THE ROAD TO ROUND 1, 2015

[watchtheeyes 1,210]

People are getting Garland on their brains and probably rightly so. The one that gets me is Grimes. Slow, can't kick and turns it over to the opposition too many times. Not in my team.

Don't know if you watched NAB dj4e but Grimes was definitely a positive, easily outplayed Garland.

[DemonOX 8,540]

If Ablett plays forward would Jetta be an option to take him?

Personally I think Ablett could be on one leg and still kill us.

[DeeSpencer 23,150]

If Ablett plays forward would Jetta be an option to take him?

Personally I think Ablett could be on one leg and still kill us.

He'd be the main option. Garland and Grimes the other ones, especially Garland if he doesn't have to play tall, he did a pretty good job on Ablett when Ablett played forward for a fair part of the game we played against them up there in late 2013. Of course he was in much better form then.

[Gator 16,893]

Melbourne will play the ball, but they'll also drive his shoulder into the ground every single opportunity they get.

[Redleg 37,635]

Melbourne will play the ball, but they'll also drive his shoulder into the ground every single opportunity they get.

That's been one of our problems, we don't play like that.

[Gator 16,893]

That's been one of our problems, we don't play like that.

Perhaps I should have said "should". I'll be exceedingly disappointed if Ablett walks off the ground by games end without being in severe pain.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Perhaps I should have said "should". I'll be exceedingly disappointed if Ablett walks off the ground by games end without being in severe pain.

every time someone in our side does something like that they get rubbed out for a few weeks

[What 18,810]

Melbourne will play the ball, but they'll also drive his shoulder into the ground every single opportunity they get.

Lets bring back Nathan Carroll as a top up player for Petraccas long term injury

[Gator 16,893]

Lets bring back Nathan Carroll as a top up player for Petraccas long term injury

Quintessential Melbourne fan's response.

[KingDingAling 3,608]

I think Ablett is flying, he'll play mid and tear us up.

I just think Ablett is just really worried about his shoulder - and rightfully so. This guy is a perfectionist.

He hasn't had many injuries and he knows it is important to get it right. If he plays, he'll explode.

[old dee 22,876]

Quintessential Melbourne fan's response.

I thought it was quite funny.

[Gator 16,893]

I thought it was quite funny.

Yeah, not bad.

[dees189227 10,801]

Well another r1 game coming up. We look forward to it every year hoping we have improved. The last few years we have walked away disappointed. But it will be good to see the new recruits on saturday and I dont want to single him out and turn him into another watts and put pressure on him, but I think Hogan playing will attract another few thousand to the game.

[DeeSpencer 23,150]

every time someone in our side does something like that they get rubbed out for a few weeks

As long as it's not Jones or Tyson it's highly unlikely to change the outcome of future games. It's well past time we started to play some antisocial football. As long as we are as hard at the ball as we are at the man it's about time we give out some punishment. The problem is Jones, Viney and Jetta might be the only two who are equipped at bringing the physicality. Maybe Kent and Hogan in time. vandenBerg seems a bit old school. Jamar if he didn't move at glacial pace. Dunn can, but then he'd spend the rest of the game getting sidetracked in stupidity. I'm hoping we do turn the corner and have a critical mass of tough physical players so if we turn the heat up on the opposition they can bring it and withstand the blow back.

[Moneider96 1,045]

PEOPLE ARE HAPPY GARRY ABLETT IS PLAYING?!

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

As long as it's not Jones or Tyson it's highly unlikely to change the outcome of future games. It's well past time we started to play some antisocial football. As long as we are as hard at the ball as we are at the man it's about time we give out some punishment. The problem is Jones, Viney and Jetta might be the only two who are equipped at bringing the physicality. Maybe Kent and Hogan in time. vandenBerg seems a bit old school. Jamar if he didn't move at glacial pace. Dunn can, but then he'd spend the rest of the game getting sidetracked in stupidity. I'm hoping we do turn the corner and have a critical mass of tough physical players so if we turn the heat up on the opposition they can bring it and withstand the blow back.

