Rhino Richards

I'm not sure if Ponting is being scapegoated for that but I did think we chose one of the weakest and poorly balanced squads for an Ashes that I can remember. And when your two key strike players from the previous series self destruct or lose form then it does not give the Captain alot of options. FWIW, if Mitchell Johnson had bowled anywhere near his past Australian or South African form then we would have been holding the urn.

I guess you can say the Ponting had to make the best out of Dhoni taking the initiative and then taking it away from him. Anyway at least it provided me with a mythbusters moment. There are some issues but he has had to lead Australia through an incredible transition which is not over yet. Filling the void of those great players may not be complete during his reign. Are the issues with him or where Australian cricket is at? Agree wholeheartedly with the bolded statement.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni clearly agrees. Won the toss and batted first today. Doh!!! As they say on Mythbusters....Myth Busted!!

Your comments about not winning the toss lacked emoticons. FWIW, I think Ponting has received a bum wrap on this site. He not a great captain but he is not a bad captain either. HT's comments were about the first compliment I have seen anyone give Ponting around here. Obviously one to many for some. Every captain looks bad if his bowlers fail their task. Just my opinion

Bailey was just stating the facts, that if Ball wanted certainty in the future. The only club it potentially lets in is a club that Ball might not want. Collingwood are a long way off Ball in the PSD or ND options. Ball always had that choice. I dont think MFC is giving him an easy option. I would be surprised if MFC had not conveyed the message to Connors (Ball's manager) that we were interested and that we have ND selection prior to Collingwood and that he has certainty of outcome and future in the PSD and not in the ND. If he goes into the PSD, then I cant see how he can avoid MFC. If he goes into the ND then its a lottery for his future. At the moment he seems to be working to get back to St Kilda. We cant control that outcome. If his negotiations fail then he either runs the gauntlet in the ND or starts talking with MFC. I dont think it will be either

I am not sure Hawthron did know the full story of Thompson at the time. And if they did, there would be a legal storm over privacy issues of release of an individual's medical information. Not to mention discrimination in employment. So why didn't North do their due diligence properly? The AFL is a small community and if North had done their research, the issue should have emerged.

Captaincy is more than just the toss in both ODI and Tests. Who is the person that controls the bowling changes and the field in ODI? Bollinger should be congratulated ...but then again so should Ponting for excatly the reasons HT gave. The fact that he was prepared to back Johnson (incredibly inconsistent) and Bollinger (young, inexperience) is a credit to Ponting.

Some of the stats from the game.... WOW Prime Numbers All five of Australia's batsmen had strike-rates of 100 or more. Cameron White's 57 off 33 balls at 172.72 was the best. Shaun Marsh's 112 is his maiden ODI hundred. His 145-run partnership with Watson is the highest opening stand in the series. Sachin Tendulkar's 175 is the third-highest score in an ODI defeat, behind Charles Coventry's 194*, and Mathew Hayden's 181*. The match aggregate of 697 is the highest in India and the third highest overall, after 872 by South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg, and 726 by New Zealand and India in Christchurch. India's total of 347 is the third-highest score in the second innings of an ODI, after South Africa's 438 for 9 in Johannesburg, and New Zealand's 350 for 9 in Hamilton. It is also the highest second-innings total in a defeat. Also, Shane Watson 93 at better than a run a ball and 3-47....Great effort in a mentally tough game with a depleted side...Great win. While I am not mad on ODI this is one of the few I would watch a replay of.

I find the optimism in the DVD far more palatable than ignorant and uniformed slags at players who wore the red and blue proudly from alleged supporters. While not being the greatest footballer in the world, Woewodin was an absloute credit to himself in the way he prepared and applied himself for AFL and he got the most out of his game. A good lesson to all young footballers. His B'low is a wonderful reward for player who did have a very good season. I just cant see the need to slag him as one of the worst winners ever. Why should he be criticised for winning the B'low for FFS? For guy picked up in the PSD in 1997 and three years later win the B'low ...of course he should be celebrated as a hero. Its good you know so much about Norm Smith. You clearly have not got a clue about Robbie Flower. Best footballer I have ever seen in 40 years of watching MFC. Its indicative of how bad MFC was that Flower could not get us to the finals before 1987. God knows he did more than enough. In his final year he was pivotal and important to MFC finally getting in the finals for the first time in 23 years. And played brilliantly in the first two finals. If Flower had played in a top team he would have been picked for team of the century ahead of the front running Keith Greig.

Any credit to the captaincy and the selectors for cobbling a side together with all those injuries? I expect not.

It hasn't. Opposition supporters are welcome on this site to discuss football topics so long as they abide by the Code of Conduct and dont lower the tenor of the site. There are a couple of opposition supporters like Ash34 (Essendon) who provides excellent insights into MFC from another perspective. I value his contributions more than some of the MFC supporters here. Unfortunately Old Xaverian is not in that quality. The best way to handle OX is to debate the issue with him. His hollow arguments has been brought undone so often by astute posters I am surprised more of you have not realised that instead of flaming who he supports.

