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I haven't seen Matt Jones listed in the "Outs" this week. I assume the author of the OP will show appropriate humility and respect for M Jones by apologising at the first opportunity after he plays on Saturday.

"Good work, Jayden and Josh." - Mitch White

I think most of us look at Vickery and cringe. Can't believe his name keeps popping up...

I dunno about anyone else, but I'm getting pretty sick of this 'sieve-like defence' rubbish from every second poster, every second day. It's a fallacy. Our percentage is over 100%. It's not sieve-like. We leak some easy goals, but so do all teams in 2016 football. That is the nature of the new game style. It's such a near-sighted and frankly incorrect viewpoint. Besides, our defence struggles when our midfield does. That's the important correlation and it's why I've been banging on about continuing to strengthen our midfield, rather than focusing on the backline. Though, that's not to say we should focus on one thing at a time. It is prudent to multi-task if possible.

Here is an article by Martin Flanagan. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-melbourne-finally-give-fans-something-to-cheer-about-20160708-gq1drn.html where he talks up the team and where it is at. Nonetheless, he lays down a challenge of sorts: "In the past, if I had written something like this, the Dees would respond by notching up some ignominious defeat – like losing to lowly Freo in Darwin on Saturday. Right about now, that also has to change." Have to agree with that conclusion!! My favourite line was this: '... it is necessary to mention young backman Jayden Hunt. Slim and fearless with a head of blond curls, he comes out of defence like an arrow fired at a target behind the goals." Delightful prose. Re Hunt - I am so glad we resigned him before the rest of the world discovered we had him

Mate, all you do is denigrate posters on here. Most of your two and a half thousand posts on here are you flaming others.

[censored] him!

So happy for Grimes. Hope he has a great game and stays in the side until the end of the season. He might, just might, resurrect his career. I've seen worse players do it!

I thought at first it might be believable because I have no doubt Roos has a healthy ego. Then I tried to imagine Roos sitting in a committee room with Goodwin, Rawlings, Plapp and whoever else, replying to each call for Grimes to be picked with "nah, sorry boys, he called me out on something six months ago". I can't see how people who have an interest in the team and no interest in Roos' ego would allow that to fly and I can't see Roos pulling rank on them over it.

A quick update for those interested, I just spent the last 2 months in the Royal Talbot rehabilitation centre with Jesse as I had a stroke myself. Jesse is doing well and has just started to walk with the aid of a crutch. There is still plenty of rehab ahead for him but being the fine young man he is I have no doubt he will meet any future challenges head on. Go Blues!

Anyone else ever wonder whether Demonland members act with the same paranoia and jealously in their real relationships as they do with their football players?

Grimes has been selected in starting 22! Hope he has a great game!

he's just dropped off a bit lately. his best is better than jones' best bugg is only 23 and jones will be 29 this year and already reached his peak. i know who i'd be investing in

This is a game we cannot lose if we are looking to seduce stars across. Too many times in the last decade, have we found an excuse to lose to a mob near the bottom. "They were top 4 last year", "They have had a long injury list", "They have stars who were playing under their ability until this week" etc, etc, etc. Lets make a statement, and nail this mob to the wall. Bugger the short break, stuff the heat, ignore the age/experience profile. Just give us a damn win Melbourne.

He has improved ! A keeper! for mine!

Clarry will be managed for the remainder of the year. He will be in and out of the side as they prepare him for a huge pre-season. They will want him to put on some muscle over summer and build a bigger fitness base and hopefully he will be able to play a full or close to full year in 2017. Grimes, Trenners, M Jones and the like will get opportunities to make bids for contract extentions as a result of these rotations. I would expect to see Tracc, possible Stretch maybe Omac and Hunt as well have weeks off or games in the 2s just to give others a run and to prepare for the summer. Yeah they will try to win games but the back half was always going to be about building for next year.

Whilst we're waiting for Weidemann and Hulett to come good, I'd like to see them give Dunn a go at CHF, last chance saloon. He's a good kick, mark, is the right weight, has good defensive pressure and doesn't need to worry about the zone defence he can't seem to acclimatise to. What's the harm in trying him out for the next 3-4 weeks?

His running is excellent. Many times when I have been watching him at games he is always busting his gut sprinting into space to give his teammates an option. Many times (ala Watts), the effort is not rewarded. I also have noticed that this season in particular he has an excellent long handball. Maybe he has always had it but I haven't picked it up till now. Really hope he goes well and can prove some of the doubters wrong. It is frustrating to see him play a really good game, then see his name automatically appear in the "outs for next week" as if by default.

If true, thanks for relaying the conversation. Nothing gained from shooting a poster down for a claimed conversation with a relative of the player.

Wow. Didn't notice it the first time round, but certainly did that time. And did Ebert vomit or was it blood coming out of his mouth immediately afterwards? Whatever, he was clearly in big strife, and was definitely helped down by Mitchell. I've said it before on these boards, Mitchell and Hodge are the two dirtiest players in the league, bar none. I absolutely loathe them.

