal-Bullen Oliver Hannan HF Melksham TMac Pettracca F Harmes Weideman Fritsch Foll. Gawn. Brayshaw. Jones Inter. Kennedy-Harris. Spargo. Vandemberg. Viney Here they are in quality order: 1 Gawn 2 Oliver 3 Brayshaw 4 TMac 5 Jones 6 Viney 7 Lewis 8. Salem 9. Melksham 10 Jetta 11 Hibberd 12 Harmes 13 Pettraca 14. Frost 15 Omac 16 Vandenberg 17 Weideman 18 Fritsch 19 Hannan 20 Neal-Bullen 21 Spargo 22. Kennedy-Harris This makes the crucial six for us as Spargo, Kennedy-Harris, Neal-Bullen, Hannan, Frisch, Weideman. Interestingly, the majority are forwards or mids, and two are ex VFL and mature age recruits.In light of our #1 rating in scoring, seems a bit contradictory. In any case, some serious talent here, and IMHO would be amongst the top two or three if you rated the bottom 6 across all sides in the AFL. Be interested in others views both on overall ratings and where we sit in bottom six rankings.

It is relevant because the trading period is coming up and discussions are starting. Some demon supporters are suggesting we don’t need hogan presumably because our winning record this year is much better when Hogan doesn’t play. I very much disagree with this. - hogan is much too good a player to contemplate trading, but we have to admit we need to think through better how we use him in the future. David Neitz early in his career played a lot at CHB, and the great Wayne Carey described him as the best backman he ever played on. Neitz himself says playing down back for extended periods eventually made him a better forward. The same may apply to Hogan. It is at least worth considering,. Hogan is a key part of the Dees bright future.

Play him at CHB like David Neitz. The forwards are working a lot better without him, but he is incredibly talented. Our defence needs a monster. Why not?

My posts were July 2017. Your archive is admirable. My view now is that Max is rightly outright favourite for the medal. He is a genuine star and in the top three or four players in the AFL, and one of the few who makes such a huge difference when he is on the field that he makes the difference between winning and losing. He WILL win us a flag in the next year or two. I really don’t understand certain commentators who rank Max only in the top 2 or 3 ruckman in the AFL. To me he is clearly number one. The complete package.

Really good long term thinking by the club. As we play through Max’s career peak, we will have a superiority over nearly all teams onball through Max’s silver service, but That can’t last forever. What better than to recruit a giant, very athletic individual with great sporting pedigree to be taught by the best over an extended period, and we all know how long it takes for big men to develop. I suspect given Austin’s size, his athletic pedigree and his learning under Max’s guidance, he may well come along a bit quicker than we expect. The great part about it is we have plenty of time to get it right. What a great prospect!

It all comes back to Hird. He managed to burn so many people at Essendon and beyond through his singleminded obsession in proving his innocence: Bomber was clearly one of them, although nothing excuses what looks like blatant breaking of the law. What goes around comes around - I reckon....

Partially agree. The rumour I like is the one that says Kelly stays at GWS on a two year contract, wins a flag, then comes to the Dees on a five year deal (after we beat GWS for the 2019 Flag)! Oh happy days!

Who do we think will be the most likely winner of the Brownlow from our current list. I'll start the ball rolling: 3. Oliver 2. Petracca 1. Viney honourable mentions Gawn - (I know unusual for a ruckman to win recently, but there was Stynes, Moore, Dempsey). Tyson (if he improves his kicking) Hibberd TMac (left field choice) Brayshaw - yes he is that good folks when he is fit

More than that, we tend to forget Brayshaw was a top 3 draft pick just behind Petracca. He is potentially that good. For all those on here who say we need another elite mid - well you are looking at him and he is wearing a number 10 Dees jumper. Top three draft picks don't grow on trees, and you can recover from concussion. Just ask Joel Selwood.

I notice that Ben McDevitt, Head of ASADA for the last three years, has announced he will not renew his contract when it comes up for renewal in May. I think we all owe McDevitt a huge debt in this saga. At the height of the pressure generated by Hird's and the AFL PR machines which tried to discredit WADA and ASADA in an effort to intimidate them into not prosecuting and appealing, McDevitt stood firm inspite of a quite spiteful personal campaign against him. I think very few people would have had the courage to stand up to this public (Hird's legal/PR team and his tame Press-pack), institutional (AFL) and beaucratic (Daniel Andrews, Tony Abbott) intimidation. In this there is no doubt McDevitt's experience as a senior investigator in the Federal police where he mostly worked on international crime stood him in very good stead. Let's hope he is replaced by someone with equal resolve, courage and integrity. We as supporters, and indeed the AFL and even Essendon (though no doubt they do not think so now) should thank him for his very distinguished service and wish him all the best in whatever he chooses to do next. We are very fortunate to have bureaucrats of such quality.

