demoniac

Robbo should not be offered a new contract - and reading what Bailey has said I do not think he will be. He has at times been a good player - he will retire with a very good highlights reel - but he has also been at times a very ordinary player. Like many of our 'stars' of the Daniher era there was a gaping chasm between his best and worst. In my memory what damns Robbo most is that the times he applied defensive pressure it always stood out because I had become used to him not doing the chasing and the tackling. Good luck to him in whatever he chooses to do and he will always be welcome around the MFC.

We are 2 Draft Periods and 25 games into a complete rebuild. Hold our nerve through another draft period and we will again add to an impressive batch of young talent. Checker Hughes and Norm Smith combined would be doing nowt better than Dean Bailey. We simply don't have any A Grade senior players. Dean Bailey has so far traded Travis Johnstone and delisted/retired Yze and White - all 3 players were emblematic of the lack of steel of the Daniher years. Robbo is likely to follow at years end. Patience people and Nm 13 will be ours in 4 - 6 years.

One concurs. I am pretty sure that Bailey's game plan does involve players missing targets by hand and foot. We are 2 draft periods and 33 games into a full rebuild. It takes time. It is easy to confuse an inability to execute a game plan with an abscence of, or inferiority in, a game plan.

We are in a development phase. It is not about winnng our next game as much as it is about developing the team that will win us MFC PS 13. In Sheedyspeak that translates to getting games into the kids so they can adjust to the tempo of AFL footy and realise that they will have to work hard to make it. As long as the player is physically and mentally ready to play then he should play. Watts is around 196cm and 87kg. Yes he will add more muscle over pre season but he is hardly the whippet than some of the more hysterical members of the media pack describe. He also seems mentally strong enough to deal with the rigours of the game and to have the discipline to combine his modified training, playing games and his VCE. Mike Sheehan is just another journalist with multiple bosses needing to come up with an ever increasing amount of stories for Print, TV and Radio. Jason Dunstall dealt with him well on the couch on Monday night when Mike queried Melbourne's progress. Reminded him that we are 2 draft periods and 33 games into a full rebuild and that the Hawks and Clarkson went through the same queries a couple of years into their rebuild. In the 24/7 world of the modern media 2 years might seem like 2 million years but it is still only 2 years in the footy world. To that extent journailists have goldfish memories. The common view was that we needed to rebuild and go young and that would take time. So we do that and it takes time. And those same journalists then query the time it is taking only 2 draft periods and 33 games along the way. Goldfish. Leigh Matthews' is just a grumpy old curmudgeon. Great player. Great coach. But if he didn't get an insight into Watts' possession of the most important gifts of time, good assessment of options and hitting targets - even with the left foot, and kicking those 6 point things called goals then he is more BigFooty than worthy of a special comments role on Friday night footy. Would Vossy prefer Travis Johnstone or Jack Grimes on his list Lethal? I'll take the judgement of the Melbourne Football Club and Jack Watts' Parents over a journalist desperate for a story worthy of a headline and a curmudgeonly commentator.

With the Bombers having their best season in years you'd think there'd be a fair roll out of Bomber fans and hopefully there'll be a few Dees fans there too. 44,345

Mike, like most journalists these days who write for newspapers, appear on radio and on tv, has the memory of a goldfish. The universal view of journalists was that we we had to go into a rebuilding phase after the end of the Daniher era. And we did. We are only one and half seasons - or 2 drafting periods - into the rebuild, we are taking no short cuts with trades for experienced players, keeping our picks to select the best young talent that we can. Of course we have not progressed far in terms of our onfield performance and yes we still have weak areas in our list. BUT WHAT DID MIKE EXPECT ONE AND A HALF YEARS INTO A FULL NO SHORTCUTS REBUILD?

I sometimes wonder whether our lack of success since 1964 has led to a tendency for Melbourne fans to take a glass half empty approach in contexts when the supporters of other clubs that have had Premiership success would take a glass half full approach. I think we have a very good core of inexperienced talent which will have some more quality youngsters added in the 2010 draft and a firm policy of taking no shortcuts as we seek to build to Premiership Nm 13. Our financial foundations are stronger than they have been since the 60s, we have solved the long term issues of training bases and our membership is at a record level. All the signs are positive.

Dean Bailey is 32 games into a full rebuild. He is not taking any shortcuts. It is going to take time. We do not have any champions. We are recruiting players who may become so. It takes more than 32 games.

