Goodvibes

Hogan, Frawley and McDonald locked in long term would give us some great depth and flexibility in the big man department. With Dunn taking a step and Pedersen emerging we look ok for talls. Add Dawes, Garland as well as Watts and Howe and we're in good shape. Another ruckman might be all that is missing. A couple of classy mids and an elite kick out of the backline and the jigsaw is looking alright. Hogan might just be the key piece. I was quietly hoping for a 10 year Lynch type deal.

'swingman', 'slam dunk', 'roster', 'coast to coast', 'press', 'franchise player' . . . . Grrrrr

Not wanting to take this thread off topic but am I alone in not rating Matt Rosa. He seems to have many admirers around here. Keeping Chip is essential. Firstly, we keep avery good key position player in his prime who now has the ability to swing forward. Secondly, staying would be a statement to the supporter base and the competition and disgruntled players at other clubs that this is team heading in the right direction. Finally, if Chip stays we're more likely to get active in the Free Agent market. My dream scenario is keeping Chip and McDonald, trading pick 5/6/7 for Dylan Shiel and nabbing a Free Agent who fulfills a need such as Jarryn Geary. I'd give Cross another year. And with Hogan set to emerge and Trengove hopefully not just returning but returning in better shape we'll be looking pretty good. Natural improvement from Salem, Toumpas, Viney, Tyson and Kent should see our midfield go to another level. But it sounds like we might be in the market for a ruckman. Who and how?

Riley struggled to find the footy today but his tackle in the third term was awesome. Inspired his team mates to up the ante. Dawes (twice) and Pedersen quickly followed suit and the tide started to turn. The more footy changes, the more it stays the same. It is a brutal game and when you start to assert yourself physically it's amazing how a game can change. I thought our tackling and pressure in the second half was a key reason for the turn around. It's incredible how a team starts to run in numbers when a big tackle, chase down or smother creates a turn over.

If only Demonland served beers. Where else would you want to be after a win like that. Thanks Demonland!

I'm guessing Gawn and Salem out, McKenzie and Kent in.

I'd pay more.

I'm also loving the Tyson, Viney, Salem left foot brigade.

Eight goals in his last six games. I love goal kicking midfielders. I particularly love goal kicking midfielders who do more of their work on the inside but have the polish on the outside to finish. I love them even more when they're still young, inexperienced and have great hair.

If any team is ready for a down week it's Port. We'd have to have a great deal go our way but it's nice to feel like your team is still an outside chance. I'm still learning how to trust my team again. The fear of embarrassing thrashings still lingers. I feel like a jilted lover who's slowly allowing myself to trust my unfaithful partner despite all the years of unrewarded commitment.

I desperately hope Frawley stays. I'm bemused that others seem so blasé. Frawley and McDonald as dazzledavey36 suggests is a solid core down back as is Dawes and Hogan. I like the flexibility Dunn, Howe, Watts and now Pedersen offer us. With a developing midfield and an emerging ruck in Gawn we're looking in good shape structurally.

I'm a little confused by people's thinking regarding the successor. Premiership coaches don't hang around for a couple of seasons waiting to take over the top job. So immediately rule out Worsfold and Thompson. Voss and Ratten are the interesting ones for me. They may be humble enough to go through the process Roos has outlined but I think it unlikely. Roos is a man of his word. I don't believe he's magically going to say I'm going to hang on for an extra year or two because we're a chance of a flag. He's going to coach for three years because that is what he has intimated. He's going to stay on at the club in another role because that is what he has intimated. He's going to identify an up an coming senior coach in the making who has either spent two or three years in a successful environment or a recently retired player with proven leadership credentials who can be 'fast-tracked' to take on the role after two years within our footy dept. The other alternative is that he goes with someone already at the club and as many have suggested Rawlings would be the man most likely. If I was framing a market it would look something like this: Kirk (5-1) Rawlings (5-1) Ling (7-1) Ratten (10 - 1) Voss (15 - 1) Burns (15 - 1) Nicks (25 - 1) O'Loughlin (25 - 1) Harvey (25 - 1) Bickley (30 - 1) Goodwin (30 - 1) Ben Mathews (40 - 1) Barker (50 - 1) Montgomery (50 - 1) Mark Thompson (100 - 1) John Worsfold (100 - 1) Michelle Cowan (250 - 1) Tyler Roos (250 - 1) Sheedy (1,000 - 1) Neeld (1,000,000,000 - 1)

Do we actually budget to make money each year through FH or is it treated as a bonus?

If he keeps this up, people might even learn how to spell his name.

All-Australian?

I haven't checked out my share portfolio for some time. I'm guessing there's little currency left in my Clay Sampson, Trent Ormond-Allen and Brent Grgic shares?

You're probably right but if it is indeed a symptomatic injury as we've been led to believe then next week he might go for a jog and it feels ok and then a week later the fitness staff will be happy with him sprinting at close to 100% and then a week later he might successfully negotiate some light contact and then the week after that he might be back in full training and playing 60 minutes for the Casey Development team within a month. Playing for the Dees in less than two months, however, seems highly unlikely.

The most significant quote comes from the guy who is employed by the MFC. Dawes has confirmed that the club will be cautious. He'd be surprised if we didn't see Hogan play this year but concedes that missing the year may well be a possibility in the worst case scenario. Seeing Hogan play footy again in the next month is also still a possibility.

I'm a big fan of Tim Boyle's articles. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/ballad-of-the-fellow-traveller-20140412-zqtxw.html "To me, it is more apparent each year that if things are not going very well for you in the AFL, then they are going very poorly." I hope you're going OK Jack.

But you guys all told me he was going to turn into Paul Chapman . . . .

Who said hope was a dangerous thing? Get in Dees!

The worst team in 30 years doesn't find itself in winning positions in two of the first three games. It's not much to hang our collective hats on but it's something.

Webber, we're struggling but we're not the worst AFL team of the last 30 years. By the end of the year, we won't even be the worst team of 2014. We're a better team than the past two years and we will only get better as we get some players back and come to terms with the demands of Roos and his gameplan.

Tim, I've been giving a bit of thought to this business of indoctrinating children. I do it regularly in my day to day job but my own children is another thing entirely. I've long hoped that the on-field tide would turn before they're old enough to actually realise what's going on but I think I need to plan for the inevitable. I've decided the first thing I can do is try harder to not associate the act of actually watching Melbourne with anger, frustration and poor language. So for the next couple of years I might try to isolate myself from the family during game time. That may be difficult. Secondly, I'm going to photoshop a picture of their grandparents, great grandparents and even great great grandparents with Melbourne jerseys on. I might even create a story about a former player whose lineage is linked to our own. But above all else I've decided that I'm going to indoctrinate their friends. I've done it with a couple of mine, why can't I do it with their friends and their friends' parents? It's the isolation a young Melbourne supporter feels that is the greatest enemy. As long as they've got a couple of key friends to be miserable with they may just survive their adolescent years and hopefully in a decade or two they'll actually enjoy following the red and blue during their young adult phase. Thoughts?

Thanks for the link Nascent. He certainly ticks some boxes and fills a list need. Has pace, skills and the ability to play both on ball and forward of centre. Really hope he has a great season.