Demondeb

It was pretty annoying thats for sure. Once they got the first 10 up that was it.. except for the riveting interview with Tom. I couldnt miss that but I agree that we wanted to hear more about the new recruits and not past ones. A short rundown might have been ok but it was more about the egos of the panel than the event itself. I think we should all email Fox and tell them what we think. It prob wont change a thing but my motto in life is - If you dont ask, you dont get", Most times u dont get when u do ask as well, but I figure if welet them know our thoughts they might make some changes for next year. All I really care about is who we picked and very glad we didnt take Ball although I did have my heart in my mouth for a sec when they called Melbourne pick 18.. Luke...... Tapscott.. Phew

If we do take him well so be it and he has to make the choice to grin and bear it and get in and play footy or sit out for a smidgen under 2 years and probably miss his chance altogether. We then gazump the Pies and that has to be a good thing, doesnt it? I just wonder tho, if we are wasting a pick. People are saying once he is picked he will get on and play well for the club, but I am wondering if that will be so and, once his contract is up, he will be out the door. Wasted pick. I guess u dont know with any player that this wont happen but with him stating he wants to be a Pie, that they wont be in his ear in a year and a bit to ask for a trade. Perhaps tho, he will break down and we lose again.. it's just not a situation I really care for . Let's hope the bombers panic and take him at 10!!

OOH I will be watching!! Got it all worked out. Straight home from work, switch on the telly, grab the drinks and munchies and lock the doors. No phones, no visitors unless they are Dees fans and wish to watch. This is my time and cant wait to see what happens. For us Qlders that makes it 5.30 - 7pm . Is it Fox 1 or 2 ? Does anyone know for sure? Scully, Trengove and then it's anyone's guess. I hope they dont take Ball with one of those picks and they are bluffing but if they do, well I guess one good thing is we stick it up the Pies!! I dont not want him now and I only really did if he wanted to play with us and he doesn't. He wont meet with anyone and have any medicals so I think the club would be foolish to take him so high but perhaps they know more than we do and so we have to trust that knowledge and go with it. I truly cant wait.. only 3 more sleeps.

Yeah I work Saturdays and have to get it taped and mum to send me the scores by SMS. It is nerve-wracking waiting.. but its better for crowds and corporate events which bring in the $$. Second half of the season, which hopefully will be a lot more pleasing to watch, will be mostly Sundays.

Melbourne v Port at the G is a unmitigated disaster financially for us as Port has little support over in Melbourne and our supporters can be very blase about going along to the games for whatever feeble reasons that they can come up with if our team is playing badly. The club has lately lost money on these games so how can going to Darwin, aside from the travel factor be a bad thing? If we were a real finals contender, and lets face it noone expects us to be, then sure the selling games might not be an issue but if we get $500,000 or thereabouts isnt that better for our finances than losing money on a pathetic crowd? Until our supporters all become members and all that possibly can go to a game, go then we need to take whatever measures we can to get rid of our debt. Basically a lot of it is up to us. We go to the games and regularly get 30,000 + attendances then maybe we wont need Darwin etc but until then I say Darwin here we come!!

Better attendances will get us better draws so we need everyone to go along that can possibly go. No more excuses - you have heaps of Saturdays and loads at the MCG. If I could go every week, I would and just cant understand people not going when they have no real valid reason for not supporting their team. For the record, I plan to come to at least 2 games down in Melb next year and of course the Gabba game.

Good article. Thanks for that. Even though we feel it in our waters that Jack will be star for the Dees, it is nice to know that he is being coveted by at least both the SA clubs and prob most of the others as well. Well, bad luck to everyone else cos Jack and Tom will be Dees in less than a month now. Yeah!!

The Hun also got it wrong regarding draft camp. Said that Trengove did well there and Scully didnt go, however it was Trengove that didnt go due to his Grand Final committments in SA and Scully did go but couldnt do the testing due to his knee injury. I wanted to correct them and started to make comment but there was nowhere to hit the submit so it couldnt go thru. Happy either way but I do think Scully deserves it a little more due to two years of consistent performances and having the #1 tag on his back all this year. I wouldnt be disappointed if it went the other way as long as we have them both in red and blue next year.

As much as it would be nice to clean our shelves of some superfluous players ( Newton, Bell etc) I dont believe we will and so they will eitherbe delisted or we will carry them for another year. I would have liked Melbourne to offer Newton to Carlton seeing they are trying to offload Fev. I dont pretend that he is anywhere near as good as Fev but if it was thrown in as part of Brock's deal then it couldnt hurt them, could it? I read somewhere that Robbo has been touted as a possible sweetener with Brock and although I am loathe to see any Melb people in Blues jumpers, if it gets Robbo a new home and gets rid of his sour grapes then so be it. Why not offer Robbo, Newton and Brock for 11? Newton might get a game with the Blues next year, especially if Fev goes, and far more than he will get with us I suspect. I still wonder what people were thinking when they gave him two years last year. Lunacy I think.

