Leaderboard

Median games is the most relevant stat there. 30 is simply a crazy number. We are winning games with a team of babies.

Thanks for the laugh

I'm not overly sentimental when it comes to (most) footballers, but I have tremendous respect and empathy for Jack Grimes. He's stagnant on 98 games and deserves to play 100 for the MFC. Some will look at it from a F/S point of view, but that's a distant consideration. He's not best 22, but the club needs to make sure he reaches this milestone. He's not so far behind a Bugg, or a couple of others, that it would compromise our winning chances. It would be terribly disappointing if he left this club without his name on the locker. He deserves it.

Hard to believe that we're already at Round 10 and it's even harder to believe that the Demons are putting such a young team onto the field each week and yet still remain in finals contention. The table below from what I believe was last week's round shows how young the team. With Nev Jetta and Dom Tyson coming into the team today, the average age might be slightly higher but it's good knowing that we have plenty of youth to come in and supplement the team - Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver and Christian Salem for starters. That's all good but our opponents have on average about three years in age and far more than double the numbers played over us. Can youth triumph over experience today?

chap?

Jetta can hold his head high. Been fantastic.

Nobody is interested in your horticultural issues.

Nearly fell off my chair when I saw that. Wow. Thats a team of players that have played less than 1.5 seasons an average. Makes the turnaround all the more remarkable, an I hope next loss we have the supporters put things in perspective and acknowledge we are way ahead of he curve.

Fantastic article by Martin Flanagan in the Age re Nev. As always with his writing it is a great read.

Staging for frees should be reportable. Leave it for the princesses who play soccer. Deliberate corruption of the rules ruins the integrity of the game and confuses our already dim witted umpiring fraternity.

For those of you who kept up to date with the game on here, or haven't seen it, then don't listen to those who suggest playing a Dunn or Frost or Pedersen down back, or up forward, would have made a difference. They're wrong. We were outplayed today by a side that exploited our defence superbly. Our small forwards and midfielders didn't do enough around the contests and this allowed Port to get first hands on the ball, release the ball to a runner, and they were away. It didn't matter who we played down back because they weren't given the opportunity to properly make a contest. What Port did well was get the ball to half back, bring it to ground and then run. They did it all day and we didn't do enough to stop it. Our defence is based on pressure and the press up the ground, and when we don't do it we look silly. Guys like Dixon and Wingard had acres of space all day. Dunn wouldn't have changed that. Our younger players like Kennedy, Kent, Harmes, Wagner and Petracca had minimal impact on the contest. Tyson was poor as well while others like Viney weren't able to exert the same influence on the contest. The other one is Hogan - he is such a fantastic player, but missing some key shots really hurt us. The big miss in the last quarter was the nail in the coffin. I think he'll learn from it and look to improve. Overall a very disappointing performance. We had a few winners like Gawn and Jones, but we just didn't work hard enough around the ground. On to next week and an opportunity to respond against the Hawks.

I'm fine with the zone. But when it stops working in game we need to be able to switch to man on man or different versions of it. Otherwise it's just insanity.

Horseshite.

The young excuse is going to become quite cumbersome over the next few years.

Some jolly good floggings being handed out on this thread. I could become redundant!

Been good value for about a decade. Tired of hearing it trotted out. Does not seem to affect the Bulldogs.

It's not that hard to spell entire words.

Cup of tea at half time and the chaps will be tickety boo.

at least we have our excuse for today's performance already lined up

Ha ha, you bunch of sooks. Plenty of time to fix things up.

Address please Steve....

OP is spot on. I'm sick of posters saying we're young, like it's a foregone conclusion that we'll make big strides in years to come. Some of the young players are just not good enough at the moment, and may never make it. Posters over hype our youngsters, just as they did with Gysberts, Morton, Blease and Tapscott after their early appearances. The same posters say that playing O.Mac in the seniors is good for his development. You know what, I'd rather have the best team capable of winning the game. And that doesn't include O. Mac, Garland or Hunt. Message to coaching panel, at least pick a team capable of implementing your ridiculous zone defence. Opposition coaches with half a brain must lick their lips. Win the contested ball, and we'll smash Melbourne on the way back.

Apples and Oranges mate For those teams they play there enough to call them second home grounds Alice is a one off event and closer to Adelaide, We lose all the time As for the $ ,,,,winning games drives memberships so call the NT games off for me

The wrist-slashing in here is hilarious. Youngest team in the comp, least experienced team in the comp. We are going to lose games that we should win, it's part of the development. Harden up and move on!

Without Oliver it limits our clearance power. The beauty about having someone like Oliver is that it frees up our mids to be third in line (Gawn down to Oliver - dish off to?), providing them more time to spot a target forward. When we do this it takes the pressure off of our defensive structure. But when this doesn't happen - and Viney, Jones or Tyson just hack it forward out of the middle - the opposition catch us on the run and spread. It makes our players look like witches hats. I get that people want one on one accountable football, but even if we were one on one, the opposition would still find space.

Wow. We got beaten by a team that needed to beat us and got the job done. We didn't play well and that was dissaponting. All of those things I can handle. What I can't handle is the sooky, weak as [censored] attitude of supposed supporters taking shots at other supporters and players because we don't win every game with a team of 20 year olds. We will be up and down. Sometimes that will be difficult to stomach - but are we moving in the right direction as a club and as a team? Yes! Sometimes I have to reset my browser to make sure I'm on a Melbourne Football Club supporters forum. Go Dees!

