Leaderboard

I'm recovering exceedingly well from the damage to my psyche from 57 years of losing

Luke flats with my mate's son. Said the other two clubs that interviewed him basically said the same thing - "what can you bring to us". Luke said Dees said to him "this is what we can offer you". My friend said Luke is a ripping young man and was hoping he'd land at the Bombres (her team).

Chunk probably had a vasectomy!

So envious of all the Blues Trade Week Premierships.

I take real offense regarding Trengove. He was a great player who was destroyed by poor handling of his injury and being made captain of a rubbish club with horrible culture at age 21 Trengove picked by Melbourne in 2021 goes on to become a 200 game champion.

Tim Lamb: "Hey Jase, pick 17 this year or our first round pick next year?" Jason Taylor: "17" Tim Lamb: "Done" All I need to know.

I'll have to ask my mum on that one

I think our young midfielders should see this for exactly what it is. The we are the premiers, trying to backup and go again and that just because they may potentially represent part of an ongoing sucessful future for us, it won't just be handed to them on a platter, they have to earn it. At this point, I think the acquisition of Luke could be such a boon for the club. Essentially he's replaced Jones and AVB on the list with a younger more reliable body. With no disrespects, those guys probably wouldn't have competed for spots next season and would have been somewhat of a downgrade as depth. Plenty of examples of quality players on the outer at their original club who became regular good contributors at another club. Tom Rockcliff is just one recient one that comes to mind. Brent Maloney to some extent is another. Having this depth across all lines is such a valuable asset to our team and if players really value playing in another premiership, then having to compete for spots, spending substantial time in the VFL is something that they will need to accept or else go chase the money and an easy ride somewhere else. How good was it being able to replace Tomlinson with a ready made near elite young talent in Petty early in the season. If we hadn't had Harry toiling away in the VFL learning his trade and ready to step up for action when Tommo went down, that could have put a serious dent in our finals, let alone premiership campaign. Similarly Bowey who barely got a look-in all year senior selection wise, in for Hunt. That's how all these up and commers like Jordon, Weid, Laurie, Bedford, Baker, Chandler etc need to be looking at it. At the end of the day the compeditive, selfless type of player we want values playing in a premiership team more than getting top dollar or easy game time. That appears to be the judgement call that Luke has made here, along with the reassurance from Richo, Goody and Co, that they have some belief in what he can bring to the team and a willingness to give him a go if he plays the way the team needs him to.

I must admit I'm a big wrap for this pick. Not only now but dating back to his draft year in 2013. At the time we had just signed up Paul Roos as coach and I remember he made mentioned that he wanted to bring in some strong contested players through the trade period and draft as he believed that ypu build from the contest out. At our pick 9 my two desired options were Luke Dunstan and Nathan Freeman. I remember watching his under 18's championships for SA and he reminded me so much of Ollie Wines. He was also captain of SA and I thought he was simply the perfect fit for what we desperately needed at the time. Even when he first started at St Kilda there was talk already that he was a future captain in waiting. To see Tim Lamb say, and I quote "cultural fit" into our side excites me even more. He was a contested midfield beast who was already playing senior footy for his SANFL club at the time and he had the body frame to slot straight into our midfield. Come draft night I was deeply disappointed we had overlooked him and Freeman (who I thought was a Luke Shuey clone) and instead chose some kid called Christian Salem. Fast forward 8 years and Christian Salem would now be rated top 5 in that draft and has become one of the games best half backs going around. What amazing humble pie I've eaten over the past few years!! To be honest I don't think Luke Dunstan is coming over here to fill in numbers for Casey. I genuinely think under our strong culture and leadership he could emulate the same pathway as what Jarryd Lyons has at Brisbane. The same criticism of Lyons was exactly what Dunstan is copping now. Slow, can't kick, and has no outside game. Dunstan is a big time accumulator who's had the horrid luck of playing at a club where they've had zero finals success, and a poor losing culture with no leadership. Also taking into account he was playing under a coach who's already been sacked in the AFL system before. Dunstan wants to feel valued like he said in an interview few weeks back and he's coming to a club where our mantra of "Just be us" has made our players being able to express themselves on the footy field and also off field. Simon Goodwin drives this culture alongside Max Gawn extremely hard I can personally see Dunstan thriving amongst this culture. He'll certainly have a chip on his shoulder to prove the doubters wrong.

Not the grand final but it's amazing that between 2007 and 2020 we beat Geelong twice. In 2021 we beat Geelong 3 times.

So does Isaac.

