. . ., so if Newton is retained it is because the FD want him, so hopefully that will stop the bleating on this board by the footy pundits

Why do you think that? I'd say quite the reverse - the bleating will be heard as far away as Shanghai

Reply to High Tower. Any of the " who" who is injured or looses form will do. We also still need a big tall like Warnock for match up purposes. Remember Warnock was touted as a cornerstone of our defence before the start of the season. I did not expect he would fade like he has but It can happen to anyone. Newton is not going away yet so lets see if he can offer something if he has the opportunity.

Well, Warnock seems out of favour. At the least it might razz up Warnock. Might make a good spare parts man. If lose a tall down back, there are not many options.

Warnock is not in the team.

I am concerned about using a player to backfill for a player that cant make the team.

Remember Warnock was touted as a cornerstone of our defence before the start of the season.

You are confusing him with Frawley and Garland. Warnock has always been seen as an honest defender at most. No flare but effective.

I can tell you right now that Newton is not apart of their 'premiership plans.'

How do I know?

They delisted him last year and picked him up as a rookie to honour the last year of his contract.

It's hardly a ringing endorsement of the bloke's footballing ability.

Too true. Atm unless Newton u turns and becomes a great player from a further rookie contract then he is finished.

Warnock is not in the team.

I am concerned about using a player to backfill for a player that cant make the team.

You are confusing him with Frawley and Garland. Warnock has always been seen as an honest defender at most. No flare but effective.

Too true. Atm unless Newton u turns and becomes a great player from a further rookie contract then he is finished.

Have to disagree. Frawley was the other cornerstone but there were questions about Garland fully recovering from his injury. Rivers and Bartram were still in limbo. Bruce out of form. Grimes was highly promising. Warnock was certainly there as our big defender. Everyone was talking about how Bailey was rebuilding from defence up. And Frawley and Warnock were nearly always the first two names mentioned. Not everyone can make the team every week. What happens if Garland and Frawley go down? As yet I can't see any of the youngsters ready to fill in.

You are confusing him with Frawley and Garland. Warnock has always been seen as an honest defender at most. No flare but effective.

I don't think he is. Last year Warnock was ahead of Frawley, although Frawley was looking the goods. Most journo's and commentator's had stated that Warnock was our pillar and that we could form a backline around him. He played FB all of last year. Chip was more a flanker type. This year, things changed. So perhaps you had forgotten about Knockers fine form in 2009 on the back of an inconsstent year in 2010.

What happens if Garland and Frawley go down? As yet I can't see any of the youngsters ready to fill in.

I don't give this argument much creedence.

So what if Garland or Frawley go down?

Do you really think that Newton can adequately replace them? To anywhere near their level?

Depth for depth's sake, that is.

A serious flag contender can't have Warnock on the last line. It'll be Shanahan - Jarman all over again. He just doesn't have the composure when all around him goes to shite. That draw against Collingwood when he coughed up to Jolly is a prime example. However touting Newted as a possibility - Picture this - Grand Final 2013 Melbourne by 2 points after a stirring comeback as Collingwwood led by 41 at 3/4 time. Ball spills off a pack 25 metres from Collingwood's goal, seconds remain, only Newted stands between it and oblivion. I don't know about you but I can't watch. Garland anyday of the week.

I don't give this argument much creedence.

So what if Garland or Frawley go down?

Do you really think that Newton can adequately replace them? To anywhere near their level?

Depth for depth's sake, that is.

Can you suggest any alternatives? My argument is that we give him a try to see if he can develop some useful defending skills. I don't expect the world from him. There is no one on our list that can cover an absent Frawley or a Garland to the required standard at the moment anyway. There are no ready to use champs in the bottom half of the list. Only developing players, the injured, suspended and nuts and bolts types which he is at the moment.

This guy has shown in a meaningless exhibition game that he's not going to give up and fade away. This is a quality I wish I 'd seen more in some of our highly touted players from the past several decades or so. So if the club is still happy to retain him then I'm happy with that.

Rule # (I don't know, let's say)6 of DLand

Posters who take meaningful things out of exhibition games may be, and are encouraged to be, ridiculed for said argument.

Thems the rules...

Posters who make bold claims about players and get shown up get ridiculed.

For all you know, Newton might go well down back.

Sheesh, the amount of insanity on this board is exponentially proportional to the length of time from the end of the season.

And there is still a month to go before the Draft. Its not too late to bring back Miller and Bell too!

A serious flag contender can't have Warnock on the last line. It'll be Shanahan - Jarman all over again. He just doesn't have the composure when all around him goes to shite. That draw against Collingwood when he coughed up to Jolly is a prime example. However touting Newted as a possibility - Picture this - Grand Final 2013 Melbourne by 2 points after a stirring comeback as Collingwwood led by 41 at 3/4 time. Ball spills off a pack 25 metres from Collingwood's goal, seconds remain, only Newted stands between it and oblivion. I don't know about you but I can't watch. Garland anyday of the week.

O my God That is a terrible nightmare....STOP!!!!! B)

I don't think so, our backline is already too full, it'd be shocking to have Newton in there permanently.

Has all the attributes to be......a complete spud.

Seriously if we are down to Newton or no one he could do an ok job, he has some speed and a good leap to spoil. But what would happen if the ball hit the deck. I've seen little agility and can't imagine him hitting the targets under pressure required.

I think Juice is best served trying to establish himself as a forward/ruck prospect. If Leigh Brown can do it he must stand some chance.

NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!! would be like the days Brent Grgic playing down back...

Why In gods name Is he still on our list?

