The problem is that for many VFL clubs there's no alternative because without alignments they will become extinct.

On the MFC side, if we go alone it's an extra cost that over a team can be prohibitive.

Like it or not, the alignment continues for at least another year.

didnt we go over all of this when we alligned with Scorps ? Some figures were bandied about that the difference for a stand alone was about 250 -500 extra to what we spend on the seconds at present. Back then such money was prohibitive... but is it now ?

The problem is that for many VFL clubs there's no alternative because without alignments they will become extinct.

On the MFC side, if we go alone it's an extra cost that over a team can be prohibitive.

Like it or not, the alignment continues for at least another year.

I think clubs like Sandy would do Better with they're own players. Especially if stand alone VFL teams were allowed a decent salary cap to pay mature ex AFL players.

If AFL sides in the VFL, couldn't play more than say 4 players above the age of 26 Yrs, in they're VFL 1sts,,, then I think the system could work.

Some clubs may struggle to pull in the crowds, The Scorps may be better to go back to Springvale & play out of Sandown Park.

# My point is not if it suits the MFC now! My point is it's Bad for the VFL & the VFL supporters & some of ours are annoyed at the manner in which these games are treated today.

I can see VFL trending downwards if these games are not taken seriously. And thats really bad for grass roots Footy.

And it's bad for our reputation, treating Casey and it's supporters like fools.

Edit: * It's high time to start the VFL season 3 weeks before the AFL season, And have the VFL Grand final played 2 weeks prior to the AFL scheduled Grand Final...

Have the VFL season finished by mid September.

This starts to ease the problems associated with pre season comps, and also the end of season breaks prior to the Pre seasons of the AFL teams.

Pulling players out is wrong.

deeluded, the tail can't wag the dog. Melbourne's selectors are entitled to select players as they wish. The problem is simply one that's inherent in all alignments. There's always going to be some dislocation with players being promoted to the AFL side, others coming down and others back from injury. Makes it hard to have a settled team especially coming up to finals.

Casey isn't the 'Tail' .

Casey is our partner & our development arm.

Finals footy is a great way to develop our young kids together at this time of year in winning finals footy together. Building comraderie and self belief in one another and that magic of the Kill.

Casey isn't the 'Tail' .

Casey is our partner & our development arm.

At the start of the year Casey made it perfectly clear that they do not see themselves as our development arm.

Casey and Melbourne are not working together to achieve a common goal - they are separate entities trying to use each other to meet disparate goals.

It is not surprising that the "combine" lacks the passion of pure VFL sides like Port and 75% VFL sides like Werribee

Terrible game to watch drifting in and out. I heard Darren Boyd mention that Casey used 64 players this season compared to 40 odd for Werribee (partial alignment), that can't help. I don't really support the team but like to see them do well, the body language today from several MFC players wasn't great.

Interesting point and I couldn't agree more!

4 years on we look insipid in all areas

Yes we're doomed.

Yze mentioned on twitter about a tanking/loosing culture post our 186 realty check.

He was howled down and abused strangers calling him soft and not supporting the club.

Its ironic that the Club gets a lecture from a player who epitomised the "Me First" culture at MFC.

A player that gives the Club little leaadership when he was there and public condemnation through a fluffy forum like twitter.

Appears if you don't tow the line and back slap failure the sycophants will circle in blind support of rubble.

I commend the club for getting off field in order it's been amazing.

Talking of blind support of rubble. The last 12 months have as bad off the field as it has on the field. The handling of the lead up to Geelong game and the knee jerk blind Freddie reaction by the Board was inept, embarrassing and unprofessional.

We have CEO that does not have the support of the Board. We have a Football Director that was maligned in a public report was publicly stripped off the job by President who due to terrible cancer condition has not been able to function properly.

The whole place has been has been highly dysfunctional with little leadership.

But you are right it has been amazing. FMD.

I hope preseason is murder these guys need to be smashed senseless.

Yeah. Lets smash'em. Smart thinking. That will stop them being soft.

Casey isn't the 'Tail' .

Casey is our partner & our development arm.

In the past 12 months its been neither.

"Magic of the kill??" Wow.

I hope preseason is murder these guys need to be smashed senseless.

Yep, not the smartest comment I've heard.

Cam Schwab himself has said that if anything, we have problems with a lot of players doing extras and overtraining.

We have to work hard to hold the players back.

If we find out they are going home and jogging around the block without permission, we have to rein them in.

It's a fine science these days.

So getting down to Casey's inconsistency and the poor performance on the field in the finals, I think in many ways it stems from the same malaise that's been affecting Melbourne in the AFL in recent times and that is it's midfield. Just as the combination of Jamar and Martin would often dominate hit outs and the MFC would fail to take advantage of this at stoppages, the same thing often happened at Casey despite dominant ruckmen in Spencer, then later Gawn and Campbell. I noted before the team's first loss against the Coburg Tigers earlier in the season that Casey was vulnerable in this area. At the start of the season, Casey had some good young midfielders playing well including Michael Evans and others such as Dan Nicholson, Sam Blease, Addam Maric and Neville Jetta all went through the midfield rotations from time to time. When some of those players were promoted to Melbourne, there really weren't any players to fill the void in this important part of the ground. The season ending injury to Evans was a major blow because I'm sure he would have been the team's main on baller had he qualified to play with Casey in the finals. Tom McNamara went there with some success and Matthew Bate was also tried there.

