As soon as Sylvia kicked that long goal I knew that the Sylvia fans - some of who have jumped off the bandwagon recently - would be loud and proud bandwagon Sylvia supporters once again.

He certainly contributed v Richmond, his two goals were very nice, but he also made some bad errors later in the game that were typical Sylvia.

Credit where credit's due though, he certainly did enough to be worthy of his spot.

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE

Michael Gleeson

Colin Sylvia (Melbourne) 8

Joel Bowden (Richmond) 7

I certainly wouldn't claim Sylvia and Bowden as my best two.

I have backed Sylvia all the way through, and now that he is going to explode I will be letting you and everyone else know about it.

All the way...until the other week, when you jumped off the bandwagon.

Shame you didn't wait another game or two

As soon as Sylvia kicked that long goal I knew that the Sylvia fans - some of who have jumped off the bandwagon recently - would be loud and proud bandwagon Sylvia supporters once again.

He certainly contributed v Richmond, his two goals were very nice, but he also made some bad errors later in the game that were typical Sylvia.

Credit where credit's due though, he certainly did enough to be worthy of his spot.

I agree with you here Rogue.....

He was the best we have seen him for quite some time, so definitely a step in the right direction. But he was not infallible and did disappear for at least a quarter of the game.

That being said he was good today, but he has done this to us on too many occasions for me to get particularly giddy about it.

As Jaded said he is a tease and until he can do this again (and again, and again), repeat this form over a series of weeks then he gets no hoopla from me.

He played a great game but lets all come back in six weeks and see if he has managed to maintain the same level of intensity and consistency.

If he does that then he can have all the accolades he wants, but until then the jury is still out!!!

It's a bit churlish to look for faults in Sylvia's game this week. Give him his due: he gave us great drive in the first half and those two running goals were vital in maintaining our momentum.

He was committed, determined and willing.

There was a moment in the first quarter when he was free and calling for the ball on the wing. Our defence was intent on handballing to one another under pressure. When the over-possession game failed and the ball spilled to a contest Sylvia sprinted in and won his own ball.

Right then, he showed his intent and he delivered in buckets later.

If he keeps that up...then anything's possible.

By the way QueenC, I love your avatar.

I don't know where you got it from but fyi in case you don't know, it's the 1956 poster. Usually the date is clear but in that yearit is printed only in small print in the bottom left hand corner: Saturday, September 15, 1956. The season ended early then.

I certainly wouldn't claim Sylvia and Bowden as my best two.

Joel Bowden highlights why "possession football" is a joke. He had the ball 44 times and I think I noticed him twice.

It was good to see Sylvia played in the middle, he was able to have more of an impact there.

Joel Bowden highlights why "possession football" is a joke. He had the ball 44 times and I think I noticed him twice.

No it highlights why the traditional reliance on the accumulation of a number of kicks and handballs is not always the barometer of performance that it was 10 years ago.

FWIW, regardless of the number of stats yesterday, Bowden played very well in a very ordinary side. I am not surprised he got in the votes.

However there have been days in the past when Bowden has racked numerous easy, uncontested and low impact possessions. I did not think yesterday was one of those.I thought he played four quarters of solid football which is more than I can say for many players on both sides

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE

Michael Gleeson

Colin Sylvia (Melbourne) 8

Joel Bowden (Richmond) 7

Aaron Davey (Melbourne) 7

Matthew Richardson (Richmond) 6

Paul Johnson (Melbourne) 6

The Age votes

MAIN MEN COLIN Sylvia — who finished with 19 touches — wasn't Melbourne's most prolific ball winner yesterday, but he was undoubtedly his team's most influential player. His second term was a match highlight.

Are you still not attending the games and relying on Monday's papers for your lack of insight??

Im as loud a frustrated critic of this bloke id suggest as exists on this list but I will say he played some decent footy yesterday and yet his decision making is stil not really crash hot; the game allowed him to get away with a few things.

Should he decide to build on yesterday and grow into his abilities then he may possibly silence his critics. If anything he only showed why we DO get so annoyed with him. Perspective ..it was a shell shocked Richmond, lets not get too carried away. If Col is still up there mid year then he will undoubtedly deserve praise.

He's cried wolf a bit much for me to get enthused let alone excited...happy to wait and watch

Good point bub. Yesterday was a great example of why we get so frustrated with Col. Plays a great game against and ordinary team, then when we need him to do the same against quality opposition, he goes missing.

Good point bub. Yesterday was a great example of why we get so frustrated with Col. Plays a great game against and ordinary team, then when we need him to do the same against quality opposition, he goes missing.

This it..if he can apply , present, and be effective against a higher calibre opposition then many might start rethinking him. I appreciate you can only play the team that shows up...but they were more a bunch of Snagglepussies as compared Kings of the jungle !!!

EXIT STAGE RIGHT!

Was absolutely brilliant in the 2nd quater... That first goal from 55 metres out was epic.

Great game Colin ...

Very, very sad when after a good game people still want to come back here and question him.

He gives his best and its still not good enough ... you just cant please all of the people all of the time.

If the boy can look me in the eye and say "I gave my best" that good enough for me ... irrespective how many kicks he got ...

because unlike some I understand its not easy out there for numerous reasons. If people around here dont know, cant accept or

dont understand the "reasons" thats their problem not mine.

I will never give up on him.

Go Dees

...Very, very sad when after a good game people still want to come back here and question him.

There lies the rub.. effectiveness is hit and miss..more fleeting than furtive. He has much to make up for.

