The Chief

Great appointment. Amongst numerous areas for improvement, suspect we’ll now finally see the end of Oliver’s 1 metre or less handballs that just build pressure and instead start clearing the ball from congestion, the end of Gawn thinking he can kick and instead see more handballs to those who can, the end of Viney thinking he’s a foot taller/20 kg’s heavier so he’ll now give the ball off rather than fruitlessly try to break tackles, and the development of Hunt to be the winger he always should have been. We also have a solid Plan B if Goody can’t deliver in the first half of next season. Happy days.

Carlton have too many too tall forwards and desperately need inside mids or Cripp’s is going to have a very short career. Trade Viney for McKay. Win win for both clubs

Had to go overseas for work the night of the vote, but was here for the last game. Took my mum to that game, who passed away this year after 89 years of following the Demons, thinking it would be the last time we’d ever see Melbourne play. Nearly got into a fight in the bottom deck of the Northern stand after a heated argument with another Melbourne supporter who was openly welcoming the merger. Can still remember walking out of the MCG after the game with my mum, thinking that would be the last AFL game I would ever see. Based on the media, the merger seemed a done deal, so I was going to ditch AFL and follow local footy. Maybe I would have changed my mind, but at the time I was so upset. I remember writing a letter to Ian Ridley at the time, pleading with him to back down, and how the merger would be devastating for my family. My son had just been born in July of that year and he was going to be a fourth generation Melbourne supporter and the merger was going to destroy my dream of going to the footy with my son, just as my dad had taken me. So glad the merger failed, even though there’s been so many disappointing seasons since 1996, my family has stuck fat, we all support Melbourne, attend nearly every home game together and it’s been a core part of our lives.

Pruess’s performance was incredible, considering the circumstances of no VFL to hone his match fitness. He was clearly under instructions to look for handballs rather then kicking, which is smart coaching. Max should do similar. No question Pies we’re far from full strength, but gee how dumb are their supporters backing them Into favourites? Bookies love it when Pies are performing poorly, money still piles in regardless. Ed Langdon’s ability to get back into defence and then still able to quickly present further up the ground has made a massive difference to our defence. Big admirer of Sidebottom, and even though he had 29 disposals, we were able to limit his effectiveness. It looked like Sparrow was his tag at times, be interested at the coaches assessment of his game.

Umpiring was absolutely terrible last night. They need to stop wasting their time memorising players names and just focus on their positioning and decision making consistency

Absolutely loving Hawthorn being Brad Pitt, hoping it lasts another 20 years. Very flawed thinking behind having both Frawley and Frost together in the same backline, ultimate butcher brothers. Hope they keep Puopolo, McEvoy, Burgoyne, Smith, Frawley and Scully on their list, chewing up salary space and all well past their best. Clarko’s press conferences are just so enjoyable, can’t wait for the next instalment

Lack of a key forward who can consistently compete strongly in the air and grab a few contested marks per game is the obvious massive hole in our list. Be worth at least experimenting with May forward, think he played that role at GC for a few games.

Sparrow is a far better prospective mid than Jordan. Just needs some luck with injuries.

It’s obvious this thing is going to take many months, not weeks, to resolve. Understandably the AFL doesn’t want to face the facts at this point, but inevitably thIs season will have to be cancelled. Even if after a couple of months the current measures start to show some promise in reducing the infection rate, until there’s an effective way to immunise those who are most vulnerable, the restrictions can’t be relaxed. If they relaxed the restrictions, it would only take a few infected people to start the infection chain all over again and we’ll be back to square one. If an effective immunisation isn’t going to be available for 12 to 18 months, the AFL needs to start thinking about how and when pre-season training for 2021 can be run and what that means for the start date for next year’s season.

The 15 minute face-to-face advise sounds nonsensical. If someone sneezes in your face in the first second you meet them, surely you’re infected.

Just arriving in Launceston, just as wet here as in Melbourne

Like most others lucky enough to see Flower play, easily the best MFC player by a mile in my lifetime. Freakish skills and a sixth sense for knowing how to avoid most of the hits, remembering this was a very violent time in the VFL. He had amazing courage for a bloke who physically looked out of place. I was lucky enough to have a beer with him a couple of years before he died, just a regular bloke who liked a chat, had absolutely no tickets on himself. Such a tragedy that he died without seeing Melbourne win a flag.

If it comes down to a tall forward choice between Brown and Weid, then Weid will need to lift considerably

Very happy with a win, but Adelaide have lost a lot of experience and you’d think will be bottom 5. Spargo unfortunately has no AFL attributes, his best hope is to become a tackling/pressure small forward, but that looks unlikely. ANB, like last year, had minimal impact. If he’s getting games during the season then we’ll clearly be struggling. Weid still can’t take a contested mark, Brown looks a better option.

Channel 7 saying Gawn sole captain after winning player vote.

Hi I’m in again, thanks. Last year & this year’s team name “The Chiefs”, coached by the Chief

Surprised players are getting away with using body momentum to work out their biceps & triceps. Lot of effort for minimal gain.

As Neale lives in Melbourne, staggered he again missed out on this year’s ‘Victorian of the Year’ to go into the running for ‘Australian of the Year’. The courage and selfless dedication to finding a cure that will never help him deserves that recognition.

The Chief, 99 and the 2 junior agents are all attending tonight’s B&F. Last year was a great celebration, on reflection maybe a bit too much self congratulation. Expect that attending tonight’s will be a bit like shooting myself in the shoephone.

Totally judgmental, but if you lined up the pure footy talent of the Tigers defenders yesterday (so exclude Rance) against Melbourne’s defenders, I don’t think there’s much of a difference. But Richmond’s defence in terms of organisation, desperation, teamwork, tackling and pressure makes their performance look light years ahead of where Melbourne’s currently sits. That gap has to be largely attributed to the difference in coaching and development. There is something seriously wrong for this to go so far off the rails in one season and Goodwin must be held accountable. If there’s little improvement by pre bye round next season surely the Board has to act.

Think the views on JKH are harsh, seems to be tainted by his poor performances some time back and not his current form. Has had some major injuries but out of the small mids/fwds bunch I’d still have him ahead of Spargo, ANB, Stretch, Garlett, Jones and the Wagners. On the flip side, Salem’s disposal skills are still viewed as excellent by many, but this year they’ve been mostly poor, probably masked by those around him just being poorer.

Will report back if I hear anything new, though think that’s highly unlikely.

Heading into the MFC Chairman’s function. Be interesting to gauge the mood of the high & mighty on where we’re at.

Needs to be a third choice: 3) Absolutely zero chance of 1) or 2) choices ever occurring

Yeah good idea. TMac is definitely salvageable with good coaching, but seriously doubt much can be done with Weid, other than offering him to the Pies in the hope Ed goes all misty eyed on the romance story of Grandfather, Dad and son fairytale and pays over the odds.