Leaderboard

I'm a premium Member. Its absolutely great. Ive had 25 years of a grand final ticket should Melbourne compete! You just cant buy that! AND Premium Members are not only sent the team list 1 hour earlier, we are sent the final score on a Friday AND the final ladder position in early August. You should all join. Its well worth it PS We win by 35 points, Oliver BOG, Viney reported for grimacing, medium impact.

"We are expecting Gold Coast's best." Statement by Nathan Jones in an interview yesterday. I believe we heard this prior to the Hawks and Roos games and in both those games it was like we actually waited for quarter time to see what the opposition brings.

I don't get all the doom and gloom This is the most even season that I can ever remember. We are one game off second bottom We are one game off 6th position We have beaten 3 sides above us and won 1 game to sides below us We have lost to 3 sides above us and lost to 2 sides below us Who knows what will happen this week and although we get disappointed at our loses, this season is one of the best for a long time No one knows who will win this week (with the possible exception of Coll vs Bris.) Haw ( 17th ) is only 2 games out of the eight Sit back and enjoy.

Teams announcedt a bit earlier tonight: IN: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen, James Harmes OUT: Christian Salem (susp.), Dean Kent (omitted), Sam Weideman (omitted) Changes look pretty good to me!

I say that every time someone from the club trots out the old "We are preparing for their best" BS. How bout we just play OUR best and the result will take care of itself.

Selwood drawing the high tackle by collapsing knees at the first sign of a tackle and the Ump pays it. FFS it's a joke.

Being in games isnt enough Wise. Finals sides win games they should. We dont. At least not consistently. We are looking at yet another top 10 pick, maybe even top 5, and I think it's a disgrace for a side whos CEO hinted at finals LAST year.

a nice little bump up.....41k in sight 40,727

They average 17.5 a game, just ahead of GWS who average 17. We're third though with an average of 14.9 per game, which is brilliant considering we've had no recognised ruckman for almost half of the season so far.

I think it would be best for the players and the club to just stfu from here on in and let the footy do the talking

This week ? He has one of the most miserable personas I've ever seen.

or an alternate for gus

The competition is as even as it's ever been and I think it's really putting the umpires on show, everyone is seeing how poor they really are.

Selwood putting on a ducking master class tonight.

I reckon that was last week. We have had plenty of opportunities to put ourselves deep into the finals frame, and made a mess of just about all of them. We are still too mentally soft to be a threat to anyone at finals time. I mean losing to a bottom 4 Hawks, then a bottom 4 Norf? Weak as [censored].

Melbourne by 113 points.

It's a disgrace that I'm more confident in beating GC in the NT than I am at the MCG. Our performances at our home have been the single biggest low light of 2017 so far.

Everyone in the age has tipped us to win. That's 23 tippers. Gold Coast really aren't that bad when on song and we can be really bad when we're not on song. It's a flip of the coin match.

