Leaderboard

Couldn't be more ecstatic that Essendon are whinging about us picking at their carcass. Despise that club. I want to bully them for the next decade.

Howie got his wish to spend more time in the Melbourne forward line.

A 5 year contract for Dawes is now on the table...

Sorry H disagree. I think the club is duty bound to get him to 100 games if he is anywhere near the required AFL level (which he is) and believe there is still a place for this sort of approach in the game. Footy will never be just business and it simply cannot be forgotten what he has given to this club. They'll get him those two games and i will be proud of the club when they do.

I just love that Essendon is having a cry. Nothing else really interests me at the moment.

So Essendon is upset with us approaching the management of Hibberd. We must be close.

I spoke to a friend of his last week. He said that he will be fine, recovering really well, Dees being cautious.

Watts on Footy a Show stated he wants to be at MFC next year and beyond and expects manager to sort it out soon fingers crossed

You enjoy the moral high ground while I enjoy watching Hibberd hit lace out paces on to Hogan's chest for the next 6-7 years.

Leave me out of your petty banter Stu, it hurts the site and makes you look silly.

I spoke to Heritier after training today where he was doing mainly kicking and running drills with Daniel Cross. I asked him if he was going to be playing again soon and his words were 'I will be back after the break.' That maybe is his view and the Club may have a different view but he said it in a friendly, happy way that I came away believing him.

I reckon hes signed and sealed at Melbourne. Hopefully we get him as a delisted free agent.due to him beind doped up by his cheating club.

I question anyone's football nous if they don't see that if Salem gets his body right he'll be a star. He's played 29 games for gods sake, and in most of those has been asked to play a position he's never played before due to his sublime foot skills. He's the least of our worries.

Your concept of "minimum standard" is an interesting one. Often have we heard the statement "he's not playing up to his standard". Of course your expectation of his standard was elevated from day one when you announced him as a great recruit for the MFC. You defended him vigorously in your famous Leigh Matthews interview post and we all applauded you. You saw the talent, you saw a young kid making his way, you saw him be subject to the worst development of young talent in the games history operating under a dysfunctional football department. He disappointed you and all of us and you turned on him with an almost obsessional venom. You threw him under the bus, made snide cracks about nothing hard ever coming out of Brighton Grammar and you wanted nothing to do with him at our club. You reacted to the here and now and didn't have the foresight to recognize that because of the underdeveloped talent and the path he was forced to lead he was worth the punt of persevering with. You were not alone but there was another group that thought differently. Hence the continual debate. Personally I find your definition of "minimum standards" to be self serving. It's not what your level of minimum standard is and not what mine is. The question is "does he deserve his spot in the team, are we better with him or without him"?. Unquestionably the answer is we are better with him and that we would also be better with him if he wasn't playing as well as he is. His current standard is significantly above the standard required to play meaningful AFL football. Frankly your "minimum standard" is just bluster. Unlike many, and I suspect like you, I'm not sold on Jack Watts. 12 games doesn't make a player, he needs to keep doing it and after 7 less than inspiring years, it will take more than the first half of this season to convince me that Jack has arrived. But unlike you I'll not try and tarnish his terrific year to date with silly measurements of "40 goals", "minimum standard" and "Gunston is better" narratives along with continual harping about his first 7 years. I'll be thrilled for a kid who has been through more than most others when it comes to public ridicule (remember when the AFL website ran a "Jack Watts greatest bloopers" highlight reel for his 100th game) and I'm glad he is finally getting some joy and reward from the game. Your mean spirited attitude doesn't serve you well.

Nothing like a JW thread to bring people together .

Jack Viney on the Mangarook Footy Show tonight. Very composed. Captain worthy performance! He said: - Hogan loves playing with Dawes - His pre season scuffle with TMc was because he thought Tommy was being a bit soft...could have been joking - On the hunt for a puppy...like Bernie's mountain dog-----> Cute, eh? - Agreed with the singing of Wagner's praises. - They accept making a few mistakes while learning and practice of 'our way of playing'. - Roos pushed defence for 2 years and once we got that sorted we started an attacking game style in this pre-season That is all I can remember...

If the FD is after Hibberd, that's good enough for me. They are building, and we are coming....!

Well said binman, love your honesty, integrity and heart. I am only half the man you are. Perhaps I am just getting old and impatient and although I love Jack I also love the young kids and what I see happening to our great club. But your point is well made.

Due dilligence? He said something about Yarran once, what more do you want.

Close the thread, please.

After what Hogan, Pettracca, Gawn and Hunt have all shown after long term/major/recurring injuries i have faith that the club knows what they are doing when it comes to long term management of our young players, Salem will be the same.

Robertson? If so then very harsh I reckon.

That audio bite made me grumpy. No facts, quotes or anything concrete, just speculation about "personal issues" on top of the concussion, with no actual detail on his concussion recovery. Apparently also we're putting him on the LTI so we can promote a rookie, however the club isn't aware of that yet and there's no obvious candidate for promotion. Sports journalism really is in the gutter these days.

Great news if true, as he is a nice young man and a talented footballer, who like some others, hasn't really had a clear run at it yet.

So, Richmond missed out.. guess they finished 9th again!

Either way who cares?. Beautiful destabilisation by PJ and the club and you can bet plenty of others will/have joined us. Meanwhile you wouldn't know who we are really looking at would you? Boy we've come a long way.

It still pains me that they will get the number one pick in the draft. The AFL are of the view that they have done their time. They have been sanctioned for a systemic breach, which put in danger the well being of young men plying their trade. They have already been found guilty of OH&S breaches. Such an unprecedented pattern of behaviour, will, by default, be rewarded. In the meantime, the caveat emptor rule applies to those clubs which, in good faith, drafted former Essendon player in 2015

Fascinating.

