Leaderboard

This might be a real line in the sand moment for the MFC. Time to develop that "us against them mentality and gain a real ruthless edge". This concerted campaign against us over the PP and AFL assistance is getting somewhat vicious. I think we need to get on the front foot. Eddie talks about all things being equal so lets get that out in the public arena. I agree, all things should be equal. Lets call for each team to get the same amount of interstate games, friday night games, sunday 4.40 games, games at Skilled stadium just for starters. Lets call for all other teams that received PP's to be investigated for 6 months over tanking. Lets stop the 18 games at the G the Pies get. Lets make all sides wear genuine away strips. Brad Scott attacked us last night. Lets examine how much AFL money was given to the new North Centre at Arden Street. How much diod the Bombers get. The Pies for Lexus etc. The AFL is about money and not fairness. The reason we will get a PP is not because of altruism by the AFL, but rather that it doesn't want empty stadiums and non watched telecasts. A non competitive MFC will affect the next TV rights deal as we will be an impediment. I say lets get on the front foot and bring these issues into the public arena. It is time for us to play tough and be tough. I am not attacking the AFL here as they are there to run the game over the self interest of the clubs. That is what is happening here. We would have romped a PP in under the previous formula but the AFL changed it and all clubs agreed the AFL could still award one. Now when we look certainties to deserve one under the agreed criteria, the other clubs are bitching. I think it is time to get aggressive and put them back in their place. We should be on the front foot and start bringing into the public domain the hypocrisy that is the other clubs.

Was at the game last night and had the privilege of sitting next to about 18 Melbourne boys. I asked why they were all there and was told that the new coach wants us to get a feel of what we should be aiming for. God I love Paul Roos. P.S: Jesse Hogan is one shy big man.

He refused to do anything in 2012. I was disgusted. Once trust is broken there is no going back......

I was at the game in the Olympic Room last night I wore my MFC scarf with pride over dinner and Mike Sheahan had his MFC tie on at the next table. If I had a $ for every "I can't believe you guys got Roosy" comment last night I could pay our shortfall in gate receipts for 2013.

Roos has stated he wants players that run hard both ways. End of conversation.

The rise has not started...The right fouundations are being put in place. Do not get ahead of yourself...The planning must be done slowly and correctly. The assistant coaching roles are critical...Roos is coming in cold...He must choose very carefully who he works with & who he grooms for Senior coaaching.

Bitterly disappointed with Toumpas' output in finals so far.

Funniest rumour I've heard - neeld for brisbane's midfield coach - imagine that.

The value of having a good coach. Fremantle's performance should not be lost on Melbourne supporters.

Great work by PJ. I know Andrew Demetriou is not popular here and I expect to be howled down but if we get a PP we should seriously think about an award in his name. 1. Denied we tanked, then hosed down the tanking wildfire started by Adrian Anderson in his absence as best he could so we ended up with feather duster penalties and AA gone. 2. Organised PJ, gave us the necessary special funding, was instrumental in the Roos signing 3. PP?

Don't want them? I want every supporter we can muster. Those returning should be welcomed back. It's not like they're riding on the coat tails of success, they just have a reason to believe again.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us So We've got Dean Bailey on the left. His plan is to get a whole bunch of skilled players and play an attacking skillful game plan. Then we've got Mark Neeld on the right, he wants to make us the hardest team to play against and is full of tough talk. Paul Roos in the middle though, he's got this all sorted, he just wants more midfielders.

Roos sees himself as a Manager, as much as anything. He's going to change the whole ethos of the club. And two-three years is plenty of time to do that. And importantly, he'll be able to lay foundations built of concrete, not sand. The legacy he'll leave will be long-lasting. I like the fact that they're upfront about the succession plan, as the whole club can buy into the blueprint. And they've immediately made the club the most attractive proposition in the market place for any budding senior coach that thinks he can learn from the best and ease into the role. It's different, which is why some don't like it. But Roos wouldn't have come any other way and in my opinion it gives us the best chance at the real success we've craved. It doesn't matter who's standing next to the premiership captain on GF day.

Im am so confident in PJ the way he answered those priority pick questions yesterday.......we are in good hands

It's amazing how quickly Hawthorn and Sydney players can get kicks and handpasses off. So many of our midfielders take about three weeks to kick the ball, players like Jack and Mitchell are just so quick with their hands and feet which means they can cope under immense pressure becuase they rarely get caught.

