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It's only contracted until 2017.

Laughable. Why would you do that? What good comes of having serious games in February and early March. If you want that then just play 2 extra rounds and let the teams win their 8 points fair and square. Imagine missing the 8 because another team won the practice match series, you'd be furious.

Yes, Carlton supporters!

a Bombers-supporting mate told me he was at training and somebody drove past and wound down the window and yelled YA F--ING DRUG CHEATS! in what must have been an hilarious act of drive-by abuse. My mate said he realises the club will never, ever live it down. I enjoyed the conversation.

Just listened to the 3AW interview with the Essendon CEO. The arrogance, the lack of accepting responsibility, is mind-blowing. It is all still 'something that happened to us' in their mind. I think this is the most I've ever wanted the Melbourne Football Club to go out an absolutely crush an opponent. Normally I feel a little sympathy for supporters of clubs which are getting smashed, but honestly, as an Essendon supporter if you turn up to support this perversion then you deserve to go home miserable.

Cant believe the Druggos have invited James Tird to their drug pride march in Round 2 Actually no, I can believe it.

Sheedy is a freak show from the past. For all Dees fans going - this is our time not the drug cheats. We must not be intimidated by this mob in any fashion whatsoever, just let them make fools of themselves which they will. I will be turning my back when it comes to any celebrations they conduct. the MFC must not be embarrassed by this mob!!!!!!

No, if you attend the game you support OUR team. There couldn't be much worse for our boys than to show up to this horror show of a tribute to drug cheats and arrogance with a stadium full of Essendon supporters cheering them on and no support for Melbourne. Like with every game we play, the more support we can get (whether home or away), the better it is for the players. Do you refuse to attend Carlton games because they once cheated by breaching the salary cap?

Everyone said that last year after the Saints walloped them by 100 points. We had the same comments about how it'd be a cakewalk for us, while a few posters called for caution, correctly labeling the game a danger game (the Carlton match a few rounds later, too). I don't think the MFC has earned the right to pencil in W's for any match this year. 2015 proved we're still the kings of losing the "shoe-in" matches. Let's hope that habit gets eradicated this season. I'm quietly confident but the proof will be in the pudding.

It's what happened at the Bulldogs, Macca taught them good defensive structures and contested ball, the back bone of being a team that can perform in finals and now they're adding the attacking layer to it and they look fantastic Roosy taught the players the found ation of good footy so now goodwin is adding the layers, The thing about the ball movement that excited me the most was that for the first time in maybe 10 years, our players were running forward to dangerous spots, so the ball carrier could turn and kick right away and know either someone was going to be there or Jesse would create a strong contest.

Yep. Got there a bit late but it was a very good session. Only JKH and Newton in rehab. No sign of Dawes,Spencer and obviously Brayshaw. Hogan looked concerned and frustrated with a knee issue and left the track early. Hopefully nothing sinister. Petracca is a beast with an aggressive 'Hogan like' attitude! Stayed on with a group of about 15, including a sharp Trengove,with McArtney barking the orders. Christian was the standout.

It's very "Essendon". Their arrogance knows no bounds. I hope we absolutely destroy them by 100 points.

Those who may consider that Brayshaw's injury may not have occurred in an intraclub or at training should remember that Petracca's was in a simple marking drill at training. And Ox knee #1 Injuries will occur regardless

He's hardly looking like "Plugger", or a beefed up Templeton. I think this so called bulking up has been beaten up a bit and trust the club to know what they are doing with him.

"Whatever you took ....it won't be enough "

Was their briefly. JKH still in rehab & training one on one with Crossy. What a luxury to have. Just shots at goal today (for JKH) with either foot....set shots and on the run. Ben Newton running, running. No Spencer, Brayshaw sighted.Max King provided the highlight demonstrating his improving foots skills. He had a low shot for goal on the run but almost missed the ball completely. Improvement noted in that he didn't trip himself up and fall over. Received much encouragement (?) from team mates....to take up different sport. Trengove & Petracca training hard now.

I'll be there for this one and by god I hope we win and if/when given the opportunity we put our foot on their throats. That 2013 game of 148 points must burn those who played that night as much as it does me. James Kelly arrogantly yawning during the song at the end of a loss to the Cats in 08 or 09 is another reason why I want to hurt them bad

Shocking. Life is short enough as it is. Reminds you of making every day count when things like this occur. RIP

I read that article during the week and couldn't believe that David King missed the point so badly. Roosy came in and started at Ground Zero what a mighty job he has done so far. If Goodwin can take over seemlessly and continue the rise then David King can just disappear for all i care this 2016 season is so important we should have won 10 games last year...

I know this is only the NAB challenge and at this time of year, I agree with you. But to be honest, we have been down so long, that during the real season, I couldn't care less if we play the other clubs' worst sides, if it would get us into the finals. No one cares how you get there and we need the momentum. In other words I will gladly accept every break that can come our way, because we seem to have had the reverse over the last nearly 10 years. No one cares that we had injured players etc, when you look back at the season. We need everything going our way. Now if I can just control the bounce of the ball.

I actually struggle to find much useful in Kings comments beyond his description of attack on the ball and the individual attributes of players. Pagans' Paddock was as much as about keeping it simple for the mouth breathers he had on his team. Everything else he has to say smacks of being a windsock. I do think he understands individual players though.

I'd try to be a little more subtle about things. How about: "Melbourne...it's in the blood."

