hemingway

Truly becoming a Greek Tragedy. The case of a man of importance who falls to disaster as a result of his personal failings and circumstances which he cannot control. Although his personal failings have been apparent for some time, it has now become evident that he can no longer control things (if he ever could). The tipping point has arrived and he really is on borrowed time. It really is like a morality play. A lesson for us all.

Don't disagree. I was just highlighting that we need consistent effort from all our players and not draft someone who will go missing when the chips are down. But both you and Mo make valid comments. We need a team of skilled footballers with a group of match winners who maintain a high level of consistency from week to week. Perhaps a la Garlett, Yarran can do that. However, like any paid employment, a persons track record is important.

Yarran has some appeal, but I think I would pass. What we need across the board is consistency as a team. We do not need front runners or players that run hot and cold. We need someone with good skills who puts in 100% each week. That's why Cross was such a good pick-up. Give me that earnest effort each week to patches of brilliance alternating with hibernation.

Whilst not condoning the behaviour of the EFC and its coach, we should not be to smug about the whole sorry saga. Dank seems to have been involved at GFC and presumably went to the EFC on the recommendation of Bomber and the Weapon. Dank got very close to the MFC presumably on the back of his fine work at the EFC. Our then Doctor at the time obviously thought well of him and his supplements program. If the EFC drug bust did not come when it did, the MFC may well have had its own program. Thankfully it did not, but I suspect this was due to timing and the club had time to act when the EFC bombshell landed. The Dank episode show how people can be easily influenced by snake oil salesmen pedaling a message that the buyer wants to hear, in this case, improved on-field performance. For years and years there have been doubts about other clubs and on an individual player level the use of perfomance enhancing substances has been rife. It will remain an on-going problem in all professional sport as sportsmen and sportswomen and clubs seek to get an advantage. There is no moral high ground in professional sport.

Agree with the last sentence OD, although the previous sentences are debatable. Overall he has not lived up to our expectations, however, I think he has played a role. He provides a contest in the air and on the ground and big man muscle around the ground. There is little doubt that he puts in effort and is a team player. For me his attitude gets him across the line. I just think that like most of our players we know what we have in Dawes and the endless debate on players like Dawes is pointless. He will play good games and poor games but he is still a better option than others on the good days.

absolutely Biff, could not agree more.

Always suspected that an education at Melbourne Grammar and Geelong Grammar was way elitist for RDB, similar to Kevin Sheedy's view of those educated at private schools.

I have not thought about Terry Johnston for 50 years. Wow memory is an amazing thing. Now have a clear vision of Terry. A very good tap ruckman but slow and took very few marks. Naturally, running was not his forte. And he had a body like a Noons meat pie. The face on the Demonwicki link says it all.

Bernie Massey was just as good as Tassie but Phil has the longest drop kick no doubt about it.

Cordner was fantastic in the U19s but this did not translate to the Seniors. Like many others, he seemed to have great potential in the early days but did not develop. Not sure the reasons but he was playing with an unsuccessful team when delivery to forwards was poor. Initially a big forward he did not have the mobility or football smarts to construct a game from nothing. He was not very mobile when the ball hit the ground. Despite his size he was not a physical player who could mix it with the tough defenders. He was a confidence player who never got enough of the ball. He seemed to be on the outer with Barassi and I suspect his qualities did not impress the great man who was never going to give him an easy game. I remember he had a BOG one day at centre half back against the Saints at Moorabbin. Alas his transfer to the Swans was unsuccessful and he was worse than he had been at Deeland.

He is a team player and does the team thing. His defensive pressure is good and he competes, chases and will give the ball off if required. He also knows when to take a shot and does not do the silly short pass to someone closer risking a turnover. He looks like a hard tough kid who looks a lot older than he is. It reminds me of my days as a junior footballer, when at the start of the match you would see an ugly tough kid coming toward you and realize that it was going to be a tough day. As to Hogan going home, well it may happen but as the old saying goes if you worry about the future you cannot enjoy the present

Could not agree more, it has become so tiresome. We know his strengths and his faults. He plays a good game and the Watts support crew come out in force, reminding others of their pro Watts opinions. He plays a bad game and the Watts haters are back louder than ever questioning his intestinal fortitude and whatever else. Lets be satisfied in watching his improvement and recognize that this young man has shown character and fortitude in dealing with the criticisms, scrutiny and public pressure. I thinks its a remarkable that he is still in the game, still wants to play for the MFC, and has been able to keep smiling throughout.

