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I went last week. A couple of random football related observations: Agree with comments we were a bit sloppy with our disposals, particularly kicking and not jut in the match practice bit. But it doesn't worry me. It is a practice match after all. No big deal.Even two of our best kicks in Salem and Lewis missed some easy targets. Conversely O mac nailed a beautiful clearing kick to a target when kicking across the ground so not all doom and gloom Melksham looked very solid and a real pro. Good depth and power on his kicks. Reads the play very well. A lock for round one. I didn't notice Hibberd much but he is a very sold unit and also has fantastic depth on his kicking. I can see him being a real weapon getting the ball into our forward line with long, powerful kicks Trac should stick to long booming kicks and ditch his little 20 metre chips that seem to miss their target every time Brawshaw looked fantastic and i am super excited he is likely to be key member of the side. Easy to forget how good he was in the foirts half of the 2015 season. A very smart player and a good reader of the ball Oliver looked in great nick. He is a tough bugger. Got smashed at one point and got straight up Viney is a bull. Seems to have only one speed. Some of the Casey kids must have had kittens when he came storming at them Hogan looks super fit as does Pederson My standout? Salem. if he stays fit he will be like a new top shelf recruit. He is so clean and has brilliant awareness of where his team mates are. Salem also has a skill that frustratingly so few players have - weighting his kicks to team mates advantage. He kicked a lovely 50 metre kick to Weeds over the back of the contest which set up a gimme goal. After training had finished Salem did some extra work with a coach kicking balls at him from very close and catching them in the left, then right hand. Good on both sides but amazing on the left. The ball was going at speed and the ball looked as if it was going into a baseball mit. Looks super fit as well. Played out of the centre for most of the game. A couple of other random observations: It was great to be able to go after work, have a couple of quiet ones and watch the boys train. I wonder of it is something they could do 2 or 3 times over summer (ie a 4:30 start). It wouldn't have to be at Olympic park. Goschs's would be fine Incredible to see how many support staff there are these days. I remember watching the dees train at the G under barass and it is no exaggeration to say there was only two or three people out there (other than the players) and one was retrieving balls for the stands (though not the one i managed to snaffle). Must be expensive to to run a footy club these days On a related note the Merch tent was in a stupid spot, assuming of course they actually wanted to sell merch (which given the location of the Demon store is no sure thing) not just provide shade for MFC employee being paid to do nothing. Are work experience kids in charge of the marketing department? No wait - kids these days would be much more savvy Stafford is very tall

Last time we played the Saints we had players such as White, Wagner, Grimes, Matt Jones, and Ben Kennedy in the team. Three weeks later in round 20 when we beat the Hawks none of those 5 played. The first time we played them we had a first gamer in Petracca, Dunn, Lumumba, Wagner (4th game), Bugg, Kennedy, and Frost playing as a forward, where he's hopeless. vandenBerg also played and he was limited all year with his ankle and is moving better this preseason. The team we put out in round one ought be far stronger than either of those lineups. Petracca will be better, Oliver didn't play in either game, Salem wasn't there in round 17, Brayshaw will be a different player, add Lewis, Hibberd, and Melksham and the maturation of others like Stretch, Hogan, Viney, Oscar, etc. The Saints will have better matchups for Hogan with Carlisle and structure with Brown. Who knows how we'll go, but I'm very confident the team we'll put out will be far superior to the others the Saints accounted for.

I wish the club would have consulted with us first.

The more I think about this the more unnecessary it seems, Viney should just be a vice-captain for a year or so.

He wouldn't let me take a photo of his "guns" for some reason. Weird.

Powell was underrated IMO.

I'll take Ingerson over any tall back on our present list...

Why? Didn't pronounce a few words correctly? Didn't answer a question like you would? Captaincy is about far more than speaking on SEN.

Our current team have achieved nothing yet. Haven't made finals, haven't even had a positive win loss ratio. It's utterly disrespectful to even compare them to a team that made a grand final and provided some of the best wins we've had in decades, as well as some brilliant individual performances (e.g. Woe winning a Brownlow, Farmer kicking 76 goals and tearing games apart). That 2000 team was great. Our current team have a ways to go before even being considered anything more than average.

