picket fence

Quality post!!

I said at the time that there is no way known "Ollie Wines" would not have been a better fit for the Melbourne Football Club than Jimmy Toupas and was howled down. I now will spell it out. Jimmy Toumpas nice skills and may become a very good footballer but the club AGAIN has been remiss in not securing a player that fits our most glaring need. IN AND UNDER CONTESTED BALL AND MID FIELD GRUNT!! It could not have been too hard to get it right, BUT alas like so many monumental stuff ups by this club why would you be surprised. I hope Jimmy Toumpas will become a very good player, but if I could ask a question Just who is going to get it out to him to show his skills?? A mid line of Jones, Viney and Toumpas would at least have given us more conistent first use!

Yes, well, lower leagues, surf city, Ocean Grove you said. well He must have had the players down there totally Bluffed!! Looking at this DVD does not inspire me one little bit! Problem is you have to earn respect and amidst trying to ram a playing style which so far has not resulted in winning footy, players being delisted, traded, dropped It wouldn't surprise me if the players have any confidence in him at all!! I may be wrong but there doesn't seem to be any two way communication link, just all one way rhettoric! and that "so called" steely glare is seemingly nothing more than window dressing to cover for the fact that I don't believe that he can coach at this level! I just wonder how many of the players actually buy into his playing style whatever that may or may not be?? Give me a Swooper Northey anyday, knew when to fire up knew when to hold back. Involved the players, supporters, at a very inclusive level and almost pulled of a remarkable premiership!! In answer to the poser, No, this man does not inspire me at all!

I am looking forward to watching Olllie Wines, who, I still would have drafted in front Of Jimmy Toumpas based on our need for midfield Grunt. I am expecting both these players to have an instant impact and will watch with interest. I hope we have finally got this choice right!

The other things I found in garage recently were a stack of old football records I collected from 1972/73/74/75/76/77 I probably have a hundred or so and ALL ARE MELBOURNE GAMES. I also have many Melbourne Finals footy records from 87-91. Might check my mums house for some other "Archived" stuff, you never know what might turn up that I assumed would be gone, but not forgotten! Cheers 'The Fence"

Shheeeeeit I had the complete set of Mobil cards from each period around this time. The reason I had them is that a distant relative from my dads side was the owner?? Mnager of the MOBIL petrol station on the corner of Highett rd and Bluff Rd Highett! I also collected the complete "Shintaro" The Samurai card set and others which over time memory escapes me. The Samurai set was particularly impressive given that as you collected each card, by completion if you turned them over you had a massive shot of SHINTARO on the back!!! I reckon Star Trek, Man from Uncle, were others I collected over time! They are worth quite a bit now ......... But alas they are all gone!! BUT... I still have my "TRIANG" Train sets and" MOTORIFIC" TORTURE TRACK!! I still remember the Ad MOTORIFIC, ITS TERRIFIC!! YAY Ah for those days! Nostalgically "The Fence"

Smithy, we were the most powerful,POWERHOUSE team in the competition for a long period of time through the golden premiership Norm Smith years! We have suffered horribly since 1964, more horribly than any other team. Regardless of our own management and stuff ups and more than a modicum of tellingly bad luck( Karma) My view is what goes around comes around and whilst not going overboard about Essendons shocking football department mangement and clear supplemental increments, I say stuff em!! Do the crime do the time and if that means Essendon goes onto its kness SO BE IT!

No I'm not, but if my sources are correct there was NO doubt that given his form before his unfortunate knee injury, several AFL clubs had him well and truly on the radar to be drafted for this year. Given a great season with Norwood in 2013 who knows?? I'll back him if he gets on the park! In fact I'll say this, if Michael Newton plays near enough to a full season at Norwood in 2013 without mishap, he will be drafted in 2014 !!!!

The third test in Sydney provides the selectors with a fantastic opportunity to "Blood"spinner Glenn Maxwell but will they? Probably not, but If I were them I would play him instead of Nathan "I don't spin the ball much" Lyon. I don't believe based on what I have seen that Lyon will ever be a match winner, tidy slow medium line and length seems about it I'm afraid.. If Lyon plays and doesn't fire here It might push him down the spin bowling order I feel.Jon Holland is also a possibility for a tour pending fitness. Let's be Bold and see what Glenn Maxwell's got and rest Lyon to canvas all spin bowling possibilities and prepare for the Indian tests and ultimately the next ashes series with a bit of foresight! Eh?

