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Thank god... Be more concerned if he rated us. Cheers Slobbo

I'm so glad firewall has blocked me from watching this and spared me 5 minutes of my life I will never get back!

When you look at past sports football editors of the Herald Sun , Mike Sheehan, Alf Brown etc...and then there’s Robbo , who is a perfect example if the dumbing down of society

So he uses what happened last year as a basis for deciding what will happen this year? There is nothing here about what we ARE doing relative to others. "They did this, they did that, I don't trust them!". Well, Get [censored] you [censored] polisher. A quality analysis would have looked at our list, our game style, our fitness and injuries, even our draw. But no, one bad game last season. And how well did he go tipping the Tigers to win last year? He can keep licking James Hird's taint and enjoy the high he gets off that.

I'd ask the question of how many sides last year played the majority of the season without 1)their number one ruck 2)their number one key forward 3) their number one mid? I would say the answer is zero. This is the reason why we will play finals this year. Combined with the fact the following players are a year older, Oliver, Salem, Brayshaw, Petracca, Hunt, Harmes & ANB. At the end of the day the proof is in the pudding and I'm confident we will be there come September.

Whilst his chasing and pressuring when the ball hit the deck inside 50 hasn't been good his work rate getting up the ground has been exceptional since his first game. You don't kick 40 goals in your first season and be right up at the top of marks taken if you don't work bloody hard. That said, a leap up CHF - no matter how good - is very predictable these days. You put a good key defender on them and allow other defenders to block the leading lanes and it limits their impact. Tex Walker might be the best - especially due to his precision kicking - and even he is a disappointing player at times. Jack Riewoldt is very handy but it's his work for the team - both work rate and defensively that gives him value not his possessions and goals. The really dangerous key forwards are either bigger (Brown, Daniher) or faster (Buddy) or exceptional at leading in confined spaces (Kennedy). To have a reliable mark on the lead go in to the midfield you then open up a lot of opportunities with the ball. Say you've got the ball on a back flank - Gawn can get down the line for the long kick and Hogan can lead up the middle and either get used or draw attention. In case people haven't noticed our game plan is based around kicking and moving on angles and creating space. At our best we don't bomb it long nor do we madly run and carry. So I like Hogan in the midfield because it suits our game plan and I like him in the midfield to get him involved if the ball isn't coming to him. It's a win win if used properly.

That qualifies for deep, analytical, thoughtful analysis in Robbo's world.

Not the most unfair reason to be honest and it's the reason why so many of us refuse to get too excited. A big part of me still doesn't trust the club and players to stand up when it counts. Where I think things are different this year as opposed to last year is that we are slowly eroding the players that were a part of the "mentally scarred" culture of Bailey and (more so) Neeld. We have genuine fighters and players that have a little bit of FIGJAM about them. Robbo reckons the players are too selfish I definitely disagree with that, even in the AFLX i think we could see that the players are together and play for each other. The instagram/twitter stuff might've been a little OTT but it still had an air of arrogance about them that I didn't mind. That said arrogance needs to be backed up so I'd much prefer they get the job done when they're bloody well should (cough cough, North Melbourne & Fremantle). This needs to be the year we win when we're meant to win. Missing finals would be a massive let down, we need it. We have the quality to match it with anyone and when we hit our straps I really rate us. Robbo didn't offer many tangible reasons, just more a feeling.

Max Gawn told a Demon Army function tonight that Fritsch will play this weekend.

Spot on bb. My expectations just rose. Finals for sure.

i know everyone here banks enormous import in the opinion of mark robinson........ /s

Fantastic news about the sponsorship

Pizz poor analysis. He is right about one thing though, I don't trust them (yet) to win a game that really needs winning. Really hope that changes this year. If we lose to North in Rd 3 I'll be about as annoyed as I was in round 23 last year.

devastated

He says he's feeling stronger then last year but still trying to find his feet. Dec has always been a late bloomer so I hope the MFC put some faith into him because I reckon in 2-3 years time he will be a fantastic footballer

They all mythed games

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-02-22/newman-gives-credit-to-her-mentors

And just to add ... it's usually nothing to do with Misson or the "Sports Science Team" whether a player is over an injury or not. That's for the doctors and medics, and in Viney's case, much of this would have come from the outside specialists who did the foot op. Misson's job is to make sure that IF the medics say a player is right to play, that he's fit, and to maintain fitness during injury and build it back up after.

The Age reporting Ablett has hamstring tightness upon hearing the news Jack will be right for Round 1.

Never rated Slobbo as a journalist. His alpha-male routine is tired, always was, but now he is just an embarrassing caricature of the schoolboy meathead type still trying to live off past glories when for just a brief fleeting moment in time as a teenager people thought he was cool. The reality is he is just there to make up the column inches and talk crap on Foxtel for most of the dead-head, pie-scoffing, beer slurping idiot masses that think MMM is the finest in footy radio and that we are either a nation of tradies or people who aspire to be. He appeals to that type because that is his schtick, his routine, his "value-proposition". Most of the time he just regurgitates what others are already saying but just re-wraps it and presents it as "hard-hitting" - whatever the hell that is meant to be in 2018 There are many reasons why I don't pay for the Hun or Foxtel but journalists like him are definitely one of them because, quite frankly, he insults my intelligence. Much like the James Brayshaws, Bill Brownless and Brian Taylors of this world - although at least Taylor actually was a successful sports person.... which is sad when you think that really is the best Channel 7 has to offer. His opinion is just another load of worthless dribble in the mighty AFL media machine because right now predictions and forecasts are just futile exercises in making up the numbers before the season starts. No-one has any real idea, and here is the case in point: who honestly would have predicted Richmond for the flag in 2017?

i don't see why we can't return to the mcg, especially with all the talk of of the new hi-tech artificial turf, which would allow vastly more practice time to be available. think to the future. natural grass on major stadiums will soon be a thing of the past

I actually trust this club, they will lose every key game we should win. It’s a Monty. We were always going to lose to norf and then capitulate vs the filth in r23.

