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How is everyone so confused about the Preuss trade?? We've now got the best number one ruck and one of the best back-up rucks in the comp..... wallace is an idiot.

This is where Sam has Jesse covered already. It used to frustrate me no end that for a supposedly super competitive bloke Hogan never bought full intensity to his tackling side. Hogan has never made this type of tackle Weid did on Dangerfield on the members wing (1.53)

When I was much younger my uncle took me to see the boys train. Once training was over the great Allen Jakovich stayed behind to work on his goal kicking. He was my favourite player so I was eager to get behind the goals and mark some of his kicks. After I caught 3 or 4 he then invited me to jump over the fence for some kick to kick. It only lasted probably less than 5 min but that was one of the greatest moments of my life, it cemented my love for Jako and the club.

In fact, a Dons’ supporter friend of mine was whinging about how good the Hawks’ trade period has been, saying “they’ll win the flag next year”. My response was “are you serious, have you seen how good our trade period was?! Our list is now perfect.” He just shook his head and laughed. But I reckon it is. I think the club deserves more credit than we’ve received to date. We simply nailed it. Everyone gets dazzled by brand name player trades, and seems not to play sufficient credit to the trades like Vince, Hibberd, Melksham, Garlett, Cross, Preuss, and KK. It’s about how trades actually improve a club’s list that is the critical element in determining the success or otherwise of a trade period, surely?

i loved Sam's attitude on the field at the end of the season, particularly his enthusiasm and his connection with his team mates . Terrific body language, a strong sense of commitment and team.

Wallace, I do not rate as a judge of anything. The more I think about the trading period, the happier I feel about the outcomes for the MFC. And, the happier I feel about the performance of our key managers. We are in good hands.

Most run-of-the-mill footy followers have no real idea of how good this kid could be. I dont mean that dismissively to the football public, as i dont really follow others teams up and coming players either. The general football public see him as nothing more than a skinny kid who has taken a couple of contested marks, and has a famous relative. For anyone who has watched his progress closely, the evidence was getting stronger every time he took the field in the latter part of the season. He is good below his knees, and loves a tackle. If the coaches can keep improving his defensive pressure, and he gets confidence in his body (after adding several more K.G's), i can see him splitting packs open and being the contested marking beast we all hoped Hogan would be. This kid will be special IMO.

@praha, what a time to be alive 1. My housemate Geert, who received a Dees scarf from me last xmas. 2. One of my best mates, known to peruse this site, with whom I work on boats. Edit: For what it's worth Geert told me excitedly about you, and Julian about you telling him about Geert. @Skuit is right about not trusting boat guys. But he also lives on a boat ?

Wallace - F

Agree. He takes contested pack marks which in big games and finals are gold. Few more kg and bigger tank and he’ll be a jet.

Ding, nailing of picks aside, in all my time supporting this club I have never felt so comfortable that the development of every single player brought to the club via trade or draft, is in very good hands and clearly adds to the clubs appeal for prospective players such as and which was evidenced in May's comments. I was suspect of Weidemans potential earlier this year but his EF against Geelong put paid to any lingering suspicions. Without Hogan, I expect his progress to come along in leaps and bounds next season.

I was at that game in Box Hill: he kicked 5 of them in the first half, he kicked some from a long way out, and he was marking everything that came his way. I also know someone who has known and followed Sam from his junior days and he has told me we ain't seen nothing yet. He is also full of praise for Sam as a human being. This guy is not a Demon supporter either...

He is mixing bits up when scoring us. Why we took Preuss is not confusing. Why he chose to come could be confusing. Its like saying why would Hogan want to leave a team on the verge of success to go to the exact opposite and then marking Freo down for it.

Collingwood ignored their weaknesses and topped up their already strongest area.

While in Amsterdam recently I had two extremely random MFC encounters. 1. My walking tour guide, who was an Amsterdam local, asked us who we followed in the footy after he heard we were from Melbourne. Before answering I asked him how he even knew about footy, and it was because his roomate was a diehard Melbourne supporter. Funnily, he knew all about Essendon's drug saga and compared it to FIFA corruption. 2. The next night, we did an awesome canal tour (Dam Boat Guys if anyone is after an awesome canal tour with some, erm, smoking flexibility). The guide was an Aussie that had been living in Amsterdam for a few years. While he was driving the boat at a blistering 5kmh, he was showing me highlights from the final vs Geelong and was almost in tears talking about how much he wished he was there. It was so random to find myself talking about the Dees on the other side of the world, twice, within 24 hours. What are your random MFC experiences while traveling? (NOTE: I asked the boat tour guide if he was the roommate of the walking tour guide, and he wasn't)

