45HG

What frustrates me about the Wines v Toumpas conversation is that it is now irrelevant. You support the MFC. You think two years ago we made a mistake not drafting another player. Fine. Make your point and move on because, at the end of the day, you support Melbourne and we're discussing a Melbourne player. It does no good to denigrate one of our own continuously because he is not someone else. Indeed, supporters continually talking down his achievements because of the selection of a recruiting officer and the achievements of another person would probably be a big factor in him never reaching his peak. If you're unhappy about it, say it by all means but then take a breath, get in your car, drive to bunnings, buy some wood, nails, hammers, look up google maps to find the nearest steam or river, research necessary instructions, build a bridge and get the bloody hell over it. Toump is ours. Get behind him - he likely has a long time ahead in the game and probably at our club.

The role of confidence in any sport, Aussie Rules as no exception, cannot be understated. It can take you on journeys you never thought possible - from the premiership Dias receiving the adulation of tens of thousands to the depths of despair and self-doubt. Teams can carry with them a sense of confidence and identity. It brings with it all the benefits and fall-backs of the human identity - riding waves of highs where things simply click to disastrous times when you can barely look at yourself in the mirror. Melbourne as a club has had an identity crisis since the 60s and the sense of mediocrity has never been more apparent than the in the past 53 matches. 100 point drubbings have been regular, 10+ goal losses the norm and the club is broken, the players involved (the ones good enough to be left standing/stick around/remain contracted) reveal the scars of a club who knifed their very own captain. The players play bereft of spirit, flair, excitement, passion, mateship, fun. They are stagnate, second guess themselves, over think and respond to play. Roos' comments tonight about forgetting the past and starting fresh on Sunday are refreshing to hear because I believe it is at the absolute crux of our predicament - but it will take more than sweet words from a learned man to mend these scars. Only these players can truly create their own renaissance. I strongly believe it will turn for us, and I further think that when it turns it will turn quickly, but there will be no lasting improvement until some of the virtues listed above are corrected in the make up of the team and is seen regularly in their play. As much as we need Clark, Hogan, Dawes and Garland - we need every player to find a gigantic chunk of confidence. Hopefully that can come from each other. Hopefully it can come very quickly.

In: ANYONE TALL

If this club had been properly run over the past 4 years, he may well have not even played a game of yet. Just the type of player Roos could develop nicely for a couple of seasons in the twos.

I was hoping it could be a whole new team with previously unavailable players taking their positions in the side!

To follow on from an earlier post - we've had six goal scorers this year!

Must say - I read his comments on the AFL app and immediately had terrible flashbacks. Of course, there are different circumstances and the like but nevertheless the thought crossed my mind. I genuinely think he is surprised just how bad this team is.

He's got a mate wearing number 9 whose pace concerns me a whole lot more.

Such as Friday night's - "has any 32 year old ever had a bigger impact in his second game at his second club?!?!?" - huh?

AFL website. JKH sub. He'll have to get used to that.

"Amazing!" "Not in your wildest dreams!" "Can he kick it... You bet he can." Get me a bucket.

Sorry. I'm halfway through my weekly - talk down any hope of any chance so defeat will hopefully not be so painful. In about half an hour it will inevitably morph into - "we can win this".

Hopefully he walks around the boundary so we can all shoe out public support. A wonderful human with a great spirit. He loved this club and he loved his boys. All the best Rev.

- said no one. Ever.

Emoticon!

We're far more used to whining.

Fixed

Watching Melbourne is painful

Momentum! Port Adelaide are developing A Geelong-like tendency to ride waves of momentum and make the opposition pay for it - especially on the turnover. Hard running and hard tackling. I've long viewed these two as absolute staples of Aussie rules for which other elements build on top of. Too often forgot IMO.

In the majority of sports I follow, I find it difficult to choose my favourite commentator. Various characters are masters of subtlety, colour, variance of tone and atmosphere creators. When it comes to AFL commercial commentators, it is a battle to select the worst performers as there is slim-no point in scraping for a favourite. The fox line-up of Ricciuto, Russell and Healy is akin to rubbing sandpaper over your open eyes whilst getting kicked in the guts by an ex-wife singing Celine Dion off key. Ten's shambolic, sycophantic concoction of B-graders in Richardson and Darcy are worse than 8 hours of dorothy-dixers delivered by Pauly Shore. Their sucking up to that hyperbolic, moustached mug is painstaking - and don't even get me started on his hyperbolic ramblings. There is the crux of my problem with AFL commentary. Each of them describe what is painfully obvious to witness with your own eyes and their dull skills are only exemplified when you have to put up with them in any pub foolish enough to turn the footy up. The hyperbole that they espouse truly ruins my enjoyment of any spectacle. Adelaide v Port Adelaide's commentary has produced numerous examples of this and it's only in its infancy! Russell's description of a 48 metre pass inside 50 as a "monumental entry" finally blew my gasket. I invite you to use this thread as a sounding board - punching bag - for the relieving of tension generated from listening to these "professionals." First entry: "The fast break is on. There's no one down field to kick to so he'll need to U-turn and wait for support" - G. Healy

Calling for Joe Daniher to do an ACL. Then calling for justice. Vintage - and no, I will not respond to your next post.

Are there many sports in the world that are as affected by momentum as Aussie Rules?

To bloody Collingwood, no less! (yes I'm aware of the 1858 - but no one makes that link first off) I agree with Stuie though, I'm not sure how much say the club have over it. Overall, the post is spot on - it's sub-par and put to shame with any venture to an overseas sporting team, though the playing field is not exactly level!

Wonder who the bald bloke is...

What were you thinking? 2.2 to 3.7 in the last quarter. Bad kicking is bad football. Great intensity in the game - lucky the Tigers got up, getting to the G could've been tough on Sunday without a train station and with martial law in place.