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Casey Twitter Magner with 51 touches, Toump with 31 touches and Nicho with 30 touches.

This argument is raised all the time. It's utter crap. You can do your knee at training. You can roll your ankle running in the park. Essentially, you can get injured at any time, it's often nothing but luck. I'd rather Hogan continue to build confidence and understanding at Casey.

He's tweeting. At least his hands are ok.

Why not?He won't develop sitting on the boundary! We need to get games into our younger guys and Casey has been perfect for him.

Forget the results. I want the scans up there so we can make our own diagnoses and debate who has the better credentials to assess the damage and come up with an entirely unrealistic timeframe for his rehabilitation.

Yes, let's not reward performance.

All who are calling for Taggert, Toumpas and Magner to get a senior game, I ask "why now"? I watch Casey week in week out and you can see Toumpas developing at this level and Taggert has come on in leaps and bounds as well. Granted, they couldn't do any worse than our current "firsts"! Casey are trying to secure second spot on the ladder ! Leave them there to get some consistency in playing together and to gain some confidence from playing finals. Some maybe unaware but in previous years the MFC have screwed Casey by playing guys in the last couple of rounds and making them ineligible to play at Casey in their finals campaign. Let's have these guys play finals and hopefully go all they way for Casey ! I think that experience and development will far out weigh debuting Taggert and co. Rant end.

I also thank the FH but I'd like to make a couple of points. I'd particularly like to thank those FH whose commitment meant they gave up tangible and important quality of life alternatives. I'm aware of one person in particular whose contribution meant they sacrificed a meaningful "other". I'm sure there are others. $10,000 to someone earning $80,000 per annum is a significantly greater commitment than someone who has $10 million and donates $100,000. Whilst the FH are extraordinarily generous there are other financial supporters of the club who commit significant cash to the club on an ongoing basis who are not recognized in the same way. Good on you I say. PJ is an interesting character. One of my criticisms of Cameron Schwab was his obsession on the past - all the functions I went to were full of our significant past history. He introduced the blazers. He made a big deal of giving Norm Smith's number to Watts, Barassi's to Scully and I'd bet my bottom dollar he was behind Grimes changing his number to 31 this year. It was a way of hiding from our current issues and making ourselves feel comfortable. PJ is not doing that and recognizes the importance of creating a current "history". I fully support that. Those questioning PJ are quite right. Too often have we put our faith in messiah's who've failed. I support him, I've got no choice, but I'll also scrutinize all he does in the same way I did to Schwab and McLardy.

WOW SERIOUSLY WOW possibly the worst post I've read on demonland all year. That has to be a joke post.

Neeld was a nobody with a good assistant coaches record, whereas Simpson was a 300 game premiership player and captain of his club. Simpson is hugely respected in the entire footy world. What do Worsfold, Roos, Clarkson, Longmire and Chris Scott have in common ? All premiership coaches in their first stint as coaches and were previously assistants. I understand that you don't reckon this club is in a position to go down that path, but rest assured Simpson would be coming to the club in a vastly different capacity to Neeld. I get the need for experience and to change the culture and Neil Craig doesn't overly thrill me either, but Simpson would be a top get, imo and show that the club isn't making knee-jerk decisions to appease supporters like yourself.

There may be a flip side to Neeldy going to the Blues... Jack watts will be thinking no way will I be going there now

Well done on getting the most out of himself and playing 10 years of AFL. Enjoy retirement.

Ling has spoken with MFC about coaching next year. Informal chat, but still, bloody good news! Was just pushed about it on the Ch7 pre-match show, and seemed VERY coy. (When I say rumour, this was actually said by Ling himself, the rumour part is that nothing is official yet)

VFL eligibility has changed so we should have no problems there. I think it can be invaluable to give young players a taste of AFL footy late in the year. You hear many players say that it helped drive them during the next pre season having had a taste and realising where they need to get to. EG Tom McDonald. This could be great for Taggert

Just reading on 'Inside Football' big headline DEMONS : GO GET LETHAL . It further says ' Clubs no longer fear the sight of the Demon Guernsey, and the trip to the MCG to play Melbourne no longer worries any side.' It goes on to say 'Melbourne need to throw away their conservative tag and become ruthless in their approach like other successful sides.' Later they say ' Poor Melbourne everybody is treating them like a bit of a joke.' Sound familiar, the Inside football issue is dated July 13 1978. Nothing much changes does it?

Fair cop.Petterd is instructed not to kick. Martin is not getting regular games. Rivers has been injured for most of the year. Scully is the 5th best midfielder in GWS and largely ineffective most weeks. Mclean is the 5th best midfielder and is not more than "AFL - level" at his very best. The problem is not these blokes, it is the soft, uncommitted, non-competitive blokes barry prendergast drafted for years.

