Keepin up with the Joneses

Couldn't agree more. I've seen 3 minutes of highlights in 5 years. The kid is too busy enjoying the social benefits of being an AFL footballer. How much does his lack of professionalism hinder his preparation in getting his body right - considerably I suggest. Lets see how he goes with the ladies next year introducing himself as Colin Sylvia - ex AFL footballer Waste of a [censored] year earning us a number 3 draft pick. Surely a competant pysch analysis should have been all over this!

And even then we are probably 3 years away from really rocking. We can't expect these blokes to come in and turn us around straight away when it is obvious that our senior bunch is a combination of not good enough, and not interested.

Not a bad team in 2 years time. I am Brad Green's biggest critic, but at least give the poor bastard a chance to play where he can have some impact - in a forward pocket I can't help but feel that we are reliant on Frawley morphing into Silvagni by round 4. Give Carroll some credit, when the ball wasn't going in 100 times a game in 2006, he was pretty handy. It never ceases to amaze me how much better any side you pen to paper looks with the word 'Rivers' in the back half. I'll reserve my judgement until after round 3 - then play the kids.

Geelong Everyone is playing for second Brisbane Have recruited well - If J Brown was CHF in most other teams, the would be talking flags Adelaide Under rated - very fit Port Adelaide Gun List - Would have loved to get their recruiting guru Hawthorn I hate this club. Hope I'm wrong, would be wonderful for them to finish outside the 8 St Kilda Window closing... tick tock tick tock Harvey and Gerhrig.... tick tock tick tock West Coast Well coached, home ground advantage Femantle Window will slam shut at the end of this year - list getting very old. Richmond It's been my experience with doing these things in the past that Richmond at 9 is a safe bet Kangaroos Will fight hard, but not good enough. Key players are also getting old Sydney Bang, Crash Thud. Hope they have some injuries for the first time in their life - We would win premierships if we only had to play 26 players a year! Bulldogs 1 dimensional Essendon Will start well and will die approx round 8. Also Knights has only read about success - never come close to achieving any Carlton Don't know how to win, a bunch of losers Collingwood Do not under estimate the last of leadership and experience on their list (Maybe hopeful, but I hate them) Melbourne If we don't make the 8, this is where I want to finish. Tough Draw, 3 wins, get the priority pick, none of this pick 3 or 4 or 5. I WANT THE GUN! A big GUN, 2 Guns, Nantinui and Someone 6ft 5, in the Jonathon Brown Mould. Bailey will be good for Melbourne, but there is more water to go under the bridge. Melbourne will trade for a first round pick again this year. PS also, you can flip my ladder at the end of the year and I will also be happy

I hope you are right! A proven sports administrator with profile. I like this rumour (Hope it's true)

I just can't believe a team wouldn't want to win an NAB cup Game *Insert Sarcasm here* The rules are fantastic, I really like the new one with the interchange restrictions *Insert more sarcasm* The new rules won't put stress on injured players at all *pour the whole bucket of sarcasm out* The poor bastard was just saying what we were all thinking! If the AFL wanted teams to take this competition seriously, they should never have brought in that rule!

What he said! Don't forget; there is still 2 full games to go before Round 1. All the last 3 weeks have shown me is this. If we have between 8 - 12 of our best players out for the season, like last year, we probably aren't going to win the flag. Sorry guys, 2008 might not be our year. Otherwise, all going well, and Round 1 is when we start playing for the chocolates, we might be alright! Bottom Line - We don't have the depth to succeed with a long injury list. Anyone who didn't know this, and is disappointed, let me know. I'd rather start slow with a full squad, than be primed with 6 - 8 players warming the stands. It looks to me as though, through extremely difficult circumstances, the conditioning staff have done an excellent job. and we are on track for round 1. Our 2008 recruits aren't going to win us the flag this year.

Clarify?

Thats Gold! Carlton have Richmond Round 1. They are going to have to be 'very careful' not to win 3 more games after that so they can have the number 1 pick again. Did anyone see the look on Judd's face in the stands when they were 10 goals down to Hawthorn? You could hear the Benny Hill Music. Needless to say, Judd would want to reach his previous heights - If not, Richard Pratt might go him for extortion he's paying that much for him!

She looks tougher, more hard at it and more committed than Houlihan. I see where you're coming from though!

116 Years old... She didn't play for Carlton around the Mick Martyn Era did she?

Maybe we can stretch Morton to 196cm? Asking a lot of Zomer, Martin and McNamara? Are we really going rebuild our spine through the 2007 Pre-season and rookie drafts. Probably not. Lets stretch Bate and Dunn Also!

I really hope Rivers is right to go! He's the keystone of our defense. We are a totally different unit when he plays. If Whelan is our only injury for round 1, we can give the Hawks a real shake I reckon! Could DB and BB actually be genius's and have almost our full list right for round 1? (Granted there is a lot that can go wrong between now and then) Need a win this week with all the boys coming back; get a bit of momentum.