I think Gary should just do something else after what he said last year

Chandler headlines group of re-signings

I'm surprised supporters are still writing players off as "wasted list spots" instead of backing the club to know what they're doing. How many times were ANB, JJ, Petty and several others that now have premiership medallions around their necks written off as not up to AFL standard? Some people are slow learners.

Trent rivers had his tonsils the other day. Expect him to be right for day 1 of preseason 😂

After decades of being a long-suffering Demons supporter, I had a shell, the standard protection that a supporter of a perennially losing team adopts. You know, the Monday morning wry smile, the shake of the head when opposition supporters zero in on another Melbourne loss or - worse - give you a sympathetic pat on the back where the condescension is laid on thick. It's the attitude that lets us endure, somewhat, another loss, whether it was a shellacking or a noble defeat. It's repeating to oneself 'Be gracious in defeat, noble in victory' but rarely knowing the latter part of this mantra. This state of mind looks forward to the trade and draft period now that the home and away games are done, the finals being an irrelevancy, obviously. It's the defence that means you pore over every detail of a recruit's background, looking for hope. Likewise with wins in practice matches. If a co-worker says your team looks like March Champions, you accept it with pride knowing, deep down, that it won't last. As of September 25, that's ended. I've shucked my shell. I don't know how to behave as a supporter of a dominant team, the ultimate victors, the titleholders, the reigning premiers - but I'm more than willing to learn. And I'm loving it.

This has the updates for: Mitch Brown 1 year Rookie contract Recruitment of Luke Dunstan for 2 years List and Draft details Posters have noted above some players have been offered contracts but not yet confirmed by the club. These are shown in green. An important thing to note are the List size Rules at the bottom. The overall allowed is 37 to 42 comprised of 36 to 38 Senior spots and 4-6 'A' Rookie spots. In addition 2 'B' Rookie spots can be added for 44. As we currently have the max allowed 6 'A' Rookie we have only 2 Senior list spots for a total of 40. More list spots become available if those rumoured to not have a contract, Hore, Smith and Chandler were to depart. However, we currently have 5 live draft picks. Pick 94 will go to upgrade Jordan. He was contracted for 2 years in April but we still need to use a draft pick to officiate he being a Senior player. This leaves us with 17, 37, 49, and 57. These picks may well change and/or 37, 49 and 57 are used for Woewodin and our NGA players. If so, we will need to free up more list spots. Will add Dunstan to the list of 'Ins' with the next update.

Of course if given the choice between equally good players you’d try to go for the younger option. But that isn’t always possible and especially inside mid roles, are not that easy to replace with kids. You need big bodies who can wear the bumps over and over again, especially in the Viney defensive mid role. You’re there to be a battering ram. I don’t want to put a 19 year old in that role for half a whole season or even half a season, let alone rely on them come finals. Sparrow and Bowey excelled because they were surrounded by quality mature players this year. Same with Jackson. If they played without Trac or Oliver or May or Gawn by their side, would they struggle? Undoubtedly. We exposed young players too early in the past because we had no other option, we now have options.

We're pretty spoiled on this site. @Chook in Perth @goodwindees @Yokozuna Have all shared fantastic reliable Intel over the years.

I was arrogant and completely lacking in humility when we were crap, I am not going to change now!

Given our age demographic, group booking at The Royal Children's?

I don't understand where you are coming from. The 'What about' argument is sophistry and totally irrelevant. It's like saying that a repeat murderer or child molester should not have their reputation tarnished because they could cook a great lasagna.

One of the unexpected joys of the great many joys of this premiership has been laughing at these so called “experts” back-track on their Melbourne-hate laden commentary. Buckenara has been one, he hates the Dees, he’s been pathetic in his analysis of our lists over many years, his failure to rate Trac, Lever, May and Oliver for starters. Like many in the AFL media he hates us and has traded on the ‘Melbourne will inevitably fail’ narrative that has pervaded all commentary on our Dees. I think we all know why this exists, and in the past it’s been deserved but it has genuinely prevented a lot of football minds from viewing us objectively. I’ve been going back through watching all our games this year (I mean, why wouldn’t you?!) and it’s really interesting listening to the commentary and thinking back on all the experts this year, Whately, Derwayne Russell, David King, that [censored] BT, Jimmy Bartel, they all refused to believe Melbourne was capable of anything even when we were 11-1. Listening to the commentary of BT screaming “I just don’t believe they’re good” when we’re 30+ points up on Carlton in round 9 is particularly funny now. Even in the second half of the season there was this begrudging acknowledgment that Melbourne was good but a constant narrative that others were better and we would fall down when it counted. Ahhhh the schaudenfreuder! For me the biggest [censored] of all is Matt Rendell, I listen to draft radio as I love footy but why does anyone listen to a word this guy says? Picked 3 of the top 8 this year, had the premiers 15th losing our coach in the first half of our season and in the greatest [censored] move of all still had us unable to win the premiership with a list that’s not good enough in round 17!!! Check this out: https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/07/28/the-biggest-worry-for-melbourne-right-now/ Also just last week the genius Rendell declared Max Gawn had “done his job” as captain and was one of 16 captains who could lose the role next year. Also didn’t have him in the top 3 captains in the AFL. The Melbourne hate lives on in surreptitious ways. Bring it on! Let’s prove him wrong again! MATT RENDELL = [censored]

