pringle

I'm also in the Saturday cricket-playing boat, so a Sunday would suit me better. Would play any Sunday. Definitely can't play Saturdays.

My brother is a solid half back flanker. He'll do a good job for the team. And starting to feel a bit better with some anti-inflams. About to get stuck into some ice. Fingers crossed.

Perhaps we are a bit over-emaotional over this, but his dad was a real favourite amongst those who used to watch him. And I know you were one of those. Maybe not a disgrace to the family name, but certainly puts a sour note on the otherwise great legacy his father left at the club.

I'm not exactly withdrawing at the moment, but sadly I copped a buttock injury playing cricket today. Don't ask me how you strain muscles playing cricket. I think I'm just getting old (only 28, but this would never have happened in years gone by). But I think I'll be able to play hurt. I can still run, just not with any degree of comfort. I'll be there and see how I go. It feels better when warm, but I only just got home from the day's play, so don't know how it will be tomorrow.

I'm with you. wanted him to stay, but now couldn't be happier he's gone. i hope his dad gives him a real talking to at Christmas lunch!!! A disgrace to the family name. And if Alan has any more young boys, my message would be that we probably don't want them.

Basically the rules are pretty much the same. The difference is that the umpires are not sh#@ scared of television replays making asses of them, so they don't pay the frivolous, tiggy-touchwood free kicks that supporters hate to see. They let a few go and only pay the obvious ones... the way games were umpired when I was a kid in the '80's. In fact, very similar to VFL games. If you watch the ABC telecast, you'll know what I mean.

Looks pretty good. Can you blow it up so I can see it in big?

I posted earlier about how upset I was at Chris leaving... after reading DB's comments...good riddance to bad rubbish.

What really hurts is that he was clearly wanted by the blues and we got nothing for him in the end. If he wants to go, fine, but why shaft us in the process? Has dropped considerably in my ratings as a person. And whilst I'm at it, the club must be berated for their handling of this case. Contract should have been finalized before trade week, so that a trade could be arranged. Regardless of whether we have other players to fill his shoes, today we lost a 4 year investment to the scum of the AFL at no cost to them and no gain to us. Well done admin.

I am obviously not a moderator, so I don't know exactly how the registering works. But from what I have gathered from talking to WJ, it seems like these advertisements are automated posts. If that is the case, then I think the 24 hour thing would work, because their posts presumably would not hit the board unless they were joined-up members. On attempting to post, the entire text of their advertisement would presumably be availablebe to view if it were just computer-generated and the mods could refuse according to the content.?.? Of course if someone is actually taking the time to personally join up to 100 groups and then send out automated posts after already being approved, then there's not much that can be done. But I don't think legitimate posters would be refused entry, because unless there was something clearly dodgy about their application, why would you refuse them entry?

Thanks Rogue. I'll put those new skills to use as soon as I can. And I agree with you that it doesn't seem to be our preferred option to delist him. It does look like the club still wants him. I would just prefer more effort on our behalf to keep him. I don't think 2 years is too much to ask on his behalf. 3 years is too much. Two years seems reasonable as a player as you do want a bit of stability in your life. To negotiate a new deal every year seems a bit much to me (both for player and club). If he then has a brillliant year next year, the vultures will be out and we won't be able to match the rich clubs out there, so we'll lose him anyway. I understand that he could also have a stinker, and then we might want to get rid of him. But I also think he has already shown enought to suggest that he's worth taking a chance.

So are you saying, RR, that we shouldn't be upset about losing a player in whom we invested 4 years of effort into developing, who is the son of a former club great, and who, by the sounds of it you admit could play a role in the team for next year, just because there are others like him around (in whom we never invested anything, may never be good enough anyway and don't have his excellent foot-skills)??? What are we to do instead, delist him to be picked up by the scum for free, take an extra low draft pick and hope he turns out to be at least a decent depth half back with good foot skills? Or a recycled player that someone else didn't want in the PSD? The point here is that you can't just gamble and hope to find adequate replacements when you already have someone who has shown he is capable of playing a specific role. You CAN trade these players for better draft picks or other players to fill other roles during trade period, but now that boat has sailed, we would be giving him away for nothing at this point in time after investing much. Delisting a young player who has shown promise and doesn't deserve to be delisted is bad business. And I don't quite get your second point. I did put in my post that most players are not born to be immediate stars in their career, but I never said that Johnno needed to develop into a star to continue to be of value to the team. Are you saying that to win a premiership we need 22 stars on the field come GF day, therefore let's get rid of him?

