I can't believe that people can't see the obvious. Bate is a left footer who can't turn onto his right foot. He will never make it as a mid fielder let alone a forward.Current age footballers must be able to kick on both feet. Bate can't. See Shane Zatuck some years back.

I can't believe that people can't see the obvious. Bate is a left footer who can't turn onto his right foot. He will never make it as a mid fielder let alone a forward.Current age footballers must be able to kick on both feet. Bate can't. See Shane Zatuck some years back.

You are a troll or you have an awful sense of humour with a username like that.

To me, it says more about the difference between the old game plan and what Neeld is looking to implement.

Old game plan lol, what game plan? Its hard to play especially when the coach has no idea.

A new coach will be great not just for Bater but alot of other Dees players.

rpfc

Do you disagee with what I said?

What gave that away Skull?

Was it the part where he called you a troll, or the part where he attacked your sense of humour?

LOL we have a live one 'ere!

rpfc

Do you disagee with what I said?

Do I agree with your two line dissertation - 'One must learn to kick on both feet to succeed in the AFL'?

No.

It helps to be able to kick on both feet but good one-sided players will always find a way to get out of trouble by moving onto their preferred foot or using your hands.

Sprinters are born, endurance athletes are made.

Bate will never be fast, but he certainly could develop an engine to run all day.

Tell that to the Kenyans and Ethiopians who dominate long distance running.

McLean was never fast but he can run all day..... Hmmm might not be that big a plus today.

Bate wants to go to the Dogs!

We can play hardball though. Bate still contracted.

Pick 39 not good enough. Bulldogs need to look at a three way deal. If they want hm. They need to make it happen...

Bate wants to go to the Dogs!

We can play hardball though. Bate still contracted.

Pick 39 not good enough. Bulldogs need to look at a three way deal. If they want hm. They need to make it happen...

Also, I suspect MFC don't want to be paying any of his salary next year; I suspect that is another reason why they are pushing the "he's contracted for next year" line; ie. he's contracted and we want him, so if you are really desperate, you can have him with the right picks coming our way AND you should pay his ENTIRE remaining contract.

Also, I suspect MFC don't want to be paying any of his salary next year; I suspect that is another reason why they are pushing the "he's contracted for next year" line; ie. he's contracted and we want him, so if you are really desperate, you can have him with the right picks coming our way AND you should pay his ENTIRE remaining contract.

That's an odd leap from the "he's contracted for next year" line.

We have nothing but space. We would like to stagger deletions on our list over years so we don't lose someone we don't want to.

And Neeld might want to see if Bate can play a role in his gameplan.

If we are asking for a first round pick then it suggests that we actually do want to keep him.

Andrew Walker wanted to leave last year, but stayed when they couldn't do a deal. They found him a role that suited and the rest is history.

Amazing what happens sometimes when players are looked at by a new pair of eyes.

Tell that to the Kenyans and Ethiopians who dominate long distance running.

You mean the ones who run 10k to and from school, books in hand, every day from the age of 5? It must just be genetics, right?

Now with Mitch on the books. Dee's will move Bate on by Monday's deadline I would think.

Bate too Dogs, Hill & Pick 36 too Eagles, Koby Stevens too Demon's

I guess none of us here will ever know just what was said in the one-on-one with MN.

I very much doubt if the 'role' will be a HFF but maybe he has another idea such as wing, HBF, with some time in the middle.

Or.......they may actually be playing hardball.

Time will tell.

He's too damn slow for the midfield, we all know it! One good game against Port and dominating the VFL doesn't mean anything. Now we've got Clark he has to go. I hope the offer of pick 39 is still on the table.

The Clark trade does make it even more advantageous to trade Bate. If that deal is still on the table, trading Bate not only gives us another free list spot which is important, but gives us picks 36, 39 and 54 instead of 36, 54 and 72. The only thing that might save him is another trade of someone else.

I've always thought that his best football has been played on the wing. He is very good at linking from the backline and delivering it forward. I’ve never understood why the club has tried so hard to make him a forward when he clearly is not.

He's desperate to leave though and if Footscray go hard and give us something decent he might just get there.

I think we could do better than pick #39, but if we only have one offer we might look at sorting something out if he is that keen to get out of the MFC. The Dogs will use pick 17 on a player, so 39 is their next best pick. A 3rd team could make this possible. Odds of finding a player better than Bate with pick #39 is pretty unlikely, so if a deal can't be struck I would give him a run in the midfield.

He was effective in the mid at VFL level but its a different pace. He needs to get more grunt in my opinion. Really throw his weight around and take the opposition on more. Maybe he could be used in the midfield to try and out muscle a swan or something. Perhaps if he can really work on his pace and movement he can be a good wing or flank player to spread and mark with those sticky hands..

Harrington says he will be 'all systems go'...

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/matthew-bate-to-stay-at-melbourne-after-failed-trade/story-fn69a32t-1226169435681

The last two lines are interesting but until you hear it from the horses mouth a bit closer to the season you can take it with a grain of salt-lick: 'Neeld sees Bate as being able to complement new addition Mitch Clark. There is a chance Jack Watts will move further up the ground, perhaps to a wing.'

Although it must be said that Neeld was not quoted in that short article.

top thread, completely agree - Bate has had some fantastic games in the midfield for dees where he got mid-twenties touches, and dominated at Casey in the midfield, yet was never given an extended chance in the midfield at senior level for whatever reason under bailey - he seemed intent on playing him as a forward or not at all.

re above - the HS reporters love pretending they know what the coaches plans are for a player. chance watts will move up the ground? well no sh*t shirlock