We have a workmanlike midfield at best. Whilst we may have our A-graders and "potential" A-graders, not one is currently elite. We need at least one elite mid. And preferably two In a perfect world, yes, but few teams have them. If we trade for one and Freeman gets past his injury woes, p...

[ Missed this earlier. Great stuff. V well directed analysis, particularly re the second ruck for this game. After all we kept Tom Hickey in the 2's all last year just to make sure he was far and away our best ruck and could take a mark in the forward line and screen off down back. We also have had...

Horrible planning No +1 With an undersized key defender An offensive set up at centre bounce vs Natinui Bashed the ball out of 50 against a notorious zone team Too many small fwds Gresham, Lonie, Sinclair 1 required Only Roberton or Gilbert needed as the +1 Goddard or Lee with plus 1 as 3rd up for ...

Spot on. We're trying to play the same sort of game the Dogs do but we're miles short of them in terms of kicking ability and pace (and talent spotting for these, essential to the modern game, skills at the draft, have a look at the 2014 draft). We can carry on down this path, fine, but it would be ...

Has been off the boil the last few weeks Playing injured? Getting a heavy tag? Whatever the reason this week and last he has been treacle slow and labouring. With both he and Dunstan at the bounce the Eagles tried to knock it as far from the centre with the tap as they could and when Natanui got fi...

In his presser Richo blames the players intensity. When asked about the lack of tall backs he deflects it saying it wouldn't have mattered with the way the ball came in. So next week we will play the same back line set up? Of course not. Be nice if he put his hand up that they got it wrong. The lac...

Whilst selection may have had some impact................it was lack of INTENSITY/NOT BEING APPARENTLY READY FOR THE RESPONSE FROM WC/ that's true of course and fair enough but we compounded the effort with our inability to match up down back. Disappointing and I think most supporters would agree w...

He ran himself into the ground today. Love the way he finds space. You could see it from the first minute of the intra-club game. Both he and Billings read the play so well. His kicking has been disappointing in all games for a guy that won the draft camp kicking accuracy test but it's v early doors...

Dunstan. Slow. Below average kick. At this stage he doesn't read the ball off the pack that well. However he is v determined and you couldn't question his endeavour. Weller seems to be growing out of his run-with role. Maybe Dunstan can grow into it.

Reality check.
We need to add a lot of skill and speed.
ES not a good rehearsal stage for big grounds.
We won't have the arrogance to select that backline against a tall offence again.

An easy win against weak opposition but another absolutely bog ordinary game from Gilbert. Just a non-entity these days. He was good in 2009/10 but people need to concede he is simply nowhere near that level anymore. Not close. Hasnt been for a long time. Back in a defensive role Sam Gilbert worked...

Lee dropped on merit. He came in for Roberton, a mobile defender who can play short and tall. Lee is slow, doesn't play his position (and is frequently to be seen wandering around nowhere near his zone) and makes basic defensive positioning errors. He's too weak to play on big forwards and can't kee...

There isn't anything but the desire of posters here linking us to him. You won't have to look far to see convincing cases made out elsewhere though.

You can find this subject on nearly every Melbourne-based club's fansite. Hope springs eternal. Listening to player managers speculate a few weeks ago they had two clubs as frontrunners. We were not in the picture. Can guarantee you there is no club that's a front runner, and although he loves Rock...

You can find this subject on nearly every Melbourne-based club's fansite. Hope springs eternal. Listening to player managers speculate a few weeks ago they had two clubs as frontrunners. We were not in the picture.

I love my club. You absolute beauty! Skill and class. I die happy.

It would be great if we could just find someone who kicks it to a team mate consistently. This year, almost without exception, we showed great endeavour but our skills were woeful. Both Gresham and Tucker already kick the ball to AFL standard, let's just nab one of them.

Gresham

Bombers rejected the offer. The way I read the release.. It's very much one of those "read between the lines things" The offer we gave would not have been pick 5 and not something Essendon would like. But we've now offered something, that both the club and Carlisle believe is fair.. Pavin...

Still that is exactly the sort of deal we will be flat out trying to negotiate. As for the earlier question of his value, my point is that we sent a signal to Essendon as to what he was worth to us and they asked for it. If you examine the mooted Hawks/ Nth / Ess deal using the new points system, as...

We are partly responsible for Essendon's expectations. It was us that agreed to pay Jake Carlisle $700,000 a year. Our value on him, ironically, if he were a free agent, would have seen Essendon receive a first round pick as compensation (pick 5 this year) and would make Carlisle one of the 10-15 mo...

As has been suggested many times on this forum and elsewhere it is far more likely that we will trade down pick 5 for either two later picks or a later pick and player and use one of those picks on Carlisle. Whichever way you look at it it will be a triumph if we can land Carlisle, Freeman and Young...

Templeton and Pierce to Freo for Weller, Grey and their 4th round pick. I'd rather that than give Essendon pick 5 for Carlisle, and both would be very good additions to our list. Why on earth would Fremantle give up a high draft pick who has shown plenty in his first season for 2 unknowns (let's sa...

Despite not playing much both he and Scharenberg are seeking significant pay increases from Collingwood which has led to tension. I saw him play a bit as a junior where his trademark was using his explosive speed to break from congestion around stoppages. Pretty big body at that stage too. His dispo...

You have to bring your supporters with you to some extent. Injury will be as much a risk in the every training day contested ball mock-up. I'd rather we were known for throwing everything at it at every level and being straightforward with paying members than trusting to blind faith. Although lookin...