Declare Your Allegience

[Geddy Lee 582]

Seeing so many people with White on the wrong side of their ledgers,

I had to point that since he squibbed Rivers against Geelong in the backline he has done the exact opposite from then on, has been very handy back there and has learned from his mistake. I have no idea how anyone could not defend such a fantastic servant of the club but to each their own.

I will defend everyone except Sylvia and although I liked Bell alot initially, I am fast losing patience with him, he doesn't look like much of a player.

[Deeoldfart 8,005]

I really love 'em all but ...........

those who I will always defend are those whose names consistently feature in the ''Best" list when the team is travelling poorly. We've had plenty of practice at losing this year, and IMO, those who have made good / solid contributions across the year so far are Paul Wheatley, Brock McLean, Brad Green, Nathan Carroll, Paul Johnson (until injured) and Nathan Jones (before his bad one on Sunday). I'd also give honourable mentions to Cale Morton and Wanna (because they are in their debut seasons and greater consistency will come with maturity and experience at the top level). Then I'd add Neita to positive side of the ledger, simply because I couldn't leave him off. He's in the twilight of a long and distinguished career for the MFC, and he wears his heart on his sleeve every time he runs onto the field.

I'm not in the business of bagging Melbourne players, but I'd have to admit to frustration with Col Sylvia, Lynden Dunn, Juice Newton, Daniel Bell and Chris Johnson who, IMO, have not yet delivered on their potential.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Jamar: I mark him roughly, as he won a Liston. But he should be better. MUCH better.

You mark him unfairly. He has never won a Liston and never gone close. PJ has won it. FWIW, the Liston is only a reminder of the wide gulf between AFL and VFL. Over the past 12 years only S Mitchell has won it and excelled at AFL level.

[rusty_corner 0]

Players I Defend:

Bruce: Possibly due to the fact i know his family, but also due to his importance to our team

Carrol: Does his best week in, week out, in a position he is not suited to and with the delivery their fowards recieve

Jones: Last week was the perfect example of the effect he has had on our centre clearances

Players I will not defend:

Jamar: How is it possible for a bloke that big to consitantley rake up less than 5 dipsosals a game

Sylvia: So far has been a waste of a pick, however i do see signs.

Newton: Show some passion son!!

[AzzKikA 2,371]

Admire:

Jones, Brock, Rivers, White. All hard workers, white doesnt get the hard ball gets as often (i don't blame him after a foot in the face) but he never stops.

Dislike:

Robbo - As someone said, stop throwing your self at the ball when 90% of the time you miss the mark.

Miller - Generally useless, atleast he can overhead mark this year

Bate - Hot, cold, hot, cold, make up you mind Masta.

My two cents.

[rpfc 28,262]

My players 'on notice' (for any Stephen Colbert fans) change constantly but it's usually based on their demeanour.

Anyone sulking with their head down is not a pleasant sight for me and I cannot stand that (White, Green, Bruce, Jamar, Yze, Robbo and Davey are the culprits with varying degrees).

Those imploring their teammates on, while practicing what they preach, are a cause for defence in my eyes (McLean, Carroll, Neitz, Moloney) as are those that don't preach but still practice (Rivers, Batram, Bate, Davey, and Bell).

[Ooze2Juice 0]

Have a soft spot for:

White, Yze, Whelan; all have been guns for a long time

Green; actually a very tough player despite a reputation he has earnt somehow among opposition supporters(although I don't rate his field kicking as highly as some others).

Rivers;the best player on our list IMO.

PJ;talented big man

Last year's Juice; did some amazing things at VFL, however struggled this year before suspension

I'll also add TJ; would've liked a few others to be considered for trade ahead of him

Players that regurlarly annoy me:

Carroll; not big enough to be first tall defender, not skillful enough to be anything else.

Bell; should be a good player, is fast and strong, but just seems to constantly make decision making errors.

Jamar; if I can compare my footskills with any AFL player favourably then I tend not to appreciate them.

Bruce; ball use has deteriorated, what happened to the player that would kick 7 from midfield.

Bartram; didn't rate his first year as highly as others, always turned the ball over too often.

