11 minutes ago, Smokey said:

I reckon you’d be far better off financially if you got 10 bucks for every time someone complained they’ve been following the demons for a long time and are sick of not having a flag on demonland 

SWYL and 'bub would be down a million each in that case.

I’ve heard from a reliable source that only Oscar and Frosty attended- both pointed the finger at each other and left.. 

11 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

SWYL and 'bub would be down a million each in that case.

Would that guarantee a flag ???

11 hours ago, Adzman said:

Honestly session this early is ominous. If it works it could get the train back on the rails, but if it's doesn't where do they go from here?

I'm hoping that whatever is discussed works, because if it's doesn't I wouldn't be surprised to read the paper next round that the demons are having "boxing sessions" to work out inner frustrations within the playing group.

 

I would have thought the boys would have been pretty honest with each other after the prelim... during the preseason.... before round 1, after end 1 and 2. 

Kids these days.

1 hour ago, 640MD said:

I can only hope that Spargo or Jeffy  get picked this week   need a bit of speed    Go Dees

SPARGO??? He is slower than a Clydesdale horse stuck in a Cesspool!!

14 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

I would have thought the boys would have been pretty honest with each other after the prelim... during the preseason.... before round 1, after end 1 and 2. 

Kids these days.

A ha, but there is honesty and there is brutal shame inducing honesty, that is supposed to propel you to greatness....or at least fix something short term..ahem.

3 hours ago, sisso said:

We havent beaten Sydney since Dean Bailey was coach - on current form I cant see how that will change this week

Looks like a great opportunity to me. Bring it on! 

1 hour ago, bobby1554 said:

Just interested to know Old Dee, why you think 2020 will be much better? Pretty certain that everyone thought this year we would challenge, and look how that’s going. 

Over the off season we had 10 or 11 good players have major surgery they all started training late. Some had no match play preparation and some I don't think had fully recovered.  Next year's preparation will be much better in that they will get in a full load. Between now and then I expect most to regain some confidence, form  and play at a  higher level in the second half of the year.

A couple of players will either improve be moved move on.

With a little luck the FD will revise the game plan to better handle 666. I remember last year in an interview with the then GM he said quite often a team falters just when they look like going all the way. Improvement is seldom linear.

I believe this year we will finish bottom 6 and therefore have a low drafting pick to either recruit a good draftee or use to recruit an established KPF.

If most of these happen we will make the GF in 2020. Think of 2019 as part of the build up to a GF in 2020.

1 hour ago, Smokey said:

I reckon you’d be far better off financially if you got 10 bucks for every time someone complained they’ve been following the demons for a long time and are sick of not having a flag on demonland 

So I assume you are happy not to have had one in 55 years?

2 hours ago, olisik said:

Wonder if anyone told Trac he was fat in the session

They bought him a new mirror

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

SPARGO??? He is slower than a Clydesdale horse stuck in a Cesspool!!

Perhaps    but he gets to the ball and usually passes to someone else in a better position.   or at least that"s my opinion or what I see.  We all see things from a different perspective.

8 hours ago, ding said:

I wont be watching at all Soi'. Cant see this match being anything other than a complete domination by the Swanies, and i would prefer to actually enjoy my time  (Probably at a nice restaurant by the ocean eating seafood with my twin and our wives) on holidays getting pizzed and doing something enjoyable. Always have the replay if by some miracle i'm wrong. 

I think our turnaround will start in round 5.

 

8 hours ago, old dee said:

It will not start until we get players back from injury ding think May  ( month that is ) at the earliest.

I think 6 - 8 weeks.  When Hannan, Lever and May,

But IF we're already dusted by their return,  I hope the club lengthens their return dates,  to make bloody sure they are all 150%  healthy. 

Because we'll be needing each and every one of them,  being totally right in 2020.

There is PLENTY to be gained by this year, even if we don't make finals, provided we re-gain fitness and competitiveness.  Lever and May need game time to gel in the backline.  Lever is not going to come back and dominate straight away.  It's going to take him time.

Getting games into Weideman who started this season with 20(!) games.  A full season under his belt will do him no end of good.  Hannan to come back and get more game time.  Lewis to come back and marshall the troops.  AVB to get more games under his belt.  The improvement of Joel Smith.    Same with our (many) other inexperienced players.

