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Leave the jumpers alone. Our home jumper is easily the best in the league. Our royal blue clash is the best alternate jumper we have ever had and i cant think of a better idea. At least its red and blue. No white rubbish like in previous years. Our two jumpers should never change again from now on imo.

Why always so defensive in this way? Maybe he doesn't have the opportunity to ask? A non-condescending way to reply would be to say that you chatted to Jennings and got the impression that clubs want to investigate every new 'approach' as professional sport changes daily...

The AFL is a governing body of a sport. It’s objective must be to do whatever is in the best long term interests of maintaining the health of the sport. Sustainable profit is a part of that, but it’s not all of it. I’d go as far to say if the AFL’s profit margin grows too large, it’s indicative that they are underspending on the game. Pointing to the fact that they have an ABN and report profit and loss is just silly - they’re an organisation with an enormous turnover; this level of governance is required by law. To say the AFL’s objective is profit is a bit like saying the federal government’s primary objective is to run a huge surplus every budget. It’s clearly not.

We played half a season like that a few years ago and we looked like sheep walking on its hind legs... The MFC tradition of being poor and unloved is one I can leave behind. Bring on the stickers...

I looked at the pics and wondered why the jumpers looked so good. I pine for the days before marketing, advertising and entertainment.

Dont waste your time mate.

From all reports Goodwin is not just a dedicated student of Aussie footy but of world sports. He's also been developing a game-plan which, while still admittedly unproven, is on the leading edge of Australian football and could potentially deliver a dynasty in a league of small margins if it clicks with increasing player maturity. I previously posted my suspicion that he has already taken on board some ideas from both European soccer and rugby league. Far from junkets, I think these research trips are invaluable, and demonstrate the single-minded dedication of our coaching panel as led by Goody.

OP - you’ve gotta update your username, too!

Surely we Demon fans must be attracted to Prince of Arran......those colours!!! Meets Yucatan on better weight terms than the last time they met. Apparently Prince was boxed in a bit early in that run, though Yucatan looked very impressive in the run home. Cross Counter has good colours too, and is Richo's tip(or was it Dr Turf?)

Either that or let SWYL takeover your account for a few hours.

How 'bout those Cowboys! Not. Pressure has to come onto their coach & QB now ... the NFC East is up for grabs but Dallas are going backwards at a rate of knots.

That's the one thing I've noticed about American sports, despite being so heavily commercial they haven't tarnished the uniforms with sponsorship aside from maybe the apparel maker which is pretty much all Nike. It looks cheap with the sponsorship on back but it's the world we live in.

I don't know anything about any of the potential draftees this year but I know that as evidenced by the trading of Watts and Hogan we want players who are committed to being the best they can be and are utterly competitive. I'd be interested to know from those underage watches who fits these categories around our picks.

Got the first winner. Can’t complain with that start ?

One implication of the above is that you have to go into points deficit the following year if you can't match with list vacancy picks from this year and that devalues your next year picks which is highly undesirable. Pick points go to zero at pick 74. An interesting scenario is if a team bids on Bedford at pick 63 just after we use 62. Pick 63 is 112 points and pick 91 is worth nothing so we'd have to go into 2019 points deficit. We don't want that to happen so I think that means if we want Bedford we have to take him at 62. That sounds fine to me but could get tricky in other similar scenarios.

I'd like to see the yoke a little bit bigger so that the AFL and sponsor logos sit within it so you can clearly see the whole yoke design.

I like the Red Back but I don't want it to replace the Navy Blue. I'd be happy to keep the Red Back for those situations where it avoids a clash that isn't significant enough to warrant the Royal Blue.

The 2019 fixture for MFC will be attractive to any corporates tossing up sponsoring an AFL side

Heard him speak on Preliminary Final day and he said he was aiming for Round 1 but he also mentioned that that if he not ready he's not ready but should be ready to go early in the season.

Hardly a junket. Unlike our political masters I think the coaching group deserve these trips even if they gain nothing but some valuable time off. However, I'm sure they do gain some good insight. It can't hurt to have a look at what others are doing, discuss, learn where appropriate and ensure we are up with or even ahead of the latest trends.

