nomed

From Casey Scorpions match report http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsart...98/default.aspx "Matthew Whelan (reserves) – He only played a half, as he's on restricted time. His half was a lot better than the week before. He's still a week or two away. "

Yes, Judd is several kilograms heavier now. If Morton gets up around 86 kilograms (or hightowers 89 kg) he will be fine. My point was an existing top flight midfielder isn't that much heavier (yes, lower center of gravity helps to stand up in tackles) but Morton is not far off being strong enough soon to be a class midfielder.

True Freak, he may never be a KPP, but No 5 at Carlton does OK in the midfield, and he's only 85 kg (but at 185 cm may be a slightly "heavier" build). http://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/player...17&typeid=2

The original "big tank" gut runner, loved the guy, but......... Remember his kicking? Up and under would best describe it. Rarely delivered the ball accurately into the forward line. Many hard earned possessions wasted through turn overs, or "hanging" kicks which put the reciever under backline pressure. I wonder if anyone could pull up some statistics on effective disposals for Stinga?

Could someone enlighten me please? Has Carrol been de-listed? Do you have to be delisted to nominate for the PSD? Don't contracted players move during the trade period normally? How would this work, MFC de-list Carrol and settle his contract, then SFC pick him up? He has to be delisted (when is the cut off date?) in order for MFC to fill his spot on the list?

When he had his teeth in?

Fantastic. But we would be close to the bottom of the well now. Where is the next $2.4M going to come from?

Got across from Perth to watch the Dees take on the Cats last friday. Despite the outcome, I left feeling more or less happy. They get their hands on the ball in the center, skills are down, strength is down, decision making was below that of the awesome Cats. But boy do they have a crack! Skill, strength and decision making may come with experience. Maric and Valenti for first year players, are brave beyond belief. Aussie is built like a tank, but is only a small forward, PJ is amazing to watch at ground level. The Cats had the skill, the nouse and the experience all of which rose to the surface on a wet, cold night. But walking home, I saw a poster on an underpass wall, DJ Bailey and the Upbeats, something that really summed it all up. Go Dees.

Ash, Not raining today, exams over so I have some "CPU" available to think about important stuff like football and lawns. The umpires were Kennedy (426 games), Sully (34 games) and Fila (14 games). With the exception of Kennedy, the other two lack experience, like any rookie the make errors in reading the game (Morton's choice of targets?). I can handle decisions going against Melbourne in general play, but things like Bruce being tackled by the foot, Lloyd with Warnock in a head lock, Lloyd pushing players under the ball and Morton getting pinged for a throw when he clearly handballed make my blood boil. The dipsarity in decisons between the two forward lines was clear yesterday, I waited for it to even out, but no such luck. My personal opinion is that umpires improve with time. But getting two "rookie" umpires was clearly a blight on yesterdays game. We waz robbed!

I was so appalled, I stopped watching in frustration, and went out to mow the lawn. While mowing the lawn, I formed a theory! It goes like this: The AFL assign the most experienced umpires to the "premium" games between the "important" clubs. It would hardly do for the free to air televised games, premium Friday night games and blockbusters that go to a large audience, having the spectacle ruined by disgraceful umpiring. So for games with lower coverage, less interest, or where the outcome is of less importance, the AFL assigns umpire with "learner plates" on, or, lower quality umpires. So if you are Melbourne, a "low value" non "premium" club, you get the crap umpires. Can I prove it? Well sort of. I went through all of the 2008 games, listed the umpires up to round 17, and the total number of games they have officiated in. I then averaged out the number of umpiring games experience for each club over the season (Total number of games for all three umpires). Dividing this value by the total number of games of umpiring experience for the whole league gives an "index" value. What a surprise! Look who consistently gets the most experienced umpires. Look who gets, on average, the least experienced umpires. Team Average Index COLL 1.25 SYD 1.20 HAW 1.10 NMFC 1.07 WB 1.07 GEEL 1.06 STK 1.04 FRE 1.01 ADEL 1.00 PORT 0.97 ESS 0.96 WCE 0.96 RICH 0.90 CARL 0.87 BL 0.80 MELB 0.74 League 1.00 Just goes to prove that the umpires are not assigned at random, but are selected to suit the game and coverage. If free to air got a display like the one we had today, I am sure heads would roll. This leads to some important questions: Why aren't umpires assigned at random to ensure fairness for all involved? What impact does this have on betting? Why do "developing" clubs deserve lower quality or "developing" umpires? Why do we have to put up with umpiring that cost us todays match!