Did it go down like this?

 

Oh wait that was another team.

13 hours ago, olisik said:

Wonder if anyone told Trac he was fat in the session

He's not fat. What are your skinfolds like?

21 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

Did it go down like this?

 

I've been rewatching the Sopranos and watched this one the other day. My god I was in tears, what a brilliant show. I forgot it was just as much a comedy as anything else.

Leaked to the media according to Jake Lever. Presumably by a participant at the meeting? A bit of unrest amongst the playing group? Just reading between the lines.

4 minutes ago, bobby1554 said:

Leaked to the media according to Jake Lever. Presumably by a participant at the meeting? A bit of unrest amongst the playing group? Just reading between the lines.

What was leaked?

11 hours ago, old dee said:

Over the off season we had 10 or 11 good players have major surgery they all started training late. Some had no match play preparation and some I don't think had fully recovered.  Next year's preparation will be much better in that they will get in a full load. Between now and then I expect most to regain some confidence, form  and play at a  higher level in the second half of the year.

A couple of players will either improve be moved move on.

With a little luck the FD will revise the game plan to better handle 666. I remember last year in an interview with the then GM he said quite often a team falters just when they look like going all the way. Improvement is seldom linear.

I believe this year we will finish bottom 6 and therefore have a low drafting pick to either recruit a good draftee or use to recruit an established KPF.

If most of these happen we will make the GF in 2020. Think of 2019 as part of the build up to a GF in 2020.

There are no guarantees that we won’t have players in the same boat at the end of this year. Viney and McDonalds injuries could flare up again due to the nature of them. . We will lose a lot of experience in Jones and Lewis. The next tier like Fritsch Weideman Petracca etc have not come on as expected, in fact have probably gone backwards. Sorry Old Dee but I just don’t see the light right now.

There is an article on HS website titled 'The stats which damn melbourne's midfield' which is about two-way running.  I only saw a glimpse of it as it is behind a paywall.  I think it says that at the meeting Oliver and Brayshaw were told by senior players they had to work harder.  Can anyone get behind the paywall to check what it says, please.

25 minutes ago, bobby1554 said:

There are no guarantees that we won’t have players in the same boat at the end of this year. Viney and McDonalds injuries could flare up again due to the nature of them. . We will lose a lot of experience in Jones and Lewis. The next tier like Fritsch Weideman Petracca etc have not come on as expected, in fact have probably gone backwards. Sorry Old Dee but I just don’t see the light right now.

And that is fine bobby, I usually get labelled a pessimist but I do believe what I have written. In fact some would say it is too early to write off this year. I hope they can produce the goods in the second half of the year to cheer you up. Carn the Dees. 

16 minutes ago, ManDee said:

Oliver (four votes), Brayshaw (three) and Christian Salem (two) are the only Melbourne players to have received coaches’ votes over the first three games, but the message was blunt from the senior leaders.

In a nutshell, they need to get on their bike when the opposition has the ball. No one can be anchored to the centre square.

Thank you.

 

Hmmm, a blunt message from the senior players?  To the few who have performed this year?   Certainly all players need to run both ways but senior players (Viney, Jones and Gawn) have done far less in the middle than Oliver, Brayshaw and Salem.  

Going on Brayshaw's comments after the game that all players need to buy in (ie he doesn't think they are) is hard to reconcile with he, Oliver and Salem getting wrapped over the knuckles.

One wonders if it Sunday was really a 'finger pointing session'.

I hope the senior players game themselves a 'blunt message' or commit to the young guys how they are going to lift their game in the middle.    Otherwise poor leadership.

The kids can't do all the work.  They need help.

Edited April 9, 20195 yr by Lucifer's Hero

12 hours ago, old dee said:

So I assume you are happy not to have had one in 55 years?

Yes Old Dee. Couldn't be happier. I love paying my MCC/MFC membership yearly, following the team religiously and frequenting this fan forum to engage in detailed analysis because I truly believe winning flags is unimportant. 

Lol. 

1 minute ago, Smokey said:

Yes Old Dee. Couldn't be happier. I love paying my MCC/MFC membership yearly, following the team religiously and frequenting this fan forum to engage in detailed analysis because I truly believe winning flags is unimportant. 

Lol. 

View your membership fee as a charitable donation every year and you will be much happier.