Keepin up with the Joneses

Premiership Midfield

Nathan Jones - Shining light

Jack Grimes - Needs to be moved to the midfield NOW

Jordie McKenzie - Defensive role player.

Jack Trengove - desperately needs support

Jack Viney - Why oh why can't it be next year already

Maybe... but no-where near fit enough

Jordan Gysberts - If his attitude was remotely AFL compatible, he'd have played 3 games already this year.

Luke Tapscott - Would love to see this bloke running through the middle

Sam Blease - Would love his pace breaking the lines

Brent Moloney - Quality clearance player - 1 week in 4, don't see him being part of our success

Sad to see

Davey - Gone

Green - Gone

Syivia - never here

Bate - not a midfielder

Morton - not a footballer

Sorry to say but we're not winning a flag in 2012!

For 2013, we need significant fitness improvement from Gystberts, Tapscott and Blease, + 2 please pretty please don't F$%k this up, 2 quality genuine midfielders.

I am surprised and disappointed - Neeld coached Collingwood's midfield, and I am sure they had to contend with taggers. I would have thought that given his recent history our midfield would be developing as a strength, not the weakest link that it is at present.

I guess he needs time, and we are impatient after nearly half a century on (mostly) mediocrity.

He promised lots: little delivered so far.

The lack, or really absence of any intensity yesterday was more disappointing IMO than the scorecard.

One can never tell what effect deep emotions have - positive or negatives, so I won't write them off just yet, but Mark, the natives are restless!

6 months on and I've learnt 1 thing, [censored] players are still [censored] players

30,726

It's taken 9 years, but wifey has finally seen the light and i will be buying her first membership tomorrow. GO DEES!

I'll cut Blease a bit of slack for this year, it's his first preseason after all. However, Leigh Williams in 193cm about 100kg and has only recently got off the couch. I'm not sure what Davey has been doing since he last played a game but he's has years in the system to build up residual fitness in case of injury. He's also played many games in the midfield. I don't understand how he is last of the whole group, even behind Blease after the last of the repeat 3 minute runs. Maybe big men do run as well as little men, but when an EFL full forward is out running a AFL midfielder I'd say the gap there is mental not physical.

Maybe our 'high potential' midfield which excelled running forward of the ball didn't run defensively because... they couldn't? cant wait for the fun to start! As i said to a friend yesterday, at least if we're [censored] this year, we'll be fit and [censored]!

For the record, i think we'll finish 7th

StevoHeraldSun Breaking news: Callan Ward's mum appointed media manager of GWS. Announcement on Phil Davis's uncle imminent.

Respect!

Well ... we got our man against the odds and the fallout is likely to be far reaching.

The perception of the club both from within and without is going to change dramatically. The detractors will be less likely to claim that we stand for nothing. The skeptics will no longer claim that we're incapable of getting things done. The people involved in getting Mitch Clark to the club will have enhanced their reputations - people like Tim Harrington, our much maligned CEO Cameron Schwab and our new coach Mark Neeld were all involved in the very impressive reputation that flew to meet Clark. Jade Rawlings was in it too. Our chairman Jimmy who was the inspiration behind the debt demolition and people like Don McLardy and Garry Lyon who backed him to the hilt.

But it also means that there will inevitably be those whose departure from the club will be hastened. The ones mentioned in trade week talk will go - surely even Bater will get his wish to join fellow ranga Adam Cooney at the Dogs. Jake Spencer and Robbie Campbell look shaky.

And I reckon we might have heard the last of the campaigns to get Fev and Setanta to the club.

I thought it was a hoax when I logged on this morning! I can't wait to not have to stress about whether we get any value in 5 years time out of pick 12 in a [censored] draft. To all those involved, well done, membership being renewed right now (I always sign, but never early - 16 years straight)

And Clark is the exact player we need, and more versatile than a Dawes or Lisle, he can play, bring on 2012

If the quality of the draft this year is poor and GW$ are building their list around it then they will indeed have problems. In each year there are only so many players that turn out to be good and they aren't always in the top ten drafted so they would need to be very fortunate to pick all the the good ones.

They have drafted a couple of kids and they may or may not turn out to be A graders; with the length of their copntracts and the amount they are paying them, they would want to be. There will also be the go home factor, unlike the Gold Coast GW$ is not a fun place to be.

Let' hope the 2011 draft rivals 2003 in quality.

This is correct (that he was mature age).

Makes a lot more sense too, why he'd refer to it as a silver lining.

Not getting drafted one year meant he was drafted later to the cats.

I remember in an afl magazine around draft time that year, there was a phantom draft suggesting we'd take him at 4, and i was like wtf we have to draft Morton, he's going to be the next Adam Goodes!... ah hindsight you beautiful thing!

Demons must re-sign Brad Green asap. Simple.

All this bagging of him is pathetic IMO.

Agree, anyone remember the impact of losing the experience of James McDonald and Cameron Bruce last year? We don't have room to lose AA team members

Garry Lyon & Cameron Schwab seemed to have stepped up to the plate since the Geelong Debacle....Well done to both. As i stated a couple of weeks ago...The internal runnings of the MFC needed attention yes, but are no where near as bad as the Newspapers painted... i really am confident that in 2012 there will be a huge improvement right through this club. The list can play...They need to learn from our coaching and fitness people how to sustain it over many weeks.