Meg will miss something similar and has the chance of permanent damage. It's a joke. She should have got the season.

Wrecker45 Many years ago, after the death of my wife,I repied on alcohol to get me through. I would drink most days so that I could sleep at night and get through social occasions that I had to attend. After gaining weight (110kgs) and feeling always depressed I attended my doctor who told me I was heading for an early grave. I would have at least a dozen cans a night and drink by myself. So....I gave up the drink, joined a gym and began walking the dog 4 ks a day. It wasn't as hard as I thought and the dog loves me. I now drink socially and enjoy the times when I do but I still restrain myself and limit my alcohol intake. The only thing I can tell you is that I feel so much better in my everyday life. I don't drink weekdays and only drink in a social setting I'm down to 85kgs and now reasonably fit for my age. Hope this helps

Collingwood's Sophie Casey has been handed a two week ban (reduced from three for guilty plea) for rough conduct against Meg Downie. How this was adjudicated as rough conduct is beyond me. Should have been intentional high contact, striking, with a high impact and been 4 or 5 weeks. My only guess is umpire number 5 sits on the MRP as well!

I agree. 2000 was the only GF I've ever been to, and I came in knowing we didn't have much of a chance. I wasn't devastated when we lost, because I knew how good we'd be the next season. Got to laugh... right? No? Yeah maybe not.

I'd suggest that the two best teams in a single year out of the last 40 years were probably Hawthorn in 1988 and Essendon in 2000. We timed our challenges for the wrong years.

If Nathan Jones could possibly have a problem with it, then such an ego wouldn't be captain-material in the first place.

Thanks to everyone who's written a report - a super enjoyable thread to read. Taylor has seemingly earnt his wage just on Hunt. What a superb selection so late in the draft. I'm really disappointed to read that Kent's still on the sidelines though - I was expecting him to go to the next level this year. JKH - really looking forward to seeing him play this season. Hope he makes the most of Kent's absence. Jordan Lewis is that rare stroke of luck that this club needed. If Max Gawn plays 22 games this year, we're playing finals. I actually reckon it's that simple. There are literally so many excitement machines on our list now. I can't remember a MFC team having so many talented players before.

I disagree entirely. If your assertion is that people look to blame others for their failures and that everything is in their own hands what the point of having a decent development and coaching staff? Gysberts had the misfortune to be drafted by the most dysfunctional AFL football club this century and didn't cope. How on earth can you lay all the blame on him? Gysberts was a very talented footballer and you only have to look at his early games to see this. He had clear weaknesses that Neeld and his development team failed to eradicate. I'd go further and say they were a terrible impact on him. Gysberts was an introvert and was crushed by the hostile atmosphere generated by Neeld and his philosophy. This has been confirmed to me by both players and staff who were there at the time. A good leader inspires and makes his players want to follow. Neeld did exactly the opposite. I don't know if Gysberts had fixable faults but he certainly had talent. Are you writing off Petracca and Oliver now because they struggle in the running drills? Neeld snuffed out any chance the kid had and by the time he got to NM he was shot. He didn't want to play AFL footy. Again, confirmed by those that know him. Neeld was a disaster. He alienated the senior players, he failed to develop the younger players and he left us in a significantly worse place when he left than when he arrived. Gysberts wasn't the only one significantly effected.

i hope too, earl that there is some movement, as i fail to see how else you are going to get that bike to gosch's from fitzroy. good luck and i trust good reporting

Can't believe one of my own threads has been hijacked by climate change. That's my job.

The AFL have shot themselves in the foot here. Two weeks for knocking an opponent out leaves them absolutely nowhere to go. You could smash an elbow into the back of an opponents head and if she's not concussed expect a week tops. A player can now ko an opponent and challenge anything over three weeks reduced to two. Big mistake when you consider they are trying to appeal to the next generation of girls (and nervous mums)

So you would basically need to murder your opponent to get seven weeks, 6 with an early plea

It shouldn't. Regardless, they graded it as careless! A hit to the head after the ball was long gone seems rather intentional to me.

I think there are countless studies showing a correlation between being a Dees supporter and alcoholism.

