Everyone needs to calm down with Garland.

He had no pre season and from memory 1 game at Casey before returning to senior footy.

Defensively he was as good as always but offensively he lacked a lot.

I just hate judging players who's season was ruined by injury. He definitely needs a full pre season before we declare he sucks.

Everyone needs to calm down with Garland.

He had no pre season and from memory 1 game at Casey before returning to senior footy.

Defensively he was as good as always but offensively he lacked a lot.

I just hate judging players who's season was ruined by injury. He definitely needs a full pre season before we declare he sucks.

Nah, he just sucks.

Jokes, Jaded, don't worry.

It's nothing against Jones, but I really hope he doesn't win another one. We desperately need a few other players to stand up and take over the top spot from him.

You are paraphrasing what James McDonald said a few years ago in that if he was winning the Bluey then we were not going to be a top side. I would agree if you had of used Daniel Cross as your example but Jones is more than capable of being the top ranked player in a finals side

You are paraphrasing what James McDonald said a few years ago in that if he was winning the Bluey then we were not going to be a top side. I would agree if you had of used Daniel Cross as your example but Jones is more than capable of being the top ranked player in a finals side

Disagree. I don't think Jones would win a B&F at any of this year's finals teams other than perhaps North on a good day. And he wouldn't at Adelaide or Collingwood either, but might just, just scrape one at West Coast.

I love him, but we're going nowhere while he is consistently our best player.

Everyone needs to calm down with Garland.

He had no pre season and from memory 1 game at Casey before returning to senior footy.

Defensively he was as good as always but offensively he lacked a lot.

I just hate judging players who's season was ruined by injury. He definitely needs a full pre season before we declare he sucks.

I dont think he sucks. I just think Dunn, McDonald and if reports are true, Frost is the three big's in the back six i would be backing in moving forward. Need some more attacking skillful players in the other spots. Just my opinion though!

Doubters of Garland need to look at his 2013 form, a good pre season and I have no doubt a lot will chance their tune

Congratulations N.Jones, you are a star. Dom had a great year too and hopefully he can be the standard bearer for the younger midfielders on the list.

Leaving aside the Watts bashing for a moment, Dawes and Jamar are two of the most highly paid players on the list and they were miles off the top 10. Not good enough. If Jamar is still our number one ruckman next year I can guarantee we will be bottom 3 again.

Against the grain on this site I know, but I'm rapt for a top 10 finish for Wattsy, a great team man, a player that has never.. NEVER settled in one position form his debut, a player that uses the ball well. Look at a few of the games that we won, Richmond, Carlton and Adelaide, and some of the games we should have won, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, 2nd dogs game.. he was important. Such a consistent year.

Im first to agree he has some deficiencies that he needs to address very quickly, but I think he has had a really solid year.

As an aside, does anyone know why the vote tallies are about 20% lower this year than last year? Have they been tinkering around with the voting system again, or are there some harder markers amongst the new coaches?

interesting to see the difference between the demonland b&f and the MFC one. We tended to vote for our favourite players (eg Viney, when he didnt have a great year) and tended not to vote for players that have talent but expect more from (watts, frawley). I think we are (subconciously?) trying to convince ourselves that chip is no good. he played in a new poisition and finished 8th in the b&f. stacks of marks and did alright with a pathetic amount of inside fiftys. around 2010/2011 I had him as our best player on the list. a drop in form and interest says a bit about him and the club. I still think he is a big loss and pick 3, while it is overs is still a lottery pick.

With Clark gone and Dawes not being as good as I had thought and now Chip gone. Key Positions has gone from our strength to a weakness. we certainly need to top up in the draft/trade. add to that our rucks arent great either

ok im depressed now

Would love to hear more about the speeches. Normally I couldn't give a rats about what footballers have to say, but find these pre-prepared speeches at B&F nights tend to bring out the best. Hopefully they get uploaded to the MFC site today.

Some of the speeches were great. Max Gawn making note of his 'World Record 80 hitouts', Watts saying he was humbled by his charity work, Dunn very emotional - had his grandmother in tears in the audience. Roos and PJ talking tough as you'd expect, Bernie Vince spoke of his bromance with Dawesy and Jones apologising for boring everyone with his speech for the third year in a row.

An enjoyable night!

As an aside, does anyone know why the vote tallies are about 20% lower this year than last year? Have they been tinkering around with the voting system again, or are there some harder markers amongst the new coaches?

2014 Melbourne best and fairest results

1 – Winner: Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy – Nathan Jones (311 votes)

The tenacious ball-winner was Melbourne’s best in 2014. Jones cracked the 600-disposal milestone for the first time and averaged almost 28 disposals per match. He once again played every match, continuing his remarkable resilience.

