Bonkers

I'm guessing the selection committee think Dawes has enough mileage in his legs & will put him straight into the Seniors pending training & a fitness test next week?

Yeh there's a few options, Sellar looked ok playing in fixed forward role during pre season but is obviously more than capable of taking some ruck duties. Pedersen is interesting, he has been maligned by a few on here but I think he will help provide another marking option as well as contributing around the forward half & in the ruck. All we need him to do is break even with his opponent, contest/bring the ball to ground & kick the odd goal. From what I briefly saw of him in pre season he looked to enjoy competing & the physical side of the game. The forward half has been lacking in this area for a couple of years. I think at least he will help add some structure to our half forward setup & help lock the ball in the forward half a bit more.

We would be playing with two rucks who add little around the ground. That would be like playing without 2 players. If Pedersen plays he will give Jamar a chop out for 10-20 percent of the ruck work & play across half forward. I can't see Spencer playing this role or any other role effectively.

Has anyone nominated Caro yet?

That's half my point. Just because they are mature doesn't mean you can put them in a category to say they are all the same. Recruitment of players should be diverse & you get the best value player for the need you have from whatever talent pool possible/available.

So players like JPod & Barlow aren't worth picking up? Its a pretty closed way of thinking. A player is a player IMO & should be judged on the criteria or reason you recruit them & what role they will play now & in the future, not their age. There's many 18 year olds that just don't develop, the majority I'd imagine wouldn't get to 50 games. At least at mature age they can fill a need straight away while you develop talent for the future. Further to that, at mature age you can probably estimate whether they will make a direct impact or not. I see the players the club have recruited creating competition for places now. Pederson, Jones, Dawes, Byrnes, Rodan & Terlich have all been brought in to play certain roles that weren't being adequately filled & were at least equal or better than the players they will replace in the side. Sydney has done the same over the years but you must also develop youth. The next step is for the club to keep filling gaps in the list & to hopefully unearth a few superstars from our list or from the draft/trade table.

You touched a little bit on the unfairness of the AFL towards the club. IMO this period could be used by all parts of the MFC as great motivation. It's a time that the club can form a new identity & stick it right up the AFL, media & footy public in general when we get to the location we are aiming to get to. It sometimes feels like the whole world is against the club as a Melbourne supporter. This is a defining moment in our history & I hope those in power at the club use the events of the last year as such to create an us against them mentality. Play like Demons on & off the field. The siege mentality is something Sir Alex Ferguson used to motivate his sides during the 90's to great effect. The MFC isn't on the scale of Man Utd of course, however it's still a great motivational factor when you think people are waiting for you to fail. You want to prove them wrong & I hope that's what Neeld tells his players on Sunday Afternoon.

So the NT government potentially chip in 1.2 - 1.3mil for two games, match day sponsorship & also a deal where the club gets access to the army barracks for pre-season camp. I also believe that this deal could lead to other potential sponsorship arrangements & associations with companies & organisations in the NT. I don't see how supporters can really complain when the club is being proactive & growing revenue. 1.3 mil equates to over 6000 standard memberships, how is the club going to magically grow that amount of members during the duration of this deal(assuming it is 3-4 years)? At the moment the MFC simply doesn't have the membership numbers & need to make up the shortfall somewhere. The docklands fixture is a nothing game & probably costs the MFC. It would be a good idea to replace that game with a 2nd game in Darwin as others have already mentioned. The club is being pro active in Casey trying to build membership/supporter base through community programs. Yes there is probably more the club can do in terms of growing membership in Melbourne, however the most important of those would be winning games. If people have other viable ideas to grow membership in Melbourne by all means lets hear them.

Barassi turned the club around off field. Setup recruiting, demanded higher standards on & off the field, more investment in football etc. The players that took the club further under Northy were brought to the club under Barassi & Jordan. The club was a bigger joke when he arrived than it is now. On field Barassi didn't get results true however it wasn't Northey who started the culture change at Melbourne during that time. Barassi also implemented massive change at Sydney during his time there.