Pagan was a good coach as previous posters mentioned. He called a spade a spade and was a father figure to a lot of players over his coaching career. His coaching under 19's stint was great, a great human being and a good man. Unfortunately he was screwed hardcore at Carlton. "Member" when the Blues had the draft sactions imposed??? Yes they were to blame however quite simply that screwed the pooch for 10 yrs. Its now 2017 and they have finally acknowledged a proper rebuild. History will judge Dennis unfairly after the 2000's which is sad if you research his creditionals pre- Carlton.

Speaking of Booze , Had two margaritas last night. When drinking cocktails it is wise to remember they should be regarded as like a woman's breasts. Three is too many and one is not enough. I have decided to prolong my stay in the region due to my rising popularity and adoration amongst the people here. I feel they need me at this time so I shall stay till I feel like coming home to the relative blandness of boring old Melba . I have formed a small militia of dedicated soldiers and taken some key geographical outposts. We have established underground and overland supply roots and are currently recruiting a fierce regiment of mercenaries. Mostly made up of massage therapist,soup chefs,drug merchants,pastry chefs,vintners and procurers of valuables as well as couriers,guardsmen ,porters,grooms and loyalist hangers on. I will be dead or wealthy before the season begins . More from up river later, I must address my people. Biffen

Sadly WJ we have had a lid on things for a decade. Lets get the lid off it is well and truly over due.

American politics is a swamp - just different animals are now occupying the swamp - a swamp is a swamp...

MAIDEN VICTORY by Bewitched After a week of soul searching after a dramatic fade out in the lightning, thunder and rain at Casey in the AFLW's opening round, the women of Melbourne had a lot to be concerned about at half time at Ikon Park last night. They were down by 19 points and being totally outplayed after recording just one goal in their past four quarters of football and staring into oblivion in a seven game competition that allows only two teams to advance to the grand final. Moana Hope, the much vaunted Magpie strong lady had wreaked havoc in the early going, setting up her team's first goal and scoring its second before Jessica Anderson's running goal opened the Demons' account but that was the team's only joy as their opponents streamed ahead. However, this time there was no storm to blunt Melbourne's style in the second half and instead, the team kept Collingwood scoreless after the main break to record their first AFLW win. The move of Mel Hickey onto Hope was a good one. The dangerous Magpie forward was hardly seen as the Demons took over. Skipper Daisy Pearce provided lots of run in the back half and Karen Paxman moved the ball forward to the likes of Cat Phillips, the ultimate Frisbee player, and Alyssa Mifsud and the flood gates opened. Phillips' goal from an impossible angle was a highlight. The team that had been starved of scoring opportunities was now alight and winning in the middle. They scored 4.1 for the term to grab the lead at the final break. The Magpie fade out continued despite some strong arm tactics which saw a late head high hit on Meg Downie force a delay in play as the Demon was concussed and stretchered off in a neck brace. Coach Mick Stinear later said his player had been cleared of any serious damage but the likely outcome should see the first tribunal sitting in AFLW history. The Dees kept on running when play resumed and finally ran out winners 7.2.44 to 5.1.31. The class of Pearce and Paxman should ensure that Melbourne remains a contender in this competition. Elise "Junior" O'Dea is a great prospect and kept going all night and Lily Mithen lived up to the family name with a solid contribution. All in all, it was a great maiden victory for the women of the Melbourne Football Club who now take on their foundation rivals, the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on Saturday night. The men's JLT Community Series game will be the curtain raiser to this historic match. Melbourne 1.0.6 1.0.6 5.1.31 7.2.44 Collingwood 3.1.19 0 4.1.25 4.1.25 4.1.25 Goals Melbourne Phillips 2 Anderson Jolly Mifsud Paxman Scott Collingwood Cameron Edwards Grant Hope Best Melbourne Pearce Phillips Paxman O'Dea Mithen Collingwood D'Arcy Eva Barden Chiocci Crowd 6,917 at Ikon Park

I feel that in 1998 and 2006 we were a genuine chance to pinch a premiership. In '94 no one could get close to west Coast and same goes for Essendon in 2000- they were both a cut above the nearest competition.

Oh one ore thing. Stretch looked very professional and like others is super fit

It's more about biology than timing.

I blame global warming.

