Deemania since 56

Wish him all the best with this, it can be nothing else than fabulous for the MFC. Shame that it is taking so long to occur, as there have been a few losses lately where his input across a game might have otherwise been improved, made more reliable and certainly, assist the team to snatch a win. He is the driver from whom aggressive, successful football might otherwise be achieved. Mixed tense but it has been across a few weeks whilst waiting ... a stable position, role and readiness has not been given to him from the FD - and might well represent the reason for his lapse in form and impact.

That is a good way to look at it; the Bont is the go-to man, getting the Doggies out of deep 5H1T many times per game, scoring ocasionally and clearing in the midfield for fwds. Play tough, we win.

Evidence of 3 games where the end result win/loss determined by umpiring.

This clearly shows, from my interpretation of the season, that we are a truly good side getting better. If we have received the most goals from frees in the fwd50, and we have consistently lost out on poor decisions against us in the fwd50 to the distinct advantage of other teams, particularly 'big' teams, then: OVERCOMING THE PRIOR MISSED GOALS AND KICKING ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF GOALS IN THE COMPETITION, WE ARE GOING VERY WELL. IT IS A MATTER OF HOW MANY GOALS THE UMPIRES AWARD TO OUR OPPONENTS IN ANY GAME THAT DETERMINES THE SEASON RANKING. DOMINANCE HAS TO BE COUNTERED, OVERCOME, EVENED AND BRUSHED ASIDE.

And other teams in or near the 8 need to beat Port to drop them down several rungs, if not out of the 8. Fanciful?

We are stoking the fires for that to occur, it just takes a little time.

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.

It is all cloak and dagger-based deceit, for the 'big clubs', 'of the big clubs' and to appease 'the big clubs'. The Essendrug coach has this week met with the AFL to discuss the disparity and differentials in the umpires' free kick and 50m penalty record tallies experienced by Essendrug in its match against the forerunner of the 'big clubs' and this time, notably and specifically the Filth. This is something that we have been concerned about for years at the MFC - yet nothing is done. The only thing that got him an audience with the 'holier than thou AFL' was the fact that he pre-stated that there might be something in the application of football rules that his players '...didn't understand...', clever but shifting the core purpose to being a 'player shortcoming' when clearly, it was not.

For a while there, Jordie was my hero....wish he went on with it all.

And these are on the walls and kept in sacrosanct retainers at our home ground, the MCG, because of the links of football and cricket seasons since its inception.

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.....................)

Bringing the bacon home for Geelong at Geelong before the Geelong spectators breathing the heavy Geelong air against the MFC will be one of the key achievements of the White Brethren on the day, almost as important as an actual finals match held at the Geelong venue - worth millions to the AFL for Geelong to be in a finals-dominant position at the end of the home-and-away series.

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.

That is the silent logic that the AFL and the umpires do not credit to spectators/football followers: when the umpires ... proved themselves to be able to adjudicate fairly ... incompetence is not part of the equation. Ergo, it can then only be favouritism for another purpose. Well posited, FiTB.

Against the doggies, we need some runners and some great kicks passing into 50m zone. ANB is one such runner who might have reviewed his limited contribution against Freo to recognise that he needs to get more mobile with fwd defensive pressure, two-way running and more care with his shots. Hannan has the run, needs to get into position, can mark and certainly can snap a goal or two, getting behind. He also has height to challenge the Doggies backs and with timely involvement by largely avoiding the one-on-one contests to swing in as a spoiler, out and as a carrier/feeder, and receive on leads that he sets up. He is class, in the making albeit some way off. Like to see Baker come in from the bench to assist or relieve the wingers - who should be Fritsch and Stretch. Jeffy in a pocket for Jeffy stuff, Frosty at CHB, J. Smith to take Lewis' HBFlk, Jones to rove fwd and lead from the FPkt. Outs: Lewis, Spargo,

That is one of the benchmarks of a game well-umpired: umpires not really noticed. Few calls against decisions, few calls for decisions.

Yep, this has been an opposition strategy for a few weeks now - belting Nev heavily, more than once per game. It is a credit to him to keep fighting back for the intercept, the ball and the clearance. I was surprised that Razor didn't pick this up at all against Freo, and thus provide Nev with some 'umpire interference', such as a free kick or two when his head was wrenched off.

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?

I reckon the White Brethren read our comments last week on their performances and fickle decisions....

Agreed, Clint, but there are a few out there in other teams who have worked out that 'taking the legs out' of someone - or more frequently, pretending that you are falling whilst 'having your own legs taken out' by one in control of the ball on the ground - is equivalent to a free kick in the 'raise the arm and duck' Selwood masterclass. It is disgraceful and the umpires are susceptible to its Tom Foolery.