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My problem is that they get some right ( in the Ablett case) and some so horribly wrong ( in the Dawes and initially in the Viney case). I certainly believe the higher the profile of the club/player the more the MRP look for an "out".

Short answer, No. Long answer, No.

He should have gotten off - but then so should have Dawes.

I've had it with this MRP.. They are an absolute joke. How does Dawes slap someone in the face in play and get 2 weeks down to 1 and then ablett throws an elbow at someone behind play and get off scot free... Along with lecreas bump a few weeks ago getting one week, it's a disgrace and the AFL has got to do something about it.

Hartlett out.

They say the good players stand up in finals, well what about Robert Flower? Waited 14 years and 269 games to play in his first final and booted 5, following it up the next week with a bag of 4.

So you are not impressed that in the last couple of years how he has turned Dunn into the reliable consistent defender he is, how Tom Mc is coming on leaps and bounds, Garland gone from Humprey to Leadership Group and straight back into the team when fit, ensuring the club kept Nev Jetta, a decision that is being vindicated etc etc....you must be a hard marker or alternatively not recognize a good coach, have you ever thought he is happy were he is and has no desire to thrown his hat in the ring anywhere else

I think we gave them a former pick 4 recently. We also gave them Bennell.

Forget about it, I hope he gets his 3rd Brownlow; He deserves his place as a triple Brownlow medalist.

There is a fallacy in your stats. The game only resets after a goal is scored. Those stats at best show they are under constant pressure and keep missing. On the other hand it shows we have trouble clearing the defensive 50. Many of those behinds have been scored in sequences of more than two and as many as five in a row.

This year we've beaten mid table teams, last year we were belted by them. Be happy with that step I reckon. A near full strength Port are The top team, like Gorgoroth says, they will punish our turnovers, unlike the mid range teams we've beaten. Their fitness and pressure will create more turnovers too, so it may well get pretty ugly. Would be happy to get within 40. Angry if its +70. No chance in hell of winning. (So after that prediction, thank me for the win if a miracle happens, after you rightly bump and berate my post)

Yeah, sunny 21 degrees, 40% humidity... Phew, glad I am not playing in those conditions... https://www.google.com.au/#q=alice+spring+weather+forecast&safe=active

He can thank the fact that there are different rules depending on who you are and who you play for

I have played, coached and been a part of 3 clubs at VFA and grass roots club level I haven't seen one re cent, in any of those clubs that, was donated by the AFL. The AFL mutter bulls**t about how much money they pour into "grassroots" footy and development of the game, but I am yet to see it The AFL couldn't give a rats arse about suburban or country footy and you just have to see many clubs folding through lack of resourses such as footys, players, jumpers etc etc So don't tell me the AFL are not just about money and profit.......It's all their about.....

GWS are the laughing stock of the town why? •They have a 6 million dollar tagger.. who isn't even that good at that either.. oh dear.. •They are known to give alot of verbal to opposition opponents who then only to turn back and laugh back at them. Who does these kids think they are? Spoilt arrogent brats.. what have they got to give lip service for?? •I played in a Ovens and Murray country game with fev in it that pulled 8000 people through the gates.. go figure. •Why the hell would you start your All Australian FF in the backline!? •Josh Kelly is the next Brownlow medalist who will make Melbourne pay aaand we were stupid for giving up pick 2 for Dom Tyson... Josh did NOT even touch the ball yesterday. . Wasn't injured. Another Melbourne draft mistake.

How long has he been gone now? Give it a rest FFS!

This topic usually gets swept under the carpet, good to see someone get a handle on it.

The idea of paying him 10 mill is [censored], however, i love the way he can break out of (through) the centre and run into the goals. He is a fantastic footballer who, most likely, will stay where he is.

Dawes means alot more to our side than hartlett does to theirs.

Melbourne supporters know that feeling all too well

Here's a sobering statistic. In the three games we have won our opponents have kicked an aggregate of 25 goals 49 behinds while we have kicked an aggregate 37 goals 20 in those wins. Their inaccuracy has left the door open for us, just as our 6.15 did for the Saints. We are competitive and if the opposition is a little 'off' we can take them. But relying on opposition inaccuracy for a win does not shape us as challengers to the top of the ladder sides, even though on any given day we are some sort of faint chance. And that's it this week: a faint chance.

If this was someone like a Rohan Bail or lower rated player they'd get pinged for it.

