D Rev

Hodgey would rather drink poison than give us a compliment. Pretty easy to punch down when we are playing poorly.

I used to get a scarf every season with my membership, but don't think it's happened since Covid? Have they changed something, or is there a bunch of scarves somewhere in a cupboard in Jolimont with my name on them?

Or Jordan

I do understand the frustration of going out in straight sets, but I'm still more upset by the years 2007-2017, and so anythin better than that is like the Swiss flag (a big plus). If we kicked straight against the Pies it would have been 18.8, not 8.18 (I think) - which would have won us the game. Poor kicking is poor football. I agree on the point around Stafford in particular, in many ways it feels like the forward line is the forgotten child behind defense and the mids.

Really good post / thread and thanks very much for it. I think it's easy to forget how we got in the position we are today, and the people that helped us along the way. Also easy to forget is the people (and structures) that got in the way. I maintain that Cam Schwab should still be tied to a goal post at the MCG for every fan to have a running shot at. The way he undermined the coaches and tried to make the club all about him still irks me, as does the fact that we had 8+ on the board in 2013 while Hawthorn had 4-5 (and were winning flags). BUT - we've learned from all that now and have the structures and mindset to adapt to the changing game (and league), and build a winning club and team.

Some excellent points on the quality of journalism here. If you look around the league, how many Ruckman would you actually rate? The answer is not that many. The game has changed where a quality ruckman is a very rare commodity and a quality tap ruckman rarer still. Grundy is a better tap ruckman, but not as good as Gawn around the ground and particularly not as good as filling holes in forward or back (which is so important these days). That is some of the real advantages of Max, not only is he a real presence in the midfield and around the ground (applying pressure etc), but he can fill holes and take big grabs all over the ground. Its like having an extra KPP on every line. Do we need a quality back-up ruck to win the flag? We didn't in 2021 and did pretty well without one last year. Im pretty sure Trac even got a hit out in last years finals? What is more important than a 'ruckman' is someone who will apply pressure and cover ground, get to contests etc. Hopefully Fullarton and Schache (I have been very down on him previously) can do a good job of it, as well as T Mac and JVR where required.

Apart from the time he kicked 53 goals in a season...

Thanks everyone for all the respectful conversation here. It's great to see so many passionate supporters and for us to be able to engage like this. I've really enjoyed it. Great thread too. Go Dees.

Absolutely Beelzebub, that is one of my core points too. We are the MELBOURNE Football Club - not the SE Suburbs football club. I would love for the club (and some of the supporters) to have that view. Does Collingwood think it's base is around the inner north? No. It thinks it's base is in every toothless head on the planet. I don't think anyone would argue that the MCG is our home, our heart and soul, and for all the illogical things that following a football team involves, it does include a heart and soul. It would be brilliant if we could have our base at the MCG, including a social club and training facilities, but I'll take 2 out of 3. This is one of the reasons I have been in favor of the option closer to the MCG for a training / social club venue. It doesn't have to be Port Melbourne, I'd just like it to be closer to the 'G. Go Dees.

As the bird flies I do, by car its probably the same amount of time, no idea about public transport. My point was more about having a central (Melbourne) location than one in the SE suburbs.

How bloody ridiculous. It's Casey 2.0

Thanks for this but it all feels a bit like we are being sold a monorail. Firstly, I don't think its brilliant logistically and it's certainly not in the 'heartland'. It's the Melbourne Football Club, not Caulfield. It may be on 3 train lines, but they certainly aren't the 3 that all members or fans are on. It's very limited thinking to have the view we are a inner SE club, we need to think bigger than that. Also, Caulfield is not 10 min from the MCG unless you have a helicopter. Again, monorail. While the racecourse "could" house two MCG-sized grounds, will it? There doesn't seem to be any solid plans or even drawings that have been shared, and no word from the VRC around their agreement to any of this. It's like buying a Toyota Camry and saying "it could go 400km/h" - without saying you need to drop it out of a plane to do so. A principal agreement really doesn't hold much water. There may well be a need for facilities in the area, but that's hardly reassuring around who is going to pay for it or support it.

I am late to this thread, so apologies if Im treading on old ground. I *just* saw the Port Melbourne announcement: https://www.portmelbournefc.com.au/city-of-port-phillip-announce-redevelopment-plans/?fbclid=IwAR3eDRse-qnQ6WimemOSWjL5El9qmww_n1eGVnvYqaw2303Nx6E-RgF7yV4 Got to say I'm really disappointed that we didn't pursue this further with Port Melbourne, if we did. There is enough room there for a second ground and a training centre. I'm really confused as to how Caulfield Race track is a better fit than Port Melbourne. The logistics are much, much better than Caulfield. Where are we training at Caulfield - in the middle of the track? Really disappointed and keen to learn more about this decision making process.

Am loving this thread - thank you!

I'd nearly forgotten about the Schache selection in the finals. Truly bizarre stuff - needs a bit more oxygen to make sure selection isn't done without question. Would Grundy have done better than a non-utiliesd Schache? Almost definitely. I think the excuse (or even reason) for poor performance being attributed to wet weather doesn't really stand up. Footy is a winter sport. I also have no issue with Brodie wanting a starting Ruck role and wish him all the best up north.

I dont think its so much about the match up as the sheer number of games both teams will be playing

It's a reflection of how many games we have to play next year. Injury and fitness are more important than ever.

Thanks very much for the detail here, really appreciated. My big concern with Tholstrup, at this point, is that he hasn't played against high quality opposition at this point. That isn't his fault at all, but he spent a year in the Colts in WA - then was in the WAFL in a year when anyone fit was playing for the Eagles or Freo. Again, Im going to be pumped to be proven wrong and he seems like he has the right attitude.

My issue wasn't to do with service levels, but treatment of their workers. I understand most supporters seem OK to take cash from anyone on the basis that everyone else does, I just wish our club could be more ethical.

Yes, but how many teeth does he have and how many are his?

I'd be happy if we got UP TO 10 games from him - as long as they were all high impact / high importance games like 2023. I dare say his value in 2024 will be as much with working with the kids as it will on the field.

Can we nominate who we get to kill for their achilles?

His forward pressure was certainly an area you could criticise him for, but he seemed to address that this year. He is also, probably, the smartest forward we have with the best natural instincts and "forward craft". Having Melk working with the young forwards while he is in rehab will certainly improve our list. I would have looked at signing him in a forward-coach role if he didn't decide to play on.

Not best pleased about this. Hertz has a very poor history in regards to ethical behavior, particularly in the way it has treated employees. You'd think that a club that has finished Top 4 regularly and won a flag could attract someone more in line with our own values.

As always, very excited by new recruits coming to the club. Hope is one of the secrets to a happy life. I'm not sure how likely it is that these new kids will be playing next year, I dare say they are more likely in the coming years when Langers & Hunter may not be on the wings anymore, or Tracc is spending more time up forward than in the middle. After years of MFCSS, the one thing I have been cured of is distrust in the recruiters. They have done a fantastic job the last 5+ years and the club seems to have the right culture for success. I'm sure these kids can get the most out of themselves in the MFC environment and with the right approach.