Trengove has his father living in Victoria and has been reported to say he is quite happy to be coming over the border to where it all happens.( the where it all happens is my addition to the comments but he is happy to come!) He will fit in well to Melbourne and be a star for many years to come.

I am still on the Trengove bandwagon. He has today's GF to show us his talents yet again and I hope he does well. Not that I dont think that Martin sounds great - he does as do a few others but I just think that JT has a few more strings to his bow and one being that he has experienced playing with men and has held his own against some tough opposition of late from all reports. While he hasnt been BOG, he has been in the best over the finals series and he has leadership skills as well which are well regarded. I would say we will take Scully/Trengove and Martin may well go next to Richmond and I wish him well - just not against us!

I had mine automatically renewed along with social club ( for finals ticket-wishful thinking) and pet membership. Have to set a good example for my qld demons, dont I?

Carlton wont sack the idiot because they would have noone else to kick their goals and they would be rubbish for years to come until they find another forward that can kick. Most people go out and make total idiots of themselves at some point - good grief even I have done it but would never do it in the circumstances he was in and certainly not in front of cameras where your indiscretions will haunt you later on. Alas, its just like disciplining a child. You cant threaten them "this is the last time you will do this or else" unless you are willing to do the "or else" and they wont. So he will see it as a slap on the wrist, take away some pocket money and off he goes until next time. They need to suspend him and not a game or two but say four home and away games - not pre-season stuff but guess that will impact on their start to the season and you cant have that, can you??

I watched this game bar a small part of 3rd quarter where I crashed out on the couch but for the main I saw the doggies play very well in the first half. The difference for them was that tall forward who can take a mark. At the other end, although at the time being beaten by Cross who was in front all the time, Riewoldt was a target. They also had Kosi for the other target but alas the dogs were getting to the ball first and were running hard and I was a little nervous that my chosen team for the finals was about to bow out. They started poorly against us too so I knew all they needed to do was keep playing their game and eventually they would wear the dogs down which they did courtesy of some great midfield work from Hayes and Dal Santo. The dogs need to recruit a tall forward. They are in a spot where they need to trade for one or pick one up in PSD as their premiership window is still ajar. They then need to pick one up in the draft itself to groom for when Hall or Lloyd or whoever they pick is finished for good. I dont believe you can win a flag without one good big forward. Perhaps history will show WCE did it - I cant remember but they would be the only one in recent history.I am open to correction here! Sydney -Hall Geelong- Mooney Hawthorn - Franklin & Roughead. are 3 that I can recall. So Doggies, you can be proud of your efforts this season but now the ball is in your court- get yourselves a tall foward and gear up for a big 2010. Good luck Sainters - I am behind u for your second flag.

If Newton gets games ahead of Jack I will be furious!! The guy got a contract extension last year which is stupid and he shouldnt be seen in red and blue unless we have horrific injuries ( god forbid!) Jack will put in a big pre-season - I tip he will be flying by round 1 and although he might not set the world on fire in 2010 he will have it smouldering and by 2011 the world had better watch out!! With our midfield strengthened by the inclusion of Scully and most likely Trengove and a good pre-season behind Brock and Col and Blease etc our midfield will improve and be getting their hands on the ball first. Getting first touches and out of the centre will put Jack at an advantage with his athleticism and he will start to show us why we picked him. It wont happen every week but he will begin to find his feet and the crumbers like Jetta, Maric, Wonna etc will be there if it gets punched away from him. Dont forget he will have Liam around as well so he will not be the sole focus and for the start of the year Liam will be the one they focus on... Good grief we could have a Riewoldt and Kosi situation if we are lucky. I know comparisons are not ideal but I am not compariing them to the players themselves as Liam will never be built like Kosi but Jack could well build up like Roo and who would be complaining about that?? Jack will be star for the MFC - we all feel it and it will happen. Tell your housemates, friends and work colleagues that they have their fun now because in 2 years they will all be crying as Jack single handedly destroys their teams chances.

Or Dancing with the stars where the clear stars came second to someone less talented but with the crowd behind them... I didnt see either effort, I must admit but smothering and tackling doesnt really seem to me the definition of courage over some of the other efforts put up during the year.

