TeamPlayedFine39

Paddy Ryder was reported to have crossed over for 700K Rockliff over 650K per season Dixon over 620K per season Motlop is over 500K per season That's not exactly poo-change. But I'm not saying they have mis-managed their cap, I'm saying it is possible that they have. If they've been sensible with their contracts (like Geelong/Hawthorn) then they won't have a problem re-signing Wines. If they've got carried away, which offering huge contracts to Hamish Hartlett and Matthew Lobbe suggests they may be inclined to do, then they could find it difficult to meet Wines' realistic demands. Time will tell...

He's an enigma... I'm not sure where Cam sits in the best 22. He looks a little lost when he's not the main focus, whether that be in the Ruck or the No 1 Key Forward. His best football seems to be when he's floating around wing and half forward and able to hunt the ball and find some space for himself. Will be interesting to see where he lines up this preseason as a forward line with TMac, Hogan and Pedo, sound a little too big on paper.

Yes... but free agents, particularly ones from interstate, always come at a premium. Like I said, it depends on whether or not they paid 'overs' when they brought these experienced players in. If they have managed their cap sensibly, then they have nothing to worry about. If they 'pulled an Adelaide' and spent a fortune on retaining a player like Jenkins, then they might be in a bit of trouble.

Robbo’s material is meant to be very accessible to all fans and is meant to put a friendly face to the club. He has charm and the fans still hold a great affection toward him; that’s the reason he’s used by the club in an ambassadorial role. There are plenty of avenues for in depth analysis available to footy fans, Robbo (quite intentionally) isn’t one of them.

It all comes down to what they paid to get Rockliff, Motlop and Watts over. They paid through the nose to get Dixon on a long term deal a couple of years ago... maybe the purse is looking a little bit tight over at PA?? It was said to be a 'low ball offer' that initially opened the door to negotiations with Lever.

One thing is for certain, the words ‘Melbourne football club’ will not be mentioned by the media or commentators in the lead up to the match.

Thanks for the report. On Balic, a lot of watchers commented on him being behind the rest of the squad in fitness due to his time-out last season. How's he looking now in regards to match fitness? Has he caught up with the rest of the squad or is he still a little behind?

#equalisation

Is there a difference between a run down tackle in the middle of the ground compared to one in the 50m arc?

It's an incredibly condescending 'request' by the AFL. Coaches are given the rules by which to abide over the preseason, then develop a gameplan within those rules that will allow their team to win footy matches. This is the same attitude that is taken up by all levels of football. If Melbourne played an attacking, free-flowing style, but got belted every week, how would our attendances look then? It's a professional league, they play to win.

It was Max running down Selwood that led to his hamstring injury last season. He definitely puts in the effort when the ball hits the deck.

I've been in Hong Kong for the last five years. There aren't enough smaller sports grounds to accommodate the already very popular soccer and rugby. There is a strong cricket presence, but that is mainly driven by the Indian population here, and basketball is very popular amongst young people. Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities on the planet, is a very curious destination for the AFL to try to launch AFLX internationally... if they could get AFLX down to the size of a volleyball court, you could see some success!

Sounding promising. As a complete layman, I would assume that the challenge following significant ankle surgery would be the stopping, propping and changing of direction. Was this being worked on in rehab or was it straight run-throughs at pace?

Thanks for the report Saty. Do you, or anyone else for that matter, know what the prognosis/timeframe for Weideman is??? Seems to be perpetually in the rehab group or missing altogether...

It is a very strange turn around from the last few years, even as far back as the Neeld-era trips to Northern Territory. In previous years we've had daily photo galleries an accompanying article and Burgo's (at times overly detailed and gushy) Diary. We've gone from flood to drought...

I see your point, but I’d rather be the bombers of 2000 with Hird. (I just threw-up into my own mouth whilst typing that)

Very misleading screengrab- he was on crutches last year and they’ve reused the footage. 95% of that interview had him walking and standing in his footy boots.

Records are made to be broken.

My two cents is that it boils down to onfield performance. When they get their admin sorted and their football department organised and resourced, it’ll all turn around for them. There’s a lot of talent on that list and good infrastructure in place- not to toe the AFL line, but it was always going to take time. People in a new market aren’t going to be seduced by a team that gets habitually smashed and has all their better players fleeing the state. I think market success in Queensland is far more likely than Western Sydney. When the wins start to come, people will get involved.

I very much doubt this...

Well... I’m bald.

Wtf? How is ‘[censored]’ censored on a football site??? (The word is FLAG but replace the A with an O)

We should [censored] both of them- our ball movement is a class above.