If it's true that Roos is being honest then isn't it time we were honest with ourselves and asked whether we wanted someone as coach who doesn't really want to coach?

Personally, my extreme distaste for Robinson as a human being clouds my ability to objectively assess him as a footballer.

I just love how there are so many coaching experts on this site Having played and coached at VfA and local level......I would have absolutely no idea of how to coach an AFL side, or have the knowhow to be able to select the best coach....... I think I will leave it to the club and support their decision ....Whoever it may be.

Lol... If you think the possibility of Ling being an assistant next year is no big deal then good for you, personally I think it's bloody fantastic, and the fact he's talking about it himself on TV means things have been ramped up and he's seriously thinking about it.

That's the last straw Nicholson,Delist him!!!

gee i hope this is Bulltish! Another half arsed, wishy washy coaching appointment, All these rave reviews of Simpson. Remember how highly the Pies midfield, including Pendlbury , rated Neeld? This is bollocks Melbourne. Get a premiership winning coach. someone who will command an audience with these players. when Eade or Choco lead, players follow. I cant believe this rumour can be true. Craig is alright but the players badly need the club to draw a line under the Neeld era and put in pllace a coach who can look can look them in the eye and say Fellas , ive been there and i know what it takes. Lets go!

99% of facts presented on Demonland are not in fact, facts. Fact.

I'm not after Robinson for his skills, just like Gold Coast weren't after a silky smooth footballer with Campbell Brown. Robinson is a dumb, tough, battering ram. He is the sort of player that will make the nice boys like Toumpas and Trengove walk a little taller and give our side a harder edge. I am so sick of the opposition walking off the field against Melbourne feeling fresh while Davey, Watts etc embrace the opposition with a hug and a kiss. A side with Robinson, Viney and Hogan (blokes that love smashing a body) will go a small way to changing that. Get Robinson and I also suspect you go a fair way to getting his dumb partner in crime, Eddie Betts, as a free agent. Given some of the spuds we have on $500+ I'd happily pay the overs for Betts and stick him at the feet of Hogan and Dawes.

It may have been the right decision, but their handling of it was appalling.

I think it's true that a great deal will depend on who will coach and, to a lesser extent, whether Melbourne gets a priority pick at or near the top of the draft. I wouldn't discount some radical changes to our list that could well see us trading Jack Watts, Colin Sylvia going elsewhere and us taking one or two free agents in his place. Let's face it. For whatever reason, with our current list we have been abject failures. I don't fear losing Jack Watts, Colin Sylvia or anyone else who doesn't feel comfortable about being on board. 2014 is going to be a brand new day for us and some of our players are going to wake up one morning, playing elsewhere. Others nowhere at all. That's the nature of the game.

Disagree entirely. His coaching cost us a winnable game. We stuck with an overly defensive setup when we had them on the ropes and failed to overhaul them in the final quarter. Yes, our kicking for goal was terrible, but at the end of that game we let them have an extra defender and that reduced our ability to get shots on goal when we needed them. He was unable to adjust to the situation and let the game slip away when we could have pinched it with a more attacking mindset.

Just get behind him. He is now the President.

Thanks for the service Joel, always admired your hardness at the contest and you should hold your head up high as you always gave it everything.

Pity he is not playing in the finals for Casey. He would help them.

Look at the pathetic article by Robbo in today's Herald Sun. The Essendon supporting Robbo, writes an article, arguing it is unfair on those charged and in one little paragraph near the end, writes that the AFL says, "they put the health and safety of 40 players at risk". Robbo then says Essendon deny this. What does he not say? Well how about this admitted fact, the fact that got the players off and hangs those involved, " yes we injected the players multiple times and we don't know what drugs they were given, or what side effects they may have". Disgrace Robbo.

Once again though, it depends on what you can get for Watts. I'm open to trading him, but not for a bloody 2nd round draft pick. I'd want around pick 10 or a Taylor Adams type youngish mid, or else I'd rather hold onto him.

We spoke to Eade this last week, and Mark Williams the week before. I'll be very happy with either, but I'm more concerned with the support we out around them. We need capable experienced assistants, with preferably a standout that could conceivably be a successor in 3-5 years. For some reason, I think Eade would be more accepting of this possibility, but both would be resistant to it. And I'm fine with that, but it may be an impediment to bringing in someone like Adam Simpson or Scott Burns, since they are close to being ready for a senior gig. If it were Hayes, Black or Ling, I think it would work.