Miller; mainly the handballs backwards to players under pressure, however I didn't see it at all against Freo and I'll admit he plaayed a great game

Moloney; not creative at all, just bombs long, tries to burst through tackles when giving off a handball is clearly a better option.

And while I'm at it, I may as well add the 2 worst All Australians in the history of the game, Campbell Brown and Cameron Ling.

[bjgc 0]

Personally I think everyone is fair game. When the players play well they get a pat on the back, when they play poorly they cop it, in the end they are only as good as their last game.

THE PLAYERS I THINK COP IT TOO MUCH ARE:

BRUCE: Isn't the player I thought he was going to be but he is still a pretty good player. He isn't or has never been a great kick like Green but what he lacks in that area he more than makes up for in versatility and accountability. I would have him in my side ahead of Green any day.

WHITE: Has been good all year, not outstanding but IMO most ruckman aren't. Doesn't get the credit he deserves I don't think it's his fault that our midfield has been poor for most of the year. He should of got ahead of Fraser in the Vic squad. Fraser is a hopeless ruckman he is a forward pocket at best.

THE PLAYERS I'M A BIG FAN OF ARE:

MCLEAN: He's starting to cop a bit now and sometimes deservedly so but considering his age and the heavy tags he usually gets I still think he's going to be a top player but he needs support.

BATE: He makes a big difference to our forward line giving us an extra option and he plays like a midfielder.

DAVEY: Needs to show more consistency and develop a much bigger engine if he can do that he could be the much needed support that McLean needs. When he plays games like he did on the weekend you have to love him.

RIVERS: Quality defender he doesn't even need big stats to have a good game.

THE PLAYERS I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF ARE:

MILLER: He has to play more than 1 good game a year against Freo to impress me. If he can do what he did to Freo regularly then he will change my mind about him.

CARROLL: He has been terrible this year and with the exception of '06 he has been terrible his entire career. I don't know what people see in him.

GREEN: He doesn't dominate enough with the exception of the Carlton game I think he has done very little and he does it every year.

WHEATLEY: He is always in our best 22 but I feel we would be better off developing a youngster instead.

JONES: Definately not good enough to support McLean I'd prefer him as the 3rd midfielder. He needs to get better defencively and use the ball a lot better.

MOLONEY: He is a poor decision maker and loses the plot too much but he was a lot better in the second half.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

And from the person above - there are people who bag Matthew Whelan? Why? What for? Being too tough? Not giving away goals? Having great disposal and decision making? Whelan is our most valuable small defender, no doubt on it.

There are people who call for his retirement, yes. Which I think is absurd given he's not even thirty yet, and the quality of his football. Hence the fact that I defend him.

I'm pretty sure PJ won the liston.

You mark him unfairly. He has never won a Liston and never gone close. PJ has won it. FWIW, the Liston is only a reminder of the wide gulf between AFL and VFL. Over the past 12 years only S Mitchell has won it and excelled at AFL level.

I know PJ won one... or shared it with someone else based on only 8 games or something like that...

But I'm CERTAIN Jamar won one too. Or he won something...

And yes RR, A Liston doesn't mean all that much in terms of the AFL. There are players that are average at VFL level that go on to star in teh AFL, and then there are players that look a million bucks at VFL level and can't crack it... It's a weird thing...

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Well jeez... don't I feel like a pill...

I wish someone would come on and tell me where I went wrong.

Did he come runner up? Did he win a B&F?

I'm not getting him confused with PJ. I KNEW Pj won one, I'm just certain Mark had some highly-regarded award or something that made him look like a player back when he was in his early twenties.

Oh well. So that's the last time anyone takes me seriously on this site. I'm off to Bigfooty.

[Jaded No More 68,867]

I have an opinion on EVERY player. Some younger ones I don't commit to for lack of knowledge, like Cheney and Mcnamara. But other than that every player is either in my good books or bad books.

Players I always defend:

Our love child is wondering why you left him off the list.

Gone off the Belly Bandwagon have you? <_<

[Doggo 32]

Well jeez... don't I feel like a pill...

I wish someone would come on and tell me where I went wrong.

Did he come runner up? Did he win a B&F?

