Dee Dee

Hi Diablo Deemon There are 3 tenant clubs plus us! We own the joint!

Ground sizes are all over the place. For instance the Geelong ground is apparently almost as long as the MCG but is only 115 meters wide!(over 30m narrower). And of course the SCG at 150 meters in length is about 24 meters shorter than the MCG (making CHF/CHB redundant?). I believe soccer pitches vary considerably in size but at international level they must be between 100 and 110m long by 64 and 75m wide. So there's quite a degree of variation there! A rugby (the real one not thugby) pitch is set at 100m by 69m.

According to the AFL Season Guide 2010 Ethihad Stadium is 159.5 metres by 128.8 (fence to fence). And the MCG is 160 by 141. However I've checked the dimensions of the MCG with the MCC and it's actually 174 meters by 147. So, even if the given size of Ethihad is correct (and I suspect the management of the ground may overstate it by a meter or two) the MCG is quite a bit longer and wider. Players are less likely to be squeezed in at the MCG making the Melbourne game style easier to implement.

6: Grimes. This kid is mature beyond his years, his composure superb. 5: Green. I enjoy watching you. Thanks for the effort. 4: Dunn. He is fast becoming a very versatile player. 3: Bartram. I for one have had to swallow my pride and admit the lad has improved. Did well on Harvey. 2: Jamar. Not his best, but still good. 1: Bennell. At least he was a moving target and not a stationery one!

If I remember correctly Tom Hawkins was touted as a No.1 draft pick before Geelong took him under the father/son rule. And if I remember correctly he was going to set the football world alight from the moment he stepped onto a football field at AFL level. Well he hasn't! Yes, he played in a winning grand final but was hardly best on ground (and quite frankly M. Newton of the MFC would have been OK with that team around him). Looking at him yesterday he was woeful, hardly touched the ball and when he did he was all thumbs. At the moment he looks severely out of his depth, a VFL player at best! From what I hear and read Geelong fans aren't too impressed and are starting to see him as a list clogger! Which brings me to Jack Watts. Three years or so younger than Hawkins and without the huge body, Watts appears more nimble, faster and to have better skills than Hawkins. Frankly, I don't care if we don't see the kid at senior level for another year (or at least 'till late in this season). He must be given tine to properly develop and to grow into his body. What I do not want to see is Jack Watts as another Tom Hawkins.

6: Frawley 5: Moloney 4: McDonald J 3: Trengove 2: Bruce 1: Jamar

6: James McDonald 5: Sylvia 4: Jamar 3: Bail 2: Moloney 1: Jones N.

Physical maturity is not necessarily reached by men in their early to mid 20's. Many elite athletes reach peak physical maturity in their 30's (for example Linford Christie). And from what I've read, maximum physical strength in men may occur in their late 30's, early 40's or even later - many champion weight lifters are in that age bracket! This is not to argue that Bail will not reach his peak physically within the next year or three, but there's a good chance he will not reach it for a few years yet. And don't forget for someone playing an elite sport such as Australian Rules at the highest AFL level, physical maturity is but part of the overall package! Football "smarts" plays just as big a part, and that comes with games played. Bail with 50+ games under his belt could be an excellent player! Even elite - but we'll all have to hang on and see what happens over the next few years (and that's part of the fun isn't it).

18,400 for the North game! Don't they have to crack the 22k mark to make money at Docklands? I remember at their home game against the Dee's last year the crowd was quite small and one of their supporters told me that they would suffer a financial loss from the game!

Leaving home for the ground yesterday, it was raining and rather cold. Here we go again I thought, lousy weather and a small crowd and the media hacks 'll be screaming for us to play games against Adelaide, Fremantle et al at Princess Park or North Ballarat or the like! (Remember the twilight game against Adelaide last year with around 14,000 at the ground?) So it was a pleasant surprise to see a reasonably good crowd of 23,000+ turn up! Would like to have seen another 10,000 or so in attendance but, if we win a few more who knows, we may see crowds of over 30,000 to these "interstate" games. And of course, the bigger the crowd the better for the bottom line as well!

