deanox

Stuie I was really hoping to see him just simply say "decided he wishes to continue his career elsewhere" instead of all the gushing about his love for essendon and no hard feelings etc. I think this makes it a regular trade, we need to pay for a best 22 player. Instead of a player leaving and we helping him out.

Hibberd and their 2nd pick for Salem, I would consider. Hibberd and 19 for Salem Salem is a gun kid with promise but Hibberd has a track record. Plus it would get us back into the top 20 of the draft. We may need to give a 3rd or 4th back. Not sure it is my preferred move but it is better than a straight swap of Hibberd for 28.

Poor statement. It gives essendon the upper hand in negotiations.

The average AFL cub had only 5 players on its list earning more than $500k. Prestia wouldn't command a top 5 salary at MFC. He'd be close, and maybe he would next year but not with the kids we have.

This is correct. Probabilities multiply. So assuming we are at $1.30 to beat Carlton, Sydney is $1.30 to beat North, we are $4.50 to beat geelong and GWS is $1.80 to beat north we are looking at odds of about $13.70 for us to make finals. That indicates about 6.5% probability. If you can better odds than that take it!

I think trading them is a good idea but we won't get pick 20. Upgrade our second pick from ~30 to 20? Maybe. For their 3rd pick, ~38? Maybe for both.

5 of the inside 50s were probably D50 rebounds anyway!

I really feel that the three in a row, particularly by following up the unexpected upset (hawthorn) with a winnable game, is a massive psychological factor. OK it is hard to shake the MFCSS, the feeling that we will get snagged by Carlton in the "easy" game after the tough two games but this week should be less of a pysch hurdle now. The pressure isn't on to win two in a row, or to win the easy one, the pressure this week is just to perform as we have the last 4 weeks and walk away with 4 points. And we've done that enough this year that the "back the win up" blues isn't as big a risk. Not saying we have it on the bag but I don't think we are facing the same challenge as the essendon game for example.

Playing them at the G would be poetic justice for all the times we've had to play at Kadinia Park.

I want to make finals this year. Even if only to have to honour of being the team that did not finish a round in the top all year except for when it counted.

It has been a tough year for fringe players at the MFC. We have had virtually no injuries, particularly to the midfield group, we've had a couple of kids come on, and we've competed most weeks. Usually the guys on the fringe (ANB, Grimes, Trenners, Newton, BenKen) would all play 8-12 each and we'd be taking about how important it is that we have depth. With our best 6 available almost every week and kids rotating through the last couple of mid spots, these guys just haven't been given the opportunity. Unless we get upgrades, I hope we have some stability. Dumping good depth performing at tier 2 for the equivalent incoming from the opposition won't help us.

The creative nicknames like Cracker for Ormond Allen, and Juice for anyone named Newton are the best. Moo for Darren Kowal.

You do realise that Dawes wasn't dropped don't you? Roos publicly stated that he was rested as he didn't come up after 6 day breaks. I suspect, given the way his body is struggling, that he may retire at season end, especially given when asked about Dawes future recently, Roos went out of his way to be non-committal. In a side with only 5 players over 25, surely you can understand why had been regularly picked despite his fundamental flaws?

Should be Mike.

I don't think they gave us the space, I think we created it by paying more outside and less congested than we have been. Our loose men were outside the contest not inside it. This was deliberate against Hawthorn who are structurally at up to lose clearances and rebound back by foot from high half back.

I was sitting on level 2 behind the goals on Saturday. In the first quarter we were absolutely all over them with our zone. It was beautiful to watch. They had absolutely no movement at all and no free space any time they got the ball anywhere on the field. The only way the got passed us was free kicks which disrupted our set up and positioning by changing the phase of the game from contested or attacking to defensive, without giving us the chance to reset accordingly. Honestly, I have never seen melbourne do anything like it. This didn't last all day: the second quarter opened up for both teams and the third was more of a contested ball game. But we controlled possession in the last and when they got it they coughed it up under pressure to our defensive set ups again. It wasn't as noticeable in the last because it was a higher risk, less controlled period; instead of trying to work through the zone (and thus making it easier to observe) Hawthorn took it on quicker but stumbled.

So just close thread then Saty? We shouldn't even discuss it?

Im starting to think we might be a chance

It's a credit to the umpires that they are.

These umpires have nfi

What was that for?

Looking for a big game from Bayshaw today. He has had good moments the last 2 weeks but hadn't hit his straps. With a couple of weeks to find the pace I think he'll be on today.

It's Member Appreciation Week at the MFC and I was (presumably one of 22) members who received a phone call this week thanking us for attending every home game and inviting us to the ground where we will be presented with a jumper by a player after the warm up. So keep an eye out for me before the game.

I got in early!

Re Hogan, a late test is fine. It was just bruising/swelling not soft tissue. So the extra day may make the difference.