I think if we are going to go after a midfielder with only a couple of years left, it would be someone like Cross or Sewell. Someone who not only has something to offer on-field, but also exuding professionalism and hard work.

He's not a bloke who would die for the jumper. He's not even a bloke who would play in a slightly unfamiliar role for the jumper. Much better and younger and more suitable midfielders out there to hunt for, too.

Beamer was disillusioned but his attitude still stunk IMO.

Yes - I've been trying to avoid mass hyperbole, but I don't think I can help it any more. I've felt like I've been in mourning since 186 (hence having '186' as my custom title), and now I finally feel like I might be able to start moving on. I think the new title is appropriate. Here's a bag for anyone I've nauseated.

I doubt he'd want to come back and I doubt we'd be even considering it, when you have a split like that it is finished. Beamer had a big head before he left and if we chased him he would be insufferable.

I don't want to [censored] on anyone's parade in what is a rare time for Demon supporters to be happy, but spot on WYL. This is a step. An important one no doubt, but merely a step. There is no quick fix to turning it around, and the fact we've been poor for the better part of a decade doesn't change that. It's a bloody hard slog to rebuild a football club, and it would seem Roos and Jackson know what they're in for. Talks of being a powerhouse are premature, to say the absolute least.

I raised this in a discussion with a Richmond supporting mate, when he got cranky when I said I hope their mob got flogged by Carlton and he said something along the lines of "the forever struggling clubs should stick together". I nearly threw up. Excluding GWS (because they haven't got any fans so nobody gets hurt), if you go back through recent history, the only team in the last 20 years to have percentage worse than ours this year was Fitzroy in 1996. Even the disastrous Fitzroy teams of 1994 and 1995 had a better percentage than us this year. The diabolical Carlton sides in the mid 00s managed percentages in the high 60s, low 70s. No other team has had to endure the gravity and regularity of the beltings that we've suffered in the last two years in particular. It's amazing we're all still here talking about it. This is why I'm absolutely stoked to have the best coach in the business at the helm, even if it's only for a couple of years. Despite the gumbies on BigFooty moaning about AFL assistance or that Roos is only in it for the money (I don't follow this logic btw), we are clearly the worst side of the modern era and we desperately need help. With the right foundations in place we'll be able to move forward with a good coach like Simpson, Tudor etc, but we need the best of the best to get the foundations in place first. I still can't wipe the smile off my face this morning. Like anything, Roos doesn't come with any guarantee of success, but at least we can be confident that if we can't get ourselves out of this hole it's not because we made a poor selection of senior coach.

In: P. Roos Out: K. Rudd This could be the best weekend since I lost my virginity.

As supporters of the MFC we now understand what it is like to have A Graders running our club. Getting your head around the capability of PJ versus what we have been served up prior to him is just massive. I know there is a long way to go but this news has brought me out of the football doldrums. The presence of Roos, PJ and Bartlett today was just awesome and HOPE is firmly back on the agenda. With all due respect to the great Jimmy Stynes - the door is now closed on a horrible horrible past. Bring it on!!

A bit sick of the could have, should have, would have threads. If Wines played at Melbourne there'd be a mega thread on his wonky disposal by now. But the guy is a beast and kicked 2 good goals tonight, wiped the smile off Eddie's face. Good on him.

I miss him so much

I bloody hope we can crack 40 k and I don't see why it can't get to 45 k before the start of next season. We currently have just over 33 k members, PJ has stated we have lost ~ 12 k in the past two years, 45 k should be the target... not to mention the potential of any new additional memberships. I hope the staff and volunteers have been back tearing up the phones in the hunt for new or renewed members whilst the Roos hype is high. Let's hope Stynes wish finally comes true.

the selfcentred wheel wasn't being invented at Melbourne for the first time, in 2012. It had been there for a very long time. Neeld came in to give it a crack, to smash that Selfcentred wheel... he did, but he used a bomb to do it... he wasn't allowed to recover to instigate his plans. so it up to another. enter Mr Roos. the job is easier imo for Roosy, now after Neeld went thru. Now the players left are mostly without the inbred old ways, & I think are open minded & willing to work, & change to winning ways. they won't rebel against Roosy. he has a strong policy on that type.