Disappointing for Meesen as he was showing some good signs in the ruck and around the ground and the rest of the season would have been good for his development. He is still quite young for a ruckman and plenty of players have recovered from stress fractures. I don't see the reason for the career gloom. On club level with 3 players on the Long Term Injury List we can test out some of our rookies. Aussie's injury is in a way disappointing in that it means he will have missed half a season of development by the time he returns.

Bruce started a long time ago in the year 2000 when precise disposal was not as paramount as it is now. His kicking really lets him down. As for Junior I think the game has passed him by, perhaps like Bruce. Bailey managed out White and Yze last year, hopefully he'll do the same to Bruce and Mcdonald this year.

Did you watch the game on ABC or go to the game? Grimes had no real influence - definitely needs more games to work his way into form - and Whelan for mine needs more full games of senior VFL to prove he has fitness/durability necessary for AFL.

Treked out to City Oval. Good to see Casey win and to see so many young Dees in the Casey Ones. Senior List McNamara - Reads the play well across half back, shows poise when deep in defence and runs hard to create options in defence and through the midfield. Very impressive. Kicked 1.2. Will don the Dees jumper soon if his form does not drop. Newton - Presented well and kicked 5. Did his chance of a recall no harm. Grimes - Not really sighted until last quarter. Nm 64 a nice touch from born n bred Demon. Needs more games under his belt to challenge for senior selection. Bell - Found the ball but did not show much poise with it. Needs a few more games under his belt and to impress more if he is to force his way into the team. Cheney - Not a standout game but a tidy one. Bail - Won plenty of the ball. Kicking was off early but improved. Promising. Whelan - Showed his customary poise and ferocity. For mine would need another game to show he has the fitness/durability necessary to play out a full game at AFL Level. Watts - Very promising VFL Senior debut as a roaming half forward. Runs hard, not shy of a contest, Can take possesion in the air and on the ground. Is great on his right and good on his left - slotted a nice pass on his left from the outer wing in front of me to Centre Half Forward. Seems to have good goal sense. Needs a few more games at Casey just to get used to playing against men and to build match fitness but is slotted for a Friday Night Round 12 debut against Essendon (Plus - exposure on friday night TV, Con - Don's home game at Etihad: access for Dees fans?) according to today's paper. Tiges fans were a tad jealous. Wonaeamirri - Was sucked in by Jake 'Clanger' King early on and struggled to work his way into the game. Needs another run at Casey as he continues his comeback from the hammy. Rookies Hughes - Is a strong overhead mark for his height, has good pace and spring. Kicked 3 and impressed. I'd promote him for either Garland or Blease and bring him in for Bate. Valenti - Just keeps racking up the stats at VFL level. Good hands, strong body, good footwork and distributes well. A chance for promotion with Hughes. McKenzie - Showed plenty of promise as an inside mid - certinaly knows how to get it. Needs to work on his kicking.

No one could ever match Martin Pike's efforts on the Terraces at Princes Park back in the day one day when he was either injured or had played in the 2s. Jacka had a similar appetite. As for Buckley skinfolds tell all. Certainly does not look like a player carry any excess flab.

Outs Bate - At the moment if the ball is not delivered to his chest he really struggles to win possesion. Needs to go back to Casey and rediscover his overhead marking and work on his ability to take possesion when the ball is on the ground. Also needs to work on his lateral movement, too often he is out of the contest after the first effort. Ins Daniel Hughes (promoted to cover either Garland or Blease being put on the Long Term Injury List) 188cm, good pace/leap/overhead mark. Kicked 3 for Casey against Coburg. 2007 rookie who missed 2008 completely recovering from hip surgery before being re rookied this year. And the controversial one which should happen but probably won't. Out James McDonald. A player who has always given his all but is now a liabiliy. Out goes Junior. I think the game has passed one of our great soldiers by. A player who walked off the ground every time he played knowing that he had given his all. In Shane Valenti (promoted to cover either Garland or Blease being put on the Long term Injury List) Didn't look out of place at AFL level in his 9 games last season. Strong body, good hands and good footwork in close and can distribute well. Just keeps excelling at VFL level and deserves a chance to prove his worth. Went to the Casey game. Bell did win possesion well for Casey but did not use it well. Needs to show more for mine to be promoted. McNamara would be ahead of Bell for a game. Reads the play well, showed poise in defence and runs hard to create options. Newton did his chance of a recall no harm. Whelan and Wonaeamirri both need another run at Casey as does Grimes who was pretty much unsighted till the last quarter.

