Rhino Richards

So whats the relevance of what "alot of people" think? You seem quite enamored with the herd mentality.

Good points Jaded. If Jones had kicked straight in the last after receving a pass from Harvey 20 metres in the clear (from his opponent Bizzell) 35 metres out then history might put a different swing on this. However, I am gald one satisfactory game from a player in his last year will happily erase the databank of ordinary performances in the past 3 to 4 years for some people.

You said alot of people said they do. And I replied they are wrong. And your response?

They are wrong. Rivers has taken the key CHB role in most roles. Bizz has played off a HBF. Do you (or they) know who Bizzell played on this week? Corey Jones. Rivers would not be wasted on a Corey Jones.

People forget that he has only played half a season with Sandy VFL firsts and that he has only started to hits his straps in bursts in the past four weeks. As a young footballer with a fair degree development of his maturity to complement his position I believe that given where the year the Club need to persist with is development program. I have no doubt barring fitness, form or suspension, Neitz and Newton will play together. Most of spoken of list crisis but I think the core of the team 5 years or less is good and most of the deadwood will be roll off the list in the next year or two. As Elmag points out....we have played 36 players off the list this year and subject to fitness I would have expected a number 1 to 3 years players being in the MFC team now. I am not sure what else is to be done from the list at this point aside what I have said previously.

They aren't competing for the same position.

On the face of it you are right. However, I cant see a player like Newton getting much benefit playing CHF from a side that kick 4 goals in 3 quarters against an fairly ordinary opposition by implemented a stilted and error ridden brand of football.

You do repeatedly on this site.

Agree with that. This is more an issue of the success of recruiting replacements than blooding players. Lets see, Smith, Miller, Molan and Breese have all been recruited in recent years and fizzed. He's not easy to replace. All the more reason to make sure we get it right with the young forward talent we have.

Its ironic you ask that question. You dwell on disaster with any concrete steps to move forward and ridicule the rationale. I said nothing about 10 wins. MFC have already played a number of first year players today and they play better in a competitive unit. Performance and beating like the WCE game does nothing for anyone's confidence let alone young players. There is a real risk that the player do drop their bundles and we start coping floggings week in week out. How positive is that for a young player? You might care to address the other issues I raised.

I think this process is already happening. Players like Weetra, Newton Buckley and Garland are still to go. Typically its players like Brown, Bizz and Ward that will go at year end. I would say only Buckley is a direct swap for any of those. However his Sandy form has moderate recently and I think he needs to get it right there. Miller should go but I dont think Newton is a CHF but another good performance should see him playing after the half way mark.

While it is irrelevant re finals, I find hard to see how it develops young players confidence and belief in their ability if they are struggling to succeed in losing sides. We need to get consistently competitive and winning to at least allow the young players in the team to have a decent chance to flourish and not flounder. I wonder how we will rebound (if at all) against Adelaide.

How did Laidley dictate the game today when this side could not paste a lamentable team like MFC on the scoreboard in 3 quarters? He would have roasted his team post match. For them its a win but an ordinary win. 35 points up at 5 minutes in the last quarter and to almost lose it. Neither coach dictated it. One sides players were slightly better than the others.

You would have been in your element.

After TJ played on from full back and kick OOB for a throw in why didn't any MFC defender stand the defensive side of the ruck duel. North's Swallow got clean possession and and unhindered run at the goal. Experienced players down back?? Anyone?

No it was bad judgement. How did he conclude that he was free to do it? He clearly wasn't. But its just one of many things mainly in the first 3 quarters that buried us.

For a guy in just his second year, he is really impressing me. I trust his disposal will improve to really cap his game off.

His offensive work when we were on the fly was good. However, had his opponent Corey Jones made us pay and not missed easy shots in 2.3 it might have been different. He is still too loose in defense. Better than his average.

In fact after reading I was going to congratulate David on confronting alot of those issues that have sometimes compromised his best interests in the past. I am further happy for him on the birth of his daughter. The article gave me great satisfaction about a guy who is one of the few that has truly excited me with their arrival at MFC. I am glad he seems to be finding his feet and for what is doing he should congratulated. The others players were Flower, Wells, Jakovich and Farmer. But Schwartz was special when he arrived. The article talked of that sense of self belief. He had that when he started but it was marred by actions in his youth that would plague him. he was just starting to accept what it took for AFL and developed the hunger in 1994. then it happended. And like others I will never know just how good he would have been had he not done his knee. I have been aware of the terrible situation that he has had to deal with and carry for so many years being the death of his father. God knows what a young boy has had to carry with him and express in sometimes volatile and difficult behaviour. I wish him all the best in his progress on that and with his future and his family. Its been a rocky road and he deserves better than issues that were forced upon him as a child. Good on him.

No. it isnt at all. I made a statement about the team being injury depleted and underskilled. He asked why are they are underskill. He is implying individual players to suit his own line of argument. I was merely defending and substantiating my statement about the team and the injury impact. I made no statement about individual players skill but recognised that the performance of many players has been disappointing and many need to consider the future. Its obviously harder for some than I thought.

Good post tim D. That's exactly MFC's problem in the midfield.

Your quote: "Why are they underskilled? " I answered...the team was underskilled because of the absence of critical players over the past eight weeks. It does not get simpler than that. So I thought. What answer are you hunting for?

You get lost in the small stuff and completely miss the big picture. In our best side the players I have mention would be selected. As they are not there we selected less skilled players to replace them. Here my comment: "Its extremely difficult fielding an injury depleted under skilled team and its taking its toll on everyone at the Club." You asked why are they underskilled? I answered about the injuries where critical players to our success have been absent for sustained periods and supllemented by many others. The performance of the players that have played is another factor in addition to the injuries. execution of the skills by the remaining players has been a concern and I have not doubt that an influence had been the absence of the injured players. Keep trying. Nicely put timD!

You are right about Batram being out. So for starters Mclean, Rivers, Neitz, Batram, Robbo, Whelan, Jones, Green have missed considerable football this year. Add to that we are nursing Moloney, Sylvia through residual OP and they have been clearly underdone. Add to that Pickett who has overfed himself and gone missing. Its hardly one or two players and when you see what we have had to replace them with you are bring in lesser skilled players into the side. Tts simple coverging the loss of talent from the team. Its that simple. My comment about ND was a general one and I wonder what purpose your angle is seeking to deny the fundamental impact of the injuries this year.

My comments about being underskilled is that fact that we have played the majority of the year with a number of key players out or injured. The examples I gave had little to do with time on the ground but when you take out McLean who capably covers his loss over a wwek absence? Who comes in? Godfrey! Who do we have on the list that covers Rivers sustained absence? Ferguson, Holland, Bizzell. Professionalism is not the issue. Godfrey is one of the most professional dedicated footballers you will find. Try as hard as he will he is not that good. I am not exonerating Daniher and the footy departments responsibility but there is no doubt that the injuries have an impact in the absence of key players and its flow on effect to the rest of the playing group. Its difficult to either implement a match day strategy when you do not have your best tools available. Losses of that magnitude hit all aspects of the FD. In addition to thec coaching there are a number of senior players that have lowered their stocks this year and should be comtemplate life after this year. As I have said elsewhere and for sometime, ND and MFC will part company at year end. As a consequence, a number of players will also go. This should be handled with dignity and respect. I do not believe the mid season sacking of ND will achieve anything positive either short term or long term for the Club