Frankly, this outcome was always going to happen. The squalking from Essendon reminds me of the self justification nonsense from Donald Trump. Both have nowhere to go except into long term mediocracy. The verdict is in. They have no choice but to try and manage the outcomes. I understand the EFC are budgeting for $17m in compensation. I would suggest they should triple that and more once add-on costs are taken into account, especially if they also pay the settlements which will be directed at Hird and some of their Directors which no doubt they will be silly enough to do. This still has several years to run, but I am sure they will do everything they can to cover the consequences up. For us, the outcome is a just one, and the one many of us have advocated. Justice has been done. Time to move on.

We are, but I would also like to se a bit more experience injected. The addition of Grimes and Trengove this weekend would be a positive. I also have heard that Max has a hand injury and that is why he is not holding his marks because he effectively is going for them one handed. This weekend it would be good to see Spencer included with or without Max. If he is injured then he should be rested, in preparation for the battles ahead against the top sides, until he recovers now that Spencer is showing form in the 2s. In-form Gawn AND Spencer would substantially improve our second half year line up IMHO, and give us some grunt when typically younger players get tired as they did last year. I thought even Jack Viney looked tired at the weekend - we sometimes forget he is only 21. I think it is time for us to start including Dunn, Grimes, Trengove, AVB, Jetta and Pederson into our line up and rest some of the kids, depending on form and perceived "tiredness". We need some hard nuts in the second half of the year.

Not sure that is the case. If it were, and MFC officials expected him to be rubbed out, and we still drafted him, then that is appalling. More likely in my view was that most MFC officials had their heads in the sand like the rest of the AFL, drunk about the power of the League, and oblivious to the wider world (literally) about drugs in sport, and the power of WADA/CAS. Let's face it, the numerous protestations about the Essendon saga where senior officials at wealthy football clubs and indeed the AFL protested that decisions about the drug soaked Essendon under Hird had "taken them by surprise" and "we are not prepared for this" just are not credible. In my corporate life, if I or any of my senior executive had have said that to the board we would have rightly been sacked on the spot. The AFL world is clearly a powerful sporting culture, but it is staggeringly naive when it comes to the commercial world, and the risks you take in that world and how to survive them. Or is it simply that they are all lying like Hird, oblivious to how foolish this makes them look, and how incompetent. I suspect the latter.

Well I'm thinking 2017 grand final against the Pies, 30 seconds to go, Dees 5 points behind, Weideman marks 55 metres out on a 45 degree angle and pops it straight through the middle, siren sounds......Actually, as a 12 year old, my father and I were five seats away from Murray Weideman in the Second tier of the old Olympic stand in 1964, and I remember looking across to him just after the famous Crompton goal. He was puffing heavily on a cigarette, shaking like a leaf...we laughed up-roareously perhaps to our discredit, but it was certainly funny at the time!

