mo64

You have to have some football nous to be a successful coach, so your comparison of Cleary to Hawkins is ridiculous.

Absolutely, because Phil Cleary's been commentating on VFA/VFL games for over 15 years, and whilst he hasn't got a silky voice like a Dennis Commetti, he knows what VFA/VFL football is all about. For Cleary, the VFA competition was ruined with the introduction of AFL reserves teams. And I feel the same way. Whilst I followed the progess of the Melbourne players, I didn't support Sandringham, and I don't support Casey. And I can't support Coburg because they're aligned with Richmond, who I despise. Cleary would care more about the players that aren't aligned with AFL clubs, than an AFL player that was dropped like Miller. He wouldn't have a clue what Miller has done in his AFL career. For those who actually followed the VFA, it was compelling viewing when Cleary and Sam Kekovich where doing the special comments a few years back.

He gets a gig because he's been involved in VFA/VFL football for over 30 years. Premiership player and two-time premiership coach at Coburg, and as a former Coburg supporter prior to the ruination of the VFA, I had the pleasure of attending all 3 premierships that Phil was involved in. Phil Cleary has an astute football brain, unlike your love child Brad Miller. And your credentials Jaded?

Work ethic isn't the be all and end all of football. After 100 games, you have to start questioning Miller's value to the team. Sure, he tries hard, but what value do we get from his efforts? He doesn't kick goals, he doesn't set up goals, he doesn't break open packs for the crumbers, he doesn't take the opposition's best backman. Out of his 100 games, Miller would have been lucky to be in our best 5 in ten. As for Newton, unless he's given an extended run in the seniors to prove himself, we'll never know what he's capable of.

Just like a dog does in a park. Seriously, without Neitz and Robertson, this year was Miller's opportunity to be the main man in the forward line. He hasn't delivered, and confirmed what most of us have thought. He's a try hard, with little ability.

The stats you've posted are meaningless. The way we play, it's easy to pick up cheap stats roaming across the backline. He was hardly more deserving of the rising star nomination this week than Taylor Walker. Having said that, he has been impressive and if he continues to play well, he will pick up a nomination in due course.

And the city lock-up for your mob...........

I wouldn't use an early draft pick on a ruckman, unless the kid has exposed form at senior level footy, ie; SANFL, WAFL. It's the one position where form at TAC Cup level is speculative to whether the player will make it at AFL level. I'd acquire a ruckman, with exposed AFL form, via a trade. Despite missing all of the season thus far through injury, Robert Warnock would be a good fit for our team.

Joel Sellwood is a more recent example of a player who was overlooked because of his injuries.

Our backline is playing really well, but how much help do they get from the mids compared to our forwards? You don't see our mids pushing forward to pressure the oppostion backs, let alone pushing forward to create an offensive target. We defend collectively as one unit, but our attack is left to too few. Our forwards are unfairly mailigned imo.

We dropped our most potent forward (Robertson) because of the deficiencies he has with the defensive aspects of football. Kicking goals is not a priority with this team. Stopping the opposition from kicking goals seems to be our no. 1 priority. We are a team that fundamentally plays negative football.

This has been symptomatic of our problems for the last season and a half. There is no lack of effort by our mids, but we don't have designated players to run forward of the ball, hence we don't get any scoreboard reward for effort. It would be interesting to know which midfielder is our leading goalkicker in the past 18 months, because I seriously doubt that any of them would have kicked more than 10 goals.

Amen brother. After watching the garbage served up by both clubs, I'm looking forward to watching a real game of football tonight between Chelsea and Everton. Martin Flanagan's article in today's Age hit the nail on the head. He mentions that in the old days it was a player's game, but now it's a coaches' game. Modern day coaches are ruining the game as a spectacle.

Believe me, I tried to contact the local club, but to no avail. And I was only able to get a contact number of the VWFL through the AFL. IMO, this initiative will be no different to our supposed alignment to the other Melbourne sporting clubs, or the China experiment. They sound great in theory, but never eventuate to anything.

