Jarka

This game is about trying to win premierships, nothing more, nothing less. Smart clubs when they're not in a position to win a premiership will concentrate on building a team to possibly win one in the future. Hello Hawthorn, St.Kilda, even hello Carlton. It's not about trying to lose games, it's about being smart. Unfortunately, over the last 40 odd years Melbourne has demonstrated time and time again that we're not a smart club. Forgot to add, i don't believe for one second that a couple of poor years will forever harm a young players development. It's just bot true and there are countless examples of this being incorrect. Brisbane is the best, when the core of their team were starting their playing career they were as good as we are at the moment. How much long term damage did it do to their three-peat?

It looks like Van Damme...

This 'winning attitude' argument is bogus, and the reason it's bogus is that when the club will be ready to challenge for a top 4 spot to get into a grand final most of the players who played yesterday won't be on our list.

What benefit did the club get from not tanking in 2007? The result was two years of the worst football you could imagine. Talk of damage to the list is nonsense because the majority of players who have been on the list over the last couple of years won't be around when we're next challenging for a top 4 spot. This attitude of 'damaging the pysche' of the players is quite hilarious. What damage was done to Hawthorn when the successfully managed their list a couple of years ago? How about Collingwood or St.Kilda? Hell, using your example Carlton are challenging for the finals after an atrocious run not that long ago. Damage to the club's reputation? What a joke.

If we're going to throw away great another opportunity to land a couple of talented kids then we may as well do it in still

I agree, we were as bad as Fitzroy was in their last years. This year in comparison the club has a different vibe around it with Watts and Jurrah creating alot of that excitement. How did we manae to get those two players? By finishing last.

I'm happy to discuss footy issues and i'll argue my opinion until the cows come home but I won't enter into a personal insulting match. Have fun.

The other recent example of Melbourne beng dumb was in 2007 with junk wins against the bulldogs and Carlton. So if we take your argument that these types of wins are important for the club to learn the right attitude then how do you explain such the next two disastrous years? The answer is that these wins in isolation are meaningless without a list capable of playing consistent great footy. We're currently not in that position, we're as far away from the top 8 that we've ever been. We lack leadership, depth and elite talent. Sure two top three picks aren't going to automatically turn us into a premiership team, but it woudl bloody help. Also just heard that the crowd today was just 15k. If this continues over the next couple of years then we're screwed. Forget trying to get into the finals, we won't survive. We need to get as much elite talent into our list as quickly as possible

Agree, alot of ifs, but this win has made all those ifs much more of a certainty. Any smart club in our position would have already sent any players with niggling injuries to surgery. They would have played guys like Valenti, Newton, Cheney, Bennell, PJ and Hughes more often to find out whether to keep them or not and to develop the team for the future. Collingwood did it when they had the chance, Hawthorn was the text book example and Carlton turned it into an artform. All of these clubs will probably play finals this year. Melbourne, on the other hand, are as far away from a premiership as we've been in the last 40 odd years. We are such a dumb club.

Why would Dangerfield want to leave Adelaide for a club like Melbourne? Adelaide have the best facilities in the country, probably the most financialy secure club as well. They've also got a talented list with great kids and they play finals year after year. I suppose Melbourne have powerpoint presentations...

If we beat Freo and Richmond (which is highly likely as it seems that the club has stopped developing for the future and going for junk time wins) then it's conceivable that we'll finish above both of them. Then there's the Eagles, if they're smart (also highly likely) they'll finish with a pp pick. So we could end up with pick 5 or 6 and miss out on all the top talent.

Yes, Jurrah is an absolute gun, but what's the point of having great forwards when your midfield is crap? We have a chance this year to go along way to fix that problem, but just like 2007 I fear we're too dumb to do the right thing.

I'm happy to just win a flag, we make it even more difficult for ourselves? Every other club who have won a flag in the last 8 years have some sort of special assistance and we're not going to win one without champions. We are clearly the dumbest team in the league, we showed our stupidity by gifting Carlton Judd and we're rapidly going down the same path this year again.

If we don't get anything to show for this crap season i'm going to spit the dummy.

There's been comparisons to James Hird, which I can kind of see, however Watts has the sidestep. When he gets the ball he can dodge opponenets by moving left or right with ease, he actually reminds me of a taller version of a young Gerard Healy. Used to love watchign Healy weaving through traffic, his move to Sydney devastated me for years.

Two particular piece of plays really stood out from Watts today. The first one which Jaded has already pointed out, he grabbed the ball, 180% turn, side stepped an opponent and calmly passed the ball. The second was equally classy. After some strong work by Miller in a marking contest Watts swooped onto the ball then slotted it through with a deliberate snap over his left shoulder.

Nice article, very touching story. Our club has been through a fair amount of recent years. We've fought for financial survival as well as against onfield disaster, but it was the experience of Armstrong in Bali, the tragic loss of Troy and the current fight for survival or our spiritual leader that has touched everyone involved in the club.

Newton is demonstrating why he plays for Casey, poor disposal and decision making. Back onto Watts, he's coming of a rest so he's probably a little rusty. There's probably a bit of 'let down' factor as well, can't imagine playing for Casey would be as exciting as a game at the G against the pies or Bombers. *Please don't take offense Casey supporters

I would find it hard to barrack for Melbourne if Laidley was our coach

He's had a couple of classy touches but the previous post has a point. Having said that I'm happy to wait for another two pre-seasons before having too many expectations on him.

Not overly impressed that neither Cheney nor Bennell is playing, but I suppose we're playing for a priority pick as well as the future.

The issue with tanking is a delicate one, perhaps list management is easier to swallow by some. But one point, any bad feelings that may be caused this year by losing a further six games this year to ensure a priority pick come November will very quickly be forgotten in 2010 when Watts, Blease, Strauss, Jurrah, Scully and Trengove (or whoever we get with our second pick) all take the field. The excitement generated by this group of kids will vastly outweigh any negativity created this year.

Good post, no point is delisting 8+ players unless you're confident you can replace them with quality. It's a shallow draft so any late picks are a risk.

Blease - Broken leg Strauss - Shoulder reco Maric - Shoulder reco Garland - Season ending foot injury That's bad news, all of these injuries could threaten their careers, terrible luck for our kids.

X marks the spot for the resting midfielder. That could be Sylvia or Davey, or one of the kids we pick up this year ie Trengove, Morabito or Lucas. A successful forward line has good rotations. We need 9 or 10 players who can rotate through and can kick goals, just 6 won't cut it.