Kicked/handballed poorly when he is usually a beautiful kick in particular Showed last year that he has significant ability when it comes to both winning the ball in the air and on the ground and kicking it precisely . This was his first game back. Should keep his place in the team as we are in our development phase this year and as such bringing a developing player in for a week then dropping him would not help his development. I would back him to do better next week. We certainly need more players who can kick it wth the precision that he normally does.

Nathan Ablett, Shannon Byrnes, Chad Fletcher, Steven Armstrong!, Sean Dempster, Paul Bevan, Matthew Bishop!, Toby Thurstans, Ashley McGrath, Aaron Shattock, Chris Heffernan!, Dean Solomon, Gary Moorcroft!, Shannon Motlop!, Shane Clayton, Matthew Capuano, Shane Ellen, Andrew Eccles, Clay Sampson!, Chad Rintoul, Glen Freeborn, Stuart Anderson, Matthew Hogg, Matthew Clape... All Premiership players in recent times. The "We'll never win a Premiership with HIM' exercise is generally a spurious one.

Bailey has said Robbo will come in if he gets through training and pulls up well. He has been playing well for Casey so he does deserve to come in. Is he a replacement for Newton? Not for mine, maybe bring him in for Bate. Robbo works best when he is the secondary target. Just not tall enough to be the target man - we all watched that during the Daniher years. Use him as a secondary target and tell him he has to keep his feet and that he has to chase and tackle - neither have ever been a strength of Robbo.

These 2 caught my eye. Good signs. Hughes showed potential for Sandy before his injuries - quick and a good grab. 188cm and 84kg, 23 in December. Hopefully his body can stay sound. McNamara was I think the youngest player taken in the 2007 NRD, played 3 games for Sandy last year before doing his hammy. Had a few injuries over the pre season but German's reports on him seem very positive. 189cm and 87kg. Turns 19 on the 29th of this month. If he keeps his form up must come into contention for a senior debut particularly in the abscence of Colin Garland.

Was he dragged or was this when he went off after spoiling McGuane on the half forward flank and wearing one in the contest? Just that I don't recall him being 'dragged' as you state in the last quarter.

Too scared to run back to mark it? So Newton positions himself beautifully at Centre Half Forward at the City end, Morton short passes the ball too high over his head and its Newton's error not a fairly basic skill error from Morton? A long kick that goes over your head you are a chance to be able to turn and run with the flight and mark it. A shot pass. Not very likely. And running back with the flight of the ball with your eyes on the ball and taking the mark as Newton did at the Punt Road end is apparently not a sign of courage? And yes he is all of ONE MONTH older than Bate.

We will have to agree to disagree. I think Newton has the potential to be a good full forward for us. Has the pace, has the leap, can take a grab and works hard defensively. Is he the finished package yet? No. Would I expect him to be at 21/22? No. Is he showing enough signs of significant improvement for me? Yes. does he have to consolidate his spot n the team over the rest of the year and next season? Yes. Obviously you don't share my opinion of his abilty or of his performance against the Tigers. Thats fair enough.

A very hazy shade indeed.

Col was good today. And yes it was only against Richomd who were almost Freo like. He has a strong body, is physical, can run and carry, and, as we saw today he can kick a beautiful short pass and slot it home on the run from outside 50. His challenge is of course to get more of it so he can use his kicking skills more. He is just one of those players around these parts who could win the Norm Smith in a Premiership wnning team and still have his doubters.

Anyone who says Newton is lazy has me rather puzzled. We know he has a good leap, good pace, can take a speccy and that he works hard defensively - yes we know that he works hard defensively. He showed all of those traits today. His challenge is to do the regulation lead/mark/goal or outbody/mark/goal more often. To do the simple well. Certainly his bigger stronger body should assist with this. He does need to work on his kcking to improve his conversion rate. Quite simply he is our best bet at Full Forward and if he keep applying himself like he did today then I believe he is every chance of having a long career. He may have kicked 2.4 today but he had a hand in a number of other goals such as his handball to Davey who then goaled or the pack he crashed which resulted in ball spilling to Jetta who goaled.

Maric had surgery over the summer so it maybe that Bailey feels he needs another game at VFL Level to have the match fitness for an AFL game. Certainly when fit he will be a vauable addition in midfield and forward. Newton has promise. He can take a spectacular grab and applies good defensive pressure. His challenge is to take more of the less spectacular marks, do the regulation mark and goal. Hopefully the kgs he put on over summer will assist. Certainly opposing defenders would be more concerned at being one out with Newton than Pettard as hte ball comes in long or on the lead.