Mate ... all I'm asking if for people around here is not to take their frustrations out on our players.

Yeah, yeah ... I know its only a forum. Yeah, yeah I know its only good hearted fun. However, Jimmy and his team are busting their nuts to change the culture of this football club and we all need to sing from the same hymn sheet.

AFL football is a tough passionate game ... where you cant be expected to be a match winner every game you play.

Over burdening your players with over inflated expectations is a recipe for disaster ... you only have to look at yesterday for a prime example. (Thanks Tigers)

Support the boys with positive encouragement ... patience is a virtue in these modern days of football.

All players progress at different rates ... for toooooo many reasons to mention here.

Stick with the boys ... dont look for the bad ... look for the good. Can we win every game ... no. Can we try our best ... hell yes.

When we loose ... and we will ... just dont take it out on the players. Shivers trust me ... they know when they have let themselves and us down.

Go Dees

Apologies for the length of this post.

Was a game breaker for us early on in the second quarter today. dished off a few as well. good game despite some late mistakes.

Yes, a few assists, but the telling 2 goals from outside 50m on the run. There is not that many in the side that can do that. He's definitely got 'something'.

i thought he gave us something today and was quite happy with his efforts. i thought he played to his strengths today which is all we can ask for

Yes. He did tire in the last quarter I thought. He got caught which told me he was a little fatigued, hence slow decision making. Was good earlier. Outstanding second term.

Those two running goals outside fifty showed what a talent he is, just needs to produce that every week now.

Correct. Fingers crossed.

World's biggest tease.

Played one sensational quarter then disappeared. Like Melbourne, needs to learn that a game goes for FOUR quarters, not one!

You are right Jaded. He did do a few good things in the second half however, so it wasn't exactly ONE. To be fair Jaded.

Best game Col has played.

Now let's see him do it again next week.

Wouldn't say it's his best game to be honest.

One very good quarter

It was very good.

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE

Michael Gleeson

Colin Sylvia (Melbourne) 8

Joel Bowden (Richmond) 7

Aaron Davey (Melbourne) 7

Matthew Richardson (Richmond) 6

Paul Johnson (Melbourne) 6

The Age votes

MAIN MEN COLIN Sylvia — who finished with 19 touches — wasn't Melbourne's most prolific ball winner yesterday, but he was undoubtedly his team's most influential player. His second term was a match highlight.

Agree with influential, but there were others I thought. Bennell, Martin, Frawley, Miller and in particular Davey were also others.

He deserves it.

Today he showed your lovechild, number 32, how to use the footy and impact a game.

I have backed Sylvia all the way through, and now that he is going to explode I will be letting you and everyone else know about it.

Bruce was ok Y_M. A few mistakes but he did ok. I was livid when he got caught holding the ball after stuffing around with Bartram & Co. when the team opted for 'TEMPO' at the 20min mark of the second quarter. A better opposition would of grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck at that point. Richmond kicked 2 before we got 2 before the break. A Geelong or StKilda would of gone in with almost a LEAD at half time.

Are you still not attending the games and relying on Monday's papers for your lack of insight??

I wouldn't have given Sylvia best, but I would have named him in the best with a few others. Gleeson obviously saw him as the man that won the match in the second quarter - see his article.

It's pretty obvious isn't it? If Colin played that way every week, we would accept the mistakes with the upside. He will always make mistakes because he has a very high opinion of his abilities. But hey, so do a lot of players. But if the application is there and he delivers that performance every week, we will be happy. BUT.... he has done it once this year, and it was against poor opposition.

MOLONEY PRAISES GREAT SYLVIA

Are you still not attending the games and relying on Monday's papers for your lack of insight??

Nice one.

FYI, he also got 3 votes in the Herald Sun.

If the leadership group saw fit to suspend Silvia for breaching team rules earlier this year, it is great that they provide public accolades when he plays well.

Good sign of improving leadership and culture at MFC.

Nice one.

FYI, he also got 3 votes in the Herald Sun.

Are you reading both papers now? Bully.

If the leadership group saw fit to suspend Silvia for breaching team rules earlier this year, it is great that they provide public accolades when he plays well.

Good sign of improving leadership and culture at MFC.

Agree. I've also been pleasantly impressed with Moloney of late - onfield leadership qualities, ie. setting the 'tone'.

Oh the waxing and waning of Demonland members.

One swallow does not make a summer. Let's make that clear. But it is undeniable that his effort in the second quarter was one of the main reasons we kicked 8 goals. He was given the responsibility by being moved on ball, and he responded. The task now for Sylvia is to do it more than once.

And I'm not surprised that both papers had him best on ground. Journalists were probably more interested in Richmond and Wallace than Melbourne's players. Sylvia was easy to notice in the second quarter because of his two long goals and his overall dominance.

However there have been days in the past when Bowden has racked numerous easy, uncontested and low impact possessions. I did not think yesterday was one of those.I thought he played four quarters of solid football which is more than I can say for many players on both sides

I managed to see from the end of the second quarter onwards and Bowden did have more influence than I saw from watching the game live, but for the number of possessions he had he still wasn't as damaging as you would expect.

I managed to see from the end of the second quarter onwards and Bowden did have more influence than I saw from watching the game live, but for the number he had he still wasn't as damaging as you would expect.

Watching live, I had the same impression of Bowden, but after watching a replay, he was one of the few players on the ground who used the ball effeciently. But using the ball effeciently doesn't make you a damaging player. Sylvia had a greater influence on the result of the game than Bowden.