Hawthorn will drop nuggets if Geelong win next week

He'd die for it, but he wouldn't play in it for a mean old coach who wanted him to try new roles? Okie dokie. Edit: Sorry - didn't see Little Goffy's post, which says the same thing. So yeah, what he said.

It's interesting that clubs are running the line about our PP along the lines of "look where that has got them now" or "it hasn't helped them previously, so why give them another". So what are they trying to say? Would they like us not to be given one because that will in fact help us, and so we will have a better chance to beat their team in the future? If giving us priority picks and having high draft picks has seen us fall to be easy beats of the competetion, then I would have thought the other clubs would have no problem with getting another one. They should just come out and say "We don't want Melbourne to have a PP, because it may in fact help them to be a better team than ours" That is why clubs should have no say in this matter. Its all about self interest.

I think you're confusing yourself as to who the 'public' really is. Sure, the AFL doesn't often act in the manner of the 0.5% of fans who are consumed by the game enough to regularly post on forums like this or bigfooty, but those fans don't represent the wider public. Everything the AFL does is to serve the 'common denominator' footy fan who will attend a few games and watch a whole bunch of footy on TV. The interchange cap is designed to make the game more enjoyable for casual fans. The fixture is designed to appeal to casual fans. There are orders of magnitude more of this kind of footy fan - who don't care about the politics or machinations, and just want to watch footy - than there are people campaigning for perfect parity across the competition.

Surely we can get 'optimistic' without getting 'ahead of ourselves'. A top coach will attract 'good' and 'proven' assistants. Hopefully even a successful mid-field coach. A top coach will persuade players who might be looking elsewhere to stay. Paul Roos has the skill to develop 'marginal' players, of which we have many. Paul Roos's appointment is likely to interest free agents or out of contract players from other clubs. Compare this with recent years where these players have laughed at us and wouldn't contemplate joining us, unless paid huge money. Paul Roos' appointment will encourage members to renew and others, including past members to join. It will be a catalyst for attracting new sponsors. The media will take a positive interest in us, instead of treating us as a joke. While I'm confident about a big on-field improvement, I'm not getting a head of myself.

Disagree WJ. You get cred by standing up for yourself, not by hiding and whimpering in the corner and saying "when I get big and strong I will get you back". The MFC didn't start these attacks, but if we want to have cred we should give it back. You will note I am only talking about those clubs who have attacked us, not the AFL ( our buddies). Seriously, what would Eddie, Newbold, Sticks, Brayshaw, etc do if someone had a go at them. They would have a go back. If we are to be taken seriously by the competition it may be time to act like an equal partner.

Mitch was supposed to be dressed in purple and Roos wasn't coming. I wouldn't rule anyone out. PJ is the Tony Soprano of the MFC.

Would love to have Selwood. Just not for #2.

A bit early to go that way Redleg ... we need to develop a little more cred, especially on the field before trying to whack the big clubs. Still, I'd like to suggest to Andrew Newbold of Hawthorn who has a problem with our getting a PP, that his club should forego compensation for Buddy if he goes as a FA. Better still, why not offer Lance big $'s to tempt him away or at least up the ante for him.

What is with these north Melbourne people? They should be more worried about the fact they have totally wasted a season than what we are doing. Also there first pick is f/s so our pp does not effect them at all.