Over reaction. Let the kids learn what is an exciting and attacking game plan. Playing man on man will get us nowhere in the long term.

Or maybe we are very young and still learning the balance of defence and attack? Maybe we're not quite as good as supporters/media say when we win and not as bad as supporters say when we lose like today. What do you think? Where do you think we have we improved and where do we need to improve immediately to push further up the ladder?

Every time we look like kicking a goal that might get us firing up, someone misses. I reckon if we'd put a few of those through it might have been enough to get us going. New half up soon though and a chance to start again. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet.

A MUST WIN GAME TODAY ... Port, Crows and Demons will battle for that 8th position. Top 7 is locked in for me. If the Demons lose, back in the 9th to 13th pack. Can Gawn ruck all day... he looked tired last week !!!

Jones to be fined again.

Our team of boys are creating havoc. Couldn't be more proud of them win or lose. Couple of years and look out . Well done Paul Roos and the off field team.

Dee's by 34, Billy Stretch RS nom, slow roasted pork belly for lunch and a few froffies.

Becoming vegetarian has nothing to do with it. The science and knowledge has moved way beyond this myth. You do not have to eat meat to be strong or have energy or whatever else you think eating meat gives you. Eating a balanced vegetarian diet ( not vegan) is far healthier and better for digestive purposes and cardiovascular health. All risk factors decrease, and it is good for the environment , not to mention the cruelty of killing living creatures. A balanced vegetarian diet does not decrease energy levels.

His sister is wrong. North Melbourne is not even in the equation. Richmond is throwing cash at him and so are North, but he won't consider the Roos. He has no intention of going there. Melbourne has a far, FAR better chance than North. Source: Someone in a better position than his sister (yes, there is someone in a better position than his sister).

Lets be clear. If Dion chooses us as his preferred destination, he will end up a Dee. You can never have too many A Graders. Those who say we have too many players of his ilk are being naive. How many midfield A Graders has Hawthorn had in the last 5 years? Many of them have had to play in alternative positions, but the key to their success is firstly recruiting them and secondly having them play their role which may only be periodically and briefly through the midfield. I have no idea what we will have to give up for Dion, but once a player declares a destination, the destination club is in a position of power. The departing club has rarely received market value, particularly since free agency. The acquiring club has almost never failed to sign their man once preferred destination is declared. My understanding is Dion will choose us. Hogan will re-sign along with McDonald. We are unlikely to lose regular 22 by choice. As I have previously said, I will retire GNF if I am wrong. This is the firm belief of our club.

Hawthorn, their supporters, their former smart arz players, now in the media and their smug supporters who, in the main, have never had to put up with bad times. I have a friend who talks of bad times where they didn't win a flag for about 5 years. Add a zero to the end of that and you've got the plight of the Melbourne supporter.

Just for anyone looking (and yes, what a fantastic read)... Melbourne's Neville Jetta is a stand-up guy

Easily sucked in.

Easily pleased?

He would have got the nom last week if he were eligible. Another must win this game, a lot of teams hovering around 4 and 5 wins. Adelaide could lose to GWS and we're a game clear in 8th. I love pork belly and froffies..

Yes, Lets get Lennon and McCartney together!

True story, a friend of mine was curator for aboriginal art at the National Gallery in Canberra and he told me that when the gallery was getting ready to open in the early 80's they had mock-ups created of all of the major works so they could hang them first to get the groupings on the walls looking right. After they were done with, they decided to hang the mock-up of Blue Poles in the staff room. Before the official opening the then Minister for the Arts was taken on a tour to familiarize himself and when they stopped in the staff area he commented on how lucky the staff were to have Blue Poles hanging in their room and how fresh it still looked (the paint was yet to completely dry).

North FINALLY found out. About time.

Dermie just called the second Thomas free the most disgraceful free kick ever and called it a blight on the game and the rule makers need to change this. He was genuinely angry, well done Dermie. Sellers agreed. Eddie played devils advocate but I think he wanted to agree but had the president hat on.

Thomas has been acting for years, ducking, diving, drawing high contact by lowering the knees. Him, Harvey and Thompson are fIogs of the highest order for that crud of a club.

GNF, I really appreciate your contributions, but I'm getting the impression that your source is merely relaying things from the club's perspective, and their beliefs may not be shared by all parties involved. Just as GWS thought they had Franklin and Richmond thought they had Treloar, we may think we have Prestia, and we also may think that Hogan will re-sign. I hope you are right will all your info, but I wouldn't be putting the champagne on ice just yet.

Judd's grandmother?

They achieved a lot more than most be at least being on a list and playing a few games. That makes them very good footballers in my book but not everyone can make the grade. But it does not mean you have to shudder.

lol sniper, gutless... Turn it up. The bloke used his body as a cannonball, threw it in to all sorts of situations. The Crummell hit was the one bad one, Byron knows it and is sorry about it. If he was a sniper there'd be more than one hit that was universally condemned. He was on 360 a few weeks ago and I had to chuckle when he said "I wouldn't want my sons playing against someone that hits like I used to hit." haha no [censored]! Who would.