Chook

I think it's fair to say Hutchy might own a Hummer.

Wow. I expected to be absolutely shouted down. Well there you go.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I'm watching Footy Classified right now and - as usual - Demon Gazza and "Who Ate All the Pies" Crag Huchison are laying into Caroline Wilson and I've begun to realize something strange. Carro is my hero. Yep, in the footy world, where intelligent people are about as rare as a drug-free West Coast Eagles player, Mrs. Wilson is a shining light. A woman in a male-dominated, yobbo business, Carro comes under fire for almost everything she does or stands for, yet more often than not comes out the other end of an hour of [censored]-slinging smelling like a rose. A true credit to her gender, her profession, the game, and herself. I love you Caroline Wilson. There, I said it.

But Aaron Davey's not a sprinter. He is a fast footballer who's being asked to sacrifice his strengths in order to make him into something he's not.

Wow. Talt about a Lazarus thread. Or is it Methuselah?

There may be a thread on this a few pages back, but I'll answer anyway. Brad Miller I always thought he was a great leader whose talents and confidence were being destroyed by playing him way to far from goals. In my perfect Melbourne side, I'd make him Captain and plunk him at full forward. Not like a Fraser Gehrig, but pretty much as a center-half-forward who, when he takes marks, is actually some 35 meters closer to goal because of his closer starting point.

Absolutely. I think Fremantle are in the worst position out of any club. They're a chance of winning 5 games this year, missing out on the priority pick this year and thus missing out on the first round priority pick next year because of that. On top of all that, they're going to have a thin draft to work with and very very few top line senior players after about six of them retire this year. West Coast and Melbourne are a mile closer to a flag than Fremantle because of this. Indeed, depending on the quality of the blokes in this year's draft, we, Carlton and Richmond are best placed to take advantage of the lull that will occur at the top of the table in a few years time, when Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs (who I don't really rate) all succumb to their inevitable falls. That's only if the two new Clubs aren't gifted Premierships - which I'm sure the AFL would never let happen!

Good work Deanox. You've just reinforced what we already know and, in light of those stats, I don't really think we could have expected anything other than what happened yesterday.

Well, he's getting on for a small forward who relies on his pace. A lot of people forget that he's 25. While that's usually the peak of a normal footy player's career, I've always thought that he'd only be really good while his pace and determination lasted. And unfortunately, it hasn't lasted nearly as long as I think we'd hoped. Forcing him to play in the midfield and sacrifice some of his pace for endurance hasn't helped much, either. I love the guy, but don't think he'll age anywhere near as well as even Jeff Farmer, although I think his positive work ethic and smaller ego might help him avoid some of the pitfalls that have befallen the Wiz. Having said that, I still believe, as - I think - would any Melbourne supporter, that he'd be one of the first picked each week. I just think that, because we so often struggle in getting the ball inside 50 enough, we need to have Aaron planted there so he can help keep the ball in with his sometimes astounding forward pressure and creativity.

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but in 5 quarters of footy against the Dockers this year, we've been outscored by around 135 points. That's got to be some kind of record, doesn't it? Having said that, in the other 3 quarters, we've smashed them by around 85. I've long thought of Freo and Melbourne as the two teams who's gap between good and bad is the greatest. This just emphasizes that fact.

I think you and I are in the minority, buddy.

God, I remember that Sunday night. We were on top of the ladder and I was playing soccer in the back yard thinking, for the first time (I'm only 19) "[censored], we could actually win a Premiership." Fast forward to our 5-point loss against Essendon in the Elimination Final just a month later and my emotions could not have been further apart. After that loss, I just felt sick to my stomach until at least a week after the Grand Final. To me, that year was a million times more disappointing than our loss to the Dons in 2000 because, let's face it, nobody but the Blues were ever a chance of knocking them off that year. As some Essendon player once put it, "Footy sucks sometimes."

Don't let anyone fool you. We are a dead-set chance to win less than 5 games next year, too.

Where's Yze_Magic when you need him?

Johnson of the Dockers sprays a kick from just inside 50, scoring a behind. Fremantle 2.6.18 Melbourne 6.3.39

Buckley injured from a pack marking contest as a Miller kick is touched on the line, resulting in a behind. Fremantle 1.5.11 Melbourne 6.3.39 Freo getting it together as Pavlich marks 35 out, directly in front, from a good passage of play though the middle. Goal. Fremantle 2.5.17 Melbourne 6.3.39

Ibbotson sneaks a goal from one of the worst passages of football I have ever seen. Fremantle 1.5.11 Melbourne 6.2.38

A goal to Jamar from 35 directly in front, from a pass by Brad Miller. Fremantle 0.4.4 Melbourne 6.2.38 Jamar's around-the-ground work is a little better this week, as the Dockers kick another behind, this time from a shot outside 50. Fremantle 0.5.5 Melbourne 6.2.38

Another behind to the Dockers from an errant kick to Pavlich. Fremantle 0.4.4 Melbourne 5.1.31 A rushed behind spoiling a nearly magical Davey goal. Fremantle 0.4.4 Melbourne 5.2.32

Rushed behind to Fremantle, tapped through by Garland. Fremantle 0.3.3 Melbourne 5.1.31 Fremantle still goal-less but playing a little better this quarter.

Couldn't agree more. If we can keep this up, we might be in front by 50 points by half time. And we all know that games between Melbourne and Freo are always decided by then, right? I was kind of hoping Jonesy would be a little more prominent, given what happened to him las time these two teams played.

Ibbotson gets a free inside 50 and shanks the kick. A behind. Fremantle 0.2.2 Melbourne 5.1.31 Valenti having a good game also.

Johnson marks inside 50 directly in front and slots another. Fremantle 0.1.1 Melbourne 5.1.31 As good as we're playing, Freo are not here to play, and as Demons, we all know how frustrating that can be.

Morton sharks a loose ball from a stoppage inside 50 and runs into an open goal. You little ripper! Fremantle 0.1.1 Melbourne 4.1.25 Freo don't look like scoring and the Demons' pressure is insane. Good skills too.

Brad Miller kicks a good goal from 40 meters out as a direct result of a Ryan Crowley 50 meter penalty for arriving late to a marking contest against Valenti. Fremantle 0.1.1 Melbourne 2.1.13 The dees are on fire, as Newton kicks a ripper from the boundary. Fremantle 0.1.1 Melbourne 3.1.19