Dante

That’s interesting, I’ve just left Rome and no one I spoke to there even knew we had changed. The Italians have had more changes of Government since the end of World War 11 than the English have had in 200 years so they’d hardly be the ones to take notice of.

The Media gave Bugg 6 weeks, as soon as the blow was struck they agreed that a penalty of 6 weeks was appropriate and the "Jury went along for the ride". In view of penalties over the last 10 years, it was excessive to the point of obscenity. Houli got 2, which was doubled on appeal to 4, for knocking a player out.

If that's the case we might as well forget this year and plan for next year, is that what you're saying?

Some do, some don't, do you think we'd sell more memberships if we played all our home games at the G, do you think we might sell more memberships if we had an attractive draw? If you say no to either of the above I'd question your judgement. Some, like myself, buy in every year irrespective, but there are many who choose wisely where they want to spend their entertainment dollar.

I think Wines is just talking out loud at the moment, I don't think there is any chance he will leave Port. He is musing over his possibilities but I'd say he will sign on the dotted line when he stops, he hasn't actually said he wants to leave.

Melbourne have 6 Home games at the G left for the year. Collingwood, Saints, Bullies, Suns, Swans and GWS, how are we supposed to make money and survive if that's what we get? Crowds will probably be Saints 35,000 maybe, Dogs 35,000, maybe, Suns 20,000 maybe, Swans, 40,000 maybe and GWS 20,000, maybe, we are deprived of genuine crowd drawing games and the QB is the AFL's way of offsetting that, a little bit. To be quite honest, I'd imagine we sell a lot of memberships on the basis that we get admission to both the Tigers and Pies blockbusters games and I'd imagine we'd lose revenue if we lost that appeal, who's going to buy in when we've got games against the lowest drawing clubs in the comp. Melbourne should ask the AFL to schedule us against Essendon on the Queens Birthday Game, which would be more appropriate given the MND appeal and the Daniher connection and allow Essendon to use the facilities in the Ponsford stand like the Pies do at present. We could also ask to play an away game against Essendon to ensure they get a good slice of the pie, the crowds will turn up for that. [censored] Collingwood.

This is just McGuire stirring the pot just before the game next week. This quote is just a deliberate attempt to create disharmony. "Melbourne is a strong club now, equalisation has underpinned them and they're no longer talking about merging which has happened over the years. Now let's work together." McGuire is just a greedy [censored] and this is just pure greed, they get plenty and have other games that make them heaps.

I don't give a rat's tossbag about who they think has a better chance of win the flag, my concern is the relentless use of the ski jokes, it's like the media are trapped in the 70's and can't get it out of their head that we've heard the same [censored] for 40 years. I'd like to ring some of these clowns and congratulate them on their originality, but it wouldn't sink in even of I did.

There is no doubt that he is contributing more than Sam at the moment and in fact he is playing very well, but obviously, long term, Sam will/should take over from him. He has been very good and it's a pity he was injured in that game last year, which effectively ruled him out for the remainder of the season, he's shown the form that Drunkin knew he was capable of and hats off to him for that. I love the way he plays the game and his strength around the ball and his clean hands and vision have been a revelation, to some of us that is, I was a bit apprehensive when they picked him but rapt that they did. He fits in well with the rest of the group and he certainly doesn't detract from our on field performance, of course if he keeps this up it will be difficult for Pedo to get a game with is a seems but that's just how it is. Great effort so far and let's hope he can build on it.

Always loved the way Gus goes about it and his left foot/right foot kicking it exceptional, there are, of course the good judges who wanted him traded and said there wasn't a spot for him. I guess some of these judges were also the ones that wanted ANB traded and Harmes delisted, but fawned over the pace of Hunt ( I like Hunt a lot but he needs to modify his game) and said OMD wouldn't make it. Gus is a smart footballer who knows were to go and where to deliver the ball, Salem is the same and will be a gun for us, one through the middle and the other coming off the back flank, got to love that. You can see the way the players gather around Gus they love him and he loves playing with and for his teammates, he won't be going anywhere and will be a long term Demon.

