deespicable me

I'm not so sure. Your argument is sound enough and along with Dee Dee on the previous page you cover well the reasons the ground isn't open for training. the other one being the grounds people would prefer as little traffic as possible on the surface, but I still maintain it is very doable and it's your negative attitude that is the same as those in charge and the reason it doesn't happen. As with most things in life, things generally don't happen when there is no financial benefit to the people in charge. Just open one gate and keep people in one area. Security could be covered mainly by cameras that are already in place and staffing wouldn't need to be a lot. I agree a lot of the training sessions wouldn't attract a lot of people but the lead in to Anzac Day and finals would and it is an iconic stadium, a chance to see players training there would be a very positive attraction for the game.

I think the interstate sides get a pretty raw deal having to live out of hotels and fly every second week, so letting them train at the various stadiums they are going to play at that weekend is a good idea. We have just seen first hand the toll travel and reduced time for recovery does to the squad, so any advantages given to interstate sides makes sense. But what I think we should see is the same for Melbourne clubs at Melbourne Stadiums. I think fan engagement would be strong. At the start of each week the schedule for "training at the G" could go out and maybe even for a gold coin donation to charity there are regular training sessions that people could go to. There could be coffee carts etc and the clubs could make a big deal of it. Next week in the lead up to Anzac Day I think if marketed properly you could get 5 or 10,000 attending. The downside is staffing but I'm sure it could be doable. Further teams should be able to train down at that sh*t-hole Kardinia Park

I think there is a spot for Hunter this week.

I love your turn of phrase and I agree.

Saw TMac sitting on the "G" for about 5 minutes after the game just soaking it all in. It was nice. He's been such a great servant to the Club and I think he thought, as did many of us, he may have played his last game at the top level and to get a go again was really important for him. I hope he and BBB have great years in what will probably be their last.

Is Christian still in charge? Because he was the one who came out to say Maynard doesn't have a case to answer. All ticked off. All clear. Surely the first thing you do as an organisation is sack THAT bloke.

Maybe not the season proper but it will certainly have a big bearing on whether or not the sky is falling and all of Demonland is going to implode into a vortex of hopelesness.

Yeah some of these trades give you the pip. We gave up two first rounders for Lever. Rated him highly and paid accordingly.

One of the major reasons our commentators don't really educate and discuss the game with enough depth and understanding is the umpiring. It is one of the glaring oversights of AFL as a sport. It's like racing not giving any credence to track bias, it's like ignoring the wind as an influence at Casey. I really enjoy the referall system in cricket. They have 15 seconds to make the decision to "go upstairs", we all sit at home and discuss our choice as to weather it's in or out as do the comentators and it's played out with all the luck and drama of umpires call etc. There is no gag on the comentators except to keep it moving, and interesting. In football there is a gag on discussing one of the most influential reasons for a lot of goals, the umpiring. So as the ball gets taken back to the centre to be bounced the comentators start carrying on about how this is happening and a team is getting on top but meanwhile any true football tragic is more often than not screaming at the TV for the crazy free for or the missed free against. Football is a pretty stupid sport. I love it but while umpiring is so random and inconsistent It is a sport that is very hard to make a lot of sense of.

Sorry forgot to add TMac to that group of 3rd defenders.

I think Howes is mainly in the mix for 3rd defender with Tomlinson and Turner. I think he has a lot of scope and athleticism to be given that role but I would think it depends on the attack. Two big strong forwards I would think the 3rd defender behind May and Lever would be Tomlinson. For example I think we would have to play Tomo against Carlton where he is suited to holding McKay. Howes is still light, so he can't be expected to win one on ones against seasoned forwards, but he has so much upside in class to both Turner and Tomlinson that he should be blooded this year with at least 10 games, and as long as the coaching staff take care of him he can offer our defence a really promising option.

I think posters are a year ahead with Windsor, Tholstrup and Brown. Judd played at least one year at Casey. JVR the same. We are a strong team of senior players and I think Melbourne will give these kids a year in the VFL just as a matter of course. They seem to have a pretty good system in place where you learn your craft and build your body year 1. Koltyn would have to be something special to buck that system. I think the guys that are expected to show up and present as AFL players this year are Laurie, Howes, Woey Jnr and Turner. Adams is the one that no-one really expects to play seniors this year and although he has had enough time in the system now, he does have room for another year of building as a tall, so if he came in and played significant AFL time he would fit the brief as a surprise bolter. Of the newbies I really like Kynan Brown

If we miss the final 8 this year then finally all our whining and whinging will have been worth it and we can all blame Binman!!!

I don't think we deserve any favors

Hmmm, let's see who I can [censored] up the [censored] Oh look at this guy. Oh I can't believe it. That is so lame. I'm going to [censored] him up the [censored] so hard he won't post here for another year He, he ,he RPFC you've done it again Who's king of the boards. RPFC thats who. Take a walk loser

The Crows have been told by the Demons that Petty will not be traded - so Crows will now play hardball over Shane McAdam. Oh now the Crows are just getting petty.

Back Casey for next years VFL flag with triple towers in attack. Shack, Mac and Lobb attack.

Speculation of course. I only get news from here or I speculate Picket. But a lot of people have a story about Oliver being out and about drunk. I know I have. Not to say he shouldn't be of course. Perfectly normal behavior for a young man. Not necessarily for a full time professional sportsman though who has to run 15 km every week and is at the coal face of most contests. He is being asked to sacrifice and compromise and personally I see it as an issue for him at this point in his short life. Compare him to Trac and Viney, both married, comfortable in their own skin and settled down. Again not to knock Clarry at all. He just has a bit of growing up to do. And part of growing up is deciding whats right for you and how you would like to go about it. I think his second half of the year reflected that.

