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It's probably not too late to get this special World Cup edition of foosball in time for Christmas.

Really difficult to know how to manage the team throughout last summer. Preseason comming off the back of a premership isn't an issue that the MFC has needed to manage for a fair while. That said, we had the 2018/19 experience to learn from. But when you look at the Burgo mantra of train hard/at match day intensity and supreme fitness throughout the season, I struggle to see how we could have done things much differently. The main call I hear is perhaps JVR could have been played at the end of the season and/or Petty forward. While it just might have got us closer to snagging another flag in 2022, I'm glad that we didn't rush JVR and hopefully there is a stack of flags there for the taking that he'll be a huge part of over the next 3-5+ years. If we can blood him alongside a fit TMac, that would be so much better than throwing him in the deep end and letting him take all the heat early on. I guess the only other obvious disappointment in retrospect is that Bedford and/or Chandler didn't get more of a run. Guess we could have rested ANB and/or Spargo on occation, but both remain pretty key players as observed by Spargo's pretty much league high for hitting targets inside 50. Dunstan got a few games, but didn't exactly set the world on fire when he did. Disco did get that debut against the Pies and I think it was only crule fate that stopped him getting more games. One other potential resting of players i can think of that we might have missed in retrospect was Bowey for Salem, but maybe we though Salem was on tge cusp of comming good and wanted to give him the continuity to get his form right. But over all, my take is that 2021, we managed it almost perfectly and had almost everything fall our way in terms of lack of injuries to key players and easy run home at the end of the home and away season. 2022 was the opposite, but we weren't that far off. I think it does go to show how hard premierships are to win in the AFL era and particularly back to back ones.

I'm a Melbourne Victory member and a Melbourne Demons member. Not going to enter the "soccer is boring" discourse, it's a subjective topic, i love it, some don't. I was at the game on the weekend, what happened was appalling and is rightly being condemned and MV will be punished as they should. I've witnessed violence in the stands at multiple sporting codes (A-League, AFL, Tennis etc) but this was different and it's heartbreaking as a lover of the game and sport in general to be honest.

I have only scanned this thread ...... but my tuppence worth is .... I'll stick to real footy ( Aussie Rules) and cricket ...... the rest can GAGF !!!!

I’m having an early breakfast and catching up with the news and there, staring directly at me is an on line story in this morning’s Sunday Sun written by Glenn McFarlane ~ Have the Demons already solved their key forward issues? The story also appears at the bottom of page 86 in today’s print issue under the title “Van Rooyen’s time has come at the Demons”. It’s about Melbourne’s hopes that an untried talent and an injury-prone veteran can help it overcome its key-forward issues from the latter part of this year. “Track watchers have noted the solid pre-season form of Jacob van Rooyen, who is yet to play a senior game but came so close last season, and premiership forward Tom McDonald, who only managed nine games in 2022 due to injury. The Demons struggled to get bang for their buck when going forward last season, with their forward mix an endless source of debate.“ This made me wonder whether the people at the Hun are reading our reports I mean the article got the drift about our hopes that the availability of JvR and TMac for senior duty in 2023 will make a difference to Melbourne’s forward set up, but that’s nowhere near the full story unfolding in front of the eyes of our “track watchers”. Firstly, some housekeeping about fact and fiction. The article refers to JvR as a “20-year-old 191cm forward” but he’s neither. His date of birth is listed on the MFC website as 16 April 2003 which means he’s still a 19 year old and the site refers to his height in one place as 193cm and elsewhere as “[S]tanding at 194cm”. I can add to the debate by saying that from my previous observations and again on Friday at training, he’s probably a bit taller than that. At one stage, he was contesting in ruck duels against Brodie Grundy (202cm) and appeared to be giving away only a couple of inches to the Demons’ new big man. At another stage he was pitted against Harry Petty (197cm) who barely shaded him height wise. Perhaps, when the club updates its website in the new year, it might organize the players to be measured for height. In the meantime, we might be happy that the media and other clubs are labouring under a misapprehension about JvR’s vital statistics. 😀 Secondly, McFarlane has only covered part of an intriguing story that’s unfolding with regard to repairing the issues that derailed Melbourne’s premiership defence this year. At this time of year there is always the matter of pre-season preparation of the team for the year ahead and the development of tactics and strategies but this year, the big story is what the club’s ruck set up will look like with Gawn and Grundy, both leading practitioners of their craft. And based on Friday’s training session, that “untried talent” might also have a role to play in that story as well.

A beautiful man. So glad he's a Demon.

The World Cup decided by a penalty shoot out. There is no more damning criticism of the game than that.

