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Whatever happens with Melk this year I'd still personally offer him another contract. Deserves to at least have a crack at a full reason. Cannot be judged off whatever performance he displays this year because at the end of the day he hasn't got the miles in the legs from a full summer of training. We'll go into next year with a younger list and I'd prefer if we can hang onto someone like a Melksham who is pretty much acting as an assistant coach with the forwards. Hunter, Brown, Tomlinson are the more older guys I'd let go before Melksham.

Going off MFC socials, Jake will be playing this week. I’ve never heard a bad word against this man. When he grabbed the Freo jumper that said ‘Jackson’ a couple years ago and threw it on the ground, it really struck me how much he cares about the jumper and his understanding of what club culture means. Have a cracker game Jake.

I say we win the last 8 and hit the finals at speed..............My dream is to beat Collingwood in round 23 and in the first week of the finals. Then roll the Bombers in a semi and Carlton in a Prelim. Then roll the Swans in the GF with Gawn giving Grundy a Masterclass and Oliver winning the Norm Smith.....Seriously folks could footy life get any better than that?

I have nothing but respect and admiration for Jake Melksham. Two years ago, I thought he was done and glad he hit the 💯 for the Dee’s. Then, when he did the ACL, he could have legitimately retired. Instead, he doubles down and gets back ahead of schedule. He is what our forward line is desperately missing: not just his kicking (although he’s a super kick), not just his contest (although he can lock down any key defender) but it will be his smarts and leadership which will help steady and form our young and rudderless forward line.

I wouldn't trade JVR for any other key forward. He will only get better. Has mongrel and is a good kick for goal.

We could genuinely use his leadership in our makeshift attack. Fritta is the most experienced forward we have and he’s not a leader, nor is he in great form. Having Melksham there to help the likes of Roo and Disco can only be a good thing. If he’s done enough match loading he can play as a deep forward. It’s not a position that requires him to have done a lot of match practice, especially with his experience. It just comes down to fitness.

Surely Melksham needs some touch and match fitness after 9 months out. 3/4 game for Casey then back in

Amen Titus Like us, umpires are trying to determine the nature of an event that no longer has any connection to reality. It is the AFL’s crowning glory. As usual, a very good read https://titusoreily.com/afl/the-magical-fairyland-of-afl-umpiring?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaI33B5hYUmUR_7PUXnGsFqrNPNZnAD3J_TXME-rflpSMQd1OqT6WyHRn4_aem_IKWwmAJMc0wEZvTwjmyUTw

Never let Melksham go, he is mature and loves the game and the club, he will be a shepherd for the younger crew they will need guys like him on the field...we need him too he is all class.

If you can't get around this story, then you don't have a heart. It's a long shot but I've always backed the underdog with It's back against the wall. If this comeback gains momentum it will be an off the charts type spiritual awakening for the club and the man they call Jake the Snake. 🤞👏🙌🫶♥️

At his best, Jake transforms our forward line. ..... But, given his age and his time out of the game .... bringing him straight back to the ones would be setting him up for failure! Unthinkable surely.

For whom... A friend asking ...

People who steal sausages are the wurst.

Oh God Fritsch is not getting dropped ffs, hes our only fwd besides kozzie who can bang on 4-5 goals in 20 mins of football. He's out of form so what he'll be back. Such a generated robotic comment.

Doesn't want to line up against his new side?

@SFebes MFC website and Facebook both just say a ‘return to football’ without saying either seniors or Casey. Im just glad he’s back!

Trap was a rather unique player. Very deceiving really. Granted he probably waxed and waned some. Where some saw lethargy i saw comsidered composure. He had the very rare ability to amost make time slow around him. He seemed to play in space where there was none. Quite something to watch. An absolutely sublime kick.

You have got to be kidding, don’t you? King is so far ahead of Schache and Weed, they would have been lucky to have played 6 good games each. King has kicked more goals than Hawk, Curnow at the same age. The other 2 combined have not kicked that many combined and they are at least 3-4 years older

That’s a rather measured way of putting it. If we lose this weekend, I and probably most of Demonland will be filthy AF.

Lackadaisical maybe Dazzler? Laconic describes a person’s speech or writing style.