I was also firmly in the Scully/Butcher camp until people started making comments re his lack of work and second efforts and giving good strong arguments why we should go with the two mids instead. Now, well and truly on the two mids bandwagon and rightly so I think. Scully is #1 no question short of a Catastrophe occuring between now and draft day. My choice for #2 is Trengove. Morabito has a lot of upside but just dont think we need someone who is described as having the X factor. X = who the hell knows and I want to know what I am getting for #2. I think we do with Trengove. Back to the game - I didnt see it, naturally, but going from reports from WJ and George as well as the other fine posters on the forums, perhaps Scully was being "cottonwoolled"(?) - Graeme Yeats is Stringrays coach and we all know of his association with our wonderful club. He says he just wants Tom to enjoy his last games in the lower ranks before he goes on to have a fine career in the AFL. Butcher, being a forward, should be getting goals and he was well beaten by his opponent. He is a great size and will be a good forward for whomever recruits him but will he be great? I dont think so unless he gets a new attitude to second efforts and team play. I get the impression he is a receiver and his defensive work in the foward line is not great.

I agree - whoever it was that decided to offer Newton a new contract last year seriously needs their heads read and I bet, in hindsight, they would agree with me. Perhaps they saw more last year and hoped for a big 09 from him but thats all it would be - hope - and as we all know he didnt deliver. Now we are stuck with him for another year unless we can offload him in a trade and I doubt that wil happen. So he takes up a spot on our list that could be offered to someone like Valenti who has a red hot go and I just think that sucks. Sure he took a great mark once but he cant hang his hat on that and I just dont think he is worth persevering with however we will most likely have to keep him. All I can see for him is a year at Casey because Jurrah and Watts will be our focus in the forward line in 2010 and with Wonna back there is just no room for a show pony with few tricks to his repetoire. Earlier this year I had Bate on the list of players I wanted to go but he did lift his game and so he has a reprieve from me for now. Bell, alas, must go and I would say Bartram too if they want to really make a statement on who will be there in our tilt towards a flag around 2012/13. I think the FD really needs to put their heads down and be ruthless when they assess who should get new contracts because if they dont it can come back and bite them a year later as it has in Newton's case.

hmm ok well how does one get to join this thing? Might have a go.

We are here.... had a drink or two last night and crashed on the couch... so much for that eh? Well we could all congregate here to celebrate when we get our prized draft picks.. make it mad Sunday 29th November..

I read somewhere that his dad lives in Victoria and so he would be happy to come across - I did have Scott Thompson on the mind when I first heard about Jack but feel much more comfortable that he will stay - especially once we have a side that will be in finals and he will be part of our first flag since '64!!

I would be happy with that scoreline for sure. Its a loss that we need for our future but not hammered out of the ground and humiliated by a much better team ( for now anyway!). I think we will start well and, as mentioned above, probably stay with them until about half time. They will then go into 3rd gear and start to put their foot on the pedal and pull away. Hopefully, to our boys credit, they will not give up and will try until the end but willl be outclassed this time. Well done to Wheels,Wheats and Robbo and we surely will cheer you all off the ground for services to our great club and wish you all well for your futures. For us , well we get the "golden spoon" ( golden rather than wooden as we get such a nice little "bonus" of the two draft picks which surely must be like gold with future drafts so compromised) but all is not grim. We have a wonderful bunch of young players coming up and some talented guys to help them along ( Rivers, Sylvia, Moloney, Green, Bruce, Davey) and some we have barely seen but have so much hope for. We will rise like the Phoenix over the next few years and I can see us with that cup around 2012/13. Wishful thinking?? Perhaps because a lot has to go our way for a change and injury, rule changes, and perhaps some not delivering their promise could change things but I, love a fairytale and it's time the Melbourne Football Club got their fairytale and rose back to the top where we belong!

No trade!! Col has had his breakthrough year this year and will go on to be one of our best ever players I think. Have always loved him and he is a great guy who just wants to get better. His games have been pretty good this year and he told me that it means little to him when we dont win. Just imagine Col with a few wins under his belt next year. I get the impression that he is just a few wins short of becoming a star and perhaps a good season or two win-wise from being an elite player. I feel that will be the fire that really gets him going and with the group we are building PLUS Scully & most likely Trengove, he is going to get his wish starting Rnd 1, 2010!! Just hope we dont draw the premier first up!!!

Whilst I trust the whole rumour is just that and Carlton have next to absolutely no chance of getting Scully, if it were true I guess it wouldnt surprise me that they would try anything to get him to their club. Scully is ours and they just have to suck it up and watch him become bigger than the Juddster!!

I love Robbo and he has indeed been a fine servant of our club but when your time is up, well it's up and better to bow out gracefully than to be booted out on your butt. As for the question on the value above, Robbo for one more year or pick 50 - can that also be Robbo for one more year or add Valenti to the senior list permanently?? I for one would take Valenti. Sorry Robbo!!