Well, yes and no. Its something to think about. It’s a digital age, when is the last time you went into the EBay office to buy something? Had the Google rep. knock on your door lately? MFC could get involved with some new technology for streaming media, play games in interesting places every week. You could have a "Digital Demon" membership package, which entitles you to access to pay TV for just Demon games (TiVo?). Home base at the Olympic Park Development or Casey, set up local bases around the country aligned with powerful local clubs, put up a business case to the AFL outlining the way we will develop AFL in "away" markets, pitched at those who aren't part of the local, parochial, mind set. (And scout out the local junior talent at the same time), I'm sure this is an untapped market. Here’s an idea. Every kids football clinic in Perth is either hosted by the Eagles or Dockers, nice if you are a supporter, but what if you aren’t? Are real turn off. So MFC turns up, trots out a player or two from the other "away" playing the Dees that week and hey presto, we don't just appeal to Melbourne Auskick kids, but the other clubs that don't have local representation. Do deal with Richmond, North Melbourne and Footscray to shift Telstra Dome games to the other capitals, and only play MFC home games at the MCG. We could be the first "digital" football club. And don't forget, the digital world has no boundaries.

Dumb idea? The definition of dumb is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome. MFC is in deep, deep trouble and we will be lucky to see out another 5 years. And you missed a key point, which you alluded to in your own post "they were in worse [censored] than we have ever been in", they aren't in the [censored] now are they? We need to innovate or perish. What did Geelong do that we aren't doing? Released from debt by NAB? Could be classed as a great strategic move. Why not develop "weekend away" packages to Geelong? Get a deal going with V-Line for free travel from the CBD to Geelong? Clinging to our "traditional home" at the MCG is sending us broke, the gate doesn't matter if someone else funds us say $250K to play at another location, are you really suggesting we are better off losing $100K on a crowd of 15,000 at the MCG? The big money is in selling advertising into national media, getting a better stadium deal is absolutely vital, but what can we offer the market that has not yet been done? Why not become the first truly "national" team and play home games in all the capitals, returning home only for blockbuster games?

So here's the thing to think about: BARE STADIUM. Geelong council own Kardinia Park, outright. That means a team could lease it cheap or even get paid to play there. A couple of years ago, Frank Costs noted that it could be leased as a "bare stadium". This means you get the ground with all advertising rights, so rather than having to shell out maximum dollars to fund the development of the TELSTRA Dome, or support a mass of staff at the MCG, you get a stadium for which you can sell all the advertising, which breaks even at about, say, the 5,000 mark (a guess). You need 20,000 plus to break even at the MCG, 30,000 at Telstra Dome. So if you are playing an interstate team, like Adelaide or Port Adelaide who are poor drawcards in Melbourne, you play them in Geelong, sell the advertising and need fewer bums on seats. Would the Geelong Council fund this, you bet, more footy in Geelong has got to be good for the city. Check out the comments made by Geelong CEO Brian Cook, regarding profits at Kardinia Park. Friday night at the MCG, Geelong versus Hawthorn, 85,000 people, netted $770K profit. A crowd of 22,000 at Kardinia Park nets $637K. More money per head attendance! Why? Cheaper stadium, better income stream, lower costs to open the gates, all development costs amortised, not run for profit. And why didn't it work at Princes Park? Because it was not made available as a clean stadium, CFC were so far in debt for the redevelopment that they insisted on locking in all the advertising revenue and the AFL condoned this. A good idea , killed by the sheer greed and incompetance by Carlton (The redevelopment nearly sent them broke). Selling a game interstate to Canberra for $250K makes sense, selling one to Geelong Council may also make sense, and long term Casey could be a goer. See: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/articl...6/7861_gfc.html "Chief executive Brian Cook yesterday said Geelong made $770,000 profit from the game that drew 85,000 to the MCG, including gate receipts, coteries and catering rights." "MAXIMISING profit at Skilled Stadium to about $637,000 a game, depending on crowds of about 22,000 " And then the alternative: http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/no-c...l?page=fullpage "Some matches at the MCG last year were so poorly attended the club lost money. Only 16,266 turned up for the game against Port Adelaide. Against Fremantle there were 16,654. It was a long way from break-even. Melbourne had to send cheques to the AFL totalling more than $100,000 to make up the shortfall in meeting match day costs." Backed up with these comments from North Melbourne CEO Eugene Arocca : http://202.58.37.74/articles/2008/04/11/No..._against_Demons "Arocca said the club would break even if 30,000 turned up tomorrow (at the MCG)" So the comments about playing in Geelong aren't so outrageous, neither are those regarding Casey. How do you spell “boutique stadium”, and we aren’t the only ones who need it, think about North, Richmond, Bulldogs when they play interstate teams. We could be onto something at Casey?

