Gator

There's no doubt that without Jones and Vince our midfield looks a bit young and light on, but I'm looking forward to how they perform. It will give Tyson, Viney, Brayshaw, vandenBerg, Harmes, Grimes, Stretch and Oliver a great guide as to how they're tracking.

I'm going to have a far more enjoyable year than you.

If/when he does sign during the next off-season no trend will have been bucked. You rarely hear of other player's contracts being discussed two seasons out. There'd be other players in Hogan's situation right now. Some players only sign on for two years, which is the current length. He might buck a trend if he signs post season in 2017, but not this year.

^^^ I'm going to have to ban myself from this thread...

Just a smart move. Most players don't negotiate a new contract 2 years out. Some do, but if I was Hogan's manager and there was going to be a new CBA I'd say wait too. I doubt it's Hogan's idea, just good management, which is what he's paying for. Unlike Pirlo above, I'm very relaxed that he'll stay. He loves his teammates and they love him.

I believe you.

I'm hoping for many things, but one is no wind. Some of the other games in these sub standard AFL grounds have been ruined by wind/conditions.

Funnier than you realise.

All, but I chose Petracca. I almost feel guilty for not selecting Jesse, such is my manlove, but I already know what he'll do. Can't wait to see Trenners, but I also know his talent (when fit) and I expect him to make a full recovery. Can't wait to see Oliver and reckon he'll show as much as Brayshaw (if not more). But Petracca is a special talent that we've been denied and at 20 years of age, even though it's his first year of playing, he can really make the competition stand up and take notice.

Disagree.

He won't have the engine to run "both ways" as well as some of our other mids. When he rested "off ball" last Friday he went to the forward-line and was manned up by James Hunt. He was quieter, but this was as much to do with the dominance of the blue team. Also, you may be overlooking the fact that Oliver kicked 20 goals from 16 games in the TAC last year. He's smart, a goal-kicker and a very good contested mark. I don't know how many games he'll get without the sub rule, but when he plays it will be rotating through the midfield and forward-line.

Like Brayshaw, he'll spend a lot of time in the forward-line this year.

I never thought I'd be arguing with anyone on the merits of Spencer, but I must say it is easy to argue with you. You said, "he doesn't tap to advantage and he certainly doesn't limit the influence of opposition Ruckmen in these areas of the game". This is a "foundation" to my assumption that his ruckwork is rated in a negative light and unnecessarily "maligned". In the Bulldogs game he had 40 hitouts, which is clearly having an effect in negating his opponents. We all know he's depth, but he certainly can play an adequate ruck role if called upon. Seemingly, you can't remember your own commentary.

Well said. And let's not forget that Spencer carried the ruck when we beat the Dogs early in the season and partnered Gawn in the win down at Geelong. Clearly he's number 2 in the pecking order, but he's a capable fill in. I also reckon his actual ruckwork is underrated and often maligned without a lot of foundation.