I'd just like to point out... irrespective of what you know; you have no idea who I am, who I might know, indeed what I might know. What I choose to believe is my decision, as is yours whatever you choose. Invariably what I believe has some foundation and corroboration. That said I'm quite able to acknowledge that someone else might know something also, something different. I can accept the possibility without subscribing. What you believe I can't comment on nor care. It might be the only thing we agree upon us a desire to see the Dees prosper. Cheers

And another different opinion THE MONGREL PUNT - Jared Smith 2. Melbourne BANG! What a trade week. I’ll work my way up to the big ones. Firstly, I have no idea why Braden Pruess decided to leave the shadow Of Todd Goldstein for the shadow of Max Gawn when there are clearly plenty of clubs desperate for someone to be their number 1 ruck. However, Dees landing this ruck cover for Gawn by just giving up a player in Tyson, struggling to get a game, is a huge win for them. Kent out is no huge loss and helped the club keep some draft presence Hogan out is the right move for the club. He’s a young star who isn’t working out perfectly. I highly rate the move to trade him out while he’s still hot. And he wanted out, so he’s out. But to effectively land May and Kolodjashnij for him is a huge win for Melbourne. What a fantastic week. They’ve made perfect, complimentary changes.

The ROAR - Samuel Ord (A bit of a different opinion) The AFL’s 2018 trade period has come and gone in the blink of an eye and the Melbourne Football Club has found itself at the forefront of the action. Marching towards the 2019 season, still long off on the horizon, the Demons are desperate to see some degree of marginal improvement. After making it as far as the preliminary finals before bowing out against eventual premier West Coast, it’s clear Melbourne has the right formula. What’s unclear is how they take that formula and take that extra step forward towards a grand final and eventually a premiership. Melbourne’s trade period came down to two crucial moves. Full forward Jesse Hogan has departed the club, departing for Fremantle in exchange for pick 6 and pick 23. 23-year-old Hogan first arrived at Melbourne way back in 2012 and since then has played 71 games and booted 152 goals – a picture of consistency but yet to explode through to the top tier due to a wide range of factors. Melbourne’s next big move came just moments later – sending pick 6 straight to the Gold Coast Suns in exchange for co-captain and champion defender Steven May and fellow Sun defender Kade Kolodjashnij. May played 123 games in his time with the Suns. Kolodjashnij played 78. And that’s the Melbourne puzzle for 2019 – the big moves – and if the cookie crumbles like it should, Melbourne may just have made all the right moves to sure themselves up as a genuine premiership contender. Melbourne finished the 2018 season in fifth spot on the ladder with 2299 points scored – the number one scoring side in the competition. Minor premiers Richmond sat in second and runners-up Collingwood in third. Premiers West Coast finished fifth. At the other end of the ground Melbourne conceded 1749 points – ninth best in the competition. Geelong finished first overall, Richmond in second and West Coast grabbed fifth spot once again. In simple terms – simple maths even – Melbourne has removed Hogan’s contribution of 47 goals and 23 behinds – and will hope to fill that hole by improving defensively at the other end with the addition of May and Kolodjashnij. Tom McDonald was Melbourne’s highest goal scorer this season, booting 53 goals from 20 matches – the same amount played by Hogan. With Hogan gone from the scene, Sam Weideman – who slotted 10 goals in 10 matches as Hogan’s post-injury replacement – will face even more time under the spotlight and for anyone who saw Weideman play in the second half of the season – that’s an exciting prospect. Melbourne can also expect the same steady contributions from Jake Melksham (32 goals), Alex Neal-Bullen (27 goals) and Mitch Hannan (22 goals). These five players – the most important of all being an improving Weideman – leaving the Demons with plenty of reasons to feel confident that they can find an additional 47 goals to cover Hogan. At the other end of the ground things start to get really interesting. Neville Jetta, Steven May, Jake Lever, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem, Kade Kolodjashnij and Oscar McDonald will now come together to form what should been one of the most intimidating defensive outfits in the competition. The biggest improvement of course will be in the form of May – capable of taking on dominating tall forwards like Lance Franklin, Tom Hawkins and Tom Lynch – the exact type of forward which has left Melbourne fans in ruins time and time again. Some serious weaknesses covered in exchange for a quality player who is more than covered by not only the players around him, but the emerging youth at the club. At one end of the ground the traditionally introverted Hogan is gone, and with him goes approximately 300 points a season. At the other end of the ground however Hogan has been replaced by a man who screams leadership out on the ground and is more than capable of stop or impeding goal after goal, round after round – that might just be sailing through without him. Melbourne is a club that screams volatility and trying to predict their path has always been foolish – but as it stands, on paper – Melbourne might just be the team to watch in 2019.

