The end is nigh

Really hoping we take pick 10 to the draft. Lochie obrien should definitely be there and looks a player, think that Stephenson will be gone early, around 7. Would love for Higgins to slip our way, Jeffry would surely love some competition/company as roving forward up there and Higgins has some quality tricks. Can run quality mid rotations as well. Quite happy with Obrien on a wing if we can't steal Higgins, but I wouldn't really love some added firepower close to goals. Just a bit of future planning.

Also fair price in my book is lever plus third/fourth rounder for first rounder and nibbler. If that's something that appeals to the crows, I see it as equal. I like nibbler, but just picks won't cut it. Definitely don't want to buy out of next years draft for any player going round, that apparently where the stars are coming from. Luke Molan mark II type stars, I hear.

Ok I was avoiding this topic because I thought it really didn't have any legs but the drums are beating so I'll bite. Levers use at Adelaide is as a second/third tall and clearly very effectively. But prior to being drafted (and prior to the leg injury before that) there was a great talk of his skills and tank being more akin to a mid. You know how most top clubs have a sizeable beast in the guts? It would be nice to have one of our own. I see lever as undersized to take on a power forward, but an excellent chop out player and ideally I'd love him to be a float back seventh defender, taking on Lewis's role of this year when Lewis fades off into his twilight. Players like Bont and Fyfe who are damaging when pushing forward would be his focus when playing sides with that calibre weapon, but other wise he could join hibberd in turning anything less than perfect i50s into pointed attacks. Havent seen Lever forward of centre to judge how much more damage he can do, but that's my two cents on it. Ps. all this is based around tmac staying forward, with omac and frost defensive pillars. If the club sees tmac going back again I think we'd be too tall(or at least talent heavy with AFL quality talls from a list perspective) in the back half and wouldn't push for lever at all.

My sole reason for transforming from a demon land reader (of many years) to a contributor was to attempt to sway the populous from making the wrong dual captaincy mistake: that of promoting J.Lewis over Jack. Viney's elevation to co captain rather than vice speak volumes to me on the foresight being put in by current management. I feel this will allow jones to bypass the 'Viney should be captain not jones' conversation in 2018 (maybe 2019) and forcing an uncomfortable step down that could compromise form. As it stands, other than injuries, they've both had exceptional seasons and the team has been lead well. The entire leadership appears to have galvanised under this model, so I'm a believer in it being the perfect fit for the time. (Praise also be to Neville, I hope he gets a bluey)

I admit pedo is the name that follows many complimentary spurts from my mouth at the footy, but I really do cringe as I sit near his daughters and hear some of the follow up expansions. Particularly 'Rolfey'. His daughters are young enough to be clueless to it and here's hoping remain so forever. Hopefully we can refrain from this form of satire publicly After all, we are supporters of the great Mfc.

Bring back Barassi has a nice ring to it too

Whilst I agree on most of your assessment that Carlton are building many dangerous things, I don't believe this one. Jetta is a gun at his job and no one (that is a reasonable match up for him) is good for 2 or 3 goals against him. No one.

I vote maxy. It's a good banter point and little more. Plantar fasciitis can disappear quickly for those with the heart to do what must be done. I expect to see Viney back very soon. Edit: if it does turn out to be major delay for viney though, tmac and Gawn temp game day co captains would be an interesting model. Whoever is captain is only so for 4 quarters a week. Lewis is a definite no for mine. Vince wouldn't bother me.

FWIW the ground was wet and apparently poorly drained last week as well, resulting in a couple hammys as well (Scott Selwood recovered to play this week, cockatoo out for longer). If we've had a couple as well the AFL should be investigating whether further action should have been taken. Probably a null factor given it was apparently weather dependent. on topic: I hope watts is back to straighten us up. Long kicks to bugg as a marking target one on one seemed like it could have been our undoing. Salem hurts, but is imo our best covered position right now. I would have: out:Salem, harmes in: Wagner, watts if hannan or Jeffy don't come up harmes stays. Just the poor sod as someone put it earlier. If Viney needs a week, jkh to be played in his best position of midfielder. Has shown at vfl this is his role. Never has he been a small crumbing forward, even if he is sized like one.

Sign him and superglue his magnet to the half back flank. Just so happy to have him. It's great to feel like we have the best player of a position in the league. That's how premierships are won. Love you Jayden. Hope the deal is fair for all.

Heatherly would get weeks at AFL for those jumper punches. Wonder how the mrp see it. Also weidemann should be smashing them at this level, I'm glad he is. Hoping in two years time he gives this kind of bath to any key defender who isn't elite at AFL level.

