Lead paragraph in today's Age by Caro:

"ANDREW Demetriou has offered Melbourne his support as the club withstands the fall-out from Sunday’s unusual one-point loss to Richmond."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/afl-b...9350546840.html

"... unusual one-point loss to Richmond"!

What exactly is the unusual element to the loss that Caro wants us to subliminally imagine? That somehow MFC manipulated the timekeeper, the umpire, Jordan McMahon (very obvious those Melb players willing McMahon's kick to sail through the middle, Chasers style), Tambling to get the ball into McMahon's hands on the siren? What element of it all is MFC guilty of?

One point loss? Four actually. Accuracy is important, even for journo's onto a good story.

To Richmond! Aah, here is maybe Caro's problem. Sour grapes, Caro's Tigers were actually hopeless. Melb had a moral victory both on the field and in terms of the upcoming draft. Richmond got a hollow meaningless after-siren win.

I am normally a Caroline fan, she speaks lots of good sense. On this issue (eg. her performance on Footy Classified this week) her passion for Richmond is clouding her otherwise good judgement.

If she wants to tackle coaches and deliberate tanking, maybe start with Terry Wallace's admissions.

I am sick of MFC supporters being pilloried for having feelings and views about a system that we didn't design, and that countless others have blatently manipulated to their advantage before now.

This is the article referred to in the "Vlad supports MFC and Bailey" thread. Both Vlad and Schwab said that Vlad rang MFC for support of their current strategies, not a "please explain" or "don't so it again or you're gone" at all. Vlad then gives a well-argued defence of Bailey, mentioning Frawley (and Brisbane's Merrett), Sylvia, their final-quarter rotations, and the fact that they have been open about experimenting since May. Caro must have been grinding her teeth while writing this article (which is why it's a one-point win!), I bet she would have loved to editorialise here & there, but it was a report, not an opinion piece (that will come tomorrow for sure). In a battle for the integrity of the AFL between Vlad and the baying media pack, I'd go for Vlad every time.

Some might want to portray DB as an evil genius who's coaching all-out to lose and has now deceived even Vlad; I see him as acting with absolute integrity throughout all this mess, and showing great strength of character in the process.

Wouldn't surprise me if half of the reason for her writing that is was an "unusual loss" pertained to the team who played pathetically winning the match. She said as much on FC.

Mountains out of molehills.

It was an unusual match. The match was a loss. Hence it was an unusual loss.

Not that much of a stretch.

A lot worse has been said and you target Caro cos she is a bit more vague..?

Never thought I'd see the day I'd defend Caroline Wilson...

Mountains out of molehills.

It was an unusual match. The match was a loss. Hence it was an unusual loss.

Not that much of a stretch.

A lot worse has been said and you target Caro cos she is a bit more vague..?

Never thought I'd see the day I'd defend Caroline Wilson...

I'm not targetting Caro, she's targetting the MFC and its supporters. She wasn't "a bit more vague" on Footy Classified, quite vehement in her accusations about DB in particular.

I usually like Caro, she's forthright and has a good point of view. I'll defend her on most things, but not over innuendo that blackens MFC, its coach and supporters.

I'm not targetting Caro, she's targetting the MFC and its supporters. She wasn't "a bit more vague" on Footy Classified, quite vehement in her accusations about DB in particular.

I usually like Caro, she's forthright and has a good point of view. I'll defend her on most things, but not over innuendo that blackens MFC, its coach and supporters.

Ah look, I don't blame her. She doesn't go as hard as some do.

To be honest she was doing her job in going at Melb for doing some things that admittedly did look suspicious.

It was an awkward position. Thomas and Hutchy often go for the jugular on these topics so they are no use.

Usually Caro and Garry take opposite sides and work off each other to present a balanced argument - problem was Garry can't attack or defend MFC because of obvious reasons.

So Caro had a dig and... and... Hutchy and Grant Thomas are never going to run to MFC's rescue.

If she'd said this in 2007 (which she may have) about a certain team in Navy Blue jumpers, we'd be loving it.

Just doing her job and as usual doing it well.

I'm not targetting Caro, she's targetting the MFC and its supporters. She wasn't "a bit more vague" on Footy Classified, quite vehement in her accusations about DB in particular.

I usually like Caro, she's forthright and has a good point of view. I'll defend her on most things, but not over innuendo that blackens MFC, its coach and supporters.

She usually does have a good point of view. Do you think there might have been a hint of Richmond coming out of her on FC?

She usually does have a good point of view. Do you think there might have been a hint of Richmond coming out of her on FC?

Her Tiger Alliegance is definately Hurting i believe

She usually does have a good point of view. Do you think there might have been a hint of Richmond coming out of her on FC?

I think you're spot on, there's obviously a lot of sour grapes for Tiger's supporters after Sunday's game. They won but so what. And however they look at it, Melbourne come away with some prospects and hope for the future whereas they have little hope or prospects despite the exciting finish.

Again, they are victims of a very bad system and it's that that Caro should be attacking, not DB and the MFC and us supporters.

I hate being in this position, I didn't go Sunday partly because I can't stand it. Sooner 2009 ends the better.

