warren dean

As a kid in the 80's used to love Peter Booth and Smokey Dawson, with special comments from Doug Bigelow on ABC Radio. Absolutely sensational call - and great around the grounds men too - Swan McKay, Len Thompson, Michael 'Gladys' Moncrieff, Doug Heywood (who used to do TV as well). Good times!

I noticed someone mentioned in another thread that the new player profiles pics are up on the clubs official site. More interesting to me than the new photos was the new text.

Not sure what every one else thinks but they are definitely very measured in terms of pumping up the players tyres. Probably fair, but much more negative than you'd expect on the Clubs website where you'd generally find some rosy write ups?

Seems like the frank, no nonsense attitude has even reached the PR guys? Perhaps Neeld reviewed each profile before publishing on the website?!

The comments are directly lifted from the NAB Cup edition of the footy record. There are profiles on all players in the league in the record.

Will become the youngest captain in history. [censored] can't let Trengove have the number 1 spot in anything can he?????

Trengove turns 21 in September, Scully is 21 in May.

It's hard to believe, but everyone tipped North in the first final and Sydney in the second. Our combined winning margin was over 200 points.

We were tipped by no-one against Hawthorn, and only a miracle beat us.

Everyone would have tipped Carlton,(back on our home ground, ) in the GF, too.

That Carlton premiership side was one of the ordinary winners.

Nothing like Haw in '88, or Ess in 2000.

Both North and the Swans were very good sides that year. In the middle of the season the Swans had kicked 30 plus goals in three successive games, including a 163 point demolition of an Essendon side still containing most of it's 1985 Premiership team. They ran out of gas towards the end of the season but still finished a deserved 3rd after the H&A season. Only the week before the finals North had run Carlton to 4 points at Waverley. In fact, it took a Kernahan shot after the siren to beat North, which locked the Roos out of the double chance and guaranteed the Blues top spot and the weeks rest. How valuable that turned out to be!! It was no surprise we started outsiders in the first final in particular.

The names in the Hawthorn team from that Prelim Final are a Hall of Fame in their own right - Ayres, Langford, Mew, Brereton, Tuck, Platten, Buckenara etc etc. Dunstall was injured and couldn't get up for the GF either. I think a full strength and well rested Hawthorn would have taken Carlton - unfortunately for them, the PF and the weather on GF day played right into Carlton's hands. Also don't forget, if it wasn't for Hawthorn rolling the Cats in round 22 (by 3 points) we wouldn't even have been playing finals. That round 22 was the most drama filled round of footy ever played I reckon!

Good times!! It was a great year - the Night Granny, the late charge home, the first two finals. Wonderful memories. I still don't think Northey is fully appreciated by the broader footy community for the job he did at Melbourne. I know the Club has a requirement of 10 years service for life membership, but I really think Northey deserves this honour at the MFC. By far and away the best Melbourne coach in my lifetime, and certainly our best since Norm Smith.

C - Trengove - Grimes

LG-Moloney, Frawley, Martin, McKenzie,Jones

Where?

By Jake Niall in todays Age. Someone will find the link. He doesn't really endorse anyone but does compare Trengove to Bartel and says that Grimes or Trengove could be our version of Voss, albeit without the runs on the board that he had at the time of his appointment.

A few months ago, I thought Green was a certainty to give stability to a side that had lost their total football department.

But as time passes I'm now thinking Good Times. Sure he has had injury concerns, but then I think of Essendon in the 80's.

Neale Daniher was the most injury prone player on two wonky legs. He has often been lauded as the Best Captain of all time.

So if the cap fits let him wear it.

You are confusing him with his brother. Neale was appointed for the 1982 season (at 21) but never played a game as captain due to injury. His brother Terry was appointed for the 1983 season and was certainly one of the finest Captains of all time.

Definitely '87. We were 6 wins 10 losses with 6 games to play and just got on a great roll. We beat Geelong Richomond, Collingwood, Brisbane, West Coast and Footscray, which was a fair achievement in itself as three of those sides were well and truly in the running for the top 5. The Round 22 game lives in my memory as my greatest footy watching moment. I was in Year 12 at school and didn't do a lot of school wor over that period of time.

The next week was so exciting, all the conjecture over Brian Wilson's injury, Spalding had been reported (but got cleared), we still had O'Dwyer and Grinter serving suspensions and Garry Lyon had just broken his leg in the famous stretcher incident. We then came out and absolutely towelled North. The Swans game was nearly as good, and then the shocking disbelief of the Prelim. I doubt I'll ever see another season like it. Northey was a fantastic coach - I don't think anyone could have got more out of that group of players that year.

