'Play the kids' was the cry from many on this forum when our season ended early. We ARE playing the kids and getting thrashed so now we read comments like,"shameful performances, embarassing" etc. What do people want? Every week this season we have had at least four top players out for one reason or another. What do they expect? After many touted our list as good as any other team at the start of the season some are calling our team the worst in the league with no hope for the future. They are still the same players and still have the same ability so why the gloom and doom for next year? Get off the team's back and show a bit of encouragement to the youngsters. Please be loyal true blue supporters and not whingers and moaners.

We are not really playing the kids, where is Dunn? Bode? Garland etc etc

Out of the players not in our best 22 that were played were buckley and possibly newton but he is fast become best 22, frawley was injured.

We are not really playing the kids, where is Dunn? Bode? Garland etc etc

Out of the players not in our best 22 that were played were buckley and possibly newton but he is fast become best 22, frawley was injured.

Exactly. Buckley and Newton are the only kids that played that would not have if Melbourne were having the year that everyone expected.

You could argue that Bell, Jones and Brock are kids but they are in the best 22 anyway.

They should have played Buckley and Newton earlier, given Garland a few more, kept Dunn in and i would suspect Bode to get his chance this week.

We are not really playing the kids, where is Dunn? Bode? Garland etc etc

Out of the players not in our best 22 that were played were buckley and possibly newton but he is fast become best 22, frawley was injured.

Dunn and Garland have played already this year. Not Bode though.

Yeh, you can't have it both ways.

Yesterday I looked at the stats on the AFL 'Game Day Live' link and saw that only Brock McLean, of our 'kids', had more than 4 possesions. At least the older 'unfavourable' players are getting the ball and making the losses LESS embarrasing than they would be if the team was predominantly kids.

You can't 'just play the kids' because they will be treated like 'Lamb's to the Slaughter'.

Anyway, Mark Riley said when he took over that he is interested in seeing who is going to be kept around next season. You can't do that without playing guys in the seniors.

Go Dees - Onward and Upward.

We are not playing the untried kids and developing them, we're playing kids that are in our best 22 regardless of their age. We're playing guys like McLean, Bate, Jones, Sylvia and Bell, but they'd be getting a game regardless of our position and injury status.

We have another 4 weeks of suffering humiliating losses and pathetic efforts.

Why not make the most of that time, and try out everyone on the list?

We've seen every single senior fringe player, and none of them have blown us away.

We've given Newton a go and he's been excellent, as has Petterd.

Buckley is raw and is given the game time he sorely needs, same goes for Frawley.

What I can't make sense of, is why the hell Dunn is playing at Sandy. Why CJ gets dropped after every game he plays. Why we elevate Bode but don't play him. Why we continue to persist with guys like Ferguson and Ward and don't play Warnock.

We have NOTHING to lose anymore, except for precious experience and some good insight into what these players can do.

I go every week although I know we'll get smashed. I put off everything else I have to do because I can't bare the thought of missing a game, despite hating what I see. And the reason I do it is because I love this club and I will support it regardless of its ladder position, but frankly, I can't blame people who find better things to do with their time than go and watch the likes of Ward and Brown turn the ball over.

Supporters are sick of seeing the same old tired faces getting us nowhere. We have 4 weeks to throw caution to the wind and play the remaining few youngsters who have done their time at Sandy. Play them, and give us something to smile about.

Hear, hear Jaded. Good call.

If we're going along to watch us bend over and cop a fearful paddling week in week out, there might as well be a bit of forward planning go ito it. I'd rather come away from a ten goal hiding thinking "Hey, maybe Chris Johnson won't be a janitor next year after all" than "Wow, Ben Holland's three goals today should ensure that he is installed as Coleman Medal favourite for 2008 come January".

It needs to be an all or none situation.

Either you are playing for the future, or you're playing to win.

At the moment I'm not sure what Melbourne are doing.

CJ should replace ward, who had 13 possession at a whopping 69% eff

Bode should come in, Garland should play and replace fergs, hell i'd play warnock too

I am sick of watching ward, brown, ferg, jamar who are not going to help us move in the right direction, why keep playing them when the others like garland will benfit from 4 more games even if he only gets 6, 8 possessions, the benefits for the MFC next year out weights what those players are offering us now. if we lost by 70pts instead of 48 with bode, garland, cj etc in i would be happier as we will benefit next year.

Good post Jaded. I suspect you'll enjoy reading my match review, which will be up soon. Well, not really a match review, but a commentary on where we're at.

I think we've got a little eye on development, but a lot of eye on results. It shouldn't be like that when you are 3-15. It should be all about next year and the future.

We ARE playing the kids and getting thrashed so now we read comments like,"shameful performances, embarassing" etc. What do people want?

That's not correct, try a different angle.

That's not correct, try a different angle.

Please explain!