I'd like to float the idea that its now time to update our jumper to the Redback, that is with the full red on the back as has been trialled To me the main advantages are that 1 It just looks so much more colourfull and aggressive especially on tv 2 we don't appear to have attracted a stick with us sponsor for a while with the blueback ,orange looks terrible Time for us and the bullies to tell the AFL to F off and pick another colour for themselves ,

1986 VFL Round 1 - Richmond vs Melbourne

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-11-05/returning-to-the-track Melbourne’s first-to-fourth year players still have a few more weeks to cool their heels before returning to training on Monday November 19. The senior players are due back on Monday December 3. Injury list: A number of players underwent post-season surgeries including Jack Viney (ankle), Christian Petracca (knee), Mitch Hannan (knee), Clayton Oliver (both shoulders), Aaron vandenBerg (shoulder), Jayden Hunt(shoulder), James Harmes (shoulder) and Neville Jetta (shoulder). All the players listed are expected to resume full training post-Christmas. Draft picks: 23, 28, 54, 62, 91 Major off-field moves: Following Peter Jackson's planned departure at the end of the season, Gary Pert has taken over as CEO as of early October. Melbourne's coaching staff has had little turnover and is locked in for another season. Round one: Port Adelaide, MCG, March 23, 1.45pm. 2018 Premiership odds: $8 And another thing … Melbourne coaches have covered all parts of the globe in the off season. Simon Goodwin(London), Craig Jennings (Japan) and Troy Chaplin (US) embarked on study tours to gain insights by visiting sporting clubs in those countries.

THE KID - A TRIBUTE TO COLIN by Whispering Jack There are some truly endearing memories that I have of the Kid, one or two of them off the ground and others on the field of play. It seemed to me that at every club function I attended, one of the constants was the sight of the much-loved Colin Sylvia, face smiling and friendly, surrounded by admirers, young and old, male and female. There was the promotional clip (Foxtel, I think) with Colin in the locker room beside skipper David Neitz draped in towels and joking. It was as if, from the very beginning, the new boy on the block was being typecast as a larrikin, albeit a lovable one who, in our hopes, would one day become a hero. And that was the problem for the recruit from Merbein which, during my childhood produced another star Demon in Hassa Mann, a shy country lad who went on to captain the club, played in a few premierships and was a solid citizen off the field. The new kid from Merbein simply kept getting into trouble. There were problems with a girlfriend, he broke team curfews, missed the odd recovery session, left the scene of a car accident (it’s unclear if he was the driver). He was often in the wrong place and the wrong condition at the wrong time but we all still loved him. After all, he was going to be our hero. On the field, he was something else. The first time I saw him was in a practice match for Melbourne’s then affiliate Sandringham, at the Beach Road Oval, ironically named after another blond larrikan Trevor Barker who also passed at far too young and age but from cancer. There was one brief moment that defined Sylvia’s potential as a contender when he gathered the ball near the centre, swiveled past an opponent and barreled the ball from 70 metres out. Years later when I recalled that piece of play with him at a club best and fairest night, he laughed and said he remembered it but thought the kick was “from closer to 80 metres out”. It took a year or so to get his career going and it built slowly but surely within a few years during which time he grew in stature to the point that it wasn’t necessary to call him by his surname. He was Colin and we loved him. The tough break for Colin was that Melbourne went into decline just as he was approaching his prime. Most supporters would agree that his best game came on Sunday, 24 May, 2009 on the MCG in front of almost 40,000 fans against Hawthorn when he amassed 24 kicks, 13 handballs, 9 marks and 4 goals that were just not enough to get the Demons across the line. He continued to play good football for the year despite the fact that the club was regularly accused of tanking its matches and again into 2010 but at around that time, the injuries in the form of groin and shoulder problems came, the team was performing miserably as the veterans left while other young saviours who were replacing them struggled. The contender was also struggling to live up to his potential status as a hero; he was failing and the fun had gone. After 157 games and 129 goals, the Kid departed for Fremantle at the end of 2013. Things didn’t work out in the West and, amid ongoing controversy about his attitude and behaviour under Ross Lyon, Colin managed six more games that were mostly unremarkable. Career over before his 29th birthday with life after football bringing further challenges for a young man who found retirement from the game at its top level a tough gig. Colin was working to get his life on track when his car collided with another vehicle last Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Nineteenth Street and Benetook Avenue in the Mildura suburb of Irymple. He died on the scene and will be buried today. We loved him to death - our deepest sympathies go to his family. “I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming Sometimes gets me in trouble too But the truth is I could no more stop dreaming Than I could make them all come true” - Buddy Mondlock

Gold. I got the quinella, so cant complain i guess. Missed the tri by leaving out Prince of Arran, didnt know it had Melbourne colors as i went to bed before those posts went up, or i may have thrown it in. But you cant have them all. Pity about the rain. Ace High had a good race till the turn and the distance and wet track beat it in the end. Hell be back. Was that the drought breaker for Godolphin? Their first cup??