1. Jakovich - quite possibly the biggest waste of talent ever to play. When he was on he was absolutely unstoppable.

2. Gerard Healy - controversial this one, but he was a great player and he was on my duffle coat as a kid.

3. Danny Hughes - whole hearted, spirited, made his team mates stand taller and regularly tormented that [censored] Brian Taylor.

4. Bret Bailey - if only for the 1987 Night GF. Another player typical of the Northey ers.

5. Schwarta - superstar

6. Robbie Flower - what more needs to be said.

7.Warren Dean - a great first up season in 1987. A great finals series that year. Sadly that was pretty much it for him with his dodgy knee.

8. Jimma - the man never gave up, and still doesn't.

9. Jamie Duursma - loved his work on Kernahan

10. Balls Grinter - loved his work on Mew, Wallace and just about anyone else who got in (or out of) his way!

The boys were doing a simulated match practice and his knee seemed to buckle. The play was instantly stopped and he had great difficulty getting to his feet. He was assisted from the field and was very disappointed. Watts came up to give him a consoling pat on the back as he was led up the race. As I said, I believe it is the same knee he has already had reconstructed. Hoping it's only minor, but it looks bad.

Was just down at Casey Fields and Max Gawn was carried off with what looked like a right knee.

He was in obvious pain and from of the look of the strapping he was already wearing, it is the same knee he has already had reconstructed.

In all honesty Warnock ceased to be of any value to us the moment his brother signed with Carlton! As it turned out, probably a good thing he did sign with Carlton.

I agree with the above

We need more mids to get to the next level and Caddy would be a great fit at Melbourne.

He could rotate with Sylvia through the mid and HFF. We need to make a play at the right price.

The only other suggestion would be a straight swap for Petterd. Like for like.

Get the deal done

Me too. This kid is definitely worth a comp pick plus something. He is a hell of a tough competitor and would be just what we need.

Just looking at prices. If Tom Lynch is pick 37 how can Bate be worse while contracted with 90 games behind him and a goal kicker. He has to be worth more than Lynch who has hardly played a game.

I agree Redleg. I think the Saints did well to get 37 for Lynch - interestingly enough both he and Bate were originally number 13 picks. Bate does have more runs on the board. That's why I think we could float the second rounder and Bate for their first pick. If not, he's contracted so we don't lose anything.

Would you look at offering Pies Bate pick from dogs. Given Pies position they would probably do it. Then they would keep McCaffer.

What about McCarthy who is 189 cms same as Toovey but who is still 21 while Toovey turns 25 before next season. McCarthy a mid fielder is 2cms taller than McCaffer and has kicked more goals per game than him. Is young has played in a top side and has development in him and can kick a goal. Could not get into the Pies mid field because of the talent there.

Of course I know that our Coach would know all three inside out.

I like this Redleg. McCarthy has a lot of upside. The other way could be to send pick 12 to the Dockers for 16 and Nick Suban. he's a tough unit and could allow for Grimes to move to the midfield. I reckon we should also look at Bate and our second round pick to the Dogs for their first pick. In all honesty 39 is about right for Bate if it was a normal draft year, but this year 39 is really about 10 spots worse than that. Could be worth a try.

And there we have it - For all the doom and gloomers - it is not like we had to use the picks or lose them. Next years draft uncompromised and apparently a super draft and we have picks in hand so we have bid i the mini draft to what we consider our maximum and walked away. Next

Next years draft is already compromised - the two best kids aren't in it, plus clubs will activate comp picks so the draft order could change significantly. Let's say GWS finish last and also decide to activate comp picks, they could end up with 3 or 4 inside top 10picks (depending on where original owners of those picks finish), pushing all the other down the order.

There is always positive side. Pick 12 isn't a bad one to keep if used correctly.

A few past pick 12s.

Jonesy, Chip, Cyril.

If we're able to pick up another player that is similar to any of those, its not bad...

O'meara might be a gun. But as is any draft...you never know.

Those drafts weren't compromised. Pick 12 in this draft is really more like 20 ish given the 17 year olds GWS took last year.

Weird post. What, in your eyes, would've been a good effort then? The only alternatives I see are paying above what we thought was reasonable, or just not bothering at all - who's to say Adelaide/GC would've put in the offers they did unless there was some pressure coming from us? I'm really battling to see where Harrington and team went wrong here.

