SaberFang

The frustration has stemmed from more than just the 90 minute delay. The totally half arsed approach by all aspects of our clubs PR department have once again been highlighted.

It staggers me that the MFC website doesn't even have a members section with exclusive interviews and content. Would it really be that hard to have an exclusive video interview with a player uploaded every few days? Honestly? That said, would it even be worth watching with such thrilling questions from Burgo like, "how have you found this pre-season?", and "how have you found this club compared to your last?"

Deefella, you're missing the point defending the MFC for not having staff by citing high public holiday wages. While I don't think this is a valid excuse, I'll entertain it. So it's going to be a public holiday and they decide they can't afford staffing or convince volunteers to give up their day off and attend training. For the same reason, they can't open the Demon store. Okay, fine. Here's an idea: maybe they shouldn't have made a big song and dance about said open training session, spending the week promoting it in newsletters and all MFC related media. Just treat it like any other nondescript training session. Don't go out of your way to invite members and non-members alike, along with their families, to a training session if you aren't prepared to stump up the cash for resources to make it a worthwhile A) membership-growing exercise or B) supporter-supporting exercise. And while the list of ten employees within the media/communications department was earlier called out as irrelevant, I can speak with experience from working in that industry. I've never seen such a bloated list of managerial waste for a media department. No wonder we have such an embarrassing excuse for a website and our media presence is a joke. One needs only look at Collingwood's media output to see how far behind the eight ball we are. If only Howcroft had shown any interest in the MFC when he was involved. He could rightfully have swept a broom through the whole department and use his experience in the media to give our club a genuine online presence.

You can upload photos for free on imgur.com

This discussion about key outs for the round one match is hilarious reminiscent of the round one match against the Saints last year. We were a shoe-in to win due to their injury count. Everyone remember that?

Cursed autocorrect.

By all accounts here a shocking treatment of supporters once again from the MFC. Glad I didn't rush down in my lunch break for a half hour.

They won? Hmm. Meaningless I suppose. Would be delicious to see Hawthorn fall apart this year when everyone expects a threepeat.

Best thing the Bulldogs have done in years, other than delisting Crossy.

North: absolute flogs and absolute pretenders.

It's funny how we've become conditioned to losing players after the last few years. The AFL isn't what it once was.

From memory he had 9 disposals and 4 frees against or something. Essentially, he stunk. Hardly worth judging him off that one game though, but he'd want to pull his finger out and show some interest. If he thinks he'll magically return to AA form by switching to a premiership team, he's in for a Colin Sylvia-esque surprise.

True I was being overly simplistic. He's proven to be a great defender, but there's been persistent rumours he doesn't like Roos' disciplined approach to his style, moving him to the backline and making him a stringent defender. His intercept marking has been sensational though so it's been a great move on Roosy's part. It would be interesting to see the poll results of whether people would've jumped (sorry, bad pun) at pick 6 for Howe last year. It seemed to be on the table at the last minute from GWS. Would've meant nabbing Lever or Cockatoo in the draft, both equally promising in my eyes.

The good ones, you mean? Because there's been no shortage of players leaving each year since Roos came in to clean the place up. Almost every player that's left has been turned into a win. We got Vince for Sylvia, that's just hilarious. Plus the eternally-disinterested Frawley has been replaced by the highly promising Frost, and we got Brayshaw from pick 3. All wins in my eyes. Howe leaving would mean getting a decent young midfielder via trade that achieves far more than just great speccies.

Time for Roosy to draw a line in the sand. Sick to death of this club being held to ransom by one trick players getting ahead of themselves. Take a leaf out of your captain's book.

You need class all over the field but it's vital in the backline. Grimes' clangers have cost us so many goals over the years I've lost count. The opposition must love when he gets the ball because it goes straight back to them.

Weirdly enough, I could probably tolerate him going to GWS. I reckon their main interest in him is his theatrics, not his game. He's a great way to market the AFL brand in Western Sydney (considering nobody gives two [censored] about GWS currently) and they'll put him on good coin. Have we all forgotten his numerous ineffective matches in 2014? And Roosy's frustrated spray at quarter time to him and Watts? He's got a lot to learn.

Probably just managing him due to his age, but by all accounts he would've added much more class than M. Jones. He's showing some really impressive athleticism at training, and he has some serious skillllllz.

A few of the young boys will have even more incentive to impress at training now; it seems obvious to me there's spots up for grabs based on the, sadly predictable, duds in today's match. We will forever be cellar dwellers as long as M. Jones is in our "best" 22. Grimes made the correct call to step down from the captaincy because he is clearly playing for a career at this point. Maybe a diet more substantial than bananas would be a step in the right direction? I really hope Stretch/Brayshaw get a chance in one of the remaining games. If we could take it up to Freo in those conditions, I feel pretty confident about the Bulldogs and Essendon matches.

Vanders showing Roosy he shouldn't have been sub!

We had these really disturbing "disappearance" quarters last year too. Almost always the second quarter. Then we'd play catch-up in the second half and come within striking distance by the end of the fourth. Sad to see the improved fitness has apparently not changed this little tradition of ours.

Oh joy, another year of Frawley-esque media attention. Wonderful. Was the club informed of this news at half-time I wonder?

I don't expect disposal to be perfect given the conditions, but yes... some inexcusable decisions out there and a total lack of pressure. Where are the defenders? Nobody is manning up. I'd hate to see this blow out into another WCE Round 2 disaster in the second half after such a promising pre-season, but it doesn't look great.

Wait till Fyfe is back in their team.

Yeah, this... isn't great for a first match. Freo are a well oiled machine but the total lack of forward pressure, the terrible disposal, delayed decisions... it's all so very 2014. Anyway, I'll take my own advice. This match is just shaking off the cobwebs... they are playing in a humid 32 degrees as well.