How can it be an unusual loss, We have lost that many games over the past three years but thats okay. Now around priority pick time it is unusual ?? Astounding !! :angry:

The win didn't resolve much, but it was obvious which team would have the better prospects going into next year. Maybe that's what narked her. And Richmond must be the worst team to barrack for, because for years and years they show something once every so often to suggest they might be on the way up and the supporters' hopes rise again, but then they get ahead of themselves and think they're wonderful and come thudding back to earth. Must be really frustrating time after time.

The win didn't resolve much, but it was obvious which team would have the better prospects going into next year. Maybe that's what narked her. And Richmond must be the worst team to barrack for, because for years and years they show something once every so often to suggest they might be on the way up and the supporters' hopes rise again, but then they get ahead of themselves and think they're wonderful and come thudding back to earth. Must be really frustrating time after time.

No sympathy From me...I hate the Tigers & all they (don't) stand for....

Much like Melbourne fans being [censored] off because we were out-tanked by Carlton - I think Caro is annoyed that Richmond was "out-under-performed" (I notice that Coughlan, Tuck, & Rance weren't called up for the Dees game despite stellar form in the VFL the week before).

The media just need to get over the fact that we don't care about the result of the remaining games.

The level of experimentation is no different than a pre-season match and no-one accuses pre-season teams of losing intentionally.

Some might say it is a fine line between wanting to lose and not caring whether you win or lose. But the distinction is legitimate and if you are going to argue that the latter is 'tanking' then a lot of games in football history (both recent and ancient) were 'tanked'.

How can it be an unusual loss, We have lost that many games over the past three years but thats okay. Now around priority pick time it is unusual ?? Astounding !! :angry:

Most Melbourne supporters I know said that it was one of the most unusual matches they'd seen, yet you're taking umbrage at the term "unusual".

Astounding.

Here's what was discussed on FC.

Footy Classified 03/08/2009

more Footy Classified 03/08/2009

I had a read of this article and was going to start a thread. I am glad someone else did.

I can't see what is to like about Caroline Wilson. She seems to get a lot if things wrong (such as a one point loss on the weekend) and she just likes to argue on Footy Classified. She doesn't like it be proven wrong. I am still waiting for Knights to be offered a contract extention at Essendon like she said (Just another example)

Here's what was discussed on FC.

Footy Classified 03/08/2009

more Footy Classified 03/08/2009

I was surprised at how rational Hutchy was about the situation.

Most Melbourne supporters I know said that it was one of the most unusual matches they'd seen, yet you're taking umbrage at the term "unusual".

Astounding.

It was "unusual" to lose the 1987 final at Waverley by a kick after the siren, but nobody used the term or accused us of tanking that game. Surely you can see the innuendo in Caro's opening line, that somehow MFC contrived the result. The most "unusual" game I've witnessed was the last round of 2007 when Carltank did what they had to, to get Judd and Kreuzer. It was horrible and we were the suckers.

On Sunday it was simply fate that we didn't win, after all we were up when the siren went. That is pretty poor form for a genuinely tanking side.

On Sunday it was simply fate that we didn't win, after all we were up when the siren went. That is pretty poor form for a genuinely tanking side.

It was "unusual" to lose the 1987 final at Waverley by a kick after the siren, but nobody used the term or accused us of tanking that game. Surely you can see the innuendo in Caro's opening line, that somehow MFC contrived the result. The most "unusual" game I've witnessed was the last round of 2007 when Carltank did what they had to, to get Judd and Kreuzer. It was horrible and we were the suckers.

On Sunday it was simply fate that we didn't win, after all we were up when the siren went. That is pretty poor form for a genuinely tanking side.

Warnock got a goal assist from CHF.

That is a sentence I didn't see coming...

We tried things out because winning isn't a priority and some see winning every game, no matter the circumstances, as something worth prioritising.

We played unusually...

Nuff said.

Looking forward to the next unusual game this Sunday at the worst stadium in the world.

It promises to be atypical.

Warnock got a goal assist from CHF.

That is a sentence I didn't see coming...

We tried things out because winning isn't a priority and some see winning every game, no matter the circumstances, as something worth prioritising.

We played unusually...

Nuff said.

Looking forward to the next unusual game this Sunday at the worst stadium in the world.

It promises to be atypical.

Could be the most important game for melbourne since the 2000 Grand Final. The Footy Dept this week & on Match day must stay so sharp.

We have come this far, the finish line is within sight in the distance. Get it Right Lads. Please.

CW has always had an anti-Demon thing -- I've never been able to work out where it came from. Can only think it's that Richmond-supporter resentment of us because we made the finals w. regularity from the late 80s to 2006. I'll always remember that awful Steve Price (Richmond supporter), when he was still on Melbourne radio, ranting about Melbourne & a "rare' appearance in the finals. He was totally wrong.

she just likes to argue on Footy Classified.

That's the entire point of the show.

I was surprised at how rational Hutchy was about the situation.

He must have a soft spot for Garry & Melbournefc.

Fwiw, he has expressed his view many-a-time that Melbfc undoubtedly as a team and as a club, need the Priority pick and would be very silly to give up this opportunity which presents itself.

Some of the most thoughtful words I've heard from him as a reporter.