With regard to Schammer and Dodd just to reiterate they are good players but what the coaching staff have been trying to do is develop a team that can win a flag in the next 3 to 4 years!

That means we need better players then Schammer and Dodd and we have gained those players over the last 3 drafts through some very inspired selections. I bow down to the selection team for going with Future champion Hill over Rich in the 2008 draft, and Broughton in the rookie draft and Barlow and Silvagni in the last rookie draft.

And once he has lost another 5kg (chris scotts words to me a few weeks ago not mine) then Clancee Pearce will be another regurlar player that will wear a premiership medal in a few years (not Dodd and Schammer)

Schammer wont be out of the team for long because harvey knows more about football than you

slammen, your words about living in the past are quite ironic given that the same coach who once said if you live in the past, you miss the future has Dodd as an inclusion in his team for this weekend.

You know what I agree and that why he's the coach, but I have chatted enough with Harves, Barry Mitchell, Chris Scott, Jlo and others to know there thoughts on players that are regular poor disposal culprits to understand why Schammer and Dodd were dropped.

Harve's wants to win games and get a new contract and thats why schammer will struggle to get a game going forward unless we have massive problems with injury, same with Dodd.

Surely your not going to drop Silvagni to play Dodd? SCOS has been solid in the preseason and last week!!

Once again I will reiterate that Kepler will replace the injured McPhee and a strong possibility is that Fyfe will come in for Van Berlo.

Chris Scott told me at a Derby club function on the 25th of March that the coach's rate Fyfe very highly and that he would play sooner rather than later.

That might be a strong indicator for his inclusion on Sunday!

Give people too many Roman numerals and they go crucifixion crazy on you.

Madness. Good Friday madness.

I for 1 will not miss the Schammer turnovers & Dodd giving away 50m penalties at crucial times... I think it is fair to say Barlow & Silvagni pushed Dodd & Schammer back in the cue which is great for the club.... Others who will start doing the same are Deboer, Palme & Roberton.....Grover (who I have has been great over the years) is also in danger of not being 1st 22.

That said I am happy for Dodd & Schammer to be on the list as depth players who can take some midfield time. WC followers could never work out why Josh Wooden was on the list so long , but if they followed their team they would see he played 9-14 games a year all in the middle of the season and if the game result was known early Josh would take large stretches of time in the midfield while 3,4 & 9 rested. Would be happy to play Schammer on the same basis

Wait until 3pm sunday and we have lifted the etihad curse....

Even Tim Gossage picked us on PR this morning!!!!

This will be our 3rd game in last 6 weeks so the guys have a good handle on it and know how to win just ask the Kanga's!!!!!

This is a different side than last year, but the media wont appreciate that until we start winning these games.

We are, I reckon a 70/30 chance, and if we do win, I would think we would be a 50/50 chance against the cats at home. They are underdone and resting on one quarter to win games at the moment.

We played well at freo against them and there run on in the third term came when Harve's rested several players. When he brought them back on half way through the third quarter they stopped the cats run and won the last quarter!!

I'm not writting us off against the cats just yet, but will still be tipping the cats in the tipping comp!!!!

Interesting Rhino... you're saying the Ooftits used Wooden to rig games.

Your namedropping almost sealed the argument there, big Jeb.

We have a squad. A deepish one. With rookies and experienced blokes. With different attributes. Some have speed and agility, some have pure grit. Schammer and Dodd are the grit variety.

Now, you say that you'd drop Johnson for his clangers. Perhaps you'd also drop Stephen Hill, who had just as many clangers, twice as many frees against and scored four fewer points. Mate, the lazy pass aside, he's playing with the skill and enthusiasm of a few years ago.

I'm sure you do study the game, but is it without prejudice? Or do you see Dodd, Schammer and Kepler as useless because you want to? None are flashy or elegant. None are superstars. But they are all solid, dependable and hardworking.

Dodd is a champion spoiler. Seldom see him take a speccy mark or give off a huge precision kick, but few get past him in a contest in the air. Have another look.

Schammer is a terrier in the close game. Sometimes overenthusiastic, sometimes panics with the fast, close-range handball, but that could equally be directed at his teammates not backing him up. Schammer's determination, even when being thrashed, is an inspiration.

Kepler is an enigma - the ultimate invisible backup man. Always there, never seen. So often a link in the chain leading to a clearance. And weaves the occasional bit of magic.

I'm not saying the rookies are not just as good. Just that these blokes are just as important. As the season wears on, and bodies and minds get tired, they will become even more important.

This is all getting a bit Spooky for me and I'll tell you why.

Jebediah writes that he has Freo at 70/30 chance of winning against Essendon ; uncannily, I dreamt the same thing.

It goes further my friends ;

I wrote several months ago on Antoni Grover becoming a valuable depth member on our list and stated that our list can only be regarded as having significantly improved when he , among others is no longer considered an automatic starter.

That time I think has come.

I dreamt last year that Freo would be sitting on 14 points after round 4 following our draw with St Kilda .

I also privately , picked the correct team for round one, including the elevation of Silvagni.

So, I guess this means we will beat Essendon followed by Geelong and then the seasons first drawn game.

Unfortunately I have dreamt of the inevitable bandwaggoners including one painful scribe for a weekly publication.