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Seems every year we remind someone of some team. Time for us to make our own story and for it not to end up a sad or tragic one.

'Tis the season to sell some hope apparently... “I think Melbourne are going to bounce back and be the Cinderella story,” Mooney told foxsports.com.au on Tuesday afternoon. “They remind me so much of what happened in Geelong in ’06 and ’07. We were supposed to have this great year in ’06 and we absolutely fell apart and everyone nearly got sacked after a review. “We came back and got super fit, super strong and it all clicked for us. Talking to a lot of Melbourne people who were at Geelong at the time said it reminds them of Geelong in ’06. I think that’s going to happen again.” Geelong great Cameron Mooney believes Melbourne can win the 2020 premiership after nightmare 2019

Yes Richmond lost by 113 in R23, can we just ignore their other losses by 88, 70, 70, 68 and 46? By contrast last year our biggest losses in this range were by 80, 53, 43, 41 and 40. At 3 quarter time we were in front or within a goal of our opposition in 12 matches for only 5 wins. It's well documented that our poor pre-season and injuries meant we weren't able to run out games.

Strictly speaking it’s “Hear, hear!” Ok, the grammar-slammer is outta here. ✌️

OK, the positive: Feeling a little chuffed as I have managed to arrange a site visit in Perth on the 23rd of March which means I will be able to get along to round 1 on the Sunday! My first interstate game which hopefully is a good omen The negative: As I was going to be in Perth anyway I tried to just book a ticket through TM but none were available. In the end I have booked through a link on the club's website and have signed up for a flight, accommodation and ticket package. all seems a little too controlled for my liking. Anyway - V excited - Go Dees!!

Thanks lads, I was too lazy to look up the horrible new AFL website

The druggies have supposed fantastic facilities out at Tullamarine with 2 MCG & Docklands Ovals. Look how good that has turned out for them. The Tiggies on the other hand are squeezed into a small pocket on Punt Rd, look at the damage they are currently doing. Give me one quality MCG sized surface, that is all that is needed.

I clearly have my blinkers on re: Goodwin, I rate him. For those that don't - help me understand what doesn't float your boat about him? Is it no plan b? Is it he gives nothing at press conferences, therefore must act like that day to day?

This latest incarnation of both the AFL & Official site are terrible.

No. Don't let it be so. I want them on a sloooowwww slide down the ladder, say three years around 9-11 so they aren't in the race but aren't finding the absolute cream draft picks...then after a couple of recruiting blunders they slip into 13-16 territory for let's say four more years before absolutely bottoming out in a winless season, then recover to finish 12th for four more years. And the same for Hawthorn so I can enjoy an impotent Jeff Kennett howling in the pages of the Hun every few months.

For our Round 22 2018 match I purchased a premium ticket on the WC Members wing on a ticket reseller website and loved every single minute of it. Best day of football I've ever been to listening to those whingers whinge all day. Worth every overpriced cent I spent. Will only be topped by a Premiership.

Fixed!

You could also argue the same for Buckley, even though he hasn't won a Premiership. He was on the chopping block after years of mediocrity and then went on to playing in a Grand Final (which they should of won) and a Prelim last year. What I noticed with all these coaches is that they realised that over coaching was taking away from their players natural abilities. Let the players play on instinct while having a clear game-plan and you'll win Premierships. Personally, I think we'll play off in a Grand Final this year. The time is right!

I wouldn't necessarily mind him sticking around if we just missed finals, as we would have shown improvement from 2019, but I could understand why others would want him gone. Finals should be the minimum for us. There always other circumstances which contribute to a club missing finals, so we'll have to wait and see. But I do rate Goodwin and hope he is the man who can lead us to the ultimate glory.

Fixed it for you.

I wonder if having "all mod cons" can molly coddle teams a bit. All under cover, out of the cold and wet ... beautiful ... and then they show up on game day to a wet windswept ground ... I have no evidence for this, but "train as you play" comes to mind. We've seen a few sides in recent seasons that seem helpless in the wet.

