hemingway

Traditional jumper with navy blue for me. Much stronger colours. I don’t mind the colour TV jumper but should never replace the traditional one.

Beautifully stated my friend. Love the passion and we should all ride the ripple for as long as it lasts.

Would the love be so ardent if we had lost all 4 games and Oliver decided not to re-sign. Sorry Old Fart but it is amazing to read the accolades and love after a few wins. They better keep winning.

We see coaches that frankly are boring and at times one dimensional. Lacking imagination. However, Choco does not fit that mould. He brings difference to the club, and has that left field imagination and flair. This brings with it the risk that he will from time to time irritate people and even rub them up the wrong way. People like Choco need those around them to value their difference and volatility. I hope they can keep him. He may turn out to be just as valuable as some of our current stars on the field. Perhaps more valuable because he will influence many players with his ideas. In a similar way, I hope Kate Roffey can bring “difference” to the Board. Its long overdue that this Club does things differently. That it does not remain a bland club that stands for nothing. Our model is Richmond. It has been able to rebrand itself on and off the field with individuals being prepared to change old ways and embracing flair and difference.

I hope he is okay. I had a conversation with him two years ago and he seemed not only a nice guy but a fully committed Demon. His enthusiasm for the club was noticeable.

The appointment of a talented women with a range of skills, experiences and achievements has to be a good thing. She will not be spoken down to in a paternalistic manner and hopefully will shake things up in a progressive but inclusive manner. Yes, I do like women. They have everything a man does not have. My experience with talented women over a long time tells me that they have no time for boys big noting, [censored], networking and pretence. They have much greater empathy, emotional intelligence, and practical minds. They are better balanced, more mature and worldly. They do not resort to alcohol and pats on the back. Yeah, I like them a lot. In fact, I admire them. Kate is a great appointment and something we should be proud to endorse. Of course, there are exceptions but less than men.

She stayed with you out of a misguided sense of duty. Sadly, it is her destiny! And who has dinner at 6.00, so soon after lunch?. You must live in the country and waking hours be attuned to the sun and moon.

Whatever the reasons, it appears that the changeover to Roffey has been handled well without much fuss. No mud slinging or rumours. Well done MFC and another indication that we are a professional outfit with a smooth operation. .

Keep the lid on all season. Nothing is guaranteed in this caper. It’s a journey that will fluctuate from week to week. Injuries, travel and form will influence our results. Enjoy the wins but don’t gloat. Wait for the media and non Melbourne supporters dismantle us after a few losses. Including our own whinging supporters who you can hear say “I told you so. “ Must say, the wins have done wonders for my mental health, mood and enjoyment of weekends. like coming out of a dark tunnel. At long last hope is transforming into belief.

Because Hawkins has a long track record of hits, with lame excuses each time. You don’t need to king hit a player to be suspended. Careless, yes, unduly rough play, yes, high contact, yes, causing serious injury to another player, yes.

Thanks for that. Good point regarding other teams. Agree with comment about Hibbo but not Milky who despite his silky disposal skills and ability to slot some great goals, does not do enough in and around the contest. He is no gut runner and goes missing far too often. It was a problem at Essendon and why many Bomber supporters were happy to see him go.

No changes to a winning team please. Assuming that all current players are fresh and can run out the game. The team is playing with confidence and each player is fulfilling a role. The possible ins are all short of a gallop. I would rather see game time being given to young guys like Sparrow, Jordan and Rivers. They are the future and the players best placed to deliver success over the next 5 years. Players like Milky and Hibbo will play some role but they are not the future. Nev and Nathan are currently playing ok and should be retained until form drops and possible replacements are knocking down the door. But don’t mess with a winning combination. Things may change after Sunday but let’s wait and see.

I don’t. Where are the Bolsheviks? Bring on the Revolution!

Very special game for me. A very ordinary game saved by first gamer Tingays winning goal. Like many, I became a Melbourne supporter as a direct result of being taken to games by my Dad. By the time this game came around my Dad was failing in health. I remember the difficulty of getting him from the car in Yarra Park to the ground. Stopping every few metres to catch his breath. But we won the game. I knew at that time that Dad was probably not going to get to another one. It was emotional and it was to be my Dads last game. I carry his spirit with me to every game.

