Leaderboard

6 years in the system, and he is still fringe. Unless he alters his marking techniques, he won’t go further. He is trying to replace 2 forwards who take pack marks and win one on ones. And most importantly he has to develop 2nd efforts. Can that be done? I’m not hopeful, as that is an attitude thing, not confidence.

I know there are a few doctors and other medical professionals on this site, and doubtless they know much more than me. But please.... My wife is a senior nurse in the Emergency Department of a major Melbourne Hospital. This has been going on for two years. She and her colleagues are absolutely exhausted, and extremely worried the health system is being overwhelmed. If that happens, there'll be consequences for us all: cancer patients, cardio, accidents ...everything. So please...don't describe sensible healthcare measures as 'restrictions on your freedom'. Don't come on here whinging about 'banning dancing'. Have you ever actually watched somebody doing the slow, horrible lonely dance of death that Covid causes? She has. And by the way, she and most of her friends are furious at what Morrison is (we presume) trying to do right now. It's just 'let it rip' under another name. Health care workers are being asked to put their lives at risk so that Morrison can win the next election.

Not to mention players possible missing for a week with Covid. This could be the year where a deep list becomes very important and we have one.

There is only one way that Weid plays in the Senior Side. He has to smash the door down and play better than TMac or Benny Either way The MFC benefits Good Luck Sam…

I wouldn’t be too harsh on them. How does one respond when hit by a force five cyclone? Even Luke Beveridge alluded to never witnessing such a devastating example of power running from our midfield.

Not for me. I've never seen a thread where someone is training the house down trying to break into a premiership side.

There is something very familiar about this thread.

Personally I hope he makes it, he's got the talent all he needs is confidence. Time after time he gets his hands to the ball but just can't hold them, if he clunks a few it may all come together.

Without bothering to open the story up to read it, I'm betting it will be just like pre-season videos of Ben Simmons making 3 pointers and jump shots.

That does not look like the kid I saw and spoke to 2 years ago. He looks ripped now. It's hard to see where he fits in but the club has shown faith in him and he has backed himself in. Barring injury I can only see him coming in for T Mac and after just watching the Bang Bang Bang blitz again it's T Mac who punches the ball to Petracca and T Mac who bench presses the bloke so Sparrows goal goes through. He played a pivotal role.

We saw glimpses of what he is capable of in the 2018 finals and I was seriously impressed. The problem is we have never seen it since despite being given blocks of games to show us what he can do. If he can make the quantum leap next year and starts taking contested grabs and slotting a few I will be thrilled for him. At very least he will provide good backup cover for the club as the third tall KPF. I also like the Weid's mobility around the ground and could see him doing a great job for us down in the back half should that be required. Going to be hard though trying to break into the best backline in the AFL. He has made the commitment to stay at the MFC knowing how hard it will be to break into this Premiership side so we should wish him well and cheer him on, as we should with all our boys. GO WEID !

My question is: What's changed? Physical gifts: He had an interrupted preseason last year and is clearly motivated this year. So there's a chance he's stronger and fitter. The added physical tools then lead to better performance that then builds confidence and away he goes. Role in the side: He's been asked to play as the deeper target and crash packs - the Ben Brown role, but he doesn't have Brown's reach and often finds himself out of position and buffeted by strong key defenders. With more fitness he's a chance to play as a lead up CHF - the Tom McDonald role. But Tom is a freak really, there's very few who can run like he does and no matter how fit Sam gets he might not be able to do that. His best footy has also come as the back up ruck allowing him to get involved around the ground and get touches - the Luke Jackson role. There's a chance his game starts to come together and he takes his opportunity as a key forward, but overall I think if he's only made solid but unspectacular gains over summer I'm not sure it will be enough. So I favour the idea of a new role entirely and move him to the backline for summer and half a year. Worse case scenario it doesn't work at all and he goes back to being handy key forward depth. Best case scenario is he either excels down back or it rounds out his game by getting him more involved with the ball on the deck, more comfortable with marking situations and more confident to impact games. Then he goes back to the forward line with more tricks in his bag and confidence.

I don't know if it's just the military grade haircut, but to my eyes he looks to have significantly bulked up, particularly in the upper body. Am I imagining that?

A lot of divine occurrences in that game..

Same could have been said of Jackson until halfway through 2021. (Although he managed to double grab a few.) Then he held the marks and finished the season as a star in our Premiership. Come on, Sam! Same thing awaits you.

that's ryan '2015 premiership player' schoenmakers, and a great comparison 12 years on an afl list - 121 games, 51 goals, 1 premiership, 1 acl, 1 achilles not a bad career at all

Seen (and bought) at Rebel in Chadstone

I believe it has been endlessly politicised by the politicians. It would have been great to have true leadership at this point in time rather than an eye at all times on the polls but I guess we make do with what we have.

If any of this stops me going to Round 1......

No, you're right, i don't have a point, but i am intrigued and happy for him to be head down bum up and red hot go. If he had left i would have felt that we had lost something in the living breathing happy monster that was our Demon family.

You would have to think that with the increase in numbers we will get an increase in hospital admissions and this has been the case in NSW. I don't understand why you think they are flatlining. Maybe as a % but if we keep getting these increases then the hospital system is going to struggle particularly with staff already exhausted. If those beds are taken then it means no spots available for people with other issues.

Red how do you decide whether to shave your teeth or not?

well how do you explain infections going up exponentially, yet hospital admissions flatlining in addition those in hospital are mostly the unvaxxed not saying the health people at the pointy end aren't working their butts off

Yeah, I always have a laugh at people who smother themselves in sunscreen then light up a ciggie.