Viney, Stretch, Lovett...... Hmmmm :-)

It was a brilliant few weeks. Even being able to pick up the papers on a Friday morning and look at the selected side in finals format with all the heights, weights, games played and finals played (0) next to the players names was a huge thrill. The amount of time I must have wasted working out average heights and weights and match-ups and then secondary match-ups and doing my own rankings of players on both sides. No matter how I finessed the numbers I couldn't see a Melbourne victory but win we did. The sum total of that team was far greater than the parts it was made of. Gives me hope for the rest of this year

I think we'll have a significant amount available as we won't be paying Mitch Clark, nor will we be paying the full salary cap.Mind you, if Frawley did walk, we may be in a position where we have to hand out a big contract or 2 just to make the minimum salary cap % paid.

Yes but aren't we glad we didn't waste that 4.2m? Is my point.

Sun's improvement has been impressive but ease up. So far this season they have beaten precisely the bottom six teams, plus the up-and-down North Melbourne. How they go for these coming six rounds will tell us a lot more. Adelaide (Adelaide) Sydney (home) West Coast (Perth) Geelong (home) Hawthorn (Tassie) Collingwood (home) If they are still in the top four at the end of that, then we're watching a true rising superteam. On the other hand, they could easily finish that stretch without a win and not even in the top 8. By the end of that

Actually... And it's more the confidence he brings to the those ahead - "kick it to me and it won't come straight back out at you!"

If by win you mean getting within 40 points of them, then sure, we have a shot. If you however mean the more traditional definition of win and actually mean that we have more points than they do at the end of the game then no chance. Some posters might be getting a reality check this weekend. We have improved, yes, but still have along way to go before we are competitive against the Top 4 sides.

Imagine for a moment that it's 2013 and the question being posed on Demonland is: Can we beat the top of the ladder team in Round 11? Now think about this year. We probably won't win, but isn't it nice to go into the week with that optimism that comes from being a competitive team again?

The only smart thing GWS have done is recruit players mostly from Victoria so they have 10 clubs to negotiate with once they eventually become homesick.

You people need to brush up on your puns. They are making me bristle.

The 5th and 6th exclamation marks convinced me but then the three question marks really threw me. Now I don't know if this game has an 'Ariel' feel to it...

Who isn't a fan of GAJ!? the guy is defining the odds from all angles. I have never ever seen such extraordinary talent in what he displays. The game is a dull place when he is not playing. I hope he doesn't get ping for that. Absolutely deserves a third brownlow. He is daylight ahead of any player this year its quite remarkable.

But...but..Jones

This will be a season defining game imo. We take on the ladder leaders and if we take the contest to them and push them all the way, we will gain so much from it going into the back end of the season. We just know Roos will be demanding effort and pressure, its a given now which is what im enjoying most about the season thus far.

Not sure what you are trying at with this bit. Some have been good/decent coaches and some not so much.

I'd rather offer Hogan some good money to sign for 5 years, If we keep improving by the end of next year we could be an attractive prospect anyway

Dangerfield is great, but I'd much rather scoop the GWS talent pool.

Yup, learn from the success of the Salem/Tyson deal; 2 awesome players are better than 1 "star"

that was a joke?

Dawes deserved a stiff fine, but no carry over points, or games missed. The penalties need to be reviewed. So they can add a set of fines, which should be open to appeal from either side. The fines should be for minor infringements, which are too strong for just a free kick, but not enough to miss games over. A common sense approach, covered by fines & no points added.

haha interesting idea, suspending players for not protecting themselces? Moorcroft would have got weeks for his speccy! I think it should be deemed "accidental", no suspension. And subsequently I think the AFL should direct players to start looking after themselves. The AFL has run with "the head is sacred" for a few years and players are choosing to lead with the head because they know they will either draw a free kick from an over-zealous umpire, or that by leading with their head, opposition players are forced to lessen their attack on the footy. Leading with your head in an attempt to force opposition players to look after you isn't acceptable. Turning, bracing for contact and taking that contact is the tough way to play the game. It is clear that Cooney was not intending to bump or hip and shoulder, just trying to win the footy while bracing for body contact.

I watched Gary Ablett Snr a lot. Ive never seen anybody see a kick and head down charge to where it would land. He did it every game.

How can you be so sure he's the best player to have ever played the game when you are only 12?

I wanted them to. We were on the same number of points as them and I thibk it'd be good to finish ahead of them on the ladder.

Because everyone thinks Sydney did such a great deal with Buddy? Nobody thinks that'll work out in the long run. When a team throws so much money at a player it becomes about the individual rather than the team. That is not what we want or need. Roos is all about the team approach, thank goodness.

Shame about the draw , i wouldve rather have played Hawthorn, Geelon, Freo and Port in those early rounds. We play saints and GWS now and we win.