Graeme Yeats is my hunch!

Would want to find form and rediscover some pace early!

Pretty happy witrh this team but would make several minor changes depending on match ups Nicho to the back pocket swap with Tappy Roden starts on a HFF Sylvia starts on Bench Dawes and Clarke to swap Pederson to do relief ruck duties where required One other comment, Trengove would want to fire up like a box of rusty detonators in a cracker factory because competition will be fierce! I also agree No Davey I reckon his pace is gone. My hunch is that he will start at Casey get injured and retire mid year. Strauss will also be lucky to get a game I believe! Dunne, Terlich, Nev Jetta I hope can remain injury free and provide options all of which are in the mix as well as Spencil. That will do for a start.! Oh one other thing Cale Morton to languish at Sth Fremantle magoos

No not at all mate I just have a philosophically different view that Insiders are much better value than outsiders Only speaking from personal view as to how I played the game! I wish Jimmy T all the best!!!! AND I will watch with interest!

Our drafting in the last few years including this draft is like a polly waffle Hard on the outside but when you put the bite on it it is soft in the middle! Again massive ?????????

Speak to me and justify your vindictive, verbose comments later in the year eh? I hope for your sake and Jimmy's and the club's and those "In the Know" footballing oracle, that Jimmy Toumpas does fire up!!! I wish him all the very best. I will watch with interest!

I'll give you a quick summary ... Shattered !!!

Nup Inside grunt beats outside run and carry in my book ANYDAY! Our greatest need is WINES not Toumpas!

And that friends is my greatest fear!! We need Wines Not Toumpas! Huge mistake coming I feel! Too many on this site have been seduced by run and carry But have we the Grunt to get it out consistently to him?? My answer is a big NO WINES WHO WILL STAY CLOSE TO THE VINES!

"I'm not wearing this, don't care if he is better than Robbie Flower, a kid from a Greek close knit Adelaide family, with two broken hips,....surely for once the MFC footy Dept. will not stuff this up, refers to Jackie Watts,and Little Tommy, Cale the Whale, Broke McQueen, Silvia ,Maric, Cook,...good lord no, just for once, please.....NO TOUMPAS..sorry kid..your probably a good bloke." I'm with Bluey 100% on this and I iterate *Looks too much outside *Potentiality of injury/reinjury( two hip surgeries already) *Strong Greek family ties and I mean strong Our most palpable need is inside ball winning GRUNT! For those reasons above I hope HOPE we go the Philosophical driven Neeld Grunt strong body Model. Same as you Bluey sorry kid BUT OUR GREATEST NEED IS GRUNT! WINES! IS THE MAN FOR OUR CLUB NOW !To borrow from my "Ology" post

Taken from big footy draft guide, "Purely Toumpas will be an outside Midfielder" And therin lies the danger, just watch his highlights reel and count his contested possesions, I counted 1 in about ten highlights! For reasons I have already stated we need hard nut ball winning mids, A running reciever IS NOT OUR GREATEST NEED at the moment. A Wines who goes and gets it IS! Sorry but our club needs big bodied grunt mids... a BIG mistake if we don't draft Ollie Wines regardless of Jimmy Toumpas availability IMV oh and the other Go homer was Nathan Bassett. Ho hum to Scott Thompson?? I still regret the whole episode. You want to take the risk OK go ahead.

Ahem Scott Thompson?

WINES easily

Dodgy Hips ( didn't test) And Strong "Go Home factor" "CAVEAT EMPTOR" I'll leave it there Mr. Hur!

As many as we can get!! Give me inside grunters than any outside mid any day, hour,second of the week Rotate your insiders who will at least get the pill. No good having a Toumpas who might not get as much of it if we can't get our hands on it and get out! First priority in footy GET IT! a rotational mid field of the likes of Viney, Jones and WINES makes much more sense to me . That PLUS as mentioned the strong sense if my spies are correct that Toumpas has strong family ties in Sth Aus and the very real "Go Home factor" Can we risk another Scott Thompson debacle??? No bloody way known I also do not like the sound of TWO sets of surgery on hips. WINES MUST BE THE MAN PICKED AT 4

Toumpas a big NO from me. Far too much probability of go home factor against this kid if my mail is right! WINES WINES AND WINES without a moment's hesitation.