I was putting together a new post on the background working of WADA, and its key players at the weekend (I will post it in the next couple of days), and came across a list of noteworthy supporter of all clubs. It is clearly a couple of years old but i think revealing nevertheless. i'm sure many of you have seen it already. Adelaide Football Club Lleyton Hewitt (Tennis player) (#1 ticket holder) David Hicks (Guantanamo Bay detainee) Mark Holden (Australian Idol Judge/Music Producer) Alexander Downer (Former Foreign Minister of Australia) Guy Sebastian (singer and first winner of Australian Idol) Graham Cornes Adam Scott (Golfer) Bruce McAvaney (sports commentator) Ryan Fitzgerald (comedian) Brisbane Lions Greg Norman (Golfer) (former #1 ticket holder) Julie Anthony (Singer) Andrew Bartlett (former Australian politician) Rob Elliott (Game show host) Colin Friels (Actor) Shane_Watson (Cricketer) Peter Hollingworth (former Governor-General of Australia and former Archbishop of Brisbane) Cheryl Kernot (former politician) Bill Lawry (former Australian cricketer, current commentator) Peter Marcato (sports radio personality) Kieran Perkins (retired Olympic swimmer) Pat Rafter (retired tennis player) Kevin Rudd (Australian Prime Minister) Cyril Gilbert (President of the Queensland RSL) Dick Johnson & Steven Johnson (V8 Supercar Champion and son) Bert Newton (Australian television personality) Carlton Football Club Mike Williamson (broadcaster) Megan Gale Jo Silvagni (nee Bailey) Chrissie Swan (Radio Host) Andy Lee (Radio Host) Olivia Newton John (Actress) Richard Pratt (Business Man and Former Club President) Dave Hughes (comedian) Tina Arena (singer) Steve Hooker (pole vaulter) Collingwood Football Club Eddie Mcguire (Club President) Jeff Joffa Coaffe (Cheerquad Leader) Jo Hall (Newsreader) Alisha Camplin (Olympic Skier) John Brumby (Politician) Tony Jones (News Reporter) Peter Helier (Comedian) Jo Stanley (Radio Presenter) Mark Chopper Reid (Comedian) Bruce Mansfield (Radio Announcer) Darren James (Radio Announcer) Colleen Hewitt (Singer) Essendon Football Club Charlie Pickering Jennifer Keyte (newsreader) Peter Costello Andrew Peacock Andrew Bogut (NBA Basketballer) Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) R.I.P Geoff Dixon (Qantas CEO) Anthony Callea (Australian Singer/Performer) Jim Bacon (Former Tasmanian Premier) Nick Giannopoulos (actor) Brooke Hanson (Olympic swimmer) Peter Garrett (Politician and singer for Midnight Oil) Brian Mannix (singer) Craig Lowndes (V8 Supercar Driver) Ian Chappell (former Australian cricket captain) Fremantle Football Club Rove McManus (media personality) Kim Beazley (politician, diplomat and academic) Tim Winton (novelist) Carmen Lawrence (former Premier) Nick O'Hern (golfer) Alan Carpenter (former Premier) Luc Longley (retired professional basketball player) Dixie Marshall (sports reporter and news presenter) Simon Reeve (television presenter) Matt Price (journalist) Eskimo Joe (rock band) Ben Roberts-Smith (recipient of the Victoria Cross) Alison Fan (Channel Seven reporter) Brad Hogg (Cricketer) Tim Minchin (Comedian) Geelong Football Club Steve Bracks (Former premier of Victoria) Anthony Hudson (sports commentator) Daryl Somers (tv personality) Denis Walter (Radio Personality) Felicity Kennett Mick Fanning Rebecca Maddern Ruby Rose Geoff Sunderland (Adelaide Radio Personality) Guy Pearce Cadel Evans Sally Fitzgibbons Aaron Baddeley Liz Cambage Hawthorn Football Club Jeff Kennett (former premier of Victoria and former club president) Bob Hawke (former Labour prime minister) Helen Kapalos (news reader) (#1 female ticket holder) John Wood (actor) Pat Cash (Wimbledon tennis champion) Lehmo (Comedian, TV & Radio Presenter) Stephen Quartermain (TV & Radio Commentator, Sports Presenter) Andrew Gaze (Former Basketballer) Peter Rowsthorn (Comedian) Lote Tuqiri (Australian rugby union player) Ian Baker-Finch (Australian Golfer) Steve Vizard (Former funny man and director of Telstra) Geoff Harris (Co-Founder of Flight Centre and Board member) Mark Taylor (ex Australian Cricket captain and Media Commentator) Janine Allis (Founder of Boost Juice and Board member) Tamsyn Lewis (athlete) James Tomkins (Australia's most successful rower) Cameron Smith (Rugby League - Captain of Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australia) Melbourne Football Club John So (Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne) (#1 ticket holder) Terri Bracks (wife of Steve Bracks, #1 female ticket holder) Derryn Hinch (news presenter) Rob Sitch (comedian) Baz Luhrman (film director) Max Walker (former footballer, cricketer and humourist) Wilbur Wilde (musician) Rupert Murdoch Joseph Gutnick (businessman and former club President) Scared Weird Little Guys (Comedy act) Anthony Mundine (boxer) Shane Bourne (comedian) Mal Walden (newsreader) Alan Stockdale (former Victorian treasurer) Brad Hodge (cricketer) Steve Moneghetti (marathon runner) Beverly O'Connor (television and radio personality) Neil Mitchell (radio personality) James Tomkins (rower) Nicky Buckley (television personality) Geoff Cox (television presenter) Ian Henderson (newsreader) Rob Gell (television weatherman) Greg Evans (television personality) Mike Sheahan (sports writer) Michael Veitch (comedian and writer) Clint Stanaway (channel 9 news reporter) Archie Thompson (Soccer player) Hamish Blake (comedian) North Melbourne Football Club Ricky Ponting (former Australian Cricket Captain) (#1 ticket holder)[1] Simon Crean (federal Australian Politician) (patron) (leadership spiller) John Farnham (musician) Trevor Marmalade (comedian) James Brayshaw (Former Cricketer, Footy Show host and current club President) Tim Rogers (Musician - You Am I) Ralph Willis (Former Federal Treasurer) Ugly Dave Gray (Comedian) Sigrid Thornton (Actress) John-Michael Howson (Entertainment reporter) George Gregan (Rugby Union Player - Wallabies) Wayne Arthurs (Tennis player) Elle McPherson (Model) Peter Siddle (Cricketer) Mark Webber (Formula 1 Driver) Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm, QLD and Australian RL Full Back) Adam Rayner (Actor) Bronwyn Bishop (Politican) Darren Boyd (abc sport comentator) Jerry O'Connell (Actor) Gorgi Coghlan (Television Presenter) [3] Port Adelaide Football Club Hugh Sheridan (Star of Packed to the Rafters) David Koch (Sunrise co-host) Roger Rasheed (tennis coach) Hugh Jackman (actor) Mike Rann (former SA Premier) Richmond Football Club Mick Molloy (comedian) Cardinal George Pell (Archbishop of Sydney) Simon Katich (Australian cricketer) George Kapiniaris (Australian Comedian) Livinia Nixon (Australian TV personality) Denise Drysdale (Australian TV Personality) Gretel Killeen (Australian TV Personality) Paul Reiffel (former Australian Test Cricket fast bowler) Jane Turner (Australian comedienne - Kath in "Kath & Kim") Russell Morris (Australian rock legend) Caroline Wilson (Journalist - The Age newspaper, Fox Footy TV) Steve Price (Radio personality 2UE, formerly 3AW) Gerry Mellas (Director of Life Strategies) St Kilda Football Club Eric Bana (actor and comedian) Steve Bedwell (comedian) Darren Berry (state cricketer and radio commentator) Mark Doran (journalist) Bruce Eva (radio presenter) Lindsay Fox (businessman) Michael Gudinski (Mushroom records CEO) Graham Kennedy (Comedian) Michael Klim (Australian swimmer) Kate Langbrook (radio personality) Molly Meldrum (Music Industry Professional) Alicia Molik (Top Ten Tennis Player) Geoff Ogilvy (professional golfer) Stephen Peak (lawyer and radio presenter) Marina Prior (performer) Mick Thomas (musician) Shane Warne (cricket player) Peter Hitchener (newsreader) Alicia Loxley (newsreader) Sydney Swans Nicole Kidman (Actress) [2] Kristina Kenneally (former NSW Premier) Ian Thorpe (Olympic swimmer) Delta Goodrem (Singer) David Wenham (Actor) Judy Davis (Actress) Kerry O'Keeffe (Cricketer) Stuart MacGill (Cricketer) Richard Wilkins (TV Personality) Geraldine Doogue (ABC TV Personality) Fran Kelly (ABC Radio Personality) Ian "Dicko" Dickson (Former Australian Idol judge) Tom Gleeson (Comedian) Tom Williams (Host of The Great Outdoors) Sandra Sully (Newsreader) Mike Willesee (former current affairs host) Paul Mercurio Willie Mason (rugby league player) (Herald Sun 4/6/2006) Former owner Geoff Edelsten Scott Horscroft (Music Producer) Adam Spencer (Radio Host) Tony Squires (TV Personality) John Mangos (TV Personality) West Coast Eagles Shaun Tait (Australian Cricketer) Danny Green (Boxer) Ernie Dingo (TV Personality) Dennis Lillee (Cricketer) Jeff Newman (TV Personality) Justin Langer (Cricketer) Damien Oliver (Jockey) Rick Ardon ( Newsreader - Ch 7 Perth) Heath Ledger (actor) Western Bulldogs Will Anderson (Comedian) Julia Gillard (knifed Prime Minister of Australia) Chris Hemsworth (Aussie actor "Thor") Merv Hughes (Australian Cricket Player) Tom Lister William McInnes (actor, Blue Heelers) Dave O'Neill (Comedian) Janet Rice (Greens' lead Senate candidate) Mark Seymour (musician, Hunters & Collectors) Liam McIntyre (Aussie actor "Spartacus" TV Series) i suggest we all add to this list from our own knowledge - I think it can be instructive as to why clubs behave as they do.

Did anyone else notice the report in the Age yesterday, suggesting Eddie Betts was up for trade, and St Kilda and North were in the hunt. Along with elite midfielders, I would have thought a gun small forward should be right up there as a priority. Whenever I see Betts play, he really impresses me with his speed, his ability to win the ball, his defensive skills and dare I say it goal kicking ability. Seems perfect for our new regime. Anyone have any inside knowledge about this?