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We don't have anyone called Mitch Clarke...

hehe, definetely barracks for us, goes to the snow in winter =p

Has had his faults, bit of a pretty boy with his underwear sponsor and his tatts. Kicked a goal with Bingle. But that was short lived. Not sure what this thread is about. He's already captain. Leads our country well. Thinking of moving this to the Cricket thread. So annoying.

I honestly can't believe all the tripe I'm reading on this thread about us doing deals with GWS/GC, and anything else that has been mentioned. At the end of the day, if we finish 16th (as per the current ladder), we have pick 3. If GWS or GC wish to pick Viney with either Pick 1 or 2, then we have to use our Pick 3 on him. If the MFC believe he is worth that, they spend it, quite simple. The solution is simple. We could be in a fantastic position to go in to this draft with pick 3, 4, 11(ish) and get Viney with our 2nd round pick. We MUST do whatever we can to ensure GWS/GC don't want to use Pick 1 or 2, but one thing is for sure, this DOESN'T involve some secret deal - give these bastards nothing. If they still want to try and backdoor us by putting in a dummy bid, I'm all for calling their bluff and letting them have him. We will get either Whitfield or whoever else is rated a top 2 pick - I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I honestly don't think GWS or GC would risk missing out on a true, potential pick 1 or 2, just to shaft us by trying to force our hand on a potential pick 5-15. Anyone thining otherwise really is jumping at shadows.

Fathead Ed called him "Trengrove" the other night. I wanted to reach through the screen and punch his purple face.

Someone posted this on BF the other day, I think it looks much better than what we are running with atm. However, given the time we have had to get the sponsors on the jumper, I would not be surprised if this comes off. It looks 100% better. I would say the red slab logo would be a temporary job.

i love how everyone assumes we are going to beat gold coast and gws this year.

NEWSFLASH: Breaking news on the Azaria Chamberlain case. Police are now led to believe that it wasn't a dingo that took the baby..... it was Jack Watts.

I actually see this year as a training year for the team, I also think Neeld is on that page also, see how each player performs in specific roles and situation and how they all work together, then do a list clean up next year and start the push. Like yourself and like Neeld, I would be satisfied this year with a hard contested team play, regardless of win or loss. As we all know by now that losing good games is probably better then winning pathetic games.

Lots of conjecture here that's for sure. Let me tell you this. The club has worked with Jack for 2 years. They know what they are getting. They firmly believe he is a number 1 pick in any year. Pundits and press will propose they know where he is rated. This is unique in that the club knows more than anyone on this given he is not an unknown. He will be picked with the clubs first pick. Simple as that. He will play round 1 next yr for the Dees. The only way the club will get him second round is if they finish last or do a deal that lands them all available picks above them in round 1 of the draft.

What a load of bollocks. It's all about getting the best player. The fact that someone's old man played in the jumper is a bonus.

We'll take him, whatever happens. It's not just about getting the best players, it's about getting someone who has red and blue blood, the son of an ex-captain. It's about "culture", that word that's thrown around here increasingly often these days.

Why don't we just give the captaincy to who was BOG or the most courageous from the previous week? Sounds like a solid plan... Gippy

It's a Mark Stevens article. He probably got the idea by reading this forum.