I think we should stick with CJ and sign him up as a matter of priority. 1st of all, I think it is unfair to say that he hasn't shown much in 4 years at the club. Almost everyone here agrees that he had a very good 2008 before getting injured. Some players take longer to grow into their bodies and develop as footballers. Not all players are born to be immediate stars like Judd and co. Premiership teams are not built around 22 stars, but rather a core of great footballers ('A-graders'), another bunch of quality footballers ('automatic selections'), and then a group of very solid but interchangeable footballers ('depth' group). CJ at the very least fits into category 3. Furthermore, by the end of 2008 he started to display enough to suggest he might fit into category 2 in the very near future (if not now). His major pro in my opinion is his disposal by foot, which stands out like a beacon in the woeful sea of darkness that is displayed by the rest. Just because he wasn't as good for the three years before last (as a raw up and coming youngster), it doesn't mean he hasn't now turned the corner. Plus we don't know the circumstances surrounding his form in the past. He did come to the club after some serious shoulder problems. Maybe it took him time to re-gain the confidence in his body that he needed to perform. Some people here think he is soft. Maybe a greater confidence in his own ability will allow him to play with more aggression. We have invested a lot in the young man, and I would hate to lose him just when he is starting to show promise. If he has a Barry Crocker next year, talk to me at that stage. But otherwise I think he has done more than enough to earn his place on the list. And if a 2 year contract is what is needed, then i think we give it to him. It's not like he's going to be on a massive pay-packet, and he has shown that AT WORST he will be a very capable 'depth' HBF, and at best, possibly an 'automatic selection'. I think some people have expectations that are too high. Maybe it is because his father was a champion. Or maybe we are just cruel. He will likely never become an 'A-grader', but how many players ever do???

It does stink a bit. Especially after the ordinary run we got in terms of marketable games for the season proper. They could at least have helped us out with a pre-season game at the dome. I can't see how it would hurt the AFL coffers to play us in Melbourne for a round 1 NAB cup game. These glorified warm-up games can't be that much of a money and ratings spinner regardless of who is playing. It would give us a chance to pick up a few more members etc. Why do Carlton need to play there rd 1? But as for being peeved at playing Hawthorn, I have to say that I find this a bit pedantic. Who cares who you play. Carlton won a NAB cup and went on to have a very ordinary season a few years ago. The previous years' premiers did not win the NAB cup that year, and in fact the premiers tend to do poorly due to shorter preparation and a lower care-factor. Plus clubs are all experimenting in the pre-season and working towards round 1, 'ignoring' the results (if you believe the losing coaches). So no matter who plays who, you are always a chance. Personally i don't think we will win, but I don't think we can't. And I also don't think that there are any easy-beat teams anyhow. So yes, I care that I can't see the match and that it seems we are always the ones that get stuck in woop-woop for these games despite the fact that we are the team that most needs games in Melbourne at early stages in the year to boost our low membership. However I couldn't give a stuff who we play. And if we do lose, then we move on from there and take a good attitude with us. Rather than [censored] and moan that we have to play games in sh#$sville, we take it as a chance to steadily improve, master our game-plan away from the scrutiny of opposing clubs and perhaps even fly under the radar and plot our surprise round 1 victory over the Kangas. I know people love to slam the AFL for anything they can, but I don't think we need to moan about every little detail. People and clubs that have that whingeing attitude aren't often winners. Let's keep it to the things that matter and look at these things as a challenge to meet face-on and conquered. Who knows, with the right attitude, we just might pull off a big win and surprise the football world. And how much better would it be for the club to beat the reigning premier rather than West Coast or Freo, our AFL co-whipping boys from last year. I feel like Big Kev (R.I.P.) used to... I'm excited!!!

Looking at the Talking Carlton website, it seems they have similar numbers to us. They also seem to be decent blokes.. quite surprised. Pretty civilized actually. Rollo keeps trying to bait them, but they have not really taken much of a bite. Looks like it will be a good contest. The only thing that stood out to me was that they seem to have a lot of over 30's and under 18's (they state their ages below their avatar). Maybe we will have a fitness edge over their oldies and a strength and experience edge over the young-uns. Looking forward to a fun day. Go Dees!!!!

