lucifer

Yep 100% - let's just hope we keep winning right? If we do you'd expect this to take care of itself

Yep, thought he had a real chance to put it to bed and kept repeating a rehearsed response "I'm contracted for two years and the club is 3-0 and playing good footy", which is funny when I type it it reads positively. He then gave a relatively weak response to "do you want to be a one club player?". Which he replied with something along the lines of "yes, of course I do". I certainly feel worse from seeing that, than I did reading Shaw's comments on the weekend. Trac had a real chance to put it to bed eg "don't be ridiculous, I love the club, i'm not leaving" kind of statement and he didn't go there. It's a new era...who knows?

MFC predictions Ladder position at the end of the H&A season: 6th Position at the end of the season (e.g. stage of finals):4th B&F top 5 (1 point for correct inclusion, 1 point for correct place): 1.Petracca 2.May 3.Oliver 4.Gawn 5.Brayshaw Leading goalkicker: B Brown Most marks: Gawn Best first year player: F Rosman Most improved player: Trent Rivers All Australian 40-man squad selections (1 point each): Oliver May Petracca Gawn All Australian final 22 selections (1 point each): Gawn Petracca May Big Ben Brown will kick his biggest goal tally against: Adelaide Biggest winning margin (exact guess is 5 points, within 1 point margin is 4 points etc): 73 Biggest MFC story of the year (5 points): Oliver knocks back multi-million dollar offer from Carlton to re-sign with Dees Other MFC predictions (1 point each): Tom McDonald unexpectedly plays over half the games and reestablishes himself as best 22. Brayshaw cements his place in the starting midfield. Hunt plays all 22 games (plus finals). Calls for Viney to be dropped throughout the year. AFL predictions Premier: Geelong Runner-up: Brisbane Wooden spoon :North Melbourne Biggest improver: Carlton Biggest slider: West Coast Brownlow medal: Trac Coleman medal: Jeremy Cameron Rising star: Rowell

Surely we need to bring in a tall forward, and Melksham has got to be moved to a HFF instead of deep forward, he can actually deliver the ball in an 2018 was ranked towards the top for goal assists. Lockhart, Smith & Hunt have to go. AVB needs run in his legs, but we have enough of his type, we need some skill. The issue for me is Lever. Whatever money he is on, he isn't earning it. He's been as badly beaten as Lockhart /Smith and I couldn't tell you the last time he took an intercept mark. Time to turn up the heat on him. Can't believe I'm saying bring back OMac...god help us al. In - Jetta, OMac, Weideman, Bennell, Out - Lockhart, Smith, Hunt, AVB B: Jetta May. Lever HB: Salem OMac Hibberd C. Langdon Oliver. Tomlinson HF. Melksham. Weideman. Bennell F. Pickett T Mac. Fritsch Foll: Gawn. Petracca. Brayshaw I. Harmes, Viney, Hannan, Rivers I'd like to see Jones back in if his body's right.

I would imagine that Weid would have been training all summer with the forwards up until Max went down, maybe with longer stints with the mid group afters Preuss went down. He's being played out of position and not where he has presumably been training for the majority of the pre-season. Give him a break.

I'm not thrilled about this like many other posters. I think he is good one on one, takes a good mark. Granted, he has massive brains fades and at times makes poor decisions. The two when weighed against each other make him an average player - but he's an average player I would rather keep. I think the club is banking on May being fit all year (when was the last time this happened), Lever regaining pre ACL form and Marty Hore filling a gap too. Lots of what ifs there and I think that is the main reason why a lot of posters are anxious about letting a know quantity - despite his limitations - go. Particularly if the outcome leads to O McDonald getting games.

Agree with all this except Oscar. Surely Josh Wagner comes in before him.

