He's getting the most out of our list. There were quite a few players yesterday that aren't AFL standard. We need to nail another trade/draft period like we did last year and we will improve again no doubt.

Alternatively, we could just delist the players who aren't making the grade, the same as every other year.

will be same result , per se. as there are MANY . So it will be a BIG cull in so doing your comment was needlessly facetious

In a way Im glad PR is gutted. We have been for a long while and its beholding upon the FD to get very 'matter of fact' with its dealings with the list.

There will be undoubtedly those players for whom PR and the FD can see ( still ) a good outcome and then there's the rest.

The eternal problem is in trying to fix the list theres only so many changes ( practical ) you can make without effectively diluting your momentum to nothing ( again ).

I expect a lot of wheeling and dealing to get as many journeymen players to our club as is possible. They dont need to be super talented , or possess 'elite; skills they just need to be honest footballers who come to play. A team , a plan, a style can be built on this whilst the so called talent emerges.

Paul Roos showed in that presser hes hurting like a Demon. Now it will get ugly for some players

struggling to think of a worse team than us last year, how can any team get one if we didnt

Exactly. We were losing on a constant basis by huge margins, as I said, you take away the Eagles match and we haven't lost above 40 points this year. We've had big improvements but we're still not a great team.

There is a cd called "America's Song Butchers: The Weird World Of Homer and Jethro"

We are "Australia's AFL Butchers: The Weird World Of The Melbourne Football Team"

I bet Paul Roos is wishing he stayed in the media now.

It is not the fault of PR. It is the total lack of professionalism of the players.

PR should make the players watch the women's team that represented the Melbourne football team time after time until they get the message. By the way the women defeated the Western Bulldogs 72 to 26.

Or did we have the wrong gender playing for the 4 points?

was wondering when someone would try and draw this bow - lol

He's getting the most out of our list. There were quite a few players yesterday that aren't AFL standard. We need to nail another trade/draft period like we did last year and we will improve again no doubt.

Yep, we have 10-15 players that are AFL level, the remainder playing are either developing or not up to it. Sorry, Nicholson, Terlich, Bail and M Jones you can have 1 maybe 2 in your side but 4 is to much. Then add in Salem, Kent, Barry, Gawn that are developing into AFL players but not there just yet.

Then there is the depth, Toumpas, Hogan, JKH, Cross, McDonald are the only players that were missing yesterday with the first three still developing. Not much else down at Casey or injured at the moment. You almost bring Blease in to give him 3-5 games to see if he has learnt anything this year.

The positive is we have players that this time last year we had written off Pederson, Dunn and Jetta come to mind that are now AFL standard, to think what we had last year to now, I wonder if this Melbourne team played the Melbourne team from last year how much would it win by, to me about 60 points, we are a 60 point better team than last year but we are still 30 points short on where we need to be.

Hopefully now the players have some sort of rudimentary understanding of an AFL appropriate game plan, there can be some genuine focus on skills over summer. I have no doubt there is skill improvement within the current list.

In any event, we are probably two good mids and a key forward short of a good side. Oh for Mitch Clark and a pre injury Trenners.

Nicholson is getting a game.

That should show where our list is at.

Btw, how is our injury list at the moment?

Besides Hogan, no notables.

He's getting the most out of our list.

This comment has been made by a few and I don't understand it. There are some who will never reach dizzying heights but there are some I believe have way more improvement in them so IMO he isn't getting the most out of our list. This is not a criticism of Roos but a realisation that the fix or improvement of individual players is more than a 14 game process - there are lots on this list that I believe ( or least with the talent that they have - I hope) that Roos and Co can take to the next level - Tyson, Viney, JKH, Salem, Watts, TMac, Gawn - but to name just 7 players.

Nicholson is getting a game.

That should show where our list is at.

Btw, how is our injury list at the moment?

Besides Hogan, no notables.

Can't forget Cross

...we are a 60 point better team than last year but we are still 30 points short on where we need to be.

