Leaderboard

The AFL have sanctioned Nought and Fremantle to Tank this week The Commission should be sacked en masse...

A tactic we've been trialing all year. Unfortunately instead of resting players for matches, we've been resting our players during matches.

I was thinking about Toumpas and the cr*p he cops on here and then thought, what do clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong do with underperforming young players. It seems it a lot of instances they back in their development and keep faith. Hawks: Alex Woodward- drafted in 2011 and had a horror run with knee injuries (still on Hawks list) Geelong: Daniel Menzel- drafted 2009 and again a horror run with injuries (still on the list) West Coast: Brad Sheppard- drafted in 2009 and has taken a long time to develop. Having his best season in 2015. Chris Masten- drafted in 2007 and played his first decent season in 2012. Sydney: Large amount of swans play in the reserves for the start of their career. Harry Cunningham: drafted 2012- just starting to show good signs. Obviously they also have young players who play straight off the bat but it goes to show that there's no right or wrong way. If we don't back in our development with Toumpas then the club may as well fold as we will never develop a premiership side.

Sean Wight was a very underrated player - probably played in the shadow of the great Jimmy, but he was a superb, athletic defender - very attacking and fantastic to watch.

Hope he's as good as the last White that played for Dees, or better still as good as the last Wight to play for the Dees

I'd love to see Crossy hand him his first jumper on his last game.

If I were the broadcasters, I'd be livid with the AFL's decision to allow clubs to rest players en masse. In the NBA a few years ago, the San Antonio Spurs rested 3 key players in what was a back-to-back game, and the commission fined them $250,000. You would think that a club resting players for 1 game over an 82 game season would be ok, but the commission assessed that it's damaging to the product, and not in the spirit of the league. The AFL have set a pretty dangerous precedent IMO.

Must be retarded. Pass.

Picket will be happy.

Mitch White to debut. Deliberately withholding a link to annoy Curry & Beer.

Your comments about Jimmy Stynes haven't been forgotten Aker

I think North is acting too big for its boots. It's a defeatists approach to finals. They should field their best side this week, play themselves into form, and be prepared to go to Adelaide and try and win a game of footy. Freo is different. North imo is just silly and arrogant, although wouldn't expect any less from a Scott brother.

So Freo and Nth are allowed to pick and choose and play in a manner which best suits their long game/big picture needs !! Marvellous....we did that and got screwed.... The AFL is as corrupt as it comes

So North has AFL permission to rest players this week which increases their chance of a final in Melbourne rather than Adelaide. I'd love the AFL to explain how tanking for that short term gain is more honourable than tanking to get a better draft pick. Is the mistake in the latter case to play your normal team out of position rather than rest them?

Well this is awkward...

I agree but I know DR and he is a top bloke, great communicator and a very experienced former player who is still in touch with the game. He knows how to talk to the young guys and hopefully will boost Jimmys confidence.

Just watched the video. Love you Daniel Cross. What a legend.

FFS Farewell game for Crossy and possibly Russian, time for respect not making a silly statement. First 10 mins of the second quarter was the issue last week not the first, effort was there in the first just not the execution of the plan

Thats a stupid idea.

