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Everything posted by Whispering_Jack
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Thanks for that. I wasn't entirely sure that it was Davis but it was one of the best plays of the day IMO because it cut off an almost certain goal. I thought that in general play, he was giving Watts plenty of latitude but was quick enough to get back into position to apply pressure on him when the situation demanded. Davis missed this part of last season last year and didn't really get started at Casey until several rounds into the season. He'll find it hard to break into the side for a while but it's handy to know we have such a good prospect to step in should a vacancy arise or (and I believe this is will become a factor in the coming years) if players are rested from time to time during the season.
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I wouldn't get too carried away over what happens in a NAB Cup fixture in the third week in February. This time last year, the Suns won both of their opening half games (albeit one of them was against GWS). They did beat the Sydney Swans in a close fought match but it didn't prevent them from losing their opening AFL game by 119 points when they played Carlton in Brisbane in round 2. It's already obvious that coaches are using these games for experimentation in terms of styles, player positions, rotations and a raft of other things. Most aren't overly concerned at what's happening on the scoreboard because, at this stage, they have a different focus. In those circumstances, you can expect young enthusiastic teams like GWS to give good accounts of themselves. Scully looked clearly rusty to me - like a player who's spent a fair amount of his pre season in rehab and possibly not prepared to test his knee too hard in this sort of game. He played like the Scully of 2011 rather than the 2010 version but that doesn't mean he won't improve. There were reports that Scully was subjected to some abuse from the small number of opposition fans on hand and it appears that he's going to have to get used to this, at least in his initial season and especially in round 13. I know it's Sydney and they don't get big crowds to games like this but I wonder if the AFL was happy with the crowd of a little over 7k given that two traditional AFL clubs including the game's biggest drawcards were competing.
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He was also on two tough customers in Watts and Clark and lowered his colours to the latter but did well on Jack. The lack of numbers on jumpers was a problem but I think he was the one who smothered a shot for goal by Watts early in the piece. It was a nice piece of play from whoever effected that smother because otherwise, it was a certain goal.
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They've also announced their mascot - G-Man and he's a Ranga! http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/
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Judging by the look of the Hawthorn jumper last night, if I was a sponsor, I wouldn't want my logo on it!
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I stand corrected. Thanks for that! Luke's the name of the brother who plays for the Casey Scorpions.
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I'm surprised that nobody here has seen fit to comment about the fact that yesterday will become known as the day the music died again - the day they released the GWS club song. Actually, they didn't release it - it just escaped. I heard it while driving to Casey Fields for yesterday's practice match and I nearly ran the car off the South Gippy Highway. For some reason, I was expecting the GWS song to resonate with the sounds normally associated with belly dancers and cheap felafel joints but a disco version of a Cossack dance from the steppes of Russia? Far out!!!! What's more is that it got even better when I saw vision of players lip synching their new song on video, Milli Vanilli style. How appropriate for a fake football club to evoke images of that group of frauds with the release of their club song? For all that, while this catastrophic piece has undoubtedly set the song writing for new franchises industry back some decades, I still reckon that, as bad as the song is, it's the best thing to ever emanate from the black hole we know as Greater Western Sydney. Those bastards deserve it - and more!!!
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The best way to get him back here is for the club to come out and produce the brand of football that will show him that the club is going to be a force in years to come so that when he is in his prime he's going to be associated with a successful football club. If we want to get him, we should follow the lead of Carlton who got in early with Judd and had people in his ear before he knew he wanted to leave WA. Of course, showering him with money and offering the Eagles both our compensatory picks, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tom Scully's jock strap might be needed to seal the deal. You know the footy's here when people are already discussing trades for next October. I love this!!!
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I'm with you there ... it would have been a nice touch going with that tune done by duelling banjoes and having the cast of Deliverance stomping their feet in time with the musicians. Very emblematic of the western suburbs of Sydney and some of the players Sheedy and co have managed to get together at Breakfast Point. Can I buy the CD anywhere?
