Skuit

Right - and I bet none of the Hawks' fans give a flying what he costs. None of the other teams seem to be bothered by salary-cap concerns, I don't know why it's such a big issue with us in comparison. Give money to whoever wants to come to us who will make us better. We can cut our list to 38 if need be. Buy a flag and then sort out sustainable cap-practices from there.

I'm in the Preuss camp. Small sample size, but he's created goals from nothing when we need them and at least looks close to taking a grab rather than just sticking his hands toward the ball with eyes half closed. Keeps one defender deep. Can physically hurt the opposition. Has the ability to tap to advantage. But forget the second ruck discussion, fitness, and VFL form - Braydon still offers far more as simply a forward right now than what Tmac currently does. It's not like Tomald is the key to us trapping it in. We have looked far better up front this year when Tom has been absent - and while I was happy enough to overlook it before, he keeps getting in the way thinking he's some sort of extractor at forward scrums. Would be great to see Braydon somehow go head-to-head with Cox, like in some bizarre two-metre tagging role. All we are saying, is give Preuss a chance.

What exactly is the point of Tom McDonald right now?

I expect that he will lose the contest any time the ball is kicked in his vicinity. And so does he.

This I think is an important point. We were obviously underdone in our season opener - came out firing and then got overrun and dropped our heads. We've been under the pump ever since, and it's obvious our confidence - a fairly key factor in our playing style - took a hit. I've been impressed with Collingwood's ability to stamp it's authority when needed over the past few weeks. But it's had to do that in the last quarter against Sydney, St. Kilda and Carlton. They're not traveling particularly well with their injuries either - but had the chance to establish that winning confidence prior and have had less pressure on them to ensure the win.

I like Gleeson but I think some of his analysis around this is a bit lazy here; the gist being that, compared to Collingwood and Richmond, Melbourne has failed in 2019 despite its chronic injury setbacks. “The troubling thing for Melbourne is that as much as their injury run provides an explanation for their year, the ability of other top-four teams from last year – Richmond and (more recently) Collingwood – to defy injuries to elite players and remain in the hunt illustrates what the Dees have failed to do.” Taking the Age’s assessment of best 22 as given, whomever it happens to have included, shows the Demons having missed 89 games from these players and Richmond and Collingwood 56 and 48 respectively. It’s still a sizeable gap, but is narrowed from the total Melbourne games missed (113) against Collingwood (84) and Richmond (70). I don’t know how they calculate this latter figure, but that’s beside the point. Also, I’m ignoring GWS, which seems to always have a highly injured list but has been handed a significant rolling depth of talent from the AFL (career games average of the non-best 22-replacements would be a more important comparison in this respect). It’s when you consider the two figures together that you get a better view. Melbourne may have had a relatively smaller percentage of its best 22 out (although that’s not actually true), but, when factoring in the large overall tally, the MFC hasn’t had the luxury of replacing them with next in line – or say best 26/28, but rather the blokes after that once again. It’s not a reasonable comparison of depth between the teams. And that’s to say nothing about the spread of the missing. Richmond, as the example given by Gleeson, has lost a fair number of games from Rance, Riewoldt and Cotchin. Top players for sure, but it’s one from each line. Compare that to losing Lever, May, Jetta and Hibberd all at the same time. The large overall injury toll also has other obvious knock-on effects. Our players – a massive number who have had interrupted preseasons through injury/surgery (unlike Richmond and Collingwood) – haven’t been given time to fully recover, and others have been brought back in while still underdone, exacerbating the toll. That Gleeson chose this angle I suspect relates back to the interesting previous discussion around the culture in the AFL of not citing a chronic injury list in respect to poor form. I think this is just an extension of AFL culture in general (and Australia’s formerly prized egalitarian nature) – where courage and humility is given more weight than actual talent. While at the time I loved it, I cringed a little in the wash-up when Hibberd was given widespread plaudits for copping that (unnecessary) whack which led to his injury. I imagine nowadays in the NFL for example, such an act would be highly frowned upon by team management. Team lifting, but at what long-term cost – and just as he was finding form? This prevailing cultural attitude is clearly evident right here on Demonland, where a group of kids barely out of their teens who have played less than 50 times at an elite level can never lose due to simple inexperience, but must have been overconfident. Where a player can’t be down on form or fitness, or just not naturally highly skilled, but simply isn’t trying hard enough.

Is 10 some sort of modern era record?