Remember the energy and excitement of the 2018 Elimination Final against Geelong? It’s not a patch on the emotion attached to the world’s best football rivalries. Went to the North London Derby at Arsenal a few years back, and there was just an immense wall of sound for 90 minutes. My Spurs got rolled 4-2 but it was one of the best sporting experiences of my life. Have travelled to Europe twice just to watch Tottenham play, and while I’d love to see the Old Firm in action, my next soccer sojourn will be to Argentina to witness the bedlam below 🕺🏽

It's pleasing to see the new MCC president Fred Oldfield appears to be a dyed in the wool Demon. On receiving an email about his appointment I went looking for his football allegiance and found it in a real estate article concerning the sale of his (gulp...$10.5 million Malvern) home which included a picture of his sports bar complete with MFC flag, framed Demons jumper and team photo. (Detail attached.) The MCC has not always been well disposed towards us and it was always a comfort when Steve Smith headed the joint but that's a few years back now. Despite our current comfortable position we need all the friends we can find.

Bring back bell bottoms, I say!

Update for Howes' two year contract renewal until 2025. Next: Kozzie please. 🤩

Fantastic World Cup final

Perhaps he put in a fair bit of $ towards a sizable renovation/extension, and then there's the increase in price of real estate in general over 25 years. But I guess that doesn't fit your whinging proletariat narrative, does it... I'm not a class driven person, but tall poppy syndrome mentality is tiresome to say the least

The problem has to be that the APL (Australian Professional Leagues, A-league) sold the grandfinal to Sydney. There was not enough consultation and being gently led down that path. Fans are disturbed and disappointed. The active supporters lost control and surged. Why did the City goalie pick up a flare and throw it back into the Victory's fans seating area. He should have just left the field and let the security deal with it. I am not condoning the actions, but it is best to placate and not incite. Hoping they don't play games without crowds, though unless they change the decision of where the grand is played, more trouble may be brewing. It is the peoples game and not the administrators (especially when decision are not supported by the majority and based on dollars). The APL could do much better popularising the game with more free to air games and as popularity increases so do crowds and money from the broadcasters. They have plenty of juniors playing, it just doesn't to translate into A-league support. Even internationals playing friendly games here get bigger crowds. I don’t think it is the quality of the A-league but how it it sold and presented by the APL. Selling out to Sydney is just another of their poor decision making.

I find it bizarre how a few footy fans get so defensive and fired up when someone says they like soccer or maybe something about soccer is better than footy they are so different and both amazing sports. can’t we all just get along?!?! 🙂

The World Cup final was a brilliant game… anyone who found that boring due to the fact that there’s not a change to the score every couple of minutes, would be in danger of rigor mortis setting in. The only negative for me, generally speaking, is that the commentators do not call out diving, but rather, show concern for the player that dived. I found it a bit sad that in such an important game, Argentina’s De Paul found it necessary to dive any time an opponent went near him (I haven’t heard such screaming by a player since the Wimbledon tennis final). He was a blemish in an otherwise spectacular game of football. If the commentators started calling in out in no uncertain terms, then perhaps we would start to see less of it occurring.

I find soccer to be an abysmal spectator sport. It's slow, mostly one way, lacks intensity, and generally lacks excitement. You see lots of matches end in a 0-0 scoreline, so it's no surprise when a bunch of losers with a half chub resort to madness. In my experience attending matches, and some have been EPL years ago, the crowd is more exciting to watch than the game itself. Says a lot about how boring the sport is to watch that I had more fun watching some loony chavs getting [censored] up! You could make a case that the Mexican waves, flares, fights etc are partly due to how slow and dull most soccer matches are. People get drunk and without something to focus on or enjoy, they start causing trouble. What happened the other night and at a lot of soccer matches is way beyond that though and is more of a social problem than the sport being a poor one. For generations we've seen young males cause serious trouble and start riots at these sorts of events. A friend of mine attended an EPL match about a decade back. He was completely impartial, no supporter colours, general seats, sober. For whatever reason some fights broke out near him and sitting in his seat he wound up as collateral, got king hit in the back of the head and suffered a fracture in his skull from his head hitting on the way down. When that's even a possibility, let alone an outcome that regularly happens at these events, then you know society is stuffed. The world is too kind to trouble makers these days and without harsher punishments, these life-spuds will keep taking the [censored] knowing they'll get away with their ****ty behaviour without consequence.

I called the membership department and was told the 2023 numbers will be posted in the new year. I mentioned in past years they started to appear on mfc website form mid Oct/early Nov. The feedback was it is the marketing department who do the update and they have been quite busy.

The AFL has changed it's rules/interpretations more than any other game, in order to make it more appealing, and yet people still bring up the argument that it's the most exciting game in the world. My thoughts on watching a Soccer game is the same as watching an AFL game. You get some good ones and bad ones. But the atmosphere at a great soccer game is unrivalled. The issue at hand has got nothing to do with the game itself. It's seems like it's a combination of some poor administration decisions, and a bunch of morons. Deducting points from clubs is a start, and banning flares is a must.

