Do not disagree regarding Browne as he plays with passion and commitment...something we sorely lack in the middle of the ground....I'd like to see Ratts experiment more in the coming weeks with our mid field rotations...only players who are willing to work both ways should be played in the middle and persevered with IMO...apart from Judd I'd like to see Waite trialed there Joseph,Simmo (much more), 1AW and somebody mentioned Kruezer...sounds weird but u never know till you give it a shot

- these guys all play with passion and commit to every contest and apart from Kruze (who is quicker than both hads and Maclean) all have pace...at the moment we are losing games due mainly to lack of midfield pressure for long enough periods during games and I do not think it is fitness related...if we are to assume the instructions from the coach are spot on then it must be due to outright laziness and lack of commitment and this must be rectified asap b4 we drop off from the pack in the coming weeks...

I reckon Gibbs and Murph are great players very skilled but as yet they have not made the next leap into even being close to elite mids...Gibbs seems best suited in a free running role where he can create (HB or wing) and Murph runs forward of stoppages so often (even b4 we get our hands on the ball) that he seems best suited forward of centre as he has a great footy brain and can create goal scoring chances from nothing...which means we are left with holes to fill around the Maestro....big holes that need to be filled and can be filled by what we have on our list IMO...

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Browne played his best game against the Saints. That was it. One game.

So, lets pick him now that he's set the VFL on fire with his pinpoint accuracy by foot and hand.

Not for me. I hope I'm wrong. His fans from last year have dropped off this year, and now we have a new brigade of Browne supporters.

He needs to improve many parts of his game. His hardness at the man and ball are not his weakness.

I was a fan, but I'm not anymore.

If it was 2005 he's be one of the first selected along with Wiggins, G.Bower and Beaumont....mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

OH FFS !!

8.30pm Monday night on channel 7 in Perth

Thats 10.30pm EST

The game is @#$%&! over before its even broadcast here AND ON A @#$%&! MONDAY NIGHT !!

AAARRGGH !

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

What a nightmare.

thats what she said

what?

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Got mail today from a bloke who is fairly reliable that McLean has been struggling with an injury since the Bummers game. Hope he's right, as it would explain why he was so bad/slow last week. But on the flipside, why the flower did we play him ?

As Hadley and Grigg are not available, that makes this week's changes pretty easy:

IN: Waite, 206, Robbo
OUT: McLean, Sauce, Hendo

What would be the argument for dropping Houlihan?

I'd say he has his name written all over Goddard or Gram for this week.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Yes, I am sure Houlihan will have an ok game. He will do just enough to get himself selected next week, might kick a goal and set up another. His opponent will get at least 20 possessions - a few that will be damaging, but all in all Houlihan will do just enough to keep his spot. Well done Houla!

So your argument for dropping him is that he'll only do enough to keep his spot?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

I'm a fan of posters with insight and a feel for the game. You're coming up remarkably short.

AJ has a lot of flaws in his game but he doesn't shirk the contest. Just admit that you didn't understand the role he performed against Collingwood and we'll forget your embarrassing assessment.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I am arguing that for a near 200 game player one should expect more.

What are the expectations on this player from within the club?

Is it to break even against his opponent? play a defensive role in the forward line that is adequate?


Surely he should be striving to be one of the top half dozen players in the team - not a player in the bottom half week after week.


I can name at least 10 players who performed better than him on the weekend:-
Judd,
Murphy,
Gibbs,
O'hAilpin,
Armfield, (less than 50 games experience)
Kreuzer,
Russell,
Yarran, (less than 50 games experience)
Bower,
Scotland,
Simpson etc etc.

But let's hope Houla does his bit and breaks even on the weekend. One couldn't ask for more.

I've been a critic of Hoops in the past, probably remain one, and while I doubt the role he's currently playing is sustainable, you have to be objective and rate his performance over the last three weeks...over the last three weeks...not the last three years or the last 10 years.

He's played on Simon Goodwin, Corey Enright and Heath Shaw and not only limited their impact but kicked goals. He's done much better than breaking even over that period!

While he's an experienced player, he doesn't have to be in our best 6, he doesn't have to be in our best 10, just our best 22 and given how poor McLean, Joseph, Henderson, White, Armfield and half a dozen others have apparantly been this year, he's certainly in our best 22.

I don't see your logic that because he's only breaking even, which is at the very least debatable, he should be dropped.

The challenge is going to be how long he can continue to limit the opposition and hit the scoreboard. Teams will be aware the role he's playing is a key one and start to plan accordingly, but for mine he has a role this week on Goddard or Gram.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Ridiculous snide remark after seeing the replay on TV AJ's shirking of the issue is more than evident - he lacks courage when he attacks the ball is more than justified - no problem in attacking the man..but the ball he lacks guts. He doesnt put his head above the ball as he looks to tap it to advantage instead... if you think this is courageous then the poorer is you. In fact OX commented on this flaw and I was pleased to see I am not the only one that has noticed his lack of courage this season. So, if you think your knowledge is above the OX then perhaps you should be giving special commentary on national TV instead.. what you say you?

True Blue Brad,
I appreciate your position and pretty much all you have said makes sense and I can understand your reasoning.


He did do well in the Adelaide game - but apart from that in my opinion has been nothing more than adequate. On the weekend I still think Heath Shaw had a good game, so it wasn't as if Houlihan blitzed it.
Houlihan's silky skilled pass to O'hA stands out in ones memory of the game -but cameo roles don't do it for me.



I wouldn't put Houlihan on Goddard though. Goddard is an A grade player, Houlihan is a C grade player, but I can understand why people would think it would work as Houlihan is a seasoned experienced player.


I just want to see players who realise the urgency and how imperative the next few weeks are - but I guess if he breaks even for the team we have to be grateful.

You didnt rate his performance on Enright then?

Which A grader would you play on Goddard then?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Anyone else worried that the Saints will come out at the first bounce and forget the flooding and try and blow us away in the first quarter? I just hear everyone worrying about the zone and ultra flood, how will Blues score? If i were Lyon, I know what I would do... what we least expect!!

No, actually he was pretty much spot on.

Next you'll be stating that Warnock's too short to play ruck.

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

I will have to look at the tape of the Geelong game again, but Houlihan got 17 possesions, 2 goals, no goal assists. Enright got 16 possessions and 1 inside 50. mmm.. i guess he did ok.


I presume Goddard will play hbf -and if that is the case we don't have an A grader (yet) to play on Goddard.


All our A grade players are in the midfield.


Maybe they think they could expose Yarran with Goddard, but I reckon Yarran's defensive pressure this year has been great. Houlihan is too slow for Goddard and wouldn't be able to match him in the air. What if Waite comes in... could he play HFF?


Either way, I reckon Houlihan (on present beige form and because he is a C grade player) would not be a good match up for Goddard. I would love it if he proved me wrong, but i guess his main aim is to just make the team. Once Houlihan gets his one goal and a goal assist he can relax -knowing he has made the team for next week.

Enright was averaging 30 possessions going into that game and sets up a lot of their attack. To halve that output and kick two goals himself is a great effort and exactly what we'd have been hoping for.

Goddard's ability in the air is the only think that would worry me about Houla playing on him, but thats not going to be any better with Yarran and I don't think Waite is ideal to play that defensive forward role. The other options are Carrazzo and Gibbs.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

All this talk about Houlihan being able to take on Gooddard. I mentioned earlier that it might be an idea to bring in Robinson to play on Goddard. On paper he would be a better matchup. He is physical (we all love him for that) so Goddard will be looking backwards and sideways, is a good contested mark, and a proven goalkicker.

Its more a matter of who do you drop for Robinson?

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"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final