pitmaster

1964: Melbourne 8.16. 64 def Collingwood 8.12 60. No problem at all with that.

No Kreuzer. No Waite. They are deeply worried. Come Sunday 5pm I might be looking for the arrogant turd in the MCC who was boasting of a looming 20 goal win a few weeks back when we fronted them.

Bruce dropped is interesting. Had his best game of the year last week and seemed to have given himself a chance to play finals. Just shows Hawks think he is not up to it. Has played nine games - fewer than if he had stayed staunch. That does not augur well for another year - wasn't he supposed to play a minimum 17 to get a second year with them? So he ceases to be a one club player but maybe he'll be in the club photo of a premiership team OR he just fades away. The only thing likely to get him back is a spate of injuries. Should it not happen I'll spare him no sympathy. Selfish git.

can't reveal source but it ain't Mark Thompson...unless of course, I've been lied to...but no one would do that in football would they?

Don't even begin to analyse this Herald Sun crap. the Robinson piece is all supposition, no sources, just a stab in the dark when they had nothing else. it's shelf life was a couple of hours until someone spoke to gws

Maybe. But his performance yesterday in the midfield, including a couple of strong contested marks, looked totally different to the Bate we have come to know. He is supposed to have starred in the midfield with Casey one week prior. You might be right. Alternatively, Viney might have found his spot or a way to get him going. From what I saw yesterday he gets another chance. He actually has a body big enough to compete in the middle, something we lack.

I know it's boring to harp on about umpires but 28 home town frees to 13 for the visitors? In a game with almost equal possession stats? And then the bullet headed barrel Justin Schmitt redefines the speccy by disallowing a goal square mark to Jeremy Howe in the third quarter which quickly became a 12 point turnaround. The Upside? the SHEER INCOMPETENCE of Schmitt and his less experienced accomplices cost us the game - I know we did likewsie with appalling disposal near goal, change either factor and you change the result - boosted us from pick 17 in the national draft to pick 12. Hope we use it well.

He is not in the running with us. Lyon on the other hand...

This may just be a more sophisticated rumour but...the account I heard was that at a corporate function last week he was asked if he would coach again and he replied that he had had his "gap year" and now Hird was off and running he was ready to coach again. Our mob knows about this.

You were sitting in the MCC members, right? Section N47? Either that or there were two groups of these jerks at the game Clearly these clowns had no sense of history. So cocky on top of the ladder, for the club that's made a specialty of losing grand finals. (please let it be so). At least they STFU when rebuked by an older guy for trying to provoke people all afternoon.

Last week i'd have agreed but this week he was good - excellent evasive skills displayed and good disposal.

People whingeing about a defensive but winning game style such as Ross Lyon might bring either have short memories or are too young to remember Northey's Demon teams that ground out wins week after week. We'd "cruise" home by 14 points. And it brought back the fans because we were winners - no-one had their nose in the air at the style of play. Besides, I hold with those who say Ross Lyon would need to modify his style for the MCG, plus that list he has worked with at St Kilda is top heavy with class but bottom poor. With the head start the last two years has given the Melbourne list he could quickly fill the gaps and have a genuine quality team of goers. My coaching preference is Clarkson, but I'd be happier with Lyon than with S---house for whom we'd just be topping up his retirement fund. Lyon and Clarko are still flag-hungry.

Of course they affected the game! FCS they got the Tiges off to a flyer with two crooked goals in the first four minutes. That we got back into it might absolve them of some blame but the fact is the umpiring shaped the first half. I can understand people not wanting to excuse our players for their mistakes - what was McKenzie thinking with that along the ground handpass when he marked 60 meters out, middle of the corridor with the game in the balance? - but every one of those umpires committed at least one costly atrocity against us and don't let them off the hook.

It's fascinating to think back to the win over Essendon, and amid Bailey's celebrations he walked over to Viney and ruffled his hair as though to rub in a point. It would seem Viney was making his views known internally and has been at odds with Bailey's approach for much of the year. The scale of our defeats, before this week's umpire assisted loss, back up the allegation that we do not know how to defend.

The Malthouse talk always had the smell of smokescreen for me, with Clarkson clearly the right man for us and that we would have a go. Knows the club from the inside. Has the right level of a---hole that a coach needs, Even with a $5 million five year deal we are an outside chance only. The key is the Hawks won't be able to give him five years - obviously the dough is big but five years in his caper is a lifetime. As to those asking where did we get the money- I suspect that's what the big end of town is supposed to supply and I would not be surprised if some promises have been made assuming we get the right bloke...

I can't believe that anyone still thinks Laidley is worth a punt. Absolutely not a goer. Eade at least has changed the game, adapted and kept a slightly deficient list within a few kicks of a granny for three years. And it was a club that had none of the advantages of Cwoods or Glong. If Garry L can be convinced then I'll be content to give him a fly. That said, my out and out preferences is Clarkson (pls Hawthorn, f--- it up somehow)

Best case outcome we win 10.5 games compared to last year 8.5 games. Factor in that two of those wins are against Gold Coast and statistically we have stayed level. Crucially, our losing margins have increased. We might have improved, though not much, but the leading clubs have improved more. We have lost ground. Part of that is the loss of Junior and Bruce. We are clearly undersized against teams like Hawthorn, Carlton, Collingwood. and that is partly maturity. But our midfielders also are not good enough, notably Jonesy - tough as he is his skills are not there. We have marked time and we are a long way off the pace. Todd has improved the team in one respect, however, and that is that our starts are better. I always worried that DB did not seem to have the team fired up for the first quarter and the evidence so far is that Todd is achieving that. Conclusion? Dean was not up to it, or he was too patient. Either way, he was not going to be there next year. Retaining Junior would have improved our showing this year but as of now it's all history and we have put a few more games into a few more players. Maybe that's an improvement. Overall, we have marked time at best.

wish granted

The defence. Garland, Rivers, Frawley, McDonald all good. Howe in the air and three (should have been four) goals Blease If Scully goes we might be better off on current form

You're kidding right?! I mean what do you think a ceo does FCS?

Really? How? Are you drunk or insane with grief over recent losses?

[You're overlooking the fact we kicked 4.8 from set shots and they kicked goals out of their arse. 14 goals from 15 shots? I mean really, they'll never do that again. Had Watts, Green and Dunn kicked truly we'd have won the first term. Lack of confidence cost us enormously. Others were Howe, Trengove, Bate and Green missing eminently gettable set shots. Could also have won the third term but for poor kicking. The endeavour was there today. Tackles weren't strong enough but that's partly maturity. Watts was good, Garland also. Davey barely sighted but started to use the ball as we know he can in the second half. Injuries hurt us and I know Carlton backed off but it was not the horror show some are making out here. We showed enough poise to avoid a total blowout, but yes, our structure is not up to it in the attacking half. We had almost as many inside 50s but not the targets they had. Can't critisise the effort, however.

just one actually...poorer record than northey or daniher

[He's gone gone gone. If he wasn't this time last week then the shambles exposed in the past six days gives him all the reason he needs. Dodgy knee and all.

Please drop this Laidley talk - he is noooooo good. Ask any Roo supporter you know. And he'd be a lousy fit for us. For mine, its Roos (unlikely), Clarkson (ideal but stitched up) or Eade who is known to blister players, and has done wonders with deficient lists at Dogland and Swanlake.