Every year is an odd year for a Melbourne supporter.

A lot of people liken Melbourne's 2019 to Richmond of 2016 and Geelong of 2006. I reckon we were nothing like either of those sides. Richmond won 8 games and beat the sides they were supposed to beat below them, and had a win over a grand finalist in Sydney. They disgraced themselves in the final round, but 8 wins is a ton better than 5. Geelong won 10.5 games had a percentage of 100, thrashed bottom teams, and beat 4 top eight sides that year. We on the other hand won a lousy 5 games, and none of those wins we were convincing aside from perhaps the Sydney win. On a side note, we haven't played finals in an odd year since 1991.

We should not forget that North and Western Bulldogs were also the recipients of significant tax payer funds for their ground and training facility upgrades.

I've got 3 ginger sisters and 2 ginger brothers Jaded. Ease up on the ginger baiting. Don't forget gingers are human beings too. Well, mostly.

Demonland: I hope we don't have too many players selected for the State of Origin match. Demonland: I'm outraged that Clayton Oliver wasn't selected for the State of Origin match.

I don’t get why you’d need a “massive” 20 Ac facility to train a single men and women’s footy team..? Tech, good equipment, best fitness and coaching staff, enough space for the team to have unimpeded access to gear, etc... but there’s only 44 odd men in training with minimal overlap with the women’s team (which at a pinch could continue to train at Casey). I think a hi-tech compact facility in center of town is far more attractive (to players we’re courting) and effective than 20 acre in the middle of nowhere. The fact we train along side soccer and rugby teams adds to the energy and potential for innovation... Bigger and more, is more about the egos at play than the proven benefits of such largess on the performance of the team...

With a bit of a segway over to the Burgess' Management Plan for Preseason Games thread and as indicated by @Kent and @spirit of norm smith, my take on the injury list and those missing full training is that having put in a solid block of preseason training before Christmas, we are now in a conservative injury management mode to make sure that we have as near to a full list as possible for the start of the season and aren't playing catch-up all year getting back a critical mass of top line players or carrying as many injuries for those that play week to week throughout the season. At least that's what I'm hoping.

This is where The MFC must stand up We decide where we go We are Melbourne. The name of the City, that soon will be the Biggest City in the Country. We must represent that city like the Yankees do in New York. That will take time. But we have to start it NOW and not back down.

People always shitcan the ABC, but when the fires ? were burning we were the only source right there 24/7 Don’t forget that

We desperately need a WTF button. Sometimes the sad or angry face buttons simply don't cut it. Need a super confused face

The best time of the footy year is about to end.

I agree it's a shame the way he constantly does it!!!!!!

Yes. 4:40pm on Fox Footy.

‘In the area, late back to office‘ is different from ‘drove to other side of city for 3/4 day’....

I think the 4 year horizon with finals each year and a flag is very reasonable looking at our list age profile. I've tried to make a graphic representation below of the age of players at the start of the 2020 season. I used 5 characters per player name so it works like a graph (yes I know it's not exact because it's not a mono-spaced font). I have also bolded (who I believe) are locked in best 22. I think this data shows that we've definitely entered the window now and the current group has 4 years to deliver. Nev is the only lock who is guaranteed to be gone. The next set of Melksham, Gawn, TMac and May have 3-4 good years left - at the start of year 4 none will be older than 31. We've got an absolutely fat line now at 24 that is going to move through to 27 across this period. It's also reasonable to expect that some best 22 locks will emerge from the 18-21 set e.g. Petty, Jackson, Kozzie. 32|Jones 31| 30|Jetta,Hibbo 29|Brown 28|Melks,Gawn-,May--,VdB-- 27|TMac-,Benne 26|Tomli,Hanna 25|Viney,JWagn, 24|Salem,Harme,Petra,Brays,Langd,Lever,Hore-,OMac-,Hunt-,Preus,Kolod,Neal-,Lockh,Smith 23|Frits 22|Olive,CWag-,Weide 21|Baker 20|Petty,Sparg,Chand 19|Niets,Bedfo,Bradt,Sparr,Dunkl,Jordo 18|Jacks,Picke,River Data source: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/tp-melbourne-demons?year=2020&sby=15

