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I'm already drafting it

Previously we've gone into years with expectations that our kids may drag us up the ladder. Any rise now won't be on the back of kids, which will only improve their development. We know that Vince, Jones and Cross can bear the brunt. Dom Tyson may have only played 13 games, but with what we've already seen and his pedigree we know we've got an exciting talent on our hands. Like Tyson, Michie now has a third preseason under his belt and has shown enough to suggest he won't be out of place. So rather than relying on mere hope and early draft picks we have something far more tangible this year. Quick development from kids like JKH will now be part of the cream. Add Viney and Trengove, who can now play supporting roles without pressure and there's cause for genuine excitement. The best part is we don't even need to mention Salem. In Trengove's and Watts' draft years most of our hope and preseason discussions were about them. We're a far cry from that these days. If we get off to a good start I see 8-10 games as quite achievable. I'll not be upset if it doesn't happen, but it's a distinct possibility. I don't really want to compare the times, because it's now past history and most other clubs have since got better, but you can't tell me that our list now isn't miles ahead of those Bailey teams that won 8.5 wins two years running, even though the Suns were a guaranteed 2 wins in those years.

Ive heard he bought a camera....

Because Roos would otherwise be working at the club 8pm on a Monday night, after starting at 7am all season? Just how hard do you expect the man to work? Should he be running handball drills until the very prints wear off his fingers? Maybe you can start timing how much the man sleeps and inform the club how better to delegate the time spent by their multi-million dollar investment? Give me a break. He'd be doing this in the very limited free time he has, as a representative of the MFC, and with the MFC's full blessing. The exposure he brings to the club is invaluable here, and is a huge part of the reason we signed him up -- he has a strong media profile with Fox viewers. And I thought the idiotic complaints about his pre-booked African holiday were bad. Sheesh!

There's one certainty around Round 1, I think - in the hours immediately following the game Demonland is going to go off.

Yeah, but equally blindingly obvious is that we stand more of a chance of winning with 100 more possessions than with 100 less possessions.

Melbourne was ranked No. 1 for disposals and time in possession over the NAB Challenge pre-season series, according to Champion Data. ​Yes it says Melbourne, that's us. Carry that into round 1 and look out Saints.

Can't wait for the day we win the flag and people on here can only find the negatives in it. Bunch of miserable comudgeins

He lacks so much physicality around the ball. Imagine him in a cut-throat final at the G. He'll hardly get a kick. I know he's precious to many of you, so here's hoping...

That unknown and unnamed sponsor needs to sign up soon if they want weekly national exposure on Fox Footy.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-03-02/we-shouldve-defeated-cats-georgiou just a tiny thing.. it is nice to see someone at the club saying 'we should have won' the reality is that most of us are content with a narrow lost with an undermanned side against a top team, but you don't like to see that defeatist attitude coming out of the club, like we have seen on occasions in the last few years

You called C & B?

Oh come on! Either "the head is sacrosanct" or it isn't. Roos hinted that Toumpas had headaches after the match and the next day. If it was a bump, it would be held that if you decide to go in hard on someone with their head down, any impact is your responsibility, whether you have your eyes on the ball or not. The same should apply with punching (at head height) from behind, especially if you're going to punch in a "round-arm" fashion like Smedts did. It wasn't deliberate, but he got off extremely lightly. The trouble with MRP decisions like this is that it gives the impression that some heads are more sacrosanct than others. Which is why an overhaul is needed.

He's entitled to his say, dont read it if you dont like it. Now get back to stalking the players at training

He was an excellent kick, good decision maker and pretty good overhead. Biggest problem was his focus, he would drift in and out of the game too much. Injury in his first season didn't help things plus coming into the club during the last few years was not a bonus either. Playing in SA this year and I hope he works hard enough to get another crack at it down the track.

If Watts is 5/10 athletically, I'd hate to see where you'd rate the rest of our list - considering Watts is one of our better athletes.

Smedts given a reprimand for his hit on Toumpas, seems like Melbourne players are fair game to taken out in pre-season. Every goddamn year a player of ours gets cleaned up and the offender gets away with it. Was hoping with Sylvia gone that would stop.

Awesome news as a supporter. Lifts the profile of the club that little bit more and get extra insights every week.

Yes, well said. This fairly much is in line with the information I am getting from legal sources and the federal bureaucracy. There is no love lost between the AFL and Essendon although the AFL is very afraid of the legal nightmare which is about to unfold when the infraction notices are issued and the players sue Essendon and the AFL. THE AFL are incredibly dirty on Essendon and particular Hird's SWOT team in the way they have behaved. They think a lot of this was avoidable had Evans still been in charge and his advisors still been in place. ASADA/WADA are determined to punish Essendon to the maximum because of their uncooperative attitude and the litigious route that Hird has taken. It is a matter of when, not if, and it will be incredibly messy, and very very expensive.

There are some on here that would have even criticised Robbie flower for not tackling enough ....fact is it takes all sorts to make a team. The tough in and unders, the big forwards, the zippy rovers and goal sneaks and the runners and skillfull go to players. Its the balance as a team that counts, all players have strong and weak areas in their games. It takes a good coach to gel the team, and bring the best out of his players.

normally agree with you psd but i think you are wrong here this wasn't a normal attempt at a spoil gone wrong. this was a "round-arm" swing at ball/head height. very dangerous and reckless ......and it connected high i've seen a lot less get punished heavier

Last week's inside 50 stat does not count for those times any pair from the combination of Hogan, Clark, Howe and Dawes is up forward. They will straighten us up instantly and we'll see much less of the lateral movement we had against the cats.

christ I really like that stat

I think it's the mental preperation that will be the key this year. I so want to see an absolute hiding dished out to the Saints. A win will do wonders for the boys but to hand out a flogging in round 1 should really get their tails up.

