Lil_red_fire_engine

Its already too hard to keep up with the number of threads and we're not even in season. I would prefer to scan a thread and jump over the comments I dont care for rather than have to enter threads for each player to see what is being said. I also think the lines will get blurred somewhat. Where do you draw the line regarding a player thread or something that requires its own seperate thread ie: if Mitch Clark limps off the track is that a story in itself or in his thread? At what point does the weekly 3 word player review divert to conversation on a player that goes in their thread. Just like the game if it aint broke dont try and fix it.

Steve, do not disagree with anything in your assessment of Cale. However not rating him does not require criticism at every opportunity.

I have not seen anyone talk him up as superstar potential for sometime. What number he was drafted should not have no affect on expectations or the way he is critiqued 4 years on. His first couple of season we pumped games into him and created a feeling that getting wide kicks as an unaccountable wingman was ok. He then had two disrupted pre-seasons and we changed the expectations. To be clear I dont see Cale in our first 21 and would probably pick at least another 3 before him. However the training I have seen has not shown that he is not attempting to improve his game and that is all I really care about until the season starts and we have something to judge them on.

We must be training like machines when we have two reports and the only player mentioned for any criticism is MFC's favourite whipping boy.

Thanks for responding Billy, cant say I agree with you but I cannot see this debate going anywhere from here. Lets just hope most importantly that some time soon we actually have a second sponsor to announce regardless of when it happens.

Interesting view on the importance of captaincy from Glenn Archer from a Herald Sun article. Archer said: "I don't really care who is captain. At the end of the day, it's more the leadership group than the captain. If Boomer was to stay on for another year, I don't think it's going to hurt anyone. "But if he was to hand it over to a young guy like Jack Ziebell, that would have positives, as well." Asked if Ziebell, 21 next month, was ready for the captaincy, Archer said: "He has got to toss the coin and give a bit of a pre-match speech. I don't think that would be too hard for Jack."

Morton weighed in at the 2007 draft camp at 75kg, was recorded at the start of the 2011 season at 86kg and by my observations has put on 3-4kg more since last year.

Geelong did not announce a new sponsor Geelong announced a new captain. The benefit of exposure is about your relationship with the new sponsor not the captaincy. You have actually hit the nail on the head with your second point, a sponsorship announcement on its own is not exciting where as couple it with a captaincy announcement and your sponsors coverage to the greater community is widely increased. It goes from a small article all about your company that is read by few to a large article that is read by many that mentions your company. It goes from no mention on the news to your company and logo being broadcast on likely the leading sports news story on all TV networks. You obviously have been involved in some sponsorships and I do not disagree with your views as to the varying objectives of a sponsorship and the importance of the long term investment made. However you do not seem to grasp the impact of timing of an announcement to maximise your audience and the benefit of that to a sponsor. The simplest way I can look at it is if you owned a company who signed a sponsorship deal with MFC on Monday. Would your preference be to announce it immediately or wait 2 weeks and announce it at the same time as our captaincy? What would have greater benefit to you? What would be the impact of waiting?

Who has proof that Cale is not pushing himself? I have been to three training sessions and have seen no reason whatsoever that justifies him being targetted over anyone else. Not being built like Frawley is no reason as he obviously does not have a frame that is going to bulk. I do not expect Cale to be a superstar but again the constant criticism of him over the pre-season is a joke.

Selwood was announced the same day that Tomic beat Dologopolov in 5 sets. I can tell you what got more media coverage the next day. There was nothing wrong with when Geelong announced however IF we are close to announcing a new sponsor and we happen to be announcing the captaincy soon it makes the most sense to do them together. Disagree with your second point. Do you think Mission Foods sponsored Western because they thought Tacos would be big in Footscray? That Kaspersky thought that MFC supporters cared more about their internet security? The reasons to sponsor at a high level is purely brand awareness or a belief that the club aligns with your brand values.

Any time of year will mean they generate some exposure. To say that they will get even close to as much cut through in a sports media currently dominated by tennis and cricket shows a lack of understanding on how publicity works. Granted sponsorship is about long term relations but alot is said by the initial publicity received. Would MFC announcing a new sponsorship deal be on the nightly news in January, unlikely. Would MFC announcing its captain and new sponsor be on the nightly news in February? It would probably lead the sports broadcast and be back page of the Herald Sun.

Look at how many pages of the sports section relate to tennis and cricket and how many relate to football. Now watch that change in 2 weeks time. A sponsorship announcement on its own is not much to write about and not many eyes will be on it. A sponsorship announcement tied to captain x being announced will get alot more coverage and readers. If I was a sponsor I know what I would believe would give me more initial exposure.

I would say any pending sponsor announcement will be post Tennis and done in conjunction with another highly anticipated announcement in the coming weeks.