Agree, there wasn't much in it, possibly deliberate, but it's not like Cloke pulled his head right back in the "classic" headbutt style. Both were jumper punching in a show of strength, should have been let go. Reprimand is a fair outcome.

Agree, it was his Dads number! (Good old sheep dog)

And, IMO, the abscence of Neitz makes a difference. Now rather than having to stay up the ground and out of the "hot zone" for Nietz and Robbo, Miller can range from 25 to 75 metres out, within scoring range. Perversely, the loss of Neitz may be the making of Brad Miller as a CHF. The 7 to 10 marks he takes a week are now in the scoring zone, not in the square looking for a forward target.

My gut feeling is that Bailey is doing very little with the "game plan", what he is doing is watching. Watching who does what in a game, how they play, whether they have any place in the future of the MFC. My opinion is that Bailey is simply letting games play out to judge the depth and character of players presently on the list. A portfolio is being built up, who stays, who goes and who needs more development. Why do I think this? Several reasons. 1) Flooding. Not happening. Why not? Why let a team be thrashed week, in week out? When Alistair Clarkson took over at Hawthorn, he had a very ugly game plan, flooding and tagging. Why? Because, and he stated this publically, he didn't want his young players, who were not yet up to playing against men, to be damaged psychologically by the experience of heavy losses. Why isn't Bailey flooding? Because many of these players won't be here next year, the game results are meaningless. We are playing games to see who can play and who can't, not to win, not to restrict opposition scores and maintain percentage. 2) Single game players. Watch each week as players are brought in for a single game, then left apparently outmatched in positions. (Bode, Garland et al). 3) Baileys reaction. Press conferences, calm, collected. Seemingly not upset at results on the ground. Of course he isn't, he’s not playing to win, but to review the list in preparation for the next 5 years. How can he come out and say this publically, imagine a coach saying in public "I don't care about winning games, I just want to see who is up to AFL level and who isn’t", he would be crucified for tanking, and the supporters and sponsors would desert the club. Of course I could be completely wrong, there is one other frightening possibility. Is Bailey the new Peter Rhodes? Perhaps he couldn't coach an Auskick side?

I think Nathan Bassett's case was different. I remember he was playing in the Melbourne reserves and broke his pelvis Wasn't it a broken sternum?

For the first time ever, I have had enough. This is the single most inept display I have seen for years. The TV is off and I'm off to Rushton Park to watch Peel Thunder versus East Fremantle (Coached by Woewy). At least my son can have a kick at half time and get some joy from the football!

