Whispering_Jack

Great to see our young New Zealand International recruit Maia Westrupp finally get a game albeit in the ressies. Good luck to the lad.

In: Jamar, Magner, Trengove, Jetta, Davis, Toumpas Out: Byrnes (Wrist), Sylvia (Suspension), Viney (Toe) Only 2 mystery injuries this week.

My tip is that now we've elevated Magner, Tom Couch will blitz and get 40 touches for Casey this week.

One of the saddest football experiences I had was sitting next to a young kid at VFL Park during a pre season game v Fitzroy in their final season. He was an absolute fanatic, screaming and cheering on his team in much the same way that my grandkids cheer on the Dees these days ... even when we're not a chance to win. It was more or less common knowledge that Fitzroy was finished. I often wonder what happened to the kid but I do know that the thought of losing your team is not a happy one.

These days the injury list isn't what it used to be. Back in the old days, if a player was on the injury list, it meant only one thing. Well ... um, it meant that the player in question was actually injured. Today, it could mean lots of other things, some of which I dare not even mention but I blame Don McLardy and Peter Jackson for this. It's an outrage! Sack the coach, sack the bootstudder and let's see Joel McDonald start on Dustin Martin this Sunday.

The great Brian Wilson before them ... played a blinder for the Saints against us and they beat us when they shouldn't have.

Well given that there's a bye in there as well, doesn't that mean he's out for at least 8 weeks from now anyway?

Tiger coach admits defeat Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has confessed that he is so terrified of what Melbourne could do to his team on Sunday that he refuses to give his captain Trent Cotchin and key forward Ty Vickery the week off declaring both would play after recovering from injury. He sounds like he's conceded defeat already.

I'm making the call early. James Magner will be selected in the team tonight.

As for us not being like Fitzroy - that's right. Fitzroy was broke at the end and the board had tied itself to a financier that had the club by the orchestras. Even with this year's loss, we should still be in the black. On the field they were worse than us in the end but they had no future. The AFL sold them down the creek which is where we might go if we allow the AFL to take full control of our destiny. I sense that we have one more chance if Jackson turns out as good as he's cooked out to be but there are no guarantees. The club he once led isn't exactly setting world best practice records for corporate governance either.

I don't know who the lawyers you spoke to are but I do know that in the aftermath of the AFL's inquisition, both the MFC and the AFL's senior counsel were reported to have said that if the case went to court, Melbourne could not lose. Nevertheless, the risk was enormous, the financial outlay could well have topped the $1m mark, the thing would have been a substantial distraction (and it's already been seen that despite the club's attempts to quarantine the players from the controversy, it does seem to have had an effect on the playing group) and the AFL could have hurt us going the other way if we won the case. End result, as a wise man once said, "you've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and when to run". Many people don't understand this philosophy unless their own money is on the line, perhaps four or five days into an expensive court case, when they realise that despite having been told by their barrister that they have a strong case, things have gone wrong and the evidence hasn't come out the way they wanted it. At that stage, they're staring at a black hole and can't get out. Meanwhile, their lawyer is sending his children or grandchildren to a more expensive private school. Bottom line: the club made a deal and it was the right thing to do.

It's taught me one thing. When we get off the ground - and we will because it's only a matter of time - I will not be humble. I will let the world know how good we are and do what Ted Whitten implored of his players once - "stick it right up em".

I think those Indian root pills might contain substances banned by WADA.Take care if administering.

All good reasons for someone to take on the job. The main problem is that the best candidates are already currently coaching at the better clubs and unlikely to walk. I have my reservations about Roos should the job become available because I'm unsure as to whether he has the right attitude to take on the Melbourne Football Club. I'm not even sure if he has a hard enough edge to take us where we want to go after a few years out in comfortable retirement with his two mates on the couch. Blokes like Eade and Ayres don't appeal as being quite right. So who's left?

Some good candidates there but most of us punters simply didn't know much about any of the candidates. Loved Garry Hardeman as a player but the fact that he polled nearly 700 votes more than John Phillips who always appealed to me as someone who knew his stuff around a footy club tells me that democracy and football club elections weren't made for each other. Problem is what other way is there of satisfactorily electing boards?

Some good contributions - we need just a few more to fill the article folks.

I don't doubt the sincerity of what Chris Dawes is saying but there is an enormous disconnect between those thoughts and the way the team is performing out on the field every week. There could be a number of explanations for that - lack of confidence and self-belief, limitations as far as their ability both physical and mental is concerned, an inability to fully accept or take in the coach's tactics and strategies and generally succumbing to the pervasive political issues that have afflicted the club over the past two years. Ultimately, Chris Dawes can talk till he's blue in the face but if the playing group runs out there and produces the slop that it presented us with last Sunday then, for better or worse, the public and the fans will continue to be non-believers.

I must have misinterpreted the question. The best way to put some devil into the team is for every player to apply himself the way Jack Viney does when he plays. Hard to believe that a 19 year old can put his older and more experienced teammates to shame. It also puts past recruiters to shame because there just aren't enough players with mongrel in our team ATM. If there were then we wouldn't have seen last Sunday's insipid, half hearted exhibition.

Doubtful if you go by this article on the club website - McDonald set to miss two matchesI have the impression from what's written in the article that the club doesn't consider that Mitch Clark or Jack Grimes have injuries that will keep them off the playing field for the 9 weeks (8 rounds + the bye) necessary to be put on the LTI. Therefore, unless there's a mystery injury or retirement, Magner would be forced to wait until after round 11 when the club can activate one rookie elevation without putting a player on the LTI. I'm not that big a fan of Magner (too slow) but with Sylvia's suspension, he might have been handy in the midfield. There does seem some hope of Jamar, Watts and possibly Trengove coming in so the information in the OP looks to be a bit dated.

Definitely the surprise packet of the season to date. When his name was called out at the draft I was a bit incredulous and my concerns deepened when I watched him playing for Box Hill against Casey in replay of a game I'd kept on Foxtel IQ. He'd been picked in a back pocket and struggled. However, he's done really well and promises to be part of a better Melbourne midfield in the near future. That said, the thought of that Casey v Box Hill game also reminds me of the potential of Rory Taggert as a midfielder who can also kick goals. He was great in that game but re-injured his back soon after. Here's hoping that he recovers in the way Michael Evans has done to kick start what will hopefully become a long career.

Quite and thank you for confirming that I proved you revised history with your statement.Now move along please.

Sigh ... history gets revised every minute around here these days.

How was she spot on? She categorically stated that the tanking enquiry would find Schwab guilty and remove him from his position as CEO. No such thing happened.

Keep the contributions coming folks. I'm so fascinated by this contest, I'm going to contribute this poem which was penned with apologies to Bobby Dylan:- MIXED UP CONFUSION - THE DEMON FAN'S LAMENT #19.5.2013 Oh, God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son" Abe says, "Man you must be puttin' me on" God says, "No", Abe say, "Where do you want this killin' done?" God say, "Under Light Tower1" There must be some way out of here Said the joker to the thief There's too much confusion I can't get no relief And, they’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good They’ll stone ya just a-like they said they would Oh, Mama, is this really the end To be stuck inside the MCG With the Melbourne Dees again?

I saw a terrific game of footy on Saturday afternoon. B Grade ammos where they get paid nothing and put in a suitcase more effort than some of the blokes I saw the following day. Come to think of it, my grandson's under 9s ...