Lucas Cook

THE SPIRIT WAS THERE, BUT ... by The Oracle For once, things were going well for the Melbourne Football Club. A major announcement was made at the President's luncheon - another sponsorship (German car manufacturer Opel) to help fill the retinue of sponsors after Webjet and Hertz jumped on board to more than fill the void left by the dismissal of a previously disgraced company which apparently still owes the club money. Then, a moving tribute to the legendary Jim Stynes so that when it was over the majority crowd of Demon fans was thirsting for not just a better performance from their team but a win. Only a victory could do justice for this day. There was one man who typified Melbourne on the day and fittingly, he wore the number of the crowd's hero for the day. Big, strong and solid at full forward Mitch Clark marked and goaled for the Demons but he was also part of a procession of players whose shots at goal from straight in front missed their mark. You don't expect Clark, Jeremy Howe and Jack Watts to all miss from dead in front. At the other end, the Western Bulldogs made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves. A couple of snaps from angles, a gimme free and lo and behold, they led at the first break by nine points even though they had one shot less. It's useless to bemoan bad fortune when you fail in the game's most fundamental of skills but, when the final result is a 21-point defeat, then the poor conversion rate really hurts. The trend really did continue throughout the game although when the team momentarily straightened up for a few third quarter goals, the difference in conversion was no more pronounced. Melbourne had inched its way back to trail by a solitary point and the scoreboard read - Melbourne 7.10.52 to Western Bulldogs 8.5.53. The Dogs steadied at that point - thanks to errors committed by both Demon players, some inexperienced umpiring and some great snap shots at goal. It all came back to haunt Melbourne late in the third term and it could have been much worse when Mitch Clark crashed to the earth neck first. Fortunately, he must have had Jimmy and those magnificent recuperative powers smiling down on him because, to the relief and amazement of the crowd, he got up, walked off the ground and was later cleared after scans taken in hospital. This was the epitome of what generations of Demon fans had come to know as the Stynes spirit but the current number 11 was still subbed off and the team's balance was awry for the remainder of the game. The spirit might have been there but it was not enough. The Dogs managed enough successful snaps at goal to make it their day while misses from Colin Garland and Lynden Dunn in the middle of the final term put paid to any chances of a late game resurgence. But it wasn't just the poor conversion rate in front of goal that proved damaging for the Demons. They were at times painfully excruciating to watch as they botched up straight forward kicks and handballs, often gifting away possession to the opposition and sometimes when not under the slightest amount of pressure. These gifts were enough to allow the Western Bulldogs their maiden victory. At least there was a turnaround in effort which was maintained for close on the full four quarters and with a few handy players due to return from injury and suspension, perhaps things might continue to improve for the otherwise hapless Demons. Melbourne 1.5.11 3.8.26 7.10.52 9.13.67 Western Bulldogs 3.2.20 6.5.41 10.7.67 13.10.88 Goals Melbourne Bate Davey 2 Bail Clark Moloney Morton Watts Western Bulldogs Cooney Giansiracusa Grant 2 Dahlhaus Djerrkura Griffen Jones Roughead Sherman Wallis Best Melbourne Rivers Bate Moloney Jone Magner Jamar Western Bulldogs Dahlhaus Murphy Cooney Cross, Wallis Djerrkura Injuries Melbourne Mitch Clark (head/neck) Western Bulldogs Nil Changes Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Reports Melbourne Nil Western Bulldogs Nil Umpires Wenn Bannister and some other joker Crowd 33,565 at MCG

Thanks HG between you and Stuie we know you are among the Neeld haters. Our coach who has coached 4 games but hasn't yet turned around a culture and list that has been dishonest and underachieving for years. He is doing his bit for the club in all facets media included. I don't post alot but do read alot. Jose has recently provided a voice of reason and has rightly challenged the doubters. Its easy to sit outside and snipe at our 4 game coach from behind a keyboard. Harder to have the courage to back up and stay positive as Jose has repeatedly done. Do you really know what is going on inside the club? Just because Neeld does media that means his coaching is rubbish?

As others have said, if we rate JV as top 5, we simply take him at #3. But if we rate him as 5-15, we call Sheedy's bluff and nominate him 2nd round. If GWS bite, they will then have to take JV at #1, handing the 'true' #1 pick (Whitfield?) to GC (who by the way will be their major competitor in the years to come) and the 'true' #2 & #3 picks to us. We get our early picks effectively upgraded by one, courtesy of Sheeds. TS, also courtesy of Sheeds, will have done us a favour by demonstrating the Vlad-approved behaviour for a #1 draft pick who really wants to play for another club. In his 2nd year, he refuses to sign a contract with the club that picks him #1, while making all the "right" noises, while pulling the club apart in the process, and playing at half-pace for the small part of the season when he's not "injured" (that OP can niggle for years, you know!), then he signs a contract during the trade period for the club he wants to play with. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. JV follows the TS script to the letter, and ends up with us in 2015. Everyone will know exactly what he's doing but, having so enthusiastically endorsed TS's behaviour, Vlad can surely do nothing about someone else doing exactly the same. So at the start of the 2015 season, Sheedy will have effectively given us 3 out of 4 top-15 picks (4 & 12 for TS, plus JV) in the best draft in years, while effectively upgrading our 2 top-5 picks by one position. In the meantime, his #1 pick in that same draft will have vanished into thin air, by means of the exact same strategy that he used to snare TS. So bring it on!!

I have it on good authority from someone at the Demon Shop that Jack Watts killed both Biggie and Tupac.

Gonzo, you're wasting your time posting that stuff in here. You're preaching to the converted, everyone in here supports the club to varying degrees.

Amazing what you can do - when you drop a big man for a mid - more run in their legs after half time - geez who would have ever thought!

You're looking at it from too much of a "results" point of view. The OP made no mention of how little (comparatively) we lost by, because this year that's largely irrelevant. He saw what many of us saw - an increased intensity, a desire for the contest and a bit more cameraderie. I still think we have a long way to go in each of those areas, but once we do bring them up to speed, you'll see consistently smaller margins. One day, when we're old and grey, we may even get to see our team win again.

