Roost It

how's that, $20 mill and a new captain, you sure do bring good news. Now, is it true?

Ben Holland You may laugh, but when it really mattered, he'd kick it, and it would be beautiful to watch. Robbo would get overexcited Green would push it out to the right and just miss Colin - your kidding aren't you?

I think he wants all for himself. Imagine we could play Freo in Delhi in front of 100,000 new supporters

To annoy the Chinese who have already got us to drop the Demon. Turns out the Prince loves Demons and has always wanted his own footy team.

I like the idea of both as much as the next demon, but how is it we can afford to set up and operate 2 training venues. Whether or not the council chips in, there's ongoing costs. I reckon these ongoing costs will be pretty high at Olympic Park. We're bleeding cash so maybe we should invest In Casey and do all our training there, amongst the community, during the footy season when it matters the most

So here we are, broke and with no home. Plans suggest we're going to fund our involvement at Olympic Park to the tune of $1.5 million (we currently have $1 mill saved) Our debt at years end is going to be $5 million or more. Then there's our summer base at Casey, I wonder how much that's going to cost. Obviously we can't afford either of them but both, who are we kidding. So that leaves us with the question. Which one do we commit to. I'm not sure we can afford not to go to Casey. A VFL affiliation and the possibility of gathering support in the community has an upside for us. Olympic Park on the other hand. Sure it's close to the MCG but we can't afford it, and will it help generate support. The City of Casey are already talking of tipping money into Casey fields. Which way do we go?

Here's an idea: Johnson for Warnock(Thus keeping our PSD pick for someone fast and skilled (hopefully) White and Green to Sydney for first round draft pick I know there's a few of you who see potential in Johnson as a key forward. I can't see him being in a premiership forward line, He's just not that good. Of course on this point I'm happy to be wrong. As for Green, yes he has become a really good gutsy footballer (Those criticising Dunn should remember that Green has learnt this, he had been known to take the easy option - Not anymore) He has some worth to those near the top but will probably miss our next shot. White, well maybe he'd be invigorated for 1 -2 more years at a new club

Brad Green anyone?

You need to get off his back. Either you don't understand the game or you expect him to be Buddy Franklin. He's a good forward who has been working his butt off this year to improve his game and the team's. Once we start improving and the delivery improves he'll go from good to very good and then finally you might realise what he's upto. He presents all day and never drops his head or shows his frustration at the poor delivery he receives at times. Not to mention that it's a tough gig being a forward at Melbourne at the moment. From where I sit he's going to be play a key role for us going forward

Yeh and Newton was a late inclusion, Quote "He led, he marked, he chased, he tackled, he bustled and he kicked 7 staight including one on his wrong side from 55 whilst fending off 4 opponents" "The best individual game I've seen at this level"

White needs to hang up the boots. Playing him denies us new growth. I think we may as well give Meesen a couple of games before the years out. We already know that Jamar can't cut it. Trade him to Richmond for a 3rd or 4th round pick(try anyway!)

It'll turn out a demonsend that we didn't take it. It might have been great for picture opportunities but unlike Casey it wouldn't have given us any new supporters. In a couple of years we'll have a home next door and at the same time we'll be tapping into the third biggest growth corridor in the country. Don't worry about Kennett, he's just doing what he's always done and we all remember what happened the last time he got ahead of himself.

When you r playing so well and have 4-5 bounces through the middle you HAVE to kick it Lyndon. Great effort on Goodes though.

How does Warnock look against Hall

Can you tell Barry to go easy

He's no dud. He looks a very, very exciting prospect. He'll fill out but he's not going to be massive - think James Hird size. By the way although I'm not comparing them I like using them in the same sentence. Gives me a warm feeling to think that just maybe, There I go, getting ahead of myself!!

Fair point but a genuine superstar makes a massive difference across a whole club (I'm not saying he's one} Take Hawthorn and Buddy Franklin, he's worth his weight in gold and then some.These types of players are rare and we NEED one more than ever. Let's hope the selectors make the right choice

Great servant of the club but I'd like to see him retire at year's end, He's not part of the future and we've got some kids to blood in that position. Not to mention the possible draftees. It'd be great to see him retire at a solid ebb rather than clog our list.

