Sylvia is such a reversal of what I thought he would be. The scouting report on him as a U18 was he was a "competitive beast". I just dont understand how a guy with a body like his and talent (now questionable) has such limited impact on a game. You dont need the ball to make an impact, tackling shepherding and pure work rate lead to possessions and form.

In regard to some peoples reaction to a few of our rookies performances today i would suggest you pull your heads in. We all wanted Yze, White etc gone as we "needed to play the kids". Well here we are in R2 and to call Bennell "useless" after 2 games where we hung around against 2 of last years finalists for a 3q and half today is way to extreme. The ball was entrenched in our backline for most of the 2nd half today and I thought some of the younger guys showed a few older guys how to go about it.

Play the kids, get game time into them and watch them prosper.

Give them a chance.

Sylvia is such a reversal of what I thought he would be. The scouting report on him as a U18 was he was a "competitive beast". I just dont understand how a guy with a body like his and talent (now questionable) has such limited impact on a game. You dont need the ball to make an impact, tackling shepherding and pure work rate lead to possessions and form.

In regard to some peoples reaction to a few of our rookies performances today i would suggest you pull your heads in. We all wanted Yze, White etc gone as we "needed to play the kids". Well here we are in R2 and to call Bennell "useless" after 2 games where we hung around against 2 of last years finalists for a 3q and half today is way to extreme. The ball was entrenched in our backline for most of the 2nd half today and I thought some of the younger guys showed a few older guys how to go about it.

Play the kids, get game time into them and watch them prosper.

Give them a chance.

Good post.

GIve Bruces role to Sylvia and he can get 30 useless possessions as well.

Colin Sylvia will never get 30 possessions! He couldn't even manage that at Casey.. In case Col hasn't realised we have a lot of medium to small forwards. Its make or break time and sadly I'm starting to think he doesn't have what it takes.

Sylvia is such a reversal of what I thought he would be. The scouting report on him as a U18 was he was a "competitive beast". I just dont understand how a guy with a body like his and talent (now questionable) has such limited impact on a game. You dont need the ball to make an impact, tackling shepherding and pure work rate lead to possessions and form.

In regard to some peoples reaction to a few of our rookies performances today i would suggest you pull your heads in. We all wanted Yze, White etc gone as we "needed to play the kids". Well here we are in R2 and to call Bennell "useless" after 2 games where we hung around against 2 of last years finalists for a 3q and half today is way to extreme. The ball was entrenched in our backline for most of the 2nd half today and I thought some of the younger guys showed a few older guys how to go about it.

Play the kids, get game time into them and watch them prosper.

Give them a chance.

You are spot on. In terms of where our list is at the moment (age and experience) we are at our infacy. In our first two games last year we lost by almost 200 points. Hopefully someone can name all the players who played in those two games and have either left the club or are currently injured. Since Bailey took over, we haven't blooded any of our recent top picks apart from Morton. Remember Watts, Strauss, Blease, Grimes, Maric and Jurrah haven't even played this year. Bailey is giving Jetta and Bennel a taste of the big time because these boys have obviously shown something in the preseason. This will make them better players for the future - remember the hammering the Hawks took when Clarkson revamped the list - but he stuck fat by playing the young kids - regardless of whether the team won or lost - Clarkson was able to see first hand which players were going to make it or not - and had full confidence in the knowledge that influential board members like Dunstall and Bereton were going to support his decisions. Infact I think these guys even helped out with special skills training. Its time for the Ox and Lyon to help the younger players by being more involved around the club. I get the feeling big Jim understands what Bailey is trying to achieve and will allow this list to develop while senior players are shown the door in future years. Having said that - Bailey needs to ensure that young players are made to earn their spot on the list. For far too long MFC has had too many passengers on their list - last year was the first year in our five year plan - have a look at where Richmond are compared to us - we seem to be heading down the right path by following the Hawthorn and Geelong model. So stick fat with your club and don't expect many wins - look for improvements e.g our contested marks this week...as a small measure of where we will be as a club in another 4 years.

Play the kids, get game time into them and watch them prosper.

Give them a chance.

Good post. I actually thought Bennell has been very promising both weeks...

The first quarter showed us what we can have if we put the effort in. The last three quarters just showed us more of the same form last year. When kicks goto targets we can move the ball as good as any team. We just HAVE TO HAVE more belief in ourselves when things are not going right.

We need the youth in our side but leadership and experience is invaluable when the chips are down. Miller gave it all today even though in the last two quarters you could say he was beaten. Our very young backline was pretty positive and kept trying but really lacked the finishing skills needed to clear out the ball. I hope Bailey plays the first quarter to all the players over and over to reinforce what it takes to win a 4 quarter football game.

