Deemania since 56

We know, but moving forward in a successful culture still needs to take place and at the moment, Petracca, for example, could be moved forward in quite a few regards.

There are a couple of players in the wings of abeyance that soon may be ready to contribute to our run for the finals. As there is space on our AFL listing (perhaps at this stage, Lewis, Bernie - sob - , Smith), I am champing at the bit to see a return of Vandenberg, Dean Kent and Hunt with perhaps a 'permanent' bench-man, Pedersen. We could be using the bench more fortuitously where the likes of Petracca (down on form but potent), ANB (down on form but prodigal), Keilty (up on form but untried), Spargo (down on form but enthusiastically quick) could all come in, including momentary trials of Baker for the wings. I'd also rate Frosty as our best 'rest of season' CHBack whose running and clearing could augment that of what we have and what could come off the bench for instant 'drive' and aggression.

Absolutely! Your emphasis on 'separation' of players up forward is so terribly important not only to create targets but to provide mulitiple options from where scoring shots can be taken.

He has gone way downhill since appearing on the Footy Show with mindless Sam and Creepy Eddie. He is immature and considers himself 'a cut above' whilst producing nothing exceptional for so long - a typical case of ego-mania - when potential is not released from hard work and training, and purposeful execution on the field. A hard and severe Casey workout is required to quell his impressions of grandeur for a firm focus on fitness, core skills improvements and his role for the team. Disappointing season that so easily could be rectified - and in a very short period of time.

Good concepts and reasons. Well done.

You got that wrong, LH. Terribly wrong and moreso because it is a frequent, week-to-week outcome right across the ground. The first rule of umpiring is: ' IF IT'S A 30 (OTHER TEAM) TO 70 (MFC) OR HIGHER, (MFC) CALL, PENALISE MELBOURNE. FURTHERMORE, IF THE MFC ARE GOING TO SCORE FROM THE DECISION, IT IS MANDATORILY A PENALTY AGAINST THE MFC.' You should have checked with Razor Ray before this post, as he would have put you right. Any doubts, ring Gil for a confirmation. Now, the second rule of umpiring is: ????????? (Fill this space.....................)

Fully agree on Jayden Hunt - maybe he can develop some more skills for this role in the next few weeks/months. He does need to be able to apply his speed with a change of direction. In a straight line, he's very fast. A capacity to weave reliably, to blind turn or to combine 'eyes up' scanning to teammates with that speed would be phenomenally potent.Could be the next Stan Alves if that was the case and located on the wing with 2-way running from HBF to HFF or spots in-between. He already has Alves' kicking aptitudes and grunt speed.

It would be nice to be considered (the MFC) as the destination team of choice for players of a particular calibre.

Start a new topic? Lewis for 2IC to the Head Coach? Lewis retires, takes on a senior coaching role with Dees? Lewis oversights Dees' game day tactics?

Yeah, clever, and we'll get more wet weather if it keeps up!

Oops, it's not the spelling, it's the dreaded 'g-skip' eyesight problem again, affecting finger accuracy on this cheap Chinese-made laptop computer. I suffer from this affliction as well. That, combined with arthritis, is another insurmountable barrier to spell-check activation at times. Sorry.

It means, Skuit, that the writer of the said piece was temporarily suffering from a case of the dreaded 'sticky finger syndrome' whilst using a keyboard (an alien device not half as utilitarian as pen and paper) to inform your good self - and all others using this disseminative form of communication - a particular thought of some widespread, supported interest. The transgression did not deter from the essential meaning or clarity of the said missive and so, most would ignore the occurrence as if to sympathise with the presence of the aforementioned affliction, and simply categorise its occurrence as just another cursed exemplar of the many trajedies of this modern life. Here's one for you that I hope you will find amusing, at least: How do you use the word 'and' five times in succession? A signwriter was working on a pub, out the front. The publican came out to inspect his work - but that work was not yet fully completed. The publican read, in beautiful lettering: 'Bull and Bush Hotel'. He was not very happy with the spacing of the sign. He told the signwriter that there needed to be more space between 'Bull' and 'and' and 'and' and 'Bush'.