Good point but I think you'll find that the residents of Docklands are a mix of young professionals and retirees. The great thing about Casey is the kids. It's a family area with schools and sports days etc. It's here we can potentially tap into a new market. Get 'em while there young!

You need to read carefully what I've written as you seem to be rushing your replies and missing my point. That said, an enjoyable debate it was, but as we're on the same side let's leave it at the fact that we see it differently. Remember, there's one thing we don't see differently, and that's the soon to be mighty again Demons!

Actually, as alot of the population growth is from migration(both from within Australia and overseas) there will be a host of new people to not only convert to AFL (To protect it's precious "brand") but to convert to Demons. The area is growing and growing rapidly. A quality sports precinct would fit well within the community and I think you'll find the council is already looking at it that way. You might not see any benefit but I think you'll find future developments prove you wrong. I didn't talk up his reaction. You need to read what I said. You don't seem to have much faith in the current CEO if you think his and the club's presentation isn't going to be well researched. It's exactly because public transport is in meltdown that Governments will be forced to fix it. - There's your given. Turf management involves irrigation and drainage so forget that argument. I've not talking about playing at these venues anyway, I'm talking about playing at an improved Casey. If NAB Cup matches are played there I'm sure insurance isn't a problem and as the ground gets upgraded I'm sure we'll all be comfortable watching the footy there. Hell, we might even sit together! A resource that could well do with an upgrade as the local council also sees. If the AFL are going to have 2 stadiums in QLD and 2 in SYD I think 3rd would do just fine in Melbourne, espcially with the growth of football in and around Casey. It's not life support it's providing funds to the competition that the competition earns. Without the clubs there is no comp and it's time the economic rationalists amongst us realised this. You no what Rhino, it's ok that not all the teams in Victoria are rolling in money, because as a whole there is enough money, which should be used to grow all teams. And I'm not saying just throw it around but if you want to give all the main games to the big clubs then you need to share that money with the others who don't get that opportunity or do you want to see the AFL go down the path of English soccer. Of course Melbourne can sustain 10 teams, you've been hoodwinked by the AFL on this. It's not me making the proposition, it's our Footy club doing it, and I'm supporting it. Maybe you show me your numbers or haven't you done them? No Iceberg in sight.

Yes, it is good for the AFL as it secures football in the third srongest growth corridor in Australia and along the way will go along way to securing a future for football's foundation club. Look at it like this, provide extra money now to help us set up in Casey and then less or no money later as the plan comes to fruition and we stand on our own 2 feet, thus helping to continue the growth the AFL so craves. Governments have in the past and are currently funding such projects, I'm not sure why they wouldn't help here. Providing first rate sporting facilities for the benefit of the community as they have done in Footscray. Nth Melb and Richmond

I haven't seen him play, but is Meesen really that bad? Also is Newton the answer or are we kidding ourselves?

For Melbourne to survive and grow playing at a smaller venue may be just the answer. We have watched as the AFL has reduced the stadiums to 2 in Melbourne. This has been great for the big drawing clubs, the AFL anf the TV but as for the average supporter- What a joke. The club is talking about an idea that helps it to take control of it's destiny back. I've noticed that AD hasn't canned the idea in public so it's fair to say he's waiting on more information from our club. The time has come to return Football to the community. Melbourne Footy club can be at the forefront of a new frontier- the return of Big Football to the Suburbs. With the growing size of this city I'd be very surprised if this didn't happen in the near future anyway.

OK that's all well and good. However it still leaves our club with nowhere to call Home. I think we'll find the club's new direction is going to involve Casey. To quote Chris Connolly, "We'll be in Casey in a big way" There's other ways to fund this and government will be involved, along with the VFL and AFL. Football is very important to communities and I'm not talking about building the The Telstra Dome at Casey. One or Two games to a year as well as training links us to a community. It also keeps the AFL ahead in all areas of Melbourne. We've been calling on this club to think outside the box. Playing in Canberra gives us nothing but short term money. We can use a well planned Casey involvement, bringing together the Scorpions, the Demons as well as other community groups to sell a message to the local area that we're in for the long haul and that we want to be part of the growth of the region. Surely that's better than flying off to Canberra with our hands out. We're not going to pull in too many big sponsors we need to go local and call on an area to back us and Casey could well be this area.