Going a fair bit off track here sorry, but I was flabbergasted that he was welcomed into the Hall of Fame so quickly after retiring. I was never a fan of the 'sniper' and didn't think that he was that much of a standout that he didn't have to wait for the honour.

I'm sitting on the fence re the issue at hand though. I can see both angles on it and haven't yet felt outraged enough to listen to what exactly it was that he said / and listen to someone who I dislike.

On SEN this morning Llyod was on talking about the most important players in each side that the club could ill afford to not be playing.

For Melbourne he said Scully & Trengove.

If Scully and Trengove are so important to the club THIS YEAR that we can ill afford not to play them, then they'll get picked to play all 22 games each - and that will not happen. Either Bails or one of the staff has stated that Scully and Trengove will definitely not play in all 22 games. They won't be overloaded and haven't had the training to build their bodies up to play every game.

Their claim to fame is selection at picks 1 & 2 in the draft. That doesn't automatically mean they will be the best two recruits this year.

They are 2 18yo kids who are held in high regard by recuiting managers looking for great players to play at least 10 years for the club.

BP and team were looking for players who would reach their peak in 3-5 years, but not in 2010.

This year we need score at least 80 points per game and hold the opposition to less than 100 per game.

So our most important players are someone who can lead the defence (Frawley or Rivers); someone who can make goals happen up forward (Jurrah can score and set them up with this terrific passing skills) and someone to can give us first use of the ball. I was thinking of Moloney or Sylvia but maybe Jamar (if fit) could be our most important player this year. We have few other options in the ruck and Jamar showed enough last year to indicate he could create a real physical presence at the centre square. We could stuggle if Jamar battles to play every game.

If we're all going to be completely honest, there are sides in the game that we understand less than others. I probably wouldn't be able to tell you Freo's 6 most important players. Port's would probably be hazy too.

What amazes me is how many "professional" players, even ones who only recently left the game, have little or no understanding when it comes to sides that play in the AFL. When it comes to 2010, there is NO question that Scully and Trengove will not have as big an impact on our year as guys like Green, Davey, Moloney, Jones...

This just continues the unbelievable disrespect you see over and over from Dons players. Lloyd, Hird, Moorcroft, Heffernan to name but a few.

This last few years where they've been in the same place we were at in the early 2000s have been enjoyable for me, to say the least.

Irrelevant dribble from one who should have concentrated on the 3 meter springboard.

Don't you all realise these nuff nuffs are paid to create debate on issues that probably will stir up some short term interest.

I only listen to a few commentators that give "almost" unbiased views and ignore the rest. Most of them are commentators only.........not experts. IMO you don't have to have played at AFL level to be cluey on what's what.

This bloke is trying to become a media performer and if his opinion is as good as his dives were, he will become legendary!!!!

Irrelevant dribble from one who should have concentrated on the 3 meter springboard.

Don't you all realise these nuff nuffs are paid to create debate on issues that probably will stir up some short term interest.

I only listen to a few commentators that give "almost" unbiased views and ignore the rest. Most of them are commentators only.........not experts. IMO you don't have to have played at AFL level to be cluey on what's what.

This bloke is trying to become a media performer and if his opinion is as good as his dives were, he will become legendary!!!!

Lloydy retired just in the nick of time. With all the scrutiny that will now be placed on divers, he would have become a laughing stock. I can still picture his dive on Big Al Nicholson in the goalsquare at the G to be awarded a 2nd goal to seal the game with about a minute to go. He wrote the manual on how to dive. Didak is probably his best student.

Oh my god... have any of you actually listened to the interview?

Lloyd even states at the end of his 'Melbourne-Scully-Trengove' comment that it is a bit of a different take and assessment compared to the rest of his teams and players he chose. This is because he doesn't believe Melbourne to be challenging for the top 8, but to be getting games into the likes of the young kids (Scully and Trengove).

He also says that it might seem a bit rough on the other older more experienced MFC players to chose two young untried kids, however he implied that if MFC are going to win games and be successful in the future, the development and importance of these two kids this year is important above all else.

So in that respect, I have to agree with him.

I could add a whole bunch of other players to that list such as Grimes (and make no mistake, he will wear the captains arm band for MFC one day and be extremely influential this year to our development as a young side) but in all truth its extremely important that ALL our players develop into a winning fearless side. Lloyd is simply picking out two kids he thinks will drive the MFC towards a premiership in the next few years...

http://www.sportsentral.com/pro/main/Podcasts.aspx

there is the podcast 4 it

FYI Watts Up posted the actual interview for people to listen to.

Lloydy retired just in the nick of time. With all the scrutiny that will now be placed on divers, he would have become a laughing stock. I can still picture his dive on Big Al Nicholson in the goalsquare at the G to be awarded a 2nd goal to seal the game with about a minute to go. He wrote the manual on how to dive. Didak is probably his best student.

I thought my dad was going to explode and die in the Members Reserve that day!!

Will never forget it...He was furious, and i don't blame him!

Yes i heard that too,Lloyd is obviously an ignorant shallow tool.

Well siuted to the "Morning Glory" i might add.

Yes it is insulting to the club, but let us not forget outside this Website and our Members this club is not rated AT ALL.

Personally for 2010 i would put Aaron Davey & Sylvia in that category-they must step up and teach the young guys a lot.

Ha! for the 1st 2 lines.. and

Bingo1 for the last 2.

In a push for a premiership, Melbourne needs an elite core of 7-8 players (plus plenty of other good ones). For me, the "elite core" will come from Davey, Watts, Jurrah, Scully, Trengove, Grimes, Garland, Frawley and Sylvia, possibly also from Blease, Strauss, Tapscott, Maric and Gysberts.

In the guts, Grimes, Scully and Trengove are critical. We can ill afford not to give them game time. Why is that laughable?

Agree ML.

But it wont make any difference to the eventual outcome to MFC's season this year, Lloydys comments have come a year or 2 too early.

What would former a AFL captain, premiership player, Coleman Medallist with 270 games know about AFL?

Davey is a definitely a required player and is an important part of the list. Is he the most important player? No.

Davey is a classy finisher who provides a crucial skill level based on the hard work of others. I have not seen him break open games and dominate like champions in other Clubs. And until I see Davey show he can perform in September then he is not at the top level.

And Lloyd's choice of Trengove and Scully reflects where we really are. No actual stars/champions but loads of potential stars. I look forward to a number of them making it particularly Scully and Trengove

What would he know about MFC's current situation tho? Possibly Nada.

We havent seen Davey 'break open and dominate games' cause were not winning atm - he's been the diff between a 5 gl loss and a 10+ goal loss plenty of times tho

Havent seen Beamer, jones, slyvia 'break open and dominate games' either - for the same reasons..

wont go into it.. see training thread..

I believe it comes down to this -

Whos more important this year, the students or the teachers? Surely the teachers always more important than the student, right?

Our teachers would be Davey, Slyvia, Beamer.. and others - because they will effectively teach all aspects of the 'on field/ in match' game to these kids..

But I think Scully and Trengove are key to our blue print of success.

Agree, but this year as Lloydy suggests?

Thats a fair bit of unecessary pressure to take into your 1st game of AFL footy.