Well! Well! Well! And I thought he was just a list filler! Silly me! Slippery little blighter isn't he! Great (effectively) second game from the young man.

6: Frawley 5; Jamar 4: McDonald James 3: Grimes 2: Warnock 1: Bail

Another McKenzie "type" may be Jordan Gysberts. Apparently he's supposed to be a bit of a hard nut! And he's 190cm tall: good size for an onballer!

I have no problem at all with a player being put under a bit of pressure and I wish we were better at it! I was just asking what happened! Let us move on then...

I must have been looking the other way, but near the start of the game did a couple of Collin*@%#d players get stuck into young Tom? I remember him kneeling on the ground as if he'd been roughed up and then coming off the ground for a time. Remember last year Jack Watts was given "the treatment" at the beginning of the game as well!

6: Petterd 5: Grimes 4: Jamar 3: McKenzie 2: McDonald 1: Frawley And I reckon Scully, Trengove and Bail done good too!

I think this kid is terrific! But he's a rookie and only playing because of long term injury to (I think)Morton or Jurrah. Once one of them is fit what happens then? Do we lose him back to the rookie list and Casey?

I sent an email to the club voicing my extreme disappointment at Saturdays result. No use doing nothing! Better to let the club know how you feel. And as a member of the Melbourne Football Club for over 25 years I feel it's my duty and my right to tell them what I think. All members are part owners of the Melbourne Football Club. If you don't like what's going on, on or off the field tell them! Do they read the letters and emails? Don't know. But they should! At least if enough members voice their disapproval by email or letter, the club should get a feeling that the members aren't too happy.

After a day to reflect on it and (almost) getting over the disappointment:- 6: Brad Green - our full forward for at least the first half of the year please. 5: Jack Trengove - for an excellent first game. How good would this kid be in a real team! 4: Tom Scully - see #5 above. 3: Jack Grimes - game no.13 and the real future of the club. 2: Jordie McKenzie - player no. 13 and the real future of the club. Permanent promotion to senior list now please. 1: James Frawley - the worst job in the AFL, playing as a key position backman for the MFC, but Frawley handles it with as much poise and assurance as can be expected from someone who has played less than 50 games. As for the others: why must Jones always handball to players who are wedged between 2, 3 or more opposition players?

Does anyone know when these two were promoted from the rookie list? And who they replaced? I hope I don't put the kiss of death on either of them but, I reckon they both have a good future at the club. Was particularly impressed by McKenzie at the bummers practice match a few weeks ago: the kid seems to have a bit of agro about him and he regularly found the ball. And I remember Spencer throwing his weight around early last year as well. Here's wishing them well for the season!

I really do wonder about Mark Stevens. Ricky Petterd is (or could be) a 3 to 4 goal a match forward and yet Stevens has him as an emergency. Also I must reiterate what I've said before - Jordy McKenzie must be brought off the rookie list asap, from what I've seen he has a bit of the devil in him. I'd certainly have Jordy in my starting 22.

Tend to agree with you on Meesen. I saw him in that practice match against the Swans at Princess Park prior to the '09 season and he was shocking yet when he did play at senior level he was reasonably good (at least good enough to persevere with). Let him get over his injury and see if he can get back on track. Remember, many on this forum wanted to see the back of Jamar a couple of years ago: now without him - heaven help us!!! (And IMHO we should never have traded Jolly)

And Junior came off the rookie list as well. Good fit, good story! But, we may see young McKenzie get a game or three this year (I hope)!

Not a bad lineup, though I wonder if Rivers has the body to play CHB? Would see him as a flanker with Frawley at CHB and Warnock at FB. And, I reckon from looking at him play at school and VFL level J Watts will be a very quick and slippery CHF. Now my question is this - where does Jordie McKenzie fit into the picture? On Saturday IMHO he played very well and certainly deserves to be elevated off the rookie list! And the coaching staff must think highly of him, they gave him Yze's old number!

Agree with your assessment. And I back what you said about Jordie McKenzie: he was very good and deserves to be promoted asap. The kid showed a bit of class and courage. Interesting to read over at Bomber Blitz someone said that they were beaten in the middle by a bunch of snotty nosed punks! Lovely!!!