discworld demon

Yep - that was him

Under Northey we were always considered a "blue collar" side by the media, even though we had a damn good team including Lyon, Brett Lovett, Stynes, Jakovich, Flower (for 2 years), Brian Wilson to name a few. We were considered battlers punching above our weight. But he seemed to get the very best out of players some may have considered ordinary and in this respect Jamie Duursma comes especially to mind. I think he came to us from the Swans via the Bears with little reputation but under Northey's coaching became a reliable CHB. I remember him seeing off Sticks Kernahan in one final quite convincingly. Dean Sharon (spelling???) the little back pocket was another journeyman who played well for us under Northey. Before joining Melbourne, Northey was coach of Sydney for a time but was sacked because he lacked charisma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In some respects S Martin reminds me of Matty Bishop, a tall defender who was undervalued by some at Melbourne but who went on to play with Port Adelaide in a premiership. Martin is no dummy and should make it as a good utility.

Quite correct! However if Scully or any of the other new kids read this site (or "Ology) they'll sure know their private lives just aren't there own anymore! Part of being an AFL celeb in the 2000's!

Hailebury College like Caulfield Grammar, Scotch College and other Associated Public Schools do provide sporting scholarships to talented girls and boys. I am aware that down the peninsula some headmasters at some government and smaller private schools curse Hailebury for nicking their home grown talent. I have been informed by a football coach from Scotch that the school thinks the scholarships are money well spent for the publicity the school receives! Pity the parents paying $20K plus a year to send their lads to the school!

You make a good point there! However some guys seem to get it all together during year 12, Luke Ball apparently scored in the mid to high 90's while playing football, cricket and aths! And I think he was vice captain at Xavier as well! But maybe the Jesuits are just good teachers

OK back to business! Scully did reasonably well but what about Watts? (And he went to BGS where the poor things have to attend church every day before school).

I suppose it would be difficult to combine football and Talmudic scholarship! Many years ago there was a young rather stocky jewish lad playing for the MFC 2nds. I think he was from Mt Scopus. Anyone remember him? I think he played in the back pocket.

Scully and Watts are APS boys. Mt Scopus is AGS.

Gee - there goes Matthew Warnock's career down the drain.

I believe it's pronounced PettARD, even though spelt PettERD. However happy to be proved wrong!

So!!!! If he's so good, why did Brisbane let him go? Is there something I've missed in all the sackings, draftings and general shenanigans that follow at seasons end?

I think I've mentioned this before in another thread - but certainly worth repeating. Steve Silvagni has stated that key defenders generally need to have about 100 games experience before they become really effective. Now, other than Rivers, I don't think any of the above mentioned have played 50 games. Garland has played all of 20! So, if one goes by Silvagni's statement and the general development shown by Martin, Frawley and Warnock and (prior to last year) Garland, the future looks quite good.

Do you think it's all down to height? Matthew Scarlett's about 192 (I think) and IMHO he's the best tall key defender going around at the moment. I reckon that height is just one factor, bulk being another (as is of course skill). As a forward David Neitz at 192 wasn't that tall but boy oh boy was he bulky. When last we played Carlton, looking at them stand together, James Frawley appeared to be somewhat taller than Brendan Fevola (maybe 20mm or so) but Fevola appeared far bulkier to the order of maybe 10 kg. Give him a couple of years and young Chip could be our gorilla tamer. He has the height, the speed and the skill, all he needs is the extra bulk.

And don't forget Cale Morton! He's now about 194 cm tall and when he puts on about 20 kg he'll be frightening

Thanks Billy, Interesting eh! Only Bruce, Rivers, Green, Miller, Davey, Jones, McDonald, Bartram, Jamar, Bell and Sylvia left out of the 25 from that round. And of those, Bruce, Miller, McDonald, Bell and maybe Bartram are probably on borrowed time. Huge turnover, we've lost some serious talent and experience in Neitz, Yze, White, Robertson, Johnstone, Whelan et al. Of those players left from that team, how many would expect to be playing in the team come round 21 next year?

Could someone please post a best 22 for 2006 so we can see how great the changes have been over the last 3 to 4 years?

While it was good to see Jim and LJ, the whole story was a mess! Badly written, badly reported and very sloppily edited.

Interesting!!! I've just read Martin Flanagan's article in todays Melbourne Age in which he remarks on the (TV) commentary of a Liverpool V Manchester United soccer match of a few years ago. It was in Flanagan's view classic commentary because the commentator "doesn't wast a word" , "doesn't get between us and the action" and "doesn't cheat on emotion...doesn't pretend to emotion he doesn't possess" IMHO Rex Hunt wastes words, gets between us and the action (that is, it's all about Rex and not about the game) and most blatantly of all he cheats on emotion using as a prop, year nine schoolboy humour. And of course he's a bully boy! Glad to see his Tobin Bros sneer at the ABC came back to bite him in the bum!

Martin Flanagan is a sporting journalist of the highest ability. He would have no future at the little paper! But if you enjoy good writing, please read something by his brother Richard Flanagan. Martin is an excellent writer, Richard may be even better! And by the by, on the question of the MFC not standing for anything. If any of you have the chance to visit the MCG and can get into the MCC section, go to level 3 and to the foyer outside the Library: there in a large glass case is a beautiful display celebrating the writing of the rules of Australian Football in 1859 by members of the Melbourne Football Club. To me, the display says "the Melbourne Football Club is Australian Rules Football"!

Maybe he wants to play for the Dee's because he's heard (correctly) that the best looking birds follow us .

I've convinced my Carltank supporting mother in law to become a Melbourne Football Club member by introducing her to the Age Subscription offer. As an Age reader she can save a heap each year simply by becoming a $50 MCC/MFC member then availing herself of the new $1.00 per week (Friday to Monday) Age subscription (normal Friday to Monday = $7.50 per week or $ 390.00 per year)! And it also works well with other MFC membership packages. Try it on some of your friends!

Frawley played very well on Fevola IMHO. Fev got one or two ludicrous free kicks (and they really were quite unjustified) but otherwise, Frawley covered him very well. If I remember correctly during that match, Tom McNamara played on Fev for a time and was turned inside out by him! (However I think young Tom has a future at MFC). I can't remember Frawley spending a great deal of time on Riewoldt. And anyway, that like the Carlton match was a bit weird in that we weren't really trying, were we! Frawley is developing into a very good big bodied defender. And ps: what about Martin? Are his backline days over?

However, had we won the Kruezer cup (by loosing to Carltank) would we not have picked Kruezer ourselves?

I reckon #1 has a recent history of bad luck! Who's the last player to wear it and have a decent career with the club? While #48 could be the cult number for the cult player!