The Positives So Far

[RalphiusMaximus 6,000]

There's been far too much negative feedback appearing on these forums. I think it's time we had a look at the things that are going right for us this year.

Cale Morton - He's looking like a new player. His contested ball is far better than we've seen in the past few years and he's one of the players who have come out strongly in support of the new coaches.

Nathan Jones - He's taken his game up another notch or two this year. Clearly thriving on being in the leadership group and loving the responsibility on the field.

James Magner - A great pick up. He's grabbing his chance with both hands. Has real hunger and desperation to go with his hardness.

Mitch Clark - Plenty of people questioned the move to recruit him, especially on the money we offered, but he's been a real shining light this year.

Jack Grimes - He's taken well to the captaincy, although the media seem to think he's almost an afterthought. He's starting to get his game in order, racking up good disposal counts an most importantly he's getting consecutive games under his belt.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

[H_T 2,941]

Nathan Jones has given an honest effort and leads kicks, handballs. Is up there in most of the key stats.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,534]

The defence, particularly Rivers, has done pretty well given the amount of pressure it's been under.

[JJJ 603]

My drinking habit. I thought I had lost it but it has come back. Can't sit through a game without a drink in hand atm.

Jones, Rivers, Morton, Clark, Grimes, T.McDonald and the early season form of Howe are the 'highlights'. Not great highlights but beggars can't be choosers and the MFC are the No.1 beggar in the AFL.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Despite the on-field results thus far, a new look professionalism that this club has not experienced before.

[Jonesbag 487]

id put howe as a definite if he could kick a goal (not being negative) just needs to work on his accuracy which shouldnt be a prob.

also id like to put in sam blease as a positive, dropped after rd 1, has had some solid vfl games and really earnt his spot and to come out on the weekend and rack up the posessions that he did shows the club and player are on the right track. you can also through watts into the category.

[Dr. Mubutu 697]

also id like to put in sam blease as a positive, dropped after rd 1, has had some solid vfl games and really earnt his spot and to come out on the weekend and rack up the posessions that he did shows the club and player are on the right track. you can also through watts into the category.

Not to be down on the kid, but the sooner we get rid of the downhill skiing senior players, the better for young Blease. At certain points through the first half, I did note, watching the replay, that tackling pressure was almost non-existent. However, to his credit, he was one of the very few who looked like he gave a stuff in the second half.

Also, I think the loss of Bruce and the opening up of a HBF may be the making of Morton. Once the midfielders work to give him a target, watch his efficiency % skyrocket.

[Deemanding 15]

Seeing Sam Blease on Saturday night run out of defence and bounce the ball up the centre of ground which resulted in a shot on goal. One of very few passages of play this season that has shown any dash or flair.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,000]

Seeing Sam Blease on Saturday night run out of defence and bounce the ball up the centre of ground which resulted in a shot on goal. One of very few passages of play this season that has shown any dash or flair.

I've only seem Blease a couple of times, but it's awesome when he puts on the afterburners and leaves tacklers in his dust.

[diesel 420]

There's been far too much negative feedback appearing on these forums. I think it's time we had a look at the things that are going right for us this year.

Cale Morton - He's looking like a new player. His contested ball is far better than we've seen in the past few years and he's one of the players who have come out strongly in support of the new coaches.

Nathan Jones - He's taken his game up another notch or two this year. Clearly thriving on being in the leadership group and loving the responsibility on the field.

James Magner - A great pick up. He's grabbing his chance with both hands. Has real hunger and desperation to go with his hardness.

Mitch Clark - Plenty of people questioned the move to recruit him, especially on the money we offered, but he's been a real shining light this year.

Jack Grimes - He's taken well to the captaincy, although the media seem to think he's almost an afterthought. He's starting to get his game in order, racking up good disposal counts an most importantly he's getting consecutive games under his belt.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

You forgot the most important positive (for me anyway), the exposure of a soft underbelly and the revelation that a succesful game plan isn't about low drafts picks or a game style (atttactive or otherwise) but finding people with a work ethic and dedication to a shared goal.