I reckon that's a fair point too. I think though, when fit AVB, Hannah, J Smith in particular give our forward line a different look. And you would imagine would be in front of C Wagner, Spargo, Lockhart, Garlett

I'm not sure if this or something similar has already been posted, apologies if I have missed it. The reality is, I challenge any team to have almost half or just over of their best 22 out and to be competitive. Yes, we had half a team of players who aren't AFL standard and it showed. It has also given us an opportunity to see what some players are made of when we are missing all these players. I, like everyone, entered this season hopeful and optimistic. I was furious when I left today, angry that the team had AGAIN dished up complete rubbish. After having time to calm down, I had a think and have come to the conclusion that yes, we are lacking leadership, but we are also lacking a hell of a lot of mature AFL bodies. But I would say the following are best 22 players (or are at least on the cusp) and they were all missing or have just come back into VFL footy: Salem, ANB, Lewis, Lever, May, KK, Jetta, Hibberd, Melksham, Hannah, AVB, Weideman, J Smith, JKH - that's 14 players. I reckon of that 14, you would say all of them with maybe the exception of JKH, Lewis (age catching up) and maybe ANB are not best 22. So that leaves 11. Literally half our team. Not to mention, the majority of our backline. Some of the above we only have ourselves to blame for their absence - eg J Smith being sent back on with a groin injury in a JLT match. The rest is a result of bad luck. When you swap out the following players: C Wagner, Spargo, Petty, Stretch, Garlett, O McDonald, Fritsch and potentially J Wagner, Lockhart, O Baker (who I think will keep his spot) our team looks a hell of a lot better. Every team gets injuries, sure. But if I hear about how badly hit Richmond have been without a word in the media really about ours injury list and the level of player we're missing i'll spew. I acknowledge the lack of form of Brayshaw, Viney, Jones, TMac etc hasn't helped. Things that I think are interesting out of our injury plight are - Hunt as a forward, Frost potentially keeping his spot when the defenders are back, seeing Lockhart and Baker with more mature and more highly skilled players around them, seeing if these players have any impact at all. If they don't then we can presume that last year was the anomaly, not this year. I'm also not usually the one for positivity. I don't think the above is being an optimist, I think it's just a reason.

God, it's like shuffling deck chairs. I cannot believe I'm about to write this but here goes... In - O McDonald (for Reiwoldt or Lunch hahaha) Garlett, Lockhart Out - Spargo, C Wagner, J Wagner or J Lewis

I have to disagree re Hore. I think he is absolutely up to it.

Long time reader - rare poster. I go to every game in Melbourne (except Geelong because f that). I've been there through the all the highs and lows, I sat through every week of the Neeld years (god help us all). I'm almost as disappointed with where we are now as I was then. At least in those years you expected to lose every week because our list was a shambles. How does a team go from a PF to third bottom after 5 rounds? I've been a massive critic of Oscar McDonald (and to a lesser extent Frost). It doesn't matter what defenders you have back there at the moment, the mid-field is diabolically lazy and slow and makes their job impossible. There is no outside run. They are one dimensional plodders. There is no plan B. The ball comes out of our forward line in waves and stays in our backline like we are moving in quicksand. What the hell has happened to Hibberd? His run and carry is non-existent or on the odd occasion he decides to take off, he looks like he's running on the spot and bombs it to the wrong option. I don't mind the Hunt up forward experiment, but he struggled today and doesn't chase hard enough when he doesn't have the ball. The lack of support from our mid-field to help the defence is embarrassing as is the forward line pressure (don't even get me started on T Mac. It's not worth it, he's just horribly out of form). But if the purpose of playing Spargo and C Wagner is their forward pressure (which is presumably the point, otherwise i'm not sure) then Goodwin is kidding himself. Delivery into the forward line is a disgrace and has been since round 1. It is beyond me how Spargo kept his spot - even though we won last week. Corey Wagner isn't AFL standard, and instead of playing Garlett for one of these two or even Lockhart, we go with Spargo and C Wagner. It's like Goodwin has stamped Garlett's papers, and don't get me wrong, he doesn't win us today's game, but regardless he makes the opposition nervous because of his pace. Spargo looks lost. You could add another 10 paragraphs slamming the players but what's the point? We're all shaking our heads about how we can go backwards so far. Does it seem to anyone else that as a team we are just terribly unfit? What does that say about a) the preseason and the application of the players, particularly those not on modified programs and b) our fitness staff? Goodwin has just said in his press conference we have players in form in the VFL...who are they? They got beaten by a team of under 18's today. My final note - gees the recruiting of May & KK is looking like a massive error at this stage. Injuries are unfortunate, but when May turns up to training out of shape, builds his load too quickly, injures himself, comes back, get suspended, comes back again and injures his groin and is out for how long...it's gone from a 2-3 weeks injury to still another 2-4 according to the MFC website. If it is worst case another 4 weeks he will have missed 7 games with a groin injury. How do we pay pick 5 for a bloke whose level of professionalism is to turn up in that state, and why was the club not clear on expectations? And if the club was clear on expectations why wasn't there a club imposed sanction for his lack of condition. It's all good for Goodwin, Lewis etc to come out in the media and say it's unacceptable, but where's the accountability? KK has concussion issues, gets a late knock in the Essendon game and what we're fed from the club varies depending on the week. Ok, maybe a week to week proposition, it just seems odd. When he did play he seemed unfit and out of touch. I am genuinely unsure if he was in the team for the GC Suns at the end of 2018 or not, so apologies if he hasn't played for an extended period of time and I've missed it. But, gees, it looks a massive fail at this stage. Did the club not sit down with May and make the expectations clear about what shape he was to come back in? Again, sorry if I've missed this on another thread. We will get beaten by 100 points next week. Reiwoldt will be back and probably Cotchin. Can you imagine Lynch and Reiwoldt working in a forward line with the lack of defensive pressure we apply. God help us.

