Go the Biff

After getting home from Saturday's game I viewed every article I could find online. I looked at every highlight available & trawled our websites lapping up the enthusiasm of our supporters. Even went to BigFooty & enjoyed the favourable comments from the challenged multitudes over there. It is so bloody nice to feel good about the footy again after enduring the last few years. It is so good to feel that Melbourne is getting some respect back. For the last 18 months I've had to rely on Big Jimmy & Martin Flanagan to remind me how great this club is. Mind you, the last few years have been a walk in the park compared to shite that was the 70's. The fire has certainly started & while it is still very early days, I'm looking forward to watching the flame get fanned

I don't think Warnock deserved an opportunity under Daniher. He was largely tripe at Sandy & showed nothing, nothing to suggest he would be an AFL level player let alone a KPP. I admit I was keen to see him cut three years ago. Very happy to be proved wrong & hope he continues to prove me wrong for a good few years.

Reckon you might want to read the thread title ( & subtitle)

Petterd was between forward flank & forward pocket when Bate grabbed the ball - he kept running to the square after Bate kicked it towards Dunn. But Bate should have spotted Ricky though & passed to him. Thought Bate was ok on Saturday - maybe drifted out in & out a bit. Watched the replay & thought Bate was a fair bit better than ok. Very important lead up target, especially in the first quarter when we were trying to get some reward for effort on the scoreboard. Wouldn't contemplate dropping him.

It's not just us Demons who think we were bent over without the benefit of lubricant. There is a 13 page thread on Bigfooty decrying the maggot's performance. Most of it from non- Melbourne fans.

He's not a full forward. Never will be. To play him there would be having him playing away from his strengths - one out, in space. He has the potential to be one of those nasty half-forwards that are too good in the air for most small defenders & too quick for most tall defenders. Like most half forwards he's likely to get bags one week & nothing the next. Terrific game today, you could see how much that hurt, narrowly missing that mark on the siren. Sign him up before the GC get into his ear. A natural full forward though, would have been leading towards the oncoming Bail & taken an uncontested mark & kicked from 20m out.

Greg Parke

Not a great analogy Bazz & way too much info in your previous post ! I'm thinking we'll likely get a $500K Chris Heffernan. Won't be happy if we use either of 11 or 18 on him. Not for a player that the 'Pies thought worth no more than pick 30 & a fringe player. Furious_d makes some valid points about Ball's value from a leadership & age-group perspective but I don't see he, Moloney & Jones (let alone Junior) in the same team. Same problem we were facing when Brock buggered off. Hope it's a bluff. Even more, I hope it works.

I'm pretty sure the Tigers re-signed him on a two year deal a couple of weeks ago

I can get pretty close to his response to Leach & Robinson : "Just a rumour. We've touched base with the club & they say they're very close to signing a three year deal" I guess your level of comfort can be measured against the level of cred you give The Ox. I rate him ahead of that no-name Ch9 bloke but like everyone else, will have to wait this one out.

I'm a fair bit older than you but I'll play. It's a welcome diversion from ludicrous trade proposals. B Laurie Fowler, Ray Biffin, Alan Johnson HB Brett Lovett, Gary Hardeman, Adem Yze C Robbie Flower, Greg Wells, Stephen Tingay HF Garry Lyon, David Schwarz, Ross Brewer F Jeff Farmer, Allen Jakovich, Gerard Healy R Jim Stynes, Todd Viney, Greg Healy Int Earl Spalding, Brian Wilson, David Neitz, Peter Moore Emer Stan Alves, Warren Dean, Brad Green Hopefully in five years time, I'll be able to tip out some of these & replace them with premiership players. Not thrilled with having to name Brewer given the lazy bugger [censored] off to the 'Pies but he was a genuine HFF and a bloody good one when he got off his arse. 3 time leading goalkicker albeit with meagre totals. Coodabeen.

Fair enough. That's what I get for skimming through at lunch time !

Not necessarily. He could have gone down the Pagan at Carlton path & recycled some established players to bolster his list. That, in my view set Carlton back as much as their salary cap penalties. Trading TJ for a draft pick was gutsy. It's one thing to have a plan but it takes balls to stick with it. Agree with those lauding the skills of Matthews. Over time, his tough-guy rep has probably detracted from his footy rep but for those who never saw him, be in no doubt. He was a freak. His ability to hit a leading player lace out on the [censored] is the best I've seen. He could kick bullets over 40 metres that never got more than 4 feet off the ground. Freak

You weren't on the [censored] with Hannabal were you ?

