Deemania since 56

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'.

Absolutely agree - there can be no other reason as it is beyond umpiring incompetence; it is wilful umpiring behaviours.

Gotta put in Stretch, on a wing. Fritsch on the other wing. TMac to fbck with OMac looking on from the pocket. Hibberd to HBFlk, with Frosty at CHB. Spargo into a fwd pocket. Agree with your 'outs', but Lewis could go, as well. So could Weideman. Like the 'ins' you suggest. Vince should come in for a HBFlk. Petty out. JSmith from the bench. Pedo, from the bench is important. ANB from the bench. Jones to the bench. Start again and run into form against a weakened Dockers. Team rule: No bombs, find space, run all day.

Makes me feel disloyal to the Club, but these are things that must be said, so thanks, Febes. The concentric ring of doubt at our Club seems to rotate around Goodwin, FD decision-making, team selection and configuration, game plans and alternatives, long-bombing, stubborn tolerance of poor decisions in recruiting and minimal player confidence, the latter combined with a complete breakdown in understanding, reassurance and motives of the umpiring fraternity as the gleaming polish of recent successes obvioualy does not meet the demands of the AFL hierarchy. 2018 is down the drain - even if we qualify for the finals, and that is also uncertain. Another year of limbo due to secondary deficiencies causing primary failures.

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.

The season is over for us. An accumulating cancer is surging in our veins and Goodwin in not the best person to be fixing things. This was a great disappointment and this loss will keep us just short of a finals appearance. Selections have reach a critical desparation point with no moves, shakers, runners or crumbers. No-one has the guts to get, win, kick and re-balance for a team victory - all seem to be intent on personal statistics. Of course, Gawn is the exception to these observations. Just ridiculously ineffective performance across the team with at least 6 poor selections from the FD...

As I posted before the game, the umpires had to force the score-evening goals in the first half; they excelled, maintaining these incorrect and unnecessary decisions for the entire game. By half time, I had counted 4 StKilda goals being granted for unwarranted 'infrigements', perhaps the 5th could be included for 'absolute tiggy-touchwood' decision-making as it was getting more dificult to spot the error when it was not there. We are being cheated and this is the 8th time this season that it has occurred - albeit we still won a couple of games in that mix. We cannot allow this to continue - it is too obvious and everyone is scared to comment on it. The Club must initiate the enquiry, not be one referral but frequently, en masse, seriously, as there is now adequate video footage to be used as evidence.

Patently obvious that has occurred. It began to look elite twelve months after Roos' departure - experience building. Now, absolute tripe, poor selections, poor development, no genuine aggression or skills.

Brayshaw is a killer on the southern stand flanks as a feeder up the ground.

Let us hope that we do not forget the whole Southern Stand side of the game as we did against the Filth. It is a patch of blue in which to run freely (aka Travis Johnston) for fwd attacks and our historical usage thereof has led to great success over the years. When our players cramp the Members flank opposite, it is time to go home as we will surely lose the game. Carna Dees!

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.

Wonder, just wonder, what are the umpires going to do to keep the Saints in the game - for an eventual victory, again at the MFC's expense. Just wouldn't put it past the umpires/AFL.

Tyson should play for the above reasons, and to put in a serviceable one, at that, at this stage of the season. The team has to be prepared to run into space Sunday, where Tyson and Petracca can kick to leads, and Fritsch, too. Great for Petty, just the right spot for him in the pocket to help OMac settle rather than roam one step behind his opponent. Like the proposal of Hannan at FFwd with TMac at his side. Joel Smith at CHB is a big challenge but I would expect a shuffle from the bench to assist him, possibly Pedo for a change. The interchange is interesting and my thoughts are a reduction to: Pedo, Stretch, Tyson, Petracca with Fritsch coming in on a wing. Trac can start on the bench - then we can unleash what hopefully will be a raging bull in the second quarter when his game tends to fall away. I doubt if Lewis is suitable on the HB flank without mobility and physical challenge at this stage. Hence, rolling out the Weed as a flanking backman might be an interesting point to roll him in as a second ruck, relieving Gawn. Certain swapsies could take place in the forward line, where Melksham could swing with Salem/Weideman onto the HFF, rather than force the former to 'rove' as a utility. The Melk will be a key finals player for us. That would enable Salem to more fully occupy Lewis' HBF position. If Pedo is not in the starting or interchange listing, then Spargo could come in to rumble the Saints, with Joel or Weideman taking CHB. Lots of alternatives....

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

Yep, he places family before other time-consuming interests. Met him once in an airport awaiting the same flight; he was sitting on the floor at an occaisonal table with his children, helping them to colour-in their drawings and reading to them. Had them totally occupied. Then we get a further 'flight delayed' notification. Dermott set about spending another hour with them in a very engaging way and it indicated how important his family was to him, doing the hard yards until boarding time. Very impressive (from the observations of a father of five children, myself).

They do in my football team - one to speak to the hard of hearing and the other to posit good habits under the threat of eternal wickedness . Ask a silly question, get a stupid and meaningless answer.

Yep, we are in a desperate position.

Geez, I hope Kent is ready to play.

Dermie is a great teacher, and this comes through in his comments on players of all clubs, his understanding of the game and how to effect performance improvements. Dermie has an easy-going manner about him, is patient and speaks particulalry well. He is also quite often misquoted for effect, and what he has said is often misinterpreted. He'd be a great - if not the greatest - mentor for Hoges over some time, at training, in skills practices, in reading game plays.

I firstly would like to think this is true but secondly, I think it will be a possibility next year rather than this year. I still hope this year is the one in which we make the finals, despite some pessimism of our current state of play and its refinement across the board. Another loss - any loss - is probably an omen for our 2018 wash-up. The onfield treatment that we are currently experiencing from the umpires in particular to me is indicative of what the AFL want - and the way the rules and umpire adjudication expectations from other clubs factor in questionable outcomes for the MFC provide strong evidence that this pessimism is not an imaginative figment. We need to work harder on merging our talents across a whole game - certainly we have more talent than we had last year - rather than exhaust ourselves in 20 minutes of blisteringly good football in matchplay each time we take the field. The 'good' teams extend their application onfield across a whole match; the MFC seldom does this because there are gaps in our application and game style.

I'd like to see Jetta and Hibberd play the orchestral conductor role in the backline instead of Jordan Lewis. Hell, those guys are inspirational most games and know what and how it is done.

Yep, HIbberd is a perfect HBFlanker - not to be played at CHB. Lever is out, sadly, so another tall spoiler/marker/runner/interceptor is required and possibly Frost or Pedo will fill that role, with a few young guns given runs to test their mettle. Lewis is handy but struggles to get the ball or to confront running opposition forwards; thus, I would put the overworked Jones from midfield to Lewis' HBFlank. But OMac needs assistance deep so the tall that may be left over should be in a Backpocket opposite to Jetta the King. That is the training ground for a newbie to become a more rounded and effective CHB. Salem is not strong enough to occupy a back position and his kicking has not been let loose because of this. Salem needs a flanker role on the fwdline or should be used off the bench as a ball driver in close. To achieve this, we must instil more aptitude for our fwds to lead into space - for the 943rd time! As for our season being done, DrD, you can go before the Medical Board and explain your professional negligence!

Correct

Some really good common sense in these ideas that make logical sense, almost across the board. What you are suggesting already looks like increases in drivers towards faster, productive and efficient play and it could be more widespread, thus reducing our slumps and recovery issues. Nice work!