Playing the kids now, knowing that we are struggling and not going to make the finals, is just like V8 Supercar drivers that have a shunt or breakdown, get it repaired and go back out on track and call the rest of their race a test session. They know full well they are 10 laps down and no hope of getting points but the utilise the time to get an edge on the competitior for the next race. Whats the difference?

Playing the kids now, knowing that we are struggling and not going to make the finals, is just like V8 Supercar drivers that have a shunt or breakdown, get it repaired and go back out on track and call the rest of their race a test session. They know full well they are 10 laps down and no hope of getting points but the utilise the time to get an edge on the competitior for the next race. Whats the difference?

none.. buts the point is lost on the powers that be in the "box"

CJ should be playing for Ward

i would even put weetra in for Brown

GArland should be playing instead of Ferg..

those established players are offering nothing to the team, if we thought Ward couldn't hit a target...well ferg decided to outdo him the last 2 weeks.

i don't care if the kids get doughnuts....they would be better than those three...

Exactly and in those few games they might learn what they need to do over the summer to get up to that fitness, learn how fats the game is, learn where to run to during a afl game, learn that if they don't chase they will get beaten badly etc etc

Exactly and in those few games they might learn what they need to do over the summer to get up to that fitness, learn how fats the game is, learn where to run to during a afl game, learn that if they don't chase they will get beaten badly etc etc

Well said C84.......

It is unfortunate that the opportunity this club now has to put its youngsters on that learning curve, which you would think would only benefit the club in the long run, is being rapidly lost amid some truly weird and bizarre selections, especially over the last couple of weeks. And while I realise that quite a few kids have debuted in the last couple of years, which is great and has been encouraging, there still doesn't seem to be any kind of expansion on top of that.

And if there was ever a time to put the kids out there with no worries of the end consequences (in terms of results not player development, because that factor really doesn't seem to be being taken into account right now), then you would think that the last few weeks of this particular season would be it !!!

Its so uncomplicatedly straightforward in both requirements and outcomes that it beggars belief that its not being done

The club must be waiting for the "right " conditions. God knows what they are, 5 mins to armageddon maybe !!

God knows what they are, 5 mins to armageddon maybe !!

So do you think that the club has that clock counting down somewhere (and I am having a James Bond in Goldfinger moment)?

Because the end would have to be seriously nigh !!!

Well..the Football dept does seem to be run by Dr "NO"

It will be like the bomb squad disarming a bomb. "Which kids do we play? QUICK there is only 2mins of 2007 season left, Mr CEO, we need a decision now, who is playing?" LoL :D

I think one thing we've got to remember is to have balance when playing the kids. Take a look at Carlton and their development, they have almost played nothing but kids in the last 2-3 years and look at where they are, the same place they were last year and the year before that and the year before that. I think the best development comes from have experienced players to look at and emulate. I'm not advocating the selections committees decision to have Ward, Brown, Holland, and Fergs (all players that i can't see being at the club next year), but to pack the team full of young players will just cause them to be brutalised and demolished......more so.

Last week i would've had Dunn instead of Browndog because Brown is basically being used as a run with role on the damaging rebounding defenders, Dunn did this on Cornes V Port earlier this year, why not do it again? I would've had CJ in for Ward, i'm not convinced that CJ's as good as everyone thinks he is but he isn't being given a chance to prove himself, Ward shouldn't be here next year so what's the point. Maybe i would bring in Garland for Fergs but this is where i think it goes too far, also i'm still not sure as to what Garland is.

PS. Good post Jaded

Please explain!

I agree with alot of your points but I don't agree that we are 'playing the kids'. Some examples are Brown, Ward, Holland, Ferguson, Pickett and Godfrey. All of these guys probably shouldn't be on the list next year, I also doubt very much whether they'd be able to get onto any other list either, we could be playing CJ, Bode, Dunn, Garland and Neaves instead to try and prepare for next year. PJ should also be given as much game time as possible.

Youngsters like dunn, CJ, Garland, Bode, Frawley (among others) are playing in sandy while (OLD players) like Ward, Brown, Holland, a clearly unerprepared neitz, Picket keep playing.

put another way, five guys who should be in the team showing their stuff have a total of 48 games experience.

the five older guys who shouldn't be in the team in a supposed 'youth policy' program have a total of 961 games experience.

i'm sorry, but that is NOT a youth policy, aside from the fact the most of the criticsm around here has focussed on the endeavour more than the skill

I agree with alot of your points but I don't agree that we are 'playing the kids'. Some examples are Brown, Ward, Holland, Ferguson, Pickett and Godfrey. All of these guys probably shouldn't be on the list next year, I also doubt very much whether they'd be able to get onto any other list either, we could be playing CJ, Bode, Dunn, Garland and Neaves instead to try and prepare for next year. PJ should also be given as much game time as possible.

Thanks for the explanation Jarka. Good thoughts and I concur. I should have said we are playing 'some kids' on reflection. I was mainly trying to have a go at the so called 'supporters' who

'rubbish ' our beloved team the moment things go wrong. Typical fair weather supporters.