btdemon

As Tessio said to Michael Corleone at the moment he was being taken away for execution "it was just business."

Thank god! We didn't stuff that one up then.

very much a suppository of wisdom

I like and respect Jack Grimes but have always been critical of his kicking under pressure. It seems unanimous that he is a quality person. I would love to see him become an effective player in the next couple of years but understand that he may not make it. Its interesting to look back at the 2007 draft and trading period. Jack has been the most successful of the crop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_AFL_draft Trades - John Meesen AFL draft - 4. Cale Morton 16. Jack Grimes 21. Addam Maric 53. Kyle Cheney 66. Tom McNamara 73. PASS 75. Tex Walker Preseason Draft - Stef Martin Rookie Draft - Trent Zomer, Aussie Wonaeamirri, Jake Spencer, Shane Valenti Sorry to join out Tex Walker but I could also have mentioned Dangerfield (10), Cyril (12), and so on......... WOW! what list managers we had!

BTW what was their song before the Harry Angus one? Did they have one? Can anyone remember?

Oscar was better than i expected on a day when a tall, skinny and inexperienced guy should do not well. Tom, on the other hand decided to switch across to his brother when at that time when we were attempting to get back into the game (3rd quarter). He missed him, Oscar was tackled, turnover, goal. I wanted to smash my iPad! Luckily I didn't, but used a great deal of profanity.

Loved his game on Saturday. It was interesting how well he, Jones and Vince played. Their pace was very suited to the wet day. He may well be a wet weather gun. His hands were great and his kicking looked great in the conditions. I am critical of his kicking on a dry day sometimes, but he and Vince were awesome.

A hell of a lot to like out of that game. Vince, Jones, Tyson, Oliver, Gawn were great. Petracca is showing more and will steadily get better and show more magic. Watts had the best attack on the ball i have seen from him. He is also trying to take them on. I am happy for him to do this as much as possible. He was quieter in the second half in terms od disposals but what he did was mostly great. Despite getting 19 possies, I think Trenners will have to adjust the way the game has increased in tempo since he last played. I am hopeful he is smart and determined enough to become a valuable player again. Hogan, Jeffy and Harmes didn't do enough but we still had scoring potency, not enough, mind you, but we were still in that game until about halfway through the final quarter. Jetta continues to be our most reliable and smartest defender. Frost is an athlete and not a footballer but I think he is worth persisting with in the backline providing the coaches give hime very clear tuition. He does need to learn how to kick. Stretch is a bit too light but goes in. What I like about him is he has, discipline, footy smarts and doesn't do too much wrong. I feel good when he has the ball. Dawes was not great but again I would expect that he will get better and the forward structure looks potentially better with him there. We were harder at the contest than the Hawks for most of the game, in without Viney. Albeit, the wet day did suit our slower inside mids. Considering the players that were down, I think we did alright. The young players witnessed Hawthorn demonstrate how to win tight games. Hopefully the coaching panel points this out. Our young brigade are different from the list who experienced humiliating defeat week after week. They need to learn from Hawthorn, the Swans etc. and will. I was very disappointed to lose it but think we are moving in the right direction.

I thought Garland was ok

I just thought i'd start this thread so I could say let's drop OMac, Kent, Newton etc, etc, etc. Nev Jetta, I don't know where we'd be without you. The only player who doesn't get intoxicated on their own bathwater after a win (over sides that are even worse than us). I've said it before and I'll say it again, we play DUMB football sometimes. There was one point when Tmac marked on the back flank. Garland was well clear and calling for it on the wing. Tmac decides to switch to the opposite flank. Bad idea, bad kick, kicks inaccurately to a one on two. Contest, port win it and a Port goal. This was in the second quarter when we were fighting late in the quarter to get back. JUST DUMB!!!!! Momentum gone. Balloon pricked by stupidity! ARGHHHHH!