Funny though how these morons think it's OK to throw flares into the crowd at fed square,resulting in young kids facial burns, but one gets turfed back at them and they riot. Week as possible.

Aussie rules is a great game and so is soccer im not sure of the historical reasons but soccer the world over attracts thugs and hooligans. It’s unfortunate but won’t change. best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced was the bombanero in Buenos Aires to see a Boca juniors league game. Maradona was there. The stadium was shaking and the chanting was nonstop all game. The most uncomfortable I felt at a game was in the San Siro to watch United in the champions league. I was sitting too close to the Milan ultras. I was glad when the game was over and I got away unscathed.

....and soccer wonders why it can't get ahead in this country. We had a Dutch visitor a couple of years ago, who was a fanatical soccer fan back home. But when I suggested we go to an AFL game she was terrified, yes terrified. She was accustomed to being bussed to opposition grounds ( even for local games) and parked behind barbed wire to be separated from opposition fans. Then the same procedure going home. So when we arrived at the MCG where fans of both teams walked to the ground together, sat together , and then walked home together, she was simply blown away.

Poor old Max needs to wolverine his ribs with adamantium, to protect himself from the countless blows he has sustained these past few years. How many frees has he been awarded because of this and how many players have been suspended for striking/rough conduct? Oh that’s right, zero. If he was wearing a Bulldogs or hoops jumper it would be a different story.

I’m a sports enthusiast. I can pass the time watching most sports other than some obscure Olympic sports like curling. Baseball is another that I can’t get into. seems odd to be grousing on a sport if you don’t like it. When it comes to soccer I think people are threatened by it. It’s the world game and with proper oversight can grow much bigger in Australia. It won’t displace AFL, there is room for both in my opinion.

True. But some posters (e.g. me) said the bad behaviour at soccer matches was in part due to the nature of the game itself, and we were all off and running. We are all friends - no one has said you have to be some sort of [censored] to like soccer. Some like it, some don't. But if anyone on here says you have to be an [censored] to like footy, then........ PS I'll like soccer when they take into account that goalies are probably more agile and 30cm taller than they were 100 years ago and so they widen the goals accordingly. And stamp out diving. (And maybe get rid of off-side. Hockey seems to have survived dropping that.)

It's a tough one to consider, but the right course of action. I think there are 9 home games left this season. I'm not expecting to go to a game any time soon. At a bare minimum I expect it'll be 3-5 games with no fans and they will suspend the 'active area' for the remainder of the season. Active Area being the originating source of the chanting/flags/flares. The Club will be fined, which they'll have to take on the chin, the powers to be will be need to see as taking a strong stance. The result of the game on Saturday will probably be awarded to Melbourne City. There's a strong chance the team could be docked points as well. It's not really fair on the playing group, but what can you do, The club has 20,000 or so members, the majority of which are decent, law abiding sport loving individuals. I'm not going to deny there is an element of football culture who are up for a scrap. All the members I know are passionate lovers of the game, we've gone together since the inception of the A-League. Some are brining their kids now. They're all saddened/horrified by what occurred on the weekend - and they'll all be punished due to other people's actions. They all understand the sport has been brought into disrepute and some punishment is required. It's been alleged that a number of individuals that stormed the pitch on the weekend are already serving life bans from the game. Due to lack of technology and ease of buying tickets, it's difficult to maintain and police this. Hard to comment on refunds without knowing what the punishment may be. We're all going through a cost of living crisis and having paid for something and not being able to use it due to the actions of some (expletives) is frustrating. If the club offers refunds/credit for next year it won't help their financials - A League clubs aren't exactly flush with cash post COVID. Melbourne Victory actually secured major investment a few months ago and now seemingly will be used to plug some holes. Don't envy the decision makers here, the club rightly need to be punished and members accept this, but ultimately everyone will suffer as a result. Sorry for the waffling.

Hi Forky. You're trying to project your reasons for not liking football into why I shouldn't like it which surely you would agree is a pointless exercise. I like both sports and enjoy discussing their similarities and differences. Quite why that seems to infuriate some people on here though I don't quite know. I understand that you don't like football and the reasons why and will under no circumstances attempt to convince you that you should like it.

His legs look mostly the same to me. He’s possibly even leaner in the hips and waist but he’s been heading that way for a couple of years. Probably a bit more muscular in the shoulders - he’s had many summers spent rehabbing shoulder injuries, don’t think that was the case this year

We need something to keep us entertained until the next training report DubDee. Thankfully there's a lot of SPL and EPL football on over the festive period which will help fill the void (ducks for cover).