I would move Petracca back to a half forward role, with no midfield time and put Tyson back in. Probably at the expense of Hannan. Spargo went missing for the entire first quarter and isn't hitting the scoreboard. I'd bring Garlett back and give him a crack. And...I can't believe I am about ti write this. Frost has to come in. We are too think down back to handle Dixon, Westhoff & Watts. Frost to Dixon, O Mac to Westhoff, J Smith to Watts. In - Tyson, Garlett & Frost Out - Hannan, Spargo, Pedersen.

Without stating the obvious, we need to knock off a Pt Adelaide or a Sydney otherwise even if we do make it, we are just going to be Pt Adelaide circa 2017 who were just making up numbers. Would I rather be making up numbers than 10th? Absolutely, but our worry is clearly that we haven't beaten a quality team all year (Adelaide and North Melbourne don't count IMO)

6. Gawn 5. Hibberd 4. Jones 3. O Mac 2. Jetta 1. Melksham

Fritsch reminds me of Cameron Bruce - just appears to have a lot of time. Love the way he floats across packs. I will take Spargo's intensity and 2 goals any day of the week over Garlett's pathetic efforts since the Brisbane match. Thought out backline stood up - and jesus, O McDonald. I have been calling for his head for however many years, he is playing really well. I will be interested to see how Weid, T Mac and Hoges all play in the one forward line - but I wouldn't be dropping Weid. Based on today, one of Tyson or ANB needs to go for Trac. Most likely ANB surely.

He looks devoid of any confidence. Every time he goes near it you re waiting for him to f**k it up. I feel with him like I do watching Oscar, no confidence, heart in mouth and waiting for him to make the error. Saying that, Oscar is doing bloody well, Level is stinking it up and I bet Oscar isn't on anywhere near the coin Lever is.

I for one was really keen to get Frost into the side. Just thought the he would help Lever. He is the dumbest footballer. Thinks he's a tough guy, but has little to no skill. Gets caught out of position, doesn't run hard enough in both directions and constantly gives away simple free kicks. Needs to go. Lever made some absolutely shocking errors today, but wasn't the only one. There were a couple of times he got smashed for putting his body on the line, the same can't be said for half our other defenders. Is he playing like a $800k defender? No. Is he playing like a guy worth two first round picks? No. He looks completely devoid of confidence. Not sure whether it's better to persevere or to send him to Casey to get some confidence. I'd say persevere for now. If he gets destroyed on ANZAC eve then they have to make the call. My problem is we have too many of the same type of player in the forward line. Harmes, ANB, Melksham & Bugg (and Kent but he is at least effective at the moment). They are rotating through the midfield and high half forward and today they were all pretty average. ANB looks ok on the stats sheet, not sure how effective he actually was. Anyway, I would say - In - Tyson, Hunt, Perderson, Hannan Out - Frost, Melksham, Harmes, Bugg