Cyril was a terrific footballer and was a pleasure (and education) to watch when he came into play in his many matches. However, TC, he was not anywhere near the talent of Lethal Leigh who I place in my 'best footballers, ever' at third. This will be challenged by some but 'them's the breaks' in such discussions, with so many highly offended in comparison to their estimations! Anyway, here is my ranking stated above: 1. Robert Flower 2. Malcolm Blight 3. Leigh Matthews Sheet, what have I done?

And really, TMAC ain't a forward yet, either; recognised in the game as a full back. Players are played where they're needed.

There is something interesting in that discussion on Hurley. Very interesting. Almost a left-wing conversation.

Leigh Matthews comes to mind, first. There are others ...

Time to take the defensive battle back to Defence. Two-way running midfielders can respond in space as a consequence. Forwards can respond in anticipation to space as an enormous asset to the game we play. We literally have almost acres of space in which to play the ball over varying distances - but currently prefer to play in a choked manner against a crowd of opponents. Richmond don't. We interpret 'contested ball' as all important, weaving like dodg'em cars between pillars. With this cramped style of play, we create space for our opponents to exploit our control and limitation of their avenues for positive ball movement and possession. When we run hot - less frequently under this pressure that we create for ourselves - we are left in a position where our available space is stolen from opponents and hence, we are at some liberty to work methodically for possession, ball progress and profitable scoring opportunities - and many of these opportunities, at that.

Horrible reality. Imagine Clarko in that scenario!

Thought Max was great but so was Hibberd, working his way across the entire backline and manning up against them all and out-marking opponents and winning hard-ball-gets and finding teammates with passes and running here, there and everywhere within the boundaries of the specific timeframe and then returning to his position according to the state of play 'once he had achieved yet another clearance to our advantage at any given moment because OMac was drawn out of position 523 times during the game running around wrist slapping after the fact. I think this indicates that with a team of Gawn x 2 and Hibberd x 16, we could win the flag?

Strongly agree with this for Fritsch - who must be developed at this point as an outside mid, for Hannan who is great at the crumbs and has most pre-requisites; both need to be developed according to their roles and this should be the focus of the FD in such development. At the moment, and in past weeks, both are playing multiple roles a gap-fillers all on a hope and a prayer. Moving Hogan from deep forward during a game has created such a gap.

My mate, talking footy, recommends such a trade of TMac at that price - $900K. Quickly, he added: 'Why not trade OMac alongside his big brother, both fetching $900 001?'

Wingmen are fleet-footed with pace and will be needed to take a contested mark, regularly; those with 'spring' from their running attributes and flexibility do well. Wingmen need a little height with their speed to prevent marks (clear) and to take contested marks on many occasions. Fritsch is ideal in both categories but just a little underdeveloped, physically. This is overcome by judicious weight training off-season, and in most cases, is relatively easier to achieve some bulk and greater strength for tackling. Jones is too short although he has some pace but recovered from bursts rather slowly last season and more slowly this season due to age. His tendency is to bomb into the forward line and this just cannot be permitted. Jones is a good foot-passer when intended yet only uses this skill rarely. ANB would be regarded as too small, as well, yet he is an excellent fitness model for the role. His passing skills are not always under control and his ball possession reliability is suspect. Stretch has most of the desired attributes whilst still a smaller player. HIs game needs to be settled for its development and he would need considerable attention to develop his marking, spring and foot-passing skills. Baker seems to have the goods for a wingman but there is a need to take him aside to develop his kicking, foot passing and linkage from areas in close to the 40-50m range, heads-up to a space/running teammate, making his own pace to receive. His improvement in this regard is the easiest to achieve. Perhaps a haircut might help, as well, just so that he can see where he might be going. NB: Hannan and Wagner have also been considered in this comment. In a nutshell, for me, it would be Fritsch and Stretch as the two wingmen for the MFC, with assistance from Baker and ANB, and perhaps Hannan and Wagner. I call them 'wingmen' but I think 'outside mids'.

After the StKilda game, it appears that he has reverted to hopeless. Roos' legacy is nearly spent. Hibberd is the only player who really lifts and works hard covering the whole backline out of necessity.

I'd like Fritsch to be developed into a winger/outside mid; he'd need a little more muscle and would have to work on maintaining or increasing speed to the possession but he does have all the attributes of a great wingman and reads the game very well. Then, who needs Gaff/Sloane/other takers? That way we can invest big-time on two backmen of note and another forward.

Gaff, please ... still think he is the goods for our team.