BenJamin on Deesy St

Thank you for reminding me, as if I wasn't aware of this. [censored] it

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Swan St is going nuts, by the way

Perhaps, but a few Carlton Draughts deadened the pain, glass or no glass. Will we get to see the Dees play on this day and win in our lifetime?

11 premierships to Tigers. 12 to us. Small mercies.

Still feel sick. Especially from listening to the Tigers' theme song for the 50th time.

At the G with RTG. Feel sick.

What utter tripe. Are you a Melbourne supporter? Really? A 'trend' of fans to like 'nice boys', a 'club bias' towards 'clean cut' players'? Have you attended any Melb games this year, seen and heard what our fans respond to and are inspired by? And throwing in Oliver, who is both (i) as hard/brave/competitive/desperate as they come and (ii) a huge Dees fan favourite, as an example of a 'clean cut' player - whatever that means - I mean, really, what are we talking about here?

With everything on the line last week v Crows, he was far from soft. Even perennial whipping boy Darling was crazy brave. Their desperation - and that of their teammates - put to shame our own insipid collective performance v Pies. Gaff is a class player. Get him, Dees!

There's nothing like the present, I guess. Yeah, I was at the G for both those losses, too, until the bitter end. Huge losses they were. We were never in those games though, not even close. Different kind of feeling then, knowing that the better teams won and we weren't quite good enough. Go back a few years earlier to the '87 pre-lim. For me, nothing can rival the hurt and disappointment of that result, that missed opportunity. There at VFL Park (near the dreaded Eishold pocket!) as a 13 year old, I remember sobbing uncontrollably at the end - along with thousands of others - for what seemed like an eternity on my dad's shoulder and into my Melb scarf. Got the scarf still - don't think it's been washed since. No tears this year, just anger and exasperation.

Yep, our best half back flanker since Brett Lovett (no. 17), who was not as explosive or quick as Hibberd, but who was ultra-consistent over many years, a great reader of the play and very creative with both hand and foot. A master at playing off his direct opponent. Let's hope Hibbo can put a few consecutive years of high performance together like Lovett.

Not named in All-Australian 40-man squad. What a joke. (Hibberd, Jetta and Garlett named.)

'87 heartbreak all over again, although at least then the team was all fire and guts from the first minute until the last. Similar sense of stage fright in the end, though. And couldn't quite do it for our no.2 - again. Missing out on the finals by the narrowest % margin in the history of the VFL/AFL: another prickly feather in our 53-year-old cap of misery. So many such feathers in this cap that my head is about to take orbit and explode. Ah well, will fork out the membership fees for me and the kids next year like a true sucker for punishment. Won't be happy with anything less than 14 wins though.

Watching the train wreck unfold with my kids yesterday, the 7-year-old insightfully commented early on, "Daddy, it's unfair, Collingwood have more players on the ground than Melbourne." What really disappointed me yesterday was our lack of work AND awareness in our defensive transition, that 5 second period immediately after conceding possession to the opposition. We were just poor in this part of the game, especially early. The Pies continually had a spare man 20-30m ahead of the ball in transition, which then started an inevitable chain of uncontested possessions, as a Dees player, usually defender, left his own man to put pressure on the ball-carrier. This, together with the general malaise in tackling and pressure, baffling umpiring decisions, bounce of the ball and our players seemingly overawed and anxious, made for a truly [censored] and sickening afternoon. Go the Crows!!

Yes, agree with this. It's a free kick to other codes and other forms of entertainment. And another thing. Clarko and Roos may bang on about this bye and its impact on the integrity of the game (i.e. fairness for the teams that finish top 4), but what about questioning the integrity of the whole bloody fixture? A fixture with 18 teams and 22 games.

My dad, who saw our last premiership (and many others before that), has a long-held view on this: the umps have something against the colour of our strip, most notably the red. It clouds their decision-making, threatens them in some way. Something about the sub-conscious, a primary colour, fear, blood. All that. Perhaps, the umps also resent the supposed old school ties and 'establishment' of the MFC. That there is, in other words, some sort of political class warfare going on with their decisions against us. Discrimination based on colour and class. Hold on, what's this topic about again?! (P.S. Yes, am taking the [censored], although all about my dad and his red colour theory is true!)

Yep, tend to agree with this. Interesting and instructive that both Watts and Salem, in their two-week hiatus, got reported.

Enjoy a stress-free Sunday and barrack for the Eagles, because I can.

Yes, how good was that!! Especially coming after the annihilation of North the week before. 23 years in the making then (hadn't played finals since 1964). Hopefully, 'only' 11 years out of it this time.