I am devastated. After living through the Neeld era and daring to think we were out the other end and making our first finals in 10 years, to only have it ripped away by a) an insipid performance against Collingwood and then b) waiting until the last 3 minutes of the H&A season to know that the last 23 rounds were pointless really hurts. Here's the thing - can someone explain leaving out Frost, playing TMac back (when he had been really solid forward) and going with OMac over Frost yesterday? I understand that Pedo was in, I understand Watts was in, so the forward line would have been too top heavy, but I don't get the love for OMac over Frost. Am I missing something - (besides the Frost wants to leave rumours?). I am devastated about what could have been. About the fact that the team coped so well with all the bloody injuries - for nothing. I mean for FFS - Gawn, Hogan, Jones, Viney, Watts all out for extended periods of time throughout the year. Yes, there was improvement. But I am tired of waiting and people taking the [censored] out the team who still can't beat North. Who are mentally fragile and lose the games the outside football world expect us to win, but all us supporters expect to lose - you know the ones? Like Hawthorn, Freo, North etc etc. I am tired of it. And I await the abuse from those of you who think we should support through thick and thin. Of course, I will be back next year like the sucker I am. This team is like a hardcore drug addiction that you know is killing you but you can't quit it. Bloody hurts. And on another level - we are kidding ourselves if we think this club and this team is an attractive option for out of contract, high profile players from other teams. I will be staggered if Lever or any of the other players we are apparently "into" come to us in the trade period. We are a joke.

Jetta Frost O Mac Hibberd T Mac Hunt Salem Viney Tyson Petracca Hogan Kent Watts Weideman/Pedo Garlett Gawn Jones Lewis Oliver Brayshaw Vince Melksham

My first input on this - I can understand while MFC supporters worry about situations like this. We thought we had a gun in $cully, he left. Frawley left. Sylvia left. Howe left. Some of us wanted these guys to stay (I will openly admit that I was one of the misguided ones who thought every pre-season "Sylvia will tear it apart next year". And for everyone of those players, they said the same thing "I will talk about my contract at the end of the year". The club has done an outstanding job, particularly this year of re-signing its players. The one we are desperate to see stay is Jesse. Despite some comments on here I am willing to be 95% would be thrilled he has signed. He looks like the type of forward we haven't had since Neitz/Schwarz. I can see all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together, we have a good young midfield, the making of a good defence (if O Mac stops the brain fades and kicking like Bambi). The forward line with Jesse/Watts and the potential of Weid to add to Petracca, Kent and Garlett looks dangerous. I feel like we are finally headed in the right direction, and to lose Jesse at this point would be a real setback. We would have to ask 2 top 10 draft picks and a solid established player in return. Melbourne can't keep going to the draft, so presumably one of those top 10 picks would have to be on traded for a key forward - who? No idea. They don't grow on trees, hence the desperation to keep Jesse.

Apologies if this has already been asked, but how far off is Weideman? Logic tells me that if the club is prepared to play Oscar McDonald to fast track his development, when clearly his form doesn't warrant selection, I can't help but wonder if they should be affording Weideman the same opportunity.

Out: Garland (hopefully never to be seen at AFL level again), Hunt, Vince (Susp) In: Dunn, Lumumba, ANB Dawes surely needs more game time after missing most of the pre-season. If Kent is fit, I would look at bringing him back too, but not convinced that Roos will make 4 changes. Fingers crossed Nev Jetta isn't rubbed out, because at the moment he is the only thing holding our backline together. I am confident every time he is at the contest.

No coincidence that when Tom Mc plays like crap, we get thumped. Essendon he was smashed by Joe Daniher, then he got smashed by Reiwoldt yesterday. Our two worst games of the year are his two worst games.

I don't think it's any coincidence that when we were level in the last, and Gawn had to come off for a rest and Frost took the ruck duties, we were exposed for about 4 minutes and they got three quick goals. Frost is not a ruckman, nor is he a forward. Not sure who the other option is in the ruck, but it's not him.