Almost fell off my chair when his name was placed as a nominee in the Herald Sun poll for "Most popular player". What planet are they on? To add to it, Viney wasn't a candidate for toughest player. So the whole thing was basically null and void.

I think Matt Jones is a handy player and he is underrated by many here. I hope he gets another year. He's quick, he's fit, he's hard at it and he generally has clean hands (that one horrendous fumble aside). He just needs to eliminate the odd brain fart from his game when he gets slightly indecisive and delays taking the first good option. Frost and Oscar McDonald do much the same thing. Perhaps it's just inexperience.

For all the talk about how uniquely 'even' the competition is this year there's 7 weeks of footy to go and no team outside the 8 can make it, and Hawthorn are a game clear on top of the ladder with a decent run home. I could give a flying about the 'suspense' of whether or not GWS or Sydney finish top 4. I'm bored, but I'm holding onto the hope that North fall in a giant hole. That will make me happy.

Good luck to him.... i really hope he does well.

Best photo ever.

Lingy is a [censored]. He just explains in excruciatingly dull language, but in an excited tone, what just happened. Makes me wanna scream at the TV 'I know mate - I can see the screen too!'

I forget that Kent is out of contract this year. Great to hear that he has no intention of leaving, hopefully his contract is sorted out quickly.

Now THAT'S a post.

Roosy might have an ego but I sincerely doubt he'd harbour a grudge for weeks on end to keep any player out of the team, let alone a quality person like Grimes. That just seems fanciful. Whether you agree with it or not, I would think it's been purely a performance based decision up til now.

Quite amusing the crossed wires involving these three posts.

I sometimes wonder if all the fuss over him leaving would've been halved if that photo of him in the Fremantle scarf had never gone public.

I loved Plapp's last comment in the VFL player review: "Fingers crossed for Grimesy and he gets an opportunity soon, because he’s doing everything to get that opportunity." He might as well have said "enough is enough Roosy, pick him already".

He's been kept out because he's a Rookie and we couldn't elevate him until halfway through the season unless someone else went on to the LTI list. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play most of the remaining games now that we can use him. As has been said above, he's been consistently named in the best at Casey for most of the season and is generally listed as the best of the backs.

I had a chat with Crossy at training over summer. He had been working on the side oval with Tracc doing run throughs. Asked him if it was good to be back working at the club and he said he was loving it. Big smile. Clearly the disappointment of not getting another year didn't last long. With the rise of Hunt and Wagner, we made the right call. And the competition across the backline will increase next year as Salem, Milkshake and (hopefully) Lumumba come back into the mix.

Anyone see Eberts fall to the ground and Mitchell possibly "spoiling" but cupping his hand on eberts shoulder and pulling down on it to increase the weight on his fall? Eberts in hospital spitting blood and no commentator said a word about it. Long bow to draw, due to how well Mitchell disguises his brutal little snipes though. Brutal.

Nice post mate, except you can bash the blues where the sun dont shine. Hope you are doing well also kniggit. Its not just the media types who matter.

I know it's not exactly scientific, but all you have to do is watch Hogan's body language and interaction with his teammates at training or on gameday. Unless we get blown out of the water by another team paying him $2mil per year, he's with us for the long haul.

I keep four exes chained up in my basement. Does that count?

And it was a decision that was made easier by his performance last week. If he had kicked a few and had a good game I think they still would have gone with him this week. Having a shocker instead allowed them to go with a side that will be more suited to the conditions.

P.S. I noticed everyone doing a stack of short passing drills today. Had we hit more short targets or kicked to our advantage coming i50 on Sunday we may have won. We burn so many on the lead I reckon they sometimes figure they'll probably have a better chance playing from behind. There was an occasional strike but not enough to build much confidence. Hulk a classic example where he was missed on a number of leads early. Reverted back to playing from behind me thinks. Then ppl say he plays from behind too often

I hate Mitchell too. Sniper.

Hodge is a filthy, filthy barstad.

sheitt....i'm still upset about barassi

GRIMES! About bloody time too!

The holes in his hands is probably why he can't mark anything

We'll win this week.

I forgot to mention, White exited training with the main group!!!!

If he leaves we're going to try to make ourselves feel better any way we can. Hullet and Weidemann may be more than handy. But Jesse.... he's something else. We may not like it but if he goes there is no way we wont be worse off.

I see the exact opposite. I think Fyfe is looking for success over dollars. I reckon he's an intelligent and humble kind of guy, who wants to return home post football to a small town 350 km's from Perth where his family runs a trucking business.

He might have, but because his news is positive on Hogan, I'm happy to say that Ralph is always spot on with his sources. Last week? He was always wrong and hadn't got any rumour right in 5 years.