Rhino Richards

They have two spinners. We have none. Its like swimming at the Olympics without goggles. On a hiding to nothing. Some of our batsman have not performed well at all. Lee is lacklustre.

The fragility of the middle order and the question about our abilty to take 20 wickets (particularly 10 on the last day) remain challenges. I wonder if the crowd will greet Andrew Symonds nicely onto the ground.

IMO, the following players could either make their futures or finish them after India. Batting (based on my belief that they need to goo series to establish themselves) Jacques, Hodge, Katich, Haddin (keeping as well, I think Ronchi is talent). IMO Ponting, Clarke, Hussey and Hayden are sub continent experienced established players. Hayden is on his final overseas tour so he wants to make it a good one. Bowling (Same criteria as batting) Aside from Lee and Clark. Johnson and Casson will have a baptism of fire over there. Possible chance for an all rounder Watson to make a play.

For all the flack its forgotten that the Australians on two occasions (Ponting one of them that a seemingly clear catch was not). I hav yet to see such actions by other nations. The Australians copped an unbelievable hard stick from the media here and in India while the Indian rajs were at their unsporting best seeking to undermine and overthrow the ICC's powers of reviews. The media onslaught against the Australians for the misconduct charge on Harbijan Singh blew up against the Indians big time in IPL. Singh is an habitual and appalling poor sportsman who should have been collared well before he was in the IPL. India was made to look stupid for threatening a tour for someone who is a rancid cancer in the sport.

Rogue sums it pretty well. I dont mind the DL system. Also Paul Collingwood should have been given better counsel from experienced players on the ground. There is no way that a batsman who has been knocked ovver by an inadvertent mid pitch collision with a bowler could ever fairly be given run out. In my book its regrettable but a howler. Imagine if Ponting had done this last summer to the Indians? I thought it worse than any incident last summer. This spring's tour of India will be tough..very tough indeed. I suspect a number of test careers will be made or lost on the sub continent.

I think world cricket will be interesting. I have been waiting for some years for indian cricket with its huge resources population wise and financial to really challenge Australia. The time is coming. BTW, what was going through Paul Collingwood's mind not to recall the NZ batsman clearly obstructed. Its far worse than anything the Australians have done and it was appalling sportmanship. Thank God they suspended him for slow over rates.

I could mention 100s of them. When stupidity is displayed on masse like that where player wont (cant think) and players think they should imitate pillars of salt when they dont have the ball I dont think you can have any reasonable game plan despite best intentions.

You are wrong. The players names may be largely the same but the players are not. All our senior players have deteriorated to the borderline or below AFL standard. Our younger players have stalled or have taled off. Other teams have continued to improved as we have falen behind. Furthermore the game has changed wioth I am not so sure you want to hang onto a game plan for yesterdays players many of whom will be gone or not around within in one or two years. Its up to DB to cut the wheat from the chaff and to identify which of the younger brigade have the capacity and discipline and follow instructions. At the moment few are and most cannot execute enough skills to tie their own laces.

Our ineptitude and lack of skills makes any game plan look ridiculous. The game plan is fine the cattle are not.

Shaun Smith, Sean Wight, Rod Grinter, Marcus Seecamp, Andrew Obst were all 100 game AFL footballers or thereabouts...hardly five minute wonders. Allen Jakovich was one of the most talented footballers I have seen at MFC and played over 4 seasons..Hardly a five minute wonder. The other players in this thread are 5 minute wonders...some not worth 5 seconds. The MFC has been littered with them over the past 40 years.

They were separately lodged trades with the AFL.. But I understand CAC has advised that the negotiations with Geelong covered both. I further understand that one deal would not have proceeded without the other occurring.

He was a slack trainer with poor attitude to ftiness at WB and Carlton but had skills. This accounted for his injury prone careers there When he joined MFC he trained hard pre season and had dropped alot of weight. However he did an ACL in the game after the Kangas game and at 28/29 decided enough was enough.

Yes he did. At the MCG. Later cleared to Collingwood. Got into strife with the plod. Sort of goes hand in hand with them. Lally Bamblett was a gifted aboriginal footballer who inate ball skills made him special. Unfortunately he did not have the appetite for AFL footy. We swapped him to WB for Strawbs O'Dwyer. He did nothing there and then returned up Shepparton way to work with the local aboriginal people. Michael Reynolds - Big raw boned Tasmanian who caused a stir with his hard hitting football style. Optimists thought we had uncovered the CHF in the Brereton mould we were looking for. Suffered a knee injury and never delivered on the hype. Tata, Collins played a couple of games in 2001 but form and injury took its toll on him. Cocky brothers were a recruting mistake big time. It was an error to recruit one of them. It was a disaster to recruit both of them. i recall their first game against Geelong in 1996. They got swatted away like flies when they got near the ball. Enough said. Charles allegedly had fantastic aerobic capacity as I recall G Lyon commenting that when he saw Sean Charles run 100 x 100 metre sprints at training he thought his 1st 100 was quick. He thought his 100th 100 was just as quick! Unfortunately lack the maturity and applications required and was cruelled by injury. Was sacrificed on field by Balme too often out of position. Definitely not as good as Davey though.

Scott Chisholm was headless chook with the ball. Prone to moments of sheer insanity. Matthew Collins - From Crows. Had a good year in 2000. Played in 2000GF side for MFC. Not disgraced. Chronic forearm injuries. Delisted at the end of 2001(?) Nick Carter - ex Fitzroy - No idea at AFL level. Was he playing for Bendigo Bombers on the weekend? Leigh Newton - Did an ACL and struggles up and down the ramp between the ground and coaches box. Ben Beams - Broke a forearm not a leg. Prone to turnovers at AFL level.

There were big wraps on John Fidge. His first season as an 18/19 was very exciting. I saw him play a blinder off the HBF at Waverly. Thought he would the next big thing. Oh well. Loads of ability with a crap attitude. His older brother Ted was just a basic roughnut who was not good enough. Rocket Rod had buckets of ability but was an off field disaster. He was wrecked before he did his knee. David Cordner was the blue blood blonder hair 6'4" adonis who kick 100+ goals in the U19 and would be an answer to MFC's prayers 20 years ago. Unfortunately did not like the hard stuff and dipped his head when he went for a mark. Oppositions prayed upon it. He disappeared to Sydney and did little.

Glenn Swann kicked 8.1 against the Cats in Round 10 of 1973. He fell away from there. He may have taken 8 wickets in district cricket but would not have done so as his effort against Geelong was in mid June! David Hone was No 21 at MFC and at the point where his footy career started to take shape sort to continue his post grad studies in England. I seem to recall a knee injury somewhere involved. David Williams did an ACL and was out of footy year. Got delisted by MFC and got drafted by Richmond. Apparently hated it there. Cant blame him. I thought he ended up playing and coaching in the Shepparton leagues. For shooting stars, I recall MFC played a schoolboy in the 1970's called Des O'Dwyer. They had big wraps on him. Gave him one game as 16yo for a taster. Never made the grade. I think MFC website had a story on him. When I looked at the Top 40, I realised that the real talent was starting to thin for the last couple of players and I thought how many one minute wonders did we have.