Our President Paul Gardner has a well known aversion to drugs in sport, this view probably extends to all illegal drug use in society. Would Ben fit well with the public image of our club as drug free? Most likely not, we could be seen as hypocritical. Alternatively, it could be used as an example of redemption. So what would Ben cost us? A bit of adverse publicity? He would be on a base contract surely, so would cost almost nothing. The upside could be a postive story of recovery from addiction and a handy impact player for one or two seasons. The interest generated by Ben as a marquee player, and the on field benefits if he does scrub up to AFL level after a long layoff could be tremendous. Glad I don't have to make the call, , but I would defintely consider him for a pre-season run.

Written by Brett Ratten for Greg Swann -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Brett Ratten [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tue 1/4/2008 8:43 AM To: Greg Swann Subject: Player assessment as at 31 March 2008 Good morning Greg, As requested, I have updated the status report on our core group. Thanks for emailing the words to the club song in case we eventually win, but no-one can remember the tune. Kade seems to thinks it’s the same tune as the Vic Bitter commercial. Can you confirm? All the best BR PLAYER STATUS REPORT AS OF 31/03/08 ANDREW WALKER – Still in therapy from playing 22 positions in 22 weeks under Denis Pagan. JORDAN RUSSELL – Half of our fans think it’s disrespectful to the great John Nicholls to allow Jordan Russell to meander around in the number 2 jumper. The other half think it’s disrespectful to Dominic Fotia MARC MURPHY – Highly talented youngster who is widely regarded as the worst decision maker in the game after turning down the chance to go to Brisbane under the father/son rule. BRYCE GIBBS – Has been nicknamed Schapelle because he’s counting the days until he’s allowed to go home. CHRI$ JUDD – Judd is severely hampered by a long term groin injury. He has lost explosive pace, can’t kick over 40 metres, is unable to turn freely and can only play 60% of game time. Still clearly the best player on the list. KADE SIMPSON – Kade’s like the average looking bird at a party that you chat up so you know you’ve got a guaranteed root in case you can’t land something decent. Made captain till something better came along and then dropped like a Cain Ackland chest mark. MATTHEW KREUZER – Was named as the player to lead the club out of the wilderness by our President Tricky Dicky, who the called him Matt Kruger in the same sentence. Don’t know about the kid, but for god sake keep Pratt away from the players. JASON SADDINGTON – Sydney capped off their unforgettable Premiership win in 2005 by off-loading Jason Saddington on the Blues. RICHARD HADLEY – The Carlton version of Richard Hadley plays footy more like Richard Hadlee the New Zealand cricket hero than Richard Hadley the Brisbane Lions Premiership player. Should only be picked if the Blues win the toss and bowl first. CAIN ACKLAND – The story goes that when you were woken up by a call in the middle of the night and told that one of his players had been videotaped urinating on a nightclub window, you knelt by the side of his bed and prayed it was Cain Ackland. LUKE BLACKWELL – Selected by Carlton under the father/ordinary son rule. He’s a smaller, weaker, less talented version of his father Wayne. BRAD FISHER – Unshaven half forward flanker who could comfortably pass for one of the homeless. Broke his thumb in the pre-season after getting punched in the nose outside a soup kitchen. SHAUN GRIGG – Loves to run with the footy. I suggest we buy him a Sherrin, drop him off on the Western Highway and hope he runs back home to Ballarat. SETANTA O’hAILPIN – In four years the Irishman has failed to grasp even the most basic concepts of AFL football. During Round One this year he was asked to pay more attention to loose men, so after the game he went cruising for action down Commercial Road in Prahran. AISAKE O’hAILPIN – Has learnt everything he knows about footy from his older brother. In other words he thinks the MCG can fly because it has two wings. PAUL BOWER – Looks like ‘Curly’ Austin from the 1970’s, plays like ‘Curly’ Howard from The Three Stooges EDDIE BETTS – If that’s the case he should have $100 on Carlton to win the spoon. ADAM HARTLETT – The Blues new enforcer took out Cam Howat behind the play in Round One. He’s currently suspended, but will be back to take out Ricky Petterd against the Dees in Round Four. NICK STEVENS – Typical drover’s dog who missed all of 2007 with a neck injury after spending all of 2006 looking over his shoulder for oncoming contact. BRENDON FEVOLA – The Fevola File is now into it’s 7th bound edition. Fev had a tumultuous pre-season but told the match committee he has learnt from his mistakes. He has promised to fire up against Collingwood by taking out Dick, then follow it up against the Eagles by pissing on Glass. CAMERON CLOKE – Getting a ruckman that Collingwood rejects is like going to Calcutta to replace your chauffeur. HEATH SCOTLAND – Heath is a favourite in footy Dreamteams. Unfortunately for Carlton they don’t play their matches on some pimply nerd’s laptop. JARRAD WAITE – Waite could do with a little more weight and he doesn’t have to look far. It’s hanging over the top of Nick Stevens’ shorts. JORDAN BANNISTER – In 1954 Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. In 2008 Jordan Bannister is hoping to break the four-possession game. BRET THORNTON – Tireless defender whose weekly misery is compounded by knowing that for 2 glorious days in October 2006, he was a Hawk. RYAN HOULIHAN – The last of the four Houlihan sisters to play League football. Post-retirement he’s destined to live in the same trailer park as the Whitnall brothers SIMON WIGGINS – For the third year running the Blues forgot to delist Wiggins because he’s so forgettable. Has played 89 games for the club and at the current rate will play his 100th in 2012. DARREN PFEIFFER – Promising youngster who has to come to terms with the fact that Fev will never be able to spell his surname because it starts with a silent Pee. ANDREW CARAZZO – Ball magnet with a kicking impediment. He only told the club this year that Carazzo is Italian for turnover.