2 – Second: Sid Anderson Memorial Trophy – Dom Tyson (293)

The first-year Demon and ex-Giant entered 2014 with a handful of matches to his name, and by the season’s end was one of Melbourne’s best players. He showed maturity beyond his 21 years and was an outstanding recruit for the club.

...

31 – Jack Fitzpatrick (12)

32 – Jack Trengove, Luke Tapscott (8)

34 – Dom Barry (3)

35 – Daniel Nicholson, Michael Evans, Sam Blease (0)

bit harsh on nicho evans and blease that they put up on the website they never got a vote. Jack Viney 11 that surprises me.

So, how does the voting system work? I seem to recall in previous years and not that long ago, all players got rated by the coaches from 1 to 7 for each game they played. Consequently, if you played, you got some votes. Clearly that's not the case now given Nicho, Blease and Evans played but got no votes.

And just one other point. I've been banging on for a few years about our players being developed poorly and being undersized. It's no surprise to me that three of the top 5 come from other clubs and each has a much better football body than most of the rest of our squad. It helps that they also have the talent to use it effectively.

Against the grain on this site I know, but I'm rapt for a top 10 finish for Wattsy, a great team man, a player that has never.. NEVER settled in one position form his debut, a player that uses the ball well. Look at a few of the games that we won, Richmond, Carlton and Adelaide, and some of the games we should have won, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, 2nd dogs game.. he was important. Such a consistent year.

Im first to agree he has some deficiencies that he needs to address very quickly, but I think he has had a really solid year.

Is it Leigh Mathews or Kevin Sheedy that is famous for saying that it's not how well they play in a winning side, it's how well they play in a losing side that tells us more about the player?

For many years we've had too many players play poorly in losses (hence many blowouts that have occurred in recent history). Thankfully this appears to be changing.

For the B&F - well done Jonesy, Dom, Bernie. Nothing personal, but I do hope that Cross isn't in the Top 10 next year, but has a similar year onfield...

Nathan Jones for full captaincy next season i think is in order.

interesting to see the difference between the demonland b&f and the MFC one.

Completely different voting system

Hi guys did MR Roos have much to say last night?

What an indictment on this playing group that a reject from the Western Bulldogs lead our Best and Fairest after 8 rounds. Cross would have finished top 2 or 3 but for his broken leg, and he couldn't even keep a spot on the list at a club that finished 14th last year.

Also, where are all those people that were pumping up Bail's tyres after he re-signed claiming he would finish top 5 in the B&F and that he plays his role brilliantly?

Hi guys did MR Roos have much to say last night?

"This club has changed forever; it will never go back to where it was."

It's arguable whether he was talking about the past 8 years or referring to our Golden Age in the 50's and 60's )

Great speech from Roosy. We're in good hands.

What an indictment on this playing group that a reject from the Western Bulldogs lead our Best and Fairest after 8 rounds. Cross would have finished top 2 or 3 but for his broken leg, and he couldn't even keep a spot on the list at a club that finished 14th last year.

Oh dear...

Everyone needs to calm down with Garland.

He had no pre season and from memory 1 game at Casey before returning to senior footy.

Defensively he was as good as always but offensively he lacked a lot.

I just hate judging players who's season was ruined by injury. He definitely needs a full pre season before we declare he sucks.

Garland had his season's preparation upended, and we should all know by now how hard it is to play an AFL season without a decent preseason leading up to it.

I have faith in his ability to do much better in 2015, but also think Roos' setup requires less of tall defenders and makes Garland less crucial to the side's success, much like Frawley.

Which player is known as "the chief" as referred to by Dunn in his speech?

Obviously not Nicho, Clisby, Clark or Byrnes... so who exactly?

Garland had his season's preparation upended, and we should all know by now how hard it is to play an AFL season without a decent preseason leading up to it.

I have faith in his ability to do much better in 2015, but also think Roos' setup requires less of tall defenders and makes Garland less crucial to the side's success, much like Frawley.

Having said that 'Machsy', Lewis Taylor won the rising star with next to no preseason. I think Col just struggled to get his game together this year, part of it was his preseason and I also think the last few years had taken its toll on him. He was one of the few who stood up but mentally it had to be draining for him.

In other news, a shock result in the Giants' B & F when hot favourite Tom Scully missed out on a place

Which player is known as "the chief" as referred to by Dunn in his speech?

Obviously not Nicho, Clisby, Clark or Byrnes... so who exactly?

Maia Westrupp