1. Harrington was quite open about making a serious play for the mini-draft.

2. In his role he would have known what the main competition - GC and anyone else with a compo pick- would be prepared to offer.

3. He states today we had a bale out position which we were not prepared to go past.

4. Despite what some say on here, I don't believe it was any secret what GC, in particular were prepared to offer. Gunston walked out on Adelaide some time back, meaning that they would also be able to improve their position through that trade.

5. I can only assume that with all this information he genuinely believed that we were never a realistic chance based on what we were prepared to offer and his sole aim was to make the other clubs bid what he felt were overs. (If so - fair enough).

6. My opinion - with Viney already in the bank, why would we not trade away both compo picks and 12 if necessary to pick one of the two players who are universally acknowledged as the being top 3 or 4 in this draft if eligible. Our compo picks are most likely going to be somewhere between 10 and 16 when they eventually fall, depending on when others use theirs. Pick 12 this year is more like an early 20's pick given the concessions already granted to GWS in terms of the 17 year olds they took last year. So, in reality, we would have been sacrificing two mid to late first rounders and an early second rounder in a normal year for pick 1 or 2. That's what I would have done. Might have been wrong, but gee, it would have been exciting. That would have been a good effort.

Why, you might think you know.

But what you be saying if we had not made a play and discovered they offered less than we were prepared to offer.

You would calling for his head and quite rightly so.

This is an auction you have a limit and when that is exceeded you walk away.

I have no problem with that.

Not claiming knowledge of classified info. It was public knowledge a long time out what GC would be offering for him. My point is, if we had a bale out point as Harrington has said today, and I assume he already knew where GC (and others) were prepared to go, why get involved so publicly. Other may applaud his good try - not me.

yes there is - we were looking at either O'Meara OR Crouch - GC were always in the box seat for O'Meara but we didnt know how Adelaide would play it. If they didnt want to put two draft picks down then we were in. Its not poor at all . We werent prepared to put down three

These guys get paid good money to work out what other clubs are going to do in situations like this. Harrington said we had a bale out point. I think everyone worked out exactly who was in the best position to land the picks, including Adelaide for Crouch. If he hadn't forseen this happening then it is a poor effort. As I said, if we knew what was likely to happen, and had no intention of bettering it, then we shouldn't have got involved - at least not so publicly. This is a very [poor effort.

Well it seems that we have decided to "move on" from the mini-draft seeing as we have now missed out on both O'Meara and Crouch.

Personally, I'm quite disappointed...

But I have faith in Tim Harrington as I'm sure he didn't want to do anything that would mean it would cost the Demons far too much for a young kid.

Here's the link about the topic: http://www.melbourne...16/default.aspx

I hope we can still get at least one or two trades done...although it's not a massive deal if we don't. I just don't want to see any of our players leave for nothing!

Blind Freddy could see what Gold Coast were going to offer to get O'Meara. Harrington would have known this well beforehand. If we knew then that we weren't able (or prepared) to better it then we shouldn't have got involved in the first place. This is a poor effort by Melbourne - there is no other way to dress it up!!

My concern is the hawks tradtionally don't give much away.

They have a preputation for getting good players and giving away average players or ones past their prime.

If they want to trade Lisle I am instantly on guard.

Nobody trades away big key position players if they are any good!! This guy is their version of Warnock, only younger and slightly more coordinated. Hawthorn has made an art form out of trading away spuds and making their new clubs think they have won lotto!!

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/124978/default.aspx

Meet our new backline development coach

It's just a theory, no idea if I'm right or wrong, but I think it makes sense.

Having said that do we know if we're even interested in the u17 kids? Neeld might prefer to use the picks on current players or even just take them to a draft. At this stage it's just uneductaed guesses.

They're interested, Jarka! I think for a couple of reasons. 1. The kid can play and 2. Melbourne, and in particular, Lyon want to make a statement to the rest of the competition. You won't hear anything from the Club, obviously - the leaks have all dried up now. Whether they get him, or not, or whether he is worth 2 or even 3 first round draft picks is up for debate, but they are all over this like a cheap suit. They already know they have Viney locked away for next years draft and he would be a top 5 pick in next years draft so unless we finish 14th or worse next year we are getting him for a steal. It makes sense to me to go as hard as possible with this one - if we don't get the first pick, we could still get the second one which might turn out just as valuable. My guy is certain this is all being driven by Lyon - he's a proud guy and wants to leave no stone unturned, apparently.