scaryness
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Collingwood still the best overall for mine.
When a star like Dayne Beams is the 'cherry on top', you're doing alright for yourself.
Unofficial Preview Round 1 2019 Western Bulldogs v Sydney Saturday March 23, 7.30pm at Marvel Stadium
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Collingwood still the best overall for mine.
When a star like Dayne Beams is the 'cherry on top', you're doing alright for yourself.
caesar88
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They have a lot of talent but I'm not sure they're as dynamic. When Melbourne are in full flight it's like textbook midfield work. Their clearances are so fast and efficient, their hands are so clean and they have a real chemistry amongst themselves. I often watch Collingwood matches and feel like for all the talent they have in the centre something's just not clicking for them. That got proven right on grand final day when their midfield wasn't even playing poorly, but got upstaged by Luke Shuey and a B-grade ruck-man.
Dess will be very good this year, top 4.
You're kidding yourself. You called the dogs mids "one of the best in the comp" and I listed 5 midfield groups which are all head and shoulders above footscray's.
That plus Jong and Johanissen won't be up for round 1. And Libba is a liability.
scaryness
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Agree to disagree. My point was that our midfield on 2018 form is worse and will need to stand up.
Everyone is clamouring about how good the Demons will be but improvement in the AFL is very rarely quite as linear as the media makes out. Melbourne went from perennial disappointments to a prelim final and I'm not banking on them taking another perfect step to a GF or flag this year. It's rarely quite that simple. I'd be stunned if they didn't make finals but I'd be not at all surprised if they had a (relatively) disappointing year in 2019. Much of their top notch talent is still young which, to me, means it's quite possible they won't handle the attention all too well this year.
Richmond came from nowhere seemingly to be a great team in 2017 and 2018 but their top notch talent were all old and very experienced (Rance, Riewoldt, Martin, Cotchin) , supported by a younger group which could follow their lead. They knew how to handle it even though they hadn't experienced that level of success. This is all new for a still very young group in Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca who make up a substantial number of the leaders. Even Gawn hasn't played 100 games yet.
GotTheGoodes
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... are you ok?
The Dogs are another example of a young, perennial also-ran side which came from nowhere to huge success and couldn't back it up the next year. They were a team primarily made of quality young players who weren't able to deal with the extra attention and sustain the quality the next year.
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Melbourne also shat the bed in their last final, collapsed under pressure against us, have a harder draw this year- as do the pies
Expectations are also higher, agree on the dogs, id say the crows as well two teams that could easily rise up
I think the Pies are a little better set up for a good year due to having some more established top level talent. The guys like Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Beams, Howe should be able to lead the younger guys through the pitfalls of expectation I imagine. I also like the Pies' coaching staff better than Melbourne's - it's actually why I tipped the Pies would unexpectedly make finals last year. I think Collingwood are better placed to handle some adversity than Melbourne.
Gold Coast are my big improvers this year. I love what they've done this offseason. Won't be finalists but considering just about every pundit has them being wooden spooners and one of the worst sides in history in 2019, I think they'll surprise a lot of people.
St.Kilda made some great coaching additions this year which had me thinking of making them my surprise team but I think the reality is their list is not good (very little really established top notch talent to lean on) and I don't think they love their head coach that much. I suspect he might be gone at year end and the next head coach will actually be left in a decent position with good assistant coaches and a lot of young talent to work with.
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- Nov 11, 2012
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Buddy will play
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TheMase
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I was about to post this. Looks like he was participating in main group / match sims. Good news.
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He be ready
Number37
Anyhow, have a Winfield 25.
- Oct 5, 2013
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So much for that monumental F up the club made in sending him off to surgery late last year. 
TheMase
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Yep, not sure you’d be doing that if you still had groin issues.
This would be a part of his “return”. A round one return target with a 4 week training block before hand is probably about right on timing. So it probably shouldn’t be that surprising.
He looks in good shape.
On that point, perhaps we will start to see Menzel appear in training photos over the next couple of weeks.
Looks slimmer. I dig it.
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