rpfc

We were sh!te today but, really, wake up people. Most on here did their pointless "where do we think we will end up?" exercise at the start of the year and expected 7-9 wins for the year. But as the 15-13 losses come rolling in we don't see the disconnect. Our talent is young and we have poor onfield leaders - this leads to losses like those to the Hawks, Roos, and Eagles. 3 wins, 2 honourable losses (Oh, no! Not honourable losses! They give me the vapours - there is no such thing as an honourable loss!), and 3 disappointing losses. I see it as the inevitable birthpangs of the embryonic team we are building. But that means I letting them off the hook, doesn't it?! Oh, noes! And why don't you try and be a forward coach with Jurrah, Petterd, Wonaeamirri, and Morton missing, Miller out of form, a disinterested Sylvia, a Robbo-incarnate in Hughes, the glorified doorman in PJ, and a 19 year old playing his 4th game. Oh, yeah! It's effing easy...

I only just now have seen your reply in the Watts thread concerning PJ, DD. Here is a snippet: From any reasonable perspective, Johnson is in the 22... because like any good footy judge knows (including you) the Ruckmen are not competing with the midfielders for a place in the starting side. Johnson becomes redundant when we play, say, the Hawks... Or any other side playing only 1 ruckman, because... wait for it... he's a supporting ruckman. And a good one at that. It's typical 'ology/'land groupthink that suggests Johnson isn't up to it. Johnson is redundant as soon as he runs onto the field. I'm sorry for the bloke but he is one of the unfortunate few who wished he was a foot shorter than he is. He is a winger (a poor one) in a ruckmans body. Jamar has his tapwork and contested marking but PJ has nothing to set him apart from my extra runner that would allow him to be in our high-octane run and share gameplan. He does not take contested marks, his tapwork is sub-par, and his second efforts are not impressive. If my extra runner is used as third man up in ruck contests around the ground, suddenly he (Bail, Jetta, Cheney, McNamara, whoever) is more effective in the ruck than PJ! And don't scare the masses by saying that Watts will be back up ruck if Jamar has to go alone. In the few centre contests that Jamar isn't involved in - Warnock, Frawley, Garland, Rivers, or No One will be contesting the ruck before they throw Watts in there. I'm sorry but it isn't group think just because everyone thinks a certain way except you. It is time to abandon ship, DD. He is not good enough.

Pack?! I should have said 'rolling scrum.'

You are asking way too much of whichever young player you think can do what Moloney does. He's got a few more years yet of good footy. I would much prefer a 29 year old Moloney at the bottom of a pack than a 21 yr old Scully or Trengove.

That is saying nothing. Less than nothing. He has "The Project" Spencer, "The Crock" Meesen, and "The Lost" Martin to contend with. I would prefer Jamar spend 60% of the game following and the other 40% in the forward line coming up for every bounce. And play another runner.

It's a government decision, and I would rather clubs benefit rather than some [censored], although the [censored] will always get his un-fair share.

Shouldn't you be contrite? I think there is a disturbing trend in today's society that a simple deflection is sufficient if they have said or done something wrong. Why can't we be man enough to say they screwed up, acted like an idiot, made stupid remarks etc.? Catherine Deveny effs up and says her freedoms have been imfringed upon. Rubbish. She was free to tweet, TA was free to fire her, and she was free to apologise and not make the mistake again. She chose the free path of self righteousness and aggrandisement, and the rest of us are free to say to her - STFU. Huh, my chest is lighter...

Watch our game plan, it would fall apart with out the blokes out the back getting 'cheap' kicks. If AD is doing less, it is because others are doing more. Once Scully gets the tag, or Trengove, watch AD run rampant.

I don't know about Watts but I can't stand the "Dunn was OK" nonsense. He has shown little over the journey and we are going to give him a pass because he has outdone his pathetic standards? Give me a break. Bate is his contemporary and continues to show more than Dunn and steadily improves each year (even if the masses refuse to see it). Bail, Cheney, McNamara, Gysberts, Jetta, and Watts are reasons why Dunn being "OK" isn't enough for him to keep his spot. And one last point - he was rubbish on Friday - kept on giving up the ball and making poor decisions. Give a kid with a future a go.

Isn't it amazing progress that we have graduated from willing the senior coach to move aside to criticising our vastly improved kick-in routine... 6 weeks is an effing eternity.

If that is the crux of your point than we agree. And you are Captain Obvious... "Whenver there is a need to say something inherent or implicit to a conversation - there will be Captain Obvious!" I love you, WYL. But jeez...

If anything, Grimes is too good a decision maker and kick. He will look, as Davey does and TJ did, at delivering passes that are needle threading and opposition breaking and not what the mere mortal kicks in the AFL attempt. Grimes was steady and balanced and played a great game on Friday night, if he makes a mistake he more the makes up for it when his other forward thrusts charge through the opposition.

What a pathetic mindset! Positives from a game...that we lost?! Can I applaud grimes' run from defence? Can I amaze at Scullys' last quarter? Can I be proud that the four highest contested possesion winners were 20, 19, 18, and 18? Can I be happy with that 'progress'? No, because I want my kids to learn to walk before they can crawl. Because I am an anal parent who doesn't like telling them what they are doing right as they grow up, and only point out what small mistakes they made along the way.

I sometimes find you a little tiresome WYL. Of course losses are not the desired result for a group of competitive youngsters, but that game could have, and probably should have, gone the other way. We aregetting better and narrow losses are part of the journey that we started in 2008. Get real and let the kids screw up, they'll learn and get better.

Pink? Meh. We have been wearing burnt orange and purple for 5 years anyway...

Cheque, please!

He's quick in a straight line. It's just the turning he has trouble with...

I'm much more concerned with exposure to the AFL of our young talent and consistent application rather than wins. We are not a chance to win the flag this year, so development of our youngsters should be the priority - if that leads to wins (it is at the moment) then so be it.

Thanks, Nasher. And I wouldn't worry about it. I still got my, incredibly self involved, point across. Get to the game and watch 22 blokes run around playing the way they have been told to play for two years. But with confidence and application. And better handballing ability...

MFC fans hate Etihad. And they should. Awful place...

Sylvinator is right, well argued. However, Scott is just trying to stir a little something-something so more than 20k turn up on Sat.

Nah, I've missed about 4 episodes due to girlfriend issues (spending time with her, spending money on her, etc) so instead of being 'lost' I am just going to buy the DVD when it comes out. Better make sense though...

Garland, Frawley, and Warnock are making it hard for Rivers... And I love Jared Rivers. Maybe Future Garland to do what Bruce does now, and there is a Future Rivers...

I hate the way you pander to MFC officials, in this case - Scott West... Tee hee.

Um, well said?