TeamPlayedFine39

This is fantastic for the club and women in football. I am a little bit confused however regarding Daisy Pearce. We've very much put her front and centre at the club, but with the Women's League starting this year, are we certain she'll be a Dee? Is there any proposed allowance for the MFC and the Western Bulldogs to keep our marquee players..?

Thanks for the training reports and great to see Trac up and running. Looks like he's lost of bit on condition in those legs- got some work to do.

Utter garbage. There is always a push from certain corners (usually the ones that stand to profit) to make pre-season practice matches more than they are. The should be about bringing players up to match-fitness, implementing and refining gameplans, and allowing players to practice with new team mates or positions. That's not to mention the utter absurdity of 'wildcards' where teams are allowed to play off against teams that have earned the privileged. The entire concept cheapens the concept of finals football.

You still trade players you 'rate'. You just ask for a higher return. I rate Dean Kent very highly, but I'd trade him for Jake Lever in a heartbeat.

By trading Trengove to Richmond (which I was against at the time) the MFC would have drafted Jake Lever; who were into in a big way. The fact that Richmond were willing to offer up pick 12 shows that he is/was a very highly regarded player.

Harsh, bordering on cruel. When Trengove's injury was first diagnosed, he said there was a part of him that was almost 'relieved'. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he didn't know why his body wouldn't do the things he wanted it to do; he didn't know where his power, speed or ability to 'push-off' had gone. He was relieved to find out there was actually something wrong and where in his body the problem lay. It was never a matter of him saying 'my foot hurts'. He does deserve a go at his football if for no other reason than no one deserves the terrible luck that he has had this far.

He did, but going by the reports, seems to be in full training.

Great read, much appreciated! Very happy that both Gus and Christian fell into our laps. You get the impression from some of the interviews with players that Petracca is a 'character'. Wright is an interesting case; very highly rated in his draft year but slipped in the order.

By the sounds of it Frost has recovered from the recurrence of his toe injury... touch wood.

Thanks so much for the ripping updates! Is Salem playing defense or midfield?

Good on him for having a go. I know that if I was a recently retired AFL player, who'd just finished up a 10 year + career, I'd be fat as a horse (ala Brian Lake). Well done Russ on staying in shape.

24 year old, big bodied mid fielder with pace who is a proven player at AFL level over a second round pick in a shallow draft. I wasn't doing cartwheels at the time, but I still believed it was a good trade. He's sitting out a year and while disappointing, it doesn't change the fact that we've recruited a player who should be a good contributor for the next seven or so years. I'd take Melksham.

One part of this is crystal clear to me, and seemingly the majority of the community; the medal has to be taken off me. I like Watson as a player and and, from what I can tell, an individual. However, he won an individual award whilst taking an banned substance. There is no conceivable way he should be able to keep it. Regarding what happens to the medal, that's a little bit more grey... I would suggest that is is 'unawarded' for that season. Firstly because so much time has passed, but also because the entire season has been tarnished due the doping of an entire team. It feels like the results are murky regardless of who's awarded the medal. The actions of the EFC have ruined 2012 and a vacant Brownlow where their captains name once stood should stand as a reminder of the shame that club has brought upon themselves.

I've only heard positives about him on the track. I'd say his eyes probably lit up when Petracca broke his toe. Did his chances of slotting into the half forward flank for round one no harm at all.

You won't get an equitable draw in it's current form; you have to take the good with the bad. I'd say Essendon will field a better team this year than we did it 2013.

Each to their own. i think it looks amazing, especially when placed alongside other logos on the Facebook fixture. Already bought several pieces of merchandise over Christmas. Members were consulted in a extensive branding and logo survey I completed in 2014. I suppose you'll never please everyone.

I think it would be a fantastic curtain raiser that would, hopefully in time, be referred to as a 'double header.' I'm a huge fan and supporter of the women's game but realistically, for it to be successful you need to tap into the already established fan bases of the AFL clubs. That means holding the matches on the same day and the same venue as the AFL matches. I dread to think of a Women's League match being attended by 1000 people at a windswept Whitten Oval, being televised on 7Two. Hopefully,in the near future, people will head off to see two great matches of football on a Saturday afternoon, rather than a 'curtain raiser' followed by main event. But until the fan base is secured, align it with the established matches and fixtures.

Kinda the very definition of victim blaming isn't it?? They were both in their workplace, it's not her responsibility to put him in his place.

It could be... but the point that I was trying to make is that I'm glad I saw Carey, Ablett and Dunstall in full flight. They are matches that I'll tell my kids and grand kids about in the future. There are plenty of legends of the game who I've seen play live who, for whatever reason, didn't have great matches when they played us. However when a legend of the game plays a blinder, it sticks with you, and I'm glad I was there to see it.

I thinks that's Billy Smedts from Geelong.

If the rumour wasn't posted here first I'd be furious. Must say though I was dreading the worst when I read the OP, so a four week lay off is almost a relief when I though it was season ending. Roos sounded angry though... there'll be a-talkin-to going on.

The 1996 thread makes mention of a game where Wayne Carey tore the MFC apart and this got me thinking about matches where greats or our game have played blinders against our beloved MFC. With the benefit of a few years of healing, should I feel happy or even fortunate to have seen legends of the game at full flight, even if it was at the expense of the team we love? A few of matches spring to mind... Gary Ablett Round ONE 1996: 18 disposals, 7 marks 9 goals 6 behinds Ablett was unstoppable on this Friday night at the MCG marking everything that was coming his way and being somehow impossible to tackle or dispossess. If not for some pretty errant kicking, he could have been well into the teens. As the thirteen year old sitting in the Southern Stand, he single-handedly destroyed my high hopes for 1996. Wayne Carey Round SEVENTEEN 1996: 31 Disposals, 15 marks, 11 goals, 2 behinds Another cold Friday night, this time sitting in the old Olympic stand, Carey was simple amazing. Speed, power and breathtaking skills, he was primed and merciless. It was a depressing evening for an MFC supporter as it looked like the team would merge and we'd be finishing at the tail end of the ladder, but even so, I knew I was watching a pretty special player. So... 19 years later I think I can say I'm glad I was able to see first hand these two legends of the game in full flight, even if they did hand the Dees a monstrous drubbing. Which brings me to the point - what great of the game have you seen in full flight, tearing up the Melbourne Football Club, and how do you feel about them now?

Was there that night... fair to say Carey was a decent player.

I was under the impression that he is participating in full training with the main group. Very important player for us; pace, aggression and strength.

I'm not convinced by Geelong, even after their 'bumper' trade period. There top liners are elite but their fall away dramatically after that to a lot of overhyped players. I don't think they'll be playing finals again in 2016. I think Freo will be in the bottom part of the eight as like Geelong, they haven't replaced their quality seniors over the past three trade/draft periods. North and Richmond have topped up again on senior players, but I see them holding steady at the 4-6 range. one of them may make a prelim, but they certainly won't win it. Port will be the big climbers this year IMHO; they remind me of Geelong in 2004-6. Geelong played deep into the finals in 04 and 05 and were desperately unlucky not to make it into a Grand Final. Big things were predicted of them in 06, but it unravelled dramatically. Similar story to Port for 2015, many had them tipped as a flag fancy but form, injuries, luck and even a bit of complacency combined to see them miss the eight. I'm expecting them to be back at the pointy end of September in 2016 and may even take the whole thing. Then of course there's us... should win the flag.