I would have thought that gives you more than a C+ but who cares. In the end it's all about premierships. We need to start winning them again.

Is that you Krausey??

Risking outing myself here but Alan Krause is my grandad. Bloody small world!

Pure speculation by Langdon. The guy is an actual idiot.

He also played very well against the Giants in round 23 and was good against West Coast in round 22. Weideman averaged the 11th most contested marks for the season for players with at least 10 games. It might not be enough for you, but it's enough for me. He's 21 and miles off his peak. His upside is enormous.

Back in the day, had the pleasure of a quick chat with Dean Bailey at my old habit cafe in Canberra. Was quite startling to see him and maybe four of our coaches, lounging and relaxed as if they had always been regulars. Maybe that was the old slope-backed chairs with the metal base that always made people slide forward in their seat whether they meant to or not. I had only meant to shake hands and wish him luck, but he was quite friendly and seemed to enjoy being welcomed. Had really memorable eyes that always looked interested and ready to laugh.

At my Auntie’s 80th birthday party I got chatting to an old bloke who was a friend of hers. The conversation turned to footy and after a while I found out he used to play for the Dees. Alan Krause, #13. I asked him how long for etc and he told me only a couple of years then he was cleared to Sandringham. Why? I asked. His reply: ‘’a young feller called Ron Barassi came in and took my spot” - said with a chuckle!

Not exactly certain why the censored word was, but whatever it is I suspect that it is spot on. He is a [censored] Did he mention his own success rate at list building at more then one club? chook - Did you forget to add -wit?

Was buying a shirt in Myers at Westfield Doncaster back in '07 (or thereabouts). Browsing away and had to ask a fella to excuse me as I slipped in front of him and as I did I looked up I realised it was Tulip. I was too awestruck to speak.

Holidaying in Surfers' as a young fella (1981?) I was in a beer garden and there was this bloke had his feet up on the chair I wanted to sit on. I pulled the chair out from under his feet as I asked 'can I have this one mate?' and at the same second as I realised it was Mark Jacko Jackson on the end of year footy trip with other Demons. Shat myself but survived.

Darren or Craig?

ALSO good at confronting plane hijackers!

I had a work xmas lunch at the Stokehouse about 8 years ago. Andrew Leonchelli was with another group. I introduced myself to him, then told him that I was a Demons supporter. He put his arm around my shoulder and said "you poor man". I then told him that I had been telling my female colleagues that he had kicked the winning goal against Adelaide a few years earlier. Without further ado, he marched over to our table, took out his mobile and showed the ladies himself kicking the winning goal. He had clip on his phone!!! I sent him an email a few years later reminding him of that meeting. (I think it was when Melbourne pulled off an upset against Adelaide") He replied ... "Yes, I remember. I think I'd had too much to drink". Top bloke Very friendly.

Would have to be the laziest player in the league. Gets plenty of cheapies over the back because he doesn’t press or follow his man. Two years in a row geelong have tried to palm him off. With that said, he always seems to pop-up for a good match against us. I’d draft him just so he doesn’t play against us again.

Can snag a few for sure, but his defensive pressure is the worst in the league, and this goes against everything Goodwin stands for. No chance.

Erm, slowly getting drunk in a pub in the Orkney islands on a sunday afternoon when I was a wee lad of 22, in 03' In walks a couple my parents age... get talking , from australia, "whereabouts" "adelaide" "oh, me, I'm from Melbourne....that Andrew Mcloud goes alright" "yeah, we don't follow adelaide - we're melbourne supporters" ....a few more drinks...turns out they had been at my parents wedding in country vic in 1968..and hadn't spoken since!

Forwards win matches. Defenders win grand finals.

Yep, pretty sad when i force myself to think about it, but that Sydney game was the one for me where he looked like he had had enough for the year.

Agreed. I think my opinion settled on him when watching a rare televised Casey game last year where he kicked a bag of 7. He’d already shown his cleanly use of the ball in the seniors, but this game showed aerial dominance which hadn’t been evident until then. I’ve thought since then that as long as he has the appetite for hard work, for us it’s just sit back and patiently wait until he fills out and gains the confidence that comes with it. I understand why some want to see it to believe it; we’ve all been disappointed before, but sometimes I think people should just look at what’s right in front of them. Some people used Weideman’s name in the same sentence as Lucas Cook. That’s a position I didn’t understand even at the time and looks beyond stupid now.