Yeah . . . nah. It's outrageous. I'm burning my membership card and scarf as soon as they arrive. I'm completely over this club's recent improvement.

Thanks, went looking for the article. Long ban. McEvoy also fined $3000 for using the whip four more times than the permitted amount in the last 400m on Cross Counter. I wonder if he’ll go on a payment plan.

Bowman banned for a month after cup ride.

Does anyone know if AFL clubs are visited by coaches of codes from around the world to see what they can take back for their own games? Seems we are always reading of our coaches visiting other countries. After 150+ years of the game, you would think we could be leading the way in at least some areas of professional sport.

So many horses just lose their zest & ability from one season to the next or from the Autumn to the Spring ... it often happens to mares but once the males get to about 8 that often spells the end. And not too many horses break the $1Million mark so the horse has done very well for the connections. I've won a bit on the horse in the exotics so I don't feel let down by the horse in any way If they do retire the horse there's loads of other functions for the horse in retirement. Maybe we'll see the horse in the Autumn for one last go at it.

Haha Macca, they tried the old pattern of making the pace today to no avail. Poor old Tom, broken horse from all those past seconds.

It's time for a name change DZ ... and with your high-level contacts you're tasked with getting the connections to stop embarrassing the Melbourne name with the horse having so many lacklustre performances of late! ?

He doesn’t have the colours but Tom Melbourne in the next is overdue for some success and a change of luck. Last won in March of 2016.

They have some internal issues they are dealing with I believe. Thanks for the support from them, they came on as the AFLW sponsor then lifted to become a major sponsor for the men.

Got prince of Arran, wife was on Marmello. Got the sweep at the pub with Cross Counter so didn’t have it in anything other than the trifecta but the sweep paid well.

WTF are you on about The MFC home jumper looks awesome Why do we have to change everything every year??? GO AWAY....

Beware the injured athlete hey ... Cross Counter too good! 2 in a row from the 3YO's from the Northern Hemisphere. What do they say ... Once might be a fluke, twice is a trend and 3 times is a habit. It was a great win by the horse ... came from about near last on the final turn. McEvoy timed his run perfectly.

Still not as bad as the Super Amart logo on the Bombers jumper.

Out. Some things are tradition and while I like the red back it’s time to say a big ‘F off’ to the people who keep suggesting change in the game for no reason.

When are we going to get Range Rover or Mount Buller as a major sponser? Time to profit off those lame jokes.

Magic circle has always been mine, it’s now come into equal favourite.

Superior teams keep winning or find a way to win ... the Saints have hit a rich vein of form and with Brees at the helm, they'll be hard to beat for any opposition.

The track has been downgraded to a Soft5 heading almost certainly to a Soft6 and maybe even a Soft7 or Heavy8. The rain is still falling. They ran slowish 59.61 for the 1000m in the first race and the winning jockey Mark Zahra was saying there was a lot of surface water and that the track was already racing a bit like a Heavy8.

Raining at the track as i go to bed. Good luck fellas have a great day.