When he learns to kick more precisely he will be an absolute gun. I made the comparison with Michael Voss when he first arrived and he seems to be vindicating that more as he gathers games under his belt. His first instinct is usually to hand pass, and he has sensational hands and vision in traffic. I wonder whether kicking has become such a non-proffered option because he is less confident or doesn't have time to clear traffic and balance himself. His hands and vision in packs are so good that maybe he is not ready or prepared when he gets clear. I am very excited about this guy! And he tackles for keeps! When they're all fit and firing Imagine how scary it will be for other midfields to face Jones, Viney, VDB, Petracca, Oliver, Trengove, Bugg, Kennedy, Tyson, Vince around stoppages time and time again. Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch! No let up. The Swans have this now and the Hawks and Cats have had it in the past. Midfields full of GRUNT!!!

Bitter but optimistic?

Why do we bother to react to Barrett's musings. We got Tyson and Salem and they got Kelly. All will be good players.

I think the "bible and bobble" of the the footy were partly cause by our haphazard disposal, by hand and foot. We seem to have a high risk, move the ball quickly approach to attack. This looks ok when it works but many of the hand-passes are very quick and flukey. There is a real chaos when are moving the ball from CHB through the middle. When it works, it looks great but WB's disposal was as quick but way more accurate. They have a higher skill level that us and the ability to slice us up. Their movement out of centre stoppages was so much slicker. Even Oliver's laser-like hands were a bit off yesterday. Their pressure was also excellent and caused our clearance skills to look ordinary. Viney had to resort to his crazy charging through a brick wall tactic as a means of clearing. While I am in awe of his ability to do this, I also think that he was doing it out of frustration, trying to inspire the team and just get the ball forward. They had us so well covered. This points to the well-drilled nature of the Dogs' stoppage structures. The Doggies have enormous talent and good skills. They proved by their performance last year that they are a year further down the track than us. I was also crying out for Bernie to go in to the centre stoppages. It was pretty plain that our core inside mids were too inexperienced and needed some direction. Aside from Jones, Viney and Tyson, we were relying on , Bugg, Kennedy, Oliver and Petracca. As much as I think Oliver and Petracca will both be guns, Oliver has played 6? games. Petracca 3, one of which was in the forward line. The sooner Trenners is ready, the better. It may be time to give ANB a go as well. I'm still not sure about Newton but would love to be wrong. We are also missing the grunt of AVB.

Yes (plugging away at the chalkface since 1983)

I see Vandenberg's future as a forward who can go into the midfield. The guy is a great contested mark and a reasonably consistent kick who knows how to find the ball. His consistency has been down a bit this year but I think that is due o injury and not having enough game time. I think he is a much more valuable asset than some on here and don't understand why people have gone a little cold on him.

Yeah, it sure makes you wonder why we didn't warm up like that. I watched some of the individual warm ups before that and Jesse and Nathan Jones had a bit of intensity about them. But the whole saints team had a sharpness that we lacked. I hope the coaching team address this.

No, but in this day and age if a team goes in to a game with any sense that the game is a gimme then there is trouble. it doesn't matter who the opponent is. Of all teams we cannot afford any complacency. We're just not that good yet.

I got there about an hour early today and watched the saints warm up. Their kicking was low, sharp and precise. We don't have enough players who can do this. They cut us up from the backline to goal. Our kicks, in contrast were often down the line to a contest. I don't think i saw StKilda kick out from a point without targeting a player to advantage.

Petracca tried to play like he does against lesser players. He took them on and thought he could just burst away. Hopefully he will learn.

Yep, totally. How good are we at getting ahead of ourselves. Both fans and players. It sh1ts me so bad.

I suggest everybody has a go at the Bailey Ladder predictor. Even when i'm being very optimistic we finish about 9th. I had the Dees on 13-14 wins, and as I said, that was optimistic. There are a lot of teams who will fight for the final eight this year with the improvement of GCS and GWS. I think it is going to take about 15 wins to be absolutely certain to make it. So my answer is, in all probability we won't make it.

It is rare that real leaders are either put up for trade or seek a trade. Dangerfield and Ablett are the exception rather than the rule.

When I heard McDonald saying that he couldn't wait to have two wins in a row I thought "Uh Oh!". It seems that the boys may have penciled this one in. I'm so sick of this.

Tyson, the new turnover king.