Personally I would like for Eddie to still be there. If he is it it would be because he demands a spot.
Can imagine with Martin, a trio of headaches for the opposition - beautiful to watch, and a great space for our younger forwards to learn and enjoy their footy.
If Martin can get close to the suns tape posted by flyboy77 - wow !
Have to agree with flyboy and cookie. Looking forward with more hope than usual. For me ladder position is not the point - improved competitiveness, and visible player development is.
1. This year the blow-outs were fewer and smaller - even at the end of the season.
2. The number of young players _contributing_ at AFL level is so much better than in the pre-BB days.
3. The hit rate on players _contributing_ after coming from other clubs is easily better than pre-SOS, but also appears to be better than the hit rate for drafted players - a new, welcome net positive.
4. For #2 and #3 to be happening we now have to have a more than functional recruiting and development.
5. No sign of any "fat head" rumblings getting any traction at PP - at all. Communications are low key professional and positive. The change of CEO could have been handled better, but no organisation gets everything right.
So I am looking forward to watching the individual players develop and function as a team even better this season. In past seasons hopes were focused on one or two players making a difference - big surprise it did not.
Now with a whole crew of new and young players who have already shown "baby steps up", this season looks like a positive experience as a supporter, despite loosing Gibbs and Docherty, but may not see much change in the ladder position.
#1 son enrolled to vote in time. The teachers at his school gave the VCE students a rev-up and told them to get their act together and enrol.
Personally I think it will be a big majority for yes. Most folks would not actively go out of their way to be mean.
The pollies, etc who have organisations with entrenched practices of discrimination as major supporters - big surprise have been speaking loudly through their wallets.
Not an expert, but the lack of enthusiasm, and a clear front runner out of Sumner, Lamb and Buckley does make it seem like more than one decent game ( possibly against weaker or cue-in-the-rack opposition ) would be required to retain a player who have not shown they can be consistent contributors at senior level.
There would still seem to be a spot for a really good shutdown back pocket, and reports have mentioned Buckley playing in the back-line, so maybe of the three Buckley may be retained as a "squad/depth" player.
Good to see the Bullants are at least competitive this year.
Proud, relentless, focused, traditional, heritage, spectacular, lucky, princes park, woof, roar, heatley stand end, walk to the ground, welcoming, community, jezza, beating collingwood, essendon and richmond
Wow. Went to the game. Princess Park looked magnificent under lights.
Very happy I went. Stood for the entire match - like about a third of the crowd. Long time since I have done that at the footy. The atmosphere was electric - the crowd was really enjoying the experience.
The crowd was different than for a regular match - lots of families, lots of couples, lots of groups of friends. Lots of folks picking a team to support on the night. Lots of cheering - No boo-ing - except when a bunch who wanted to start a mexican wave could not get the next bay along to keep it going. No grumpy guys braying like a donkey for the whole match - that was nice.
Our team took a little time to settle down. The team tacked hard, and attached the ball with intensity. They went in hard, with a run-up. Agree on the smart recruiting, our women hit hard, but can also run fast.
The defence was _really_ well organised. When ever the pies went forward there were at least three defenders between the pies players and the goal - with midfield support coming back to defend the half forward line.
Our No 22 had the Magpie forwards s**t scared. Felt sorry for their full forward, reminded me of when Fev was one out and double or triple teamed, with very limited support, and not much ball making it from the centre square into the forward line.
Our full forward was really good - ran rings, bangles and necklaces around the pies defenders. Just faster, smarter, and better supported by her team mates.
The photo was taken at the Legend's stand end when the first Carlton goal was kicked.
Not upset about talk of finals. Absolutely shows how far the team has come in a short time, and having our boys as a real threat makes for a nice change. It is so heart warming to see our boys enjoying their footy again.
Unlikely we will finished in the bottom 4, so where we finish in 9th to 14th is less of an issue for the value of our pick. This draft is said to be "even".
We are in the second half of the "expansion" period where looking an attractive destination for young men who want to move home, gives us much more capital at trade time, than one or two picks different at the back end of the top ten.
GWS and Gold Cost _must_ maximise their drafting of academy/local talent. GWS especially has top ten picks, who have done multiple pre-seasons and can't get a game in their star studded line-up.
Any non-nsw players on the fringe could reasonably expect to loose out to academy players when a slot opens up in the firsts.
So they would have to ask themselves - do you want to spend your career playing seconds in NSW in the hope of getting a shot in a side of stars, or would you like to take a chance, move home, and play in a team you saw growing up, that really wants you, and is likely to be contending.
IMHO this year, presenting as a professional and desirable destination is much more important than a few draft positions. Very happy with how we are going.
Very happy with the wins, great to see the players happy and rewarded for persistent effort.
Nothing like actually winning to help confidence in the game plan - and each other - feed on itself.
This is complete contrast to the drawn out horror that was the Mick mistake.
Very happy - much better to watch - looks like more fun to play.
We may struggle later in the season as the younger players tire, and we are still very light on for depth, so it would not take many injuries for our competitiveness to drop off, but still - very very happy.
To get freight and airport traffic off the Eastern Freeway - Link up East-Link and the Ring Road.
That way freight and airport traffic can _completely_ bypass the city.
This project is rated at a much higher positive return on investment.
Why did the Libs not want to build it ? The big toll money is from commuters - not freight. Tearing up the inner North upsets Greens voters, The ring road link is in swinging/lib seats.
Gets easy votes from people who fall for the illusory "more freeway = less traffic" instead of the always happens "more freeway = more traffic", especially in a city with an increasing population.
They call it VicRoads because they only do roads. The answer has to be roads, more roads, big trucks and roads. Rail/bike/pedestrian - what are they ?
Watching the game from the stands, one player who really looked completely at sea was Jeb Lamb.
Hopefully a few of the GWS boys come through, but Jed was tentative, easily beaten by his opponent, and did nothing positive when he came near the ball - at least on the Gardiner Stand side. Would be very disappointed if he gets a game until he stops looking like he accidentally put on a jumper and wandered onto the ground.
It will be a long season, but looking forward to watching our few class acts help the new recruits.
