Post Match Discussion - Never in doubt

[chook fowler 19,249]

Personally, I think he is just a very good commentator. He's relatively unbiased too. I also think sitting OTC with two Demons (Healy is close enough to a Demon) plays a part too.

Healey is Swans to his back teeth. Said as much at their team of the century night. Don't believe he has any affection for the Dees at all.

[DEE fence 4,923]

9 months from now there will be an explainable bump in the number of Demon memberships...

[John Crow Batty 8,770]

Personally, I think he is just a very good commentator. He's relatively unbiased too. I also think sitting OTC with two Demons (Healy is close enough to a Demon) plays a part too.

I thought he was very biased for us in the final throes of Sunday's game. Not that I minded. The way he was talking he sounded like he was coaching us from the commentary box. He was still talking us up for a win as the ball was sailing deep into Essendon's forward pocket before our final thrust. He must hate Essendon.

[Gorgoroth 12,702]

Yep in the last two minutes he kept saying "man up Dees!"

Loved it!

[Cards13 9,117]

It was a thoroughly dominant display by Dunn, wasn't it? I can't remember the last time a defender was so dominant in both their defensive duties and providing offensive rebound.

He is getting some huge wraps in the papers today not just from the weekend but from rnd 5 onwards he is the dominant defender in the entire comp. Kudos L Dunn, kudos to you.

[dazzledavey36 52,738]

Love Dunstall as a commentator. Unlike others he knows what he is talking about.

I use to love his sprays on after the bounce about players dribbling for goals. Funniest things I have seen. Him and spud Frawley are good to watch.

Anyone have youtube clips on Dunstall spray?

[binman 41,947]

He is getting some huge wraps in the papers today not just from the weekend but from rnd 5 onwards he is the dominant defender in the entire comp. Kudos L Dunn, kudos to you.

Surely a chance at All Australian? Come on Demonland imagine the embarrassment if he makes AA and is not on our banner! Make it happen.

[Go the Biff 3,360]

I thought he was very biased for us in the final throes of Sunday's game. Not that I minded. The way he was talking he sounded like he was coaching us from the commentary box. He was still talking us up for a win as the ball was sailing deep into Essendon's forward pocket before our final thrust. He must hate Essendon.

My kids asked if Dunstall barracked for Melbourne. I explained :

Dunstall is Hawthorn

Hawthorn = hates Essendon

That said, Dunstall has consistently been one of the best players turned media performers

I also told my kids he was an out & out champion. Damn that man could play

[nutbean 8,838]

Fair enough, but the back line under Rawlings wasn't entirely disgraceful. Those huge blowout scores were coming from a lack of team-wide defence, which was letting opposition mids (and even half-backs) stream into their forward line. Not to mention, the difficulty that our backs had in clearing the ball because our mids were so poor, which meant that it just kept on coming back in.

I wouldn't be so quick to write Rawlings off - he was the only one they kept, after all.

There are two parts to the equation IMO.

Education, development and game plan - this is important but makes up a smallish percentage of what makes a good coach

Motivation - to me this is where our turnaround has come. Yes you have to have a game plan and be able to give good concise messages and educate but you can hear in all the players voices the way they love playing for this club and this coach. It makes it much easier for an assistant when you have such a well respected and well liked head coach in Roos.

I still maintain that whilst there would only be subtle differences between what Neeld wanted and what Roos want in terms of game plan - all coaches basically play to a similar game plan these days. The major difference is the ability of a coach to extract the best out of players. I don't think it is education and development that have taken the likes of Dunn, Pederson, Jetta and Jamar to new levels - it is motivation and a coach who has lit a fire in them to enable them to be the best they can be.

Roos is a master of that and unfortunately many others have proven to be abject failures.

(on that note - it is why a successor after 3 years scares me. You can teach game plans, development and education but I believe the skill to motivate a player and get the best of him is either in a coach or it isn't. Neeld worked under a master in Malthouse - I think he had all the necessary ideas on how the game should be played - but he had no skill in getting a player motivated and getting a player to hear his message and act on it. I look at Rawlings, Ling and Kirk and I am confident that Roos can impart tactical knowledge into them. I have no idea if any of these three can motivate and instill confidence and desire into footballers - seeing the way both Ling and Kirk were respected by their teammates gives a small insight to the possibilities but it didn't work that way for Voss)

[Cards13 9,117]

Surely a chance at All Australian? Come on Demonland imagine the embarrassment if he makes AA and is not on our banner! Make it happen.

I have been a critic of his for sure but he has improved dramatically this year. I hate to talk about players values as compared to a super coach value but in this instance I will. I have had him in my SC team the entire year and got ripped for it by the mainly Ess flogs I work with, the weekend was really enjoyable!

[Ted Lasso 18,779]

should extend the banner 2 spots and add Dunn and Jetta

[Geddy Lee 582]

My kids asked if Dunstall barracked for Melbourne. I explained :

Dunstall is Hawthorn

Hawthorn = hates Essendon

That said, Dunstall has consistently been one of the best players turned media performers

I also told my kids he was an out & out champion. Damn that man could play

• 4x Hawthorn premiership player 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991
• 4x Peter Crimmins Medal 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993
• 3x Coleman Medal 1988, 1989, 1992
• 12x Hawthorn leading goalkicker 1986–1996, 1998
• Leigh Matthews Trophy 1992
• Hawthorn captain 1995–1998
• 2x All-Australian team 1992, 1994
• Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee 2002
• Hawthorn Team of the Century (forward pocket)

Only 188cm, 1254 goals, lightning quick, very accurate kick.

