Sir Why You Little

IMO, Bailey would've learnt all he could about the players on the list over the past two seasons.

Whelan especially deserves a send off, as does Robbo and Wheatley. I think Hughes is the only player left, and as I've said that doesn't make sense to do.

It's not so much about Bailey Learning, its that first game for our young players. If they can get through it without having Stage Fright & Panic Attacks (Remember the Cockatoo-Collins twins...What a nightmare that game was) If a First Gamer can make a solid contribution, then hey it's possible his career is Rolling.

Maybe we should play Robbo at Full Back & wheels in the forward pocket during Round 22

Don't want them to play too well-the scores may get a little close!!

Don't Care, i am planning to be overseas.

Whoever wins it, for me it will be painful as once again it wasn't Melbourne.

Unlike most people i do not have a 2nd Favourite team.

I hate all 15 of our oponents (some a little more than others) but still HATE none the less.

.

I'm also not so sure that Round 22 game did Grimes the world of good, he's just that good! There's no reason to think he wouldn't be as good without having played.

IMO that round 22 game that Frank played was great for him. He Had all summer pre-season to be able to know in his head how hard it was going to be.

I am sure he would have been ok anyway, but by having that one game under his belt meant he was ready for that first piece of Tough play or big hit this season.

If we don't have any young players ready, thats fair enough. It was just a thought i had last night.

These next 2 games are truly experimental, use them wisely.

Next year i am barracking for all out wins. No excuses.

We should aim for position 8 next year. With another solid pre season this side has some talent.

Hardwick to Richmond??????? "RUN AWAY"!

Carlton don't rate our game as important. They feel the one against Adelaide will decide 4th regardless of what happens against us.

Soon as a team does not rate a game as important, they don't go in 100 % & are not switched on. Thus it is very easy to get injured.

I doubt carlton will be that stupid, by Round 21 No club is hoping for any broken bones.

Not suggesting that they'd try to lose against us, but they haven't been particularly consistent this year. All it takes is an off day for Fev and they're 5-6 goals worse off already. Luckily for us they seem to be peaking at the right time so hopefully they're switched on enough to never give us a sniff. Then we can smash them next year!

Carltank have won 6 out of 7 lately. The wont drop a game against us at the Airport. We Don't play well indoors!

I'm hoping that Wheels comes up this week and plays the last two to get to his 150.

Wheatley sounds as if he's struggling and likely won't get fit in time for round 22, and with Robbo, i figure select him on merit if he performs against the Blues.

Would like to give 3 young kids a run, but would be good for the club to give 3 long-time servants the send-off they deserve. And our list is crumbling to pieces in regards to injury, so we may just have to play whoever's fit.

This club has been to "clingy" Towards sentiment & our past glories for too long. I think it's time to start a new page.

I am sure we have a couple of kids on the Cusp waiting for a game.

Give them a game against Ross Lyon's Saints, Best Learning Curve one could have.

Wheaters & Wheels Deserve a Football Club Dinner-there playing days are over.

We Must keep Valenti next year-He deserves a Full Season. He works hard, Real Hard.

Is not flashy but Every good side has a few "Blue Collar" workers-Shane deserves a Crack.

In our last round match this year, there are two things the club can do:

1. Play Wheatlwey, Whelan &(Robbo) in farewell Matches

2. Play 3 Kids in a first game against the Top Side to give them a taste of what level we must aspire to.

Having thought about this i think the Club should Put Wheats, Whelan & Russel (If he is infact leaving) into some open topped Volvo's & give them a lap around the ground with Highlights on the Board.

Play the kids & give them experience. I know its Harsh But imagine how much better those 3 kids will be in this upcoming pre-season, having been out there.

Remember Frank Grimes played in that awful Round 22 Match last year for a first time-did him the world of good.

Thoughts??

After Bradshaws kick after the siren to draw the game last week, I was just about ready to spit it completed when Riewoldt was lining up for goal after the siren.

Prismall shouldn't have missed, but Monfries should have taken responsibility and had the shot himself.

We were out on our feet with no bench so I wasn't surprised when the Saints rocketed home.

As much as I am wrapped to get the 4 points, and as important as that result is for us, the news that Fletcher, Dempsey and Ryder will all be missing for 2-3 weeks [virtually season over for them] means that if we limp into 8th spot, the result in that Elimination final could get ugly.

But all that aside, I am very comfortable with the way Essendons future looks.