In days of yore when there was no salary cap, no limit to the size of your list and you fielded seniors, reserves and under 19s you simply would not hold onto a player like Newton for more than 3 or 4 years let alone the 6 he's reached at this point in time. But it's 2011 and if he is kept on as a second year rookie the relative cost is minimal. It will be a case of rookie pick 89 or even less if Cam Bruce doesn't come to the party i.e. it's neither here nor there - the 46th player on a list of 46.

The odds are against him and I remain skeptical but historically, there have been cases of players coming out of their shells when given different roles. I'd give him a chance to develop in the new role of back up ruckman cum forward. There are about five weeks during the pre season NAB Cup/NAB Challenge/practice matches when clubs can experiment. He can be tried in that role or he can be given a run in defence. Stranger things have happened.

In days of yore when there was no salary cap, no limit to the size of your list and you fielded seniors, reserves and under 19s you simply would not hold onto a player like Newton for more than 3 or 4 years let alone the 6 he's reached at this point in time. But it's 2011 and if he is kept on as a second year rookie the relative cost is minimal. It will be a case of rookie pick 89 or even less if Cam Bruce doesn't come to the party i.e. it's neither here nor there - the 46th player on a list of 46.

The odds are against him and I remain skeptical but historically, there have been cases of players coming out of their shells when given different roles. I'd give him a chance to develop in the new role of back up ruckman cum forward. There are about five weeks during the pre season NAB Cup/NAB Challenge/practice matches when clubs can experiment. He can be tried in that role or he can be given a run in defence. Stranger things have happened.

Surely in the days of bigger lists and reserves Newton would have lasted plenty of years. But these days its more of a miracle - except its not a miracle just an indication of our lack of key position stocks over the last few years.

. . . . Stranger things have happened.

name one B) B)

Posters who make bold claims about players and get shown up get ridiculed.

When Newton holds down a spot in our backline in 2011 you can ridicule me.

For all you know, Newton might go well down back.

For all I know - and it is quite a bit - Newton will not go 'well' down back.

Jeez, one half-decent season & a Jurrah inspired exhibition win and suddenly we are happy to posit that a 24 rookie-listed player is suddenly capable of turning his career around with the evidence of a decent game in a 16 a side, VFL-intensity, exhibition match half a world away...

I don't know how to quantify this...

I'll help you...

The claim that Newton can resurrect his AFL career in defense is as credible as someone who claims that an image of jesus appeared to them in their bowl of cornflakes and then charges $5 for people to enter his house and get a look at the chair at the breakfast table he was sitting in when the miracle occurred.

For $10 you can see the bowl the cornflakes were in before he ate them.

Hallelujah!

Jesus, this thread is still going? For those of you who think this is a viable option, I have two words for you: Stefan Martin.

This was just a thread posing a question, but of course, as I said the other day, the naysayers who want to wallow immediately start poo pooing....ok it may not work, but last time I looked none of us, as far as I know, worked in the Footy Dept at MFC...he may even be delisted when he gets back, but it is nice to speculate, if you don't want to speculate, it is simple, do what I do, don't join in on threads..I could have even picked who would start up....E25, rpfc....I don't know why you support Melbourne, you seem to hate it so much and it brings you no enjoyment whatsoever

This was just a thread posing a question, but of course, as I said the other day, the naysayers who want to wallow immediately start poo pooing....ok it may not work, but last time I looked none of us, as far as I know, worked in the Footy Dept at MFC...he may even be delisted when he gets back, but it is nice to speculate, if you don't want to speculate, it is simple, do what I do, don't join in on threads..I could have even picked who would start up....E25, rpfc....I don't know why you support Melbourne, you seem to hate it so much and it brings you no enjoyment whatsoever

Your passion for our team is infectious, and you are right- none of us work in the Footy Dept- we don't know what is in plan for Newt's at the end of the day... but you have to understand when you start a thread on an opinion based forum it is going to be scruitinised if you like it or not.

Like you I wish the best for our guys because they are what makes our team our team, but sometimes we have to accept some players aren't going to be able to produce the way we would like them to. That doesn't make them less of a person, they just can't stand up to the rigours of AFL football. I'm sure like yourself, we all care about everyone on our list- but in saying that sometimes you have to be "cruel" to be kind if the ultimate prize is what you seek..

This was just a thread posing a question, but of course, as I said the other day, the naysayers who want to wallow immediately start poo pooing....ok it may not work, but last time I looked none of us, as far as I know, worked in the Footy Dept at MFC...he may even be delisted when he gets back, but it is nice to speculate, if you don't want to speculate, it is simple, do what I do, don't join in on threads..I could have even picked who would start up....E25, rpfc....I don't know why you support Melbourne, you seem to hate it so much and it brings you no enjoyment whatsoever

How embarrassing for you.

Is that really what you read from all that?

I see no problem with making light of what is an absurd suggestion.

Where do you manage to find this imagined hatred for the club & misery?

It's as fanciful as the piece of toast with the virgin mary's image burnt into it.

In other news, the club seems to be considering bringing back Brent Grgic through the PSD to back up Jamar...

just speculating, of course. I like to speculate.

How embarrassing for you.

Is that really what you read from all that?

I see no problem with making light of what is an absurd suggestion.

Where do you manage to find this imagined hatred for the club & misery?

It's as fanciful as the piece of toast with the virgin mary's image burnt into it.

In other news, the club seems to be considering bringing back Brent Grgic through the PSD to back up Jamar...

just speculating, of course. I like to speculate.

E25, my point is, this is not flaming, is a lot of your posts to a thread accentuate the negative of any situation, that is why I thought you didn't enjoy it, yes it may be an absurd suggestion, that is your opinion, but as I said you don't have to join in on some of the threads, I read some of then, and if I think I have nothing valid or of value to add so I don't....also by the way sarcasm is not an art, it is an easy way out