How Good was our first quarter ! But i refused to get excited, as every minute went bye i was waiting for our run to stop and it happened in halfway through the second quarter, so disappointing.

Good post. I actually thought Bennell has been very promising both weeks...

me too. i don't know what he did to deserve this criticism. he didn't get much of the ball but I thought he did well when he did get it. I have been very impressed with him, especially given he is still tiny.

Does it every week, and has been doing it now for 3 years.

Yet he retains his spot continually.

Bailey needs to show hes not another Neale Daniher and make an early stetement by dropping him.

That would be Sylvia you are talking about? Sounds right, except it's 5 years, not 3.

GIve Bruces role to Sylvia and he can get 30 useless possessions as well.

Now what role would that be.

1. mid-field - Sylvia doesn't have the tank, the fitness, the skill level

2. utilty - Sylvia doesn't have the tank, the fitness, the skill level

3. hard nut - Sylvia doesn't have the courage, the fitness, the where-with-all; doesn't tackle

4. leader - does not lead by example, no 1%'ers, no team play

Oh, and don't forget, Sylvia HAD A FULL PRE-SEASON.

Bruce turned over every possession.

Martin and Green easily our best players.

Brock McLean is looking like an amateur.

' Bruce turned over EVERY possession' Did you watch the game seriously or did you just read YM's hopelessly biased and ill informed comments? I wonder if he has ever pulled on a football boot? Bruce had 30 possessions @ 70%=21 EFFECTIVE possessions. This included 12 CONTESTED possessions. The best of the Dees. Of his 30 possies I counted only 3 that were not effective. I would love to sit next to you or YM at a game and hear what you class as effective and ineffective. It would be quite amusing. I suppose hBruce's goal was ineffective too? Get real mate.

Joeboy, did you get these the wrong way around?

Spot on mate. Thought Davey just got a lot of backward handballs. Tried hard though. Morton had a real go, but remember he's only in his 2nd season. The most dissapointing player for us was Brock I thought. Didn't get to the game but watched it on TV. Is it me or is Malcolm Blight the most annoying, know it all, Captain Obvious, thats ever pulled on a mike?

I thought Martin was a shining light. Ok, Anthony's no star, and he got 4 goals, but Martin took several goal-saving contested marks, and made some good spoils.

The full -back line was under tremendous pressure all day. Frawley, Warnock and Martin did well under the circumstances.

It would help to have some sort of tactic worked out for kick-ins, so the ball doesn't come straight back all the time.

Also, I'd like to pay tribute to Brad Green, who courageously ran with the flight into an oncoming pack when it was his turn in(I think )Q4, Members' wing, Richmond end half-forward. He'll get hurt one day, but he never shirks it.

Jones gave his guts, and kicked MUCH better.

Sylvia is such a reversal of what I thought he would be. The scouting report on him as a U18 was he was a "competitive beast". I just dont understand how a guy with a body like his and talent (now questionable) has such limited impact on a game. You dont need the ball to make an impact, tackling shepherding and pure work rate lead to possessions and form.

In regard to some peoples reaction to a few of our rookies performances today i would suggest you pull your heads in. We all wanted Yze, White etc gone as we "needed to play the kids". Well here we are in R2 and to call Bennell "useless" after 2 games where we hung around against 2 of last years finalists for a 3q and half today is way to extreme. The ball was entrenched in our backline for most of the 2nd half today and I thought some of the younger guys showed a few older guys how to go about it.

Play the kids, get game time into them and watch them prosper.

Give them a chance.

Agree with all of that.

"Let the boys play! You let them play!" - Really crappy Disney movie.

Bennell, Jetta, Cheney, Bate, Batram, Petterd, Frawley, Martin, Jones, Spencer and Morton all showed a bit today and they are all 22 (Martin) or younger (the rest).

Add to that Watts, Strauss, Blease, McNamara, Grimes, Maric, Jurrah, Bail, Wonaeamirri, Garland, Dunn, Newton, Buckley, and Valenti - all of which are 22 or younger.

I know they all won't make it but it does help me sleep easier.

"Sylvia - better than Bruce"

Heh. Am I the whiting or gummy?

' Bruce turned over EVERY possession' Did you watch the game seriously or did you just read YM's hopelessly biased and ill informed comments? I wonder if he has ever pulled on a football boot? Bruce had 30 possessions @ 70%=21 EFFECTIVE possessions. This included 12 CONTESTED possessions. The best of the Dees. Of his 30 possies I counted only 3 that were not effective. I would love to sit next to you or YM at a game and hear what you class as effective and ineffective. It would be quite amusing. I suppose hBruce's goal was ineffective too? Get real mate.