Was listening to SEN on way home from work last night, first time for a while. Scott Lucas happened to be giving his "not-so-obvious" halfway-thru-season AA line-up. It had only one player from MFC. Guess who? Yes, it's just an opinion, but a highly informed one. Is this Jack's "minimum standard?" Oh yeah, the club has an internal stat that it rates highly - "involvement in scoring chains". Last time I saw it (admittedly a few rounds ago) Jack was way out in front - about 50% higher than whoever was second (about 130 to 80 IIRC). And I thought his game against Pies was so-so, nothing more. And I suspect he would too.

One of sports greatest commentators Richie Benaud had 8 rules for commentary, Never ask a statement. Remember the value of a pause. There are no teams in the world called 'we' or 'they'. Avoid cliches and banalities, such as 'he's hit that to the boundary', 'he won't want to get out now', 'of course', 'as you can see on the screen'. The Titanic was a tragedy, the Ethiopian drought a disaster, and neither bears any relation to a dropped catch. Put your brain into gear before opening your mouth. Concentrate fiercely at all times. Above all, don't take yourself too seriously, and have fun. -The channel 7 commentators get every one wrong.

You drew a big fat line in the cement ages ago in relation to Jack Watts, ProDee. And you have stuck to your guns ever since. Quite frankly, you got it wrong. He's had a terrific season and has been a critical player for us. Simple. But I expect a combination of confirmation bias and general stubbornness won't change things.

PJ might be putting up a smoke screen to distract from the main target, which I have heard is Hurley.

Daisy telling the AFL that she will only be playing for us!!! Good one Daisy. Melbourne and the Bulldogs should be making some demands to the AFL about this comp. Fixtures,TV rights etc should favour the foundation teams who had the vision.

Peter Jackson on SEN with the OX and Francis Leach just confirmed MFC is interested in Michael Hibberd should he wish to change clubs. Sounded like they were heavily into negotiations with him. PJ doesn't usually give much away but it sounded very positive. http://www.sen.com.au/audio#q8S6GvD1qYkx6zWY.97

I find many of the reactions to our womens' team on here concerning. I cannot think of a better example as to why so many of our women find us blokes insensitive, boorish and mysoginist. I had hoped we were better than that but clearly many of us have no idea. All I can say is go girls, and the sooner you deliver the red and blue a premiership the better. I for one will be shouting from the rooftops barracking you on. The MFC have distinguished themselves in promoting this, and all power to them. I am really proud of the Club for having such vision in this, in spite of the chauvanisti attitudes of many supporters as has been clearly shown on this thread.

What a special time for a young girl who wants to test themselves and see where it might lead. To those condescending half the population - they are also half of the AFL's audience and contribute to your club and to your game.

We've seen Petracca and Trengove come in without any match fitness last year. Sorry Azz, I know you're not the only one concerned by this, but seriously, it's 12 months off. No different to someone coming back from an ACL, other than that they've been able to train solidly during that time. If it were 3 years off and they were 30+, that'd be a different story.

No thanks.

Sure, except when players perform, and don't get a crack. You wait until Garlett gets named this week or next, on the back of zero strong performances in the twos. And Wagner coming from nowhere, with little VFL form to speak of. This 'rewarding performance' stuff is used when it suits, and conveniently overlooked when it doesn't.

C Call me a sentimental old fool if you must. But, I really feel for Jack. I so wish he can find his old mojo and win his place back in the team and go on and be the star we thought he would become. And, for him to then share in our future glory would be SO fitting. He still has time..!

ProDee, you use the club's b & f as the litmus test, then you use goals, then you compare Watts' output to Gunston's.... Make up your mind, lad. Watts is having a fantastic year and he's been an integral part of the team's progress. Time for a hug.

That is not my good self! However I shall forgive an honest mistake H as the fellow has a very impressive physique and bears a similar striking pose. I do not usually bare my bosoms in such a tawdry display however. Uncle is currently in Shanghai after a very exciting trip on the fast train. A couple of the local coolies thought they could take my seat but after I let loose with some flatulence that had been bubbling away for a day or two the beggars soon jolly well scattered Admist a storm of gagging and chocking sounds I might add - bwahaha bwahahaha - dammed funny moment. Anyway it provided a seat for both myself and my guts. Earl , I have been promoting your products in establishments that provide .... Err .. personal services It has been quite expensive so a further advance is required I am sure your investment will be returned manyfold

How good is demonland today. I love Jack Wats.

How can you name Melksham who hasn't played a game yet with us and coming off a year with no Footy ahead of Heritier? H showed this year exactly why we recruited him and thought this year was playing his best footy that he has for the MFC. He still has a very important role to play for us this 2nd half and beyound.

Disposals aren't everything. I thought Hunt was very good on the weekend.

The way things are looking, he is as good as gone at seasons' end. His form at Casey has been very good yet he can't get a game. I really hope he gets his 100 games with us, as he deserves it and of course you never know in the future, if it will become important.

"The most coveted footballer in the AFL's new women's league, Daisy Pearce, has threatened to retire if she can't play for her beloved Melbourne Football Club. As the AFL instructed eight handpicked foundation clubs on Wednesday that further signings are strictly forbidden while it selects marquee players and sets their destinations in the national competition, Pearce dictated her own non-negotiable terms. If the AFL sought to pair Pearce with another club, she said: "I'd really have to weigh up whether I played." http://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl-2016-top-female-star-threatens-to-hang-up-boots-20160615-gpjv26.html (if you have a subscription)

As a proud father of twin girls, this is very exciting! Just imagining them running around in the red and blue ala Febey brothers....

Would hate to lose Salem