Sheer profanity

can't help himself.....eddie everywhere.....next sheeds will jump in with some crackpot idea like relocating to alice springs

Many premiership coaches have had this happen. Hardwick has been on the chopping block, Thompson was, Clarkson was... there is certainly a theme there. Edit - I'm certainly not saying that is the trajectory for Goodwin, but there is a precedent there, and why I'm happy to give him at least another 12 months in charge to see what he can do. If we miss finals it will be hard to argue for him to continue in the position though.

Stop hating on the club. You are constantly potting the dees.

I think we should be good for the next 5

Back in January Jordan Lewis likened our 2019 season to Hawthorn in 2009. However the Hawks won the Premiership in 2008 and our 2018 ending was a disaster. They did pick themselves off the floor eventually to win 3 in a row so ...

2007 was the year that it all fell into place for cats. The squad was mostly 5+ years into their careers (many had been drafted in the early 00s) and they had played together as a team for three to four seasons. They were primed. Should apply to us. 2020 Go dees.

Here, here! Couldn't have said it better myself. Or did I..... ?

Here's a free version of that article posted by one of those websites that basically rips off existing articles and posts them as their own... Richmond station among five possible locations for Melbourne’s new club headquarters

Why would you keep it? Better to use it.

When the practice match was announced, I remember reading that it would feature players that didn't play the following day against Adelaide. Basically, its the reserves players that will play against Essendon. How many that will end up being, I have no idea.

But this time The CLUB has made itself accountable, and as far as i know that is a first. I applaud them for that. we talk about the bar being raised. This time the Club has done it 4 Years Tick Tick

I just listened to Pert on SEN. I thought what he said was spot on. The Blow Torch has been put on the Club at Full Blast, by The Club itself. He fully understands and expects to be turfed out real fast if the Club fails to win games. But that is the challenge, to not fail and to actually achieve an elite standard It’s all or nothing. Fantastic, this has been what i have wanted for decades. Everyone at the Club should be on Notice...

There is a lot of smaller stands set up for seating and a small grandstand which you can purchase seats, but be quick, I tend to just sit on the grass with my kids. There is also an area where you can buy a package, get seats and drinks in the Lasseters tent. you used to be able to take fold up chairs into the ground, then for no reason or warning they banned that and only allowed fold up stools, then despite their website saying they were allowed 48hours before the game they changed it and banned it too, upsetting many people, especially when an AFL employee strolls in with a big fold up stool... AFL are in danger of over-regulating and ruining the atmosphere of what is a fantastic day, especially when their employees are exempt from their own rules....

You do do you. That's interesting to know. Because i have such a record on demonland of potting the club. That will come as a surprise to the posters who suggested i work for the club and am a MFC plant on this site, such was my supposedly happy clapper blind defence of the club and push back against those actually potting the club last season (see the sack the Goodwin thread, which has thankfully gone into remission). It might come as surprise to you angry, but is possible to hold disparate and sometimes seemingly contradictory opinions. I can support the club, think the FD and coaches are dong a good job, think the board is stable and effective etc etc AND think the communication from the club is poor and a cause for concern.

Let's fly under the radar, bugger em! Clarry definitely should be in the best of the rest FFS though. Well done to Nev, hope he gets through unscathed and represents the club well.

Gosch’s only requires a slight reconfiguration to fit an MCG sized oval, the current multi sport rectangular field areas and plenty of room to replace and even increase the number of trees. We can build predominantly on the existing car park and utilities area. Then move the oval in front of the building similar to Collingwood. The existing oval can be converted to 2.5 rectangular fields for the storm, victory Etc

MIght be Running on Empty if that's the case

Mrs W and I are booked into the Miami Hotel in Nth Melb for that Friday. Easy walk down to Arden St and back. Although coming back we will have to stop in at the Three Crowns Hotel for a burger and a couple of beers.