I'm not getting him confused with PJ. I KNEW Pj won one, I'm just certain Mark had some highly-regarded award or something that made him look like a player back when he was in his early twenties.

Oh well. So that's the last time anyone takes me seriously on this site. I'm off to Bigfooty.

I think he may have won the 'Troy Broadbridge club Award' (for most votes by a Melbourne player in the Sandy B&F) one year, though i can't seem to find any records of it anywhere on the net. I'm not 100% sure on that one. He's always played consistently well at Sandy, though never out-and-out dominating the level.

Also, if i remember correctly (though once again i could be wrong), as a junior, Mark was named in the All-Australian U/18 side (as a top-age player) after good performances in the National U/18 Carnival for SA, and was considered by many to be very unlucky to miss out on National Draft selection that year. I vaguely remember, but i think he was widely regarded as the best (or rather, most 'ready-made') ruckman of his draft group, though he slipped thru to the rookie draft because experts believed his lack of leg speed, agility and a poor endurance base, as well fundamental kicking flaws and a lumbering style of rucking would not equate well to AFL footy. He played well against kids, and being an early developer was like a man amongst boys, but general opinion was that he was unlikely to improve much. Though being an All-Australian junior, a ready-made 18yo ruckman was definitely considered a bargain pickup in the rookie draft. Maybe thats what u were thinking of?

Unfortunately the recruiters and experts were right, and Jamar's game has improved very little over the years. He showed good signs against Freo though.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Our love child is wondering why you left him off the list.

Gone off the Belly Bandwagon have you? <_<

Yeah... Poor old Belly eh? I'm certainly nowhere near writing him off, but I'm finding it harder to defend him. The handball to Farmer where he goaled was a good example of why. I thought he was past a lot of his big clangers. But he's gone slightly backwards, instead of dramatically forwards, which he's going to need to do to stay both in the side and in the state. I don't like talk of trading players, but I also know that its no good talking about trading fringe players unless your depth goes beyond the 22. You've gotta trade something to get something... And we DO need to trade like nutcases. If Dan doesn't start to show his upside soon we should look to trade possibly, for the right price.

Nope. It wasn't either of those things... Though I'm impressed you found all that info!

The more I think about it the more I think he was runner-up in the Liston. But I looked and looked and found nothing. maybe one day we'll see something pop up on this... But for now I'm going to accept the simple fact.... I'm a fool.

[Jaded No More 68,867]

Yeah... Poor old Belly eh? I'm certainly nowhere near writing him off, but I'm finding it harder to defend him. The handball to Farmer where he goaled was a good example of why. I thought he was past a lot of his big clangers. But he's gone slightly backwards, instead of dramatically forwards, which he's going to need to do to stay both in the side and in the state. I don't like talk of trading players, but I also know that its no good talking about trading fringe players unless your depth goes beyond the 22. You've gotta trade something to get something... And we DO need to trade like nutcases. If Dan doesn't start to show his upside soon we should look to trade possibly, for the right price.

I am so never talking to you again, you traitor

In all honesty I am very surprised and disappointed with Belly's form this season. I was expecting him to continue to grow and excel after his performance in 07. All pre-season reports also indicated that he was on track for a great season under Bailey.

Not sure whether he is carrying some sort of injury, or whether he is simply out of form. Would I entertain trading him? Of course I would if the price was right. However given that Whelan is so injury prone and coming to the end of his career, and given that Belly played so well as a small/medium defender last year, I'm just hoping that he finds his 2007 form very quickly. His speed and disposal fit in with Bailey's game plan quite well, or at least they should.

[Doggo 32]

On Bell...

Does anyone think he might just be getting a bit stale in confidence after the shellackings we've been tormenting our backline with this year? I know that seems like stating the obvious, but something not so obvious is, maybe he just needs some time playing another role in the side to regain his confidence and zest that he showed last year, but has really been lacking in 08?

I dont think i've seen it mentioned anywhere before, but how do people feel about playing Bell as a defensive half-forward?