From the outside, not breaking in to the MFC 22 seems more likely than being arbitrarily dropped because of his age elsewhere, but I can understand why he might not see it that way, based on his own self-belief and his recent experience at St Kilda. The club’s in a no-lose position though. Hopefully Dunstan is right and he’s able to add something on a regular basis. If he’s not, we’ve lost nothing.

If you don’t back yourself to succeed you back yourself to fail.

Suggested small talk for different supporter groups blues/saints —> “you could be next. You remind me of us a couple of years ago” hawks —> “sometimes a looong re-build is needed” Tigers —> “I didn’t expect Dusty to be replaced as GOAT so quickly. Trac caught us all by surprise didn’t he?” Bombers —> “we get it mate. Hang in there, it’s all worth it in the end” pies —> “it will be nice to pay you back with the lions share of the queens bday crowd” cats —> “rip the band-aid off and start the re-build. Setting yourselves up for too much pain otherwise Lions/Port —> “I guess it’s important to have the game plan to win the big finals isn’t it” Dogs —> “that Freed from desire song is a ripper. I will be listening to it all summer” Swans —> “unfortunate that you couldn’t afford to keep your young players” GWS. —> “Hopefully Toby has pulled his head in and resolved his discipline/madness issues?” WCE. —> “we love Optus stadium. Heard we have requested to play 2 games a year there” Suns —> “now that we are a destination club, have heard that King is interested” Adel. —> “Burgo wouldn’t leak crows intel to his ex-premiership mates.....all be fine. He was genuinely keen to go to your re-building club” Nth. —> “hang in there mate - fairytales can happen. It must be nice to watch BB.Brown succeeding in the meantime?” Freo —> “it’s great to share a home ground with you. We love Optus”

We just won the flag. Some people really are a sucker for punishment, let it go.

A well run, destination club…. I just can’t…. Believe it’s US after all of these years.

Fact that Bulldogs did not play 7 straight games on the road, because of the Grand Final bye, round 21 was against Essendon at Marvel and Round 23 was against Port at Marvel. Melbourne on the other hand Round 21 in Perth, Round 22 at MCG, Round 23 at Geelong, First Final at Adelaide, Preliminary Final in Perth with a Lockdown and Grand Final in Perth.

I like the above comment from their supporter forum. Reminds me of one I found on The Age Real Footy podcast comments this morning: phil lewis 3 HOURS AGO Melbourne were lucky on Grand Final day. Footscray were well in front and playing the best footy of the game, then fatigue from playing 7 straight games on the road finally caught up with them. If Melbourne want to take credit for that they are delusional. There last 1 and half quarters was the best footy played all year, against a team that had nothing more to give. That jealousy and envy is hard to comprehend all at once. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how these muppets rated us, if we got lucky etc. We did it all season FFS, finished on top of the ladder and wiped floor with the competition in finals. It doesn't get much more comprehensive than that. Suck it up lads.

I’d like us to have a crack at p23 from the Dogs. 37 & 57 over to them would give them a 70 point gain on DVI and chuck in a future 3rd to give them something tangible to make it worth their while. 23 too good a pick to be swallowed up in bid matching.

Irresepective of what happens today, I can't believe there is still discussion about whether Toby Greene should be captain of GWS. One of the major themes of this year's Premiership has been selflessness. There is nothing more selfish than putting yourself regularly in the position of being suspended. I would be horrified if my team chose an habitual offender to be captain.

Luke Dunstan this morning on SEN Breakfast "The chatter will probably be 'you're not going to get a game, you'll be in the twos' but I'm going to back myself in. "Speaking to Goody, he really focused on my strengths... and I'm excited to be a part of a happy group that are playing good footy and winning games."

Amen. I know it’s very hard to wrap your head around but we aren’t in development mode we are in premiership wining mode. That means you play best available every week, regardless of age. We are done giving players games for the sake of development. Bowey came in and dominated his role hence he stayed in. We picked best available all year and won a flag. Next year will be no different. We don’t need to gift games to anyone. We are god damn premiers!