He has a rolling gait or a swagger.

Scary young man. You can only see him having more authority and becoming more aggressive as he gets older. Like a Plugger Lockett. Transitioned over the years from a handsome talented youngster to a physical brute of a man.

One of the problems of AFL is that kids are taken and drafted far too early. There are exceptions and someone like Brayshaw comes to mind. However, we see many players that take 4-6 years to develop physically and mentally. The time it takes to transition from adolescents to young men. Ideally young players should be held back and not drafted until 21-23 years of age. The comparison is someone like Watts or Gawn, and someone like Vandenberg. The latter has a hard body and mind. Also we are seeing more and more young kids that come to a club with injuries or develop serious and sometimes chronic injuries. Others would know better but I understand that in other sports like American football, players are drafted at a later age. Basically kids are pushed far too early. They are thrown into a tough physical sport and subjected to intense pressure and public scrutiny. No one likes criticism, not even adults, but one can only imagine what kids between 18 to 20 must feel. They are given far too much money at a young age, but that's another story.

Bernie is an example of what we have been missing for years now....Nathan Jones excepted. That is a class player who can win a match with his own individual effort when the game is there to be won. We all know what this is...Bernie's ability to kick vital goals in tight situations from either foot within or outside the 50 metre arc. You can't win matches without these players. Hopefully we have a few more coming down the track over the next few years.

Harmes is a good story in regard to recruitment and development. Seems to have been well managed by the coaching staff. Allowed to develop at Casey and now showing the benefit of waiting his time.

You must be younger than I thought or consumed by the present. Ron I love your big bold statements not that we ever know your rationale but both Roosy and Bernie are good looking dudes. But that's okay.

Felt sorry for Jack on Sat. At times, he looked almost lost, or uncertain of himself, a little like a young recruit or an inexperienced player. Certainly did not have the bearing of an ex-Captain with nearly 100 AFL games under his belt. A number of times he called for the ball when he was clearly in the wrong spot to be rightly ignored by his team mates or ball carrier. I actually thought he did some good things and his intensity was good, but he did not inspire confidence with ball in hand. The club needs to be careful in how they deal with him at season end.

Very happy with the win but the pies were terrible. Worst performance I have seen from them, They were inept Their skills, game plan and intensity were rock bottom. However, it was good to see some outstanding performances from some of our players confirming our improve ment. encouraging win.

Same could be said with Jamar over the years OD. Says more about the quality and reflex speed of our midfield.

enjoy a celebratory drink and reduce my anti-depressants until the next match.

The thing that makes recent performances difficult to stomach is that early in the season we had some genuinely good performances and some of our young guns played well. As a result, my expectation level of "what could be" this season increased significantly. I felt I was watching a new Melbourne. This has turned out to be a false dawn. On the plus side we still have those young players, including the injured ones, that have a lot of upside. We appear to have a stable administration and coaching staff, and greatly improved player development. Despite the disappointments, the ship still seems to be steady. What I know is that wholesale changes in the playing list and coaching staff will not only not be the answer, but more likely, will take us backwards. As supporters we either jump ship and take up tiddly winks or hang in and maintain patience and a realistic expectation around the speed of our improvement and sustained team success. I do not know what the answers are and only time will tell. I am in the camp that says we are not as bad as we were and we have a nucleus of good young players who can make a difference to team success in future years. Hopefully my weary body and mind will be sustained over the next few years by improved performances.. A bit like seeing a glimpse of sun and blue sky on a cold winters day..

Like your work Daisy. Well said.

no it is not the right decision OD, very philosophical but not OK old chap.