Clark and Dawes aren't "champions". That said, the club will determine Clark's and Dawes health and make any trade decisions accordingly. It appears Clark should have a full preseason and there's no reason Dawes isn't coming into his best years. You'll be talking about Watts' "upside" in another 5 years. The guy doesn't impact games of footy. I understand you tempering your excitement about Hogan. You'll forgive me if I don't join you. Will be a frigging superstar.

I wonder whether Sheedy has interviewed us this week?

The Bomber hierarchy are playing an incredible game of brinksmanship with their club. Pardon me for saying this but I think they would be far better of taking their medicine and paying the price for the appalling mess their own internal report admits was created by their supplements programme. Sure, if they filibuster and take this situation beyond the 26 August scheduled date for hearing, they will get to play finals in September but then what? Do they really expect vindication?

Some are born leaders, some are taught how to lead, others are happy to follow a leader and just be a foot soldier. That doesn't mean they are not good enough it simply means that they would rather do what they do well and leave the leadership side of things to others. Sometimes the penny drops a little later in life and as they develop and mature they also learn to lead; who knows Jack may learn one day, or he may not. God forbid Jack may be the replacement version of Col Sylvia and we may spend the next 5 years waiting for his break out year.

Could Dusty be waiting to see where Mark Williams will be in 2014?

Good - hanging around wishing for Roos to bless us with his presence was starting to get a smell about it - and was showed the "messiah syndrome" that MFC has been too long guilty of. Appoint Chocco now & he can bring Dusty Martin with him too.

I just watched the footy show and must say Watts to me seems to just be genuinely undecided. Can u blame him after the last 7 years as a player u must think "will this shite ever end". Yes I know he has to lead from the front. I have met Watts several times and is a very likeable and honest guy. Yes I know we need non likeable guys at the dees. We can not afford to let him go his skills are silky clean and with a new EXPERIENCED coach I am very confident he will take the next step. It's amazing what a bit of confidence and stability within the club (via PJ and the new Prez) can do.

offer him 750 k a year for 4 years and give him something to think about

Neeld will be an excellent addition as an assistant coach for any team. Look at what he did with Collingwood. He clearly just wasn't ready for the senior role. He may still become a very good senior coach in the future and it's not a surprise that his services are sought after imo.

I'm pushing 60 , and have been following the Dees probably longer than you've been alive , so it actually bothers me tremendously that we've become an irrelevance .

Watts -"You look at the good teams like Geelong and Hawthorn and Fremantle and those kind of things. You've got guys like Selwood, Joel Corey, Stevie Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis - they stand up and they don't accept that (losing) for their club". Viney - "Ive just become 100 per cent committed to wanting to do things to improve. The contrast in attitudes couldn't be more pronounced.

ridiculous. The board is not a paid position. The board is the members representatives regarding direction of the club. They can bring in non Melbourne experts (legal, finance, etc) but the president is Melbourne, he must be a supporter. A for-profit company pays directors to make decisions in the best interests of the company: the best interest of the company is money making, not having a successful football team. Volunteer directors at a not for profit organisation must have passion for the cause. Our board will go out and hunt the best people to run the club. That is CEO and other staff. They don't need to be Melbourne people. When you say "look at the most successful clubs they go out and headhunt the best" you do realise that it is the passionate supporters on those clubs boards that you are referring to doing the head hunt don't you? The exception to this is privately owned clubs like uk premier league or nba, nfl. They are businesses. They make decisions based on making money for their owner not on success. In the AFL we have clubs, which are different to businesses, even though we are now run *like* a business. Unless you are advocating privatising the club you have no idea when calling for a non Melbourne president or board.

Played with courage, which I greatly admire. Any player you've ever run out with will respect you for that very reason. Well done.

I don't mind Watts putting contract talks off, in fact, I hope he's not at the club next year. It's his attitude that annoys me. Be the change you want to see, Jack. You take responsibility and help drive the club forward. How about you take it upon yourself to deliver on your undoubted talent. Or, you can take the easy way out and try to get to a stronger club. Bye. Pea-heart.

Watts is on a hiding to nothing answering questions about his contract status. It's like the old 'have you stopped beating your wife yet' conundrum. If he hasn't yet signed, all sorts of statements, from him or his manager, can be misconstrued or given emphasis they don't deserve. To quote the Prime Minister of Australia: "just chill". Casting aspersions without knowing the outcome is pointless and dangerous. That said, the 'cheer squad' was a bit embarrassing. Public schoolboy stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that last year, the dinner raised a shade under $700k. The result from last night remains outstanding in the circumstances and well done to all the FH's (including myself ) who contributed.

I read just now that the dinner raised $500,000 If that is correct it is an outstanding effort by the FH Members.