Can I suggest if not mentioned before that when the essendrug faithful stand and applaud we turn in the opposite direction and put our arms and hands across our chests in defiance of this cheating mongrel club!

yes, & also even if people don't like to acknowledge it, rebuilding coaches shoot themselves & they're club in the foot IF they climb the ladder too soon. before the culture is fixed, & the amount of talent on the list is sufficient for the club to grow from, for the future, otherwise it will be swamped in quick order if it climbs-ripens too soon. ... so the game plan must be on the defensive side first up, to get a culture of hard work-hard running defensively correct, before releasing the reigns slowly, after the good habits are ingrained. those who don't know/understand how to repair a sick club, just state the simplistic & the obvious. hopefully out of innocent ignorance, rather than some sort of vindictive mischief.

As much as I respected Jamar and am not watching the match, this quote from the AFL site sounds eerily familiar:

We need to pull our own crowd it will be 3 years since that disgusting defeat by those cheats... it's time to throw it back hard...

Hahaeverything we do that night will be clean Geez that was a clean disposal Clean passage of play Well WADA you know? How clean was that!

This has to be seen as an awesome opportunity for 'US' - not them. That's the way we need to look at it - it's all about perspective. They'll put in all the money and effort to create the fanfare about this match - which I'm sure will get some decent media coverage post match with regards to how it pans out and what the reception was. We need to take the opportunity to make sure the story ends with 'proceedings didn't go to plan for Essendon with Melbourne 'injecting' further pain with a 80+ point thrashing...'

rip couchy - the brownlow medalled garbologist from boggy creek - far, far too young

Watching Jamar he looks completely unfit and way past it. Gawn is going to have a field day.

Reminds me of the sadist and the masochist Masochist: "Please beat me severely" Sadist: "No!" It seems that they will be allowed draft picks according to their finishing position, which surely will mean pick 1 or 2 - rewarded. They still have the ANZAC game - rewarded. They still have numerous prime time matches - rewarded, even though they are likely to be poor matches. Rewarded. Players will be missing both from EFC and other teams. Top up picks for the offenders; none for the others. Rewarded. WADA rules for team involvement as I understand should involve team suspensions.

Glorious. This must be the attitude of ALL MFC Supporters and Members attending Round 2 Give it to them hard...

What I am loving is Hells Bells by ACDC leading into our theme song.. It is [censored] epic!!

I found this on Bigfooty "Ron Tudor (Fable Records) had the bright idea in the early 70s that his company should get a brassy-jazzy musical backing group into a studio together with a group of male voices, headed by Barry Crocker, to record all and each of the 12 club songs. I think you could buy a 45rpm single in a suitably-coloured sleeve for about a buck and as well the lot were released on LP. Fitzroy's and Sth Melbourne's originals have had to be modified and this list has been augmented and modified; the initial recordings are musically-evident. Fable Records folded in 1984 so I guess the rights were bought by someone with some foresight". These are brilliant versions and shouldn't be messed with. Great singing and arrangements. Ours has banjo.... Awesome! Maybe it was Smacka Fitzgibbon? (I don't know). And Barry Crocker! (I didn't know this) Some info on "The Fable Label", which, in the early seventies, had some iconic Australian artists and hits. http://www.milesago.com/industry/fable.htm

I've been wondering if the more attacking style will suit the remaing guys from the Bailey era, especially Watts and Grimes, who were brought in because Bailey (and the recruiting at the time) were very free flowing attack orientated. It just seems those 2 in particular sometimes second guess themselves between attack and defense, but with Roos defensive grounding they might now come close to fulfilling their potential, i certainly hope so because inthink those 2 at their best will be a big reason we can push closer to finals.

What they are creating is a very dangerous situation here...the march will incite the idiot factor. The AFL need to step in if they know what's good for the image of the game otherwise it will get out of hand, I can guarantee it.

i live in fear of losing this game.

I have taken the major step of ensuring that I am out of the country altogether when the Bomber fans give their team a standing ovation before the game on 2 April. I do however, hope that after the game, the standing ovation will be for the Melbourne team. That's the main thing that matters.

Just like building a house Kingy. It's imperative that you establish strong foundations before you build the main living quarters and then add the second story. If not, Cyclone Winston will demolish the whole house in one bad afternoon. Didn't you know we are building for the long term? Incidentally Kingy, how long have you been around football?

Fair point rjay. However, a win to kick off the season and to give us some momentum going in to face the drug cheats is what I'm after at this stage. Going 2-0 would be a superb way to get our season rolling and I'll take it any way we can.

It's funny how we all differ.........I loved that logo......Much better than the plain and boring one we have now.

These are the games we have to win and win well if we are going to play finals, no excuses, we should beat this mob by 10 goals

If we need an injury to an opposition player to swing a game then we haven't really improved much if at all. Let's play their full team and win with no excuses.

I agree. Do they expect Demon supporters and members to just sit and suck this crap up it could be a huge punch on hope it is.....

gws looked sharp i thought. good skills.

Just Bernie that was interviewed. Nothing of massive note. Typical generic line of questioning - "Melbourne have been terrible for a while. Here's a graphic showing exactly how terrible. How less terrible will you be this year?" Finals the achievable goal. No rush on Hogan. Enjoying being a leader. Loves playing against Adelaide. Hopes Watts re-signs as he is a barometer for the club.

2 Year complete ban of the entire club would have been a suitable verdict for me No club would EVER go near Peptides again if that was enforced...

Yes,Hulett was there and looks big and physical. Lumumba joined in most of the main session. Frost looks list up forward,love him to go back. Wagner looks assured and has excellent disposal.Reluctant unusually prominent and vocal.Hogan kept pointing to the medial ligament area dropped out a few times before going off.Oliver in everything.

Congrats on your first post! Keep it up!

Awesome to hear Trengove and Petracca doing so well. Stoked.