Hurley and Pears could one of the best key back combinations in the AFL in 3 or 4 years.

So am i supposed to be Mortified if Essendon Get Smashed in an elimination Final am i??

No Sympathy, look forward to carving you up in years to come-We owe you quite a few.

from Herald sun....

Jim Stynes optimistic about future

JIM Stynes says he is optimistic about winning a fight against cancer so he can watch the Demons' fightback with his children.

Stynes, 43, said on Sunday he had had four tumours removed from his body and had gained some benefit from resting during a three-week family holiday in Thailand.

The Demons president and former champion player used a brief address at the lunch before the Melbourne-Fremantle game at the MCG to thank his family, support network and wellwishers.

He also could not resist giving a passionate declaration that his beloved club had a bright future despite its current last-placed status.

Stynes said his health was up and down, but Sunday was clearly an "up" day.

"I'm really positive with what I can do with the healing and all that. I've go t some great people around me," he said.

"We've got it all out, I've had four different tumours taken out, so it's good to have them out of me.

"... I believe long-term, when I look back at it, this will be the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

"This is the great thing about what I'm going through because I get to look forward to something great, a lot of great things."

Typically, much of Stynes' focus was not on him but his club, and he was confident the Demons could wipe off their financial debt and improve dramatically on-field in the coming years.

He said the emergence of Melbourne's younger players would provide the club's young supporters - including his own children - with an exciting future.

"Imagine how exciting it's going to be for those kids (supporters) when they grow up and enjoy it," he said.

"All the s--- they've copped at school and people hanging it on them because they're down the bottom, they're going to really be able to stick it up them in a few years.

"I've got a five-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl and I just can't wait because it's hard - 'When are we going to win, Dad?' - but we're going to win today and we're going to just slowly build it.

"Without getting the expectations too high, it's coming."

Before Stynes spoke, Melbourne screened a stirring highlights package of the first game the Demons played after their president revealed he was fighting cancer, the round-14 win over West Coast.

The highlights included coach Dean Bailey's pre-game address, when he spoke of what it meant to wear the Melbourne jumper, and his words to the huddle at three-quarter time, when he reminded his players Stynes was at home watching the game on television.

"What message do you want to send him today?" he roared.

Awesome...I got hassled at school 30 years ago Jimma so i am looking forward to the Future as well!

Thanks For this Post....

I'm very worried about our P.P.

With St Kilda losing today, they have very little incentive in Round 22, other than to protect themselves for the first week of the finals. Had they won today, they probably would have been playing us in round 22 to win the all-time record of 22 straight.

Round 22 St.kilda are playing their first game on the MCG for the year. They will want to play well before september i believe.

Relax Jack.

Here's a stat for you all, which I think sheds some light onto why we were never truly successful in the past decade:

Today was only our 3rd 10 goal win since 2000.

In that time, we've lost 13 under Daniher by over 10 goals and 9 in the last two seasons.

That is exactly why we have very few "untouchables" Thanks for that stat, it should be remembered going into next year as we begin the cllimb.

Game of the year so far.

About 16 fit players, Roo misses the goal 40 metres out.

Bombers deserve to win, and deserve to play a final.

Hate them and everything, but... just... wow.

I Hate Essendon, They Deserve Nothing. Bugger it i was hoping the saints would go right through.

Essendon give me Headaches!!

Could be a very Smart Decision. Davey just might Relish Captaincy, as he came from the rookie list.

Interesting what will Happen in the next few months.

Personally i would like to see Robbo get a full pre season under his belt before the final decision is made, doubt that is possible but his injury & Recovery from it should be taken into account.

He is still a good target & Kick...Wait & see....

you dont just win a lucky brownlow.

You do in 2000, nobody picked that one. Not even us die hard Demon supporters.

Anyway 5 days later he was totally pants in the GF & thats what i remember....

That was round 18 2004, not 05.

I was telling everyone how we were finally the real deal and this was our year. Man, was i wrong.

Yes correct, i meant 2004 that was a misprint from me, but i stand by what i say.

Until the club toughens up nobody is untouchable, except maybe liam Jurrah as he has the x factor.

What i am getting at is we have to set the bar higher at this club, otherwise we will be thought of like Richmond.

Since 1964 Robbie Flower is our only true untouchable.

On our current list we have some Great potential, but how Tough they will be is yet unknown.

I love the Demons but i am sick of over rating our list. We must get Hard & Tough regularly not just sporadically then fall away with excuses.

