pitmaster

I wonder were you at the game or watching on telly? Because to me, viewing from the northern stand, plenty changed. It was obvious from the opening minutes that our play-on-at-all-costs-through-the-corridor approach of earlier this year had been jettisoned for a much slower, controlled possession game. We looked to switch wide at every opportunity and did not seek the corridor until closing on the forward 50, and not always then. Rather than gambling with frantic play-on football we set out to deny the opposition possession by maintaining it ourselves. Statements like this: Watching us enter forward 50 is amateur hour at its finest. We are literally a comedy act. It's as if we try and navigate the most difficult route to goal once inside our forward half are simply meaningless. And considering we had a key forward kick six goals in three quarters and another forward score three goals from 11 disposals your remarks are simply wrong. It seems to me your prejudices prevent you from observing what's really going on.

Errr...three goal assists.

Talking dumb football, now you've got me started on Angus' crazy overhead bandpasses that either went to the opposition, no-one, the ground, or a contest. When did that become something worth persisting with?

Dump on me for this but reading between the lines of Gawn's injury I'd say rest him. He is too valuable long term to mess about with. They hope the swelling goes down in time because it's a seven day turnaround? No thanks. Preuss deserves a run and was by reports in decent form the past few weeks. He looked OK in Sydney but ran out of steam. His fitness must have improved. Give him a go and let's see what he has.The midfield was rubbish last week with Gawn so let's put the challenge on them to do the job without Max as a crutch. So Preuss in for Gawn. JKH also apparently was dynamite at Casey. Well, against expectations he was pretty handy late last year and was unlucky to cop an injury just when he was starting to look like he belonged so JKH in for ANB who had little impact. No other changes needed. Some pride required.

Terrible the kneejerk responses on this site. Some perspective: we have had the absolute worst by a big margin injury list this year. Players come back but it takes time to get match fit and new players to the club need time to settle. Brisbane has the least injuries of any club. Only one player (Cutler) is currently not available. They are settled, well coached I admit and well lead, but they know one another's games. Our blokes are second guessing about one third of their teammates. Hipwood has played 66 games and usually stuffs up at least half his disposals. He averages 1.5 goals a game. He kicked five. Too bad. He kicked like a donkey a few weeks ago and cost them the game. This time he didn't. Our lousy luck. Weid had played 29 games for just under one goal a game. Get off his back. It's too soon to make a call on him. Having said that I really cannot credit this week's lack of midfield attack but bad games happen. These are the times to stay staunch.

Hoping for a big rebound from our mids. Tim Smith...take the shot within 35 metres please. Angus...forget the overhead handballs into contests.

On further thought Alves should not be there. He was not a trade. He went to the VFL Appeals Board. Melbourne received precisely nothing in return.

But I would be rapt if he made it back. He elevates our forward pressure incredibly. I was sorry to see Kent go like others, but he has been unusually resilient for the Saints. He really never had a good run at it with us. And as much as I liked him he was not particularly reliable in front of goal, although that seems to have improved too, like his fitness. Still, if AVB were fit we would not be missing Kent. I realise this answers precisely none of the questions in the OP but that's because I don't know.

Are they "trades" when they are walk-outs? Alves, Wells, Spalding, Scully, Healy CHOSE TO LEAVE US. So if you're counting them where the hell is the best of the lot: R D BARASSI? Apologies for shouting.

Dipper was North Kew from memory.

Weather was grim for Freo too.

I am old school. And possibly out of date, or maybe it's that kanga brand that fooled me. But it's not bloody pig skin. I'll cop Mason Cox but not Americanisms.

Already answered that, but if the mods want to merge sure, but this is news not speculation. It explains why he hasn't been seen at any level recently. The body building part of your question is resolved in the full article.