[DemonWA 3,639]

You forgot the most important positive (for me anyway), the exposure of a soft underbelly and the revelation that a succesful game plan isn't about low drafts picks or a game style (atttactive or otherwise) but finding people with a work ethic and dedication to a shared goal.

No offence, but this type of post is rubbing me up the wrong way lateley. You might be correct, but there are plenty of ways to skin a cat, and surely there are less drastic or less painful ways to establish the fact that AFL players need to give 100% regardless of talent. Neeld will get the right results eventually, but do we need such a painful transition period, would there have been no other way to get from A-B?!

[old dee 23,256]

No offence, but this type of post is rubbing me up the wrong way lateley. You might be correct, but there are plenty of ways to skin a cat, and surely there are less drastic or less painful ways to establish the fact that AFL players need to give 100% regardless of talent. Neeld will get the right results eventually, but do we need such a painful transition period, would there have been no other way to get from A-B?!

I have wondered the same thing

[Cheesecake 92]

There's been far too much negative feedback appearing on these forums. I think it's time we had a look at the things that are going right for us this year.

Cale Morton - He's looking like a new player. His contested ball is far better than we've seen in the past few years and he's one of the players who have come out strongly in support of the new coaches.

Nathan Jones - He's taken his game up another notch or two this year. Clearly thriving on being in the leadership group and loving the responsibility on the field.

James Magner - A great pick up. He's grabbing his chance with both hands. Has real hunger and desperation to go with his hardness.

Mitch Clark - Plenty of people questioned the move to recruit him, especially on the money we offered, but he's been a real shining light this year.

Jack Grimes - He's taken well to the captaincy, although the media seem to think he's almost an afterthought. He's starting to get his game in order, racking up good disposal counts an most importantly he's getting consecutive games under his belt.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

I think you've nailed the list of the real positives there with your first four (not necessarily in that order). I think Grimes has just been a neutral (although getting consecutive games into him is a positive, I guess, his form has just been average by his standards). I think the form of Rivers, and Bartram, T McDonald and Bate in patches, might rate as a positive. If Blease can backup with a repeat performance this week, we might have another.

Other neutrals for me include; Howe, Watts, Frawley, and McKenzie and Garland in patches. These guys are somewhere on par with the minimum I would have expected from them.

Unfortunately, the list of negatives is as long as your arm (but that's for one of other gazillion threads - this is supposed to be a happy thread )

[felixdacat 459]

My drinking habit. I thought I had lost it but it has come back. Can't sit through a game without a drink in hand atm.

Jones, Rivers, Morton, Clark, Grimes, T.McDonald and the early season form of Howe are the 'highlights'. Not great highlights but beggars can't be choosers and the MFC are the No.1 beggar in the AFL.

lol that's funny coz I have started drinking when the games on now also

but do we need such a painful transition period, would there have been no other way to get from A-B?!

No I don't think there is, the top AFL teams all understand this and have been through it if we want to compete we need to go through this pain to get the gain.

My positives are the Coaches Office, Robbo's Show and even Ellie McKenzies new show. As I live up in NQ any bit of news or info about MFC is wonderful.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Felix da Dee

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

Positive: There's only 14 games of this torture left.

[Carlos Danger 380]

The new coach/coaching staff was still being assembled when Clark and Magner were recruited, 2 guys I doubt would have been considered seriously under the Bailey regime.

With a lot more time and thought put into it, I'm pretty confident the biggest positives will come later on in the year.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

The new coach/coaching staff was still being assembled when Clark and Magner were recruited, 2 guys I doubt would have been considered seriously under the Bailey regime.

With a lot more time and thought put into it, I'm pretty confident the biggest positives will come later on in the year.

Well there certainly haven't been a whole lot of positives to come from the first part of the season....

A positive would be if the entire team started to go out there and look like they were having a crack for an entire game.

[Carlos Danger 380]

The Clark and Magner part are 2 pretty big positives from the 1st half.

Point I am making is the staff behind getting these 2 guys will be that much more potent with a full year of the job under their belts and it's looking like they might have a bit of room on the list to work with.