Exactly. If I'd been promised at the end of last season this result I would have gladly taken it.

Given how bad we have been over the previous two years, I reckon the turnaround with essentially the same players (give or take a few) is commendable.

It might be disappointing to lose, but it's far more enjoyable going to the football knowing that we once again belong in this competition. We were so poor in the last two years that we were the competition's embarrassment.

This comment has been made by a few and I don't understand it. There are some who will never reach dizzying heights but there are some I believe have way more improvement in them so IMO he isn't getting the most out of our list. This is not a criticism of Roos but a realisation that the fix or improvement of individual players is more than a 14 game process - there are lots on this list that I believe ( or least with the talent that they have - I hope) that Roos and Co can take to the next level - Tyson, Viney, JKH, Salem, Watts, TMac, Gawn - but to name just 7 players.

Yes, but in June 2014 he is 'getting the most out of them' - I can't think of a player that has gone backwards. Garland looks rusty and Frawley lost for half his games (or half a game), but across the board players are motoring at capacity of what they can do at this stage of their career (or for a few - at any stage of their career).

Edited June 30, 201411 yr by rpfc

After watching the game on Sunday I was shocked at how much the game has changed since I was young. The rules are no longer what drives this wonderful game and I wonder what the fundamentals of Aussie Rules are now taught to out kids. No wonder we are confused like Roos is.

I have written a post regarding this issue and you can read it here: http://www.thepeptal...a-rolling-maul/

we are a 60 point better team than last year but we are still 30 points short on where we need to be.

That's a good way to put it!

We have got the bends reaching the dizzying heights of recently arriving at the ankles of some clubs...

Quote Paul Roos - 'It is what it is'.

Sack him.

I think Roos is justified with frustration.

He has certainly made a big difference to the team but there is still a residue of lack of confidence.

There is certainly improvement in many individuals.

The best players are different every week and the shockers are different every week.

There is some consistency but these are not enough to provide wins.

Perhaps it is just the frustration of getting the selection right for the week

Knowing who is going to play well at a given day seems to be the problem They all have some skill and fitness its still between the ears knowing when and how to apply what they do.

While there is little joy at Casey apparently the squad could now be shuffled to not just punish and reward but rather to change the emphasis. some players need to be rested from the ones to have a lighter run in competition at Casey where they are expected to dominate. Some Casey players will be given the opportunity to play up to experience the pace and see what they are required to do. Georgiou was one who played well but seems to have regressed at Casey and this could be what is happening. The whole squad needs to get together and celebrate what they have achieved in the terms of improvement and now challenge themselves to get into the firsts against Port Freo etc and make a difference.

I also see the players looking back not forward and missing the run of a leading player or by the time they play forward the lead is covered

But I am positive that Roos knows what he is doing

Perhaps he is also frustrated with the umpires especially as we so often have the momentum changing decision against us. And we still have no backs or heads, from the limited cover I see although it does seem to be a bit of a raffle even with other televised sides. The umps do seem to favour the better players and unfortunately ours are unknown, perhaps that could be a task the players are set dont get known for talking back, shaking head or querying but get known by handing the ball back with a positive acknowledgement.

Priority Pick anyone??? as I duck for cover.

Since Melbourne did not get a priority pick in 2013, the AFL may as well get rid of them. No team will ever be as bad as we were last year; no team will deserve a PP more.

will be same result , per se. as there are MANY . So it will be a BIG cull in so doing your comment was needlessly facetious

It's not the concept of removing players I object to, it's the slobbering, blood thirsty attitude some people have to delisting players. We need to continue to steadily improve our list through turning it over and internal improvement. We do not need to "cull" players as if they are some out of control pest destroying our crops.

Our number of delistings won't be any larger than most other clubs, or any larger than our own in the last few years.

Could anyone hear what question he was asked before he described us as a "cash strapped" club in the presser? Was it about buying free agents?

Any trustworthy and well known member wan't to put a hand up to organise taking a hundred bucks from 850+ members and help em out with the salary cap? I can spare a few hundred if it keeps PR at the club beyond 2015 rather than become more despondent about this list.

