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As I have posted on here before my best mate is good friends with Jesse, she just told me he has had a really good running week, no pain or discomfort, that will be stepped up and the club feels he can play the last five games of the year with no setbacks! She said he is in really good spirits in general, just always looks grumpy which she picks on him about, apparently made a funny picture saying he won $1,000,000 and then had his grumpy face on it. Apparently enjoying the club, loves roosy but still very frustrated about his injury, wants to be out there, wants to join the ride the boys are on And She told me he would like to stay at Melbourne beyond his current contract, while returning home to play for Freo is tempting but he really wants to repay the faith we have shown in him, apparenty still in regular contact with Mitch who has become a real mentor for him.

This is as close to fact as I can get after talking to both Nev and Jade Rawlings, Roos wanted midfield depth, and unfortunately Nev was squeezed out but 'promised' a rookie spot, based on Jade Rawling's assessment of Nev's last six weeks at Casey last year. Jade has always been a fan but Nev could never get a consistent run at it through one thing or another but Jade thought he at least deserved another chance Nev had his first break from footy without the necessity for a post season op and trained over the break to arrive at pre season in his best shape ever, he again did every single session of the pre season and started the season in the best nick physically for five years He went to Casey, promised by Rawlings that he would play in his preferred position in defence, he also went relaxed with nothing to prove and decided to just have a real crack and enjoy playing footy again, his form was outstanding in the first few weeks and forced his way into AFL team Roos instruction to begin with was to use abilities, his hardness, agility etc in a lock down role and KEEP IT SIMPLE, once he had his defensive side locked down, like the rest of the team he can then start to use his skills in offense, especially his short kicking and agility in traffic, exactly what we are starting to see now Nev appreciates the simplicity and the fact that he has a role that doesn't change week in week out, just the opponent, and actually tries to nominate who he would like to take on if he can, was licking his lips to have a go at Wingard The fact that he seems to get a random belt from an opponent each week, notice Chapman got him this week, he wears as a badge of honour because it means he is doing his job

I forgive every errant disposal he has ever made because after watching the "Salem goal" passage of play it was his run back into the corridor with a superb handpass to Tyson that broke open that piece of play. I keep watching that last play and marvel at it. The ferocity of the Vince tackle to break the ball free - monstered Pederson ducking under the Hocking tackle and rocketing a handball to Jones - committed. Jones kicks to the Frawley contest Frawley bashed around the ears in between two Essendon players- presented hard McKenzie gathers the ball and shrugs a tackle - strong Frawley got back his feet immediately after being pole-axed. McKenzie handballs into Frawley - high risk and inventive Frawley surrounded, lightening quick handballs back to McKenzie - have a look at the pace of this move - unbelievable. McKenzie to Tommy Mac - this is pivotal - he decides to run into the corridor and handpasses to Tyson who is under pressure. Tyson handballs under pressure delivers to Viney - the pressure he was under meant he could have coughed the ball up to anyone Viney held for the ball for a split second longer waiting for the contact and drawing a man then handpassed to cross just as the contact came. When Cross had the ball and Salem ran into space Dawes spreads wide creating separation between him and Salem and the one defender left. Cross's deft pass hits the mark and Salem cool as a cucumber drills it . ( also watch how far back both Viney and Cross came to create the options) I know we all saw the same thing - but this passage was executed after 120 minutes of football - and under extreme pressure. It was inventive and executed to perfection I reckon if you gave them 5 goes again to execute that play they wouldn't get it right ! It was sublime.

My kids asked if Dunstall barracked for Melbourne. I explained : Dunstall is Hawthorn Hawthorn = hates Essendon That said, Dunstall has consistently been one of the best players turned media performers I also told my kids he was an out & out champion. Damn that man could play

Pretty sure Roos say on AFL 360 he showed the players this video: http://youtu.be/VcEYrjU_3sM He was using it to emphasise TEAM over individuals. Love it!