Only on an MFC forum do you get latin

Personally I’m hoping that he plays two at Casey to get him cherry ripe for the backend of the year and hopefully finals, Jake is the seasoned head that we need in our forward line, he could be the difference. Welcome back Jake.💕

He was critised from goal to goal post on here on a weekly basis until you all suddenly decided you liked him. Mr Petty says hullo A new level of selective memory has been reached

Age should not be a problem, when he went out, he was playing extremely well. he has had 10 months to get his body cherry ripe. He will have no niggles holding him back. perhaps his mental attitude is another matter but watching him last week on the bench. He cannot wait.

bloods have lost two games by, what, 3 points in total? imo they're still the team to beat and if they DON'T win the premiership given the season that they're having - akin to us in 2021, geetroit in 2022 - then it should be seen as a failure

All this Carlton talk of Premiership makes me genuinely Sick Beat the Bastards i say…

The umpiring against Essendon in the third quarter on Saturday night was an absolute disgrace… and some of the best TV I’ve ever watched.

I know nothing about him but just had a little google and saw his last three games for Oakleigh Charges (round 3, 12 & 13) he has been named in the best players each time. Hopeful for a big second half of the year for the young fella.

I’d rather Waterman. King needs to be rebuilt. Schwarz is an awesome bloke and is a legend of the club but some of his observations aren’t the best.

I know an umpire too. It’s a tough gig. They are scrutinised very heavily internally and externally. Making decisions is harder than ever as there are way too many players around the ball and the rules are difficult to interpret. Very rarely, if ever, in the cold light of day can I point to umpiring as a deciding factor. The AFL on the other hand…. they are an entertainment company that is completely unaccountable to the game.

Agree. I was fortunate enough to attend both the Port Adelaide and Adelaide games this year but it's unrealistic to expect people (and especially families) to be able to head over and pay exorbitant prices for flights and accomodation every year. It's just another example of the AFL monetising the passion of fans and using them. The game is nothing without the fans but the AFL do no more than pay lip service to the interests of fans. They've now already started the Opening Round concept, which is just a mini-Gather Round in NSW/QLD and yet another round of footy taken away from fans. There has already been talk of another Gather Round in Perth. It's infuriating to hear those going for free (AFL, media, etc.) laud the concept. Who wouldn't want a free weekend away watching lots of footy? Maybe ask the fan who has spent $5,000 on flights and accomodation for the "privilege" of taking their family to the footy if they are in love with the concept. Yes, I get the AFL needs to make money for the benefit of the game. But it's a question of balance and how far do you go to make money at the expense of fans. There's always the ability to make more money but the line has to be drawn somewhere. Having a whole round of footy in another state is totally unnecessary for me.

Loved Schwartz as a player but he does talk a lot of garbage at times.

David Schwartz suggesting Dees go all out to get Max King - suggesting we could trade JVR for him! I don’t think so Mr Schwartz.

Isaac Cumming is an unrestricted free agent who I hope we are looking at. He would be a good replacement for Gus as that utility who can play halfback or on a wing. Turns 26 in a few months so is in a good age bracket for us as well.

This sort of thing makes me Kransky's!

I laughed out loud when I read this on the AFL’s Footy Fan Survey… Has the score review and the use of technology improved the game? Yes, it's important to get decisions right - 73 per cent No, leave it to the on-field umpires - 27 per cent So the options are - get the decision right, or don’t get it right by leaving it up to the umpire. And they wonder why we don’t trust umpiring decisions? They just told us they don’t either.

They were discussing this briefly on SEN this morning. I don't think anyone thinks Moore is being malicious trying to hurt opponents, but his track record injuring players needs to be looked at and it is his technique that's obviously causing it. That shouldn't be allowed, I mean he almost killed someone and the numbers are starting to add up that Trac was absolutely NOT an isolated incident. He is hurting people, intentionally or not but people are getting hurt by this guy and his technique.

West Couast could easy restructure and extend Waterman's contract to match offers from Victoria. Who else do they have to pay in the next couple of years? He's from WA and his dad played for West Coast. Won't happen.

Was at the G.