I have concerns of the captaincy hindering performance regardless of the stage of development of a player. Green could not have been more senior and was clearly weighed down by it. Some players I think thrive under the responsibility and become better players because of it. I do not have enough inside knowledge to understand but I am sure those that will make the decision will look at how the candidates are likely to handle themselves and seriously take this into consideration. Grimes and Trengove captained their state at under 18 level and personally excelled under the microscope of AFL recruiters whilst leading their sides. That to me is not a bad indicator.

Thanks Fan. I read that but I interpreted that as moreso daunting off the back of the era and fantastic captains that have just come before him. We do not have that issue. I am very much against an interim appointment and more so hopeing they go for who is the best person that fits the attributes they see as important at this time. If they are 20 or 26 I really dont care. I am starting to question my initial views on what is important particularly from a external spokesman perspective. Does Chip have any less polish than Maxwell when he first took the helm? One of the best captains I can recall in my time is Paul Kelly who was not a great media performer. I am wondering is it that important or is it really all about marshalling the group both on and off field?

Jimmy Bartel was quoted by the Herald Sun below when Selwood was named as captain yesterday. "Since he walked into the club he had 'captain' written all over him," Bartel said. "That goes to all areas; the way he handles himself amongst the group, his professionalism, the way he prepares to play, the way he leads on the field, the way he attacks the game." I thought it was interesting to hear from a player what was important particularly from such a strong culture. Based on this criteria, from an outside perspective would this change your view on who it may be? A mate of mine did a decent job of convincing me that Chip is a more than a fair chance.

I think you are being generous to Belly. This affected him later in his career but the issues were there to see well before then.

The new coaches have already stated that they have different focuses from an individual, team, leadership and gamestyle perspective.Each coach is rating each player on the leadership characteristics they bring to the table. No disrespect but does anyone seriously think that Green will come out on or even close to on top?

I do not understand how players are respected and viewed from a player standpoint however from the outside this is my view. Moloney and Frawley for mine do not have the polish that I think is required from a corporate and media standpoint. Rivers had an improved year last but I am not convinced he is firmly entrenched in our starting 18. Jamar I think needs to step into the leadership group before I would go the next step with him and at his age I doubt that will happen. Jones is an interesting one, starting 18 player, good trainer and hard worker on the field reasonable media performer. I would not rule him out but for me there are still intangible things with Trengove and Grimes that make me lean to one of them.

Brad Green has been a good player who had a great year in 2010. He has been a fantastic servant of the Melbourne Football Club. James McDonald was a great captain and after his departure there was a massive gap in leadership. Green was seen as the most suited to that leadership role even though he is not a natural leader. He was really the best of a bad bunch. Some people including myself hoped he would rise to the occasion but dealing with such a torrid season of events (which would have been hard for the best of leaders) really highlighted some of his weaknesses. His displays on the football field at times including berating of other players and selfish acts of play were things I never want to see from a Melbourne captain again. His interview On the Couch in the midst of our torrid season made me cringe. He is in the twilight of his career and should be concentrating on giving his best to the team and not worrying about captaincy. There are reasons why not to go with Trengove (age) and Grimes (injury) but the clearest thing of all is their acts on the field personally and with their team mates and the way they carry themselves on the track and in the media screams natural leader. People that argue that neither has won a B&F or polled Brownlow votes only need to look as far as Nick Maxwell or Tom Harley to see how important that is. The most important thing is they when fit are part of your starting 18 and have the respect of the group. To me its clearly one of these two. For me they are both firmly entrenched in our best side when fit (or not laying spear tackles). The only thing I dont know is how they are respected across the group and I'm sure the coaches will sort that out from their observations of the group prior to a decision.

Agreed Strausss was definitely improving with game time and showing some signs but was far from being a definite starter or integral to our make up.

This is exactly my point. In peoples minds he seems to have improved since he was last on the park. Prior to injury he was just starting to make his way now to alot he seems integral to our back 6 for this season.

People seem obsessed with Petterd in our forward line because of his fantastic defensive pressure. This is grossly overstated and is based on him having one game where he laid 100 tackles and a seperate game when he laid a fantastic smother in the goal square. For the most part his defensive game is mediocre. I doubt he will get a game in our side as a forward next year. Strauss has seriously improved his game since he broke his leg. He had gone from some saying he should be delisted to now majority having him as starting in our defensive six. He was improving but still had a fair way and the truth was somewhere between the two. AOB great explanation regarding the potential importance of Sellar this year.

Disagree. Darling is just a mid-sized forward. He just happens to have a bit of mongrel in him. He is a good player but in time would just be adding to our dearth of medium forwards. Cook was the right option as a true key forward and I doubt if we had taken Darling we would have taken Howe. I expect Cook will develop fine however if we had not taken Cook I think another running mid such as either of the Smiths, Atley, Jacobs or Smedts who all went around that mark may not have gone astray.

Thanks Freak.Good report.