One of the best players of all time, and the best current media personality.

I've got a great deal of simian love.

[hardtack 10,400]

With the way Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen have lifted, it's almost like we had an extra three new players come in during the off season... we got JKH, Salem, Riley, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen.

[Little Richard 6,213]

With the way Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen have lifted, it's almost like we had an extra three new players come in during the off season... we got JKH, Salem, Riley, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen.

I'd say the same about Bail, although he did have a reasonably quiet game against the Bummers.

It's great that we were still able to get over the line with two of our best runners in Matt Jones and Rohan Bail being kept relatively quiet.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

should extend the banner 2 spots and add Dunn and Jetta

Better put Salem in there as well!

[Dee Fan 3,247]

There are two parts to the equation IMO.

Education, development and game plan - this is important but makes up a smallish percentage of what makes a good coach

Motivation - to me this is where our turnaround has come. Yes you have to have a game plan and be able to give good concise messages and educate but you can hear in all the players voices the way they love playing for this club and this coach. It makes it much easier for an assistant when you have such a well respected and well liked head coach in Roos.

I still maintain that whilst there would only be subtle differences between what Neeld wanted and what Roos want in terms of game plan - all coaches basically play to a similar game plan these days. The major difference is the ability of a coach to extract the best out of players. I don't think it is education and development that have taken the likes of Dunn, Pederson, Jetta and Jamar to new levels - it is motivation and a coach who has lit a fire in them to enable them to be the best they can be.

Roos is a master of that and unfortunately many others have proven to be abject failures.

(on that note - it is why a successor after 3 years scares me. You can teach game plans, development and education but I believe the skill to motivate a player and get the best of him is either in a coach or it isn't. Neeld worked under a master in Malthouse - I think he had all the necessary ideas on how the game should be played - but he had no skill in getting a player motivated and getting a player to hear his message and act on it. I look at Rawlings, Ling and Kirk and I am confident that Roos can impart tactical knowledge into them. I have no idea if any of these three can motivate and instill confidence and desire into footballers - seeing the way both Ling and Kirk were respected by their teammates gives a small insight to the possibilities but it didn't work that way for Voss)

I spoke with Jeremy Howe at the FH Dinner and he said the players have respect for Rawlings and they all like him, they think he's doing a great job. I asked him if he would put his hand up for the job and he seemed to think he would, that doesn't mean he would get it of course.

[ManDee 7,124]

Are you serious? What a bunch of soctcocks!! It's the footy ffs if you can't cheer there where can you? I (and everyone around me) were going off tap in the AFL members in the last to the point where I seriously thought my legs would give out and I might pass out from lack of oxygen! If anyone had've told me to "settle down" I probably would have just given them a look and ignore them if not downright tell them to [censored]. It's the footy mate, next time you tell them you paid your admission and you'll cheer as well and as loud as you please and if they don't like it they can go sit in the bleachers in Q51.

I was very loud, and they were suffering, for many reasons. As if barracking for those cheats isn't bad enough they were about to lose to us, and they have no respect for Melbourne.

As they left I said it's only 4 points, they argued only 1, not on the ladder it isn't I countered and either you are 145 points worse than last year or we are 145 better. Heads down they left, don/t think they liked my singing.

[DemonOX 8,697]

With the way Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen have lifted

And to be honest none of us would have expected such a dramatic increase in the way those three play.

It's great.

[nutbean 8,838]

I spoke with Jeremy Howe at the FH Dinner and he said the players have respect for Rawlings and they all like him, they think he's doing a great job. I asked him if he would put his hand up for the job and he seemed to think he would, that doesn't mean he would get it of course.

On that note - I am quite enjoying Howes progress - after a slow start to the year he is now find his way in the backline and IMO becoming a better contributor rather than a once a week highlight grab.

[TheoX 1,219]

Barrett: re Salem. He didn't get many touches did he. He was the sub you [censored]!

Does this flogger even watch games or does he just analyse games from the stat page! God he makes me wild.

Josh Kelly got zero touches when he played as sub. But he's a definite brownlow medallist so it's OK.

[Adam The God 29,340]

On that note - I am quite enjoying Howes progress - after a slow start to the year he is now find his way in the backline and IMO becoming a better contributor rather than a once a week highlight grab.

A much better player now. I had him as trade bait last year. He's now a vital defensive cog. Those calling for a return to the forward half have no idea.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,321]

I have just watched the replay. Again! At the end of the game Lynden Dunn went and shook hands with some Essendon players. What bad sports they were. The first looked at Dunny with a stoney face. No 'well played mate' etc. from this Bomber. The other two didn't even look at Lynden when they shook hands. Poor losers indeed.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

I am back out there in Collingwood, but what does Scarlett J look like?

You will know a goddess when you see one

She's like a female Paul Roos

[Demon Disciple 11,630]

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2014-06-17/roos-on-afl-360

0 - 55 seconds. That's what it's all about. Couldn't and still can't wipe the smile from my face whenever i watch it. The unity that this club now has thanks to our CEO, Pres and Coach is fantastic. And by the looks of the players' reaction and joy with one another, they're playing for each other and have pride in the jumper................... At Last!!!!!!!

[ManDee 7,124]

I had a nightmare last night.

The AFL moved Peter Jackson to Essendon to fix up the shambles that it has become and he took Roos with him.

Then I smiled, they are the shambolic remains of a once proud club, they are on the way down and are too stupid to realise the malaise they are in. It's like watching the coyote trying to row up a waterfall in an old boat full of holes.

And we still have Jackson & Roos.