45HG

I wouldn't call accountability, hard running, good attack on the footy, good team play and much improved defensive play "very little." They're each necessary attributes in playing AFL footy, especially the way i hope Bailey will be getting the team to play, and i think he should be commended (to a degree) for getting them into his game. He needs to do it consistently now

I see us putting time into a quality small defender who not only helps other younger players around him out but also helps the team. Personally, I think an injury-free Whelan is worth playing over a young player because I think he could play for another 2-3 years easily. I could see him fulfilling his role at 31 if his body can take it. Problem with Wheels is that being injury-free is almost an alien concept. If, in a year's time by round 12-13 he's missed 4-5 games, then I'd be opting for a younger player. But i think he can fulfill the role needed for the team better than any other player on our list at the moment. But yes, personally I think it's worth playing him

If we were going off goals, 2 goals for a forward isn't a great return to be judged on. You're incredibly naive if you think he was "lambusted" for kicking two goals in previous weeks. His biggest problem, as I see it, is his intent and attitude. He has needed to work on his attack on the footy, his run and his defensive pressure, which were all on display yesterday but were not evident during the North Melbourne game. He kicked two goals against the Hawks in Round One, did you think he played a good game?

I'm fine with the Dees getting 8 frees, I'd be happy if it was like this every week, as long as the opposition get around the same amount of frees. Problem with umpiring as I see it, is that they're told to pay too many free kicks, and ajudge a free kick in too many situations where it could easily be blown as play on

How can you argue a team's winning culture can be linked to supporter's confidence (certainty) that they will win in any given week. What club has this magical "winning culture" that you speak of?

From memory, we had the Whelan debate before the Brisbane match. A match against a team looking at the better end of the ladder, where he had 32 touches at 91% Since then he's had at least 14 touches in every game, including 31 against the Cats when he was the only player to stand up, and is averaging 4 touches more per game than any previous year (and i don't recall him being beaten) I'd say that's a pretty good start in showing why he is necessary in our backline

How've you found Wheels' last few weeks 'Bub? Haha I had the issue with those two as well as Dunn when he had the scraggy hair

Maybe he was being "tongue in cheek"

I'll use the word idiotic then. You cannot speak rubbish, then pass it off as "tongue in cheek" and then get "on the back foot" Basically you want people to read your post, laugh at you and the complete lack of substance you've put forward, before realising it's just "tongue in cheek" and not be critical of you? You can't be serious. To what end would you like the thread to have gone? People "shot you down" because your post was useless Much of what you say is inane, and that is something that is "1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions. 2. empty; void. 3. something that is empty or void, esp. the void of infinite space"

9 should be the number we give to our future captains

If you're going to defend you innane "point" then you're more silly than i thought, i thought you were having a laugh.

Mate, do an ex-Freo team Lloyd, Mcphee, White, Phil Matera, Jeff Farmer, Peter Bell, Trent Croad, Andrew Mcleod, James Clement, Paul Medhurst and pick 8, Polak, Simmonds, Brodie Holland and Jess Sinclair Yes, i know about Farmer and Bell, but this still makes great reading

Ha I'm celebrating the win with a glass of whiskey, is that allowed?

Must say, i was pretty happy with Newton's defensive pressure today as well.

This is not being critical of the players on the ground. When you're playing you play to win. This is f'ing [censored] poor effort by the Club and football dept That is what you wrote, so you're saying it's our football department's "fault" for winning today. How could they have lost the match against a team that never wanted to win it? You're showing yourself to be pretty clueless.

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but another top game that probably won't get any votes (may not deserve either but nonetheless) from Matthew Whelan The guy just never stops putting his body on the line, uses the ball well, when others are handballing for the sake of it, he'll use the handball to give a teammate the best opportunity to break away and move forward. 23 disposals at 95% Well done Wheels, I'm glad you're proving the doubters wrong

Diablo, clearly winning today sets us on the path to becommng a superpower 50's unit who other teams fear Guys, Demetriou told me tanking doesn't happen in footy, so i guess we were too good on the day.............................. At least it didn't cost us a priority pick like round 22 '07

So if it's not the players faults, it's the footy department's, how could they have lost the game today against a woeful WC who were nevergoing to win it. We were never going to lose this game, and it hasn't cost us anything, so i say just take the win and i hope you feel better after Port beat us. I'll personally enjoy the win because i like seeing my boys get the 4 points, especially when it doesn't cost us anything And when did i say anything about this "You new age blokes carp on about draft picks, being a proper knowledgeable supporter, cane us old blokes for not being fair dinkum supporters because we 'may like to keep Bruce, Green etc'"

What's their average losing margin of late?

[censored] poor effort from a supporter if you complain about winning a game that hasn't even cost us anything. Positive- maric's first win

the umpiring today was an absolute disgrace. They must be held accountable for their performance like everyone else.

Have we ever had a season without beating a Victorian side? We MUST beat Richmond, especially if it costs them finals

Collectively Sylvia has failed to produce because of; his injuries, the pressure of pic 3, a lack of footy smarts, not enough guts, too much partying, arrogance, selfishness, a dislocated set up in our team structure, chosing the wrong hair dye every second sunday and/or putting in but not doing enough. Isn't it time we all realized that if he doesn't do something ASAP (if it's not already too late) then he will not be wearing the Red and Blue beyond '09 ('08). He may become a good footy player, but without the proper attitude/application i can't see it happening at the Melbourne Footy Club and as such his time is nearing

If, in the next 5 years we develop a team with a strong gameplan who play consistent footy and don't lose games they shouldn't, who then move on after 5 or so years of good footy and give way to a young team who have shocking losses, and then whinge about our culture being "soft" i'll spit chips. I hate that we have a rubbish culture, but follow enough sports to know that the majority of teams in all sports have a rubbish culture. If you complain about it, either try and hep fix it, or follow another team. All clubs will have shocking losses, thinking back to the 80's i don't think there was one team that didn't get belted at least once. Carlton's "winning culture" hasn't helped them much of late, neither has the Bombers, yet the Dogs are going against their "soft" culture for so long. You can't whinge about your team's soft culture, whilst then complaining about opposition supporters laughing at our club. That reeks of hypocrisy and double standards. We as supporters must help build this club into a powerhouse again, i'm not sure how but i do my best to get as many people along to games, evetnts etc. but i just can't see us becoming the great club we all want us to be. Where will it come from? How will we get there? What milestones must we achieve to have it happen? (Keep in mind, the Kangas made 9 straight prelims, winning 2 grand finals, in the 90's and '00 and it didn't help their club become a powerhouse) These are the questions we must address if we want to change the "soft culture" of our club. With medicore crowd attendance and memberships, even on field success will not give us a hardened culture. We can instill that through coaching leadership into on field discipline for a certain amount of time, but that will only last for a certain amount of time. Talk of the 80's, and the "hardness" that evoked in players all you want, it is irrelevant to modern day footy

Nash, it was probably something that happened in the late 80's