Robbo does love the game, he can be quite passionate about it. Unfortunately he is more like a hammer than a scalpel. Watching him on 360 is akin to watching an Orangutan play guitar. Sometimes he gets the right note. I do admire " I got that one wrong" however he should check facts from multiple sources, too much to expect from an Orangutan.

only for the first 5 mins minute...then it'll be....WTF !!!

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

I also spotted him chatting to one of the real housewives of Melbourne. New conditioning coach? Given it was the Fox Footy launch it would seem Vossy might have a new (old) gig,

Loves her Demons. I suspect La Fontaine was her first "schoolgirl crush". Even though he was North coach at the time, a newspaper photo of a shirtless Barassi adorned our laundry wall for many a year. Born & bred in the Benteigh / McKinnon area she was getting on the train to the footy from a young age. She used to go to most games except Geelong (distance) & Essendon (Windy Hill) but rarely attends games now - crowds & cold have become two of her pet hates (along with interstate footy teams) - but she'd have clocked up a fair few over the span. She got to see the golden era, obviously got to see a fair bit of crap as well. She still retains a membership though She's now embraced technology and gets most of her footy fix from Foxtel. She has IQ and with an arsenal of remote controls at her disposal, doesn't miss much. She also got herself an iPad & has discovered the club website on that. I might give her a yell & pose the question in the OP

Agree maurie, err, mauriesy (that's a tongue twister). He's averaged something like over 70 (someone will have correct figures) since he's taken over as captain!

Might drive the range rover down from QLD for it

Best the boys perform on the park too McQueen as this will go along way to increasing the membership.Seven yrs is a long time between competitive performances!

Sounds great as does the dream of being 30 again!!

Not expecting a win ?? I DEMAND a win under these circumstances....no excuses. In fact I expect a shelacking !! ( them that is ) the Ainters are a mess Sorry Linton Ave...your pain is our gain

We simply must win this. They're a rabble. I'm not concerned about margin but it would be nice to make it a significant one. Solid start to the season is being presented.

Saints look like being without Lenny Hayes and Maverick Weller who were both handed one match suspensions today. Funny thing is that I was talking to a Saints fan on Saturday morning and he told me that his team would be without its best player for their game against Melbourne, meaning Jack Steven. I told him that he was wrong and that IMO Lenny Hayes is their best player. Anyway, he turned out to be right. They will be without their best player.

+1 All of my fathers side of our family are big on the Saints (they are quiet supporters who appreciate the game, not maniacs in any way) so I have a soft spot for them and hope they are at least competitive at least this year. I wouldn't wish any supporter to have to go the continued heart break what we have had to over the last few years. Unless they support Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon. They can get stuffed

For all Demetriou's faults I thought he was pretty fair and was on the right path for most things. I'm more nervous about Gillon McLaughlan.

Final practice hit up for 2014 and what better opposition than the reigning premiers Hawthorn? I rate Clarkson and Roos as the two best coaches going around ATM and I'm hoping this will be the precursor to a great rivalry. That may well be a little way off but I certainly hope they all do away with the "it's only a practice match" line because this is the last (well almost*) chance for players to stake their claims for a place in the opening round. While it's true that it is only a practice match, the problem is that many of us said this last year when there were definite signs in last year's practice matches v St. Kilda and Gold Coast that things weren't right within the playing group. In reality, we couldn't ignore the fact that in last year's practice game at Casey, the team conceded eight goals to the Saints in a short space of time in the second quarter or that it meekly surrendered to Gold Coast after half time. These practice matches set the scene for our whole season. I believe we can expect quite a few of the players who missed the trip to Alice Springs and went on tour to Gippsland instead to play against the Hawks including some of the vital key position talls and rucks who we missed on Friday night. The result of the game might be of no importance but who plays and the way in which it is played is vital to our prospects for the season because we need to make a good start. * players who have missed the pre season matches through injury can get permission to play in practice matches with the Casey Scorpions including on the following week when no AFL practice games can be scheduled.

Fine I'll say it. Do not like this. Throughout the period we were chasing Roos he said time and time again how busy and stressful an AFL coaching job is. Now he signs on and he's got extra time to do media work every week? Yes we need to be in the public eye for exposure but we have to win games. That means a coach who isn't burnt out and who isn't having to get involved with too much media. Luckily Robbo is a complete light weight so won't ask too much tough questions and Gerard is pretty respectful to his guests. Also lucky Bomber is staying on (for now) so mainly they can both talk about their glory days and deflect from their teams. But overall I still dislike it.

If Viney plays and plays well against the Hawks I'd be ecstatic to have a player such as he is available. Even if just for a sub. His first year last year in a terrible side was great.

Fully agree youngdee. My disclaimer was in the fine print of my post

So, who plagiarised the Chris Grant story? Jack Watts or the Melbourne PR department? Mind you, if he plays as many games as Grant and of the same quality, I'll be very happy. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read here - para 7)

So you'll just stay in the carpark? Like, forever?

But he's tall and black and sleek looking, like a PANTHER!!!

If it wasn't for people like AD we would be lucky to be going to the footy this year, he cleaned up Schwabs and Dons mess people have short memory's , my family and I would like to thank AD for his support to the MFC in last few years and we are thankful for the season that's about to start, I wish him well for the future.

Perhaps monsieur would like a wafer?

Its official you have no idea.

If you're coming from Melton, it's a bloody long drive. For a practice match anyways.

saying that reminded me how much I miss Shaun Smith !