The Emblem

Something i'm always interested to hear is how much do people want to games in the NAB cup.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive!

But for the sake of arguement, than develop...let the new kids see just how quick and hard the game is...and who knows, like Bartram's first year, they may just be up to it already B)

hopefully not like they did in the GF..if so I am pretty sure our list are capable of that

Chin Up, Dean wasn't allowed to coach that day!

Being allergic to the hard ball was what worked against him.

He's skillful but I tend to think leopards don't change their spots. Anything we get out of him from this point on is a bonus in my eyes, as I've written him in pen in my "won't make it" book.

CJ is great when running off the half-back flank and delivering a bullet-like pass up forward. So if a Miller type is leading up the centre wing, handballing to a running CJ and CJ spears the pass in to a leading forward then CJ & the MFC looks a million bucks.

The big question is if Dean "Vince Lombardi Incarnate" Bailey can develop CJ's man-on-man and other defensive skills.

The good news is that competition for this wingman / running half back flank type is pretty intense at the MFC this year...so complaceny shouldn't be an issue.

Roll on the season

TAC has received its pound of flesh for its advertising dollar. I'm all for getting sponsorships but the TAC thing doesn't excite me in the way it leaves a sword over the heads of your players.

Besides they only have to look at how some of our players have handled themselves over the off season and I doubt they would be interested.

Let them sponsor Hawthorn or West Coast.

Very tongue-in-cheek of you Mr.Rumpole...it seems apparent that "she who must be obeyed" has passed on the gossip that Hawthorn has replaced West Coast as the AFL's "Little Columbia". So too big a risk for TAC...maybe they could be sponsored by the Air Traffic Controllers Union?

Thanks for that...HBK

See Melbournefc website

new player numbers are

3- C Bartram

10- C Morton

16- J Grimes

19- A Maric

25- K Cheney

26- J Meesen

30- T McNamara

33- S Martin

35- T Zomer

39- A Wonaeamirri

42- J Spencer

44- S Valenti

Pardon my ignorance,

but have all the new players been allocated numbers yet? [i take it from previous posts the Kyle Guantanamo Cheney is #25]

P.S. I just made Guantanamo nickname up there and then...I guess less lateral [more sensible] people will just call him Dick

This time last year a Hawthorn supporter [and therefore forever lost in the 80's] was telling me that Melbourne had the best list in the AFL. Since then I think our list if anything has got stronger.

The Outs:

Doggie Brown was a great little battler, but Byron was grieving [no criticism, just observation],Travis was 100% ability but 50% commitment. Ward & Godfrey had their good points however turned the ball over too often.

The Ins:

The new players drafted all have promise...although we may not see that much of them in 2008. I expect our really big In's will be the more seasoned players returning from an injury riddled 2007, Rivers, Bartram, Whelan, McLean, Moloney,Davey, [Robbo and Nieta also played half-fit]. Couple that with the development of the likes of Jones, Frawley, Newton, Bell, Pettard, Bate and Dunn and I think we can bounce back and surprise in 2008, maybe even push for the 8.

More food for thought, currently reading a book about Vince Lombardi [written by his son]...immediately struck by the similar persona, background and attributes and no-nonsense attitude of Dean Bailey...anyone know if Dean is a Lombardi disciple?