There are many arguments for and against the 'Bell to midfield' case, the major ones being his lack of awareness and poor descision making under pressure, not ideal for inside midfield situations. I dont believe these would be as much of an issue playing in the forward half, where he could make the opposition's best running defender accountable, use his tackling and strong body to lock the ball inside 50, and become dangerous using his speed, good foot skills and strong mark for his size when we have the footy. Would be perfect for roles on Lindsay Gilbee type attacking defenders who always carve us up because guys like Robbo dont chase, and a good learning curve to help him improve his own attacking game.

Thoughts?

[Beamer 1]

I admit to defending Sylvia.

Im just waiting for him to prove you all wrong thats why.

I'll also defend CJ. Got two things alot of players dont. Composure and top skills. I'll always defend Brock, not much to defend. His talents, hardwork etc is pretty obvious to pick up on.

[QueenC 74]

I will absolutely always defend Miller (who has needed and got plenty of it), Green, Bell, CJ and most others, excluding Yze, Bruce (frustrates the hell out of me), Robbo (despite loving him) and Sylvia (also frustrates the hell out of me). Of course that is not to say that I will attack these players either.

And most of the kiddies are more or less immune !!!

[darkhorse72 1,906]

Defend every player who pulls on our jumper and plays to the limit of his ability. They all have the ability and its the coaches that have to bring the best out in each of the players, only rarely are superstars born the rest are made.

[tess 19]

I admit to defending Sylvia.

Whats the timeframe?

[45HG 1,539]

I'll always defend Wheels just because, and pretty much anyone under 22.

[Guest unstable punt]

I've got no one I'll defend religiously, but I will defend a player if I think they have had something written about them that I think is crap.

If I have a soft spot for anyone, it's probably Sylvia at the minute............he has the talent, but I think injuries and personal probs have disrupted his development, but I can see him becoming a key player for us going forward.

l defend all except Jamar and he's(shock horror) even on the improve

[deestroy08 0]

I will always try and defend Holland, even though I know the sun is setting on him - just love his endeavour and go-hard attitude. Same goes for Carroll, for really no reason at all. And also Bell who I have always had a soft spot for.

This is so juvenile, but I used to really dislike Green for the very stupid reason that he was rude to me when I was younger at an Aftermatch function. But now that I am older and wiser ( ), I can see what a valuable player he really is, and he'd certainly be one of my favourites now.

I find it hard to give Robbo credit even when or where it is due, just because I see him as a selfish player who is constantly trying to take Mark of the Year or kick Goal of the Year, instead of going for the option that better benefits the team. But off the field, I love him.

[GM11 776]

Defend:

Miller..... I feel that ND nearly finished him. Thrown back against bigger players with no midfield pressure. His confidence was shot. I suspect he played hurt for a while too (when he refused to kick the ball). His resurgence is no surprise to me. My choice as Captain.

Jamar.... Prior to this season he would have been lucky to get thirty minutes a game off the bench. Very hard for a big man to develop that way. The games I have seen him play with Sandy show a very different mind set. Very pleased to see him get the starting gig at last. The benefits will flow.

Carroll... People just don't like his hair cut. This bloke played full back on bigger (& yes, more talented) players in a losing team. He more than held his own and was even listed among the best in the competition. Bias because of perceived off field issues doesn't change my opinion of him as a player. Still has a role to play.

While I try to see positives in all listed players I have found it hard to see what the hype is about Newton. Saw him in the Kangaroos game at Casey. Looked like he would rather not be there. No enthusiasm. Terrible body language. I think he is a one trick pony. Doesn't seem able to contest the ground ball.

[H_T 3,043]

Defend every player who pulls on our jumper and plays to the limit of his ability. They all have the ability and its the coaches that have to bring the best out in each of the players, only rarely are superstars born the rest are made.

I will also defend every player for the MFC who puts in the required effort, and playes to the best of his ability and his limitations.

I am critical of unforced errors or clanger kicks and handballs which result in turnovers, when the player in question has the time to execute it properly. On the flipside I can understand or forgive players who do this under "intense pressure"

I make no apologies for criticism directed at players in the best interests for the club and my support for the football club I love - the MFC.

[Mousey 47]

Buckley- Has not had the breakout season i predicted at the start of the season. Though the more games he plays the more confidence he is getting and thats a good thing.