THE CURTAIN FALLS by JVM My head is literally spinning at the prospect of Melbourne taking on the GWS Giants in our home city and while the pretenders from Western Sydney are without such key players as Shane Mumford, Phil Davis, Ryan Griffen, Dylan Shiel, Will Hoskin-Elliott and dare I say it, Tom Scully. No, I'm not saying this because I want to emulate the positivity about the club and this game that the powers that be would like displayed by supporters (as if that would have much bearing on team performance anyway) but rather as an indication that the Giants have not used the absence of some of their better players as an excuse for a lapse in effort leading to weak efforts and bad defeats. They are a young side, they have lost key playmakers including some of their most valuable and experienced team members - Mumford alone would make a substantial difference for then - and yet they were able to beat Carlton by 81 points last week. That's the same Carlton that Melbourne embarrassed itself only a week earlier when, at one stage just before half time, it trailed by one goal to ten. This is Melbourne which, a week earlier produced a goalless first quarter against the Bulldogs and were twelve goals down at the main break. The Melbourne which, after the club's negative culture as seen among its long-suffering supporters was emphasised ad nauseum in the media as being the problem. The fact is that the negative vibes at the club are merely a symptom of the fact that there are not enough players at the club who have sufficient ability to perform at the highest level, who can get their 25 to 30 possessions per game at the lower level but when it comes to the crunch, you look at their stats in the Fremantle game and the numbers beside their names are abysmally low and that's just numbers without representing the quality of their product. As a consequence, at this time of year, it's all left to the too few and to the inexperienced young kids and when the form of the team leaders in the categories of disposal count such as Nathan Jones and Bernie fall away from high 20s/30s per game to half that amount, it spells trouble with a capital T. So the curtain falls on a season of unfulfilled promise. There might have been improvement under Paul Roos but it really has been barely enough to register on the Richter Scale when you consider the fact that the club has recruited well and the list of players available is on paper far superior to that which he inherited. There is still much deadwood to be culled before we can stop making excuses. Against that backdrop, it is ironic that the first official end of year departure from the club is Daniel Cross who has been a fantastic heart and soul player in his two seasons with the Demons and whose example and effort will be sorely missed. Not a single one of those who follow him out of the door - and there will be many - will be able to put hand on heart and say he contributed more to the Melbourne Football Club in the last two years. THE GAME Melbourne v GWS Giants at Etihad Stadium, Sunday 6 September, 2015 at 1.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 3 wins GWS Giants 4 wins At Etihad Stadium Melbourne 0 wins GWS Giants 0 wins Past five meetings Melbourne 1 win GWS Giants 4 wins The Coaches Roos 0 wins Cameron 3 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel at 1.00pm (live) RADIO - SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $2.95 GWS Giants to win - $1.41 THE LAST TIME THEY MET GWS Giants 15.11.101 defeated Melbourne 8.8.56 at Startrack Stadium Round 2, 2015 The opposite Melbourne to the one we've seen in the past month played that day. The Demons were on fire early kicking four goals to nil in the opening stanza and late in the first half were leading by seven goals to one. They then put up the shutters and scored only one more goal to travel home totally humiliated, at one stage conceding fourteen unanswered goals. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Jeremy Howe HB: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Christian Salem C: Jack Grimes, Bernie Vince, Mitch White HF: James Harmes, Oscar McDonald, Angus Brayshaw F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jay Kennedy-Harris Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C: Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton, Billy Stretch EMG: Mark Jamar, Matt Jones, Jack Watts IN: Angus Brayshaw, James Harmes, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Mitch White OUT: Neville Jetta (calf), Matt Jones (omitted), Jake Spencer (concussion), Jack Watts (omitted) NEW: Mitch White (19, Dandenong Stingrays) GWS GIANTS B: Adam Kennedy, Caleb Marchbank, Zac Williams HB: Lachie Plowman, Aidan Corr, James Stewart C: Lachie Whitfield, Adam Treloar, Heath Shaw HF: Devon Smith, Cam McCarthy, Rhys Palmer F: Josh Kelly, Jeremy Cameron, Adam Tomlinson FOLL: Tom Downie, Callan Ward, Tommy Bugg I/C : Jake Barrett, Toby Greene, Jacob Townsend, Nathan Wilson EMG: Paul Ahern, Rory Lobb, Jack Steele IN: Jake Barrett, Jacob Townsend OUT: Stephen Coniglio (hamstring), Ryan Griffen (knee), NEW: Jake Barrett (19, NSW/ACT Rams) GWS already boasts its best record against the Dees with four wins to three in its brief history and it has a good chance of improving that on the hard and fast Etihad Stadium surface which is conducive to strong running teams such as the Giants on ballers. But are they really that good? The Giants are certainly not all that great at clearing the ball from the centre since they average only 10.5 centre clearances per game which puts them in 17th place in the competition. The problem however, is that the Demons are 18th in this category with an average of 10.4. I believe therefore that the best way for Melbourne to beat the odds and finish the season with a win - important in my book - is to assert ruck dominance through 208cm Max Gawn who will be relied upon to get the ball down to his on ball division and create enough take aways to make a difference. Gawn's opponent is little known third string ruckman Tom Downie who has been at the club for years but has played only seven games. He stands at 203cm and is in the team only by virtue of injuries to Shane Mumford and Andrew Phillips. The big danger for the Demons is their propensity to turn unknowns into champions overnight with outstanding match-winning performances against them (following which they disappear never to be seen again). However, I have faith in Max getting the pill down to his players and on to Jesse Hogan in quick enough time to make a difference this week. Melbourne desperately needs a quality midfielder so this game affords it the opportunity to impress Adam Treloar and prove to him that the club is a worthy destination. It probably won't happen but who knows? It really is time for the club to beat its Etihad Stadium hoodoo and to that end, it would be really exciting if the Dees could kick a goal in the first fifty minutes of elapsed play time even if there's nobody around to witness the achievement. My tip: a draw.