I think the only possible rule change regarding collision injury is, if action found negligent/avoidable you miss the same period your victim misses. Initially the period is unknown so the suspension is indefinite. In the Maynard case, if action found negligent/avoidable would only play again after Brayshaw cleared to play, regardless of whether he did or not. This could be harsh but would pretty much eliminate the nasty stuff. There may need to be a maximum period, perhaps 1 year.

If the Dees aren’t playing I’d much rather watch country footy than AFL due to the umpiring. And who thought turning up their mics to 500db was a good innovation for TV?? [censored]…..

That is the burning question Mono 6’3” in old terms fwd/back, great hands and team player and Adem Yze’s boy. Let’s hope he has a good run in the second half and earns a spot on the list. I love the romance of father/sons.

Agree entirely

Probably the best individual hour of play by any Melbourne player I've ever seen.

Trappers 2nd and 3rd quarters in the Semi Finals vs Adelaide in 2002 were something else

I can’t afford to go to Gather Round. It’s an absolute spud of an idea, and the only people who truly like it are those that are there on the AFL’s dime - and it infuriates me when they tell us how great it is all week. Any other week of AFL games played on substandard grounds with 4,000 people in attendance would be qualified as an unmitigated disaster. With 2 South Australian teams anyone who wants to go to Adelaide and see their team play is already guaranteed to get the opportunity every year regardless. So what this is is the AFL taking money from a state government at the expense of the fans. People will say ‘it’s an extra round of footy’, but it’s not a round I, or almost all, Melbourne supporters can go to. Gather Round sucks for the average footy supporter, and the sooner we all start calling it out for what it is the sooner the AFL might learn that it’s pushing us too far, and its product too thin.

Put simply, if the umpires are going to be bad, I want us to be consistently favoured by the terrible decisions, maybe winning a few close games due to their egregious errors.

Cox knees opponents deliberately. No question about it.

TL;DR We need to review the rule of contesting the ball in the air, with the perspective of banning hitting players in the back or the back of the head, making it an instant free kick and, if the player gets injured, a reportable offense. As a lifelong fan of the game, and a former player in the MPNFL in the 90s, my connection to AFL runs deep. Even after migrating to the USA 4 years ago, I make it a point to watch every game. However, the physical distance has given me a new perspective, allowing me to reflect on the game without the constant AFL noise that used to dominate my life. Let me be clear, this is not a post aimed at condemning Moore. As a former player, I understand the strategies and techniques using knees in contest that are part of the game. Bringing your knee up when jumping into a contest was part of our training, a strategy to protect ourselves and to hit the player in front. Ideally, it was to knock them down, and if injury occurred, it was seen as a bonus. I have not written this as a knee jerk to the Trac injury that occurred during the game. I know it is a legal move. But now we have a player with broken ribs and internal injuries and it is the second time this has happened this year - the first was Mays injury. While this is bad, the more serious side is the knee in the back of the head, which is still allowed. Hitting anyone in the back of the head is dangerous; with a knee (or elbow/fist) done at speed, it can cause concussion and long-term have all the effects that we are all too familiar with in the loss of Brayshaw. The NFL in the USA banned the use of the knee in aerial contests (say between a Wide Receiver and a defensive player like a Safety) due to the high risk of injury and an illegal attempt to interfere with a legitimate aerial contest. It is now time for the AFL to reconsider the rules around aerial contests for the ball, including center ball-ups, and ban bringing the knee up to protect players. This change will prolong the careers of ruckmen and also prevent head injuries. In the case of someone standing under a hospital pass getting cleaned up, it should be an instantly reportable offense, given the high risk of serious injury to a player. Last point: while I acknowledge some will decry such a rule as "softening" the game and the inevitable death of "the hanger," I would rather see the game evolve (which it has done for 150 years) to protect players and prolong careers. Changing this rule will still allow taking a mark on someone's back; you just cannot hit them with an outstretched knee. You must use your shin, and just like in tackling and bumps, you have a duty of care to your opponent. Do it wrong, and you pay the penalty.

I just saw on the news witts has a fractured vertebrae from Moore. Is anyone going to start calling this out? I accepted what happened to trac was an accident but now another player cops an injury