This issue has been done to death and you still ply that ignorant crap. The game goes through evolutions of coaching which are aided not just by coaching theory but impacted by rule changes and other aspect such as player fitness. The reason Hawthorn did not implement Sydney's game style is that the game had moved on with rule changes and strategies to combat the continual lock downs on play Sydney implemented as a cornerstone of that plan. Calrkson came into the role in 2004 with view of how he wished to play football and filled out his list with additional players to implement it. Geelong, Sydney, Hawthorn and WCE all took years to develop the lists to implement the game plan. BTW, Sydney dont play tempo football. Tempo football is a mode of play where you slow the tempo of the game during the game to slow down or negate the momentum of the opposition. its not a game tactic not a game plan unless you are confusing it with something else. And MFC used the tactic generally well when they implemented it. All teams utilise tempo tactics. At no time did MFC seek to implement Sydney's game plan. All coaches come into their roles and seek to implement a philosophy of how to win. They also do a complete audit of the talent at their disposal and identify the gaps in that list to implement the strategy. The whole tactics fit the team falls ideolgues readily fall over when they considered what game plan would have suited the crocked sub standard deficit MFC list at the end of 2007/start of 2008. There has never been a plausible or sensible response provided.

Geelongs game plan and list took 7 years to come together. Hawthorn took 5 years. Both sides had lean years in the lead up to flag success. And nearly all "new" game plans are just remoulded previously tried game plans to exploit some of aspect of the play. Unless there are significant changes in player fitness and/or the games rules, most game plans are an evolutionary path of what you do when you have the ball, when you dont have the ball and when the ball is in neutral control situations.

Yes it does particularly in the context of Thorp. Buckley was a gun footballer from his early days who did not want to stay at Brisbane because he wanted to play in a premiership. He went to the Pies. Won none and the Lions did the 3peat. Cant blame Brisbane for being rejected by him. Carey was finished as a footballer when he left North and his behaviour seriously damaged the Club and some of its players. Ablett Snr was not disliked at Hawthorn at all. Ablett could not adapt to city life and went to the country. They knew he could play but found him a bit of a loner who was difficult to spark up for footy. Now why did Carlton get rid of an 80 goal FF again? Hmmm

1998, 2000 and 2002 weren't funny. Given the lack of facilities, finance, salary cap penalties, poor drafting and at times Board stability Danihers efforts were creditable in his final 5 years (sans 2007). Not brilliant but creditable. Wallet and competitive finals sides? Now that's funny

At best he is adequate. His worst is terrible. His normal level is not good enough. He got a big chance to show himself as a ruckman and failed. Around the ground and up the backline he is timebomb with no accountability for opposing ruckman. He made no telling impression in any of the games. He kicked 6.6 in 18 games where he had ample game time. Nothing to crow about Your timeline highlights a ruckman coming into his peak. Then you have noted a number of times he is not a ruckman or struggles to be one. See the problem. And in seven years of senior football has shown on evidence of being a FF. And opposition coaches know PJ is a trojan horse that does not hurt you with size or bulk. He is a flaky mark as well. The last thing MFC need up forward is another showman like Robbo. The game is too demanding these days for a player to focus on MOTY and GOTY. Thankfully Jurrah is better than that. And if he cnat be a KPP with more team orientated instincts then his potential is wasted.

Yes....but..... They're injured. Harris from SA??? I have not checked others. But Hodge at 35.........

Can we move beyond the "must take an experienced footballer in the PSD" mindset? And Robbo??? Next it will be Nathan Carroll because he is tough and good in a brawl.

The number of injuries is worthy of an inquiry as to why highly paid professional sportsmen were not fit and able to play. Assessment is right on Hodge. If we dont have more inspiring choices for the Test than Brad Hodge at 35 then Australian cricket is looking bleak indeed. A weak Windies outfit is an ideal platform to bring on promising players of tomorrow not proven and ageing tweeners. And if Hodge is picked in the Tests, I will also take back my past criticism of the Poms in full for recalling Brian Close and Colin Cowdrey all those years ago.

I blame Masterchef

Rather damning assessment then as an AFL footballer PJ has been given 60 games and more chances than North Korea to show some upside. MFC know full well what they get with PJ. So do oppositions who know PJ is a rover masquerading in a big body so no one is fooled. And the last thing I want is Jurrah or any footballer doing is a "Robbo". Jurrah is better than that. I rather have serious options up forward rather than a third goalpost.

Dont be sorry, there are some that found it informative and useful.

The ball is actually in Luke Ball's court (yeah sorry about that). His preference was Collingwood. He has to work out the less unpalatable solution between StK, MFC and the ND. If Luke cant come to terms with St K, then he gulp must come to MFC if he wants any certainty in his future. I think he will come to terms with StK.

No. They can keep Jamar and Spencer on the list. We have 3 bona fide ruckman on the list. Martin at this stage pinch hits there. in 2009, two went down injured we were left with PJ who cant ruck and Spencer who is raw and brought on ahead of time at 19. It showed we lacked sufficient options in the ruck. We could easily take another ruckman on our list. A number of clubs have 5 to 6 rucks on the list. Spencer would have been kept either way. Its possible that both PJ and Meesen will be gone at the end of next season and both should feel lucky they are contracted He's no good. The only kind thing I can say about Meesen is that in his four games he was not as excruciatingly bad as he has been at Casey in 2008 and early 2009. Mind he was not that good either. And then there are the injuries...... Unless he improves his game and fitness he's gone at year end. Last year when Spencer was not in the AFL he was rucking 100 minutes one out against big bodied experienced tall players. He is 19yo. And for what its worth, I do read the Casey/Sandy reports and have never seen a negative report on a player. And I have seen Meesen, Robbo and Weetra to name a few who put in some absolute shockers in the VFL and still get positive reports. The assessments are laced with treacle. Its more a worry that you think PJ and Meesen do.

At 35yo, the selectors maybe looking at younger options. Mind you if you are ever going to bat your way into form then its gotta be in a series against the Windies at home. Funny, I would never have said that 15 years ago