Praying to the good lord that my teeth don't get knocked out!!!

My brother wants to play if there is still room in the team. He has played in one of the games against saintsational a couple of years ago and performed admirably in defence on the day.

I'm not unhappy with this draw. Do we deserve any better? We are of course financially disadvantaged, but we are getting money still from the AFL to offset this. If we perform next year we will see our prime time slots increase. But at the moment we don't deserve these slots and the draw is decent in every other respect. The AFL is a business and it would be stupid for them to play us in prime time if the fans won't turn up and the tv ratings will be bad. We need to perform and we will be rewarded.

Count me in. I'll start training now and should be in peak fitness by game day.

So does this mean that those people who kept heaping praise on CAC for no apparent reason (other than that he was a nice guy who occasionally posted on this site) have finally realized what a dud he was?

Yes i do know all this, but how are our skills going to improve to the point where we match the Geelongs or Bulldogs of this comp? THEIR young ones were skilled to start with but just needed toughness and refining to get where they are today. As I've said before on another thread a long time ago, CAC screwed us. People here continued to extol his virtues on picking 'great' future players, but now we are left with little to show for the last 10 years of draft picks. HE HAS FAILED TO DELIVER ON THE TYPE OF PLAYERS YOU NEED IN THE MODERN GAME TO WIN PREMIERSHIPS!!! FULL STOP!!! Whilst there are players that I love (there always will be when you follow a team passionately), where are our Hirds, Harveys, and (God forbid I say this) even Fevolas!!!! We have f. all compared to the rest of the AFL, and it's HIS FAULT!!!!!!! I am not excited yet.

My lord what game were you guys watching??? He was much better than most tonight. Just another case of Sylvia bashing!!!

But apart from the occasional semi-challenge, we have not done much to inspire a new generation. Collingwood did nothing in terms of winning premierships from 58 to 90, but at least they threatened. We have been shite for nearly 50 years and not even really threatened to win a premiership. Which kids besides those of hard-core demons fans follow us now??? And who will grow up to in the future on the back of these performances???

I have been overseas since just after round two this year. And I have to apologize to all Melbourne supporters... but I think these 100 point plus defeats are my fault. I have seen 3 games live this year for an average losing margin of well over 100 points!!! Now I have to start by saying that despite having been overseas since round 2 (and I will be for the rest of the season), I am still paid up as a member. In fact, I paid about 500 bucks for the privilege of watching us lose the 1st two rounds by an average of 100 points!!! And they were the only two games I could see live this year. And all that money just to keep my reserved seat. Now I don't know if there will be a club to join up to and watch in that reserved seat in the years to come!!! So I am now here to express some serious concern that doesn't seem to be a big topic of discussion here... Will there be a team to support when I get back and n the years to come??? Since leaving, I have been away for 4 months in Europe and Central America. I have therefore been unable to watch a game at all. So finally I get to Thailand and book myself into a semi-decent hotel just to watch the dees live and maybe see the opening ceremony of the olympics (which by the way isn't on in my hotel room!!!!). And what happens???? We lose another game by over 100 points. Now I have been following us every week on demonland and melbournefc.com and commending our improvements each week. I have been reading with hope about the development of players like Garland and Warnock etc. So why is it that when i finally do get a chance to watch a game almost live that this happens? I hope others can put a positive spin on this, because from here it looks like another 500 years until we are even competitive. And looking back at last year, it is the biggest tragedy on earth that we let Carlton tank those 2 games!!!! Just losing one of those 2 games would have given us another top 3 draft pick this year. What a waste giving it to those filthy pricks. We need it much more than they do. And there is no doubt we will be almost as bad next year and may not even survive until the year after. You can't go on losing like we do with the scarcity of support that we have and expect to be afloat in the years to come. Without some success, people will continue to drop off the membership lists, and we are hardly doing anything to attract more members, nor have we done since 1964. That is why we are short on members today and will continue to be until we either cease to exist (which I now think is now an inevitability unless we win a premiership in the next decade if not earlier). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be happening soon. Does anyone want to allay my fears or do you all fear the same? Somebody has to say it, coz I am VERY worried that even next year I won't return to see a MELBOURNE Demons. Jimmy and Co. can do all they can to save our team from extinction, but will people come to watch performances like tonight's? Will kids decide to support the MFC on the back of ANY performance this year??????????? I am scared. Is anyone else????????????