Young Dee

Hopefully we will look back at this game in a couple years time and say it was a defining moment

Fair to say Melbourne fans deserved that one! Dare to dream

Our ad is so much more effective when we are winning!

So good! Excited for the second half but at the same time I wish we could just finish now on a high note. All players are playing well together (like a team or something). Looks like Watts finally grew a pair over the preseason. I hope Viney isn't turning into Trengove (he seems to have lost that speed from first year)

Dunn has tagged Ablett through the midfield in the past (when we had no midfield) but if Ablett played forward Dunn would have the 10cm height advantage. We now have quite a versatile backline - having HL is handy as he can swap from midfield to defence when needed

Couldn't someone go throw some empty syringes around their new training ground? Wait till they are spotted then Six6Six can take some pics of Hird picking them up and post them on ASADA's/Bombers Facebook page.

Is this thread going to go on for anther 100 pages? Lucky I didn't spend hours reading this thread. The decision isn't even the worst bit - its all the Essendon staff and co now coming out and saying told you we were innocent... we deserve an apology blah blah - ("The Tribunal was not comfortably satisfied"). I will accept the decision however think it would be great if at the start of every Essendon game the opposition boos them as they run on. Then they will never forget they are a bunch of flogs!

Dawes has definitely lifted and is grabbing them well - only thing that lets him down is his kicking

Grimes actually looks good this year... saty looks right about his kicking

Probably don't want to raise expectations after Clark. He has been in the system for a while but he has also been off legs for a very very long time - how long will it take for him to get back to an AFL level? (that's if he can stay on the track). Then there's the fact that he was fringe 22 when he was playing (hopefully somewhat due to his foot).

Not a bad line up but I think Grimes, Toumpas and Brayshaw would be under pressure - maybe by Newton, Michie, Kent and Vandenberg. Can't Believe Grimes is 26 already - I have grown to doubt him although he did play well against the doggies. With Salem and Jetta looking good in the backline Grimes might be forced up the ground. Our midfield is still limited but will grow over time with Salem, Toumpas, Brayshaw, Petracca ANB and Stretch (surely we can develop a couple right...?). We do have a solid tall backline - I would throw Salem back and maybe move Howe up forward (at least for Rd 1 given we don't have Dawes). I would say our key weakness is our reliance on Dawes - I'm a big fan but if he doesn't perform/gets injured then all the pressure is on Hogan to be that big pack smashing forward (it can't be watts/Pedo).

Yer - hopefully they play 3/4 of a match next week and then 1 VFL match round 1. 2 matches might be enough given they are both senior players. I trust the coaching panel will make the right call. I think Howe is a week or half a week ahead of Vince didn't he train last week? Pray that we don't have any injuries against the bombers!

I would also like to see that however now that we have genuine crummers in Garrett, JKH and Kent - I think Dawes and Hogan would be better at FF crashing packs/bring ball to ground. Watts playing higher up the ground would mean he can use big tank and delivery into the forward 50m. Although maybe we could trial him at FF against the dons and then rd1 in the absence of Dawes. I was impressed with Watts aggression against a weak dogs side but I still have doubts.

I was going from the original 29 man squad

So that must mean Ins: Viney, Watts, Fitzy Outs: Kent, Spencer, ?? Good line up - sad to see Kent sit out though. Really want to see Toumpas and Hogan have big games. Should win this one Bulldogs fielding a young side: "A host of young Dogs are set to get their first chance in red, white and blue this Saturday, with seven of the club’s off-season recruits named in the NAB Challenge squad to face Melbourne Draftees Toby McLean, Lukas Webb, Declan Hamilton, Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel will all get their chance this week after impressing in the club’s recent intra club match. Rookie recruits Jordan Kelly and Roarke Smith are also named in the 29-man squad for Ballarat preseason match, joining fellow rookies Daniel Pearce and Brett Goodes in the youthful Bulldogs’ lineup."

Might put channel 7 out of business

http://www.afl.com.au/fixture/nab-challenge Nope but our next game is

Demonland is like a bowl of goldfish - if we have a bad last quarter watch the wrist slashing resume

2015: Interesting to compare with this year. Although he is wearing a top his body doesn't seem to have really changed much. He reminds me a bit of Grimes - the awkward kind of movement. Looking forward to seeing him develop his game. I think the short hair makes him look faster/tougher.

probably thought it was a goal kicking comp...

I think that's what makes Hawthorn/Geelong such a good teams - they all have roles to play but when it comes down to it every player is willing and ready to go in hard.

True we should make use of his skills by using him as an outside player at times but if we want to be a good team we can't have hesitant players - still needs to attack the game more aggressively. If he does become more aggressive we could use him as a swing man and throw him up forward at times (previously he has proven fairly weak in the position)

I wouldn't really call him a good player, I think if he plays like last year he may struggle to make the 22. Agreed - him putting on some muscle wont suddenly make him a good player (Fyfe/Cameron) but might help with one on ones. I think I am like most dee fans - become increasingly frustrated with him. If he puts his head down yer he could be really good but until he does he will be mediocre. Hopefully Dawes, Hogan, Pedo, Gawn, Howe etc putting their hands up/more competitive team might force him to attack the game more aggressively.

That's a fair shake of the source bottle mate!

Quiet!... you might jinx it