THE BOOK OF MELBON by The Oracle Hello! This is the story about a bunch of nice guys who, at one stage, believed they were destined to do something incredible. When the Demons comfortably beat the Latter Day Saints in the opening round of the 2017 season it was a case of brimming wide toothy smiles from all of the Melbourne players and their supporters. We were in for a great season and it didn't matter that one team member was injured in the early stages of the first game or that one of the better players was reported as a result of a stupid indiscretion. The team was young, happy, healthy and most of all they BELIEVED ... and all was well and good. The Book of Melbon was about to be spread across every corner of the world. In the weeks to follow the team was taken to dark places. More of those smiling players were injured or suspended. The promise of paradise inspired by the historical figure of their long gone ancient coach Norman Smith evaporated into thin air. The team faced its own demons in the guise of an inability to cope with expectation that comes with a team on the rise. They had to find a way to address and overcome their inconsistencies, to find the courage to take control of the situation, to "Man Up". The AFL's Mission Control sent the Demons to Alice Springs in the red centre of the country to convert the locals and to make them love the game of Australian Rules but the population there already had problems of their own. Meanwhile, those smiling young boys from Melbon had to confront another enemy, one that had recently been on a sojourn to another continent where they were battered from pillar to post and were now on a mission of revenge. To their sheer amazement the Demons and their fans discovered the local bookies had installed them as outright favourite to win their forthcoming confrontation with the Gold Coast Suns. Panic immediately set in and the nightmare began once again in the form of the "Spooky Melbon Hell Dream". This incredible saga has a dramatic twist and I'll be back after interval (team selection) to tell the rest of the story ... THE GAME Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns at Traeger Park, Alice Springs Saturday 27 May, 2017 at 4.40pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall - Melbourne 6 wins Gold Coast Suns 3 wins At Traeger Park - Melbourne 0 wins Gold Coast Suns 0 wins Past five matches - Melbourne 3 wins Gold Coast Suns 2 wins The Coaches - Goodwin 0 wins Eade 0 wins MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel - Live at 4.30pm RADIO - Triple M SEN ABC ABC Grandstand THE BETTING Melbourne to win - $1.45 Gold Coast Suns to win - $2.75 THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 9.12.66 defeated Gold Coast Suns 9.10.64 at MCG Round 19, 2016 After handing out a thrashing to the Suns on their home turf earlier in the season, the Demons started as white hot favourite to repeat the dose on the MCG. Predictably, their inconsistency shone through and it was only the heroism of a smiling Jack Watts that saw the team home by a narrow two point margin at the end of the day. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B: Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Neville Jetta HB: Michael Hibberd, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis C: Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver, Bernie Vince HF: Jeff Garlett, Cameron Pedersen, James Harmes F: Tomas Bugg, Christian Petracca, Mitch Hannan FOLL: Tom McDonald, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney I/C: Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen, Josh Wagner, Jack Watts EMG: Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Sam Weideman IN: James Harmes, Jake Melksham, Alex Neal-Bullen OUT: Dean Kent (omitted), Christian Salem (suspended), Sam Weideman (omitted) GOLD COAST B: Jesse Joyce, Jack Leslie, Jarrod Harbrow HB: Sean Lemmens, Steven May, Adam Saad C: Alex Sexton, Will Brodie, David Swallow HF: Jarryd Lyons, Tom J. Lynch, Touk Miller F: Brandon Matera, Peter Wright, Jack Martin FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Aaron Hall, Michael Barlow I/C: Brayden Fiorini, Pearce Hanley, Kade Kolodjashnij, Brad Scheer EMG: Keegan Brooksby, Matt Shaw, Mackenzie Willis IN: Will Brodie, Pearce Hanley, David Swallow, OUT: Gary Ablett (shoulder), Jack Bowes (illness), Keegan Brooksby (omitted) The writing was on the wall the moment the non-selection of Gary Ablett Junior was confirmed. It was bad enough that the Demons were starting as favourites but the loss of the great man immediately put the focus on Rodney Eade's future as coach. Suddenly, it was a game that had enormous importance for the Gold Coast Suns - perform or become the laughing stock of the competition. A team of duds with no fight left in them Earlier in the season, there were a few other teams performing like duds with no fight in them. Fremantle, Hawthorn and North Melbourne are their names and the one thing they have in common is that each of them took control of Melbourne at one stage in their recent contests which they narrowly won. They resurrected the careers of their respective coaches. The nice, toothy-smiling Demons have a habit of performing such good deeds for others and in the nation's red centre, they will continue their mission to nowhere if they play as they did against that trio. I fear that this is what will happen if they're not quite switched on again. James Harmes, Jake Melksham and Alex Neal-Bullen all return to the team this week to offset Ablett's surprise injury omission. In the bizarre world that is AFL football today, I'm fully expecting Ablett's replacement to rise to the occasion and two-metre Peter and Tom Lynch to celebrate a birthday. Gold Coast Suns to win by 1 point

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-05-24/guest-whos-back-at-the-club Welcome back Ashleigh!!!

Should have been a 50 metre penalty prior to the call of play on. Umpire was looking right at it as well. Pathetic from the umpires.

It's really sad, but terrible one-sided umpiring is really starting to make me like the game less. Cats got handed that win, umpires folded every time the crowd made a noise. Selwood still ducks his way to free kicks regardless did of an attempt to stamp it out. I just want consistently umpired games, is that so bloody much to ask!?

oh good. we are starting favourites!!!

Wasn't it our win over Sydney back in 2010? Bruce even told us that 'the Dees are going to be something!' It was just the wrong something.

Who fancies taking up the challenge of finding a named starting forward line in recent history consisting of one player over 190cm and no-one above 193cm? The cupboards are bare. But if there was something on the top shelf we wouldn't be able to reach up and grab it anyway.

MFCSS logic: The opposition are rebounding off an embarrassing loss. Melbourne are going to lose. The opposition are in good form and coming off a win: Melbourne are going to lose.

We've been in every game so far this year. True, we've lost a couple we should have won, but we are a threat to every team in the comp when we're on. But to each their own.

I know it may change at game time but just seeing Oscar lined up on Lynch made my bowel loosen a tad.

I like it. Weids had to go...no where near ready. Kent seems to have lost his appetite for the contest ( almost threw something at the television in the last quarter last week) and Salem well, he is a loss. Three strong competitors back in.

who's louis lane?

If we've learnt anything this year, is that we can win or lose every game. There is really no telling what is going to happen from week to week with this team. We "should" win, but we should also have won against Hawthorn, Freo or North.

FWIW I was at the Shanghai game in 30 degree heat and the Suns were absolutely horrendous. Stick the conditions and the break excuses up your clackers. We play for 4 quarters we win. We play for 2.5 or 3 like we seem to do too often, and we might not. FWIW it's a sorry state of affairs when our home ground is the worst ground to play at. Look at our results this year in order of performance. Crows (away), Saints (Etihad), Cats or Dons (both Etihad), Blues (MCG), North (MCG), Freo (MCG), Hawks (MCG). A worrying trend is emerging and for that I'm thankful this game is in Alice Springs.

