Not the same thing. I'm not suggesting they take over the major roles in the team, just that the senior players honour their workrate instead of looking for one of their waxing partners.

If someone like O'Brien busts his arse five or six times running down from defence to attack, is in a good position to receive and gets consistently ignored while Simmo holds it up until Cripps gets into position or bombs it over his head to the opposition sweeper, , he will eventually lose the will to bust his arse and run from defence into attack and make position to receive.
Look how many new players get goals in Richmond's setup or Collingwood's. Kids we have never heard of who have played eleven games suddenly pop up with 4 goals. That doesn't happen with us.

Watch how often Jack or Kennedy gets into the open and they kick it to McKay two on one with their man providing the cutout. They have to take pack marks just to get a kick.

Bring the kids into the game if they are in the right position. If they consistently muck it up, it's the MC's job to drop them. It isn't always Newman's best option to ignore Setterfield or Dow every time he gets the footy because he is looking for Cripps.

There are 18 players on the park. It's up to them to get into a position to get the footy and it's up to those in possession of the footy to use the best option, which isn't always Cripps or Murphy or the long bomb to Harry or Levi.

EDIT: The names mentioned are examples and not meant to be actual plays.

In case anyone is wondering, this team is only a prediction from the AFL website journos, not the official R2 team.

I think we should start him off in the back pocket first, or at least as a hard tagger, you know, so he can learn the caper first.

Two or three years doing that first, then he’ll be ready to go on ball.

Really? The kid has what we miss, intent, tackles, speed and wins the ball.

I expect us to be much better. Martin, Docherty and Weitering already showing their impact. SPS too.
The slow start and lack of intensity against the Tigers should have been the focus since then so I’ll be v disappointed if we don’t come out breathing fire.
But I’d also expect the Demons to come out v hard - that’s their strength w Viney, Brayshaw & Oliver feeding off Gawn.
If we can match their intensity, I think our skills and speed will lift us to victory. But without the intensity, we won’t be in the game.

How are people feeling about this one? It's been so long I can't get a read on where we are at.

Is the game on Saturday on "free to air"?

Our preseason form was woeful and there has been more spin than a Shane Warne flipper about our round 1 performance (OK we had our moments against Richmond but, let’s face it, we were smashed when the game was up for grabs).

So on the available evidence, it looks to me like we are going to be pretty crap again this year. At least in first few rounds anyway.

Of course there’s the counter argument that those games were so long ago to be meaningless as a form line, but I’m not sure how we can expect improvement when we haven’t been playing.

Melbourne has to start favourite IMO, particularly if Jack Martin doesn’t play.

We have 1 free to air game in the next 4 and that is against Essendon**, so no.

Our preseason form was woeful and there has been more spin than a Shane Warne flipper about our round 1 performance (OK we had our moments against Richmond but, let’s face it, we were smashed when the game was up for grabs).

So on the available evidence, it looks to me like we are going to be pretty crap again this year. At least in first few rounds anyway.

Of course there’s the counter argument that those games were so long ago to be meaningless as a form line, but I’m not sure how we can expect improvement when we haven’t been playing.

Melbourne has to start favourite IMO, particularly if Jack Martin doesn’t play.

That last effort against Brisbane at our ground was dreadful.

That's a bit tough IMO.
We were significantly better until late in the second quarter from memory and then rested players in the second half.

So you are saying our experienced players don't want to give the ball to the kiddies? Interesting notion and quite possibly true. I ceased going to games years ago so probably don't have the vision on TV to see these sorts of things if they are happening. Pretty poor if that is the case. Though, in saying that, maybe it is a case of the older players waiting for the list to improve. I mean for years and years it seemed 95% of our team couldn't hit the side of a barn. But it is a much better list now, talent wise. As you said, any kid who keeps turning it over should be dropped. The players need to be held accountable, not just the coach.

There's the game in a nutshell. The middle lot.

If Gawn is the reason their mids get an armchair ride, then Pittenet has a major role to play.

Dees get done on the outside, and recent times Cripps and Oliver have gone head to head.
If Pitto nullifies the advantage hit outs to Oliver, then I'd put my money on Cripps vs Oliver on the inside, or ball already in his hands.

That leaves Viney and Brawshaw, They are not big. Ed and Walshy can start up against them.
Murphy can go in there too.

I can't wait for SPS to be in there full time, but understand if he's HB setting up play.

I'd love to see Silvagni to go in the middle too, straight to Petracca when he's there.

Fisher will be missed for his zip in the middle.

I don't care who the 4 interchange are, I believe our top 18 can easily go for 16 minutes.
No red time means no red time goals.

If the boys are ready to go from the start we will win this one...imo
Go Blues