The MFC and its support of women in football:"The Melbourne Football Club continues to be an industry leader in supporting women in football. Through its AFL Women’s team and support of both senior and junior women’s football in Victoria, the club actively works to encourage the growth and development of the sport from the grassroots level through to elite senior football."MELBOURNE AFL WOMEN’S TEAM "The club actively pushed for a women’s national competition for a sustained period of time and saw its efforts come to fruition in the form of the inaugural AFL Women’s Draft and AFL Women’s Exhibition Match in 2013." VICTORIAN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP "The Melbourne Football Club has been a major sponsor of the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL) since 2009. The club is proud to be the first AFL club to financially support a women’s football league, delivering a variety of programs and initiatives to ensure women in football have the opportunity to develop their skills on and off the field." SOUTH METRO JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH GIRLS PARTNERSHIP "The Melbourne Football Club is a proud partner of the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) Under 10, Under 12, and Under 14 and Youth Girls competitions." HALLAM SENIOR COLLEGE SPORTS ACADEMY – AFL "The Melbourne Football Club supports the Hallam Senior College Sports Academy which offers female secondary school students a unique Australian Rules Football Development Program. Melbourne supports the program through providing students with a variety of opportunities, including participation in the club’s work experience program, player visits, students leadership forums and student inductions sessions." DELIGHT & SURPRISE "The Melbourne Football Club is genuine in its support of women’s football. The club’s Delight and Surprise Program is an initiative that works to engage participants at the grassroots level of female football. Each session of the program is run by one male and one female Melbourne Football Club player, who arrive unannounced at a local club training session to surprise Youth Girls footballers. The junior players then participate in a training session run by these elite footballers, along with receiving some special giveaways." http://www.melbournefc.com.au/club/community/women PLUS The MFC has: - The MFC introduced a self esteem program for year 9 female students called Dare to Dream- Launched the first under 12's football team and Tridents Academy- Launched the first Auskick program for girls in primary schools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's fitting that the oldest football club in the league and the one that invented the rules of the game looks like getting the first licence for women's football. Melbourne has been supporting grass roots women's football for many years now and has many active programs in place. Whether it be pioneering the game 150 years ago, pioneering the Irish experiment, pioneering the Father/Son rule through to pioneering women's football, the MFC has led the way with major football initiatives and will rightly gain the forst licence of the AFL Women's League. To think that some opposition clubs think they can waltz in and get preferential treatment when it's been the work of the MFC and Footscray that has led to the possibility of this league forming is arrogance in the extreme. Although, I do like the mad scramble for licences now that the competition has become reality. Clubs are falling over themselves to be part of it.

Yep, they've just reversed the 6 and 8.. 4. Melbourne (via trade) – Clayton Oliver (VIC – MID)Height: 187cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 22/07/1997Recruited from: Murray BushrangersRange: 3-10Profile: Powerful inside midfielder who improved rapidly and had a big second half to the season. But he has grown a bit, which is great.

it's a "practice match". Every club will have different agendas and those agendas are matched to best performance in round one, not supporters expectations.

Your interpretation of the conversation is very poor. He said that Hogan signing on isn't as close as recent reports suggest and that Melbourne "wouldn't be feeling as good as 10 weeks ago". He doubted it would happen prior to the season commencing, but more round 6 or mid-season. He mentioned that the McDonald brothers were out of contract and that was it. He said that if they could sign both bookends - Hogan and McDonald - then we'd become a destination club. Their signings are that important. The amount of times I've heard conversations like this distorted by supporters in the re-telling is incredible. Do people actually listen ?

Heppell will be a Mark Robinson initiative, because he's a card carrying Bomber supporter, who was anything but balanced during the peptides saga.

Not having Roos instantly improves Monday nights.

You know the shocking turnovers and poor decisions he makes at HB when he has time to think ? I haven't noticed them in MS or the intraclub when he was on the wing/outside. I can't say that he hasn't turned it over, but he's found plenty of it, used it well (from memory) and shown a bit of toe. That said, if I named a preferred 22 he wouldn't be in it. But I wouldn't be surprised if he was named come round one. With a few others he's pushing hard.

I've been surprised by Grimes playing an outside mid role and even more surprised that he's actually looked good. He's just outside best 22 for me, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he's selected round 1. But I am sure he won't be playing half-back. You don't train the entire summer in the midfield and then abandon that role for round one on a needs basis. Hunt, White, and Wagner have all looked good across HBF. And I reckon they'd even give Terlich a run there ahead of Grimes.

They were the best 7 kicks and 7 handballs you'll ever see.

Good post. Some players, like Hannebery, were elite runners as juniors, so they have a natural advantage to get to the right fitness levels quickly. Brayshaw, Oliver and Petracca aren't naturally aerobic, while Stretch and ANB are, so it's not cut and dried as to where our fitness levels are. Viney isn't a natural runner either, but he has willed himself to get where he has.

Of course it was peronal, whatever that means. Baggie and I often disagree at the edges, but usually concur with the bigger stuff. Not always, but usually. So what did you think of Oliver on Friday ?