Redleg

You old timers could come into a racehorse with me. At least they win some of the time. I breed and race them. At the moment they are my only sporting enjoyment. I even have some Melbourne colored silks that I have never registered.

I think you will be pleased.

Looks like our Coach hunt is going to widen.

Just watched On the Couch and Footy Classified. Footy Classified and AFL 360 are my favourite shows. Loved the way both Garry and Thomas got stuck into Hutchy. Garry for Hutchy calling our Coach search "variable" when there was absolutely no basis for the statement and Thomas for Hutchy getting upset about his mate and drinking buddy being knocked by Thomas. It was great TV. From On the Couch I learnt that Roos really doesn't like the Dees. He knocks us at every chance and seems to have an agenda. Two things I will say about Garry, he is clearly a very relaxed TV performer and he seems as though he is very committed to getting the club in the right hands in his stint.

At this point in time I would be delirious, because we are years away from a Grand Final. Getting back to your point though, I don't understand why Bartram hasn't been given help with his kicking. Robbo was hopeless early on and after an intense off season working on his kicking completely turned it around. Maybe he could help Bartram. Davey is ok with the ball coming in as he can spoil, what he is hopeless at is getting a contested ball when there is a danger of a collision.

Of course he should and lets reward the players for their great effort. We are not clutching at straws anywmore we clutch at thin air.

Its not as though I could say we are a great team and I love watching them play great football.

I have never seen us a play a team in orange/red jumpers, so I will be there.

Not really. He got 3 soft goals from a free and 2 uncontested chest marks, when Joel Mac went wandering and left him alone after several MFC turnovers. When he played tight Brad was unsighted.

Couldn't agree more Old Dee. You just leave the ground with an empty feeling. I have a friend who is a Melbourne Heart Director and he has made me join as a member even though I don't like soccer. I went to a game last year and because I had no emotional attachment the 1 all draw ended up as a nice day out with a lovely lunch thrown in. Of course with the Dees it is completely different. I do see the future. I strongly believe in our list though not in every player on it and that what is missing is a hard edged, good coach, who is up with the modern game and is also innovative. We need more physical development in many players and obviously more game time as well. I will have to try and stay positive and hope that we appoint a good coach, sort out the admin problems whatever they are, hope for a result in trade week, start speculating on the draft again and then off to pre season training. Sounds good, but at the moment I fee like sh-t. Then again maybe that is the reult of the food I ate at a Lebanese restaurant that Whispering Jack dragged me to last night. We tried in vain to drown our sorrows while watching some amateur belly dancers perform. Perhaps I should have asked them if they play football.

I hope Davey is playing injured, because if he isn't he is probably finished as an AFL player. He now offers absolutely nothing to the team. I also think that we must play attacking players in the middle who can get the ball and give it off quickly. Playing two taggers and Beamer to a winning ruck is a joke and explains why they won the clearances and the game. The amount of times Jamar put it right down one of our player's throat, only to see a fumble and turnover, is heartbreaking for the rest of the team. We must have skill and desire for the ball in the middle, to get the clearance. We are far too negative with taggers.

IMO we are the worst disposal side in the AFL. I have said it for years. We murder the ball by hand and by foot. Our last 3 losses can be clearly traced to disposal. We turn it over and gift goals.

He has a 3 year contract to be Director of Coaching for $1million per year. As I said earlier he WILL NOT coach anyone next year and will be a free agent the year after if he wants to.

IMO we would have no hope of getting him unless you know who leaves us for GWS. I can see the AFL helping us if that happens.

At the races today and spoke to a Melbourne fan. He said that he knew the work of Brendan McCarthy and that he was brilliant. Architect of many of the new tactics at Geelong working with Defence and Mid Field. Only drawback being he is not a former AFL player. Widely acclaimed in AFL circles for his coaching. Would we go left field?

Dinner tonight at Cosi in South Yarra. Had veal osso buco, it was shithouse and inedible. Expensive as well and bloody noisy. Should have stayed home and had a jaffle.

Good boy, stick to that low cal beer.

Rockliff just signed a new deal with Lions.

I am not suggesting anything, merely relaying news I heard today. It was as close to from the horse's mouth as it could be. I am talking about the MM not coaching for one year and then being free part. The rest is my speculation.

I have heard that MM will do one year as Pies Footy Coaching Director ( will do nothing ) receive $1million and then be free to go where he likes. If we appoint Viney for 1 year I would guess that we have done a deal for MM in 2013. He may have a behind the scenes influence in 2012. Viney can set up the game plan and develop the team and then hand over the reins in 2012. The one fly in the ointment could be the Blues but as I said earlier if Viney gets the nod for next year I think MM will be the Coach the next year. Time will tell. This will have Eddie saving face and then saving $2million for the Pies for years 2013 and 2014.

At the risk of being howled down, I started my 1000th diet today and had a protein drink for brekky. Guess what, it was banana flavour. Problem tonight, I am going out for dinner, might just order a banana split. Been a good weekend so far, Carlton down to 5th and losing the double chance and possibly off to West Coast for a final. Tomorrow the Dees to bounce back with a more defence oriented game and less turnovers.

Those stats certainly surprized me. I am very happy to have Cook and Howe and look forward to both boys playing next year, after another pre season and some more gym work.

Nice way to spend an evening.

I usually tape the footy show and watch the news segment and then delete the rest. Yesterday they spruiked Damien Barrett unbelievably and said that he would have tons of news. The guy said nothing. He threw in that GWS was after Goldstein and then Andrew Swallow said it won't happen. That was it. This segment is now absolutely as bad as the rest of the show. I have a new nickname for Barrett now " the Recycler" as that is all he does, recycle old news and gets most of it wrong anyway. Hopeless.

Just wondering about all the salivating over the possibility of getting Malthouse to coach us. I recall many years back when Ron Barassi returned and many thought we would get a premiership, it was an unmitigated disaster. I wonder if someone highly credentialled and liked and respected, like Mark Neeld, would be a better way to go.