Racenet Form - Melbourne Cup 3200m $7.6Million Group 1 1. Best Solution (6) (IRE) J: Pat Cosgrave T: Saeed bin Suroor W: 57.5kg Best Odds: $14 COMMENT: Caulfield Cup winner who produced a career best to win the race. The Caulfield Cup is the traditional lead up, but in recent years it hasn't been the right form reference. 57.5kg is the ask, but he relaxes, he can sustain a run and is in form so there is enough boxes ticked to respect him. 2. The Cliffsofmoher (9) (IRE) J: TBC T: Aidan O'Brien W: 56.5kg Best Odds: $16 COMMENT: I thought Bowman gave him every chance in the Caulfield Cup but wanted to lay in badly when put under pressure. I can't see him turning the tables on Best Solution and is a clear query at 3200m. 3. Magic Circle (17) (IRE) J: Corey Brown T: Ian Williams W: 56kg Best Odds: $9.50 COMMENT: This horse has clearly turned the corner since joining Ian Williams, winning 2/2 by six lengths each time where he has produced a slashing turn of foot which is needed to win the Melbourne Cup. Has looked sharp in work at Werribee. Stays and has a turn of foot. That's a winning formula for the Melbourne Cup. Looks the horse to beat. 4. Chestnut Coat (4) (JPN) J: TBC T: Yoshito Yahagi W: 55.5kg Best Odds: $41 COMMENT: Clear forgive run in the Caulfield Cup. Wide no cover for the trip and was a beaten horse on the turn. Didn't handle the wet track either. The step up in trip and on a bigger track, he can bounce back for sure as long as the rain stays away. 5. Muntahaa (13) (IRE) J: Jim Crowley T: John Gosden W: 55.5kg Best Odds: $10 COMMENT: He's the horse on everyone's lips. Visually, the Ebor win was outstanding. But what did he beat? There has been 21 subsequent runs from the race for just one win since. That's the negative, plus the form prior was just fair, and that he's a highly strung animal, but if he puts everything together and gets things to suit, he can certainly win. 6. Sound Check (16) (GER) J: Jordan Childs T: Michael Moroney W: 55.5kg Best Odds: $41 COMMENT: He was another forgive in the Caulfield Cup. He was out the back and pulling his head off. Looked drunk around the turn but balanced up and his last 100m was encouraging. Big track, 3200m and a more genuine tempo could see him cause problems. 7. Who Shot Thebarman (18) (NZ) J: TBC T: Chris Waller W: 55.5kg Best Odds: $67 COMMENT: A grand old campaigner who will likely sit on speed and make his own luck. Would be a shock to see him win, but his Moonee Valley Cup run was encouraging and I think he's a top 10 contender at big odds. 8. Ace High (22) J: TBC T: David Payne W: 55kg Best Odds: $81 COMMENT: Put a line through his run in the Caulfield Cup. Leading isn't his go, he wasn't happy on the surface and regular rider Tye Angland wasn't on. He will be much better at Flemington where he won the Derby last year. Two miles will be no issue if ridden with cover and will appreciate any rain that hits the track in lead up to the race. Can bounce back. 9. Marmelo (10) (GB) J: Hugh Bowman T: Hughie Morrison W: 55kg Best Odds: $17 COMMENT: Horses who fail in a previous attempt at a Cup, generally struggle to improve at subsequent attempts. But this horse has got the ability to win so i am happy to give him another shot. If the race was a few hundred metres shorter he would be the horse to beat so if its a slow tempo he will be very hard to hold out. One of the main contenders. 10. Avilius (11) (GB) J: Glyn Schofield T: James Cummings W: 54.5kg Best Odds: $13 COMMENT: Earned his spot in the field via a narrow win in the Bart Cummings. Well held in the Cox Plate and IMO looks a clear risk at 3200m. He has been a up a fair while as well so it would take a great training effort from James Cummings. If he runs the distance he is right in the race but a risk at the price. 11. Yucatan (23) (IRE) J: James McDonald T: Aidan O’Brien W: 54.5kg Best Odds: $5.00 COMMENT: If he runs up to the Herbert Power effort, he will go very close. But the price is very short and you're being asked to take $4.50 to see if he can run 3200m. There is enough evidence to suggest he may not and at the price, you couldn't back him. But anything similar to that win and he'll look the winner. Just needs to run the trip. 12. Auvray (1) (FR) J: TBC T: Richard Freedman W: 54kg Best Odds: $126 COMMENT: Hasn't raced in just under a month and was plain in what looked a weak race. Happy to let him go through to the keeper. 13. Finche (15) (GB) J: Zac Purton T: Chris Waller W: 54kg Best Odds: $26 COMMENT: I think he is 6-12 months away from showing his best. Geelong Cup run was good but I don't think that's the right form for the Melbourne Cup. Not this year anyway. 14. Red Cardinal (5) (IRE) J: Damien Oliver T: Darren Weir W: 54kg Best Odds: $101 COMMENT: Visually, the Moonee Valley Cup run was just plain, but it was a rock hard track and he hates that. Wants a track with give in it and the forecast is for a shower or two. If the rain comes his chances get a massive boost. 15. Vengeur Masque (2) (IRE) J: TBC T: Michael Moroney W: 54kg Best Odds: $71 COMMENT: Handy stayer for Michael Moroney but I thought he was just fair in the Caulfield Cup. Would need to produce a career best run do go close and I don't think he has that in him. 16. Ventura Storm (7) J: TBC T: D & B Hayes and T Dabernig W: 54kg Best Odds: $31 COMMENT: Got his way into form with a Moonee Valley Cup win, but I'm putting that down largely to an absolute peach of a steer from Mark Zahra. He does normally save his best for Flemington though. Can he win? I doubt it, but he should be included in multiples. 17. A Prince Of Arran (20) (GB) J: Michael Walker T: Charlie Fellowes W: 53kg Best Odds: $17 COMMENT: It is always tough to win the Lexus Stakes on a Saturday then back-up to win the Melbourne Cup on the Tuesday but the horses who try always run well. Of the Lexus winners in recent years A Prince Of Arran looks like one who can win the Cup with plenty of improvement in him as well as being a rock hard stayer. Big player 18. NAKEETA (3) (GB) J: TBC T: Iain Jardine W: 53kg Best Odds: $126 COMMENT: Just snuck into the Field late on Saturday when Red Verdon was ruled out of the race. She was the last one into the race and will likely be the last one home in the race. Pass 19. Sir Charles Road (14) J: TBC T: O’Sullivan and Scott W: 53kg Best Odds: $126 COMMENT: Was game in the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday but that race was won by a near rank outsider. Here to make up the numbers. 20. Zacada (24) J: TBC T: TBC W: 53kg Best Odds: $201 COMMENT: Had no chance the way the track played in the Geelong Cup but his form prior isn't good enough to win a Melbourne Cup. 21. Runaway (12) J: TBC T: G Waterhouse and A Bott W: 52kg Best Odds: $41 COMMENT: Aided by bias to win the Geelong Cup, but he led all the way and will be out of trouble on speed. Leading all the way in a Melbourne Cup is saved for champions. 22. Youngstar (8) J: Craig Williams T: Chris Waller W: 51.5kg Best Odds: $17 COMMENT: Thought she was the best run in the Caulfield Cup. Loved the way she attacked the line off a moderate. Start prior ran similar splits to Winx in the Turnbull. Very confident she'll run the two miles and is clearly in the mix. 23. Cross Counter (19) (GB) J: Kerrin McEvoy T: Charlie Appleby W: 51kg Best Odds: $10 COMMENT: Very progressive gelding for Charlie Appleby. Thought he was very good during the York Carnival when beaten a lip. Has had a setback or two at Werribee but appears over them. Have to respect the stable and their record down under. 24. Rostropovich (21) (IRE) J: TBC T: Aidan O’Brien W: 51kg Best Odds: $26 COMMENT: He was just okay in the Cox Plate. Sat on speed and fought on well. But his form at 2400m is suspect, so has to be a query at 3200m despite being trained by Aidan O'Brien.