Gee, I thought I was the only one! I payed my membership in November, having received my cards, with a letter saying they would be permanent, and all I had to do was pay each year. OK, so its a Family Membership, why only two cards, what about my son? MFC: Ah, well sir, that a small oversight, send us the money and we will send out the family package including the junior membership pack. Beauty. And can I order the 150th Anniversary pack, as I can have the memberships and pack as part of our Christmas gifts. MFC: Certainly sir, what are your credit card details (Sound of cash register "Cherching!") December No pack, charges added to credit card though! January No pack (So much for Xmas) Call MFC When will I get my package I ordered in November? MFC: They will be out soon sir February No pack Call MFC When will I get my package etc etc MFC: We just got the proofs back from the printers, they are great, will be out this week. OK why the hold up? MFC: All printing is done at AFL contracted printers, we have no control over them, they will be sent this week. March week before Round 1 Junior Membership pack arrives, so much for Xmas present for son. March Parcel at post office for you! Ripper take time off work, travel in to Post Office and pick up a...great big bag with ...wait for it...A TIE. What I am going to go to a game in a TIE? WTF! My partner recieves a thin piece of red cloth, best described as tissue paper. I suppose it goes with the crap pen that fell apart when we tried to unroll them! March Call MFC When will I get my package etc etc MFC: Anniversary packs are at the printers. But I ordered this last year as a Christmas gift for my son! MFC: You seriously didn't think that you could order something in November and expect delivery prior to XMAS? Yes, I did actually. MFC: Well, they will be out this week, maybe, then again, maybe the week after, maybe..... Now let me be clear, I consider buying merchandise a part of supporitng the club, but this is becoming a joke. But wait there is more!!! The Footy Show! Advertised the 150th Anniversary Book for $59.95 available now at all good bookshops. Where the hell is mine, and why did it cost me $99. This is really poor. I paid my money in good faith, have not recieved the goods. Also I would rather recieve nothing in place of the absolute rubbish that has been sent out so far (with the exception of the almanac). This is really p***ing me off.

Anyone posted it on www.liveleak.com?

Well done mousey, you are now a supporter not a barracker! The club can't survive without support.

http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=2...mp;newsId=54936 Interesting that David Nietz is not amongst the players attaining AFL life membership, having reached 300 games last year. Does he have to nominate? I thought it was "automatic"