Yep. The other thing is centre clearances just went up massively in terms of value due to the new rule changes. An area we dominate at and the hawks struggle.

Sam Weideman’s dad Mark wearing a Melbourne jumper at Collingwood training in 1983.

Sorry, don't see the comparison apart from athleticism. Frosty has been in the system a while now, his decision making & disposal is what it is & won't get much better. He proved valuable when brought into the team but really is a classic depth player. The big area of difference is in the contest, White was hard to beat one on one where Frosty is hit or miss. Despite his physical strength he often gets out positioned in marking contests. He also dropped some fairly easy grabs that proved costly.

This amazes me at times; the number of DL posters who exercise free will to criticise Frost and his alleged '...lack of skills...' when all he might need is some split second to steady in delivery - and that is a coaching issue. That split second, by the way, will have an ever-reducing timeframe as he adjusts to its impact in games. Usually, Frost is up there, any opponent, ready to pounce and run, just like Sean. I can clearly remember Sean having delivery problems for a couple of seasons, as his kicking was erratic most of the time but, by hell, he won the ball and again, usually affected a clearance. Then some FD coach took him aside over a pre-season for some extra work on foot passing, longer passing, handball and eyes up option finding. Instant transformation it was, and Sean became another legend of the MFC for superb contributions across the field, for uncompromising reliability and toughness, and for heightened skills execution through an enormous confidence build in his game. Frosty needs 'some' of this coaching attention - I am convinced that this is all he needs. He could be a terrible weapon in our arsenal of elite players and is worth the effort. You know what? Rodney Grinter is the man to teach him how....

The biggest change in that time was playing Gawn a kick behind the play. Having one of the games tallest and strongest aerial players situated under the ball made a huge difference...Up until when the Eagles smashed us at the contest and kicked to the open wide flank and used 2 rucks to draw Gawn in to bad positions. I don't think it was sustainable use of Gawn. We need him around the contest as the extra mid, as a link man around the ground an pushing forward to goal. The kick behind the play should only be an occasional tactic.

Not actually my surname!! (maternal side) Could tell you a few more stories about his career... and his bone dry sense of humour (the story above is a good one... he was a ruck, so Barassi didn't pinch his spot!!)

The stats you quote are for the entire season and we improved out of sight. Post St Kilda to the prelim we improved every single defensive stat and were the AFLs number 1 defensive team. Lowest points against, lowest points scored from turnovers (that came crashing down in the prelim), 4th lowest scores per oppo inside 50, 2nd best at forcing turnovers from oppo inside 50s (not sure of one on one stats but improved out of sight) etc etc. It was a stunning turnaround, and mainly because of forward 50 and midfield pressure, although Frost was good. Last 2 years when we keep oppo to less than 75 points we are 18 - 0. Average against in the post St Kilda to semi final period was 69 points. With Lever back and May in we will be beasts.... Best balanced team I can remember.

I think Lewis should step aside. Jetta would be my choice to replace him.

I know its stretching things....but some recurring themes.... First Australian ( indigenous ) .. Oldest known peoples on earth First Aussie FootyClub Melb.....Aussie Rules.....Oldest documented football code in world First recorded game....played by Melbourne Grammar....same school May ends up at !! First Indigenous AFL capt. Bought his Mum a house. Its been impressed upon me , especially in the last week that this club, our club, is a club defined ( now ) by behaviours. It will go to some length to frame many of the ( recent ) actions by the MFC and how we intend to do business on, and off, the field. More and more as I see the club re-emerge it occurs to me we are far from being cursed by Norm Smith , we are being guided by him. It's taken this long to get to the core of who and what we are again. This lad, can't wait to put the jumper on and do it proud. I like this go Dees

Whilst hitting the breakfast buffet at a hotel in Dubai I bumped into Leoncelli at the omelette bar. I asked him if they were any good, he said it’s still being cooked but he’d let me know. I went back to my table and kept an eye on him whilst he ate his omelette, he looked up and gave me a head nod and a look which said “Yep it’s good.”

I always thought Angus was a really hard at the body player from the get go and don't recall any moments of hesitation. But I could be wrong.

Having a quick look at the AFL tracker KK has been in the top 5 on the ground for total distance covered 6 times this year out of his 8 games. Lowest amount out of those 6 games was 13.8km and highest was 15.3km. Only a small sample and judging by the stats above his tank seems in good shape.