Garry Lyon & Cameron Schwab seemed to have stepped up to the plate since the Geelong Debacle....Well done to both. As i stated a couple of weeks ago...The internal runnings of the MFC needed attention yes, but are no where near as bad as the Newspapers painted... i really am confident that in 2012 there will be a huge improvement right through this club. The list can play...They need to learn from our coaching and fitness people how to sustain it over many weeks.

Is it for 6 months, we relied on the murmurings of a dishonest selfish 19yr old, and measured our success on our ability to retain him (despite him signing elsewhere almost 12 months earlier) and then blamed the internal turmoil he put our club through in the direction the media sought fit; being CS, CC, etc?

just throwing it out there. If we knew then what we knew now, would everyone have been calling for CSs blood? I don't remember ever being this happy with off field structuring at MFC, and I'd much rather have the 2 draft picks than a divisive little ^%&*

In the space of 2 weeks, I've transformed from disillusioned to champing at the bit for round 1!

Well done MFC, time to deliver on field, and now there are very few excuses to get in the way!

Today is a great day for the Melbourne Football Club.

A true leader doesn't sell his soul to the highest bidder.

Scully wants to captain GWS? The boy has shown absolutely no leadership whatsoever, and will leave GWS in 6 years time for the next biggest cheque in the market place. As good a footballer as he may be, what he has put our football club through this year is akin to a cancer, and we've been lucky enough to cut it out, and get draft picks in return!

Like it or not, we screwed this one at the draft table. A decent psych would have pinned this sort of character flaw from a mile away. I'm going to love watching GWS get belted year in, year out, and what will Scully be doing... looking for his next leg up, making excuses, blaming other people, definitely not standing up and taking responsibility and leading through hard times like real leaders do.

You didn't cope very well with the speculation you were a devious lying little underhanded turd all year; now I watch in earnest as you fail to deliver performances that justify your pay packet.

Hmmm pick 12 eh.

Suppose we'll draft either a tall skinny forward who can't kick or a pint sized midfielder who can't handball. But they'll be elite if we just give them 5 years or so to develop, after all they'll just be kids and we all need to exercise patience

if you think I'm pizzed off you'd be on the money

Harsh but extremely fair. You forgot that they will be a bottom age player that will take longer than 5 years.

Rivers Frawley Blease

Tapscott Garland Grimes

Davey Scully Bail

Sylvia Howe Watts

Jurrah Green Woennamirri

Jamar Moloney Trengove

Martin Jones Petterd McKenzie

That's the most fun I've had this year!

obviously im not going to be changing clubs. but why do i still follow this 'football club'?

We follow this club because we know nothing else, and as much as this season hurts, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I posted similar hopeless murmurings after the West Coast debacle earlier in the season, and walked away, and as much as it drives me crazy, I can't help but continually take an interest in what's going on at the MFC, and I can't shake the emotional attachment I've grown to this club over my 30 years of support.

Today was the second game I've gone to this season, and the first since declaring I couldn't take this [censored] anymore and would walk away. And today, I left with hope, and resolve.

We have players who aren't going to make it. If you can't kick, you have no place on an AFL list. Bartram and Morton, good luck. Bate, Warnock, thanks for the efforts, in another era, you might have been champions, and to the rest, I'm sure they know all to well, come to play and come to play soon, or you'll be looking for work elsewhere.

West Coast were a joke last year. Worst disposal in the comp by a long way. Now they have a great game plan, and confidence to match and they are a potential top 4 threat. They are organised... we are miles from it

Our game plan; all the hard yards put in over last preseason...the best it can deliver against a top 4 team is an 8 goal loss. Today at least, we had a crack. Any thought that you can carry players with sh1thouse disposal is folly.

The names I've names are the obvious; there will be plenty of others to fall by the wayside. and we will come again. A good coach will make a huge impression on this group and club, and it's time we source the best. And when training starts, we'll all be looking for reports on how the kids are getting bigger and better, how anyone could have written off Jack Watts, questioning his #1 status. We'll see how not having Grimes in defence had a huge impact, that it's great to see Aussie running around, Jurrah doing things that he, Cyril, and no-one else can do, and Green, relieved of his captaincy and it's burden, re-invigorated responds to a younger more capable leadership group taking the leadership by the horns and running with it.

And to Tom Scully...If you spent as much time trying to get the football and improving your skills and your team, rather than demanding a contract way beyond your current ability and output, you would have my respect. But you don't. 19 yr olds should concentrate on playing football and nothing else. I hope you're successful, but know you won't be because you lack the nous to have never allowed yourself to be put into this position, and this sort of decision making will haunt you until you retire an unfulfilled 'could have been' who held a football club to ransom with the sort of greed that has no place in a successful team, and struggled to deliver anything with a group of young guns who play their hearts out for GWS because that's who drafted them... not who offered them the biggest contract.