Would be remiss if they weren't.

Picket's pitching a tent. (A small tent but a tent nonetheless)

Great news! And to think all the rookie list players have all debuted except King. This is a major testimont to Jason Taylor and his crew!

picket just seen running naked down nepean highway yelling obscenities

some arithmetic current system 120 rotations, 3 on bench 18 on field = 21 players lets ignore sub (as sub + subbed = 1 player) 120 minutes of play. 18 x 120 minutes = 2160 total minutes divide by 21 = 103 min per player so each player spends 17 minutes on bench 120 rotations divide by 21 = 5.7 rotations per player 103 min divide by 5.7 rotations = 18.1 min average stay on ground 17min divide by 5.7 rotations = 3 min average stay on the bench new system 90 rotations, 4 on bench 18 on field = 22 players 120 minutes of play. 18 x 120 minutes = 2160 total minutes divide by 22 = 98 min per player so each player spends 22 min on bench 90 rotations divide by 22 = 4.1 rotations per player 98 min divide by 4.1 rotations = 23.9 min average stay on ground 22 min divide by 4.1 rotations = 5.4 min average stay on the bench Nett: total game time drops from 103 min to 98 min = 4.9% drop time on ground interval increases from 18.1 min to 23.9 min = 32% increase time on bench interval increases from 3 min to 5.4 min = 80% increase ok, these are only averages and will vary from midfield to fwd to backmen, but gives an idea of impact (probably some arithmetic errors, so pls check)

Roos does not rate our depth players... So many kids have played this year and last. Much harder for a kid under Roos at Sydney to win a game. Good luck to him. Love left footers.

It again just proves that drafting has been our number one issue, development a distant second.

Freo is fine as they are locked in and have earnt top spot. Also their opponents cant move either. North winning or losing can affect 3 other teams. I call [censored]

What does Brad Hardie think???

If he wants to move after 2 years at a club who have nurtured him through injury then I'm not sure that is the attitude we're trying to cultivate.

Why do you think it is OK to 'be happy to lose' in pursuit of the ultimate goal a few weeks away but not for the penultimate goal of improving the list to get closer to the ultimate goal next year. Basically you are saying short term tanking is OK, long term tanking is not. The AFL should approve of neither of them. I'd be pretty [censored] off if I was an Adelaide supporter.

Not only with the Dees being poor but the the AFL making up new rules on the fly makes this game difficult to watch sometimes. What a disgrace they fined us and let North improve their position by tanking. They have actually rubber stamped them leaving half their side out.

I agree bbHe seldom seems to have much impact even at VFL level. Is it too much to ask of a no. 4 selection to play well for Casey?

BB. Taking personality out, what we have is: A young, highly talented player Who runs hard Who trains hard Has the right attitude and approach Is a good kick Is a smart footballer Who has not, at age 21, put it all together on the field. There may be reasons why he had not put it together on the field, including: -Double hip surgery during first preseason -Thrown to the wolves in his first season in arguably the worst season a club has had in modern football, before he was ready physically or mentally -Poor quality coach in his first year -Change in coach/football department at end of first year -Appendix out in his 2nd year -A couple of untimely concussions in his third year He clearly has an issue with confidence in his own abilities which he will need to overcome to make it. But he had also clearly shown that he had the tools and attributes to make a player at AFL level. Unless we think we can get better value with a late draft pick (who will younger - and thus less likely to impact in 2016 than Toumpas), there is clearly upside to giving him time to come good. If he doesn't become a regular best 22 by 2017 he is out the door. But a 4th year is not unreasonable given what we had shown and what some of his obstacles have been.

I agree we need good players in for the here and now. My point is that the best sides are steadfast in their development and show patience. If we continually cut young players because they aren't playing their best after 3 seasons we will forever be at the bottom of the ladder and we would deserve it.