Yes I believe that's correct Jack, we get a 20% discount on the points at the pick he's selected. And you also may get "change" from the picks we use. One important recent change is that you can only use picks that correspond to list vacancies byou have. This stops clubs using 7 picks in the 40s to match a 1st rounder when they only have 3 list vacancies. If we do use say 54 and 62 on Bedford and want to fill all 6 spots we'd have 2 picks after 91.

Our backline has gone from a shambles three to four years ago to now being a strength. We've added Hibberd, Lewis, Lever and now May. It's unbelievable. Not in my time once as a supporter have felt confident in our back six as an entire unit. And now I will be. To my ears, it sounds as if many posters who have questioned the May trade haven't actually watched him play, or nearly enough of him. Let me elaborate. In May, we're getting pretty much exactly what Frost offered us in terms of speed and offensive play from our back-half. However, unlike Frost, May is an exceptional one-on-one defender and intercept player, he has elite foot-skills for a key defender, he is super smart and composed with ball in hand and he plays with a similar intensity to Viney both at the ball and man. He is similar to Rance in that he has the closing speed and awareness to leave his opponent and halve contests that otherwise would be pencilled in as a win for opposition sides. That trait is extremely special. He is a leader and former captain. His aggression and presence are going to change the entire look and feel of our defence. During the year, I am certain that opposition key forwards would have been strolling into our backline, seeing Oscar and Frost as our key defenders and thinking they'd have a day-out. Franklin, Riewoldt, Kennedy, Hawkins. All of them would have licked their lips. May's addition in that sense is enormous. Opposition sides know that May is aggressive and plays to hurt, and that advantage is significant. Opposition forwards second guessing at contests is exactly what you want as a defender. I can't remember ever having that in our backline save maybe for Jetta on smaller forwards, but never key forwards. They've always had something laugh at. Posters really do underestimate what he's going to provide and the onflow effect he'll have. His arrival is as big as any imo.

According to the new 'Mumford Rule' any one of the AFL's pet expansion teams that has a list need, may create a new rule to enable them to aquire that player through whatever means possible. Will really get on my nerve if this transpires. I was really hoping GWS were going to struggle to put up a credible ruck option. As an asides he does play pretty angry Mumford - he has taken white line fever to a whole new level.