Disagree with this... I think most supporters would expect us to make finals this year. I most definitely expect that we will...anything less will be a fail.

That's it!!! He's on ignore!

I think a lot of people would have Melbourne outside top 8. Even most supporters are hoping we make the finals rather have the expectation that we do. I'm one of them, hoping we do with no real confidence that we will. Ability wise we have the talent, mentally do we still have that mental fragility.

This is a great problem to have.

Adds to the team's unpredictability. Gives Hogan options should he be quiet at FF or the match ups suit Pedo, Tmac and/or Weid as kpfs. I like it a lot. A fit and focused Hogan will tear apart most opponents regardless of being at FF, CHF or midfield.

This notion of clubhouse is literally some kind of yesteryear ( read last century ) form of desperate longing. The club needs a new facility...not the supporters. Any number of watering holes for that purpose.

Bailey is an absolute gun. Hopefully he tears it up this year

Just got back from taking the kids to see training, very impressed with the skills and professionalism on show. Was great for my daughter to see some professional sportswomen in this part of Australia, she got a real buzz out of watching them train! huge thing for club, must be some 50 people all up, on the road for over a week. Hope the team smash the filth this week.

I actually think it's a good thing neither have been selected - it shows that the bulk of our list is fit and that we don't need to blood any young players before they need to. It's a far cry from 2013 when all we did was play the younger guys as we had little else.

I was having a discussion re Tyson's pace this week. The consensus was his pace is ok, but more importantly, for someone not blessed with speed it rarely hurts him. He's rarely run down or rushed. He's one of those few players with time. If he can eliminate the 2 or 3 brain fades per game he can become a very good player. This has been his best preseason and at 24 he's only now entering his best years as a footballer. If a fit Tyson isn't making the team we'll be ridiculously good.

From a long time member, tell your mates thanks for the work they do for our club. The fund raising efforts, in addition to the vocal support you provide at games, are very much appreciated by many of us.

It's just clickbait. Sensationalise some headline to hope more people click it. Last year on SEN he basically said the Dees were a shoe in to make finals this year.

Am sure he had Essendon in the top 6 though.

But Rusty Whorethorn are leaving there because they have out grown the facility, what makes it any different to our needs? I certainly wouldn’t go anywhere near Waverly Park for a few after match Whiskey ? ‘s it’s pure madness. Waverly has no connection to us at all. We need to stay within a radius of the CBD/MCG Those are our roots and we should embrace them even further. MMelbourne will become a very big city in the next decade. We can be a strong part of that.

super unbalanced side...concerning (even for jlt)

But is in the boonies RN. I hated going there when we played games there. No chance I would go there for a "club house" feel.

@Drunkn167 might be better placed, but Kielty nearly debuted last year, versatility, he can ruck, defend or go forward, his fitness has gone to another level, would not surprise me to see him included

Yes North, we know he's a great player but you can'r have him!

I know Garlett might not be everyone's cup of tea, but you'd think an All Australian squad of 40 player would be a notable absentee...

Having watched the replays of AFLX Wagner made 1 bad mistake deep in the backline that coughed up a goal but otherwise was very good with the ball, with his spoils/intercepts and with what I saw of his positioning (which isn't easy to see on tv). He's looked very good on the training track this summer and got some harsh criticism for games he played out of position on the wing last year. He's no world beater but I think he pushes for round 1. Not surprised to see him picked for this.

Tyson 2017 4th Disposals 5th kicks 4th handballs 4th contested poss 4th uncontested poss 4th clearances 5th tackles 3rd inside 50's And with a great pre season I think he will play most games

The coaches weren't kidding when they said our team had to be all about versatility. At this rate, Weideman will be our only forward who is just a forward. It is kind of funny though - we spent almost a decade trying to find a replacement for Neitz, we finally get someone capable of being the potent target in attack, and we begin rotating them through the midfield!

Meanwhile, the equivalent discussion on the Collingwood supporters' discussion board is whether Centrelink payments have kept pace with the price of ready to drink Southern Comfort and Coke.

I like the move simply for the unpredictability of it. 5 minutes in the middle keeps the forward line fresh, gets Jesse in the action and gives us some more X-Factor through the middle. Maybe during these stints we stick Trac deep at full forward with Garlett at his toes?

I really like this idea. Jesse has the ability to run all day and having such a big boy playing as a mid, even just for short periods, will upset the opposition in match ups both mid and forward. Most importantly though the guy has a really footy IQ and it wouldn’t surprise to find out that he could be bloody good around the ball. Jesse is a natural footballer

Viney was born in a lab somewhere in a deep dark forest.

so it's eight on the bench for jlt1, and unlimited interchange, before a reduction in numbers and rotations the following praccy game no more 9-pointers either...saving the novelty for the glory that is aflx's zooper goals, no doubt... as such... B: Jetta - O Mac - Frost HB: Hunt - Lever - Brayshaw C: Salem - Petracca - Harmes HF: Melksham - Hogan - ANB F: Pedersen - T Mac - Hannan Foll: Gawn - Oliver - Bugg I/c: Spargo - Stretch - Maynard - JKH - Fritsch - Baker - King - Wagner rehab / recovery / resting: Jones - Lewis - Viney - Tyson - Hibberd - Kent - vandenBerg - Vince - Weideman - Balic - Petty - Garlett - DJ - T Smith Filopovic - McKenna - Keilty - J Smith