Chook

Wrong. Bottom clubs will be able to let their underperforming, highly paid players go, thereby freeing up immense space in their salary caps and poach players from other clubs for more money than they would otherwise be making. Lower Clubs usually have more salary cap space than higher clubs, and this new rule will benefit them. We've seen from Tom Scully, Gary Ablett and even Mitch Clark that money talks louder than the promise of success, and wooden spooners tend to have much more to spend than Premiership contenders. I think the clubs that will really suffer are the middle clubs.

Maybe I should take the footy alminac into South Australia and put a bet on. It sounds like they're a few years behind us over there.

Mark my words. If Melbourne doesn't become one of the most successful teams in the competition during Mark Neeld's tenure, it will mean there is something seriously wrong with the basic fabric of the club - something that no coach can fix. I have the ultimate faith in Neeld, and have done for a long time. I was absolutely pumped when I heard we'd picked him up.

You could say I'm a bit of a nerd, since I noticed the Survivor theme before I noticed the boobies. I could even tell you what season it's from (Marquesas).

They didn't mention the case at all, so I don't see why it would be. Of course, I'm not a lawyer.

While I agree, I'm sure there will be more than enough of that in the weeks to come. Indigenous people are notoriously difficult to interview, I've found; and it could be that there was simply not much to be gotten out of Liam's mother. I doubt Liam himself did much talking at all. It would have been nice to get more insight out of the two studio guests, though.

Just as Mark Neeld said today, shifting strategies after such a short time doesn't show any conviction whatsoever. We should support Jack Trengove in his formative months and even years as a Captain, remembering that you can't teach leadership. Jack has it in him and just needs to find it. Becoming comfortable in the role will help that immensely.

Bruce Hearn McKinnon and another fella were on with Ed, basically talking about how travelling down from Yuendumu is like travelling from another world, and how when Dean Bailey and Jim Stynes moved away from the Club, some of Liam's support structure disappeared. They basically said that perhaps that was a sign that Liam needed a little more support from those members of his support team that remained. Liam's grandmother, neice and mother have come down to Melbourne to support Liam and are staying with him. Eddy spoke to Liam's mother, who was sitting on McKinnon's living room couch right next to Liam. She said that it is important that Liam continue to play footy because it shows young people from his community what can be achieved. She believes he is a good role-model to them. They then showed a brief snippet of Liam speaking the native language of the Warlpiri with his family. Only they know what was said, but at the end he cracked a wide smile. I hope I get to see that smile on the MCG again one day.

Really? I'm damn convinced. Convinced that it's not a good idea, that is. Seriously, all the wraps are on Jack Watts pace off the mark, and yet I've hardly ever seen us hit him up on the lead. What's with that? Putting the ball on top of Jack Watts head is a dumb strategy, and I want it banned. Save that crap for when we're in a final and Mitch Clark is marking everything.

As I understand it, Hawthorn's short-kicking gameplan is intended to break through the press. Shouldn't it stand to reason, then, that the way to beat them is to just go one on one? Continuing to play a press against a gamestyle specifically tailored to beat your own is just idiocy, and I'm surprised we didn't at least try a more one on one style today, especially when Hawthorn were really laying on the chip-chip-chips. We still may have lost, not only on the scoreboard, but also in the press practice under match-conditions, but we would have gained some valuable lessons in skill and hardness by playing right on the Hawks tails.

Being a bad footballer and being stupid might be different from one another, but they amount to much the same things. Heaps of turnovers and lots of facepalms by me.

Yeah, Nicholson might be in the wrong sport. Fast, with great endurance, but can't kick or handball. Not the greatest footballer.

No he's already out injured. He's just been kicking it waiting for his wrist to heal. Nothing to see there.

I love footy. I like to wave at it as it goes wooshing past.

It looks like Aaron Davey's leg is still troubling him; but if you ask me, his desire to play hard, competitive footy is totally spent. Barring injuries to other players, I don't see him in our side half-way through this year. Certainly not even at our Club in a couple of years time.

Keep in mind that this is the first real opportunity for Mark Neeld to really analyse his players performances after a loss. They always say you learn more from a loss, so it'll be interesting to see what the coach has to teach our players.

I know David King rates himself a genius special comments man; but as a boundary rider, part of his role is to find out the extent of players' injuries. I haven't heard a thing about Magner from him at all. Not good enough, IMO.

The Hawks kicking skills are just awesome. I don't understand how we can't find players that are as hard as the Hawks' players are, yet can still kick the ball accurately over long distances.

What a team man Colin Sylvia is.

Danny Frawley: "Jack Watts should have shepherded." Meanwhile, the TV replay shows him taking a Hawk out of the contest via a solid bump. Obviously he should have taken out both Hawks. Not sure how you do that, though. Criticism is fine, but make sure you know what you're talking about, Spud!

Agreed. I was merely suggesting that a player would perform better as a part of the structure which he felt best-suited to. I certainly wouldn't be letting everyone just do whatever they wanted. Player input is actually useful for a coach, from time to time.

I found a great video that gives some insight into the Indigenous Law from Liam Jurrah's part of the country. It's only short (3 mins long), but it is really quite educational. Little things like this becoming more widely viewed would give a lot of Australians a greater appreciation of the extreme culture clash that can occur when White Law and Black Law meet.

I'd like to know what Jack Watts thinks is his best position. Play him there and see if he's better or worse at it.

Can someone tell Gerard Healy that there are other ways of saying "right now" than "at the present time." Saying it every now and again makes you sound smart. Saying only that makes you sound like a dumb person trying to sound smart. For future reference: Right now At the moment At this stage Currently Going forward (probably avoid this one) I'm sure there are tons of others, and introducing even one into Healy's vocabulary will make him twice as bearable for me to listen to. Also, the word "horrendous" should be banned. It sounds like pointless grandstanding whenever I hear anyone say it. Dwayne "FROM THE PAINT, THIS COULD BE FOR NINE!!!!!!!! Elects not to go for it. Gives it some shoe! Horrendous!" Russell needs to be retired immediately, or at the very least banned from all Melbourne games.

Down with Dwayne Russell. Up with Anthony Hudson. Can't get enough of him.