I'll put up one of those posts: lever won't leave. He's from all reports a true class act, loved at the club, future captain, etc. he was a freakish talent before the leg injury in juniors. Adelaide know he was a draft steal and won't give him up for less than the moon, Jupiter and a second round pick. Please, to all who put forth our own overrating trades of players who are borderline 22 at the dees, stop. It's equivalent to Richmond offering us Shane Edwards and a second rounder for clarry, because we don't know how good he is.

Whilst I agree that Lewis has been instrumental in more than one win this season with his calm head and constructive direction, his ball handling against Collingwood was (imho) sub AFL standard. If he continues to be unable to cleanly collect simple footy (fumbling handball receives and ground balls) then he must be held to the same standards as the rest of the team. Best of luck Jordy, hope it was just an off day.

Exctatic to see/hear gussy will be playing half back flank for Casey. Played a fair bit there as a junior if I recall correctly. Can be a big time play creator from there and a game breaker if firing all cylinders upstairs in the future. Hopefully just instructed to not back into packs for this year, but otherwise, I believe he can own this role and be a top line hbf. Ps. Joel smith as a third tall backmen (if he makes it, as we all hope he does) is a given too. (hate to compare but Howe does the same role pretty well too). There's no need to have any and everyone who can find the footy crammed in the guts. Need guns all over the field, capable of winning the contest irrespective of which blades of grass they're standing on.

Massive game for King taking on Preuss. Daw as relief doesn't make it any easier. Keilty might shadow daw on the chop out, but preuss looks impressive when played in the ones earlier this year. Good luck Mitch. Hope your up to the task.

I'm very interested to see watts' tactics when covering for spencer. Sandilands should ruck about the same (maybe less) time as spencer but it's a tough proposition for watts when they crisis over. I really hope watts tries to ruck it properly, rather than crafting some inferior tactic. Once the ruck duel ends, I hope he really exposes sandi at ground level. Going to be a bruising day for jack. Further to that point, I would love to see us win, and Pederson still come in for weideman for a game to give Jack a week of ruck relief. Go dees!!

I apologise if this is not allowed or derailing, but for game stats I always go here: http://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime/melbourne.html my true purpose on this page is switching to goals and watching hogan and Garlett leapfrog up the all time 'best' the club has produced. Not very high so far, (waiting for hogan to surpass the likes of brad miller is taking far longer than I hoped) dreams of hogan reaching the top of the list one day

I don't expect Brisbane to be pillaged again. I think the last big raid of yeo, Aish, and Polec (maybe one more?) hurt them significantly but they are recovering now. Their brand of footy is looking much better this year, even when schache's not on field. It seems they have talented key players building up together and I would suspect Schache would want to be a part of it. I think they have turned a corner and look forward to testing their talent out against ours, hopefully by means of a slaughter and demoralisation.

I've always thought highly of garlo's spoiling and closing speed, but when he gets sucked in to trying to being an extra man on a tackle and leaves his man wide open inside 50, I really get annoyed. It was a major fault of the whole backline years ago and he is the only component left of that time. Sorry old yeller but IMO it's past your time. Good luck at Casey this year, I hope you win a flag. (Hope this isn't a derailer, just from last nights observations I got viscous flashbacks)

I for one am eager to watch the progression of this beat up not for the content but the clubs relations with the media. I feel news coverage in preseason is valuable for membership numbers, especially if we can squeeze a positive message out. I applaud the club for using two leadership group members to address media, and see it as a good training exercise for both. It's clearly a discussion that can easily be extinguished if they get it wrong simply by the coach stepping in. Well played melbourne. In years past I would have expected coaches to have held less nerve and addressed it directly immediately. Now they have more important issues like preparing for a footy season. If watts' thumb is still an issue this week, goody will have to explain it. Hope it's just a minor sprain and his hands are solid all year.

Can I have it? if not me, I'd settle for any of the 5 midfielders I couldn't fit in the 22 last time I tried. so much better having real depth so long 2d mfc

Matty Pavlich always commanded my admiration. Especially in his days as a midfielder. Absolutely unstoppable when the game was there to be taken.

If like a stab at this too: b: Jetta Frost Garland hb: Vince T.Mac Hunt c: Lewis* Oliver Brayshaw hf: Petracca Hogan Melksham f: Watts Pedersen Garlett foll: GAWN Jones(c) Viney(c) I: Salem Stretch vandenBerg . Bugg a case could be made for 10 or so others (hoping trenners weid and McKenna put their hands up). I've gone garland to play on membrey but if a) hibberd is fit and ready or b) he's not up to it; then I'd go with Wagner. * I would love Lewis to go to Riewoldt on the wing and be a bigger headache than his opponent. bit of a risky 'hurt factor' competition, but would be great to throw them off from the start.

Apparently not

I'm not too surprised about a change in height. Walking and training tall as a marking forward, compared to squeezing down in and under packs as a prolific mid prior to recruitment, can add a few cms. Takes a little time to stretch the back back out. Would be really surprised if he grew anything more Edit: typo