Cards13

Well fark me silly... That is outside of the most inside out square i've ever seen. Move to western Sydney for 5 or so years to recharge our batteries.. I'm trying to think of any sporting club in the world that has done that and coming up with nothing. Obviously moving a "franchise" is part and parcel of US sports and has been done here with success but moving for a short period then coming back.. Not my cup of tea, but it might be a world first and a precursor to historic changes to franchise sports world wide.... As to the China experiment.... nothing to back up the negative thoughts as yet? If anyone has any info please pass it along as I think we'd all be keen to see how it has worked or not for us instead of making broad statements without fact on it not working. I also still think we should be targeting immigrant communities with "welcome packs" with details on the city of Melb, the history of the city and where it is going intertwined with how we fit into the city of Melb... I also think our lack of $$$ really hampers our promoting/marketing of the club, from a small marketing dept to a smaller budget than the big clubs. If we go with a China experiment and it doesn't work that is money we can not spend in other areas that other clubs will focus on.

Damn, want to see Valsa and Maric running around out there this week. You'd think Warnock would get another game based on Bails history this season. I think only one player (I'll stand corrected) has been dropped after just one game, Yze. Which would lead me to believe Ding Dong (D Bell) will be playing for sandy this weekend.

that was a year ago too... I like the presenter's comment too.. "one of the best prospects in the next 5 years" huh? Must be some super 12 and 13 yr olds out there

45 didn't notice his efficiency levels watching on TV, I thought he was better than that. His foot passing looks awesome compared to most of the side and hopefully we will see w few more of those kind of players coming from SA and NT with Baileys connections over the next few years!

Hi Weedster, Have you got facts and stats to back that up? How do you kno it was a waste of time full stop? I'm not disagreeing with you but would like to see some actual cost benefit analysis before saying ti was a failure or not. If it cost us $x yet we only had 100 members sign up leaving us with an actual cost of say $5,000 then it could be seen as a failure in the short term. What about the long term... how many of the Chinese we signed up will stay in the country and there children will support us? I see a number of other clubs are targetting migrant communities for new, non traditional member areas. I see this as a great way of trying to target new members. We can not all keep going to the same well for members. One of the issues though is we are playing such [censored] footy no one wants to support us especially new members. I took 1 SAFO and 2 Irish to round one and they were keen to follow us, they are all Hawks supporters now... I'm curious as to why everyone is saying this China thing was a failure along with thinking we should be targetting all mirgrant groups to look for members. Why not target the African Mirgrants? Helps them assimilate into our "culture" whilst providing us with new members and potentially new steams of players to our game long term... I would see it as a win win win if if it done correctly. Cards

How can they juggle both sides training "needs" on the one training oval? Hate to be pessimistic but from our history you'd assume one team would get preferential treatment over another and you know where that would leave the good old Dee's... :angry:

oh that is outside the square alright... Not sure it will fly. We all love to see players "bulk up" but that seems to have happered old flash. He looks like he has lost his x factor which was his explosive, run down players from behind pace. Loose the muscle gain the pace back. Come on Bohdan sort it!

I can see what you're selling but I'm not buying I'm afraid. Been waiting for him to come on for a few years and he seems to have flattened out. You either have it our you do not, even in a bad side you can see some players have it and some do not. He is a not in my mind but that is not to say my mind has any idea.

Can't agree rp... I can't recall him actually beating his direct opposition... He is always trailing and can very rarely get a fist in to spoil even with his so called pace. Understand the ball is coming in often and with awesome precision but you have to be able to beat your opponent on the day. The being caught from behind is 6 of one half a dozen of the other. Not enough awareness but also not enough talk/blocking from team mates to allow him time and space (even though he had time and space both times he has been run down on the last two weeks). I guess I just think he is ineffective.

Wasn't having a dig Red.... was more hoping if you've got a good eye for it you might be able to help out the boys as they seem to have had a little trouble identifying top notch talent at the pointy end of the draft....

Spot on Nasher.... it is deepressing (see what I did there..) for the past, it is positive for the future for two reasons. First, the bloke (trapper) is a [censored] and soft as butter and tries to get his way around doing what is required to be the best he can be and to make his club the best it can be, glad you're gone. 2nd the leadership group is more empowered this year and will continue to be under Bailey. While it seems to have taken our knuckleheads longer than other clubs to get it sorted it looks from the outside so far this season to be moving in the right direction.

Well done Dees!!! Finally... Little confused as well. Are the Pies still going to train at the other ground, is it Gosch's Paddock? And we get the new oval or do we share the oval with them? If so I can see us being farked around as we are the poorer cousins of the Pies. It all sounds like it is coming together for training and admin, we just have to wait a few years for it now..... (twiddles thumbs, stares at ceiling, stares at wall, stares at floor.. are we there yet?)

Red when is the resume going into to the MFC for any recruiter positions? I think we are all very keen to see Valenti on the books if you will. And all of these comments about being the same type of player is garbage. If they were good enough on the current list we would not be getting smashed in clearences every week or turn it over if we do win it. If he can deliver the ball then see you later, Moloney or Bell (I know he is not playing as a mid)...

