mo64

Agree. Let him play a couple of years in a state league to see if he's actually got what it takes. I would treat him like any other player trying to make it at AFL level, and he'd have to earn a position on our list on merit.

Just finished watching a replay of the game. The umpiring was fine, and apart from the odd bewildering decision, they played no part in the result. Just reread Plapp's player assessment, and would treat it with a grain of salt. He was way too diplomatic with some of the senior players, and overly critical of Harmes. Now in order of players pushing for selection: Grimes - Did most things well, and showed the courage of old taking a mark going with the flight of the ball. Would have liked to see him used as an onballer, especially at the centre bounces. Harmes - Really surprised me, and doesn't look far off a senior player. Has clean hands and was excellent at the stoppages. Not sure if Plapp's criticism was in reference to a couple of times he was caught out of position when he was deep forward. He's also got a bit of mongrel about him. Loved his game. Riley - Quiet in the 1st half, but probably Casey's best player in the 2nd. Good at the stoppages, but I'm unconvinced on how he'll impact at AFL level. Stretch - Didn't get a lot of it, but has clean hands, and a quick 5 metre burst when he gets possession. I can see him thriving at senior level with better players around him. Don't worry about his size. He's got the heart for the contest. Spencer - Was ok in the ruck and better than usual around the ground. Will only come in if Jamar's out. Bail - Thought he was looking ok in the 1st half, but obviously suffered a concussion, and wasn't seen much in the 2nd. Terlich - Quiet 1st half, better in the 2nd, but nothing special. Toumpas - I'm starting to wonder what tricks he has to become an AFL footballer. His awareness and disposal in a contested situation is woeful. He can run and spread and find the ball, and doesn't lack heart for the contest, but just doesn't impact the game. I think I counted 3 kicks that were smothered by the opposition when he had some clearance, and 2 out on the fulls with little pressure. Jones - Hardly sighted for 3 quarters, but got a bit of it in the last. Miles off senior selection. Pedersen - Didn't see him move outside the forward 50. Only looks interested when the ball's in his vicinity. Fitzpatrick - Dogs resting ruckmen kicked 5 goals on him. Did a couple of nice things in the last, but is miles off being an AFL backman. McKenzie - Why Plapp had him at the centre bounces is beyond me. Tried to run with Goodes but to no effect. Won't play senior football this year. Gawn - In the words of Malcolm Blight, he was pathetic. Enough said. Plapp's coaching was questionable. At the start of the 3rd, he had McKenzie and Bail hard tagging Goodes and Greenwood at the centre bounces. Footscray cleared the ball with ease, because neither player was interested in the ball. I would have liked to have seen Stretch and Grimes given some time in the middle because both have more to offer at the next level than McKenzie and Bail.

11 Years in WA and started playing football there. Fair chance that if he was born and bred in Tathra that he would have taken to Rugby League. Just like Aker was born in Victoria and moved to Qld in his early teens.

Elderly men acting as fanboys around AFL players isn't my idea of comedy. If I had someone I didn't know hanging around my workplace asking inane personal questions, I'd be worried. But I'm sure the AFL players are told to react in a polite way.

Nah. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richie-the-freshly-minted-demon-20150425-1msxbz.html

Considering that vandenBerg grew up in WA, yeah I don't see the humour.

I disagree. Most on here got excited by the selection of our round 1 team because we'd seen what the 4 players mentioned had to offer plus 2 or 3 others, and understood that for Melbourne to get better, these guys had to be replaced. Personally, based on how we were structuring and our match sims during preseason training, I thought that Hogan, JKH, Kent, plus Garlett and Salem, were locks for round 1. I was also hopeful that at least 2 of Brayshaw, Petracca, ABN and Stretch may be considered for round 1, and barring injury to Petracca and ABN, that may have occured. Of the 4 mentioned, I still think that Grimes still has alot to offer, but I've given up on the other 3 becoming regular AFL players.

Because when the said person, who sees himself as an authority on the game just because he regularly attends training, starts making snide comments of a personal nature, I'll tear apart his arguments till the cows come home. Just like he'd derail his own training reports by getting personal, he does the same with match previews and reviews. We all have differing opinions, and sometimes we gets things right, and sometimes we get things wrong. But in baseball terms, he's batting .001.

There's a difference between bagging a player and giving an honest assessment. You can't give an honest assessment because you're too emotionally invested in the players. And the highlighted statement says alot about your understanding of AFL football.

Good call.

