Deemania since 56

Let's hope he also developed his analysis of the 'team' from watching them play against Freo. A few stern words to those seniors in the team who owe Clayton their footy careers to date need a bit of an ear bashing from Clarrie - sorting out the chaff from the straw because the coaches don't seem to be able to define 'mediocrity' across game time. (I really am joking, but just watching an injured Clarrie train - and train hard - should be enough to provide the stimuli necessary for improved performances. During the training session at Yea earlier in the year, Clarrie was setting the standard for all to follow - no-one came close, but his efforts and intensity were contagious.)

It does look that way recently, and really highlights his importance. He must feel enormous pressure as our only mobile forward - suffering a loss of goal accuracy in recent, critical games.

As footy supporters we react to trends in our potency. To win is great. To lose is deflating, warranting problem resolution and second thoughts on such experiences.

Help us? Big ask. Viney is the long-bomb specialist when he isn't taking his time to earn the ball. Beginning to improve in this area, he has now resumed interrupting footy flows and running to position by the rest of the team. The forwards stay back whenever he has the ball midfield, there is limited movement and Fritta (really trying as the sole mobile forward) cannot cover all options. Tracca finds targets or moves the ball very quickly into scoring options, if not going the shot, himself. He also looks first, generally, for mobiles. One is helping, the other is so often hindering what we want - and until Badloss settles on what he wants or what the players need, the whole forward-line remains in disarray. We, the fans and particularly those of us who are MFC Members are the Club, have been for years, not a struggling Coach with set-in-concrete ideas of a past era that are so easily read. Clarrie was missing due to injury (and workload-induced, at that) but we should be able to cover for him with our younger apprentices - yet these players lack the critical experience of game-time. There is the cattle as I have iterated many times alongside many contributors across DL. He helps those who help themselves - it's logical. Self control is the free man's yoke and therein lies opportunity; however, few of our senior players are in a liberating mode, hamstringing positive play and sanity in the game plan.

Genuine leg speed and an array of very pleasing reliabilities around goal. Capable of giving and taking a knock, too. Imagine his development now, had he been given the opportunities of rapidly tiring others - in operation with Clarrie, Tracca, Gawndy, Rivers, Fritta, JJ and Sparrow (the latter should be groomed as the mobile CHF lynchpin).

Hate to say it but that is the circumstance under which we are instructed to play, as you describe.

We all knew that Bedford's restricted game time and opportunity would be costly to our skillset. The same for JJ, Chandler and JVR, and others. Yet, we play the same predictability week in, week out. If they have a walking stick, a former reputation, a Seniors Card and/or just a clutch of games left in the ammo box, they're first-picked, assured a spot in the team that otherwise could do some serious damage, and anointed with bundles of forgiveness from coaching personnel. 'See 'ya next week; maybe we'll have a better run.'

The only was JVR can stop the frequency of '...pills on top of one's head...' is to bite the bullet, occasionally, and lead out into the wider and shallower areas of the forward line - pick a space or one freed of player movement, signal to your feeder roughly where to place it, run like buggery to receive or tap on, kick the goal or have another deep forward ape your endeavour. Make the play ... not wait to receive!

Some of us could actually see it occur when the team selection was published. Writing was on the wall - so was the signature of the culprit responsible. Same old, same opinions, no flexibility nor challenge.

Why are there so many Freo fans here? Haemorrhoid removals are cheaper here, and the waiting-for-surgery timeframes are almost nil.

JJ is an onfield 'pathway' player, robbed of playing that role except when he has no other choices (probably from the coaches). When he does go the footpath in possession of the ball and its disposal, boy(!) can that bloke play! More complete game time, please, for this fella.

Brown is often pathetic these days, too. I'd think of a mobile, tough, dead-eye Dick for the goals, fit Sparrow as a CHF. Not all key forwards who are prepared to move to advantageous positional spots need to be tall streaks of pelican detritus.

Like your second paragraph, particularly. It is a reflection of what we all hoped was a past era prior to the '21 GF.

Unless you are a little haphazard with the basket-making needle, it won't bring you tearful moments like the MFC does.

We see that fad-outs so often mingled with umpiring outcomes ... the fact that this occurs with frequency there is no wonder that a '...typical Melbourne supporter...' responding (with high frequency) this way. It is also a significant responsibility of the coaches to get the players over this syndrome, to additionally inspire the passion to win well. This rot will continue unless there is change. In the words of my favourite weather man: 'We will get some more if it keeps up'.

We needed a fresh start immediately after the Premiership win. New eyes and vocal chords.

Absolutely! Interesting to note that you - like me - reckon that the coaching needs scrutiny, as well. There are some blokes out of the game who are busting to get a run - it is high time we gave them one or two. Of course, had Clarry been in the team today, we would have had a picnic of opportunity in that last quarter - and a very good win, no doubt. We are much better than that performance indicated, today.

It was one of the great moments of my life - but I also had the privilege the see 50's finals and '64. I don't 'Boo!' any MFC player who moved on. Even now, I miss Frosty and a few others. Jackson is one of the 'others'. Nope, I cannot see myself being disloyal and not fully appreciating a family member - even though that person has moved out of home.

Gawny, no doubt, has a longer-term memory of which Freo player's fist always hit the back of his head, punched his kidneys (both sides) and 'knee-fell' with full body weight onto his legs whilst big Maxi was on the turf from blatant trips and pushes and short-arm jabs to the ribs. We'll find out who it was - one of the joys of watching the MFC Captain (and rightly, the whole group of muscle that we have in the team for Saturday). Yep, he will have a big game, alright. :-)

Somebody had a delusion moment with that statement on tackling The Tracc.

In celebration of the initial fact that he got 18 - then, the irony of missing the 19th - and in recollections of previous decades watching footy with my father; I had asked if Fanning ( I was too young to see him play) was as good as the FFwds of the Jesalenko, Hudson, et al era and his reply was 'Far Ken much better .. unstoppable!' It all made me smile.

I'd actually hope that JSmith gets a run up forward ... a swingman for BBB during the game - or down back (somewhere) where he was morphed into backman territory - due to the short-term loss of Petty. Sparrow - straight in - plays tough and is rilly handee looking at the sticks.

Penalties and related severity, infringement validity/legitimacy and unnoticed oversights bearing favour therein/thereof seem dependent upon which club you are playing for - if it is the whim of the magistrating 'officials'. Evidence? (Watch a game of AFL football, then another as a comparator with different teams.)

Clearly a sign - no, a blatantly obvious example ramified by any aspect from which one might evaluate the alleged incident, plus others of recent history - of the analytical incapacity so frequently exposed by the designated AFL 'official' responsible.

That, despite all and sundry failing to see the 'fault' in the incident from Hunter, is the crux of the matter and the AFL leadership has done nothing about it. We must drive the message home in some abstract way; no other club is required to endure penalties like these so nominated (Hunter and JVR).