Hards

RIP Jim Stynes, he had an impact that went far far beyond football. Very sad day

Unbelievable moment. The League world will be in shock for weeks about this.

State or Origin, Australia rep and he gives it up to play for the Gold Coast, a team no one wants to exist or remotely cares about. Incredible coup for the AFL.

Should never have been moved out of the forward line by Daniher.

I had the priviledge of seeing Aaron Davey's first game for Melbourne, in the then Wizard Cup, up close and personal at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

He did a few nice things, a couple of tastes of the great high speed tackling, and then... there was a piece of play that will remain etched in my memory.

Ball was just crossing the 50m arc, coming to group amongst a tangle of players. Davey just bolted into it at breathtaking speed, almost scary in so much congestion, it was like he'd been invisible two seconds earlier. At full tilt he slammed into the guy with the ball, it spilled with a barely legit and completely powerless handball, another opposition player gathers it, handballs it off quickly, but Davey is there with another fantastic tackle, this time gathers the ball himself, puts a couple of steps between himself and anyone chasing, and sends it on to the top of the square.

I too was there and that moment is ethced in my memory as well. I believe he either kicked the goal or it just missed, if I remember it correctly it was at the end to the left of screen when you watch on tv.

A couple of weeks later his first touch against the Cats in the Wizard Cup PF was to get a pass 50m out on the flank, step inside Steven King and kick it around the corner for a goal from 45. Just ridiculous.

I have only seen bits of Jurrah but everything I've heard about him says no one questions his ability, the issue has always been how he can adjust to what is a massive lifestyle change for any Indigenous kid, but even bigger for one coming from Liam's background. From all reports he's going well at the moment, but I think the club may be reluctant to throw him in at the deep end until very late this season, if at all in 09.

Adam Cooney was the best thing about that show on Thursday night.

Red

The white one looks like a Bulldogs jumper.

I actually would prefer to see the Red jumper with white shorts instead of blue shorts, which is really similar to the good red jumper we were around 04 05.

At the AGM I asked one of the MFC staff if there will be a 2009 scarf and I was told that we will be able to collect them before the games (as in previous years before 2008)

Sweet thanks Alpha and Graz.

As much as I prefer the logo you guys have there, it's a massive improvement on last years farce.

That said, I think you'll find that is just a training jumper and not the clash jumper - like how years ago we had guys wearing the old jumpers with LG as the sponsor in different fluro colours.

18 goals 17 behinds - count four of those behinds for me - though I still reckon a couple of those weren't touched, haha.

Great game by all of our guys and thanks again to Rollo Jack and Pringle for all their work.

Looking forward to the next game at the end of the year

Where's my members scarf that was going to be coming back?

I'm seeing polos and all that sort of stuff but where's the scarf?

when the Eagles had Judd Cousins and Kerr starting in the middle who was the tagger? if were good enough he will be to busy attacking

Tyson Stenglein was their tagger, and he did a bloody good job of it.

I reckon you only need one tagger in a side and Bartram should be the one for us. The rest of the midfield has to be strong enough and talented enough to win their own ball, but be accountable for their opponents defensively when we don't have it.

Dunn has height pace endurance and is good around goals. He can run a big defender up the ground or drag a small defender back to the goalsquare.

I agree with Mo, he showed a bit in 06 playing that half forward role, and given the age and inexperience of Watts at this stage, our best setup would be to have Miller deep with Bate and Dunn at half forward, Robertson starting deep near Miller, and the crumbing guys starting up high then getting in.

Too good to be a tagger imo, should be played as a half forward, along side Bate and maybe rotating through a wing occassionally with Morton, Bruce etc who are all that 190ish.

they only do it for the dollars nugget, thats why watts got 4 why give him 9 when theres thousands of kids with that number.

As if a lot of people hadn't bought the number 4 jumper for the great Ben Holland

I'm sure if our Demons were given a much more accomodating draw by the AFL, we would be a much more attractive proposition for a sponsor wanting to spend between $1 million and $1.5 million dollars a year for 3-4 years.

