Damo

No one who calls them selves a good sport should let Carlton off the hook. Im still dirty that we didnt undertake the due diligence with Kelvin templeton 28 years ago. (build a bridge...) We were a laughing stock for taking his word that he was fit. Many reckon he is a good bloke and forget we had a titan at CHF who couldnt move 20 metres to mark the thing. We were so desperate we kept playing him. I do not wish the Blues good luck with Judd. Their complete lack of even a veil of morality and sportsmanship should bring them the bad Karma they deserve. Even Brett Rattan whom I thought was fair has sniggered at losing the match with us that secured Kreuzer. I have much more respect for the Magpies these days than those cheats.

Exactly what I was going to ask BBP. If anyone knows: Other than those three, are all the other boys eg Rivers Neiter Wheatley Mclean Colin and Greeny all considered to be in the main group? Who is supposed to be OK to go but is in "Cotton Wool" (which I read as Rehab). It is getting near February when we look to see who is really going OK.

I think 64 changes a game is plenty. It is a Pro-active step that tries to get around coaches looking for ways to avoid rules. It cant be that restricting and I for one think the hands in the back rule had to come in and just needs to be enforced correctly. It is difficult for umpires but it is way better than the blatant push outs that coaches were training backs(and forwards) to engineer. Each time a rule is tried or changed seems to be because coaching staff are on the lookout for ways to get around the spirit of the game, in an effort to gain an edge.

Why do so many think Wheatley is going to suddenly become a player that has earnt his spot? He plays 2 or 3 decent games each year and you hear he has finally made it. I rate him with C.Johnson. Please dont tell me about NAB nine pointers, How many has he kicked? 2? or 3? He has been there 8 years. Green(for example) is much more important but is regularly dismissed as soft. I think that this is solely because he has a face full of expression in tight spots(um, yes he looks scared!) Miller is castigated but puts pressure on the opposition. The disparaging of Nathan Carroll annoys and confounds me. Even if rivers has a stellar year, and that would be after a sh!t pre-season, we need Carroll. Paul Wheatley doesnt effect any pressure at all. Skill alone is not enough. Other sides that have been down like Richmond and Carlton are finally getting better because they have delisted players that dont just promise. The tigers adding Newman to the leadership is a change for the better for them. If Wheatley and Chris Johnson get regular games we are not going to get far. I would rather play someone who shows a bit, no matter how raw. And raw we now have plenty of. For these conflicting reasons, I dont think the love currently being shown for Dean Bailey is going to last past April. I hope he enjoys his Honeymoon.

The age is home delivered. Front page, Sport - look for Football news. Quiz. markets. herald-Sun Online, AFL news. Demonland. Once a week see what Ology is about. I feel more distant from them now than I have ever felt before.

Neiter is well past his best and well may be appointed captain because there isnt an obvious option. If he is captain it is a choice he will make for the club more than for himself, Bailey has let him decide. It is a shame we dont have someone in the wings, but it isnt Neiters fault. We arent the only club with this dilemma. Ive been told there is no one at the Bulldogs willing to Captain. Is this better or worse than our position? The Bullies are not happy to even play for Eade, much less be his Captain, but Johnno gets the job, because he is a clubman. I dont see its necessary for so many to come down so hard on a first time poster who didnt express himself very well.

The author is the songwriter and singer Paul Kelly. this is from the preface to "Footy Almanac 2007" by John Harms. I think it is in bookshops now. Paul, plus 10 or 15 others and I have been doing circle work for 10 years. He is 50 and still goes alright, here is his left foot.

This has been a terrific discussion. Im sorry I didnt contribute. Fatty you are a gem.

Craig, Thanks very much for your work and for taking the time to come on board. I hope you have good luck. But I cant wish the same for the Tigers cheers

Valenti. Its taken a while. I would think the only rookie to get a game at the Demons next year will be Shane Valenti especially If Jones is out for any reason.

