Bring on Queens Birthday with a Clarke/Dawes/Hogan and Howe forward line and Frawley/Tommy Mc/Garland Backline and a complete midfield - cant wait.

I know they are both injured, but man i am getting over not having them on the park.

Feels like we are constantly living in "hope" with these two.

This imaginary forward line is trying my patience, especially now we actually have a midfield who can deliver them the damn ball!

I get they are injured, but man it's frustrating.

Talk about dingling the darn' carrot.

I can remember a forward line that had Neitz, Schwartz, Jackovich, Lyon and Darren Bennett don't think they ever played together.

Disappointing new re Garland: seems like he might not be back till round 4 or 5

Garland set for early season return

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-03-06/garland-set-for-early-season-return

Edited March 6, 201411 yr by Young Dee

This might help some people relax. All good things take time!

Can't wait for the Clark, Dawes and Hogan trio to wreak havoc! Throw in JKH and Howe and every defence will dread playing us.

Oh man. I honestly forget how good he really is. Can't wait for him to come back.

Thanks YD :D

Nose, teeth, knees, hamstrings, ankles, toes, back but especially fingers. Ive spent money on injuries.

Ive no idea who you are sport but you want to do half an hour kick to kick one evening, 10 minutes of of run throughs?

Peanut farm St Kilda, pick a night, not Wednesdays. Im 58 short and not particularly fit, slightly overweight, I guess,

but unless youve finished playing in the last few years, Im confident Ive got a big mouth like you well covered. IM me.

Ive got a new Sherrin KB.

Not going to get in a "mines bigger than yours" But Played seniors in the Old Federal league....Played VFA, captain/coached my own team I am over 60 and still go to Gym...I am 6'2 in the old....I have had the odd calf, quad, hamstring......All I am saying is injuries happen....It is a hard sport we play...I have better things to do rather than try to prove myself to anyone...I had limited abilities but got the best out of myself through hard work.....

Come back to me again at the start of next year when he has played another 5 or 6 games.

Thats more than I expect. Your typical simplistic response will probably be the same.

To spell it out for you I dont believe he prepares himself correctly. It would have been known that soft tissue injuries following his Lisfranc was possible.

The foot injury was apparently finished well before summer. It is both the club and the players' responsibility to train and recover in the best possible fashion.

Look at Hawthorn players making a pact on the night of winning a premiership to come back in excellent shape to attempt back to back. Does Clark (and possibly Dawes) have that work ethic?

Pull your head in Franky.. Both Dawes and Clark wanted to organise a trip to Arizona on a hike but couldn't go because of Dawes Knee and Clarks on going hammy problem. We were all praising them for the leadership shown.

Do you research first before trying to criticize these two.

MELBOURNE Player Injury Estimated Return Mitch Clark Hamstring 2-3 weeks Chris Dawes Calf 1-2 weeks Colin Garland Ankle 3-4 weeks Aidan Riley* Leg 6 weeks Luke Tapscott Knee 1 week Updated: Wednesday, March 5

As posted on AFL.com.au

trouble is i don't have any faith in these figures any more

Pull your head in Franky.. Both Dawes and Clark wanted to organise a trip to Arizona on a hike but couldn't go because of Dawes Knee and Clarks on going hammy problem. We were all praising them for the leadership shown.

Do you research first before trying to criticize these two.

Yes, but Franky believes that players should be expert in stress management and that if they have not got on top of that science, then they are just lazy and unworthy. Myself? I believe that Franky's comments are a cry for help... he needs someone with whom he can kick his new Sherrin.

Edited March 6, 201411 yr by hardtack

trouble is i don't have any faith in these figures any more

The surprising thing dc is the suggestion is you once did.

Now I understand that could have been some time ago

The info we are fed is mainly "telling them what the want to hear" with a modicum of the actual added.

This is not peculiar to the MFC but the only one I care about.

Net result I agree 100% zero faith.

Yes, but Franky believes that players should be expert in stress management and that if they have not got on top of that science, then they are just lazy and unworthy. Myself? I believe that Franky's comments are a cry for help... he needs someone with whom he can kick his new Sherrin.

hardtack I believe that the vast majority of the negatives that people raise if due to frustration.

