Shakespeare, through Ophelia exclaimed, "Lord we may know what we are, but know not what we may be".

Some people say 'potential' is a dirty word, particularly in AFL circles. Well I've decided I'm no longer afraid of using words like 'potential' and 'hope' in fact I'm advocating their very use.

As Melbourne supporters we're well versed in the patience game and we've grown accustomed to looking 2, 3, 4 or 5 years ahead. A lot of us have been talking about our premiership window. Some suggest that window could open up in 2012. Others thinks 2013 or 2014 are more realistic. When we start talking premiership windows, we start dreaming of who will be wearing the red and blue on that last day in September. We quickly regress to our teenage years when much time was wasted away during the off-season penning 'future 22's'.

At the end of each year I would often return to my parents place over the Christmas holidays and spend a great deal of that time trying to rejuvenate my Dad for the upcoming year. A big part of that process would be 'talking up' the potential of our new recruits. I remember convincing my Dad that Trent Ormond-Allen and Clay Sampson were the answers to our midfield problems. I got him excited about this tough nut Luke Molan who had a body ready to play round 1. Sylvia and McLean were destined to be our own Judd and Cousins. I remember telling him about this kid Michael Newton who was an absolute freak and destined to make a mark on the competition in the followiong year. My Dad's a virgo and likes to make lists and files things away for safekeeping. Sometimes he would pull out one of these 'future 22's' and ask me why Steven Armstrong never quite made it at Melbourne like I'd predicted or why Daniel Bell hasn't reached the great heights I'd forseen.

I'll be travelling from Brisbane to the Gold Coast to see my Dad again this year and I have no doubt that I'll be listing off a bunch of names he'll know very little about and I'll again confidently predict future success based on this group fulfilling their potential. I've got a feeling, however, that this time things are going to be a little different. In the past when I've listed our premiership team of 3, 4 or 5 years into the future I think I've known deep down that huge holes exist in our list or that the quality simply didn't exist at the top end. This year, the feeling is different.

So I encourage all of the optimists and the dreamers and the list writers to join me in writing or typing the following list and whenever you're feeling a little down about all things football or you're copping it from an arrogant friend who doesn't know the meaning of support or you're tiring of the boorish behaviour of our cricketers simply write down these names. It does wonders for the soul.

Watts

Jurrah

Frawley

Blease

Garland

Scully

Trengove

Bate

Morton

Grimes

Tapscott

Bennell

Strauss

Gysberts

Maric

Martin

I'm feeling better already.

Merry Christmas fellow Demonlanders!

trent ormond allen, i cant stop laughing.

trent ormond allen, i cant stop laughing.

Yep. The best thing about him was his nick-name ..... 'Cracka' TOA.

I'd add Nathan Jones, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jake Spencer and Jordie McKenzie to the list ...

I'd add Nathan Jones, Austin Wonaeamirri, Jake Spencer and Jordie McKenzie to the list ...

And some would argue for Jetta, Gawn and Fitzpatrick. I'm liking this list.

Write them all out Chelly. I guarantee it'll put a smile on your dial.

And some would argue for Jetta, Gawn and Fitzpatrick. I'm liking this list.

Write them all out Chelly. I guarantee it'll put a smile on your dial.

It'd be quicker to figure out which guys you wouldn't put on this list.

It'd be quicker to figure out which guys you wouldn't put on this list.

But then it would be a negative list, for pessimists.

There's a thread on Bigfooty (yeah I know, I'm bored) that invites posters to list their best team in position. The catch is you can only use players from the last four drafts. I had great pleasure (after 4 pages and no Melbourne entry) in posting the following team:

Melbourne

B: Bennell - Martin - Frawley

HB: Grimes - Garland - Strauss

C: Blease - Trengove - Morton

HF: Tapscott - Watts - Petterd

F: Maric - Jurrah - Wonaemirri

R: Gawn - Gysberts - Scully

I: Spencer - Cheney - Jetta - McKenzie

E: Fitzpatrick - McNamara - Bail

Edited December 24, 200915 yr by Goodvibes

But then it would be a negative list, for pessimists.

Exactly. But unfortunately that makes up some of the cast around here..

There's a thread on Bigfooty (yeah I know, I'm bored) that invites posters to list their best team in position. The catch is you can only use players from the last four drafts. I had great pleasure (after 4 pages and no Melbourne entry) in posting the following team:

Melbourne

B: Bennell - Martin - Frawley

HB: Grimes - Garland - Strauss

C: Blease - Trengove - Morton

HF: Tapscott - Watts - Petterd

F: Maric - Jurrah - Wonaemirri

R: Gawn - Gysberts - Scully

I: Spencer - Cheney - Jetta - McKenzie

E: Fitzpatrick - McNamara - Bail

Great effort there. I'd like to see some other clubs try to top that!

Well, you can call me the Big O of Optimists as far as the MFC is concerned and now is a good time for optimism. I don't think we've ever had as good or as big a group of under 23's as we have now (well at least since the early 50's) and that's what the lists are telling us. 

Of course, having the raw material is one thing. Turning it into a high qualty finished product is another and that's the challenge that our coaches face in the next few years. We need to get games into their legs and make sure they develop the right way which includes turning them into mature disciplined footballers (in every facet - we don't need dropkicks of the type that publicly surfaced at one or two other clubs this week) and among them, need to emerge true leaders.

Another list I used to enjoy putting together was my list of favourites for the first senior game of the following season among those yet to make debut. I suppose Joel Macdonald rightly heads the list but there's an interesting battle on among Scully, Trengove, Gysberts, Tapscott, Blease and Strauss on the next line of favouritism.  

There's a thread on Bigfooty (yeah I know, I'm bored) that invites posters to list their best team in position. The catch is you can only use players from the last four drafts. I had great pleasure (after 4 pages and no Melbourne entry) in posting the following team:

Melbourne

B: Bennell - Martin - Frawley

HB: Grimes - Garland - Strauss

C: Blease - Trengove - Morton

HF: Tapscott - Watts - Petterd

F: Maric - Jurrah - Wonaemirri

R: Gawn - Gysberts - Scully

I: Spencer - Cheney - Jetta - McKenzie

E: Fitzpatrick - McNamara - Bail

When words are not enough...

There's a thread on Bigfooty (yeah I know, I'm bored) that invites posters to list their best team in position. The catch is you can only use players from the last four drafts. I had great pleasure (after 4 pages and no Melbourne entry) in posting the following team:

Melbourne

B: Bennell - Martin - Frawley

HB: Grimes - Garland - Strauss

C: Blease - Trengove - Morton

HF: Tapscott - Watts - Petterd

F: Maric - Jurrah - Wonaemirri

R: Gawn - Gysberts - Scully

I: Spencer - Cheney - Jetta - McKenzie

E: Fitzpatrick - McNamara - Bail

that would make my day if it wasn't christmas... maybe I'll revisit this on Monday.