I also want to see a flag - and I'm a damn sight older than Jaded although I suspect not as "maturely positioned" as BangkokDemon. I don't have those memories to cling to after decades of disappointment The debate is not about pick 1. It is about getting the opportunity to get 2, not one but 2 of the best prospects in the country to add to our list. A list I expect to develop quite rapidly but it needs a further injection of talent. I am as guilty as anyone of viewing our players through rose coloured glasses but even I know our reality. We do not currently have a list capable of developing into a flag-winning combination. We might not be all that far off though & the club should be ruthless in trying to close that gap. Beating North & Freo in 2009 won't do it. Those two picks could well be the Judd & Hodge of their year. Admittedly they could also be Richard Lounder & Anthony Banik but these days, there are not many duds in the top 3. To get that elusive flag we will have to recruit well, trade well, develop players well & have a shedload of luck in the process. Getting two bites at this years cherry is a flying start. Caroline Wilson thinks we need to win games to attract memberships, sponsors & crowds. Balls. We have a record membership on the back of a pig of a year. We have major sponsors on 2 year deals so they will be on board next year when the renaissance begins. We have some (not enough) exciting young talent that will get bums on seats. There is much to look forward to & I'm sure we will see the tide turn next year but this is our last chance to really add some more quality to the mix. To not do so would be negligent. Those who suggest that winning a couple more games will establish a winning culture at the club - well you're entitled to your opinion but I think you're talking through your arse. A winning culture is established over years, not games. Beating up on fellow hacks won't change a culture - it's just wallpaper over cracks. BangkokD, you make your case well but I think you are trying to have your cake & eat it too. What you call "list management" others are a bit more frank about. You can have your memories of 1964 & may you enjoy them for many more years - I want my own MFC premiership memories to look back on. FWIW, here's my "list managed" team for the upcoming Richmond & Freo games. B. Whelan, Jetta, Bennell HB. Bell, Maric, McLean C. Jamar, Spencer, Johnson HF. Wheatley, Whelan, Warnock F. McDonald, Valenti, McKenzie R. Bartram, Martin, McNamara Emergencies : Bail, Dunn, Yze Magic Out : Bruce, Moloney, Green, Jurrah, Grimes etc , etc etc (general soreness), Watts (study leave) Yeah, I know Jetta & Maric probably won't cut it as key position defenders but now would be a good time to find out for sure ! (insert winking thing here)

Felt exactly the same. It's a stuffed up arrangement when you've got mixed feelings about your own team scoring goals. It's a [censored] not being able to celebrate a win with any enthusiasm because you're concerned about the longer term imact on your club. I hate feeling like this & almost can't wait for the year to be over. The stakes are so bloody high though. If you threw Hodge & Kerr into our team would we be a team that could make the finals ? Obviously no. But if you threw them into what this team could be in a couple of years it's a different story. That's what we have at our fingertips - the chance to pick up a pair of Hodge-like and/or Kerr-like players for next year who will develop with this team. We need them both. I too want a flag - not an occasional victory against mediocre interstate sides. And I never want to have to feel like this again - couldn't even sing the bloody song after the game

Rhino, I take issue with that description of Robertson, particularly from someone who has followed the MFC as long as your username suggests you have. You're not a 14 year old kid. No matter what you or anyone else thinks of Robertson, his form or his future, his contribution to the MFC entitles him to more respect than you show him with that description. Just a couple of things you might have missed. Over 200 games. Over 400 goals. A B&F. I hope you ignored the request to wear your Melbourne jumper last Saturday because you would [censored] disgrace it.

My greatest disappointment in the whole sorry incident is that he whacked the wrong Selwood brother. Had he got that other [censored] he could have used something similar to the Josh Carr defence.

One of my least comfortable days at the footy WJ. My jumper was last on my frame about 25 years & at even more kilograms ago. Needed a bloody shoehorn to get it off when I got home!

Agree. I don't mind him being ignored if he's in a poor position but a number of times today he was available & a poorer option taken, resulting in a turnover. Began to wonder if he's shagged someone's missus.

Obster from Demonology knows MF and has apparently filled him in on this.

Great work fork. $100 lodged via the blue box. DN122674

Yes but you are an enlightened Demon Jaded, not a scurrilous bluebagger. Your actions are to be applauded.

Dingo, you replied to one of our Demon ladies posts. QueenC. Refer also to Jaded who also is "not a he"

That is child abuse. That "carer" should be immediately removed from any contact with children, be formally charged with crimes against humanity & incarcerated. Interesting reading about partners of other persuasions but I can tell you, it is better to be involved with a Collingwood fan than it is to have a partner that has no interest in footy whatsover. They have no concept of our passion for our club. They can't understand why we abuse the umpire, even when watching a tape of a game we've. And they utter that horrid expression "why are you getting so worked up - it's only a game". Or "did you lose again - oh, well, it's only footy". Shits me no end. She decided at one point to embrace attending football in the name of "doing things as a family". After a few games when it became apparent that she found the crowd more interesting than the on-field action, the kids banned her. Queenie & Jaded - much respect to the pair of you for the fine job you are doing in expanding our supporter base. Keep up the good work !