Northey may have overseen the most successful era since our last flag but personally I'd put down the culture change at the time down to Ron Barassi. Northey reaped a lot of what Barassi had sewn IMO.

Pretty standard rehab procedure I would presume. Lifting intensity from jogging, 1/4 pace, 1/2 pace, 3/4 pace, 90% through to repeat full pace sprints until they are 100% fit.

Of course.

Whilst Im sure Liam's circumstances are different to the majority of us. What choices did Liam have the night in which he's accused of using the Machete? Was he obliged as a tribal warrior to issue justice under 'aboriginal law' or were the actions he took due to being under the influence? I don't know all the facts so I won't pass judgement. As an outsider it does appear Liam's troubles are related in many ways to his abuse of alcohol & not just his life circumstance.

They have also put the MFC sponsorship page on the backing board for press conferences. I noticed it on the Nathan Jones interview recently uploaded onto the MFC website.

Probably trying to teach him the defensive side of the game. He wouldn't be the only ball winning mid in the comp with ordinary disposal by foot. Brad Sewell & Shane Tuck come to mind.

I'm tipping Magner is playing on the ball today? Wonder if he will get a run through there during the season? Seems to play better as a ball winner/midfielder than a defensive forward.

Kent & Sellar are ripping port a new one!!

The only way to make change is to implement a movement or idea. As a club the powers that be can probably start a movement & lead the equalisation debate. Along with North, the dogs, the saints & MFC I'm sure there is enough clout between those clubs to form an alliance of sorts to push for change within the AFL. Whether any of those clubs have smart enough people in positions of power to try influence the AFL is another story. Also the AFL currently only listens to the $ so any attempts at fixing or correcting the current system in place is probably feeble & would be a drawn out process.

Terlich, Jones & Kent. I believe Terlich & Jones have been recruited as mature age players to fill a role straight away. I like the way Nicho goes about training however it doesn't translate on game day at the moment. His disposal is a liability. Hopefully Terlich & Strauss can push each other for the BP role. Jetta is too limited a player at AFL IMO, he's too small & slow to make the grade(hope he proves me wrong). Another alternative is that Strauss pushes up onto a wing in a straight swap for Grimes. Jones & Evans to push each other for the midfield spot. Question marks remain on Evans fitness. The forward spot is probably the most debatable. Who knows what we will get out of Davey & Tapscott. If Tapscott is fit & firing by round one he would be my selection. I like the look of Kent though, he has pace & a penetrating kick which is something the sides lacking so I'd like to see him push for a spot.

Haha cheers!

He also signed a contract extension today. Apologies if this has been mentioned in another thread? Couldn't find any mention of it on 'land.

I thought there were many positives. As previous posters have mentioned the debutants impressed & showed a lot of promise. For a first game as 18 year olds Hogan, Toumpas, Viney & Kent all held their own. They all have elite traits & hopefully can be developed into elites of the AFL. Rodan & Byrnes added a bit of spark. Watts & Dunn looked to be making the movement out of the back line look a lot better than this time last year. I think the overall competitiveness has improved as well as the handball in close. Negatives were the spread & ball movement when kicking into a congested forward 50. Still struggling at clearances which needs to be addressed. Defence in transition also struggled. There's lots to work with & there was improvement, like most have said. Kicking, run & carry as well as speed are our main deficiencies. Nothing new there.

Your take is just as speculative as anyone's, no need to be a SA. Why don't you get on the phone to GM & AD to find out what the charges will be....

I find it a little bemusing that many posters seem to think rolling over & accepting a sanction(even viewed as small) is acceptable. I would presume any sanction that is not fought by the club is an admission of guilt & the club would then run the risk of losing its gaming license which would then kill the club.Unless the penalties handed down don't relate to match fixing or tanking in any way I don't see how the club can afford to accept any guilty verdict as it would result in the death of the club.

It's ironic she was questioning Garry's credibility or integrity when she has none. No wonder she doesn't want to show her face next week on tv, she's an embarrassment to herself.