Demons 32

I was certain it was across the line, but noooo the ump decided to make me look stupid for jumping out of my seat.

Jones has only just turned 22 and has 88 games of experience. There is still upside in my opinion as he is one very experienced young man.

Was Brad Johnson matching his career best form in 2009? Because from rounds 1 - 11 Mcdonald was playing as well as ever. You could see at round 18 last year that Brad Johnson might be just about past it. Mcdonald is the opposite in my opinion.

We all love Trengove.... but if im picking my current best 22 Mcdonald gets in before him regardless. Trenners is a great young player. Mcdonald is our captain who up to round 11 would be top 3 in the b & f. Get serious guys, it's amazing that he played a game at Casey to start with regardless. Trengove is in the best 22, and if we weren't coming off a 73 point win it would have been more than Maric out so Trengove could return. If the club and the captain of the Melbourne Football Club decide that another year is on the cards then that is what will happen. Bell Martin Miller Mcnamara PJ Cheney All these players would be in the mix to be cut, to think that Mcdonald couldn't go on is foolish. How about this for an example, here are 10 players who I consider midfielders for Melbourne.... Davey Moloney Trengove Mcdonald Scully Jones Gysberts Tapscott Jetta Sylvia Does anybody here actually think Mcdonald isn't in the top 5 of that list, and more importantly wouldn't be next season (after the form he showed in the first 11 rounds) If you don't have him in your top 5 you are blinded by youth. Teams need true leaders.... not players with leadership ability or potential, actual leaders. We only really have 1 player who jumps out at you as captain and that is Mcdonald. Sure there are other options such as Green, Moloney, Jamar, Rivers etc etc etc. But we would all argue our choice, no one player on that list would get a universal selection. Mcdonald has, does and will. I was hoping he would retire at the end of last season, but after witnessing how he has played this season, and seeing the improvements we are making on the field, im excited about the prospect of finals next season. To not get pumped by 50 points in the first elimination we will need a true leader like Mcdonald. His job is not done at the MFC in my opinion. But again.... that is for the club and him to decide.

Melbourne to have a bad start.

He plays almost right above me every week.... Yet every week I forget to bring a bag of rocks.

Just watch Jack after every single win, he gets out to as many Melbourne supporters as he can, chats to them, hugs the women and high fives the kids... Now he is either the biggest fake in the world, or he loves his club and loves his fans (as his fans love him). Look at all the examples, almost everytime a Demons player kicks a goal Watts is the first one at them for the high five, everytime he gets a goal he gets pumped up, everytime he kicks a goal he gets a massive cheer... Melbourne fans have a tendency to clap off players, alot. I sit right behind the bench in the MCC every week and no one gets a bigger cheer than Watts. You can see it in his eyes, he genuinely does seem to love his fans. One of the only players ive seen acknowledge the fans. I guess what im saying is..... he isn't leaving. In fact, I will place a bet of $1000 that he is still at Melbourne next season, if your interested?

With their defensive injuries this year they definately would have needed Mac.... But as he said below, he is ours now. “I’ve now sung the song six times this year and it’s starting to get louder and for me personally, having been new at the club, I’m starting to feel like I belong. I appreciate the history and the former players that are coming back to the club,” he said. “There’s just a really great feeling around the club and I’m starting to feel like I’ve got red and blue running through my blood.”

That was the joke, should have put a "haha" in there!

I usually call him JB. Bennell takes way to long!