Particularly when as MFC supporters we have had exceedingly lean times for almost a decade.

We recruit and pay big money for good players then see that player go down with a injury that seems to go on forever.

We are desperate for just respectability and the sight of said players constantly on the sides lines produces frustration and then anger.

That anger then turns to resentment of the player.

Not fair but understandable.

hardtack I believe that the vast majority of the negatives that people raise if due to frustration.

Particularly when as MFC supporters we have had exceedingly lean times for almost a decade.

We recruit and pay big money for good players then see that player go down with a injury that seems to go on forever.

We are desperate for just respectability and the sight of said players constantly on the sides lines produces frustration and then anger.

That anger then turns to resentment of the player.

Not fair but understandable.

Understandable perhaps. But no reason why we shouldn't point out to those frustrated supporters when they are being ridiculously negative in the hope they might look at things more calmly. That personal attack on Dawes and Clarke was completely over the top.

Edit to add this quote from Garland today:

“It’s tough when you get paid to play footy – that’s all you want to do. And the way the club’s feeling at the moment, I really want to get out there, but I just want to get my ankle right.”

Edited March 6, 201411 yr by sue

Understandable perhaps. But no reason why we shouldn't point out to those frustrated supporters when they are being ridiculously negative in the hope they might look at things more calmly. That personal attack on Dawes and Clarke was completely over the top.

Don,t disagree with you.

I am very frustrated with the Dawes and Clark injury problems.

Now I know they are not staying injured on purpose and I am confident that would both prefer to be playing on Saturday.

However that does little to release the frustration I feel.

Don,t disagree with you.

I am very frustrated with the Dawes and Clark injury problems.

Now I know they are not staying injured on purpose and I am confident that would both prefer to be playing on Saturday.

However that does little to release the frustration I feel.

Tami Roos should really be giving meditation to the supporters as well as the players. Actually come to think of it she should do a session at half time at one of our games. Beats the blaring music or the silly bugle.

I get frustrated but then I think back to Dawes last year who was hamstring, hamstring, calf, hamstring pretty much all season. Not to mention Clark.

Anyway what's the difference between Clark and Dawes and Fitzpatrick and Pedersen? I'd say the first two if fit might be worth 50 and 40 goals over the course of the year. The second combination probably worth 30 and 20 goals. All up it's a difference of 2 goals a game. If we aren't good enough to cover that gap then we wont be much good anyway.

Not Only Dawes and Clark

Hogan not at training this morning ?.. FB comment.. Did anyone go

trouble is i don't have any faith in these figures any more

Has anyone? Ever? At any club??

Tami Roos should really be giving meditation to the supporters as well as the players. Actually come to think of it she should do a session at half time at one of our games. Beats the blaring music or the silly bugle.

I get frustrated but then I think back to Dawes last year who was hamstring, hamstring, calf, hamstring pretty much all season. Not to mention Clark.

Anyway what's the difference between Clark and Dawes and Fitzpatrick and Pedersen? I'd say the first two if fit might be worth 50 and 40 goals over the course of the year. The second combination probably worth 30 and 20 goals. All up it's a difference of 2 goals a game. If we aren't good enough to cover that gap then we wont be much good anyway.

I would suggest tm that we all get used to the fact that we are more likely for the majority of this year to have a side with the second two rather than the first two.

IMO if we accept that attitude we are likely to go through 2014 in a better frame of mind than expecting the severely unlikely option of Dawes and Clark.

Edited March 6, 201411 yr by old dee

Don,t disagree with you.

I am very frustrated with the Dawes and Clark injury problems.

Now I know they are not staying injured on purpose and I am confident that would both prefer to be playing on Saturday.

However that does little to release the frustration I feel.

OD, you are frustrated as are we all... however, most of us (your good self included) don't extrapolate from that frustration to the point where it is the player's fault and that the player should understand how to manage their body correctly for recovery from a complicated injury/procedure... not to mention the fact that most of us don't start accusing the player/players of being lazy and disinterested. Cranky Franky overstepped the mark by a long way.

I would suggest tm that we all get used to the fact that we are more likely for the majority of this year to have a side with the second two rather than the first two.

