Samael

I have said it before. Pick a team from the players likely to be on the list next year and play them for the rest of the year. The season is gone so imo the results are secondary.This will give the FD 1. an idea of what we need from the draft (they should know already but 6 games left will confirm). 2. Chance to experiment with players in roles 3. Identify skill needs of the group and enable a detailed skill training regime for preseason. 4. Build a team bonding and trust in a core group which seems to be missing, 5 Restore some confidence in the players which is sadly lacking. The focus has to be on next season and a new game plan.

Look at the first qtr numbers. Cross, Dawes and Vince were the only ones who matched him. His DE was 78% with no clangers. I know stats are not the be all and end all but it is one means of comparing similar roles and Viv's stats stack up very well against most of the mids. I think he should be put into an attacking role, rather than the heavy defense roles he has played this year. He was tagging Fyfe and Mitchell early in the year.

He never goes into the forward 50. His role appears to be positioned just outside, to be a defensive/rebounding mid. On Sunday he kicked a point from outside 50 and had 1 goal assist. He has 6 goal assists from 56% game time in 5 games. He goes at about 80% disposal efficiency, high for MFC and means we usually get another possession. I do agree that you don't notice him on game day and suddenly he has 20 touches. Interesting to note that at Casey he does not always have the same restrictions and has kicked a few goals. I would like to see him given a more attacking role.

I have found myself watching their games since we beat them. Its a good brand of footy. I am amazed at what Beveridge has done with Grant. He was pick 5 and never lived up to that rating. He is going a hell of a lot better this year, still not top 5 level but very useful. Picken is another that has blossomed. It is also worth noting they have lost their top 2 in the B&F from last year. I agree its is fairly miraculous.

Maybe they could be moved here. "Point Cook has inflicted the worst possible pain upon Masala, keeping them scoreless and defeating the struggling side by 187 points at Saltwater Reserve. 52 scoring shots to nil is one of the most unbelievable score lines one is ever likely to read"

Finally. I just don't get the hate for Michie. He has played 5 games, 3 as sub and been dropped the next week. He has not been given much of a go. And yet people on here expect miracles from a player who has played 10.5 part games. Vanders was poo this week but I have read he "had a virus" or he had a"migraine". JKH is seen as a future star but (IN MY OPINION) he has done very little since his 3 goals in the nab cup against Richmond last year. On the weekend Roos' son got as much as JKH at Casey and he was the 23rd man. Stretch and Brayshaw are just going at the moment and are contributing very little. They both have more game experience than Michie. Interesting stat from the weekend Michie got more possessions in the last qtr than anyone else on the ground. Give the poor bloke a break and play him a few games in a row.

If they make no difference gameday then why are we paying them more than players. What player gets $1.5m? If Roos has no influence on gameday then why does he get more than any player? In my view for that money the buck stops with him!

Totally agree and that annoys the hell out of me. Surely its time for the FD to take those players that wont be there next year aside, tell them some home truths and then pick the team for the rest of the year from players who will be retained and tell them to play freestyle. Forget the game plan and just attack without fear. Roos has no fear of poor performance because he will be there next season regardless. I don't reckon the dogs, saints, and even port have better players, they just have more belief that they will be recognised for their attack, creativity and endeavor instead of their tackles or other stats. If you have the ball you can't tackle. The teams that have this sort of freedom (read what Murphy says in the little paper today) have spirit and camaraderie. The dogs lost to Geelong but made few if any unforced changes which I do not doubt gives the players confidence.

Taking risks. No one is getting belted for taking a risk and mucking up. He has even managed to get that peanut Grant to contribute. And he has worked with what he inherited.

Sorta answered your own criticism there. Nobody forward of you means you have to go sideways or backwards. At least Viv usually gets it to another MFC player. The game plan is poor. Its funny how the Casey games seem to be far more attacking with a lot less sidewards, backwards anything but forwards movement that the Melbourne team seems to revolve around.

This. Our season is knackered. We defend and deefend and still get thumped. I would prefer to see the rest of the season devoted to taking risks. Forget the result and experiment with attacking footy. Give the players free reign, Let them make mistakes in attack (god knows they make them in our defensive game). Give them confidence to try something different. Learn from mistakes instead of being to scared to have a go. As somebody has already said inside fifty kick the goal instead of some dinky kick to a player in a "better" position. And stop handballing so much.Break the game open, the congested footy is our undoing.

Stretch did nothing yesterday. 7 effective touches, a rebound 50 and 3 tackles in a full game. He has been poor for weeks Michie had similar stats in one quarter. Grimes was in our top three yesterday.

WTF? He played a quarter, when the game was dusted, picked up 9 possessions, 2 tackles 1 GA. What did you want him to do? Come on in the last and kick 7 to win the game. Maybe if he had played the whole game he might have had more impact but there are a truckload of players today that did not do as well playing the whole Fn game including Stretch, Harmes Garlett and Brayshaw all of whom the fanboys on this site see as some sort of superstars. None of these blokes had an impact today.

Something about "a chain is only as good as its weakest link" comes to mind. I do not see where we have improved at all other than 1 more win which says nothing because last year there were two games that come to mind that we should have won and did not (Bulldogs in particular). We have gone backwards this year on that logic given we were within a few points of the Saints just weeks ago and lost by 6 goals today. Like others on here I would like to have it explained to me where we have improved (other than we have won 1 more game). I feel dumb as a box of hammers because so many believe we have and I just can't see it.

Yep!! In fact no one really rated today in my opinion. The 3 word summary for all should be censored.

How did you rate Garland, Garlett, Harmes, Stretch and Vandenberg?

How do you rate somebody who comes on after they have kicked 6 to put the game out of our reach. He had 9 disposals, 1 clearance, 2 tackles,1 goal assist and scored a behind in basically the last quarter. On those number he should have been on all game. Might have had a bit of impact.

Whelmed! Not over, not under. Just whelmed.

Bring on Michie now to warm him up before the rain. Potential game winner in the wet.

Justifiable homicide its called.

I reckon we will win. The only way is up from this shite. Big second half coming up.

Record Earliest post of game over ever. Can't say I don't disagree with you.

Pretty ordinary. They are doing work at the ground so about 60 car parks are gone. There is vacant space along the rail line but they charge for it. Its a good option if you are going to the MFC game because its right at the station. They patrol around the ground and fines are about $80. The other side of the freeway or Johnson street is pretty safe. Outside the ground is pretty full now as the teams get there early and having just walked past can say you will be lucky to get that close.

No relation. Just feel he has been poorly treated this year and feel he doesn't get much of a go. I reckon he is as good as any of the youngsters we have. People think because he is 23 he has been around a lot longer than them. Unfortunately his first two years were virtually non existent due to injury. Probably just feel for him. Used to watch him at Peel Thunder.