I must have misunderstood what Mahoney said at the time? Or maybe he deliberately misled us? Or maybe both the media and public don't give a stuff for research and journalistic standards nowadays? I dunno, but I'm close to giving up.

Where does Paul Kelly* fit in that mix? *the musician.

Simples: we play last week and we win, like the week before that (and most of the weeks before that) and we lose. This one is genuinely in our own hands now. I would like to think we have finally turned the corner, but we'll find out soon enough on Sunday. This really is now make or break. Lose this and I will finally bid farewell to 2019. Over to you Dees, I'm right behind you (with a figurative knife).

No look scroll pass: I know many a Portuguese who still expect his return: as a Bluey Truscott incarnate though he's ours.

Didn't watch game. Haven't read thread. - except for Petracca copping some flak from the outset. Watched highlights. CP5 had a hand in more than half of the goals. What did he do (or didn't do) to draw such ire? Or is it just a different perspective of what happens most weeks?

It's funny that you say this - for the very first time on the weekend I suspected that our players were hesitating kicking to Tom.

You're right Binman - Tim Smith didn't play against the Hawks. I did of course mean the Tigers, and that he took some very important contested grabs early on, but I busted a rib playing padel and the painkillers have made my brain a bit wonky. Nowadays they should read 'do not operate heavy machinery or post on the internet'. I still suspect however that your moniker 'bin-man' is an allude to Oscar the Grouch = Oscar MacDonald. The main problem is that Omac lacks grumpy. You're defence of the oft maligned Omac is admirable, and I'll try to meet you in the middle by admitting that I do have confirmation bias, but he continues to lose crucial ground-ball contests and that is definitely a part of his job. I don't have any confidence that Oscar will win the ball when it enters his vicinity. And I don't think he does either. But in all honesty, my biggest issue is with Tomald - and I think it's natural to search for any solution when a key player is so far down. Sending him down back isn't the answer however, even though I sincerely believe that if he played within Oscar's parameters he would be better.

T. Smith looks like our only player capable of taking a contested mark right now (up forward or anywhere on the ground), and almost single-handedly kept us in the contest early against the Hawks. Has to come in against West Coast. And Preuss at least makes the opposition back-line accountable and can bring the 'ball to ground' in a suitable manner. Also seems to pluck a goal at the right time when the rest of our team can't. Tmac meanwhile played one of the worst highest goal-scoring last-gasp match-winning games on the weekend that you're ever likely to see. And Keilty is maybe okay long-run but hasn't yet settled and isn't as mobile as required. Meanwhile, Weid is still Weid. Equals an up-front dilemma. I'm of the belief that of all our current shortfalls and failings - which are many, great and varied - Tmac's poor form is our most crucial right at the surface. I don't blame anyone - coaches, recruiters or Tomald himself, but he and our forward-line simply aren't functioning. Despite our obvious sh'ousness elsewhere, such as fumbling every [censored] ball through the mid-field, we're still generating enough inside-50s that we should be able to somehow put together far bigger scores than we have. But we are not, and it's right there for everyone to see. Check our single goal spree this season against Essendon - coinciding exactly with when Tmac was out of the forward-line. It's impossible to see on TV, but we're so bad with our entries forward right now - see Billy Stretch on the weekend - that I've almost come to believe that this inexplicable level of ineptitude is probably half-related to Tom. He has no confidence and can't move off his line to put pressure on. Previously this was of benefit, in that he was forced to lead and mark. Still: little brother Oscar offers not much other than some semi-reliable foot-skills, but can't win a contest to save himself, while for at least half a season (2016) Tmac was tracking toward AA as a defender but is horrible with ball in hand while rebounding from defense. Ergo: I feel confident that Tom could currently play Oscar's role to better effect, as long as all he had to was spoil and pass the ball on. Not a rebounder. Told not to make the play. Conclusion: In: Smith, Preuss Out: Keilty, Omac Plus injury considerations: unleash the chew-Baker for Hibberd, and if Meksham is down bring back ANB.

I wholeheartedly agree, but probably not in the way you were intending.

Channeling 2016 and 2017: We'll be given a run in the first half and then smash it open in the second. I will still be annoyed and mostly bored.

I think most MFC supporters would be fairly well informed on such matters.

