rpfc

Another Melbourne supporter letting the players off the hook. I know we don't want to get stuck into Green, Davey, et al. but they have been pathetic this season. And I would argue that the players that Bailey has 'brought in' have been a frackload better than the 'senior' players he inherited. Our list was in worse shape than I imagined, and we are still feeling the repercussions. If it takes a Malthouse to get consistency from Green, Davey, et al, then fine. But they do not get to be 'leaders' in that team because they clearly are not.

Preaching to the fracking choir... If Bailey goes - the Leadership Group goes with him. Spill all positions. Gather all players 23 and under and tell them to decide who, of that group, who will lead us into our era.

I would argue that the bar that many on this thread have set is far more realistic than the one MFC fans have had over the past couple of years. They wanted something akin to what he is showing now from day one. I don't care what he is doing now - along as he is competing and his attitude is good (and from all accounts it is) then all I care about is developing him for when he is 22/23 and a major cog in our attempts to become relevant again.

Since when is giving ultimatums to 19 year olds showing 'toughness'?

These sentences are incongruous. Takes '7 plus years' to see whether he is the right coach but he is, according to your summation, not the right coach? ? And more of 2011 needs to happen before anyone can judge progress, or lack thereof. How patronising of you. Things are not looking good with some terrible performances but I want to see more before I make judgements on the coach and the FD.

There is no self-awareness here at all. If you quietly wished Jordan McMahon to kick that goal, you cannot throw Bailey's win/loss record back at him. We tanked/experimented/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and it was gooooood! His win/loss record is meaningless and to bring it up is pointless.

We are so young, and unlike other clubs, our youth are our 'senior' players. Who do you think rpfc looks at now when we need leadership onfield? Moloney, Jamar, Grimes, Trengove, Scully, Jurrah, Petterd, Frawley, Jones, Garland, Bail, and Batram. Anyone notice the issue here? The Captain and the Vice-Captain are not there. The clubs we are competing with as 'middling' sides are aided by their senior players - we are not.

What would prompt you to ask such a question? Just curious.

Completely unfair. I didn't rate him as having a future before this season, he is now destined to have a future with the sub rule requiring the back-up ruck to be able to play a different role - he can play back (unlikely) and he can cause a contest forward. And his ruckwork is getting better... The next month of footy, he will have the time of his life, I have no doubt he will use it to stitch up a permanent spot in the side.

Bailey isn't wrapping himself in glory so far this season but I have to pick on our 'senior' players once again. 7 goals to two first quarter. 12 goal turnaround. Injuries aside and personnel issues, those two sentences grate... Green and Co. are far too happy with themselves after one decent effort. I just want to move on from our 25+ year old players. So much talent and leadership and confidence and arrogance with the 22 and unders...

Yes, this season has had its terribly disappointing moments but... The ease with which Melbourne fans become pathetic, hand-wringers continues to astonish me. We are not a big club, not at the moment. But you don't become a big club with the defeatist, pathetic attitude some on here show at the first sign of some gloom. Success isn't linear and we coming from a ways back. We will get to the summit. We might get there later rather than sooner, with different faces in different places, but we will get there.

How pathetic. You will see one, but you will enjoy it more if you get rid of this defeatist, pathetic attitude. And CS - who gives a frack about 1965? Fans have got to get rid of this fallback of 'we have been crap for so long, so why would it stop.' It stops when people at the club and fans demand it stop.

That's assuming the 'pupils' are ready for senior school...

Best goal I have seen since Farmer used to jag them from everywhere.

Don't think it is fair to say to Bennell "3 weeks or that's it." And Dunn did nothing in his first three years. I would argue he has played half a season of good footy and half a season of decent footy. He's going to find it difficult to keep his place when everyone is fit, but that isn't because he isn't developing, it is because of our talent.

People will still read your stuff even if it has correct spelling and grammar. And if you ever have a point you want to make - you can make it stand out by allowing posters to understand what you are talking about.

3 weeks to render judgement as a player in 2011? His career? Jeez... We have given Bate and Dunn 7 years. With the more celebrated latter having a most average career. I am willing to give the talented kids time. They will need it, and we will be rewarded for our patience.

People will still read your stuff even if it isn't bolded. And if you ever have a point you want to make - you can make it stand out by bolding it.

I was being flippant. But don't come to me in argument and say 'Mark McClure agrees with me!' and expect anything other than a giant WGAF from rpfc. Especially when it is MFC specific.

I don't think this was written by a Dees fan. And there is a difference between think we will lose, and accepting the loss.

They have a very broad view. Too broad to know the impact of Melbourne's 21st best player on the weekend. Every fan expects these panels to be all over their particular team, and maybe if you are a top 4 team they will spend more time looking at you and crystalising their thoughts they may come up with something that begins to look like a rational thought. But I would trust my own lying eyes rather than their thoughts on the effectiveness of Bate on Sunday.

Well that settles it... I have defended Bate on a number of occasions from unfair criticism and selective memory. But he wasn't great on Sunday and Newton coming in means that our forward line would be too slow and top heavy with Newton and Bate in there at various times. There are too many people on here looking at panels on Fox to support their views and it isn't healthy. They are idiots on individual teams - they 'skim read' while we 'delve into the minutiae' when it comes to the Dees.

I'm [censored] off, but jeez... Can we just move on. When we win a flag I will barely remember this.

One can only assume that the cheersquad has already thought up the most inane attempt at terza rima that makes Dante stand-up in the Heaven Duplex and say "that's [censored]!" I'm in a bad mood...

Let's hope the players channel their rage into this sat arvo. We gotta move on, but the AFL should clarify this nonsense at the end of the year.