DD, a large percentage of those who attend AFL games are women, but it doesn't translate into interest in women's footy. I've watched a few VWFL games at a local ground, and there'd be lucky to be 100 spectators. A few years back when I had my own business, I wanted to offer a sponsorship to the local VWFL club. I rang the VWFL office, and the official was excited by my offer, and would pass my contact details onto the local club. I didn't hear back from them. As I said, women are generally interested in AFL already, and I doubt that sponsorship of the VWFL will draw their attention to the MFC.

Geez Einstein, I would have thought missing a full season due to injury would be a factor. Robbo's still our best forward, and for people to say that the modern game is beyond him, is a joke. Opposition coaches obviously don't share this view because they still assign their best backman to him. Bailey has obviously started tanking.

I disagree. When Miller plays CHF, he leads to the flanks, is too slow in moving the ball on, and is not an offensive threat to the opposition. Sylvia and Bate can play this role, and are capable of hurting the opposition on the scoreboard. Miller's best position is leading out from the goalsquare, as he did effectively last season. Unfortunately, if he can't convert on his opportunities, he's a liability, and no better than Newton.

I'm assuming the thread refers to "best" rather than most talented: 1. Robbie Flower 2. Garry Lyon 3. Greg Wells 4. David Neitz 5. Jim Stynes Apologies to Alves, Hardemann, Schwarz. Farmer and Jakovich would make my most talented list.

Agree. I don't buy the argument that Morton has more upside than Rioli simply because he's taller and physically undeveloped. If Morton becomes a match winner with great defensive qualities, which is where Rioli is at, I'd be rapt.

Rioli was taken before Maric, so there was no choice between the two.

It's premature to ask whether we took the right picks because players develop at different rates depending on their draft age. But purely based on performance to date, here's who I'd rate as having a greater impact than the Melbourne players: Morton - Rioli, Palmer, Taylor. Grimes - Taylor, Otten, Whitecross Maric - Pears, Otten, Whitecross

I'd definitely have the Krakouers ahead of Davey as well.

He was an incredible mark, and was always up in the leading marks stat, at a time when marks where relevant. Quite often from kick-outs, we'd have Robbie one out against his opponent, with everyone else on the other flank. He kicked the best goal I've ever seen live against Essendon at Windy Hill. He literally strolled down the wing bouncing the ball, baulked 3 or 4 players, and kicked the goal. Even the hard-a#se Essendon members applauded. Unfortunately, he didn't win the World of Sport goal of the day, because the game wasn't covered, and you only got to see a distorted version of the goal. He also took one of the best marks I've seen live against Fitzroy at the G on the members wing. He was running with the flight of ball with his opponent purched under it. He ran past his opponent, turned around, then leapt and took a hanger. Again, the camera work didn't capture the difficulty of the mark. At a time when Melbourne supporters had little to enthuse about, Robbie and Alan Jarrott invariably made the final of the World of Sport handball.

I'm more concerned about Williams than Buddy, because we don't have an obvious match-up, and he's destroyed us in the past: Franklin - Martin Roughhead - Warnock Williams - Frawley if fit, otherwise Cheney Rioli - Grimes Bateman - Bartram Mitchell - Bruce

Spot on. It serves no purpose in sacking Wallace now. A caretaker coach may have a short-term impact on the players, and they may end up with 6-8 wins, which will ultimately be detrimental to any rebuilding plans of the footy dept. And Richmond's performances against Geelong, Sydney and Pt. Adelaide suggest that they are capable of winning games. Ideally, Richmond should do what Collingwood did with Tony Shaw. After round 11, when it's mathematically impossible to make the finals, advise the football world that Wallace won't have his contract renewed, but will coach until the end of the season, with a brief to blood the kids. Richmond are doing the right thing by ignoring the media frenzy.