I'm not really fussed who's in or out. My observations of games this year suggests to me the personnel aren't the win/lose factor. The ability to read a watch is. In this regard could whoever are selected turn up for the first bounce !! Much appreciated A further note....the first 30 mins isn't actually a warm up and playing kick to kick with the 'other' fellows is now to stop. The team is also advised that unlike some junior underage comps we DO actually take into account the scores so could the players start this practice prior to the start of the second period. Thankyou

You and a thousand others I reckon.

if i was goody, which i'm obviously not, i'd read kent the riot act and give him one more game against the suns. i'd tell him that if he doesn't meet the kpi's for that game he will be facing a long stretch in the magoos, putting his chances of a contract renewal at season end in deep poo. i'd hope he'd respond and get back on board because he does has the talent.

We make our own luck. It is clear we concede the initiative to struggling sides all the time. No longer a matter of co-incidence.

Players are going to have far too much power, clubs will not be compensated. I'd be ok with this as long as clubs could trade players without their consent during the non-free agency period. If these go through, Brisbane and Gold Coast are going to get screwed over big time.

No, no it's not. This is far from rose-coloured glasses. Making weekly progress reports isn't objective list analysis. If our development is not compromised we will fly past those teams. And while North jettisoned 4 veterans they're not as young as people seem to think. They only had 6 players with less than 50 games on the weekend and averaged over 100 games with an average age of 26. I get that drafting is still an inexact science, but there's enough evidence to prove top 10 draft picks give you a greater chance of drafting a quality player. Only one other club (GWS) has as many top 10 draft pick in their best 22. When I select a best 22 there's 10 or 11 top 10 draft picks (bids/selected) lining up. That's half the side. The Dogs only had 4 in their premiership team. Some are still young and don't perform every week, but it's clear our raw talent exceeds that of North or the Saints. Our success will come from our 23 and unders. If you think North or the Saints have a group equivalent to Viney, Hogan, Petracca, Oliver, Hunt, Salem, etc. by all means name them.

Hibberd was offside.

lol so we mightn't do it comfortably?

Agree entirely. We will be simply too physical. The teams that beat us this year will be those who at a minimum can match out intensity at the ball. And i don't think the Suns can, even after rebounding from such a dismal performance against Port. They won't hurt as much in the rucking area although their height up forward might. I predict a 51 point win

I'm happy to see Melksham come in for Salem, however I think Melk is being played out of position at senior level. By all reports he is a prolific and attacking weapon at VFL level, but seems to struggle to read the play from the half-backline in the seniors. I know there is a huge jump from VFL standard, but I'm yet to see any of these traits in his AFL games. Would like to see what he'd contribute from the wing or onball.

I think we're cooked if we lose this one. At the absolute minimum we'd have to go 8-4 after the bye to sneak into the finals. Playing a fresh Gold Coast in 29 degree heat coming off a 6 day break is another example of lady luck not being on our side this year. Whether it be fixturing, injuries to us or lack of injuries to the opposition, fraudulent doctors reports impacting MRP results or countless other things, it just feels as though nothing has gone our way this year. Chris Scott made a great point last week in his after game presser. It's not who you play, it's when you play a certain side that can have a massive say on the outcome. For example it seems that apart from our Essendon and Adelaide wins, we seem to play the opposition at full strength. We played Hawthorn at full strength....2 weeks later Collingwood play them with 5 of their stars out. Hopefully our luck will change after the break.

I don't know what the hype is all about. Let someone else take this risk...

I just hope you don't catch on that every joke I post is stolen. I'm the Dane Cook of Demonland. @Grapeviney I can say Titus and I have never been seen in the same room. But I don't talk half as much as Titus, so I'm quite sure we're not the same person.

@binman - while I'm certainly not one to write off Oscar, as I do a future for him at the club going forward, the stats you brought up about who we can least do without is pretty useless in this regard. There are plenty of horrible players on that list who have played in a few wins that have gotten their names on it, which doesn't give it a whole lot of credibility. Brown kicked 5 on the weekend and some of them weren't down to Oscar like some may make out. There were times where we kicked the ball out from defence, North marked it and then chipped it back in to Brown's advantage. It gives our defenders no chance. He will have his detractors, and I agree with others that we could use another tall defender, but he isn't nearly as bad as some make out.

Because this season more than ever, nobody knows anything!

Some here miss sarcasm. The point is that the players don't seem to find a regular diet of 4 points appetising without out something extra added to spur them along.

I was going to post about that this arvo but ballsed up the post and dropped it. Here's the crazy thing. That has to be the most concentrated umpiring fuckup in the last 10 years. a Richmond player was in the "protected area", right in front of the ump, who did nothing there is no such thing as a tangent in the rules there is no such thing as "two thirds" of ANYTHING in the rules. Schwab is full of it. (Schwab said in the HUN: "it's two thirds east-west when you are defending and when you come into your attacking third and you're lined up with the middle of the goal, you can go on that arc." Anyone know what the fluck that even means?) the rules don't change if you are in your "defensive third of the ground". Nothing in the rules about a defensive third. Martin played on by running off the line of the mark in any event but wasn't called The lot of them, from the umps on the ground all the way up, have shown that they do not known the rules of their own game. They seem to be working off some unspoken version that exists only in their heads. No wonder they seem to get worse every week when they get "direction" like that from above.

Great logic. We need key backs so we'll trade away the ones we have. Brilliant.