He is playing the hardest position on the ground and averaging over 8 marks a game. Now i know we chip the ball around a lot but he didnt average that in his AA year. I seriously believe people are marking him down because of him not signing a new contract. I would love to here Roos thoughts on giving him a pay cut and picking up 5 as compensation. I suspect he may have a different view.

Our coaches love Bail, because he runs hard and leads the way for pressure acts. He is second only to Cross in tackles. Anyone who puts his name up as a candidate for omission is putting their understanding of how this team operates on display I reckon.

Out: heart attack In: a 10 goal win over those North Melbourne pricks

For those that can't read the link: Essendon To Take Federal Court Action Against Melbourne Football Club By Inside Sauce on June 15, 2014 Essendon insiders have confirmed that the club will today issue Federal Court proceedings against a resurgent Melbourne Demons following its round 13 upset victory. Essendon chairman Paul Little said that despite his club agreeing to play Sunday’s match against the Demons, with around 30 seconds left in the final quarter Melbourne took the lead and the process became fundamentally flawed, denying his club natural justice. “We won’t allow our players to be hung out to dry any longer,” said Little. “We took on this challenge under the assumption that it would land us a spot in the top eight. It hasn’t worked in our favour and I think we can all agree, that is due entirely to jurisdictional error and Paul Roos’ suspiciously healthy head of hair.” Exiled coach James Hird has also filed Federal Court papers against the Demons, who toppled the Bombers by one point in a nailbiter at the MCG on Sunday night. Speaking over Skype from France, Hird said his actions were motivated mostly by boredom and loneliness. “I’m just trying to pass the time until next month really,” said Hird. “The Tour de France kicks off in July and the latest in sports science will be on show at cycling”s biggest and most purest event. But until then, why not see if I can have a bit of fun and just mess around with some people’s lives?” THANKS JACK FOR THE LAUGH

Look at Crossy when the siren goes. He is a DEMON NOW. Fantastic.

My Bombers mate is super excited by this action , yet again thinks it'll vindicate her team. They're just delusional!

Geez.....You've got to be kidding me.....Some people would trade Frawls for a pick 5,an 18 years old kid that will take 3 to 4 years to develop over a 100 game player who has been AA......The mind bogles.....

Josh Kelly got zero touches when he played as sub. But he's a definite brownlow medallist so it's OK.

Its the way of the world. He can be tempted all he likes - unless he becomes a free agent he can't get to Freo unless they finish bottom of the ladder and he goes uncontracted or we construct a trade.

You seriously rate him that poorly that you would offer him a pay cut ? Unbelievable.

Christian Salem and Jack Watts are by far the two best kicks on the team

So what the article is are saying is that the club claimed that its employee failed to put in place a program to ensure the players did not contravene the anti doping code. Which means that the club had no system in place to ensure that no breaches took place. By their own admission they had no system to guarantee that they did not break the rules. Sorry but what was Essendon's defence again? We had no system. We have no records. We ordered and paid for stuff. Sometimes the good stuff. We paid for the stuff to be administered. We don't know what the stuff was. But none of our players took illegal substances. - According to our records which we don't have. And anyway how dare ASADA get help from the AFL after all we self reported and invited them in because we knew our shredders are really fast and they wouldn't find anything. But now it's all looking ugly, and can we blame the umpire or Andrew D or the AFL or ASADA or WADA or the system or a rogue employee or 2? No not James he has golden hair and he knows what we do with goats down at the lodge. GUILTY

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2014-06-17/roos-on-afl-360 0 - 55 seconds. That's what it's all about. Couldn't and still can't wipe the smile from my face whenever i watch it. The unity that this club now has thanks to our CEO, Pres and Coach is fantastic. And by the looks of the players' reaction and joy with one another, they're playing for each other and have pride in the jumper................... At Last!!!!!!!

Funny you should mention this dc.I was thinking the same thing this morning when listening to SEN. You could take the view that they are experts at poor process so would know it when they see it!!!!

does everyone else think this ironic a club who has had an appalling record of process with its pharmacological experimentation is taking its regulator to court for alleged technical misuse of process in investigating it they are still obviously struggling with the concept of good process

No change. A major, major kick up the backside over that first half though. Dare I say it, Neeld-esque. Lucky I no longer have a glass coffee table or I'd have spent the second half picking shards out of the carpet.

