pitmaster

You're assuming we get a double chance...even the greatest optimist would reckon our 1988-like run into the GF would come from the bottom four, giving us 27 matches.

Any of you pr*$#s feeling a twinge of guilt now? He redefined the role of the small forward. His battles with injury have clearly taken their toll. I am glad to see the almost universal break out of respect on this forum. Too bad his last game might be at Etihad, since it says he will retire at the end of the season.

It's a pretty lightweight effort. Must have taken him all of 15 minutes to bash that out. Father son? Geelong? Not just Ablett and Scarlett. Hawkins too. And they were getting them when they were cheap - around a fourth round pick. But I don't give a rat's either way - for Barrett's opinion or a compensatory pick. Compensatory picks we have shown to be fool's gold. They alone are not the answer so if we don't get one, I won't be especially fussed. We wasted four years with "just getting games into the kids" and another two years with an arrogrant 'do-what-I-say-not-what-I-did' martinet. With or without compensation we'll do better with either of Roos or Eade (supposed to be especially good with kids), or Craig for that matter. In any case, if we did get a compensatory pick my guess is it would come before the second round.

Did any of you hear Craig talking about Davey post-match? He would be odds-on to stay in. Three injuries look like certain omissions but there's no way Nicholson should come in. Frawley yes. Magner overdue. Taggert has to get his chance. And if he is fit, Dawes for Davis. Gawn has to be a chance. I'd keep Fitz and give Jake a spell.

The thing about the coach as I read it is that he was burned by Neeld and wants to get a reading on what the new coach expects and wants of him. Can't blame him for that - Neeld mishandled most of the list in personal dealings. Watts does not handle himself well in the media though; about as awkward as they come for someone who has been in the system five years.

It did not sound good when he said he wanted to WEIGH up all options but because Newman loves the sound of his own voice we missed the end of the sentence after Watts said he loves the club and the players. He talked about how confident Peter Jackson makes him feel and then he said "I am pretty confident..." and that [censored] interrupted him and he did not complete the sentence. Maybe he was about to say he was pretty confident he'd stay, but we'll never know. Those who question why the club let him on are spot on, however. No good was ever coming to come of it unless he had already signed. Serious lapse of judgement by the publicity department.

Go Bombers! Go all the way to the Supreme Court. Take on the AFL...do it...do it...do it. This could soak up all your millions. Please let James Hird have his way. QCs at 50 paces and $10,000 a day plus prep time plus junior counsel. It's gonna be great and it will go on for months. Burnside's bills will make Dank's pseudo-medico stuff look like a bargain basement. Go James, Go Paul Little...wreck the dynasty.

Ditto the clock. Ditto your sentiments on coastal pubs - the Bluff, the Hampton and Khyatts in Brighton - a 19th century job also gone to apartments. Our old sparring partner and alleged Demon supporter Ron Walker was behind the trashing of the Red Bluff btw.

And in 1981 we had the bait that Barassi's way would start to cut it in '82 or '83. We don't have anything like that now. This is the worst for me.

Man is that a load. Neeld did much damage to this group. He was a lousy people manager. In the words of a player I spoke to last week, arrogant know all who neither commanded nor gave respect.

He was burned by the last coach, badly. Probably wants to hear what the next one has to say and expects of him. Cannot blame him.

Might Darwin have been a big factor in that shameful display?

Caroline Wilson, first lady of football, specialist in spreading off field rumour and innuendo about clubs such as Melbourne, Essendon, St Kilda and Collingwood has exposed her outrageous blind spot re the Tigers this morning. Remember how she told us how Dane Swan was in trouble off field and in the pre season? And how she denied rumours circulating about Dustin Martin which I won't repeat for their defamatory nature? Today she implicitly confirms all that in her piece lauding Richmond's handling of Martin amid "off field tales of wild summer behaviour". She tells us "all along the Tigers protected their man". Well, how come we did not hear about those behaviours of Martin's Caro, since you were all too keen to tell us about Swan's? And who might it have been who helped the Tigers protect their man? Her hypocrisy is breathtaking. She truly is a disgrace. Link below, if it does not work see age website. www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/stability-is-the-key-for-tiger-20130723-2qhk6.html

This is truly bad news for him and the club but hardly surprising in the circumstances. Part of his recovery has to be being taught landings by Howie. I hope he comes back fully fit from what is clearly a freakish injury although I did see somewhere that Matty Richardson had a lisfranc too. Anyone know any details about that?

What good's that doing to do them? They are done and they know it. Three games outside the eight and with Geelong, Adelaide (away), Essendon, Hawthorn and Collingwood to come the Roos are dusted. We might just win because they're depressed.

Heh Heh. They are admirable, the Cats, but I have had a gutful as well. The only home ground advantage of any team in Victoria. Extraordinary luck with father-sons (when father-sons were REALLY CHEAP - not like now) helped build a machine that I look forward to seeing wind down. A lucrative stadium deal handed to them with taxpayer support. And as you say, Selwood belted around his stupid head with no reward. I mean really, all of us only ever get one head so what's so admirable about this bloke ducking his into trouble for ever and a day for cheap frees? So good to see them go down.

Played almost entirely without an opponent as WC had an extra man back and Cale was loose. Not so great. Workmanlike at best.

We all know we are several midfielders short of being seriously competitive but we have another major lack which all the talk around our forward line is missing. Yes we will look good if Clark makes it back to stand alongside Hogan, Howe, Dawes and Watts, but while our midfield recruiting and development has failed who remembers Bennell, Maric and Jetta? That great developing forward line of ours still lacks a decent small forward or two and BMJ collectively represent our other great recruiting failure. Since Davey lost a yard we have never had a decent crumber.

My Collingwood mates rated Neeld. We can do without what our mates think.

Actually he was cleaned up last year mid-season with a huge head high hit. Can't recall the opponent but saw him the next day and he still looked like he was getting over it. You might be right about the slightly late arrival. He does look for physicality but that can be a good thing particularly for us. But your point about lack of intent on the ball is interesting.

Stingers at the beach. Crocs in the rivers. Melanoma risk heightened. Bad coffee. And too far from the 'G. Hush your mouth about that lifestyle stuff.

Well said. Further, I have not seen "whomever" for I don't know how long. And "deigns" - you're on fire, bb.

Or the AFL has hers. I don't think it's her opinion that counts and she is clearly on the drip from HQ. Correct. That was my instant reaction also.

You could also be talking about the Northey-coached Melbourne. Big wins were rare and we tended to grind them out. I am no great fan of Roos although he commands respect. But the fascinating thing for me is whether he would adopt a different style for the MCG to that he employed at the SCG And with a forward set up of Clark, Dawes, Howe, Watts and Fitz at his disposal I wonder if he would look for a more attacking approach. A smart coach works with the materials he has at hand rather than bends them to a predetermined style. If he wanted to be remembered as a great coach that would be the way to go.

Roos OTC: "You’ve got to be careful making closed statements. I can’t tell you what I’ll be doing next year or the year after. All I can tell you is Peter Jackson and I had a good discussion (3-4 weeks ago) he mentioned it on the radio. At the moment I said to him there’s no interest in me coaching a football club. I think the Melbourne Football Club is an attractive, silly as it sounds, it’s a reasonably attractive proposition if you wanted to coach." Door's open.