Perhaps.... but I think there is a very valid reason for it. 6 of their top 10 players have had injury issues all year. Do that to any team and they will struggle. Here are 6 random Melbourne players who could be argued to be in our top 10. Davey Frawley Sylvia Moloney Green Jamar If those 6 were missing from our side? Would we be playing very well? Of course not, we would be getting pantsed almost every week. Like what is happening to Brisbane at the moment. You simply cannot lose that many quality players and still be a winning team. Brown, Fev, Black, Drummond, Patfull and Merret are all good players. More importantly, that is almost the spine of their side gone. The last 3 are the biggest and best defenders. The first 2 are two of the most dominant forwards in the game (despite what you think of Fev as a person he is great, after all, people are saying he has been terrible but has still kicked 47 goals in a losing side). Finally the one in the middle is a brownlow winner. All good players, they simply cannot be a finals side with all of these players in and out every week with injuries. Therefore it is far to early to judge the Lions, and more importantly far to early to judge Michael Voss...... as clearly their game plan would have been largely focussed around the "best" players, suited to the best players, manufactured to highten the teams strengths. As a coach we cannot judge Voss, he has been hit by an injury curse that hits every team sometime. Perhaps he can be judged on some poor list management, as I believe Buchanon, Xav Clarke and Raines were all foolish choices. However Staker has been great playing a "mr fix it role" and despite any off field drama, Fevola is one of the best FF's going around, matched with Brown when the team was at full strength from rounds 1-4 they were unstoppable.... which all comes back to the game plan, that they can't implement with all these injuries to key players.

Disagree entirely.... I don't care how many possesions either players gets, the one that chases and works hard always deserves a game. Every game this season that I have seen at VFL level Maric has refused to chase, refuse to give the ball off to a team mate in a better position and tried to take the world on to kick miracle goals. Despite 1 game, this past weekend, he has been sloppy and selfish. Kid gets by far to much on his name and draft position on this board.... He has not deserved a game. However after last week, he now deserves a game. He will play some games and he definately should play some games, and lets all hope we get what we want out of him. I don't think any Demon fan wants to see this kid fail. We all want him to be a star.

It hasn't been great..... But it hasn't been all bad. Staker has been really good for them in my opinion, you can't fault his season, he deserves his spot over a kid. Goose is ok, but as we all knew, he is injury prone and it hurts them. I think Voss deserves the chance at redemption next season regardless, lets face the facts, the Lions have been hit pretty bad with injuries this season. Injuries to Brown, Black, Fev, Patfull, Drummond, Merrett and Goose have hurt them alot. The first 6 in that list would be in the clubs top 10 players in my opinion, so losing all of them at different points throughout the season would really hurt. Couple that with erratic performances by Fev, TJ and Brennan and they have had it rough. They have the talent to be a finals chance next season, because while they have alot of older players they are getting games into young guys to... Such as Banfield, Rockliff, Rich and Leunberger taking on number 1 ruck duties. It is far from good, but it is also not terrible...... yet. Bottom line is they will not win a flag with these guys, as im pretty certain their big 3 (Brown, Black, Power) will all be declining pretty quickly over the next few years. Finals next season, wheels falling off after that.

He may get in this week based on this past weekends game for Casey.... However, he has not deserved a call up at any point this year. So to so say he has been better than Jetta/Wona is a bit strange. It is obvious how hard Jetta works defensively and Wona can take an overhead mark. Two tricks Maric doesn't have. However I agree that he should see a game or 2 near the end, or even this week. I just want consistent effort. Because almost everytime ive seen him he seems far to interested in what he is doing, rather than how the team is doing... It's the same reason I always had issues with Robbo and to a lesser extent Yze.

Im giving you the benefit of the doubt.... Because that was surely sarcastic.... No one has that little idea about footy..... surely...... surely I don't look at a fan site that has opinions that uneducated...... surely..... Seriously, what is with the Morton bashing lately?

Fyfe was hardly down on form, he looked great! Freo potentially will get these names back.... Tarrant McPharlin Broughton Fyfe If those boys come up we are gone. If they all spend one more week on the sidelines resting up for the Dogs game then we are a very very very small chance.

Shooters paradise...

Warnock is not particularly big... Warnock does not have extremely long arms.... Warnock does not read the play better than anyone else..... Warnock is not Dustin Fletcher...... Warnock is definately not Scarlett....... I have stated that yes, he will play, definately, because he is a great option at this current point in time. However surely we can admit that Frawley and Garland are ahead of him. Plus to me it is clear that Bailey loves Jared Rivers and his leadership. I am not bagging Warnock, I am simply saying that in time, he will be removed from the 22 on a consistent basis (which is already happening). I predict a 2 year deal, with the same solid output we have been getting. However I am of the opinion he will not be playing FB at the MFC in the long term.

