Earl Hood

Hunt is training so hopefully he is able to play VFL in a week or so. And where is ANB? Is he ready to go all of a sudden?

Heeney gets this week's gong. In an uncompromised draft system he would be playing in red and blue this year.

Madame Sousou's I presume BBO? That would explain all the repairs going on this morning when I dropped in for my morning latte. Did you take the lads for a posh night out on the town?

Ernie I think these conversations would be happening IN Collingwood! Very hipster these days. And can I add Paths of Glory to the Kubrick list of classics. 1957 WW1 classic with Kirk Douglas playing a similar role to Edward Woodward and his rule 303 line in Breaker Morant. Great movie. But I digress.

For the first "start of season" in how many years?

Chook I made the statement about dumb footballers based on a number of eyewitness posts on this thread from those who unfortunately witnessed our second half effort. There is a common theme of our players not setting up correctly at ball ups, defenders all flying for a mark, leaving no crumbers or midfielders all going in to tackle the opposition guy in possession while he releases the ball over the top to the players you left to tackle. It is a worry to me. Yes they are young but you should have learnt these basics much earlier, in under age footy. You shouldn't need someone like Roosey to point out the bleeding obvious. It sounds like dumb footy to me in the modern game.

I don't know DL but I think you just assume they are everywhere there is coal under the ground.

I get your point I just noticed the ANZAC emblem on the shoulder. That emblem epitomises a level of commitment to the cause that our blokes have never shown, not in my time anyway.

Well I am not sure it is great news. I have read similar reports but not watched the video so I wouldn't know but this info indicates we have a bunch of dumb footballers to add to their other skill, fitness and mental deficiencies. I mean at suburban level you learn to not all attack every ball! One up, the others down, for the high ball, one in to tackle the others assist but keep out to intercept the handball release. Not always possible to implement but at AFL level it should happen more often than not.

Interesting stats DL, there may be a trend there But I am not sure. However I am not convinced as the very latest info from Oklahoma is that there is a hiatus in quakes registered in the past month.

I like the jumper but not sure whether to take up the club's offer to buy one. I contacted the marketing department and asked if they thought the jumper would look as good on me as on Jack? I pointed out that I have a big head and am about 3 foot tall with strings attached. I haven't got a response yet. Strange!

I think if we lifted the draft age to 26 we would have a good idea whether a particular draft prospect is up to it. Of course by then the kid you are after my have given up and be doing a TAFE course.

Year one we have not nailed anything! Petracca or Brayshaw at this stage. You need a good three years to evaluate at least. The Bont looks the goods so far over one and a bit seasons, I still believe the jury is out on Salem and Tyson so we still don't know whether we have stuffed up yet again. All I notice is we are still in search of a competitive midfield after what 10 years yet others like the Bulldogs or Port can build a competitive, running unit in two or three seasons. It is not that difficult surely?

Terrible news. Good honest kid who has never got a clear run at it so far. Lung sists,chronic achillies, now lisfranc, give the kid a break! Gee we have had our fair share through the club, Bartram, Pettard, Clark, Trengove.

So what are the coaches doing? Is that why Roos mentioned that players and coaches have to lift for next week?

I believe if you could somehow draft in six elite players who will always win a one on one contest, then you can play around trying to set trends a la the Hawks. Give me Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Roughy, Cyril, Burgoyne, Birchell first and then I will play around with high speed runners like Isaac Smith and B Hill to set a new trend. L

As did Barassi perhaps. But Barassi set us up for the Northey era. Roos may set us up for Goodwin, perhaps?

I will disagree. It is a talent issue and it is an effort issue. As Roosey said we are not blessed with talent and when you don't put in a 100% effort you get smashed and we are masters at the humiliating loss. Why can't you at least try? We don't have players who you know will win a one on one contest every time. The top teams have 10 or more who will always win a contest at least when they play the bottom 10 or 12 sides. We have no game changers. In short zero elite talent and you need some to be competitive. And then you need some hunger and some mongrel. Again I don't see much of it from our leadership group.

Give us another ten years and we will get that fixed I reckon.

So glad we put in all that hard work last year with Roosey building the defensive side of our game, our boys learning to run both ways so we wouldn't get cut to pieces like in the old Bailey days. this season we are ready to add the offensive icing on the cake and we are the fittest we have been for years. OK can someone explain today? This season I was not expecting a lot of wins but we all hoped for 100% effort, games to fought out, leadership that kept us competitive for longer. Hmmm why is this too much to ask? We have one of the AFL's best coaches, elite facilities, we have turned the list over, brought in experience and some good young talent but we are still capable of turning into a rabble at any given moment when some pressure is applied. It is like their is some malevolent force down their that sucks the energy and talent out players who often played good football elsewhere before they walked through the club doors.

Mick is a victim of his poor list. He is coaching to the teams potential but then why are Betts, Garland and Waite playing somewhere else? Their problem was always the forward line for the past 8 years but they have kept unloading forwards since Mick arrived. Go figure?

HT who or what is your new avatar?

Yes when he was drafted Emma Quayle predicted he would be a reliable midfielder for the next 10 years. Has he ever played for us in the middle for an extended run of games?

This is potentially national emergency stuff for heavens sake! Dpositive get onto Brown Brothers and Gapstead pronto!