So not specifically 2019 stats-file but the reminder that Jones was set to become our joint second-most MFC-capped player this weekend had me diving quickly into our other games/seasons' records. Although the sport has of course evolved, of our current squad: Most disposals in a season (average in brackets): 1) 2018: C. Oliver 734 (29.36) 2) 2017: C. Oliver 659 (29.95) 3) 2016: N.Jones 617 (28.05) 4) 2018: N. Jones 614 (24.46) 6) 2014: N. Jones 610 (27.73) ................................................... 11) 2018: A. Brayshaw 574 (26.09) 16) 2016: J. Viney 548 (26.10) Next most recent top 10: (10) 2000: S. Powell 579 (23.16) Most kicks in a Season: no current player in the top 20 Most marks in a season: 14) 2015 T. McDonald 155 (7.05) 19) 2016 T. McDonald 148 (6.73) Bonus stat: Post-forward TMac average marks: 2018 - 6.7 / 2019 - 3.7 Most handballs in a season: 1) Oliver (2017) 2) Oliver (2018) 3) Jones (2018) 4) Jones (2016) 5) Viney (2016) 7) Tyson (2016) 8. Jones (2014) Most goals in a season: 19) Tmac - 53 - 2018 (2.65) / bonus stat - avg. goals: 2019 (0.43) / 2015 (0.23) Most behinds in a season: no current player in top 20 (but bless A. Jakovich's cotton socks for his 4.07 average) Most hit-outs in a season: 2018 M. Gawn 1119 (44.76) - next closest non-Gawn: 2010 M. Jamar 561 (29.23) Most contested marks in a season 2) 2018 M. Gawn - 55 (2.2) Most tackles in a season: 1) Oliver (2018) 2) Oliver (2017) 3) Viney (2016) 5) Harmes (2018) 8. Viney (2017) 11) ANB (2018) 12) Jones (2016) Most clearances/contested in a season: 1) 2018 C. Oliver Most free in a season: No current player in top 20 . . .

As the oldest and first real dynasty club we have a rather comparatively poor record when it comes to long-time club servants, with just the one 300-gamer. Nat's relative achievements are as great or better than anyone in the past fifty years, but without any real outstanding brilliance I'm afraid his legacy will be dented by serving for the majority throughout our darkest recent years, such as other top two-dozen club stalwarts J. McDonald, Brad Green and Bruce Cameron from the same era. Even Davies - who displayed brilliance - has been largely forgotten. Well done Nathan, and good luck on the weekend.

You're right P-Man. Two games doesn't tell us anything. Watching almost his entire career and the fact that he can't make the depleted Port team-sheet however tells us that he wouldn't be a massive upgrade on the likes of JKH as contended - who, if I recall correctly, had a crazy patch of state-level form leading up to those two matches. We all saw what happened to Trenners. He lost his pace, and he didn't have much penetration on his kick to begin with. Without any elite skills, he doesn't now have the physical attributes to successfully step up to the next level. It's the same case with JKH I'm afraid.

Well he just so happens to have played a couple games alongside JKH in 2017 so we have some ready-made comparative data we can turn to - Jack picking up a collective 29 possessions (3 contested, 1 clearance) to Jay's 33 (14 contested, 3 clearances), with 4 tackles compared to 10. Yes, they played in different positions. No, Trenners wouldn't be a massive upgrade - and I think little of JKH as a footballer. Corey Maynard, in his last two games, also has Trengove covered on the stats-sheet across every column.

Hey Wrecker - I'm struggling to comprehend this post. Can you rephrase and switch out some of the pronouns? Or just like if my assumption is correct: I’ve said in other posts I have a cousin who played at GC in same era and May was told by the MFC that May knew what May was doing as a professional footballer and given no training program by Melbourne?

The one thing this article has done is clarify my understanding around May returning unfit. May's own words: “I came back in what I usually do if not a bit better,” May told Fox Sports News’ AFL Tonight. “And I got to the Dees and their standards were a lot shorter: everyone had to be under certain skinfolds and time trials had to be elite. “After that first time-trial and after the first couple of sessions I went: ‘Wow, these guys are flying, I need to get up to speed here". “I went and saw the dietitian, saw the strength and conditioning coach, saw the coaches and put in a plan and executed that and got myself in good condition. “That was my first pre-season (at Melbourne) that can’t happen again and certainly won’t because I’ve educated myself and the club has educated me on what’s required at the Demons" Not sure what the hanging offence is here on May's behalf? The club obviously didn't make it clear what shape he needed to be in when he started his new job. He arrived, found out the standards, and rectified the short-coming.

There can be a difference between a club rule and a team rule - the former a management stipulation and the latter more a player culture thing to likely refer to excessive drinking, clubbing etc. Possibly stemming from the four who got on it in 2017.