Hi DD. Yep, in essence there's not much difference. My brother is a convinced Anti Vaxer. He says he doesn't trust Big Pharm because he doesn't know what's in them vaccines. He told me he simply takes Magnesium, Vitamin D, Fish Oil etc, each of which he buys from Little Pharma. And, what's worse, he makes his Kartoffelpuffer from imported packets of white powder to which he adds water. I asked him if he'd ever heard of a real potato, an onion and a grater. He said he couldn't be sure that the potato wasn't genetically modifed, same as the onion. Then he lit up a [censored]. I guess it takes all types.

Wait for it...

And Casey really needs those goals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dunstall was a champion footballer - That's all. Doesn't make him a rocket scientist of insight into the modern game. He may not be a fan of the Dees, but I detest his club for surviving on the backs of problem gamblers down waverely way.

With Fritsch and a resting ruck - especially given that will increasingly be Gawn as he ages rather than Jackson - I just can't see the 2 big boys working in the same side unless Weid makes huge athletic improvements. Sometimes Tommy gets on the tram tracks and can't turn but he still has the tank to run up the ground and double back like a half forward flanker. For Brown and Weid to work together I think we'd have to move Fritsch around a lot more rather than his goal kicking role and we'd probably be looking at Gawn dropping his forward 50 minutes right down too. It would probably even need Ben Brown to get his tank and agility right up to take his share of the hit up CHF minutes too. Which is entirely possible, Brown can certainly do that. But then you're putting miles on to that dodgy knee of his and dragging him from the goals too.

T Mac and Brown are both getting on and injuries should be expected. You need three quality key fwds imo. most key fwds take several years to grow into Their bodies and the role. I know some adjust quicker. By 23 Brown had kicked 50 goals in his career I reckon he will come good and play an important role for us

I look in the mirror to shave or brush my teeth and see a club member of the Premiership AFL team. Gee, I suddenly look and feel better than I have in the past.

On track (Trac?) for 100 pages in 100 days (Monday)! (p.s. Monday is NOT to be the end of the honeymoon! MFC is the polar opposite of politics!)

Indeed..

Derm & Dunstall both really dislike the Demons! But at least this year we get to say "look at the scoreboard!" Hopefully we keep on rolling in 2022!

Just like Mike Sheahan's Top 50, these lists will always be open to debate. Attended my first Dees game in 1972, so at least I can say I saw all of them play. The biggest headscratcher so far is Tony Elshaug at 99. He represented the Big V whilst at Melbourne, and was a very good footballer. I'd rate him ahead of almost all those ranked 81-98.

I would have thought that with a name like that he’d be more a lover than a fighter BBO.

If Essedon win those first 2 games, their arrogant and aggressive supporters will turn up thinking the flag is theirs. Watch your backs in the crowd. Jesus I detest Essedon supporters.

I’m very optimistic about the outlook for the new year Covid wise. By the time the AFL season rolls around I don;t think there will be the same level of disruption currently being experienced in US and European sports. The vaccines have done their job and reduced the severity of symptoms. The virus has evolved into the relatively mild Omicron variant. Because its highly transmissible there will be high levels of natural immunity in the community. Internationally, the surge in cases is not leading to an overwhelmed hospital system. This is what the end of the pandemic should look like. There’s still a lot of fear however stoked by the media and skittish health bureaucrats and politicians. I think overcoming the psychosis caused by Covid will be the biggest challenge to ending the pandemic

My daughter declared she wanted to watch the 1st 2 matrix movies againn before she shes the latest one. Told me the 1st times she watched them she was just a kid and didn't understand what was going on. I told her I've watched them both twice as an adult and I still don't understand 'em.

That's a mean looking haircut. A 40+ goal year on the horizon judging by that.

According to some representatives of Christ, singing and dancing are forbidden anyhow. And, I leave you with another fact which no doubt, you will claim ascended from my posterior nether regions, namely that there is not one mention in any 4 Gospels of Christ singing or dancing. WE could infer from this two possibilities. One is that he would have hated Jingle Bells, and the fact that he never danced proves he was a German.😍😛🥰😁

Was going to say well shows how much he knows about current day footy, BUT NO, he just plain out and out hates Melbourne. On his Foxtel show he often comes out with condescending comments regarding our players and the club in general. Hard to like this man in his role on TV.

Part of the forward improvement from all players was the placement of Benny Brown at full forward and his competitiveness at marking and running around and leading. He made it much easier for all as he took the first defender. Fritta then got either the third or fourth defender depending upon whether Maxy or Dogga were resting or not. Maxy snd Dogga's total of goals scored improved also as the season progressed. What an inspired price of recruiting BBB was and he will be better in 2022 as he will be even fitter.

He is a friend of mine and I messaged him showing him the page He had a laugh about it. He was burnt in the Bali bombings but shouldn’t be on the list

Someone takes my parking spot - think of Trac turning and delivering The last lofat milk gone - recall TMac’s shepherd I get cut off and sigh - remember Oliver’s run and goal, or Kozzie spooking someone and Spargo’s goal or Jackson’s hand pass or Harmes’ gather and kick to Fritta … Life is good 🏆

Kayo… $25 per month, turn it off after footy season, turn it on for next. Cheaper than a membership!!!

Yeah but I find the menu annoying and of course I don't like to be too political but giving more money to Sir Rupert hurts a lot. But his divorces are not cheap so I appreciate Kayo isn't too expensive.