Dees2014

Just arrived. At the moment warming up with kick to kick. Hoges paired with Frost doing pretty intense one on ones. Maybe indicative of what we might do at either end of the ground Friday night...

Yep. Will post anything significant l see...

Some on here have criticised my optimism. Consider this as our finals team: FB: Jetta. TMac. Frost HB. Salem. OMac Hibberd CC. Petracca. Jones. Hunt HF. Watts. Pedo. Brayshaw FF Garlett. Hogan. Hannah Foll. Gawn. Oliver. Viney Interchange. Lewis. Tyson Vince. Neal-Bullen Emerg: Melsham Stretch Harmes I reckon that is a side at least capable of prelim finals. I know we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but.......

Watching OTC tonight, the most authoritative show on TV are saying we will get at least to the second last game. How bloody exciting!

Yes it is certainly getting harder. I think they should seriously consider Tenners as a replacement for jones. On the website, they confirm Jones 4-6 weeks, and recovering Hunt, Watts and Jetta, all of whom they expect to be fit. With Jones out, it does leave a hole in the onfield leadership. I don't feel Viney is as yet mature enough to provide that by himself, particularly when we need cool heads in a crisis. Everything you hear about Tenners is he has outstanding leadership abilities, and it will be really up to the likes of Lewis, Vince, Watts and Max together with Viney and hopefully Tenners to step up in that direction. It is not as if Jones is all that nippy himself. It his intensity at the ball which is elite, and in that Tenners could almost match him. The news has certainly made Saturday that much harder, and leadership will be critical. So for me, I'd have the changes: In: Gawn Trengove Out: Jones. Neal-Bullen

Yes I think Pedo is a much superior ruck option to TMac, I would suggest Pedo plays mostly at CHF, and relieves Max in the ruck, and Max can replace him in the forward pocket when that happens and Watts goes to CHF. By the way I understand OMac was a very effective forward in his junior days, and given his size, marking ability and his long kicking he may well be an additional option at CHF. Paul Roos is apparently big on this idea. Might be worth a try if we need to change things around during the game, particularly since Westcoast seems very likely to go in without Kennedy.

It means that rather than having to scrounge the opposition tap out, Max will give us silver service, and we can use the set ups we developed so successfully while he was away earlier and more often. It is very exciting, even without Jonesy.

Yes it is certainly getting harder. I think they should seriously consider Tenners as a replacement for jones. On the website, they confirm Jones 4-6 weeks, and recovering Hunt, Watts and Jetta, all of whom they expect to be fit. With Jones out, it does leave a hole in the onfield leadership. I don't feel Viney is as yet mature enough to provide that by himself, particularly when we need cool heads in a crisis. Everything you hear about Tenners is he has outstanding leadership abilities, and it will be really up to the likes of Lewis, Vince, Watts and Max together with Viney and hopefully Tenners to step up in that direction. It is not as if Jones is all that nippy himself. It his intensity at the ball which is elite, and in that Tenners could almost match him. The news has certainly made Saturday that much harder, and leadership will be critical. So for me, I'd have the changes: In: Gawn Trengove Out: Jones. Neal-Bullen

Hasn't anyone noticed that whenever we beat someone, they are immediately put into crisis mode. You will know we have arrived when they simply accept it as the usual which is not too far off actually I reckon.

Hasn't anyone noticed that whenever we beat someone, they are immediately put into crisis mode. You will know we have arrived when they simply accept it as the usual which is not too far off actually I reckon.

I don't mind this at all. Buckley needs to talk to his own supporters and board - and Eddie! Of course he is going to say that about us. I really enjoy annoying the Pies....

Martin worries me because of the baggage he brings with him. I think we should steer well clear of that, and we appear to be doing that fortunately. Martin would fit perfectly into a North or St. Kilda as they have plenty of baggage of that sort already, and so long as they do nothing about reforming themselves, will ensure they continue to be mediocre. I wouldn't underestimate the negative effect Martin has had on the RFC as a whole, and may help to explain their long term flakiness.

It used to be asked quite regularly during the Daniher and especially Northey eras. Certainly makes a difference when opposition not only respects you but even fears you. I think we are getting close to that now, and further performances like today will enhance that, even leading leading pundits like David King to suggest we should be considered serious contenders for the flag especially when messrs Hogan and Gawn come back. Was also delighted to hear Goodwin confirm Max's return next week, jesse still 2-3 weeks away. Looks like they will all be on the park for the Swans. Let's hope the Swans drop a game in the meantime.

He had to prove himself like everyone else - and look how it has paid off! We should all be grateful. i wonder how the bullies are feeling about Hannah now?

We can, and will.

I think we really need to give credit to our football dept on this. The amount of bile on D/L about oscar over the last two years has been legand. We should trust our expert more, but I understand it is difficult when it is people like Mark Neald. Go dees. And go our wonderful coaches. We are on track!

Quite correct sorry.

Spot on. For all its wealth and high profile, at the end of the day they have won two flags since 1958 (1990 and 2010). We have won one. Hardly a high performance team they make out they are, and one on the downward slide - why would a high ranking player want to transfer to them and not us?

I'd rather Pettrac thanks...

So do I. There might well be a quite simple explanation why he is not playing ie he simply is not yet fit enough to play out 4 quarters at the senior level (as well as my post above about the conditions on Sunday). I don't go along with the posters on here who say he is not up to AFL standard. He actually has played some very good games for us in the past (eg Geelong at Geelong two years ago). If Max is not ready next week, I would be very surprise if he were not selected.

Yes, in this case ((Bulldogs at Etihad) they are not only fast as a team, it will be played on a dry fast deck. All the more reason to select accordingly. If we were playing NM, Carlton or Fremantle at the G, I have no doubt it would be different.

We don't want the Swans to beat the Tigers. The Swans are just one loss away from making them to go into "rebuilding" mode for the rest of the season. I would much prefer that in three weeks time, than them on a roll into the 8.

I have just wasted three hours of my life watching the nonsense that FoxSports masquerades as AFL Sport. The game (NM v Saints) admittedly was sod ordinary, but the commentary around it, particularly when led by Eddie McGuire was simply innane. I know a lot of you will say "well derr", but it is no wonder the western world allows stupidity to creep into our everyday life when we have these lightweights as being our so called community leaders. Oh yes, it did not help either when I happened to come across, when I was trying unsuccessfully to make online broadcasting of AFL games work on my iphone, a relay of an interview McGuire had with Christian Pettracca on 3mmm when it was all about pettracca barracking for Collingwood when he was growing up, and how much mcguire would spent on getting him "to come home" as he put it. When he (McGuire) found out that a few of our players after QB game went to the cinema after the game, Eddie's comment was "I will buy the cinema for you if you come and play with us". What a F-wit honestly. The serious point is though as we get closer to the top our elite will be targeted by losers like McGuire. I guess it was always so....

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.

Yes, I agree about the McDonalds and Tyson. The latest player who seems to be in the crosshairs is Jayden Hunt. I admit it is somewhat annoying when you see him brilliantly run through the wing and into the forward 50 with no-one able to get near him because he is just so quick, and take a shot and more often than not miss. I think Hunt is someone though that certainly needs to be encouraged to play like that which I'm sure the coaches are doing. How you improve his accuracy though I guess is like anything - practises, and more practise. On one of the football shows they suggested a bit more steadying before kicking, I guess much like big Jack Watts did in his now famous QB last minute goal. That maybe could be a model for JH, an otherwise very admirable footballer and potentially a key part of the Dees future.