The league had planned an Iraq / Afganistan Double header, but it fell through. Kangaroos wouldn't go siting no stadium deals; AFL didn't see this as an issue however.

1. Matthew Lloyd (If he kicks another goal against us for a free kick for diving, I'll Spew) 2. Josh Carr 3. Brendan Favola 4. Chris Tarrant 5. Des Headland

Champion! Very un-Melbourne Supporter like!

No-one can question Green's courage; what I do question is his football brain, and his application when things get hard. Green always goes missing when we're getting smashed. TJ was the same; that's why he's gone! Having said that, the poor bastard is constantly played out of position! Keep him with 40m of goal and let him kick 50 or 60. Cam Bruce however; I don't know how anyone can question him. How many players in the league can match up on a James Hird / Brad Johnson player, as well as get his own ball. He's definetely not soft, always high in hard ball gets, and never plays in the same position 2 weeks in a row. Bruce is perceived as an outside player because his endurance means he can run twice as far as most opponents he plays on. FWIW I think one of Green or Sylvia will be traded for a first round draft pick; much like TJ so DB can build a dynasty based around McLean, Dunn, Bate, Newton, Morton, Grimes, Petterd, Jones, Bartram, Rivers, Frawley, Maric, Davey, Meeson etc. Just my opinion Also, anyone who suggests that Morton, Grimes and Maric won't all be superstars isn't in the tradition of being a Melbourne supporter in February! GET EXCITED!

Buying Premierships is all they know! It's just taken them a bit longer to figure out how to do it AROUND the salary cap. We however shouldn't throw stones in glass houses! If Judd wasn't the sort of person who would sell his first born child for $50 and came to the club he supported as a kid, we would also have instilled him as captain. If not this year; definitely next. The man is a premiership captain FFS. Fevola thinking he might get the gig is simply proof that having a good football brain doesn't always equal having a brain. The man is a moron.

Christ, has everyone got the plague? I'd prefer to take the stance that DB, whilst not wanting to attract attention to himself too early on in his career thought the new interchange rule was a joke, especially considering how fragile our groins and hamstrings are, and is quietly content in the fact he can play whoever he wants in the coming month, and take them off the ground at any stage without having to think toooo hard about it. What are your reasons for Chook, and Flash?

Who played on Hawkins? Who didn't play on Johnson? All today proves is what we already know; if we have the injuries we had last year, which incidentally is pretty much everyone who missed today (Anyone else concerned?) we will struggle to make the finals! This is the first time in years I've felt we haven't had depth. A lot of talented but extremely inexperienced youngsters fighting it out against easily the best team in the country. I do think in 3 years time, our depth will be sensational.

Is everyone forgetting how good Brock was in 06, before his 07 season was ruined by his foot injury? I hope all these incidents only add to his character and experience so he can prove himself this year, and be awarded the captaincy next year. Qualities I want in a captain Really Tough; never shirk an issue Genuine footballer In the top 3 players at the club Lead by example on and off the field. I think 2008 will be the year where Brock lets his football do the talking (Hopefully staying fully fit) , and realises that if he can control himself off the field, (No more burnouts; and lots of thanking people for the offer to fight, but declining) that he is the obvious choice as captain of MFC for 2009 and beyond. From all reports, he was absolutely tearing the park up before his slight knee injury. If he only loses 2 weeks momentum, he should still hit round 1 primed and ready to go and remind everyone he is our premier midfielder and one of the best in the league.

NAB Cup v Geelong Grand Final Team 08 B: Bell Holland Frawley B: Bell Carroll Frawley HB: Green Miller Davey HB: Green Rivers Dunn C: Bate Moloney Morton C: Bate McLean Morton HF: Sylvia Dunn Weetra HF: Sylvia Newton Miller F: Wonarmirri Robbo P Johnson F: Davey Neitz Robbo R: White, Jones, Buckley R: White, Jones, Bruce I/C Garland, Yze, Valenti, Meeson I/C: Meeson, McDonald, Moloney, Petterd Unlucky: Yze (No longer in best 22) PJ (Just no room with Neitz and Robbo playing all 25 games) Buckley (Couldn't squeeze into a fully fit midfield) I can't see us losing!

It doesn't matter what time of year, or where it is played, there is something beautiful about a scoreline which has Collingwood stitched up big time. Great start to the year, now all we need is a win and we're away!

I've got good mail out of Carlton (The same Mail that alerted me to the fact he was going there in August last year) that his groin is very sore, and not from Rebecca Twigley either! Struggling big time; no acceleration.

I don't think so. To me it seems since that day, we've been frightened to put him in the heat of the battle; to our detriment. DB i doubt will be so fragile in his thinking. Bruce has a massive engine, if he's allowed to play in the middle and get his own ball, I'm we will see Bruce at his best on a more consistent basis