Banter

I'm not sure if Strauss squibbed a couple of tackles or what the reason was but he definitly missed a couple. There was a memorable one in the middle of the ground that directly resulted in a goal or shot on goal. Hes only young so I hope he gets better at it because I think he could be a very good part of the team. If Jurrah didn't squib contested marks then he pulled out of a few he should've gone for. I think we all aggree he's out of form at the moment (which is why he started on the bench) and that's one element I'd love to see him improve on. I agree with rude boy that he should just be allowed to play his natural game which is awesome. All in all the constested footy was way better this week and its good contested footy that is going to win us finals in years to come.

Green - Leave him forward Jones - contested footy bliss Watts - better contested footy Gysberts - a natural footballer (Dean Baily quote) Bennell - beat his man Frawly - lacking some confidence Trengove - amazing return game Morton - better contested footy Syliva - no!, another injury McKenzie - best on ground Moloney - gut running special Jurrah - squibbed contested marks River - awesome backline leader McDonald - deserves his spot Scully - fantastic line breaker Martin - great ruckman emerging Gawn - very promising signs Howe - awesome team player Jetta - tough gut runner Strauss - soft tackles squibbed Nicholson - tough little hombre (dennis committee - I think) Evans - good decision maker

He tackles like his arms are painted on. Needs to take a few tips from Jordie Mc.

It seems like the consensis on Demonland and other places is that we need to draft a decent tall forward to complement Watts and Jurrah. I really like what I've seen from Tim Mohr at Casey. He hasn't done as much this season because he injured his shoulder early on but he played a good final against the ants last week end on a day not suited for the big men. Also last season I thought he was super - perhaps better than Alex Silvagni who has cracked a spot at Freo. He's really agile for a bloke his size so he's not out of the game when the ball hits the deck. He's also only 21 (turning 22 next month). I think he'd be worth a go as a late round, rookie pick and especially given the recent success of ex-VFL players. Here's his details from the Casey web site Tim Mohr Jumper No: 15 Height: 195cm Weight: 98kg D.O.B: 1988-10-19 Previous Clubs: Tasmania/Launceston Just wondering what people think - especially those who follow Casey closer than what I do?

Thanks again KC, I really liked Strauss's game. Every time he touched it his disposal was perfect. Will make a very good Lindsay Gilbee type I think. There was also a lot to like about the games of a lot of the other demons too - especially Jurrah and Jetta. Go Casey!!

Finally melbourne is showing some fight, promise and real team pride and all that I seem to see and hear is talk of us loosing games. Yes I want to see the playing list being rebuilt as is already happening just as I am over the moon that so many other facets of the club are being rebuilt - from the coaching staff to the board to Matt Burgan now doing excellent articles for the web site every week. And yes I want to see the club playing the young players in different positions to see who is worth their spot on the list. However all this focus on loosing is counter productive in my opinion. I'd like to see the players having a fair dinkum crack every week not in the least to create that sort of culture amongst the young players just as they have been doing in the last few weeks. If that means having the odd win then great. So yes of course I'd like to see Melbourne get some decent draft picks but I think just as important (and maybe more important) is creating a culture of having a fair crack at winning.

Brad Green - Showed great courage

Brock McLean - Playing while injured??

Thanks KC. It sounds promising.

Thanks for the updates. Hope the carpark recovers OK after saturday.

Yesterday was the first time I've seen him and he was subbed on and off for meesen so probably played 2/3rds of a game. He seems to be able to run OK. I can't remember seeing him do much of either marking or kicking so for me the the jury is still well and truely out. Has a way to go before he proves himself in my book but looking forward to seeing how he goes this year.

The only thing missing today was a big boggy patch in the middle of the ground to muddy up the players. The rest felt like old shool footy with a wintery blast and people hanging around on the boundry and on the hill around the outside. I really like the ground and it held together well despite the rain. I hope petterd is OK. Showed heaps of courage flying for marks and looked really good. Bennell is a quality player. Just seems to think quicker than most in tight situations and disposes of it well. Really good awareness and vision IMO. The fact that he is small doesn't seem to be a disability. Green put in an other quality performance. Took a great mark running with the flight of the ball in the third and showed a fair bit of courage. Cheney is another that shows no fear. Col Garland lived up to his recent billing and was poised quick and made some excellent spoils. Steph Martin looks a player. Did his job well and made good decisions. Mclean had a better game IMO than people are giving him credit for. Jetta looks dangerous up forward but missed everything going for a checkside goal from a free kick. I bet I know what he'll be doing at training this week. Look to injure himself in the 3rd (I think). But ran away when he saw the trainer coming. Not long after he was back doing some good things. Showed hes pretty tough. Rivers looked ready to bounce back. Bate was less effective than I hoped he would be. All in all the team looked harder and more precise than when I saw them last year. Looking forward to watching them fight it out a bit more this year.