You're suggesting that Dank's plan was to order illegal performance enhancing drugs in EFC's name and then on-supply them? Maybe he also have planned to hold up a bank wearing an Essendon jumper?

With the way Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen have lifted, it's almost like we had an extra three new players come in during the off season... we got JKH, Salem, Riley, Vince, Cross, Tyson, Dunn, Jetta and Pedersen.

IF West-Coast don't thump us..... Roos probably doesn't consider Frawley the forward. (Opposition clubs now see Frawley as a valuable swingman)....... Dunn doesn't become the main man back with responsibility and exposure. Dunn has suddenly come into AA contention. Surely Dunn's 8 weeks of footy at Full Back has been better than any 8 week period of Frawley, even in his AA year IMO. (Disclosure - I have never been excited by Frawley; however his effort in that last offensive play when he got decked in a marking contest; got up straight away to give McKenzie the 1-2 was absolutely unbelievable...and I doubt any in the comp would have bounced right up after the hit)

Essendon To Take Federal Court Action Against Melbourne Football Club

Workcover have unleashed a damning report on Melbourne during the Bailey years. Apparently we didn't do any. Some recruiters have also been reported for not working.

The subject document is a quasi-Chewbacca Draft. It's occasionally clumsy and in parts just silly eg naming Robinson and Dank (IIRC) as "major actors" and referring to "Ian Robinson" when The Weapon's name is Dean. And so on. The request itself is anonymous. It's just a pile of crepe really. Fairfax has reported the request as ridgy-didge: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/nine-afl-clubs-reported-to-workcover-20140617-zsb0k.html LMFAO

Patrick Keane @AFL_PKeane · 54m NO other club was found to be in breach of AFL’s rules & regulations as per matters that saw Essendon investigated & sanctioned in Aug '13. Patrick Keane @AFL_PKeane · 54m After the ACC report was released in 2013, the AFL Commission publicly said on Feb 7 '13 an audit would be held of all clubs across the AFL.

They are totally different people so that's a bit unfair. Chip will be invaluable if Hogan doesn't come up or if we have an injury down back, he's a lot better footballer than he's given credit for on this forum. We can't continually lose good experienced players if we want to climb up the ladder and if our senior players leave, what signal does that send to anyone we chase.

No doubt, PJ will deal with this in the usual and proper manner by taking it to the Federal Court to have it declared ultra vires.

Pick 5's Kade Kolydashiygsfdiasugsdigshy Jake Stringer Mathew Buntine Jared Polec Ben Cunnington Michael Hurley Jarrad Grant Travis Boak Bit of a mixed bag. I say we keep Frawley.

Bob, if you're asking that question at this stage of proceedings, you need to go back several hundred pages and brush up on your reading.

Bloody Hell MD if Essendrug are going to the Supreme Court with that defence i will have the Benny Hill music cued and ready to go!!

Love that shot of the members going crazy at the end. Moments like that are the ones you wish would last forever.

Found this little tidbit at the bottom of an article relating to Dean Robinson proceedings against Dons: In response to Mr Robinson’s writ, the club claimed he failed to put in place an "adequate process" to ensure substances administered to players in 2011 and 2012 did not contravene the anti-doping code, were approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and would not harm the health and safety of its players. But Little is adamant they didn't take anything that was banned??? Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-denigrated-former-highperformance-coach-dean-robinson-court-told-20140617-zsafg.html#ixzz34rkShP00

I think EFC taking ASADA to the federal court is bringing the game into disrepute. This is a new offence. The AFL could tell EFC to follow the normal process, they can still have their day in court. To claim ASADA have operated improperly is a blight on our game. This will not clear EFC's name, this cannot make them innocent. It is a legal ploy by EFC. The AFL have signed up to be under the ASADA umbrella, by extension that includes EFC. For EFC to challenge ASADA they question the AFL and the other 17 clubs. The clubs and the AFL should demand that EFC follow the legal process as agreed by all parties. This stalling attempt by EFC creates disharmony and disdain. Further it brings the game into disrepute. It cannot give them the day in court to clear their names they craved for only last year. If EFC think they have done no wrong they should fight the charges not the system. We should call on the AFL to tell EFC to take their medicine or fight the charges not the system.