The problem in the finals was the lack of quality players available. The team missed those injured medium/small players like Blease, Jetta and Maric who all qualified (you can add Aussie to that list as well) and could have played in midfield roles, on the flanks and wings or performed the roles of crumbers. All of these things were lacking yesterday. The supply to the forwards was appalling and there were no crumbers applying pressure in the forward line when the ball hit the ground. The result was a largely frustrating day for the Casey forwards and Fev, who has in the main been a model citizen was ruffled by the idiots in the crowd and got reported late in the game.

Port Melbourne has proven a success as a stand alone club because it can field a settled side each week. If someone stars in the midfield, you can be sure that barring injury, he'll be back the following week. When an MFC listed player stars with Casey, then the chances are that next week he might be out playing in the AFL. Hence, Casey in a year where there has been a large number of injuries at Melbourne, has probably used twice as many players this year as Port. In some games up to 16 MFC players were used and in others, the number was as low as eight. Hence, an unsettled team, especially in the midfield, and a disparity of performance from week to week. My theory about the Geelong game is that it was not aberration that Casey's worst performance came on the same day as 186 - there had to be a relationship between the two.

As far as the future for Casey is concerned now that Fev has played his last game is to recruit two VFL quality midfielders instead of investing in a single controversial full forward. AFL clubs would do well to follow the same line of thinking.

So getting down to Casey's inconsistency and the poor performance on the field in the finals, I think in many ways it stems from the same malaise that's been affecting Melbourne in the AFL in recent times and that is it's midfield. Just as the combination of Jamar and Martin would often dominate hit outs and the MFC would fail to take advantage of this at stoppages, the same thing often happened at Casey despite dominant ruckmen in Spencer, then later Gawn and Campbell. I noted before the team's first loss against the Coburg Tigers earlier in the season that Casey was vulnerable in this area. At the start of the season, Casey had some good young midfielders playing well including Michael Evans and others such as Dan Nicholson, Sam Blease, Addam Maric and Neville Jetta all went through the midfield rotations from time to time. When some of those players were promoted to Melbourne, there really weren't any players to fill the void in this important part of the ground. The season ending injury to Evans was a major blow because I'm sure he would have been the team's main on baller had he qualified to play with Casey in the finals. Tom McNamara went there with some success and Matthew Bate was also tried there.

The problem in the finals was the lack of quality players available. The team missed those injured medium/small players like Blease, Jetta and Maric who all qualified (you can add Aussie to that list as well) and could have played in midfield roles, on the flanks and wings or performed the roles of crumbers. All of these things were lacking yesterday. The supply to the forwards was appalling and there were no crumbers applying pressure in the forward line when the ball hit the ground. The result was a largely frustrating day for the Casey forwards and Fev, who has in the main been a model citizen was ruffled by the idiots in the crowd and got reported late in the game.

Port Melbourne has proven a success as a stand alone club because it can field a settled side each week. If someone stars in the midfield, you can be sure that barring injury, he'll be back the following week. When an MFC listed player stars with Casey, then the chances are that next week he might be out playing in the AFL. Hence, Casey in a year where there has been a large number of injuries at Melbourne, has probably used twice as many players this year as Port. In some games up to 16 MFC players were used and in others, the number was as low as eight. Hence, an unsettled team, especially in the midfield, and a disparity of performance from week to week. My theory about the Geelong game is that it was not aberration that Casey's worst performance came on the same day as 186 - there had to be a relationship between the two.

As far as the future for Casey is concerned now that Fev has played his last game is to recruit two VFL quality midfielders instead of investing in a single controversial full forward. AFL clubs would do well to follow the same line of thinking.

And not to mention that Juice Newton was avialable and not selected even if underdone! Didn't he kick bags of 6 and 5 earlier this year? Surely would have been worth a game yesterday? Hindsight is a good thing eh?

And not to mention that Juice Newton was avialable and not selected even if underdone! Didn't he kick bags of 6 and 5 earlier this year? Surely would have been worth a game yesterday? Hindsight is a good thing eh?

nice bit of sarcasm there fence

At the start of the year Casey made it perfectly clear that they do not see themselves as our development arm.

Casey and Melbourne are not working together to achieve a common goal - they are separate entities trying to use each other to meet disparate goals.

It is not surprising that the "combine" lacks the passion of pure VFL sides like Port and 75% VFL sides like Werribee

Oh, you don't think that Casey reacted from Us pulling the players from being available for the Finals, when German was Coaching??? And wanted to get someone who could help them Up the ladder for their Own survival?

Your narrow view to real development, and actually standing for something is the same as why we haven't had success for so long. To actually have a real community follow passionately our club, instead of off duty business people barracking from the long Lounge. Their workboots off, and slippers are on. Thats the softness our boys passion stems from.

If those supporters brought their 'at work' attitude to the players, instead of the 'Sunday morning she'll be right son', attitude.