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Irish actually. To be Brayshaw, to be Brayshaw. I'll see myself out.

Due to certain happenstance, I have met Jake a few times since he started at Melbourne. 1, He is a lovely bloke. 2. He loves Melbourne and is very committed. 3. He has improved and developed every year and is a far better player than many on this site give him credit for. 4. I predict that over the next few weeks he will have many people eating humble pie. 5. GO JAKE!!!!

Well it is something Nought Melbourne are involved in. We should be playing the Saints today if it was real!!

BBO, I've been baffled by Pedder's omission from teams since 2015. This year apart from injury, I can only guess it's also because Goody is aiming to challenge for a premiership in 2019 / 20/ 21 and he is focusing on the players who he hopes will be a part of that push. I always had a higher opinion of him in games than clearly the selectors have had.

I signed mine up at 6 months old last season, he's been to 3 games and seen 2 wins. GWS and Hawks.

While that may be the case, it is pretty embarrassing we still don't have a back of jumper sponsor.

The last time sydney started this bad was in 1993. They won one game for the year and I'll remember it to the day I die. A Sunday televised game against melbourne during the school holidays. Im not bitter at all ????

We might look stupid, but I don't feel it. This is all part of the fun of being a mug supporter with no idea about what gets discussed behind closed doors. It's what I enjoy about the banter on Demonland. I'm very surprised - but more than happy to run with "if you say so Goody".

I hope Bugg plays well enough to keep his spot just so he can terrorise Richmond again.

You forgot Saty's photo-credit.

Goodwin seems to like tall forwards contesting the incoming ball without necessarily marking it in order to give players like Garlett the opportunity to impact the scoreline. Weids does this. He's tall and goes hard at the contest. I expect that's why he's on the team sheet this week.

If Pedersen is so great and ready to go, then why have the FD not picked him? No doubt that Weideman is struggling for form, but if Goodwin and co. thought Pedersen would offer us more then he would have been picked, yes? Either they don't think he offers us more at the minute or he is still struggling a little for fitness.

I would have thought that the much stronger and more experienced Pedo would have complemented that structure more effectively than the Weid. I can only assume he's still underdone.

It's always a bit hard on a first gamer who's subsequently dropped. But I'm more interested in picking a team the coach/MC believes is more likely to win the game. Yep, I'm far more interested in that.

There will be quite a few applauding the exclusion of Oscar, and decrying the retention of Weed. I trust the selectors and match committee most of the time, far more than in previous years, so let's just give all those selected our full support. In particular let us look at the good things that Jake Spencer may do without endless dissection of any errors he may make. He will by necessity be around for a while. Think positive.

Flying down from Sydney tomorrow to watch my first live game of the season. Pumped!

I am nothing if not very unkind bitter, fair to say old mav possesses one of the rougher lids going around.

That is very unkind Abe. Undoubtedly true but very unkind. Love it

Anyone else hate Lindsay thomas? I don't like players who look for free kicks

Father, forgive them(AFL),for they know not what they do.

Class doesn't pay the bills for cutting edge sports technology. I am amazed at the amount of MFC people who are not seeing this

Whether its Tim Smith or the Weid is really not a big issue on reflection. Same to a point with Frost and Oscar. Spencer getting through the game uninjured, unreported and holding his end up is this weeks big deal. Next week we will start getting players back. I fear Hogan may possibly need to stay out west or may not be in a good frame of mind. thats got to play out. Spencer is the big show, then the form of Viney, Salem, ANB and Bugg will capture my interest. Next comes Clarry being able to deal with a lot of attention, and then the whole team not retaliating - either 1st or 2nd. Then I can just watch the Jayden show. BTW I didnt see it mentioned how our tackling has not had many free kicks paid for too high, but noticed it on the replay. Goodys got them sucking it up and playing hard fair football. Even my dogs arent scared of me watching footy - another win.

Two things... Weideman is exceptionally brave in the air and does fly in many marking contests. He may not be grabbing them, but can you remember the last time he was out-marked ? He competes in the air far better than Pedersen, despite Pedersen taking the odd fine contested mark. Weideman provides more ground opportunities than Pedersen, imo. There's no doubt an element of "getting games into him", which will benefit the club long-term. He, far more than Tim Smith, will be the beneficiary of any "line-ball" decisions.