I'm with those that don't think that our list management has been too bad. I thought they may have had a go at Roughhead at pick 17 or 19 last year or Jarrod Redden at 36 or 51 but I'm not a recruiter and I don't know all the ins an outs of it. With ruckmen IMO the best model is to have 2 senior rucks on the list a developing backup ruckman and a rookie. Having a ruckman as a rookie is a pearler I reckon because it allows them to develop without the pressure of being on the senior list as it seems these guys take a bit of time to "grow into their bodies" - I've heard that somewhere before!. CAC pulled off some coups there with Jolly, Jamar, and Troy Simmons all being rookied (I think). Now it appears that Spencer might be another of his gems though IMO it is way too early to pass judgement. Anyway it appears the only problem is our backup ruck (Meesen) may be struggling but there's time to sort that out before we are having a go at a premiership. Anyway I reckon its a bit to early to be passing judgement on list management. I think its better to think about it at the end of the season when something can actually be done about it.

Thats what you get for playing up in a tropical outpost. Hopefully they'll makie up for it by having heaps of media at the game this weekend. Hope we put up a really good fight!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to seeing how he goes. We're getting a good contingent of indiginous guys. I wonder what our chances are of getting a dreamtime game??

Darren Jolly is 28 this year and we are looking to build the list. I'm not jealous. Hopefully Mr Dunn will repay the demons by having a good year and an even better career ahead. Give meesen a go. I don't think we're tring to win the premiership. This year is to see who can play and to develop the list, so why not give him a go?

I'll be there for sure. Its handy for Gipplanders!! hope they have a few more games out here. Its going to be a bit like suburban games from bygone eras. Should be great What's the go I thought there would be a bit more media for this game. Has there been anything in the Cranbourne newspapers?

I totally agree. To get a sponser you need exposure in the media, high numbers of members and to be a club that captures peoples hearts that people find young, new, interesting, sexy, winning etc. and all of these things are tied in together. For a battling club we are doing OK in the media at the moment. There was an other page sized story in the HUN yesterday about Watts and there has been a fair few high quality articles in the age. I think it would be realy positive to meet with the people from the age or others in the media and work out ideas to that the news papers etc. would find interesting eg a King Lake vs Flowerdale warm up match before a Melbourne home game. Imagine how those guys would feel playing on the G. Anyone involved in the bushfires could come along for free. and you could auction off our red cross jumpers after for charity. I think the game at Casey in a couple of weeks time will be a good opportunity to showcase the club. And a 30 year deal with the Casey scorps on that day would really increase interest, particullarly if there was five or six thousand people there. It would also be a great launch for the partnership. You could leak out a few stories in the week before about how we still don't have a sponser. It would make a great platform to announce a sponser on that day.

Cheers WJ. Looking forward to hearing how the Jetta, Strause and co. go. Hope we give them a hiding.

I reckon that Jones could be a pretty handy AFL player especially if he stays inside and doesn't try to be the reciever where oppositions players that are faster than he is just run around him (at under 18 level he had a huge amount of handball recieves) . He's still got improvement in him because he only just turned 21 and I think he will have a pretty good year this year (though I havn't seen any of the preseason so far). For me the question is if Melbourne can have Moloney, Jones, Mclean and possibly Valenti all in the same team. The first 3 were recruited at a time when we were considered skilled but too soft in the midfield. So first effectively first round draft choices in 2003, 2004 and 2005 were used to draft these types of players so it was obviously a priority. Perhaps the balance has gone the other way now.. I'm pretty keen on the idea of getting players that have a good all round game if possible. Anyway I'm looking forward to the season and watching Jones and the other younger guys running around. Hopefully we'll belt the swans and Jetta, Grimes, Jones, Morton, Bartram, Dunn, Bate, Strause, Petterd, Frawley, Cheney and Spencer all give use a bit of hope for the future.

I don't get it. At training loads of people were saying he worked really hard but his disposal was crap. Now heaps of people are raving about him? Crossing my fingers he can build on some new found confidence. He sounds like a parting gift from Craig Cameron. thankyou sir!

Nice work. Sounds like like doc larkins! Looking forward to reading any of your injury reports throughout the year. Glad to hear that it is unlikly that he will have any ongoing problems with balance ala Alisha Molic with her dodgy ears. I heard it was really painful. Can't have been easy to concentrate on footy with that.

I knew that Wona was injured but Bartram? This article says that he has a burst ear drum. www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/72516/default.aspx What happened there? Maybe we can excuse him for making a few bad decisions late in the game.... Does anyone know if these repair themselves? I though that the inner ear was for balance - what does this mean then??????

I was hoping Jetta and Bail might make the cut. Its probably not a bad idea to play the older guys though to increase the chances of getting through to the next round and hopefully a bit of TV exposure for a change.

I think TJ gave what he could, and what his body would allow. He improved his hardness latter in his carrer and he was always heavily tagged. I'll miss him heaps, just watching him move through traffic like it is not even there and hit people with passes with pinpiont accuracy. I think he was worth more than pick 14 and I think that Brisbane with Lappin, Adcock, Black, Power and Johnstone in the middle and Brown up front are going to be a very good side. However this is a statement from a new coach. I think he's stetting the benchmark of what he wants each individual in the team to achieve as high as possible. I don't think that is a bad thing. Go Dees!