Be careful, we are only two games in. Melbourne supporters should know that it is a long season and fortunes fluctuate over that time. Injuries, form, travel etc.

Agree with all this. However we need some balance. Oliver and his manager have the whip hand, and, if they want to, they can delay negotiations and put the club to the fire as they field offers from other clubs. You would imagine they will want to see the colour of the MFCs money first up as a starting point. We assume those discussions have already started. What we do know is that we don’t want this remaining an issue and become the basis of the normal media carry-on as we reach the finals (making an obvious assumption). This is going to be tough going for the club. The coaches will want to keep him, everyone will want to keep him. But if the season continues to develop favourably for the team, we are going to have a bunch of players who will need to be looked after. And there is one giant shadow looming with CP having a huge price on his head. How do we keep them all? Maybe the simple answer is that we can’t. Success on the field will help but we will still need to put dollars on the table for CP and others. And we will want to avoid the recent mess created by Collingwood with its player payments.

Usually a voice of reason Adam. However, “name your price” is not managing your total player payments and salary cap in a prudent way. It’s a recipe for financial and team management problems. Comfortable with I mill a year over 10 years! Not very prudent when the club is on a financial knife edge and uncertainty over future revenues. Incredibly durable. This is a guy who has already had a number of shoulder problems requiring surgery. The wear and tear on players bodies is a significant issue. Frankly, it would be very unlikely that the club would get another 10 years out of him. I’m an Oliver fan but not at any price.

Agreed but it will hurt us against quality opposition.

Very lightweight intellectuals Uncle.

Confidence is a wonderful thing amongst team mates. And for supporters, post match and Sunday takes on a rosy feel.

Yes, just the guy we needed. And he was so close to being a Demon.

I remember he and his St Kilda team mates made Barassi and his Demon team mates look very slow like they were running in quicksand. There was also the realisation from everyone present at the ground that we had seen something very special.

My memory also. He was an Adonis. Blond hair, athleticism and leap. He beat us almost singlehanded. What a sight. Many said it was the best ever debut. Friend of mine had a drink with him in 2020 and said he was still scary. A smouldering grumpy volcano!

The discussions about Oliver’s intentions are a bit irrelevant. We don’t know what he’s thinking. However, we do know that footy is a workplace. We know that every player craves individual and team success. We know that the market is dynamic and ever changing. We know that stars like Oliver will be targeted by other clubs. We know that the clubs that are attractive to players are big, wealthy and successful or perceived to be building towards success. We know that successful people like change and want to be be associated with success. So to retain Oliver, it is imperative that we have a successful season leading to a red hot tilt at the flag in the next year or two. Oliver and his agent have every reason to delay negotiations and decisions until season end. I would. They will have time to see if anything changes at Melbourne. One would think finals is a must, but, just as importantly, that we have finals success. Waiting until season end will also improve their bargaining power in achieving a huge offer. Its not outside the realms of possibility that we have a successful season and Oliver still goes to the club that makes the best financial offer. He may already have decided to leave or at least be favouring a move. This is a bloke with a few years in the system and dicky shoulders. He will not last forever and his bargaining power is now. So we need to keep building a winning team with or without Oliver. Sure you want to keep him but not at any cost. It’s always the team over the individual. That’s Richmond’s mantra.

I agree with all those posters stating that Brayshaw should be played in the midfield. Unfortunately his development and effectiveness has been hindered by injury, both concussion and foot. You also get the feeling that these injuries will remain a hindrance to his game. I thought he was serviceable on Sat. However, he plays like someone who is not sure where he should be, in other words, uncertain of his role. At times, this appears on the field as a player not fully committed to the contest. Just my take. I fear that unless he plays in the midfield, his game will suffer and his effectiveness will decline. He may remain serviceable but he will not be the star that we hoped for. I like him but I would like to watch the player he could be.