"Tried too hard" that was Goody trying to keep the same 23 together snd not drop some players that were clearly under form or carrying injuries snd came back into the AFL team without an appropriate VFL preparation as a grounding viz Riv Salo Lever Gawny etc That's why we were banged up and too tired in the second half of games after Round 10! Also no new players developed in 2022 to replace out of form and keep pressure on the AFL team. Font believe Selwyn Griffiths is to blame for this it is the coach and selectors.

I agree DC and LH, do we have a Comms problem at MFC, interviews with new draftees, updated player profiles, membership numbers, surely Benny Gibson wasn’t in charge of everything. Could be staff turn/over, lack of staff- turnover, as you say computerisation provides instant information at our fingertips. MFC need to step up to the plate.!! ps( AFL website hasn’t been updated for a while).

I felt the same. After all, it was the membership department I called and if they don't have the latest numbers I don't know who does. I wasn't asking for the website to be updated which I can see is a marketing role. The person could have just given me the numbers over the phone. Having said that the person I spoke to wasn't very helpful. The little info I got was like drawing teeth. Haven't encountered that with our membership dept in the past. Maybe you can try, daisy.

you go to a soccer game just to witness the crowd? wouldn't it be better to go to a demonstration, a riot, a bull fight, or a music festival, to let your hair down?

Very multicultural of you!

Geelong only let a few dozen oppo fans in. Hard to go when you won't get in.

I wish that was available 30-40 years ago when leaving Windy Hill

Gus has never been the lean ripped looking athlete, but asides from injury getting in the way, I think he generally knows what it takes fitness wise to play at the level and doesn't shirk the track work to get there - he's basically mr work ethic when it comes to this stuff. I'm unconcerned.

ah gotcha. so it's more about the singing and baiting rather than the game wouldn't it make more sense to have weekly music festivals instead?

It's not soccer per se. Billions of the world's population like it and follow it. I don't quite get it either, but that's not a reason to dismiss it. The situation the other night was some angry testosterone-driven males protesting about something they didn't like (shifting finals to Sydney) and resorting to violence. Whether soccer promotes that is a good question, as it has a history. As a society I just think we are becoming angrier about things we don't like. Read the newspapers or media and there are constant stories about anger. They promote it for click bait. The fact there's even a political party named the Angry Victorians is a good indication of where we are heading. The world needs a chill pill. Or a genetic program to remove the aggressive gene. Or let women run the world for the next hundred years.

Thanks as always Luci You make keeping up to date so easy I'm sure all on here appreciate your efforts

Man I'm tired..

You are dead right. I wouldn't possible on them if they were on fire!!

Last sold for 1.3m in 1997. 25 years, 9 million dollars... so that's more than a full-time minimum wage 'earned' every year since buying it. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Fred Oldfield, but the general case for proletarian revolution is mounting. Anyway, surely at that price he is more 'dyed in the silk' than the mere wool.

Someone in the family must go for Carlton.

Soccer sucks.

I don't agree with the knock on the game itself...low scoring keeps it interesting to the end. The Cat's GF was over in the first 10 minutes. Geelong and Sydney supporters didn't go on a rampage for the rest of the game. It's a cultural problem worldwide for sure...it's been a problem here with soccer and I only hope it doesn't take hold in our sport. Think of the Buddy celebration at the SCG, what other sport and country (maybe NZ) could that type of celebration occur? If soccer are serious about cracking down they need to start suspending clubs or at the very least take match points away.

and get rid of the stupid offside rule might see more offense instead of continual defensive possession game

So true 11 players in X-rays the week before Lions game I heard!! So much upside and 4 new players Brodie Grundee Lachy H JVR and Tmac !! Also Bowey and Schacky look real like the real deal!

Disagree entirely. Bevo’s their best coach in the history of their club. Fact. Of course you sign him up. Forward line needs some defensive punch. If Hannan isn’t up to it they’ll need Charlie Clarke. And the 3 talls need to prove themselves. Backline has 3 All Aus quality flankers in Dale, Daniel and Richards. Gardiner is good enough now as a lockdown tall. They need one of Jones or Keath to step up at full back. Keath was great in 2020 but couldn’t move last year and was never meant to be a full back anyway. If Jones can do it then Keath battles Darcy for CHB, ideally the veteran wins out. Relying on veterans and kid talls isn’t ideal but it can work. It’s similar to our hopes with JVR up forward. Midfield is a bigger issue than the names suggest. The on ballers don’t defend and they’re lacking wing options. They’ll need Toby McLean pushing the star 5 mids for game time and providing a defensive role. And they’ll need to find an attacking wing from Vandermeer, Bedendo, Arthur Jones or even Sauce Baker!