To Jack Trengove... Respect.

Bring on 2012

After 16 consecutive years of membership, tonight is the last game from the MFC I will follow.

I can't take this anymore, and tonight is the first time I realised, I don't have to.

I have packed up my signed jumpers, membership scarfs, beanies, photo's and my membership card and placed them in a spot that one day, maybe someone might find and wonder who this club was, and what it stood for (nothing)

This club has received its last $ from me.

I wish you all well. No hard feelings, I've felt your pain, but enough is enough.

All the best

Jurrah Mancrush

I don't rate his defensive capabilities at all, though his kicking is pretty good. I'm of the opinion that a setup with him and Jared Rivers in the same team would be very bad for us. Riv needs to be able to drift off his man, but he can't do that if other players aren't good one on on. Not sure where else Strauss could go in this case. Maybe on a wing, although I'm not too sure.

Moving forward, you would think the only way dissect the press is with immaculate foot skills in the back half. The kid is getting better, he might not make it. but no point in panicking just yet I wouldn't have thought. I reckon he might sneak a few games late in the season and be very important for us in 2012

I read somewhere it'll be the first time Bruce hits a Melb player on the [censored]. ROFL

When you think about this logically, I can't see us losing.

We are 2 goals better off for Bruce not giving 2 goals away.

And we are another 2 goals better off by Bruce giving us those goals by fact we are playing against him!

Brilliant!

It was a stunning debut by the boy carved in granite!

Must be a rising star chance this week.

Yes Please

Rhino - Stef Martin for Hale? Given that Hale has played as their second ruck I don't think it's too silly an idea.

I think bringing in Warnock would negate the balance we've gained by dropping Rivdonald. I'd like to keep the number of defenders who can't kick to a minimum.

Couldn't make it to the game because of work so all my thoughts come from the replay

Joel Mac had a shocker, must make way for Chip

Davey is in trouble, as much as I hope he's not, Gysberts in as the SUB

Maric was ok, set up a few goals and I'd be building his confidence now rather than shattering it.

Petterd plays all game long, no breaks... ever...

I thought Stef Martin was huge and should play instead of Warnock on Hale.

Ahh yes, dont think I could've had a bigger smile on my face leaving the G.

The swans will not get caught with thier pants downs again. I'm a little nervous of the bookies odd's at the moment. I expect melbourne to come in a little closer once the teams are named.

I hope Trenner's is good to go. No Bradshaw or Malceski. Who do you expect to line up on Goodes? Stop him and we win.

Melbourne will get out to an early 4-5 goal lead by half time, with the swannies winding us back in in the second half. MFC by 9 pts.

What about Jack Watts for Goodes? Has the height and pace, possibly the strength too. Talk of him missing selection for round (if true) means he isn't considered indispensable in our line-up, I'd rather give him the go over Martin

Thoughts?

No way and when you deeply think about it- his form overall has been poor.

Forward line of :

Green Dunn Bate

Davey Jurrah Petterd

maybe their thinking.

As stated, if he does get dropped- gee that would make headlines.

I have to admit I was disappointed against Essendon when he didn't snag 5 or 6 goals from our 35 inside 50s and tear the game apart.

It doesn't matter how hard you try, sometimes you just can't get enough sarcasm across in a post eh?

All in all, I fear he is a bit risky.

His seemingly reckless attitude mentioned by others.

His still a little short, by todays Key Tall standards. With out the express pace needed to counteract the lack of 'Reach'.

His now injury, both physical & emotional.

I don't think we are in a desperate position to take such a risk with out 1st Rnd Pick... I'd be happy with a comparable kid for our 1st Pick.

The truth is, the only attraction is that he happens to play the old fashioned full forward way.

That, on it's own, isn't enough.

I think we have enough depth developing on all lines to take a risk, sounds like exactly the sort of player we need, with some mongrel and arrogance. The Leadership group would play a pivotal role, could be a good project for Colin Sylvia to mentor. Learn from my mistakes so to speak.

I bet Richmond would love Buddy's arrogance now. Is it possible we over-analyze these things? Carey would have been handy too, and turns out he was a complete toss bag... and 2 time premiership captain

186cm 78kg lightning quick midfielder half forward..

... Sounds like just what we need... can keep the others company!

I know nothing, perhaps he comes and becomes the game breaker we've been looking for!

Thanks for the quick info Dazzle

Talk has died alot in regards to trying to pick up Taylor Walker as a reasonable stay at home forward.

With Adelaide losing Bock and having a fb in Rutten who has IMO lost 90% of his talent since AA selection will they not be looking for an adequate tall defender. They clearly have no faith in Phil Davis although he showed talent.

Will Warnock do it? Would a pick have to be used as incentive and would you be interested?

When I read the title of the thread, I thought it was regarding ANDREW walker, and I felt dirty. Can you imagine ever letting that happen? The shame!

Coming to the MFC. Offered a one year deal.

Wouldn't know him if i saw him on the street.

Tell me he is 196cm, strong overhead, a great pack mark, elite endurance and speed and the dockers are letting him go because of salary cap pressure!

*Crosses fingers AND toes*