Balic was essentially out of football last year and this year he's been given the opportunity to settle in which allows the club can see where he sits, I think he will get another year and that he could become a handy player for us, he really is like a first year player and will get a look in when the club thinks he's ready. It's not always a situation of players competing with other players for a spot, sometimes players move to a different position or suffer a loss of form or are injured, if he's good enough something will open up for him and he'll get a game. Look at Bull Smith, how many on here would have thought he'd be in the side and playing well at this time of the year, who was he competing with, Pedo, Sam or did a need arise.

I'm somewhat surprised that we aren't given more credit in view of the absolute crap served up by most other clubs over the last few weeks. We play an incredible brand of football which is both hard and skilful, not the slog garbage that's been served up by other teams. Who wants to see 4 or 5 goals kicked between two teams in a half of football, if you do go to the soccer. No one wants to stick their neck out and call it how it is because they've been burnt before by us, but eventually they will have to, and to be quite honest I couldn't give a rat's about any of the midget brains in the media.

If you have the time and inclination, it's worth a look at the Crows board on BigFooty, my son sent me a few snippets through last night, it goes from Before the game - We have a few outs but we'll smash these frauds - They are downhill Skiers Then after the game - The umpires are to blame - They had a midfield full of Faux tough guys - We fielded our B team - That free to ANB against Milerra should have been a push in the back to him - Jesse's handball in the first for a goal was a throw - It is a Vic conspiracy to push us to a flag - The Crows are so bad they made a dud like ANB look good It just goes on and last night there were 75 pages of the tripe.

I get the feeling that Lewis is playing much better at the moment and maybe it's because he senses something special going on here, Bet he'd love so snare another flag, wouldn't that be the way to finish off a career, two flags in your last two years. That would give him one more than the 5 Dermie likes to brag about.

Did you go on one of those 24 countries in 24 days tours, is that really all you saw in Paris?

Have to agree with that, I've spent a lot of time in Paris and if it wasn't for the Dees I'd live there, it is a wonderful city. I've stood in plenty of Dog [censored] over the years in Melbourne but never in Paris. And as you would know, not all french are Parisians.

They did target him, they kept kicking the ball to him.

ANB is so important to our structure, he bobs up everywhere and is involved in so many plays that result in scores or forward 50 entries. He was very good today. How good will Fritsch be when he’s got 50 games under his belt, he is just such a good user of the ball and rarely makes a mistake. Best Melbourne side I’ve seen in 50 plus years of watching, the first time since 64 that I really believe we are good enough to win a flag. We’ve had better players but not a better team.

I think he got his weeks mixed up, it was this week we beat up on a VFL team.

I was being sarcastic, I'm a big fan of Weid, read my post again

He may not necessarily be groomed as a ruckman, chances are he will, but today you see players that size playing key position, Daniher is nearly the same height, even Paul Salmon was 6'6" tall and played at full forward. Forward/Ruck may be his ideal position, then he'd be competing with Weid.

Find a talented junior and put him in to another sport for a few years and grab him free of charge, sounds like a Swans Academy player.

They could, and they could also argue that the ball was in our defensive area a lot more last year, so he had the opportunity to be more involved. I'm not having a go at you, just putting forward another view. Personally I've always been of the view he should have been played last year and I would imagine we were aware that we were getting Jake Lever and wanted Oscar to get experience so they could fit together right from the start.

You obviously don't read Demonland too closely, don't you know that Weid is barely VFL, let alone AFL standard. He's not really injured he's been left out because of form and to save him embarrassment they've faked an injury. Etc.......

That may be so, the players that are being left out are going have to adjust and I'm sure they will do everything in their power to d so. I feel for Dom, he's done a lot of the hard work over the last few years and it would be a shame for him to miss out now if we play finals. Some on here wrote off Gus and he's bounced back as I'm sure Hunt will and probably Dom as well.