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MFC Intraclub - 17th February, 2012
Whispering_Jack replied to Rocknroll's topic in Melbourne Demons
Just got home and I still haven't been able to work out what I made of this hybrid between a training run, circle work and a practice match. No scoreboard, player lists or numbers on the players' backs made it a little confusing but I managed to work out that the club is going to benefit from having a target up forward in Mitch Clark and we can expect big strides from Sam Blease, Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald and Dan Nicholson. Without numbers it was hard to work out who the new blokes were so I guess we have to wait until the half real stuff starts with the NAB Cup next week. -
MFC Intraclub - 17th February, 2012
Whispering_Jack replied to Rocknroll's topic in Melbourne Demons
Great mark on the 4/8 siren by Mitch Clark followed by a pressure goal. The guy can play. -
A few years ago a well known former Melbourne supporter who wore #3 for West Coast walked out of the Eagles and was duly snapped up by Carlton. Now comes the news that history might repeat itself. Is Gaff really homesick? Would he take the money and run to Carlton or Essendon? Would old allegiances and our two compensatory picks give us an edge if he wanted to come home? Eagles move to grab Gaff
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Breakfast.
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The first question asked of Neil Craig was about James Sellar who played under him at Adelaide after being drafted as a first round pick. Sellar had been a top junior but when he entered the AFL system he struggled with the mentality of elite performance as well as with injuries. He was just starting to get things right in his final year but was delisted anyway at the end of 2011. He became one of a very few to get a second chance when drafted by Melbourne. Sellar was picked because of his flexibility - he can play forward, back and in the ruck. At this stage he obviously lacks team security and still needs to earn his place in the side. Jade Rawlings was asked to elaborate on a comment about needing to fill gaps. Where did he see those gaps? He said that there is adequate depth in the forwards, the club could always use more midfielders as well as a small back. We can always use genuine ballwinners. There are a few there at the club but more will be obtained at the trades and drafts and through the compensatory pick options available through Tom Scully's departure. Another question was asked of Neil Craig about the Interchange rules. Neeld was quick to point out that coaches are not the keepers of the game. Their duty is to win, not produce a good game i.e that would be a conflict of interest. The AFL is interested in slowing the game down to reduce injuries. Therefore there have been been interchanges which means less rest. Asked what he saw when he first came to the MFC, Craig said he loved what he saw. He said he regarded Adelaide as a serious football club and senses that with the MFC the club is seeking to establish high standards, positive conflict, high values and people with the road map to get there.
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Correct ... and they were flogging the product for all it was worth. The sponsor would have been happy with the amount of coverage its vehicles received in the 1½ hours of the function. I'll add that Chris Connolly also briefly spoke about what was happening at the Casey Scorpions. Brett Lovett has been appointed the coach at Casey and there is a strong push for success at the club. Connolly mentioned that Melbourne had always struggled for a supporter base and whilst it has its pockets of support in some areas of metropolitan Melbourne, it remains the worst supported of the traditional clubs. This will change now that the club is developing its base and facilities at Casey Fields. The area will soon be a major hub drawing support from what will be a 500,000 population. Together with AAMI Park, the club's facilities are the best in the competition. Our big challenge is to be better than 17 other clubs. I also made some notes on the question time if I can decipher them.
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Neil Craig next up. Loves being at Melbourne and he and his wife have been made most welcome by the club. It's exciting to be here. His job is unique (acts as a mentor to coaches & players), he spent a lot of time with the Board before joining, Mark Neeld was important for him and so were the facilities and the tradition of the game. This club wrote the rules of the game. These are the things that swayed him to the club. The set up with the coaches is great and designed to develop the entire playing group. Young & inexperienced leadership group - important the club puts a strong infrastructure around the group. Role is varied and includes sports science but Dave Misson is the best in the field, don't worry about that.
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Green: Neeld & Craig are straight shooters expecting high standards across the board. Nominated the bolters as Nicholson, Tom McDonald and the big one - Jeremy Howe, another Tasmanian. Robbo interviewing Jade Rawlings - also sets high standards of preparation and training. Mitch Clark's career at Brisbane was held back initially by personal issues but he hasn't put a foot wrong at the MFC, is in the leadership group and will be a very worthwhile member of the team.
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Brad Green is the guest speaker and Robbo's trying to take the Micky out of him but he's not biting. "Pretty busy the last couple of weeks?" Yes, the club's been busy the past few weeks preparing for the season. He has no problem with the decision and the way it was handled. It's in his interests that the club succeeds. Impressive bloke.