Its a bit like comparing Daniher and Goodwin as coaches. Fact is, all but about four of those players in the Grand Final team played long and respectable AFL careers. Interestingly, for very few of those players was the grand final around a midpoint in their career. Most either had only a few more years left, or had only been around a few years by 2000. Main exceptions would be Neitz, Farmer, White, and Leoncelli. Essendon had maybe only a couple more players in that mid-career point, but a whole big mature group that played about four more seasons after 2000. Got me to thinking about the present situation for us. Let's imagine for a moment that things go approximately to plan for us, and in the next 2-3 years we reach a point where we are seriously contending. We'd have just a few players in the Shane Crawford age range of 'win a premiership, retire happy' - Jones, Vince, Pederson, and Lewis. Hibberd, Jetta and Garlett would be approaching or reaching 30. Watts, Melksham, Gawn, T. McDonald, Vandeberg and Trengove would still only be around 27-28. Pretty much everyone else would be feeling confident they still had more than half their career games left to play, but would also have 75-125 games under their belt.

We should just zone of Riewoldt and let him run free all day.

I don't disagree, and Bruce and Green went a long way towards winning us the final against Carlton. However putting either of them in that forwards line probably makes it a little slow and top heavy- they'd be in competition with Watts and Robertson. Green and Bruce of 2002-06 may have those two covered, but they weren't at that level in 2000. And of course, it's all in fun and purely hypothetical... kinda like the stuff you find on an online supporters' forum.

Funny.....went to the last page of a josh Kelly thread and was expecting people to be discussing.....well......josh Kelly

Based on 2000 form both Bruce and Green came into the side and were instrumental in winning finals and getting us into a Grand Final. As talented as he may be, Petracca has achieved nothing yet and isn't a patch on any of the players listed.

Head in sand then. No data no problem. Why don't you try that with ISIS then?

What I wouldn't give to have Neita in the team, even at CHB. My favourite player of all time

Not my best gif-work but you get the idea.

One aspect of having a women's competition is that for some reason it makes it so much easier to conduct a mature conversation about the sexuality of players ~ First openly gay AFL player couple: "We're proud, and proud of each other"

Staggers me when people make such strong judgments about the merits of decisions like this. The reality is we have absolutely no idea about the off-field attributes of the players that make them suitable or not for leadership positions. On-field leadership is of course important, but we don't know the majority of what goes on behind closed doors, and only get a glimpse into what the players are like as people and as leaders. If Goodwin and the other coaches think Viney is ready, how on earth could we possibly argue from our positions far removed from the inner sanctum of the club?

Leadership is a mindset, not a title!

Pretty sure it was Doug Heywood who convinced the Dees to hire Balmey. Pagan was all set for the Dees, but Heywood convinced us to make a late change. Commenters are right about Pagan + Carey. Pagan was very old school (which wasn't so old back then) with the physicality, and with Carey up front to capitalise. Balmey was very new school with the ball movement. Would have loved to see us combine the two styles. Nevertheless Balmey was butchered by injury, possibly more than any other coach I can think of. 1994 to 1995 especially. Lyon, Prymke, Tingay, Schwarz, Glenn Lovett, Jako, Charles, etc. Take them out of any side and you're in trouble. Compare that with Pagan, who mostly had key players on tap. See how shirty he was when Schwass and Archer were suspended in 1997.

Cripps, every day of the week. Best kid in the league. Favourite non-MFC player. He's got that Ablett or Judd about him. He's practically unstoppable in the clinches. I hope he goes back to WA. I've already planted the seed in my Carlton mates head and he's already folded and said Cripps is gone. Haha. Hopeless. I think he'll stay at Carlton for the duration of his current contract, but if they continue to stagnate, a big club or WA will come knocking.

Ah, yes, I see that you mean. That's the trouble with writing while sober, you'll agree, not a desirable state...

as you know, like politics, in the media the dross rises to the top

Prescient post on one of the Collingwood fan sites: Our opposition isn't too crash hot though, hopefully they can improve and make a game of it in the 2nd half. Oooh... I do love beating Collingwood

Four wins in a row against Collingwood.

A word of advice, you can exclude Stretch from your best 22, but your side won't reflect the team that runs out in round one. He's rated very highly internally and WILL play round one. Of course this isn't a predictions thread, so no need to include him if accuracy isn't on your agenda.