I'm not disagreeing with that JB, but what purpose would it serve? Why bring in a bloke who is playing his last season (unless Adelaide wants to trade for him again) ahead of the Newton's or the Maric's or the Meesan's, if they have earned it. Even if they have not played as well as Dutchy, not to far behind him mind, you would promote them wouldn't you to get games into them and see if they can make it? No? Niknat he is on the list because of his work ethic and a good bloke basically. Same as Millsy. Bails had to make some choices in a short time frame on who to delist or keep. He as others have mentioned is a work ethic guy. Those two fit that mould but probably should not be on the list on form.

Ruined Morton? He is a first year player and will have peaks and troughs for the next few years, give him a break. Weetra was not playing under ND and from what we've seen so far will not be good enough to go around next year, if he was drafted as a player by the previous Footy Dept how did Bailey ruin him? I'm playing devils advocate but I assume when people are saying "kids" they are meaning players who might not technically be kids in the footy sense but as in have played very little for us. The Buckleys, the Jonhsons, the Warnocks, the Weetra's, the Garlands... he has been playing the "kids" in that sense. He is our number one tagger as there is no one better at the minute. Bartram is still finding his feet after a full year out of the game. Will take a little time, don't rush we are going no where this year. It has been discussed again and again and again about our current list and the same players from 2000.... lets all get over it, take it onboard as this is what Bailey was left with, deal with it and see where Bailey leads us from this week onwards. I will be extremely disappointed if a big statement at selection is not made this week... ie a Robbo dropped, as this is the line in the sand they talked about after rnd two..

Must politely disagree sir. He has continued to prove when he plays at MFC he is not good enough.

I'll politely disagree my man. If you had a choice of Hunt or Moloney who would you take? YEa Wheata looked like he was going to develop into something, I was excited about him for a couple of seasons. He has not unfortunately, like the majority of our players at present.

I think hunt is one of the best kicks in the game, awesome to watch, would love to have him at Melb. Hard, tough, massive who can move the ball quickly and hit a target. Oh what a dream for MFC....

Agree... Think Bell is very average, he is just not visible until you see him get run down from behind... It is a symptim of our lack of talk and blocking for the ball carrier but his awareness is not there along with him not being able to actually beat a forward opponent. Millsy works hard at training and on the ground match day but it doesn't seem to translate to any kind of actual ability to mark a contested ball. Bombing it long to two on one's doesn't help but he still does not look like a player who can make the next step.

Mate I've been hoping to see him in the 1's since round two.. Obviously he is young and slight of body but at least he is putting in the 2nd efforts, Lovell's write up about him from last week was good too. was it 5 tackles the week before? It's the rnd 6 cut off... hmmmm

Spot on RR. When the ball is delivered on the "dime" he looks really good it is just so far from his instincts to work hard off the ball when we do not have it. It has been a trait over Robbo's career, every two years he would come out and say he is maturing and not just going for the speccie and working harder on forward pressure blah blah blah. Watching young Dale Thomas on Friday, the Dons had the ball in the right forward pocket and he was on the mark. They passed the ball to a player running out of the left forward pocket, Thomas chased him HARD for close to 100m's, applied the pressure, alomst tackled the ball carried and turn over occured. I hope the coaches highlight sights like that to our players.

Well simple if he has earned selection then drop one of them on form.. Jones no, McLean no, Junior maybe, Moloney yes, his turn overs are terrible to watch. That one in the first term was appalling, bombing it to ff with not one MFC player within 20!

Was interested listening to Clarkson before the Hawks game saying how he spent his first season trialing players who had football skills. Anyone who didn't was weeded out and they drafted people with actual skill. It will be a deep deep weeding session at years end.

Robbo? He is the least hard working player in the comp. In the 4th qtr yest he jumoed into a mrking contest, ball spilled and he just stood there watching as it went into the forward pocket. Made no effort to chase the ball or work back to FF. Ball rumbled around the forward pcoket for 15 seconds before Lions cleared it for a shot on goal. I've thought he has had patches of good play when the delivery has been there for the forwards but his lack of work rate when we do not have the ball is a glaring example of Bails playing someone who jusr does not get it and never will.

Nait and rich are supposed to be guns so why not? Y_M good thread. I'd suggest the only one's on our list "untouchable" would be Morts, Davey, Rivers and maybe Batram. The rest I would give away for the 2nd pick in next years draft. As WC said this is the draft you need to pick up some early talent as the next 5 years are going to be raped by the new teams coming into the comp. Pick 17, one of Sylvia/McLean and if needs be one of our late round picks even.... Obviously you do not want to over pay but for those two you'd pay a high price... But as most have mentionedthere would be very very very little chance any one in the top 5 will trade out unless they think they only need one or two good players to get close to a premiership again, if we look at the current ladder then WCE are 2nd last and do not look like do much for the year. Rich is from WA, no way in hell they will trade away him. Freo 3rd last same was WC, no chance. Port not likelt and Essendon only if something special like Davey plus 17. To high a price for mine.