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I'm at the MFC Bayside Breakfast at Sandringham Yacht Club hosted by Robbo (the real one who played footy for us, not the journo). Will report on anything of interest later.
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How long to the national draft?
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Training - Wednesday 15th February, 2012
Whispering_Jack replied to demonoid's topic in Melbourne Demons
Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread, especially to DC for reproducing T.G.R's contribution from Demonology and TGR himself for his erudite and surprisingly positive description of the session. When tough critics like what they see, then perhaps it's time to rejoice? -
Pringle, we've lost just one game and that was against St. Kilda at the Glenferrie Oval on a hot afternoon in October 2008. I remember it well because I was coaching that day. I'm not making any excuses but we were in front at the 20 minute mark when the siren should have sounded. I stopped rotating the players in the heat expecting the match to be called to a halt but for some unknown reason the game continued for another 4½ minutes before the siren was finally sounded by a rather sheepish looking St. Kilda timekeeper immediately after they kicked a goal to hit the front. We all took it sportingly and the opposition won fair and square. Although I would never complain or accuse the opposition of cheating fudging the result (heaven forbid!) or about the disgraceful performance of the maggots in white (not a peep out of me about them), I always try to ensure there are two timekeepers every time we play these games.
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Setanta is right in saying that both Judd and Scully adopt a very professional approach to the way they train and how they apply themselves to their game and, of course, they're both highly paid footballers. But the similarity doesn't just end there. The circumstances under which Judd found himself at Carlton were clouded by claims in some circles that there had been deception in the way he offered himself for interview with four Victorian clubs (including Melbourne) before deciding on Carlton. Later, it was suggested that the Blues had already secured their player before this charade had taken place. Further, Carlton got away with having a sponsorship deal with Visy included in Judd's remuneration outside the salary cap meaning that the other clubs bidding for his services would never really have had the opportunity to compete for the player. Similarly, the stench of deception will forever surround the Scully name whenever it's discussed in football circles in the future. That's his historical legacy. The Voldemort deception went deeper than that of Judd but the connection will always be there as far as I'm concerned. I might add that there are some differences. Judd has served two clubs with distinction, won a premiership and a Brownlow at the first, another Brownlow at the second, captained both of his clubs and he doesn't have a dodgy knee.
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Brad Green speaks on losing leadership role
Whispering_Jack replied to TonyMelb's topic in Melbourne Demons
The way that Brad Green has handled losing the captaincy and his attitude to the news has, from the very beginning, been all class. Dare I say it, but after a torrid 2011 season for Brad, he will in many ways be relieved that he can now go back to concentrating on his game and being a part of the team's revival where he will still have the capacity to lead by his example on the field. Time has moved quickly for those who have now become the club's elder statesmen. Players like Green, Davey and Rivers who have for so long been regulars at the club, now need to concentrate on holding their places in the team and once they have done that, they will still be required to provide leadership as the more mature players in the group. It's going to be fascinating to see how these players go about this because I see them as still having important roles to play if they rise to the challenges that face them. At the same time, Mark Neeld had taken a bold approach in giving the mantle of responsibility to the youth upon whose shoulders the long term future of this group rests. It's refreshing and exciting and the logical way to go after what happened in the last half of last year. -
The Waylen (aka Zyrus) Manson Thread
Whispering_Jack replied to Whispering_Jack's topic in Melbourne Demons
Yesterday was the first time since the early part of the NTFL season that Brendan Fevola and Waylen Manson played together in the same Waratah team and, in another timely result, they combined to get their team over the line to secure a finals berth. The 'tahs won 13.16 (94) to Southern Districts 10.11 (71). The Fev, playing his first game since recovering from a spider bite which put him into hospital booted 5 goals and Manson kicked 4. Their team won the first six games of the season and then won only 1½ games over 9 rounds mainly in the absence of their star "fly in" players. They have now won their last two since Manson's return. Kayne Pettifer is due back next week and Fevola is expected to play again in the finals. Waratahs' best was diminutive midfielder Tim Mosquito who also created a bit of a buzz earlier in the season.