Deeoldfart

A promising debut from Tom. Cool under pressure and made good decisions.

A very bland win today, mostly because there were few four quarter contributors. My votes: 6. Blease 5. Garland 4. Jones 3. Jamar 2. Moloney 1. Frawley Honourable mention to McDonald.

Just me, I think!

Thanks once again for the comprehensive report KC. It's great to see Casey playing well at the business end of the season, and some of the young Demons showing positive signs for the future. I presume the A. Gianfagna listed in the best for the Bullants 2s, is the previously listed Demon.

Senility old dee? I think it starts to set in at our age.

KC has seen a great deal more of Fitz than I have monoccular, although its fair to say that none of us have seen as much as we would have liked, because he hasn't had many injury free runs in his short career. My 2c worth from the bits I have seen are that he is very quick and agile for someone around the 200cm mark. He seems to be a reasonable mark, but like most young talls, he needs to develop strength to hold his own in marking contests, especially against the big boys in the AFL. A full pre-season could work wonders. I think he will end up as a tall forward who does a bit of ruckwork within the fwd 50, and IIRC, that was Schwabby's view when I chatted to him. I'll be very interested in KC's view.

Indeed. I'd love to land a really big fish!

That's what we are all hoping for Rhino. I was chatting to Schwabby a while ago and he speculated that Fitz. would be a beauty, if he can get his goal kicking right. Four goals today, and a few bags for the twos earlier in the year, suggest that he might be coming on ok in that department.

Great to see the way they played for their co-captain. That sort of spirit is what Aussie rules is all about.

Couldn't agree more Redleg! I'm now really looking forward to the off-season, and those critical decisions which will probably determine whether our so-called 'window' opens any time soon. It's the first time I have ever longed for the season to end, and there have been some bloody dismal years in my 60+ years following our Club. I was chatting along these lines to my 35 year old son the other day (a more devoted Dee would be hard to find), and he reminded me that I had at least experienced the euphoria of winning some Flags, albeit a very long tome ago. It made me stop and think. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones!

I 100% agree with the positives Dockett, but the bottom line is that we are a football club, and on-field results are what it's all about, and ultimately what really determines success or failure. Like you, I'm very hopeful that our Football Dept. will now become the primary focus, and with Garry Lyon currently overseeing things, I have plenty of confidence that it will. I can also totally understand any frustration on Shwabbies part. Many of us supporters share similar frustrations.

It's great to have something positive to talk about in these generally less than positive times. Well done MFC .... keep the positives coming!

Too true!

I don't see how Matthews' occasional mentoring of Bails would diminish his value on the panel Robbie. The thought of Roos also crossed my mind, but I wasn't keen on the idea of having someone who has recently publicly ridiculed the Club participating in the selection of our next coach.

Beautiful!

I'm ok with the composition of the panel, but like some others, I think the addition of an outsider with senior coaching experience, and an understanding of the modern game, would add value to the process. Matthews comes to mind, assuming that he's not a candidate. Parkin has filled this role for some other clubs, but maybe his knowledge is a bit dated.

Absolutely Redleg. In the best of all worlds I want a premiership based around fast, attacking, open, risk taking and high scoring football ..... BUT we all know it's not a perfect world! When push comes to shove, I'd be just as ecstatic with a premiership based around whatever game-style becomes our hallmark. If Ross Lyon transpires as the 'best available' then I want him to coach Melbourne. Edit: spelling

No way! To me having joint captains smacks of 'not prepared to make a hard call so let's sit on the fence and keep everyone happy'. There are too many shrinking violets at Melbourne .... it's time to stop pandering to them. Youth is the future of our team. Let's make Jack Trengove captain, and demonstrate to the football world that we are fair dinkum about where we are heading, and are prepared to cut through the crap to get there.

Yep. It's a simple game really. Why do we complicate it so much these days?

I'm in the middle of reading "Mongrel Punts and Hard Ball Gets ... an A to Z of footy speak". It's a light and often humerous read. It contains a short section on 'Dyerisms'. The late ex-Tiger, Jack (Captain Blood) Dyer had a special way words. As someone I remember fondly from his days on World of Sport, the following quotes had me pizzing myself with laughter when I read them last night. They might also bring a smile to your face, especially if you have been around long enough to remember Jack. If not, they will at least be a change from banana smoothies. "Things aren't the same now there are five teams in the four." I won't say anything in case I say something." "An Essendon supporter is a Collingwood supporter who can read and write." "The only way to tackle Justin Madden. I don't know." "He was tuckled strongly by Tack." "Mark Lees long arms reaching up like giant testacles." (presumably meant to say tentacles) "I want you to pair off in threes." "That's the beauty of being small .... your hands are close to your feet."

Don't we all ....... and we will on Sunday for starters! I know that the patience of us old buggers has been sorely tested over the decades since '64, but I really think both of us will again taste the sweetness of ultimate success. Far from giving up on the work Baily did on our list, I'm convinced we have most of the ingredients in place. In 12 months time I think we will look back on season 2011, and in particular the Geelong loss, as the debacles we had to have. They will be the catalyst for some fundamental changes both on and off the field at our footy Club. These changes will be critical to our future success. It really sh*ts me that it had to happen this way, but the important thing is that it happened now, rather than the 'problems' (whatever they might be), festering away for the next two years when they would have undermined our chances of grasping the holy grail. Hang in there old dee. Right now the glass might seem less than half full, but looks can be deceptive ...... it will be brimming over with sweet nectar before you and I are done!

My gut feeling is that Greeny will ask to be relieved of the captaincy in 2012, so that he can concentrate solely on playing football in the twilight of his career. I would expect him to be offered (and to accept), a one or two year deal to take him through to retirement.

Geez old mate, things can't be that desperate. Take a leaf out of Redleg's book and cling to the few glimmers of hope that remain from this dastardly season. If that doesn't work, have a glass or two of good red, and try again. We can't afford to lose you.

The MRP is a joke. Their only consistencies are their inconsistency and the confusion they cause week-in, week-out.

I agree SJX, but in a game that can be measured in centimetres and one-percenters, why give the opposition anything that might be used against you. Totally ill-considered comment by Royal IMO.