Coming up shortly (7:30pm)

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Good interview, seems like a very intelligent bloke.

Said last years finals loss still seems to be burning everyone at the club.

Henderson is about seven weeks from full training.

Collins has been great, very excited to have him at the club. Had a torn pectoral muscle when he arrived, tomorrow should be his first time doing full contact training.

Richardson's role in pre-season will be working on strategy at training to get the team playing how they want then during the season it will be strategy based on the opposition.

Kreuzer is going very well. Justin Cordy is managing his program and has a heap of boxes along the way that he needs to tick. Still no time frame for his return to playing.

Spoke very highly of Matthew Watson. Seemed to think he was 103kg. This along with what's recently been said about Casboult losing 16kg makes me wonder if the AFL/clubs are genuine with the weights they list. Who cares anyway, the coaches are happy with him.

Mentioned that Laidler is versatile and will play defence as well as possible midfield. Of course mentioned he will release Gibbs, also mentioned that Russell could play a bit of midfield too. Says it's important for players to become more versatile with the changes to interchange rules.

Very good summary Sin City. Good tip Effes.
He also said Collins could play midfield and forward.
Looks like we have several developing midfield options. With that many options surely at least one will turn up trumps.

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Bawditawaba

russell and gibbs in the midfield = perfect!

Exactly! Thats what we need, more numbers through the middle.
Gibbs and Russell is a good start...

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C'mon Blueboys!

Did they find out who Levi was handcuffed to?

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

OK ... I have been very supportive of Ratts .... but if he does get the chop in the next 2 years (which I very much doubt) then I would be very happy for Alan Richardson to take over. He just impresses me so much.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

Don't mind experimenting. Young list and Premiership is probably not realistic in 2011, though not 100% out of the question.

Russell developing into fine HBF, but ever since his goal on run against Lions 2 years ago in final, I always thought he could be a dangerous mid one day.

Really do need to sort out the backline though, and have 5 or 6 regulars down there. All Premiership sides have settled defenses.

Thanks for the report Sin City... it is really appreciated!

If Dane Swann can be considered as one of the top players in the comp playing midfield, Russell should win a Brownlow playing midfield.

Unless of course Juddy pinches it, again.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

As you know london, Russell and Gibbs being released to play midfield when needed is on my wish list for 2011.
I'm hoping Duigan and Laidler will enable that to happen....and in a training thread someone mentioned that last Saturday Yarran seemed to being moulded/ developed/ coached to play HB too.



Thanks Sin City and you too isdonis for the Collins point.

How the hell are we going to fit them all in? Conundrum...a good one to have.

I'm struggling to fit McLean, Joseph, Collins and both Yarran and Robinson in my best 22, and they're all midfielders, and it's a toss up for me between White and Laidler. Robinson sounds like he's got Richo and Brown as his fans, Yarran looked a class act at training I watched, and in the competitive stuff, Joseph was really fast, aggressive and smart....and of course McLean does have a track record as an elite midfielder.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Seem to have this obsession with moving quality players out of defence

Great Carlton sides had great defences - why move the good stuff out

Take out a pick 1 and 9 and replace with pick 70 who has been overlooked for years and a bloke who couldn't get a game

Leave Gibbs and Russell back - Bower Jamo Armfield and Joseph need all the help they can get


I also think White is in front of Duigan and Laidler

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Understand what you're saying and my gut feel is Gibbs needs to go into middle but Jordan should stay down back

But reality is it is early days

What if Laidler and Duigan and Yarran really look good as HBFs?

You don't know.

Important thing is to have a settled and quality backline + a A Grade midfield

2011 is another year we can experiment. Laidler is young, Yazz also, give them a run down back see howe they fare. Try JR in the guts, who knows maybe he won't do well there and goes back to HBF.

Other thing to remember is if Watson emerges as a key defender, then it means Bwoer is effectively a HBF, not a KPP down back. And we know too well he can run and run and carry and can ignite our overall running game from defense.

So maybe it shapes like this ...

TALLS - Watson, Jamison + maybe Austin

HBFs - Bower, Duigan, Laidler, Yarran + if all else fails Gibbs and Russell

Imagine if JR becomes a elite midfielder?? How's this for a elite midfield...

Judd
Murphy
Gibbs
Russell
Simpson
Scotland
Carrazzo (tagger who finds the pill too)
Mclean

We need more players who can kick the ball and we may well at times really need a GIbbs or Russell through the middle to deliver with precision to the forward line. At times in 2011 opposition players cramped Gibbs / Russell (the Hawthorn game being notable) and prevented their delivery out of defence, really hurting any attempts we made at going forward. In some games we'll just need to try other players back there (maybe different mixes of pace / height etc) to break up opposition forward zones and also to ensure we can clear the ball.

Laidler sounds like a really good acquisition if we can complement this mix.

Positive take on it Sugarcane....agree.

I read Sydney's post at the office and just got in to respond.
No need, you've done it for me. Well said sugarcane.

I will add this...Duigan looked amazing at training, and I kept a closer eye on Duigan Laidler Russell and Gibbs moreso than others to see what class the newies would bring if Russell and Gibbs were released. I know it was just training but Gibbs looked rusty and Duigan was miles ahead of all of them in shape, speed disposal defensive pressure and his run too.

Seriously, I reckon Duigan is in the best 22 from what I saw, but Richardson hasn't mentioned him and Sydney Blue prefers White ahead of Duigan as would others because they've seen him in 2010....but me....Duigan will release Gibbs and Gibbs wont be missed. If anything I think Duigan will show us how important his Bower like running from the backline is just as good if not better than what Gibbs gives us at HBF.

I don't think for a minute that we're going backwards if Duigan, Laidler or Yarran play at HB. I think they are all classy and will impress.
I'm just hoping Bower doesn't have to play CHB, and does the things Sugarcane refers to.

Top 4 here we come.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

You can add Lucas to the midfield rotations as well

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You heard it here first!

Thats for sure

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C'mon Blueboys!

I'll 3rd that motion. Russell in the middle ???? Not too certain unless his diposals stay on track. He has improved and actually give us one big benefit in the middle we need. He has pace, but especially his ability to stick tackles. Most of his tackles stick and bring the man down to spill the pill.

Our tackles through the middle of the ground to stop teams rebounding out of defence has really been mediocre in the last few seasons. Great in individual games, but not often enough. I would suggest Richardson may already be aware of this and help Ratten get us to stop the ball through the middle before we need a bullet proof defence.

Thanks for the report Sin.

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Bring the season on already. The wait is killing me.

I guess it can't hurt adding versatility to the group.

But Russell has become an elite HBF in the last season and a half.

We don't have the luxury of losing our best back-six player to the midfield.

Strings to the bow is great, don't want to break the bow though