Every coach has to hold a mandatory midweek presser after training. And are also obligated under the media laws to be at the post-match press conference. Its just that we've had a lot more newsworthy events happening that means people pay more attention to our pressers than, say Brendan McCartney, who it seems is flying well under the radar of scrutiny. That old lunatic Sheedy was on at half time of the Anzac Day game, any bit of free advertising for your club out there cant be ignored. The nervous twitch in Neelds right eye becomes more noticeable the more he is on...

And the 3rd quarter in overall scoring contest was a draw. So if thats the best we've got, against lowly Footscray, then we are indeed in for a grim year. There was genuine passion and a sense of inflated urgency from the crowd on Sunday, but the players skill level and cohesiveness did not match its ambition.

my bad.......GWS does that to you

Sock puppets ?

2011 Freo: picks 38 & 56 to Hawks Hawks: picks 29, 58 & 71 to Freo Geelong: pick 26 to GC GC: picks 32 & 34 to Geelong Adelaide: pick 24 to GC GC: picks 27, 31 & 68 to Adelaide 2009 Swans: pick 47 to Lions Lions: pick 39 to Swans Essendon: pick 58 to Hawthorn. Hawthorn: pick 89 to Essendon. The Mark Williams / Burgoyne deal: Geelong got involved and gave up picks 33 & 97 to receive picks 40, 42 & 56 Lawyered!

We'd need to trump 2 1 pick upgrades but it's not the point. I never contended that would be a difficult task. I merely pointed out the fact that there is more value to GWS in your scenario than simply dicking us around.

Got to love some of the excuses for poor performances here on Demonland. Let's get one thing straight - 4 possessions in an entire game is a horrible result, no matter what job the coach gives the player...... Unbelievable!!!

Im a big Neeld fan but is it me or is he venturing into the media spotlight alot more then other senior coaches?

** Wtf ???

Look (free kick ahead) - I'm not a poet, artist or anything like that. But amongst all the crap going on this year, here is my attempt to engage the other part of my brain and express some of what I see. I welcome any additions - in fact I'd like others with better skills to step in and make their own contribution. There is a wide range of people who inhabit this site, and maybe this will spark some with the right talent. There once was a team called The Dees Playing like they had knobbly knees They couldn’t get the new plan They couldn’t kick to their man And the crowd said ‘we’ve seen enough please’ They had Morton and Watts and Macca For whom many would not give a cracker ‘Just give them time’ ‘They’ll come along fine’ ‘One day they’ll go flat knacker’ And the old guard have gone out of favour But Moloney and Russian still labour They try to help the young team But they’re missing Brad Green To kick the sweet goals that they savour Among the faithful there are views that are plenty There are pros and there are cons - just as many But we're into the season With no time to reason We just want to see goals - more than twenty! Now the supporters are getting the sh!ts And the coaches are taking some hits Till round eleven we’ll go Without a win you know While Demonland goes into fits It’s sad but it’s true none the less These dark days are causing us stress We’ve seen much better days And played better ways And have ended up right in a mess And we've lost our great Champion Jim Who lived with such vigour and vim He's left a great hole In our heart and our soul Life's not the same without Jim But blue skies are not far away Our boys WILL rise up and play To the best of their skill And with a Demonic will And the crowd will say – at last –'hooray!'

Weekly, just like they do in the 12 and under football leagues so everyone gets a turn. They should also take turns of who will bring the oranges for half time, and rotate Mother jumper washing duties on a weekly basis too.

How am I supposed to enjoy Melbourne games without alcohol?

It's a difficult one, when a team is in the bottom 4 in the competition you're always going to get abuse at players. But I reckon another component of it that our club has been down to so so long, and it's definitely taking it's toll on people, and please don't take this the wrong way but I'm over watching the Dees lose every week. I love them, I'll continue supporting and continue my membership every year, but I've got a lot of pent up frustration related to our last 5 years. Still, these are our future fans getting turned away so I guess speak to the club to see if there are areas that are more family friendly and hopefully your kids can start to enjoy the footy more.

Ridiculous post and ridiculous feedback. Chook how on earth can you stereotype our supporters to be the quickest to bag our players? What about Essendon supporters with Brent Stanton who is actually a gun? What about Hawthorn supporters with Schoenmakers? What about dogs supporters with Gia? All teams have well behaved supporters,ferals,supporters with no teeth,supporters who are CEOS from toorak and supporters who are drug dealers from sunshine etc etc. To put all Melbourne supporters in the same bracket is just horribly ignorant. Dr Who I'm sorry that is just football. People are passionate about their team and the game and there will be vocal supporters who have a right to let off some steam (providing there is no racism) and it will happen at any football match anywhere (not just Melbourne games as youre hinting). If anything it should be easier taking kids to MFC matches when there's 30000 as opposed to 80000 at Carlton,coll and essendon matches. If your kids are not old enough to understand then maybe it's best to watch the game on TV until they are.