Do not accuse me of being an expert Mach5. Those guys are idiots. Anyhow I apologise for not towing the company line of "it's all bulltish, bloody journos". Anyhow the weeks before Clarry came back into the team our midfield had adapted and was in good form. I think we struggled re-integrating him back into the midfield. That sets up all kind of scenarios.

Well Clarries second half of the year was his poorest on record (in my opinion) and against a sensational last 4 years of great years. His return from injury and finals were underwhelming and I thought one of Goodwins tasks during the off season was to not only change the game plan or focus of our chaos ball attack, but to get Clarrie to buy in and get re-energised within the team. Not necessarily an easy thing to do. Add to that Yze going, who the midfield team apparently loved and theres plenty of space for clubs and journos to see a chance of jamming a wedge into our fragile team ethos after straight set double exits. We can be guaranteed these sort of stories continuing to be shoved down our throat, just as sure as the feelgood stories will continue for the next 12 odd months about Collingwood. It will be MFC who will be held to account for Brayshaws concussion issues, not football hero Maynard. Finally Oliver has yet to become an adult. He might be off-side. These are big issues for us going forward and Kate Roffey through to Goodwin and Max and the whole playing list need to spend time and energy healing, re-focussing and uniting into a strong and driven club. We are in for a wild off season. Whether it's an unfounded rumour or not, it's our response that will count.

McKay, Lobb, Shache, BBB and TMac. Come on Melbourne. Sorry, no offence, but that's 5 NQR's right there. Lets fast track our slide into oblivion

I liked the venue. The timing was fine. Lots of kids. I've never been there before and it was pretty and the afternoon sun held a little warmth, before the night closed in and it got very cold. I felt privileged to go and watch the girls. They are a brilliant team. There is a strong chance (touch wood no mozzez) that they'll go through undefeated. They are a beautifully balanced team with a number of stars on every line. Their tall stocks are the envy of the league, their midfield has so much depth and their wildcard players aren't just role players, they are better than that. Kate Hore is an absolute star of the competition. Just a note on the umpiring. I thought it was really good. The girls at this stage of the competition take pretty good care of one another. There are very few snipers out there. None on Melbournes team. So if everyone is trying to play the game properly as they mostly are , the need for over umpiring falls away and really they mostly let the girls sort things out and just balled it up when needed. I reckon there may have been as few as 15 - 20 frees payed, with an increase in the last quarter when the game got a bit ratty. It was a good spectacle. Well done girls. Keep it going. You can set some records that will stand for a long time.

I don't understand your anger to a bunch of posters asking questions around why we have had double double sets losses in the last two set of finals. Also your Newsflash could be a little more caring around people who care just as much as you about the club and obviously while not being in the same stratosphere of intelligence as your good self, maybe try educating us all rather than intimating we are all a bunch of fools.

Hello Gents, I came to this podcast late in the year. Binman had posted after a loss to Geelong how we would win 8 of the next 9 games and go into the final series as favorites for the flag ( or words to that effect ) and I replied suggesting he's kidding himself and how could you put such faith in a team that are so disappointing. So when we went on a winning streak just as Binman said I thought hmmm I better start listening to this podcast and wow, how great it has been. My personality is like Andy and if the sky isn't falling down then it is surely imminent and Georges tales and Binmans statistics offer me a safe and nurturing place for my wretched and tortured soul. Well done to you all I am now a deevoted fan and look forward to anything you may get up to podcast wise in the off-season and hopefully into next season. My question is mainly to Binman. I have grown to trust the side a lot more from listening to you and your statistics showing how we play a good brand of football, the right brand for finals and I know the team were unlucky and a victim of circumstances with injuries etc, but I think we have to recognise that there is something weird about our group, not quite right. A certain lack of synergy combined with an almost nervous mental condition. It was as if we lost the two games rather than our opponents winning. Big crowds. Two suspensions in finals. Carlton were really just waiting for the death blow that never came. Obviously recognising our dominance and flag winning exploits in 21, can you please discuss this ability we have to " not achieve " when it is within our grasp. Thanks again for a great show and of course "Go Dees" ps sorry Andy for the long post, its my first. I'll try to be more succint in future

I saw the side on footage for the first time yesterday and I was very interested in how vertical as opposed to long Maynards jump was. It was long. It was impressive. It was a very long jump. The second thing I noticed was how quickly and smoothly he moved from his hands up in the air to the tuck position with which he then cannoned into Gus. Firstly this smooth movement doesn't fit with his evidence. He states that all of a sudden there is Gus so I have to take evasive action in order to protect myself or something similar. There is no way the vision matches this. There is no hesitation of thought. It's as if his flight is predetermined before he leaves the ground. I'm further interested if there are any sports science guys out there or guys who did long jump as a sport as to when long jumping that you can just jump without knowing where you are going to land. In other words is it more likely he knew what he was doing before taking off. I'm pretty sure his hands in the air were just a smokescreen to his actual intent. The speed at which he pulls his hands down into the tuck position would to most observers suggest this was a deliberate act. Look at the footage. He is a liar. It wasn't a football act. It was an act designed to cause hurt to Gus.