My match preview For the Casey Scorpions, tomorrow's game against the Werribee Tigers is all about exorcising the demons of recent past losses in big games. The Scorpions have been knocked out of finals contention in straight sets and at the Semi Final stage three years in a row, the last two being at the hands of Werribee. On both occasions, the team was reduced by injuries to a mere handful of AFL listed players and was duly thumped by the Tigers who thereby took their place in the competition's top four, a result which not only kept them alive for the finals but also handed them representation in the prestigious Foxtel Cup competition. When the teams met earlier this year in Round 13 at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee was coming off a defeat in a midweek Foxtel Cup final played in heavy rain in Perth. Casey was expected to easily beat a seemingly tired opposition and slammed on the first three goals in quick time. They led by a goal at quarter-time, but then Werribee added 10 goals to one second quarter to set up a 56 point win. To add insult to injury, the win was set up by former Demon, Addam Maric's five goals haul. So Casey faces its tenth consecutive final's defeat in a period that stretches back to 2008 and prior to the alignment with Melbourne. A month ago, it seemed that the Scorpions would have a strong contingent of around 18 players eligible to play in the finals series but injuries and retirements have reduced the number down to ten this week. Three important outs are top goalkicker, Jesse Hogan who was announced this week as the best Melbourne VFL player for 2013, ruckman Jake Spencer and Troy Davis who was a steady influence in a key defensive position in the early part of the season. Casey does have the advantage of midfield ball magnets James Magner and Tom Couch reunited for the first time since Couch injured a hamstring in that game earlier in the year at Werribee. They will be working at the feet of Max Gawn who polled five JJ Liston votes in his last two VFL games. James Sellar will add some decent height to the side while youngsters in Rory Taggert, Josh Tynan and Dom Barry will be out to impress the new coaching regime at Melbourne. Casey has developed a few handy VFL listed players over the past couple of seasons. Jake Best has been a big story in 2013. The Casey/South Melbourne district cricket captain has created great interest among AFL scouts with his pace and great goal sense. Mitch Gent has become a prolific ball winner in the middle and nippy Nathan Page is also capable of causing damage. Casey also has the experience of skipper Evan Panozza, former captain Kyle Matthews and Danny Nicholls who will all be working hard to avoid yet another straight sets exit from the finals. Then there are a few Demons who will be out to impress the new regime. Neville Jetta and Rohan Bail have, for one reason or another, seen limited AFL action this year while Tom Gillies had a shocking start at the club in defence in those early games when the Demons suffered some big thumpings. Since Hogan's injury, he has reinvented himself up forward and needs some big bags to keep his name before the selectors. The winner of tomorrow's game will play the Box Hill Hawks in the Preliminary Final for a place in the 2013 VFL Grand Final. I'm predicting a change of fortune for Casey and a 24 point win.

I don't remember the word "elite" being said too often in the press conference which was a nice change.

Good morning.. Just checking i didn't dream all of this.

I wouldnt discount someone like Brad Sewell either, we need a leader type as well.

First time to get on Demonland since the news broke. Well done PJ and team to convince Rood to this 2-3 year plan. At last I can smile in 2013. Now for the bad news. I wasn't convinced we would get him and recently posted that if Roos was appointed I would run naked down my street in the buff with just a Dees scarf round my neck yelling out "Rooooooos". Being a man of my word I have to find a way to do it. 2:30am this morning is looking good - I hope it stays warmish!

Pick 2 might become a star. I can't understand why anyone would want to trade "might be a star" for "certainly isn't a star".

*first rounder

I would like to throw a BIG THANKS to the following Grand New Flag RobbieF DD36 (even though your joke was in bad taste!) demoneyes (even though your dates were a bit off!) Really appreciate your information and it was spot on. For someone like me who has no contacts or sources it greatly appreciated. Cheers fellas

It's extraordinary, isn't it. Scott Selwood is a classic good ordinary footballer. Some are so desperate and dumbed down they'd sell the silverware for anything.

I like the 2 (3?) year appointment and I like the idea of a possible succession plan. Roos can re-build the list and he can help instil a great culture. We're coming from a long way back and if he can get us to a viable and relevant position within 3 years (say 11-12 wins) then he'll have done marvellously well. Anything above that would be a bonus. Whether Roos stays on after 2 or 3 years remains to be seen. We really are a special case and comparisons with Port Adelaide could be made but I'm not so sure. We have a poor list and a lot of our players are really low on confidence. It's a mammoth task to get this list to play winning football on a consistent basis. Many on our list have only experienced heavy losses so the mindset needs to be fixed - Roos can do that. The biggest change that could have an immediate impact is the level of AFL assistance we might get. Roos can help get some talented footballers (midfielders) to the club as well (obviously our needs are immediate) Roos might get us to be a 7 or 8 win team almost immediately but the improvement from there could be slow or we might even stall on that amount of wins. However, if we were able to inject the list with quality players in the next 2 off seasons, we could take a leap to 11-12 wins in his 2nd year at the helm. That is a big ask but you never know. I'd like to see the club bring in 3 'ready to go' midfielders for next year who can play. I'm almost expecting that to happen now that Roos has been appointed. A great coach can get 7 or 8 wins out of an fair/average list. So we'll need to bring a number of good footballers into the club in the next few months to get to that fair/average standard. It's entirely possible (especially with free agency and with some extra 'assistance' from the AFL) We've now got some real hope

hopefully Michael Voss and according to Triple M, Voss' management called the MFC this afternoon to express interest (but i bet they were in contact long before today)