Disagree with OP. Went absolutely ape poo in the last 1/4 with at least a couple of efforts where he needed to come hard at the ball but either stayed down or tried to duck out the back. Almost as timid as Watt's in a pack situation deep forward.

I have said this before but a given our midfield woes I think this needs to be looked at more closely. At this stage Nathan Jones is perhaps our most courageous and hard at it player and always gives a 100%. But in his main role around clearances ands stoppages he is a liability and not helped because he gets the ball more than most others.Too slow to make a decision and his first instinct usually is to protect the ball. Sticks it under his arms and try's to bulldoze out packs and usually goes to ground. The consequences are the ball gets locked up, fudges his disposal or gets caught. He's so slow in making up his mind that there is always easy pressure swooping in around him. Hence clean disposals by him to advantage are a rarity. He remind me so much of Gary Ablett in the clinches but the difference is that Gary raises his head when he gets the ball and looks for an option as first instinct. I love the guy but he's got to do more with the ball ad quicker. He's strangling our midfield at the moment.

I saw it differently. I saw Sellar sit in Clark's space and sit, and sit, and sit. Clark is a leading forward. If you are 25m in front of him, then your job is to get out of the space you are currently in. For Clark's goal, Sellar was again in his space. Clark is slowly learning how to play as a forward, Sellar has no idea whatsoever. I understand the idea to 'protect' Sellar. But he was not by himself, he brought to bear a one-on-one contest in front of our FF leading out. That is amateur hour.

FWIW, Jones was pretty good yesterday and has been pretty good all year. His effort cannot not be questioned and I don't remember him making many bad errors/fumbles. Well and truly worthy of the promotion to the leadership group.

I actually didn't mind today. Yes disappointed with the win. Yes disappointed with some crucial umpiring calls/non calls. All in all my observations: Morton did some great things, but did some bad things. But I see improvement. TMac is terrible. Can't hit a handpass to save him. Gave up directly 3 goals from his turnovers. JMac - I love his hardness and his effort, but struggles with disposal efficiency. Our goal kicking really let us down. Round 1 and this week, we have had the chances to really put confidence into our boys and put scoreboard pressure on our opponents and have failed to do so.

I thought we did. There were two incorrect disposal ones that led to goals (Cross as you mentioned as well as Dalhaus), there was Dunn ITB, the 2nd and 3rd Dogs goals in the first and the Wallis one in the final term. By me that's 6 - 36pts.

Also, I thought the umpiring today was as bad as can be. The Dogs would have scored 4-5 goals from either free kicks that weren't there, or free kicks that weren't paid to us. I have no idea how the Dogs player caught by Frawley in the goalsquare in the third quarter and dropped the ball was not penalised for holding the ball. I also have no idea how Dunn was not pushed in the back in the third quarter either. And I don't know why they removed that advantage we had which resulted in a turnover and a goal to them in the first quarter. We didn't lose because of bad umpiring, but for once I think I actually felt like it made an impact on the score of the game.

What is it about the 'Dogs and the umpires? Decisions hurt us so badly, but we hurt ourselves as well. Missed so many chances to put scoreboard pressure on in the first half. It was nonetheless encouraging. Four quarter effort minus about 12 minutes. No luck at all. A flash of Flash suggesting he can refind form

Cal;e made a considerable contribution. His attitude was considerably better, showed more confidence and self believe. Will not be dropped again this year and will end up in our top ten by end of year. A way to go but so much upside in him

We were better this week than last week. As long as we can say that every week, then I'll be satisfied.

Bing 181 - that's a good summary of Cale's performance. He spoilt his performance with clangers....but showed we should perservere without doubt.

Bartel doesnt have pace. People become obsessed with writing someone off if they arent lightening quick. He's quick enough.

Joel's disposal was shocking today, as it has been all this season, and he needs to be dropped. We can't carry players whose disposal is so bad, especially with the other guys who are currently there. But, Sharma, show some respect for players who pull on the red and blue, will you? "Moron"? Really? How would you feel if Joel Mac walked into your work when you had an off day and called you are moron? Keep the comments to his play, not his person. For what it's worth, Joel's attack on the man and ball is second to none, and I wish his second efforts were replicated by the rest of team. I just wish that he didn't need so many second efforts due to his fumbles and poor disposals.

More positives. For a player who has only been here for 4 games, Mitch Clark did our jumper and in particular that number proud.