Sorry kids

Has a former South Australian ever won a Premiership with a Victorian based Club?

Regardless of who comes in and who goes out we just look very ordinary and unbalanced on paper at the moment.

Players Union- There was a rule against drinking water while training.

For those close to the Club-What do our kids say about him and who is an example of his development skills. Not criticising him but struggle to find players who have greatly improved recently.

My brother was on Hawthorns list in the 70s. One year Kevin Heath turned up for pre season unfit and overweight. His penalty, to have a personal training session with John Kennedy each morning until he was fit. Said it was tough, tough going.

Some are saying rule changes have meant our list is unbalanced. I do not agree, an unbalanced list is an unbalanced list regardless of rules. How do you expect to play the MCG without speedy wingman. Come on, that much has not changed.

Gary Pert, a perfect example of " there is more to being smart than wearing a nice suit". Anyone who spends Club time and resources on perusing a training base in a public park over rail yards without council and State govt backing is either an idiot or not fair dinkum.

I have never entirely agreed with the " always draft the best available" as it is subjective anyway. Sometimes horses for courses is required.

I was talking about Assistant Coaches, so put a line through Clarko. Beyond that their are always exceptions. MFC cannot afford to be the exception to any rule. Do you really think modern day MFC players with access to all sorts of historical playing data on careers really respect average players as assistant coaches.

Most Melbourne fans love Jack Viney for his love of the Club and ferocious attack on the ball. I would be interested to know what what he would get pick wise on the open market. Not that I want to trade him but just think he like his Dad is massively overated at MFC. Mid second round pick for me.

A rebuild is required however any talk of it could likely put the Club back again, possibly forever. I have no faith at all in a Gary Pert led Club if my limited dealings with the Club are anything to go by.

Sadly I think the problems run deep. Our rise up the ladder last year was really based on a purple patch of chaos and attacking football with players in red hot form. Sadly unsustainable. From that list we have lost some good warriors in Hogan, obviously a star, Vince, Tyson and Pederson. The latter three had downside but were good club contributors. On the other side of the ledger we have added nothing in the way of replacements so far with the Gold Coast guys injured and Preuss ok but second string ruckman are easy to find.

I dont think we will get the spoon but agree we would only be even money to beat Carlton. Could see one or two of their out of form talented forwards kicking a few against us.

Do you have to be an average AFL player to become an assistant coach at MFC?

Look, it is really sad how we have handled Lewis, he is or was a great get for the Club with the experience and knowledge he brought. And it is also sad that another ex Hawk, legend this time, Brereton just casually turned up at St Kilda to coach their forwards. How did we miss that opportunity.

Lewis came to the Club a greatly respected player. I, now sense he is losing that respect and the players are not listening to him as they should because his performances have slid. A smart Club would have altered his final year contract from player to assistant coach. It really was a no brainer.

I am not close enough to the club to know but wonder if the players have respect for our rag tag array of assistant coaches? None of them were stars modern players would respect other than for their titles. When I looked at Rattern quietly talking to a close circle of Saints at half time I shuddered.

I know how good Gawn has been, and Oliver and Brayshaw too but we only had one Rolls Royce-Hogan and we replaced him with a lumberjack in May. Word is the young blokes at Gold Coast are super fit and happy to not have some of the older blokes around. How can a Club recruit a player who has no fitness base so has never played the game as a professional athlete in the modern sense. Only time with tell if Mays body and mind can cope with the professional demands of the game. On ya bike recruiting dept. I believe the players will never have a long term commitment to achievement until we have a real home base with all that goes with that resource. Our answer to that is to spend money and waste resources on a proposal over rail yards that is doomed to failure with strong local community objection and no state government support. On ya bike Mr Pert. It is continually referenced that players are not doing what they are coached to do. Now that is either player defiance, inability to execute skills through lack of ability or poor coaching. I suspect a bit of each.

Wingman Yes, I am old and understand there has been many changes to game styles but could someone explain why the Club that produced Robbie Flower, Alan Johnson and Stan Alves in my time has no belief in the need to have a talented wingman who can play at the MCG

Some issues could be solved with competent coaching. Fritisch, teach to jump off one foot, not from two flat feet Weideman, lead to or play on the flank where their is less heavy traffic. The first open option is not always the best one.