Sorry for harping on about this - I said I wouldn't but I can't resist. (Yes, I am quite pathetic. A true Demons tragic!) But Fat Tony, that is not the crux of the issue. I think you and VP have misunderstood the rhetorical nature of my question. The point I was trying to make was that for Lewis to miss out on selection from the start of next year, a better player and leader would have to replace him. And, if that were to happen, that would be a great outcome for the club. For Lewis is as proud, ruthless and professional as they come and he will not surrender his spot in the team meekly. P.S. On a totally unrelated matter, does anyone know how to edit a post that is already up in the forum? I unintentionally used a larger font in one of posts here, and I want to make it normal size (I wasn't trying to be rude!).

We're going around in circles and semantics here. Leadership, experience, easily confused?! The bloke was next in line to be captain at HFC, and was admitted into the 6-man leadership group at MFC during his first pre-season at the club. Anyway, at least we agree that MFC should have recruited him, that he was a decent pick-up and has had a good season. I'll leave my final words on this topic, which has been done to death, to Josh Mahoney. This is why we recruited Lewis, and his words have stood the test of time and will continue to do so, long after our own petty squabbles are etched in the ether: General Manager of Football Josh Mahoney said Lewis brings leadership qualities and an elite AFL mindset to the Club. “Jordan is a fierce competitor who is driven to win, and those are qualities that you can’t have enough of at our footy Club,” he said. “Clearly he is an elite AFL player and his footballing resume speaks for itself, but we also see Jordan as a leader who can play a major role in the development and mentoring of our younger players both on and off the field. “We know we are still a very young team. We are projecting to have half of our best 22 under the age of 23 next season and that’s why bringing in a player of Jordan’s experience and calibre was important to us. “He understands where we are at as a Club. He knows we have a considerable amount of work to do before becoming a consistent finals team, but the example he will set for our younger players will be invaluable for us.”

A considered response, VP, I'll give you that, but one with which I disagree. No blind adulation here. MFC knew what they were getting. My expectations weren't as high as yours. We can pick and choose the good and the bad until the cows come home. I happen to think the good far outweighs the bad, that he makes us a better team, and that his impact and influence at critical times in multiple games - not just recently - have been evident throughout the season. I also admire how he has been one of our best performers during a period when many of his teammates were flat. That's what I look for in a player more than anything - who steps up when the chips are down. Who still believes we can win, no matter the situation. As for your dismissing Lewis' leadership and off-field value as a supposition, well, I suggest you go to training and ask his teammates and his coaches or, better still, we all go to the B&F function and see and hear for ourselves!

Seems to me, VP, that you might be wrestling with some inner demons of your own (pardon the pun) on this non-issue, what with your personal dislike of Lewis set against the body of work that he has produced so far this season. Forgive the paraphrasing, but I gather that the main thrust of your posts is this: Lewis is overrated both as a player and a leader, his sharp decline is fast-approaching (or, at least, faster than most of us think) and, therefore, we shouldn't have recruited him. Is that about it? If so, that sounds pretty black and white to me, with a bit of crystal ball gazing thrown in. But who gives a flying proverbial, right?! Time will tell, right and wrong, no place to hide, heavens above and all that jazz. Here's a discussion point for you: with most of the home-and-away season now done - already Melbourne's best in 11 years - I'm interested to know what more Lewis has to do to persuade you (and your brethren!) that he has been, at the least, a decent pick-up by the club. And here's another one - and I'm going out on a cyberspace limb here and peering into my own crystal ball, but what the hell: even if Lewis were not to play one more senior game for the next two years, would you consider his recruitment a success? I would. Why? Because, to me, for that scenario to eventuate (unlikely as it is and barring injury, of course), a young up-and-coming Dees bull and leader, who would have benefited from the winning and ruthlessly professional attitude and ethos that Lewis brings to the club, would have to have prised - with every ounce of G&D and sheer bloody-mindedness - the old door off its proud and rusted-on hinges, to get to the point of demanding selection over such a player. And, as it turns out, I for one look forward to that day, the sooner the better.

Just admit it, TGR (and your naysaying brethren), that nothing less than Lewis winning the Bluey trophy, Norm Smith medal and his 5th premiership medallion - all in the same year - will convince you that he has been a good pick-up by the MFC. Don't worry, you'll get your gotcha moments, your "I told you so" moments, soon enough with his next fumble, missed handball, slight slip-up or whatever other supposed sign of terminal decline you wish to focus on and continually peddle. In the meantime, perhaps you could acknowledge, respect and - heaven forbid - even enjoy what Lewis has already offered the club.