Elwood 3184

Only one player from the GCS that interests me and that is Dion Prestia because he's really one of us. Family steeped in the Melbourne tradition making us honour bound to extricate him from the mess up there.

Has the time come when the Demons can finally lay to rest the ghost of 186?

It was at this very ground almost four years ago that a Melbourne team produced the most lifeless, insipid performance ever seen on the AFL/VFL stage. Whatever the reasons behind the display, it was not what the supporters of any football club deserve to witness. A large number of those who wore the club jumper that day have moved on and in many cases (but not all) rightfully so. There are many new players at the club and some small steps are being made in the right direction but the club continues to produce disappointing results.

Like the insipid loss by over 100 points against Hawthorn a month ago or last week's brain fade after it snatched the lead in the final minute at Etihad only to give it all away 20 seconds later.

Until the club can produce wins at a venue like Simonds Stadium against teams like Geelong in games like the one it faces this weekend, the ghosts will never be laid to rest.

WELL GET THEM NEXT TIME by Whispering Jack

...

There was also a lot made of the fact that Collingwoods Adam Oxley was allowed to roam the back half unattended and Melbourne seemed to constantly kick in his direction where the numbers dictated that he was going to win the ball more often than not. I simply didnt get that Paul Roos was unable to change things with the simple move necessary to cover that situation but I for one, got sick of seeing number 43 mark it on his own time and again. It was almost as if our one avenue to goal was through Oxley and if you are going to have a go at a player for tunnel balling the pill through goals and giving away six points, then the coach who allows an unattended opposition player to save several times more through his inaction has a lot to answer for (as do I for ending a sentence with a preposition).

This bloke really is the son of a pole vaulter!

Markov's High 5

Was this the beginning of the end for Mick?

Mick Malthouse is confident Carlton will be successful in 2015, saying hard to see team lose

You can think it but is it wise to say it?

... and now it's becoming a real circus ...

Sports scientist believes Essendon has nothing to worry about with WADA appeal

Dank will be in the Northern Territory this week as part of Mark “Jacko’’ Jackson and Collingwood star Peter Daicos’ controversial and funny Wild Men Of Football sports show.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Have to say, looking at the team I struggle to see how Harmes will be offered another Rookie contract next year.

Rather than look at the team, perhaps you might want to take a look at how he plays before making that call.

How are we going in the current odds now that we've opened our account with a win in the first game of the season?

Paul Ruse.

Err... um ... if the players didn't take nothing ... then why ... er.,um ... is their long term health being monitored at the request of the players association?

It's not a sustainable revenue stream and in the absence of real business models to grow revenue it was doomed to failure.

But it was never meant to be a business model. It was what had to be done to get us out of debt and in that respect, it was successful in getting us out of the red and into the black. We might well have gone on and flourished but for our well documented failures suffered on the football field.

Most clubs that are successful on the field end up making money. Clubs that have 186, sack their coaches and have ordinary playing groups rarely do.

The Toumpas sceptics need to cut him some slack. He is really only going through his first preseason after a number of injuries including the hip operation in the year he was drafted. He's also had to contend with those constant unfair comparisons to Ollie Wines. Be happy that he's training well ATM and is a chance to have a breakout season in 2015.

I think you mean the Deakin University lecturer who I've made reference to in this thread on a few occasions.

Apparently, not a bad barrister but he's one of those Essendon supporters who can see no wrong with anything the club's done in the past 3 or 4 years. Sad case.

This is indeed extraordinary stuff in the context of the case that's about to come before the AFL Tribunal. Hardie isn't arguing whether the players were given TB4. Instead, he's arguing on its status and says ASADA needs to prove why this is so.

Try reading between the lines as to why a barrister, law lecturer, former adviser to the Bombers and a confidant of Stephen Dank is coming from this angle?

Mind boggling!

Can the interview be admitted in evidence if Dank refuses to appear if called at the Tribunal?

I think you an gsmith misunderstand the current interest in Scully. What better way to cheer up a depressed supporter base than focussing on how we dodged a bullet and got well rewarded. I'm not over it, I'm revelling in it. Thanks.

Not sure that you get where WJ's coming from on Scully but he's dead set right. Scully would have been a burden at Melbourne just as he is a burden at GWS because of his contract and the fact that after five years in the system he remains a very ordinary conveyance as a footballer as well as a human being as he demonstrated by his conduct in his last year with the Dees. We should all be as content with that as Tom should be with the $1,200,000 a year he's extracting from the coffers of GWS.

Let's move on.

But surely the award winning Chief Football Writer for the Herald Sun knows what he is talking about and in maintaining journalistic excellence would not let his love of James Hird introduce bias......

What award did he win?

How to [censored] up a story?

Thanks to all who contributed to the reports on training.

Much appreciated.

So it turns out Gordon Gecko was correct.

Who did this Gekko bloke play for and was any good?

As he does in every year, WJ looks for a draft prospect from left field ... A BIG POINT ON THE COMPASS

In the immortal words of Elton John, I guess that's why they call it the news:-

Norwoods Sam Baulderstone on AFL rookie draft radar after successful rise through SANFL

Why on earth did Geelong trade to move down four places. Cockatoo might be a good pick up but he would have been available at 14.

Come on Jason Taylor.

Be the first to ask for 2 extra minutes and ask for it with pick 2!!!

Hey WYL. Before you go slagging off where I live mate, have a bit of respect. We don't all live in Elwood you silver spoon fed [censored]. Not all Demon supporters live bayside and go to the snow each year. Ballarat isn't Toorak and I'm not from here but it's my home now.

Hey ... careful there. Elwood isn't Toorak either and the only view of water that I have from my digs is a putrid canal and I've never seen snow so don't go calling us Elwoodites toffs either.

Thank you.

I do.

If he was an ordinary man in the street you might be on the button but six weeks is the minimum time to recover and get your body up to the rigors of AFL football. It cruelled the rest of his season.

I can't believe we missed out on this bloke, especially after this -

Kristian Jaksch navicular injury

Dangerfield still has a year to run.

Haven't seen many players in recent times get on the front foot like Paddy.

Not going anywhere I wouldn't think.