Why is it so hard for posters to write clearly? Galvanise your thoughts and keep it simple. Streams of consciousness (look it up) that include complete changes of opinion, combined with bad grammar, does the site and readers almost palpable harm. If some people tried to cross the road the way they post, they wouldnt live long.

Hoist

I think it lacks balance for some to be over critical of our players, Carroll and Davey come to mind, while being highly protective of the clubs decisions, profits and policy making. I can understand that many posters are identifiable by in-house personnel, board members and Coterie and this may put them in a invidious position. So therefor I accept they are flying a flag. One that they may quietly bemoan doesnt include a Demon. IMO We would have been trying to recruit Nathan Carroll if we didnt have him. And Aaron Davey (off topic, I realise) is the only MFC player to be discussed as possibly playing in the Interstate Match.

I would have thought that had we picked Masten then Valenti would have had less chance. With Morton coming aboard, another potential Nathan Jones is quite possible. Sure we have a few of his type but when Jones played at sandy I thought Valenti was as good. I would like to see him given a go.

Morton has to get 3 as he is looming as a Gary Lyon. Id like Michael Newton to get Number 10.

They will get to keep their jumper and the "kangaroos" tag. Aren't they also guaranteed a certain amount of Melbourne games as well? The main loss seems to be that supporters wont be able to see their team train. Anyone out there trying to find where the Dees train, BTW? I think they should try to get five or six away games at the MCG where the Roos supporters seemed happy to watch them play before Telstra arrived. If I was a Roos supporter and we kept 6/8 games at the G, 10 games on Free-to-Air each season, complemented by reasonable plane tickets, unlimited funds to pursue players and create A-Class facilities, I would look at it favourably. But Im not. Maybe the Roos make their hard core supporters very welcome at training and we just dont get it.

I am a bit bemused. I thought he was a pretty good player.... I wonder how much he wants? One would think DB might have a pretty good idea what he is like.

http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=2...mp;newsId=53099

DB was on the radio saying MFC will not be considering Ben Cousins in the Pre-season draft.

There is a big difference between being de-listed and deciding you dont want to be in that club/town any longer. Ryley Dunn was delisted. Ash Sampi has walked out. Even if he isnt picked up by us he adds to the tapestry that looks like a richer PSD than we have seen for a few years.

Ashley Sampi is now available. He is 23 years old and may be worth rehabilitating.

We need a leader now. Neiter is lucky to hang onto his spot. Brock is not yet ready. If it is to be Brock, so be it, but the worst thing is that nothing happens. Neitz = Nothing. IMO he should have retired. No news on the captaincy and no strongly worded claim on the presidents position as well.... Whats going on? When does training start?

Rolling, That is the best clash strip Ive yet seen.

A good,if scary, read Jack. My concern is that Melbourne is too unspecific as a location. Would it be better if we were to identify with a specific area such as Bentliegh, Oakliegh, Sunbury, Sandringham or Caulfield? If we keep to being "just" Melbourne, will we find Local Governments getting behind other clubs more ready to brand a suburb as their own? I think the club should try harder to visit primary schools in the above areas and promote harder. My son had AusKick for the first time this year in Carnegie and his jumper was one of few Demons. There was one visit to the Junction Oval which many didnt attend. A visual presence is what is needed. I shudder to think what it would be like in Pascoe Vale or Kew. A good friend is now a retired Preps teacher. She shamelessly tried to persuade her preps kids to go for the cats at Carnegie PS. She believes he got them young and they stayed. This illistrates to me that there is not enough positive pressure in those areas we could win. We need to fiercely retain traditional ties. And we arent.

I believe we need to take it off Neiter. If he was giving it up we would know by now. I think we should punt on Green or Bruce and make them live up to the promise. I cant split them but my gut goes for Green. Then it is up to brock to wrench it off the incumbent. If he does it in one year, good on him. I believe Bailey has to influence this issue, in conjuction with the player leadership group. Rip the scab off it and do it soon. I will support his input and final decision. It is best for Nieter, the leadership group and the supporters.