The clean back looks pure class.

Good changes, but also Pedersen could have been in for Weed (since last week). I'm happy it shows that Oscar is not considered a protected species like Dawes was forever and Weed seems to be lately.

Theyll win 10-11 in perth 3 or 4 out of perth Home final Get smashed in a final out of wa yawn

I quite like Bugg, he was a solid contributor for us last season and I can see him holding his spot in the team.

Re: being harsh on Smith: being left out of the side doesn't have to be taken personally. Maybe they've backed in Weid as their main tall and wanted to go smaller, and have added in a player who, while by no means a perfect player, is known for his ability to pressure and become a danger on the scoreboard. It may be that once they moved Watts out, they saw that the forward line was far too inexperienced. Bugg obviously isn't a key forward, but he's an 83 game player compared to Smith's 1, it's a huge difference. There are a heap of justifiable reasons that don't involve it being any criticism on Smith. If the message is delivered right, Smith will go back to the VFL itching to prove himself ready for the next attempt. I really doubt, given where he's come from and the path he took to get on the list, that he's going to crack the sads from being left out.

Agree with this. Armfield looks like a deadset d1ckhead.

Let's all remember how awesome a last 5-6 games he had last year when the team was pushing for a finals spot and he won a Rising Star nom. I don't know if as Melbourne fans it's our tendency to overstate bad games and performances on a team and player level, but seriously, we crucify players and act like they're the reason we lose games. We are just like Richmond supporters in that sense. Utterly brutal, especially on young players. We almost ruined Watts. We fueled the media criticism. Ox I have no doubt just goes with the bandwagon and sees the game in a really shallow way. Oscar isn't great, but we absolutely need to back him in purely on the back of him performing so well in arguably the club's most pivotal moment of the past decade. Halfway through last season we went through the same thing. He'd played maybe 10 games. I and a few others supported him and he turned it around, and the very people saying now, "See I told you he was garbage!" were at the time saying "Colour me impressed!" An old footy cliche: it's a marathon, not a sprint. Oscar is pivotal to our long term plans.

My view on Oscar is that he offers a fair bit but is still a work in progress. The occasional spell in the twos won't do him any harm at all. The thing that keeps freaking me out is I can't stop likening him to Prince George from Blackadder when I see him running around on the field. I better check my medication!

At the very least

I think they may have stolen your headline. Spencil was better IMHO.

Is quicker than you think. Harder on the spread. Plays on the edge.

Mate, I have thrown the cork away! Go DEES!

Opened this for first time since the above date. Ouch

I think the Weed is playing like he has been sprayed with Round Up.

Well Dwayne Russell called him Ollie about 4 times in round 1. So just call him anything that starts with O I guess. Hope you bounce back back from the 2's, Othello.

Especially McCarthy with that ridiculous hairdo and god awful moustache. Fair dinkum, does the bloke own a mirror?

Pressure for spots is great. I doubt Oscar is disappointing match committee, more-so they like what Frost brings and Oscar is the direct replacement because they don't want to play both. They would have explained to Oscar that he's doing well, but there are still areas he needs to work on. I'm liking the selections this year far more than last year.

I suspect frost comes in because he can pinch hit in the ruck and allow watts to stay forward a bit more

Pedersen instead of Weideman would be ideal.

Spencer for Gawn is a downgrade. Frost for O. McDonald is a big upgrade. Bugg for Smith is just different.

uncle fester, you will surely burn in hell !!!!!!! you will be in good company. I was bailed up by a Christian in Swanston St one day. After I made some offensive remark he asked me " but don't you want to go to heaven? " I said " mate, I wouldn't know anybody there !!! "

Now I'm not a huge O Mac fan, but is a "giveaway" any worse than missing a set shot for goal from 40m or closer? In the same light, many posters have brought up ANB's giveaway on the weekend, but failed to mention all the individuals who missed regulation set shots.

About to hit round four. This is a poor look for the club and it's going to take a big hit on the bottom line.