If you look at other Footy sites, it was obvious that almost the entire footy world wanted us to win, and celebrated as such. No need to be anything but happy and humble.

I could not be more impressed with our list management over the last 5-6 years And it continues to be excellent - all seven players are terrific signings. The seven are: Chandler, Oskar Baker, Toby Bedford, Mitch Brown, Majak Daw, Deakyn Smith and Daniel Turner. Arguably, if our injuries are not too bad, only Chandler, Bedford are serious chance at regular senior selection. But all are solid citizens and contribute to the one club mentality. Note: i reckon turner might be a smokey for senior section. Seems a natural footballer, has good hands and i could see him slot into the back half as KPD. Declease is not in that seven , but i think he also could be an outside of chance of cracking senior selection

The world works in mysterious ways. If we took Wines we may not have ended up with Petracca or Oliver. If we kept Stefan Martin, Gawn may now be playing for some other club. If we kept Watts then no Fritsch. Reality is we were never serious contenders till now. I’m now happy with the champs we got now.

not even melbourne under neeld was THAT bad 😈

Media person Dermott 'dermie' Brereton Medium Mercifully only cable television Comment Another contentious nominee, with debate amongst the judging panel about his rating - with anywhere between zero and three peanuts being pushed. The panel was in furious agreement that Dermie has a long standing axe to grind wit the the MFC. The prototypical ex footballer who thinks he is still playing and as such cannot differentiate between the MFC in 2021and the MFC teams he played against during his career. And he continued to grind that axe this season. Case in point was his 'special comments' in the first GWS game. Spent the whole game knocking the dees and lauding the Giants. My oh my. Not long after that game, as evidence the dees were still a long way from being taken seriously, he was given the opportunity to interview Gus Brayshaw. His hard hitting interview included a joking, not joking, question to Gus asking how Oliver gets away with throwing the ball so often. I can't remember him getting another opportunity to interview a MFC player (though could be wrong). The panel was also in furious agreement that Dermie has been wrong about the dees this season more often than any other 'expert'. A remarkable level of consistency. There was a short debate asking if his ability to be so wrong, so often was an indication of a brilliant campaign of Machiavellian misinformation - or all the hits he took as a player and his post match (and career) recovery sessions at Tok H have caught up with him. In the end it came down to the question of harm. And once again the panel was unanimous - Dermie is completely harmless. One of the more philosophical members of the panel put it this way - 'if an expert makes a ridiculous comment and no-one hears it, does it matter? If Dermie makes yet another ridiculous comment and thousands hear it, does it matter? Ultimately Dermie's harmlessness, and almost complete irrelevance, mean that the panel agreed one peanut was an appropriate score. Public Service Announcement You may have missed it with the blizzard COVID information, but the Victorian CHO has recently warned football fans with underlying health issues or at high risk of contracting the FEDMHI (Football 'Experts' Do My Head In) syndrome to avoid listening to any pre or post match 'analysis' Dermott 'Dermie' Brereton is involved in. And as a preventative measure Mr Sutton also recommends avoiding listening to any game 'Dermie' is doing special comments for. Mr Sutton also mentioned there was some show on Fox Dermie hosts, but he doesn't have any guidance on this as it was deemed too unsafe to ask anyone in his team to view it. However, when pressed, Mr Sutton did say that logic and pragmatism suggests it is best to avoid it at all costs. Score

Don't underestimate the value of an extra year of development into a young player. Let's say we picked Kozy (or another small forward) in the same draft year as Bowey, much less likely that he'd be playing the same grade of footy he is now

Given that these were the only two occasions in the last 20 years, the odds are about 10%. Not high enough to worry about a hypothetical future first round pick being 8 spots lower.

You seriously think we are a chance to miss finals? I have already declared MFCSS dead; this is some other disease or ailment. I take no ownership. May god have mercy on your soul.

Being selfless won us the flag. Let's stick with it.

Jason Taylor and Tim Lamb are absolute artists. Several years in a row trading up the draft. Most recently for Bowser and Laurie and before that for Kozzy and Rivers. I recall Taylor's excitement 'we're gonna get the Riv; we're gonna get the Riv' before the cheeseboard appeared.

If it all blows up in our faces, you'll all have a flag to dry your tears on

I’m sorry what? Is that because we are rebuilding and we have to get games into the kids?? FCS - the window is open and if Sparrow and Jordon get a game it will be because THEY deserve it. I am greedy - I want to win more.