If we weren't such a horrible side to watch on the field we would be given a better draw.

We can't ask for help from the draw until we provide something successful or at the very least entertaining on the field. The two go hand in hand.

It'd be nice if that wasn't the case but it is.

I should be right to play this time, again depending on work committments, but i'm 90% in.

Looking forward to having a run around

Watts 4

Wona 33

Martin 34

Hughes 38

Jetta 39

Bail 41

Bennell 43

Blease 46

Strauss 47

Jurrah 48

McKenzie 49

Healey 50

No one wearing 9, 13, 17 or 28 in 2009

Rookies are all very high. No 13. No 9. I believe we're going right up to 48/49 this year.

Watts gets 4 but everyone else has to earn lower numbers maybe, I don't know

I'm as big a Junior fan as any, and in a way I'm glad to see that he will have the honour of captaining the club on his own, in the same way Viney got to after Lyon.

At the same time, I would have liked to have seen Green be given the responsibility. He more than anyone has earnt it, from where he began to where he is now. Especially in the last two-three years.

Junior may only captain for 12 months, like Scott Burns, so this decision is as much about tomorrow as it is today. A solid year on and off field from McLean would see him have it in 2010, but say he stuffs something up off field or has a long term injury in 09 - what next? Do you give it to Green or Bruce anyway? Can someone like Miller step up (he'll be the only key forward again in 09 for the majority of the season so he'll stand out)?

I think we're setting ourselves up for a fall a bit here. If McLean doesn't do enough to warrant it for 2010 then who knows what we'll do.

Rich or Hamish Hartlett

10 games, anything more than that is a bonus.

Best

From an individual standpoint, Garland's improvement, some flashes from Wona, Martin, Morton and Buckley, and just Brad Green in general.

In terms of games, probably the second Hawthorn loss and the first Geelong loss

Worst

The same mistakes from Round 1 were being made in Round 22

Green not winning the B+F

The one man forward line

Three wins - all at the MCG, all against interstate sides, one of which was tanking, and the other two against sides with a combined away record of 3-19 (and the only win of those three in Melb was at TD, not the G).

I think it's pretty obvious that CJ's point was that he was made to work exceptionally hard for his spot when others (under both Bailey and Daniher's coaching) were given a seemingly free ride, regardless of how bad their form was.

Aside from that, I think a few people are underestimating the impact a close mate/teammate being belittled and disrespected in such an open manner can have on the rest of the team. Chris Johnson isn't what was holding this footy club back, and making him somewhat of a scapegoat isn't going to solve anything.

He wasn't offered more than a one year deal, wasn't given a clear picture of his future at the club until right before trade week, wasn't given a game despite clearly deserving it, then finally told that the Match Committee weren't sold on him. How can you blame him for going to a place he was actually wanted?

I hope he succeeds at Carlton (even if I hope the club falls over and dies in the arse).

Changed my mind in the last few days, I think we should grab him in the Pre-season draft.

Weigh up the positives and negatives:

Positives

- Will instantly be the best trainer at the club and raise the bar for off-field preperation for our younger players

- The added presence of drug testers will act as a greater deterent for our players, and he'll be first hand experience of what can happen if you go down the wrong path

- Adds instant exposure to a club desperately needing it

- He's a bloody good footballer, and for 3-4 years he'll add massively to our midfield

Negatives

- Sponsors? (FTR I don't buy this - Jeldwyn want to get out of St.Kilda, and wanted to use Cousins as the excuse; and Devine Homes, a 2nd tier sponsor for Brisbane have said they didn't have a problem with him)

- Doesn't fit our "youth" plan

- If something does go wrong with him.........

To me the positives outweigh the negatives, but it would take an awfully courageous decision to pick him.

I don't think we'll do it, but I think we should.

Still reckon someone will pick him up

I wouldn't get him only because of how far we are from contending.

If we within 2-3 years I'd definately get him. To be honest even if we within 4-5 years I would go after him because he's going to set a new standard at training and he'll be the cleanest bloke in the league.