pitmaster

Sure talk history all you want fuschia but at least know enough to talk sense. Mission NEVER SPONSORED MELBOURNE. We negotiated with them and were white anted by the Bulldogs when it happened that a senior Australian representative for Mission was a former Bulldogs board member. They knew what we were offering and under-bid us. Schwab did do the hard grind in that case (though not in Kaspersky's case) and was beaten by a form of commercial sabotage.

You clearly were not at the game. Would have kicked three had Dawes not been paid the free when Watts marked. And took a great defensive mark running into a pack with the flight of the ball inside their 50 in the last quarter. Kicked two, had one goal assist (Byrnes) could have kicked two more and saved one. Also was three times ignored when he found space at full forward with our blokes in possession but not looking for him. I don't often question other posters' knowledge but you have no idea, DA.

Poor effort from RC this am slinging off at Melbourne supporters for jeering Nick Reiwoldt. He suggests the treatment was hopefully born of envy rather than spite. How about disgust at that appalling staging effort boxhead? It was also a reminder to that fool who paid the free how bad it was. Honestly, some of these journalists are so far inside the bubble they just don't get it. And to think Rohan used to be the one who best represented supporters: that hasn't been the case for 10 years I know but there was a time when he was in touch. Let's hope he keeps his high minded ways the next time his Bomber mates go ape.

There's nothing much new in this except it explains why Kaspersky signs were in the coach's box at QB even though they are now with Collingwood. I figured they saw better value there once they knew the market. Me? I'll never buy their stuff again - always preferred Macs anyway. There's nothing to suggest CS bad mouthed Kaspersky and Lawrie De La Rue is known to have a beef over this placement of his tyre company name below the club symbol which CS initiated. I thought that is what the blue was over. I doubt that CS would have bagged Hankook until after the falling out, but then again he always was too superficially smooth. As for the article it's just a case of LDLR wanting to write his slice of history. Best not to over react.

Rubbish. An irresponsible rewriting of history. You are a disgrace. He was a first year player then, fool. And I suppose Michael Long sniped Troy Simmonds because he was soft too. And Wellman put the boot into Schwarz for the same reason. No, they did not discriminate. They were animals and the umpires were MIA.

The club website says today's open training session is at the "new time" of 3pm. Hmmmmmm. Interesting. We play in the afternoon: we train in the afternoon. Might this be a tweak of Neil Craig's or an adjustment to winter's depths? Can serious training watchers reveal if there have been other 3pm start ups under the previous regime?

Clarkson would be great. Personally I'd prefer him to Roos but he is unavailable according to his manager and not entertaining thoughts of us. Maybe it's a stance because they are in the zone but the Hawks are so close this year and next why would he go?

Choko is basically right. The guy was given a free hand to turn the joint over. The devil as always is in the detail: the reported mishandling and humiliation of players and the lack of sophistication in how to approach individuals. Even Norm Smith, renowned as a real toughie, moderated his approaches according to personalities. I seem to remember Barassi saying that Norm used to bake him because Norm knew he could take it and did it as an example to others who were not so robust. While Neeld followed his brief it seems his implementation of it was too one dimensional. His results really are appalling, and I for one, was prepared to give him a couple more weeks to see how he went against the Saints and Dogs but clearly the price in lost everything was too high.

He clearly recruited for the long term future with Hogan and it was down to him that we won over Mitch Clark. It is a shame for Neeld's sake that his twin towers of Clark and Dawes were never out there together and down the track we will owe him for these three big forwards, assuming Mitch's foot does finally come good.

I hate to go short term and think about this week when everyone else is talking coaches but The Age is reporting that Stephen Milne has been charged with four counts of rape. I have no interest in this except to say: do you think this will help our chances this week? New coach and all? And be careful what you all say - innocent until proven and all that.

Robbo was off his face.

What's with all the apostrophes? His name is Roos fcs.

The funny thing is I don't think the two years are necessarily wasted. Drafting decisions made under Neeld are likely to stand the test of time: Hogan, M Jones, Terlich, maybe Barry; and the fitness regime he instituted will hopefully be maintained and built upon. Compare this with the last two years of Daniher - and yes, I was a fan but he stayed too long.

What's your thing with him anyway. Gardner's a [censored] and was only ever halfway into the job - could not even roll up to the first game of the year - but no-one's even talking about him so get off it. I saw Gardner at Beach Oval a couple of weeks back. Looked just as dopey close up with his two mates (were you one of the hangers on btw?) as he did at the club but I did not think for a second of dumping on him. No-one cares about him any more. You are seriously weird.

Precisely, RtG. Blease made numerous dud decisions and killed us going forward. I'd just declared him Casey-bound when he made that run. Net effect? minus 18 points.

Obviously Jack chatted to a few of us. He told me too he is three weeks away but also indicated that meant after the Dogs and Saints so that sounds like four calendar weeks and three rounds. Still, he said he felt like playing this week, just needs to start contact work. Mitch however is a different matter. He has yet to resume running. He is being assessed every four days. It sounds like his progress is slower than hoped.

Have you seen it? Clearly needs work.

And another thing...I'll go twice. In on my football membership and again on my MCC membership...that way the club does get a few dollars more (from the MCC). Did it last week for the Hawks game and will again. I know it's pretty pointless but it eases my pain just a bit.

I won't call you weak or spineless or undeserving of success when it comes. I'll call you precious. Way too precious.

Actually, I think you've said that to us.

Agree Magner's treatment has been hard to follow. I was sorry he was rookied after such a strong season last year, and dropping him after two solid games this year was unfathomable. He should replace McKenzie, not as a stopper but as a mid who gets first hands on it and who hits hard. Tapscott's kicking is a weapon that he needs to use more, and it is a penetrating, potentially offensive thing - something that Macca does not have. Last week at Casey Magner came off with slight injuries - one looked like an ankle, another a cut of some kind, - and within minutes he was back on throwing himself in. He dominated possessions.

And as for saving the state Ben Hur - he taxed the bejesus out of everyone and sacked thousands of teachers and nurses and exagerrated how bad the crisis was. Victoria was back in the black after two years. The crisis was not so big if the recovery came so quickly. In fact it could have been fixed more slowly - say four years - without any of the social dislocation. Instead, rather than save the state, he sold it.

Absolute horseshit of the highest order. Anyone who knows what went on at Hawthorn will tell you Ian Dicker set the joint up. Kennett is a phoney who rode in on Dicker's work. This is an amazingly dumb idea. You invincible are either naive or a fool.

Attendance was simply dreadful. Ten years ago when Hawthorn was rubbish we routinely drew 33-35,000 to these games. There were so few Melbourne supporters today even the MCC was brown and gold. Yet thousands of Hawk supporters stayed away as well - they could not even be bothered to watch the slaughter. That said, there were flashes of coordinated football from our blokes but our skill errors and poor decision making prevented us putting any genuine pressure on them at any stage. Feel sorry for Neeld who has not had a fair go but it's hard to see how we can afford to continue with him.

He had two attempts from 40-45 metres from the same left hand pocket. Each time he sprayed it across the face to the opposite pocket, where, as it happened Gawn took good contested marks and goaled each time. It might have looked like a set play but for Hogan's disgusted reaction. Beach Oval is prone to wind but there did not seem much yesterday, so Hogan's kicking might be a concern or it might be just a bad day.