I feel like those days are over for the AFL in general. The MRP is way too soft these days, just ask Chris Dawes, who plays hard and has already served a bunch of weeks for doing very little wrong. When he comes back he will probably ease up a bit, which is a shame and a sad indictment of where the game is at. The same thing happened to Brad Miller - he used to crunch blokes until he got a few too many weeks out and he stopped doing it. At that moment his value as a player dropped from 'something' to 'nothing'. Let's not forget the Trengove sling tackle and the Viney bump (despite being overturned, it was a disgrace it was booked in the first place, and needed a community uproar for the correct verdict to be made). I would suggest that Roosy telling anybody to go hard at Ablett is very unlikely, and if it happened they would certainly be booked. We can't really afford for anybody to be unavailable. I know it's the old MFCSS 'woe is me' attitude but we have definitely had the rough end of the stick in this regard in recent years.

Don't get me wrong, I would love the game to go back to 1980s toughness but the AFL has killed it. In all their pathetic pandering to mothers (who allegedly will put their sons into soccer if they see a player ironed out on Friday night footy) they have removed 90% of the grunt that we used to love. Let's not get started on the laughable fallacy that suggests our game is under any kind of threat from other codes, with our 800,000 club members, 3.5 million attendances per year, insane sponsorship deals and multi-billion-dollar TV rights packages.

I digress. In conclusion: the days where our coach would have a word to an 'enforcer' to try to put Ablett out of the game are well and truly gone. Sadly.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

PEOPLE ARE HAPPY GARRY ABLETT IS PLAYING?!

only if he gets hurt in the first minute and reduces them to 21 players

[Young Dee 1,303]

If Ablett plays forward would Jetta be an option to take him?

Personally I think Ablett could be on one leg and still kill us.

Dunn has tagged Ablett through the midfield in the past (when we had no midfield) but if Ablett played forward Dunn would have the 10cm height advantage.

We now have quite a versatile backline - having HL is handy as he can swap from midfield to defence when needed

[Bossdog 2,002]

For all those with really high expectations for Hogan.....

Jono Brown had 1 free kick in his first game and even then his team mate grabbed the ball and played on with the advantage rule and kicked a goal.....He didn't kick his first goal until his fifth game.

How about we see how he goes and try not to write him off if he doesn't play that well

[Bombay Airconditioning 5,931]

Lets bring back Nathan Carroll as a top up player for Petraccas long term injury

Where is Nathan Carroll for 500. Edited March 31, 2015 by Al's Demons

[AzzKikA 2,371]

WHat sort of impact is Malcheski going to have in this team?

Nathans last outing:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/former-melbourne-footballer-nathan-carroll-psychotic-when-he-assaulted-two-men-court/story-fni0fee2-1226864234520

Edited March 31, 2015 by AzzKikA

[Redleg 37,635]

WHat sort of impact is Malcheski going to have in this team?

Probably a significant one, as he will direct the back line.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

Probably a significant one, as he will direct the back line.

I think many, including myself, forgot they added him in the off season.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Hey Steve - I don't know if it's a no brainer to be fair.

If McKenzie can effectively shut Ablett down, I'd be very happy with that.

Particularly if it also enables Jones to get 30 disposals.

Well it's a big 'if'.

I know poster's like to bring up the time McKenzie did a good job on Ablett which was in 2013 if I remember correctly.

But last year Ablett was best on ground with 32 disposals and two goals. McKenzie gave away four free kicks also and contributed nothing to our side when we had the ball.

If Jones were to go head to head with Ablett in the centre, we know we'll get some involvement and contribution when we do have the ball. And Ablett would have to be more accountable because of it.

That's just my view. I think opting to go with McKenzie as a hard tag is too risky. Yes he could do a good job, but he could also be ineffective and if that were the case, it'd be as if we were down a player on the field.

We'll find out soon enough.

Edited March 31, 2015 by stevethemanjordan

[watchtheeyes 1,210]

Cross to Ablett maybe? If he goes forward it has to be Jetta. Realistically I don't think it matters who we play on him.