So your argument is that we shouldn't develop our young players because we are not a good team? Hmmmm

Great post 'Dom'! Other clubs show patience. Renewing Jimmy's contract indicates our club can also show patience. I think the DL cr*p heaped on Jimmy is because our AFL team has constantly lost since he arrived. If our seniors were winning, DL would be a lot more patient with him and all new recruits. Jimmy has had the additional burden of being a high draft pick and picked instead of a DL fave, who has been starring. Some posters just need a 'whipping boy' and Jimmy is an easy target. Can't wait for Jimmy to be a permanent 22. Then I hope those DL's are gracious enough to eat humble pie!

I suspect OP had tongue firmly planted in cheek. Clearly not a serious suggestion.

I reckon only a peanut would criticise the delivery, mono. Public speaking is not his thing, and it was obviously a difficult speech for him to deliver given the emotion of it.

If we got rid of everyone who wasn't getting a game right now, we'd be left with 22 players. There is, believe it or not, more to list management than that.

The difference is, most will give the stupid one meter hand ball, Toumpas tries to find a better option. Like Watts, he is looking for our players to run to the right spots. And they don't.

I don't think it will be that many - unless we find homes for Garland, Howe, and Grimes. But even then you are looking at bringing in some very speculative talent in the back end of the draft or finding some limited players in Delisted FA. Cross and Jamar retiring, M Jones and Terlich being paid out, the aforementioned three moving via FA and Trades, and the deletion of McKenzie, Hunt, Bail, Riley, Michie, and Fitzpatrick would be the maximum I can see and that is 13. Not much room to move. You can also compare them to what they would bring in: 1. Mckenzie/Vanders 2. Bail/ND5 3. Terlich/ND27 4. Hunt/ND47 5. Jamar/ND66 6. Howe/*Trade Pick and/or Player* 7. Cross/Harmes 8. Fitzpatrick/DFA1 9. Garland/*FA Pick 10. Grimes/*Trade Pick and/or Player* 11.Michie/DFA2 12. Riley/ND86 13. M Jones/DFA3 The above are in some sort of 'desire to keep' order but the value return disappears in my opinion at Michie for the second delisted FA, we might see the back of more than that but I doubt it. I would keep Michie and Riley around but the latter hasn't played much and that isn't a good thing in a contract year - the return on the 11th change onwards isn't great.

Well, I can understand the decision even if I would have given him another year. Well done to him - he was fantastic these last two years, and he gave me new appreciation for professionals who just do their job and play with heart and effort. I hope it is appreciated by the younger players at the club too.

Mayes is gold - great run and skill - massive upside - we'd be mad not to go after

If the club listened to everyones advice on Demonland we'd stay clear of everyone. People forget how [censored] [censored] we are, and almost anyone is better than what we have.

Clearly he is highly valued by the Club. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-09-02/roos-hopeful-cross-will-take-on-new-role Extract: Cross has been offered a position as development and rehab coach and Roos said the 32-year-old would be a great acquisition to the football department. “He’s got a sports science background and he’s done some study in that area and that’s his passion. But we’d like to talk about a role that helps him involved in the development of players and running with them,” he said on Roos’ Views. “If he wants to play [for Casey in the VFL], then that’s probably another conversation as well, so we’re just starting the conversation of what he might want to do. “The first part of it is that he was very keen to play [on] and it’s just getting over the disappointment of his career ending. He had an idea that that was going to happen, but it still comes as a bit of a shock.” Its a shame that it came as a shock to Crossy. Looks like there is a Shannon Byrnes role for him. Hope he takes it. He will be very good for the young guys and good off-field support for Nat Jones.

Wow. I know some will criticize the delivery, but what a powerful speech. Brought a tear to my eye. Hopefully he will be able to have an ongoing positive input into our club and our players, and they will show him the respect that he had clearly earned over his two years at the club. Ah....list management is just so simple, isn't it....or at least many posters here think it is. I am certain the decision was not made lightly. Now guys, give him a huge send off on Sunday.

I have a lump in my throat after watching his speech to the team. His body language said he didn't want to go. Well done DC. You are a fabulous role model and I hope you stick around the club.

Thank you for the effort you put in on this subject rpfc.

Great pick up for the club but it was time. Well done on a fine career that many of us could only dream about.. I hope he will be remembered as a good demon player and that he works wit the club in some capacity. Would hate to see him go back to the dogs