Probably no change, but if there were to be one it would be Michie in for Riley, for me.

Hah, I've got to confess I've watched it a million times as well (and I *still* haven't seen the rest of the game - though it seems to have finally appeared on the SmartReplay thingy). Seeing McDonald charge inboard and hand off to Tyson still makes the hairs on my arms stand up.

Use or attempted use. Administration or attempted administration... If the EFC attempted to purchase and or administer a prohibited substance they are stuffed. They could have been sold a placebo. Still stuffed. If Dank stole the Beta 4 and sold it elsewhere, they are still stuffed. As Hird said, "get me the good stuff". Whether it was provided or administered is of no legal consequence. They are stuffed.

After reading all the posts I noted that Wade Lee's was done for 2 years for importing a banned substance. It never got to him and was snaffled by customs. So according to Nick McKenzie, ASADA have transcripts from Dank asking Chartres to source the raw material from China, it was reconstituted by the the compound pharmacist and Essendon got an invoice. Then all the records got conveniently lost so no-one knows what they got ... I can see why ASADA and their overseas WADA expert think they have a case because even if it wasn't administered then the players in the injection program will be guilty under the drug code. It is a different set of rules than we are used to in common law. Anecdotally the bombers were huge and all looked pumped at the start of the 2012 season and then inexplicably all succumbed to an extra ordinary number of soft tissue injuries. Cannot help but think they got juiced up and then had the juice cut off mid season.

I can remember the looks on the faces of all of them at the meeting when the joint announcement was made. They were guilty. Make no mistake.

Don't want it, get the Anzac eve and keep the queens birthday.

Love Dunstall as a commentator. Unlike others he knows what he is talking about. I use to love his sprays on after the bounce about players dribbling for goals. Funniest things I have seen. Him and spud Frawley are good to watch. Anyone have youtube clips on Dunstall spray?

He is getting some huge wraps in the papers today not just from the weekend but from rnd 5 onwards he is the dominant defender in the entire comp. Kudos L Dunn, kudos to you.

Who needs diamonds? Special pres from husband for X0th Birthday. It was unfurled at 7.31 pm Sunday night! Kids are mortified, Demon barrackers, but overwhelmed with acute, teenage, parental embarrassment!

Great first post Nev

Massive win. We played terribly for the first half. I took both older boys, and it was the first win that number 1 son (7, and the artist behind the inkblot avatar) started to really care. The losing, the winning, the losing, the victory...it is the way 1987 happened for me. Addiction through the thrill of victory under adversity. And so it begins. Poor kid. P.S., had forgotten that the MCC crowd could really get into the game. It's like a creature that has been asleep, or tranquilized, finally rousing from its slumber. Go you mighty Demons.

Watching 360 for the first time in months. I have to say, it must be very tricky to sit next to Mark Robinson without feeling like you're babysitting your drunk uncle.

There were a couple of efforts from Dawes I noticed on the replay that just show how valuable he is to a side winning, even if he's not marking and kicking goals. In the last quarter there was a chase in the middle of the ground where he caught and put enough pressure on some Bomber idiot to scrub the kick. Then at a centre bounce he came off the line and tackled Zaharakis to stop him getting yet another clean clearance. Little things like that aren't so little when it's the difference between winning and losing. Amazing efforts (week in week out) for a big man who had very little prep for this season. And I can't stop watching that final play that got us the winning goal. It's a dream sequence. Every single player involved did the right thing and half of them had a touch of pure brilliance. We haven't had a play like that in any game, so to pull it off at the most intense point of the season thus far is truly remarkable. If this game was on VHS the tracking lines would render it unwatchable by the end of the week.

Can't drop Riley. He is the only senior player on the list never to have played in a losing side. He is our totem. Big magic.