Agreed.... However Warnock is not a long term prospect either. Both Warnock and Macdonald are now 26 years of age. I think people forget that when they talk of Warnocks "potential". He deserves to be in the team right now but is not going to get much better. What you see is what you get.

Ive always liked Warnock, he is a good stopper who often plays above his natural size. However he does have flaws when it comes to our other KPB, mainly the fact that he is not very damaging with the ball in his hands (Garland and Frawley are). In my opinion he and Rivers are on a pretty level playing field but Rivers is younger which is another negative for Warnock. He will definately be retained on the list as he deserves to be at the MFC for a few more years. But I think slowly but surely he will be chosen in the 1st's less and less. Currently I rate these guys ahead of him for the backline bigger guys... Frawley Garland Rivers Macdonald (only because I liked his game on the weekend)

All I want is to see Neitz kick 1 goal, just 1 goal haha. Seen him jogging around St Kilda a few times so surely there is still some fitness in the big fella!

What I would like to see.... IN: Jurrah, Sylvia, Morton OUT: Grimes (INJ), Cheney, Spencer What I think will happen..... IN: Sylvia, Morton OUT: Grimes (INJ), Cheney

Just a reminder to everyone to watch the EJ Whitten Legends game on tv tonight at 7:30. You will get to see Russell Robertson at CHF for the All Stars. Byron Pickett is named on the wing for the All stars. Also, you will get to see David Neitz (NEITA!!!!!!!!!!!!) Named in the forward line for the VICS. As if Neitz isn't enough incentive to tune in, you will also get to see some former AFL champions. Plus the hilarity of Sam Newman named at back pocket!! Team lists below.... Victoria - 2010 Team List 1. Mark Johnson (Rookie) 1. Damian Monkhorst 2. Chris Johnson (Rookie) 2. Wayne Schwass 4. Michael Martyn 5. Rohan Smith 5. Austinn Jones 6. Shannon Grant (Rookie) 6. John Barnes 7. Adam Simpson (Rookie) 8. Lance Whitnall 9. Shura Taft 9. David Neitz (Rookie) 9. Jess Sinclair (Rookie) 11. Glenn Archer (C, Rookie) 11. Joel Smith 11. Damien Peverill (Rookie) 12. Brad Sholl 2008 17. Sam Newman (Rookie) 18. Justin Murphy 18. Paul Licuria 21. Heath Black (Rookie) 23. Dermott Brereton 23. Dean Rice (Rookie) 23. Nathan Thompson (Rookie) 28. Paul Dimattina (Rookie) 31. David Mensch (Rookie) 39. Ang Christou 39. Tony Liberatore 43. Anthony Koutoufides (Rookie) 44. David Wirrpanda (Rookie) 59. Bryan Strauchan Tony McDonnell (Play in the Game Winner) All Stars - 2010 Team List 1. Richard Champion 2. Darryl Wakelin 2. Nick Holland 2. Nick Davis (Rookie) 3. Gary Sweet 4. Gavin Wanganeen 5. Cobber Rogers 6. Tony Modra (Rookie) 6. Nathan Bassett 8. Shannon Noll 9. Les Hill 10. Craig Newitt 12. Nic Fosdike 13. Martin Pike 14. Shane Wakelin (Rookie) 15. Mal Michael (Rookie) 16. Paul Barnard 19. Michael McLean 21. Ritchie Vandenberg (Rookie) 22. Ronnie Burns 24. Russell Robertson (Rookie) 28. Jared Crouch 28. Byron Pickett (Rookie) 29. Shaun Smith 30. Peter Matera 32. Mark Ricciuto (C, Rookie) 33. Daryl White 33. Paul Hudson 34. Troy Luff Kelvin Popowski (Play in the Game Winner)

Ok Agent_Orange - Adults talking

Yep cause AFL players never try..... Couldn't just be because we were against a top 2 side could it? Not possible that the Saints just proved to be a better team? This is pathetic next I'll hear that old line "so and so don't bleed red and blue".