You are as obsessed as him. Sorry BM, I don't know what YM posted but you're joining him on my ignore list, all the best.

If Bate "no second effort" and "so-so player" is the best you can do in three words then give it up joeboy and dannyz.

Bate was key early when we were using the ball well - his passing was senstational and a huge improvement on what the team served up last week.

He was a big part in setting us up with that positive first half.

This three word thing lacks a second effort.

Martin is going to be a gun when he learns to really tighten up on his opponent, because his skills for a big man are awesome. Love him :D

Stef Martin 7 Marks, 7 Spoils, negated the aerial threat well (as did Warnock). Most of the times he got caught out of position was when the ball was turned over by others whilst we were counter-attacking.

Very exciting player, and will look even better when our silkier running HBF prospects (Grimes, Strauss etc) come to the fore.

Supercoach LOL

Do they demerit possessions that go to a team mate who is under the pump and sure to get tackled, and possibly injured from being put into such a vulnerable position by such poor disposal from a team mate?

If so, he would have about 4 Supercoach points.

And dont get me started on that kick he did on the wing i think toward the end of the 1st quarter, where it went 15 metres to nobody and the Pies took it straight down and kicked a goal.

Do you actualy get to these games you comment on

Stef Martin 7 Marks, 7 Spoils, negated the aerial threat well (as did Warnock). Most of the times he got caught out of position was when the ball was turned over by others whilst we were counter-attacking.

Martin had 4 contested marks yesterday (Warnock 2).

That's 3 more than our entire team took last week.

Gun!

If Bate "no second effort" and "so-so player" is the best you can do in three words then give it up joeboy and dannyz.

Bate was key early when we were using the ball well - his passing was senstational and a huge improvement on what the team served up last week.

He was a big part in setting us up with that positive first half.

This three word thing lacks a second effort.

I agree with you pitmaster.

For some reason, Bate seems to have become a bit of a whipping boy on Demonland of late. He was pretty good yesterday in what was only his 50th game, and some of his best games his played for us have been very good.

You are as obsessed as him. Sorry BM, I don't know what YM posted but you're joining him on my ignore list, all the best.

A little thin-skinned and sensitive are we?

For some reason, Bate seems to have become a bit of a whipping boy on Demonland of late. He was pretty good yesterday in what was only his 50th game, and some of his best games his played for us have been very good.

Definitely one of our better players yesterday, more so in the first half though. Went missing after half time.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him kick consecutive passes on his right boot. Hopefully he's worked on his right-foot kicking so that he isn't so predictable and doesn't have to constantly turn onto his left.

""Garland's injury worries me. It's the same bone that's kept Egan out for 3 years.""

Saw Col before the game, he wasnt wearing a "moon boot" on his foot - just dress shoes to go with his suit. Knowing what I know about foot/ankle injuries (2 broken ankles & 2 reco's), Im guessing it aint as bad as Egan's as if it was he would be in a moon boot to protect it.

""Garland's injury worries me. It's the same bone that's kept Egan out for 3 years.""

Saw Col before the game, he wasnt wearing a "moon boot" on his foot - just dress shoes to go with his suit. Knowing what I know about foot/ankle injuries (2 broken ankles & 2 reco's), Im guessing it aint as bad as Egan's as if it was he would be in a moon boot to protect it.

U agree with whether some of the posters on here a. actually went to the game, b. sat and read the paper instead of watching it or c. slept.

Cheney did not have second game blues he was on Lockyer who positioned himself between the square and the fifity, Cheney was a bit 'out of his comfort zone' there but didn't get towelled and had 15 posssessins.

Bennell showed some flashes in the limited game time he had, needs a slightly bigger body.

Jetta is not being played as a crumbing forward, seems to be used floating across the HF still did a couple of good thingsm and a couple of bad, but learning all the time, Bailey will give him rest at some time when Wona or Maric are ready to go.

Sylvia, PJ, were average or below.

The defence of Frawley, Warnock, Rivers and Martin were outstanding.

A lot of Davey's possessions were cheap when the game had gone, and non resulted in any meaningful forays into the forward 50, he was better than last week, but had his effort the wrong way around, needs to do that straight off.

Bate tried and tried but again was outnumbered and had no real lace out service except in first quarter where i think he performed excellently.

The rest were serviceable and did what they were supposed to do, we got beaten by a better side and every time we turned it over, we suffered

Johnson - Bring back Jamar

(never thought I could utter those words)