IMO if we accept that attitude we are likely to go through 2014 in a better frame of mind than expecting the severely unlikely option of Dawes and Clark.

Clark I get. Dawes really had a solid injury record at Collingwood, had a minor knee op in preseason and now is only sidelined due to calf tightness. If they get him through this period he's got the mature body and fitness base over the years to play the rest of the season. Misson has had a decent record with soft tissue injuries over the years. So I'm hopeful Dawes plays for Casey next week and from then on it's pretty much fit, he might not be in round 1 but the rest of the year I expect his luck to turnaround.

[censored] got to love love this Neeld fella. He isnt even at the club anymore and his actions are still giving me the shits. These 2 are close to being added to the "Neeld legacy"

Sorry...I am getting confused.

Are you suggesting in some way that the fact that Clark and Dawes are unable to get onto the park is in some way Mark Neeld's fault?

Now I agree that much of what is wrong with our club and our recent performances are at least in part his doing, but I am obviously missing some huge link.

Please explain.

I can remember a forward line that had Neitz, Schwartz, Jackovich, Lyon and Darren Bennett don't think they ever played together.

Bloody Neeld --- all his fault, of course

Come back to me again at the start of next year when he has played another 5 or 6 games.

Thats more than I expect. Your typical simplistic response will probably be the same.

To spell it out for you I dont believe he prepares himself correctly. It would have been known that soft tissue injuries following his Lisfranc was possible.

The foot injury was apparently finished well before summer. It is both the club and the players' responsibility to train and recover in the best possible fashion.

Look at Hawthorn players making a pact on the night of winning a premiership to come back in excellent shape to attempt back to back. Does Clark (and possibly Dawes) have that work ethic?

Geez Franky --- why don't you put in an application to oust Missen; or we could just have a coup. It would be just great to have a super expert like yourself to run the fitness regimen rather than an absolute amateur like Missen. I am sure were you running the program both Clark and Dawes would be out there killing the opposition already (unless of course they are either of both just too lazy to bother preparing themselves, as you imply.).

What a load of absolute BS would be an alternative interpretation.

Clark I get. Dawes really had a solid injury record at Collingwood, had a minor knee op in preseason and now is only sidelined due to calf tightness. If they get him through this period he's got the mature body and fitness base over the years to play the rest of the season. Misson has had a decent record with soft tissue injuries over the years. So I'm hopeful Dawes plays for Casey next week and from then on it's pretty much fit, he might not be in round 1 but the rest of the year I expect his luck to turnaround.

Your confidence is way better than mine tm.

his last year at the Pies was less than wonderful.

Then a woeful 2013 and now a poor start to 2014.

There appears to be a trend with soft tissue injuries appearing here.

I think if we get a dozen games this year we will be lucky.

Nose, teeth, knees, hamstrings, ankles, toes, back but especially fingers. Ive spent money on injuries.

Ive no idea who you are sport but you want to do half an hour kick to kick one evening, 10 minutes of of run throughs?

Peanut farm St Kilda, pick a night, not Wednesdays. Im 58 short and not particularly fit, slightly overweight, I guess,

but unless youve finished playing in the last few years, Im confident Ive got a big mouth like you well covered. IM me.

Ive got a new Sherrin KB.

You forgot to mention brain.....

Just sayin....

We have ahistory of bad returns from players we recruit from other clubs.

Jeff White says hi.

hardtack I believe that the vast majority of the negatives that people raise if due to frustration.

Particularly when as MFC supporters we have had exceedingly lean times for almost a decade.

We recruit and pay big money for good players then see that player go down with a injury that seems to go on forever.

We are desperate for just respectability and the sight of said players constantly on the sides lines produces frustration and then anger.

That anger then turns to resentment of the player.

Not fair but understandable.

Neither fair nor understandable.

Perhaps it would be a better strategy to send them out still injured and finish them off well and truly.

Honestly need to take a deep breath and count to ten, injuries are unfortunate but are part and parcel of the game, would rather wait until they are 100% right than play them still carrying an injury and if that takes longer than we all would like we just need to suck it up.

Frustration at the amount of time both have missed I can accept to a point but anger and resentment because of long term injuries is crazy and grossly unfair.