rpfc

Amen. And some dignified retirements.

The Senior Player Deadline Round 6 is coming up and the average age of the side on saturday was 24.5 years. Valenti should play (and someone should retire) and Frawley, Buckley, Bate, Maric, Petterd, Moloney, Cheney, Meesen, Newton, McNamara, Martin, and Bode could not be worse than these blokes. We are all rambling a bit after the loss but the older 'senior' players need to be moved out for players who might help us get a flag: Carroll (has been our best but is not going to be around when we are decent), Wheatley (half good, but again longevity and 'as a defender, he's one hell of a wingman', C.Johnson (no reason required), Miller (OOC in '09 - amazing), Neitz (great career; its over), Robertson (OOC in 2009 - has been awful), Whelan (injury ravaged, longevity), and White (last year anyway). That's 8 with Jamar to follow when P.Johnson is fit. Only Bruce, Green and Macca get a pass because one is a leader and the other two should be preserved for trade week, if they are worth anything. Bring in Frawley, Cheney, McNamara, Meesen, Petterd, Bate, Newton, Maric, and Valenti and our average age falls by three years.

Some of you blokes are letting the players off too easy. It was the same under Daniher; blame the coach when the players are the ones with no leadership skills, poor decision making abilities, and an inability to perform the most simple tasks under any pressure. They handball to blokes standing still (the entire backline), they handball to blokes about to get tackled (Miller, Bruce, Jones), the handball to blokes' feet (McLean, Green, Wheatley). They kick indiscriminately (Green, Robbo, C.Johnson), they kick to the wrong side of their teammates(entire team), and they kick poorly full stop (C.Johnson, Jones, Robbo).

Plans for Next Season Deletions - Garland, C.Johnson, Warnock Retirements - Yze, Neitz, White, Holland Trade - Bruce (top 15 pick), Green (top 20 pick), Miller (top 35) Upgraded - Wonaeamirri, Valenti 4/7 Picks in the Nat Draft, 1 in the PSD. Current Projections: Picks 3, 19, 36, 52 or w/trades Picks 3, 12, 19, 23, 29, 36, 52 approx. FOUNDATION TEAM - Members IMO good enough to be in a grand final tilt. FB Frawley Bell HB Petterd Rivers C Dunn McLean Moloney HF Davey Morton Wonaeamirri FF Sylvia Bate Newton R Johnson, Jones, Batram I Grimes, Maric I see a good solid spine, and plenty of talent. With a full back required. Maybe Frawley, McNamara, Martin... I am aware of the leap of faith with Frawley (although in the pocket), Dunn, Sylvia, Newton (but again in the pocket), and Grimes and Maric but that's just opinion. Question marks on Buckley, Bode, Cheney, Meesen, Martin, and McNamara.

Jaded, this is not easy for me to say this to a fellow Melbourne supporter but... I'm pretty sure George Bush agrees with you... Just saying...

We will win more than 5 games so no prority pick for us. Richmond at the minute looks like Natinui favs, but hey they've won one more game than us. Carlton have an awful defence and Judd, Stevens, Murphy, and co. don't man up so they'll have their blowouts. But Fev and Judd will win them 5 - 8 games IMO. Thought about this and after the improved performance last week (Geelong was down a bit but their errors weren't 'fatal errors' - errors that directly lead to goals - like ours. Note: Carroll handball, Jones kick, White spoil, White squib etc.) I really think that we won't bottom out. And with a new coach that wants to impress, the 150th year, and the building pressure of the new media narrative - 'Melbourne is in dire straits' - we should continue to be competitive.

Cam is a good player. Cam is not a captain. He should be running our midfield if he is our next captain, and he is playing off a half back flank. If he can do that well for us then fantastic, but it will be because he cannot get a kick in the middle. A flanker shouldn't be a captain. Give it to the bloke who got the handball out, not the one who received it.

Batram played on Chapman, made him earn every touch. Bell switched a few times I believe - Stokes, and the resting midfielder. Not entirely sure. He'll get better as we get better.

Neitz should retire on his own terms. I still believe that Newton is better suited to FF. Quick on a lead, and clever (at times). But without an engine to shine at CHF. Newton or Bate at FF. Some say Bate is useful in the middle. I say we should spread our talent and Bate is 193cm. He really should be looking to be a KPP.

Maybe you should judge the midfield and bag the half forward line that allowed so many inside 50s. I do that. Always.

Didn't say a thing, should have though... But I think White knew it. Awful stuff, if I was DB I would throw Meesen in for him. He's 6 foot 5 and afraid of Mooney.

Bell wasn't bad on Sunday. Look, you don't judge backmen in games where there are 58 inside 50s.

He was great today, but I think it a shame that a bloke that was 8 votes in the brownlow after round 3 in 2005 is reduced to playing off a half back flank. But hey, if he does that for the rest of his career, and there isn't a top 15 draft pick for him, more power to him and DB.

He was OK. It was one game. He still has trouble kicking it properly. We have lowered our expectations so far they are buried in the sand. Miller is not the CHF of a Premiership side. Simple as that.

Robbo should be nervous with Maric. I wonder what DB and JM think.

CHF. Jebus?

It's amazing how two bad losses dims your expectations: we were better today. Skills and decision making a problem, but then again we have always had those issues. Thank Buddha for Rivers, McLean, Bell, Jones (needs to learn to kick though), Batram (Chapman's shadow), Morton, P.Johnson, Davey (2nd half), Dunn, and Wonaeamirri. Our future is not completely bleak. Bruce, White (1st half), Green (when forward), Wheatley, Neitz, and Miller are regaining a little bit, but one game does not salvage a career. Carroll & Macca - Pass Sylvia (get your own footy, Colin), C.Johnson (Fiora, without the kicking ability), Robbo (king of the kick to no-one) and Garland (doesn't show anything) should be on thin ice. PS. Morton was early Pavlich like. He was bloody good. Turn him into a CHF, please Jebus.

We definitely used short kicking more today than last two weeks. Our skills are still very up and down. Less handballing across half back but players took their opponent on and worked hard forward and back - case in point would be Bruce off Johnson. And the forward line worked much harder and Robbo did less stupid things. I'd like to see next week before definitively saying we have changed game plans.

Carlton had 150 points kicked against them in a game they played well in. They are awful. But Fevola may steal a few games for them. Maybe 4-7 wins.

McLean off a HBF? What a waste... If he is there, then he is in trouble. He should be in the guts with any other bloke we can find that wins his own ball: Jones, Batram, and....? Keep McLean where he is needed.

Nah. Develop a team and go for a flag. We have been far too patient and respectful of careers.

List openings come with retirements and we have a few on the way...

OUT Weetra, Bode, Garland, Davey IN Wonaeamirri, Moloney, Rivers, Frawley Garland and Dunn would be the toss up, i'm sure. Don't risk Davey, not in this game. Moloney would kick DB in the mommy-daddy button if he can't play this week. Wonaeamirri showed more in the NAB cup than Weetra. Valenti very unlucky though, but I have an inkling there will be list openings soon. Bode is tough but slight, and where is Petterd? Without Rivers and Petterd our backline has the average IQ of a Nepalese mountain ferret.

Think of like this. If the Junction Oval rooms were on fire, who would be the first 10 you save...? And no jokes about not saving anyone. That's mean. I stand by my earlier list.

Weetra is not going to be dropped with Davey injured, simple as that. And yes, at the moment he does not look that accomplished.