If Tyson is out, Cross may run with Mundy, otherwise I'd be happy for Jones and Tyson to go head-to-head with Barlow and Mundy. Roos hasn't used a hard tag all year, which is great to see, and the mids have held their own in the clearances aside from the 2nd half against GWS.

You've said in the past that you have undying loyalty to whoever plays for MFC at the time. You also said in the preseason that Grimes, McKenzie and M.Jones were in our best 22. It's pointless trying to explain to you how a player impacts a game because you either understand AFL football circa 2015 or you don't. Referring to VFL stats is a sure sign that a person doesn't understand the game. As far as sulking if Riley or Spencer get a game, we have to put 22 players on the ground, and our depth of talent is so thin that someone who's below AFL standard is likely to get a game. Personally, I'd like to see Stretch called up ahead of Riley and given the subs vest. And if Spencer plays, we are left with 2 midfield rotations for the whole game, because neither Jamar or Spencer will be given any time resting in the forward line. If Jamar was out, Spencer has to play because he's a no.1 ruckman, that's it.

I reckon the Roos' will use the same run-with players as he has with Dangerfield and Cotchin. Vince goes with Fyfe when he's playing on-ball and Garland takes him when he pushes forward.

Show me an extract from Plapp which says that Riley will be able to impact at AFL level, and Spencer will play alongside Jamar. Here's a quote from Plapp about Spencer after the Dogs game: "Spence has had a really strong month at VFL level and he’s just now waiting for an opportunity to present itself at AFL level." As we've seen over the past 8 years, just because someone is getting a game at Melbourne doesn't mean that they can impact an AFL game.

Wrong on all counts. The answer is talent, not physical capabilities. And you left out Grimes who is a lock to come in for Jetta.

Nobody mentioned the Jack Watts' throw which eventually ended up in a Jones goal. I heard Wayne Campbell on SEN this morning, and at least he's got the balls to identify umpiring mistakes. Apart from the Garland decision, the new interpretation of the holding the ball rule has been fantastic.

He wasn't a poor draft pick. His talent warranted pick 3, but nobody can predict how a 17/18 yo will mature under the pressure cooker of AFL football. Even the powerhouse clubs like Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwwod had failed early picks during this period, so the development argument is debatable. His best was close to elite, but his lack of aptitude is of his own doing.

This part made me laugh: Sylvia said: “I would like to thank the Fremantle Football Club for the opportunity I was given to continue my AFL career after leaving Melbourne. While I have really enjoyed my time here, things haven’t gone entirely to plan in a football sense and I look forward to focusing on the next phase of my life.” Sounds like he's having a great time in Perth, but bl##dy football is getting in his way.

Toughness counts for nothing if you're an average footballer. VDB and Brayshaw are showing more than just hardness, and I think that the wet conditions last Friday suited Michie, who is just a one pacer. I'd hate to see someone like Riley at the centre bounces. Tyson will be a huge loss if he doesn't play.

Maybe this should be in the John Burns thread.

He was accused of making the offensive comment just after it happened. The "he may have been too drunk to remember" defence is pathetic.

Redleg, If someone next to you at the footy turned to his mate and made a comment of that nature in reference to a Melbourne player, and you clearly heard what was said, what would your reaction be? I thought that the Richmond official showed a lot of courage in the action that he took, and I'm disappointed in the outcome.

I disagree. I think last year Roos went into games with the sole objective of restricting the opposition scoring. This year, I believe that he's picking a team that gives us the best opportunity to win, which means that players that don't impact the game, aren't getting selected (McKenzie, Bail, Grimes, M.Jones). He's playing players who have some football smarts and X factor ahead of the "try hards" who were getting a game last year. As an aside, I'm looking forward to the Vince/Fyfe match up. Despite his boyish looks, Fyfe has got a short fuse, so Bernie may be able to get under his skin. Fyfe is an absolute gun, so unless Bernie can quell him to an average game, I can't see us getting close to Freo.

Wrong, you promote a player that gives you the best opportunity to win. I don't care if Spencer is in Casey's best players 20 weeks in a row, he doesn't come in unless Jamar is injured. And you're missing the point on Minson. The Dogs smashed the Crows despite getting killed in the hitouts. An additional mid offers more than anything that Spencer brings at AFL level.

Why? Because you're an avid fan of his radio show? I find it inconceivable that a person couldn't recall whether they said something of that nature. If he didn't say it, then there's no reason for Burns to offer an apology. If it was Joe Public, they would have been marched out of the ground, and been pilloried by all sections of the media. The double standards stink.