From The Age "Melbourne has put young defender Oscar McDonald through a mid-year mini pre-season to try to unlock his struggling form by helping him build his light body to compete with the big power forwards. The Demons pulled McDonald out of all playing for three weeks and put him through an intensive three-week weights and agility program to build his body and confidence. The coaches, including senior coach Simon Goodwin, have joined him in doing extra weights sessions. The mini pre-season has been structured to be timed around the bye to limit the games missed as the club sought a way to lift his form. "In the first part of the season Oscar was not able to do what he wanted to do and we had to find a way to help him get back to playing the footy he knows he can play," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said. "In the end it got to a stage where something had to be done to get him back playing the footy we know he can play. He did a mini pre-season for three weeks tying it into the bye round. "The role he plays he is on the biggest strongest forwards in the competition so a lot of it was around strength and weights. We have done similar programs with Sam Weideman earlier in the year when he missed a few weeks. [Rookie tall player] Austin Bradtke as well." https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/demon-does-mini-pre-season-to-find-form-20190624-p520tw.html

Pigskin? Really? No man, it's f@#$#%@ kangaroo hide. And give Hannan more time to run into form. It's not like Melkie is anywhere near ready.

That was a mark. And called so on the teeve.

Excellent observation. That passage drove me nuts.

Now if in previous weeks, say post the West Coast and Adelaide games, you'd made the observation that we played well and did everything but win, and that things aren't as bad as they seem since we were competitive and late in the game in winning positions against two of the competition leaders, I'd grant you this point. But since I don't remember any such level headed contributions (although you may have made them I just don't have the time to confirm my suspicion that no such offerings exist) I am going to grade your post as churlish and unworthy. This was a creditable win with two novices in Hore and Lockhart shining, TMac starting to resemble form, and the Weid continuing to develop. May was terrific, Frost apart from early game disposal errors linked up well with his fellow defenders and Petty gave us a bit. And we won despite Freo making up for their injuries with a couple of extras in yellow. You really did miss the point of it.

Well, you can't spell 'Biffin' and you can't spell 'maggot' so, while this might seem harsh, I am going to dismiss your conspiracy theorising until you can tidy up the basics. Somewhat like Melbourne's forwards: won't deliver until they can correct the follow through.

Some skilled coherent football from the mids, a backline that plays as a unit, forward half accuracy with no half-witted attempts to pass when kicking from within 35 meters, and more wins than losses in the last ten rounds, including reversing the EAGLES, PIES and SAINTS results.

My concern on May early in the game was that the was leaving his man to attack aerial contests but attempting to mark instead of spoil with the result that his man was free. He seemed more effective after quarter time and commentators on The Age podcast complimented his work in repeatedly bodying Cox out of position. They were critical of the fact that Cox had been played at all and said he was outplayed by May.

In a word, yes. And a Carey/Lloyd goal kicking coach too, please.

Some literary types believe Orwell arrived at the title by a small shift for the year in which he was writing (1948) to suggest England was already on that path. As for the substance of the topic: it's time umpires became professionals. Maybe then the standard of their work will improve, but for now they leave themselves open to criticism with their constantly shifting decisions.

Sorry to be a dog in the manger but Robbie and Stan played in many more losing sides than winning ones. For many years Stan was the main reason to go see Melbourne; and for many years after he left Robbie was the main reason to go see Melbourne. We didn't see a lot of wins. Stan never played finals with us. Robbie waited until the end of his career to play three finals matches. Now a pair like them would be gold right now but let's not overstate their impact on the G or anywhere else. And on related matters I agree TMac should be rested. Preuss may not be the answer long term but he is mobile and he is fearsome and able to break up aerial packs. He also has goal sense. Give him a run until TMac can return to his best. I agree with others who don't see Spargo's value. He provides a contest is all. He is not a penetrating kick; rarely hits the scoreboard and buggers up other's work. He is unable to break free of the opposition and lacks the small man's best attribute which is pace. What they see in him is a mystery. Hopefully we'll all be proved fools when he becomes a star (unlikely).

I thought everyone knew it was OP...at least that's what Joel told a premium member's pre-game function before the Hawthorn game. He said "I am in quite a bit of pain" and used the term "osteitis pubis". So the post 427 pages ago seems to have been on the money. And as for the article that accompanied the chart above, it seemed to significantly understate the impact of Melbourne's injuries by suggesting Collingwood had coped better because of their greater depth. It shows Melbourne's best-22 missed games are 89% greater than Collingwood's and 63% higher than Richmond's!