Could anyone hear what question he was asked before he described us as a "cash strapped" club in the presser? Was it about buying free agents?

Going from memory as it was 12 hours ago that I watched it, but I thought it was a question about the umpiring. It sounded as if the journo was goading Roos in to saying something that might have resulted in a fine and Roos' comment was tongue in cheek.

Edit: I listened again, it was "what did you think of that deliberate rushed behind in the second quarter?"

Edited June 30, 201411 yr by Nasher

Could anyone hear what question he was asked before he described us as a "cash strapped" club in the presser? Was it about buying free agents?

Any trustworthy and well known member wan't to put a hand up to organise taking a hundred bucks from 850+ members and help em out with the salary cap? I can spare a few hundred if it keeps PR at the club beyond 2015 rather than become more despondent about this list.

Going from memory as it was 12 hours ago that I watched it, but I thought it was a question about the umpiring. It sounded as if the journo was goading Roos in to saying something that might have resulted in a fine.

Here we go again - one of my pet hobby horses. What an amateurish press conference organisation - who ever runs a presser without roving microphones for the questioners! AFL - lift your game.

I did hold the speaker close to my ear and I agree with Nasher - I think it was a query re the disgraceful Bail decision, and Roos cleverly without actually saying it, inferred that the decision was merde.

It's not the concept of removing players I object to, it's the slobbering, blood thirsty attitude some people have to delisting players. We need to continue to steadily improve our list through turning it over and internal improvement. We do not need to "cull" players as if they are some out of control pest destroying our crops.

Our number of delistings won't be any larger than most other clubs, or any larger than our own in the last few years.

Without getting too cute id actually argue what we need is indeed a Cull and not some gentle trimming of the list. The nature of the use of cull goes to the notion of it being very calculated, unswerving and not too caring of the culled' future as it were.

You get like this when enough is enough. I think cull is apt given that there is apt to be a quasi wholesale nature about it.

If you were to compare our list to that of say a top 4 team thered be but a handful youd retain. Lower the sights a tad and compare to top 8 and theres in or around a couple of dozen that you would think able to sustain our future and make significant contributions. That leaves space of around 15-16 players that really arent at/or likely to attain that level of AFL competitiveness to warrant a paycheck ( from us ).

cull (kl)

tr.v. culled, cull·ing, culls

1. To pick out from others; select.

2. To gather; collect.

3. To remove rejected members or parts from (a herd, for example).

n. Something picked out from others, especially something rejected because of inferior quality.

The given meanings above point to exactly what will transpire in my thinking. Culling can also suggest a selection of a larger number than natural process. Again thats what needs to happen. We arent looking at a small top up or introducing 1 or 2 to maintain a status quo we're looking at a quantum leap. Ill stick by the notion of Cull thankyou

_H_, I don't think finding 850+ members to put in $100 each will do the job with the salary cap. Don't think $85k will buy us much in terms of elite talent.

Bub, I think a simple "thanks, sorry, see you later" for Blease, Tapscott, Strauss, Byrnes et al would suffice. With that little rant, it would seem that you wouldn't be satisfied unless they were hung, drawn and quartered and had their bodies paraded around the club for all to see.

And funnily enough, we'd get the same result: 4-6 less players on the list. If you reckon there's any chance of 15-16 players being "culled", which you also seem to be alluding to, then I'm afraid this discussion is over as I will not argue with someone not operating inside the bounds of basic sensibility.

Edited June 30, 201411 yr by Nasher

Aside from trying to regrow a team thats confidence and system has been shattered over the past couple of years, PR has lost his premier key forward (Clarke), had his next big forward (Hogan) languish with injuries, and had his premier key back (Frawley) being coy about leaving the club.

While we're used to this kind of headwind or ongoing setbacks barracking for Melbourne over the years, it may have caught Paul by surprise.

Few other clubs seem to suffer in this way.