So Woewodin is irrelevant.

No he is not. You miss my point completely.

The Level of excellence expected from our Players by the MFC is not as high as some clubs in the AFL

Many People will not like to read that, but it's a Fact.

I have watched it & felt it Year after Year.

This Summer it must be addressed.

Round 18 2005 The MFC were top of the Ladder 14-4.

But alas we did not win another game & lost the first final.

That is my point.

And yet Steven Armstrong, Matthew Bishop and Darren Jolly were able to overcome the below standard conditions of our training facilities to win a Premiership.

Yes they did, But they had to go somewhere else to do it sadly.

Exactly my point, & exactly why we all need to toughen up.

I know i am being Hard, but we just have to get back to that ruthless standard of 50 years ago.

That is utter rubbish.

We've got 10, 15, even 20 players who could get games for Geelong or StKilda. The difference is the majority of our players would be players 16-22.

We've got no one who would walk into other clubs and be top 5 players for that club. That is the reason why we are where we are.

Not because ALL our players are rubbish. It is because non of our players are top quality players. A lot of Robins but no Batman.

That's why we need the draft picks in 07, 08, 09. We need the top of the tree players.

Twisted logic that: we are at the bottom,so all our players are rubbish and because STKilda are on top, all their players are great.

Not once did i say our players were Rubbish. I said our players are not ready at this time to be untouchable. (Read my original Post)

Our Training Facilities are so far behind everybody else's at this moment. Our players are not where they should be.

Our whole Club is not mentally Tough enough at this time either.

It all Filters down.

Our list has heaps of potential, & with the new Training Facilities could certainly go all the way with a bit of luck.

But Right now we are nowhere near it.

Example: Shane Woewodin, a player we all loved, who gave his absolute all. Won a (lucky) Brownlow. Tried to be as fit as he could.

But in the 2 Grand Finals he played in 2000 & 2003 got completely outclassed when the Grail was up for Grabs.

When our list & club can overcome these psychological barriers then we start to talk about being untouchable.

Bailey i think can do this in time.

Since 1964 Robert Flower has been the only untouchable. I could list about 20 just behind him since then, but Robbie was the only walk up.

13 Victorian Jumpers he wore.

Twisted logic

I hate it when people say this because it is absolute bull. Aaron Davey would be one of the first players selected in every club in the league. Bruce, Sylvia, Green, Rivers and Garland would all get a game at EVERY side (they just wouldn't have as crucial a role), and several more would get a game at every club except the saints.

Plus every team would want grimes, morton, frawley, jurrah, morton, petterd, watts etc on their list. We have a lot of players who are developing and have shown very good signs, who it would be a disaster to lose = untouchable.

And just because we on the bottom of the ladder, doesn't mean ALL of our players are rubbish, it just means we have more rubbish players, less good ones, and even fewer awesome ones.

You are Joking!! Haha. Watch the St.Kilda Geelong game from earlier this year.

None of our list is ready for that pressure. Cam Bruce's kicks are way too eratic to be an automatic selection for any side.

Once again remove the Rose Coloured Glasses.

Your logic is the reason we have accepted mediocraty for close on 50 years.

We have wonn 11 Games in 3 years.....

i was thinking a month myself!!!!!

Ha!!! I did say at least!!!!

If my dad is able to see Melbourne win a grand final it would be the happiest moment in my life.

The other day I asked him if he cared that Melbourne was tanking.

He said "fcuk winning, I haven't seen a premiship since i was 14 years old" and proceeded to describe to me how my mother wouldn't see him for a week if Melbourne won.

If we win and its a massive if it will mean so much more to us than any other club.

You Bet, My dad is in his 70's now & i want to see a flag(s) with him. We have gone through a lot of thermos coffee & cake watching the Demons in the Members!

We were both there in 2000 but hey it didn't happen-still had a great day, but....

At least 2 weeks off work when it happens!!!

So, we all know that we'll have a huge tilt at the flag in 2013-2015.

What if we won the premiership around that time, in 4 years or so, and then the next year we crashed a la Hawks 2009, and missed the finals?

We can all say that we would be thrilled enough to win one flag- I know I would; and that it wouldn't matter about the next season.

But it would also be immensely disappointing, as I have heard from Hawks supporters this year.

Your thoughts.

Bit Early to be talking premierships yet, We haven't even got our Draft picks yet!!

Hawk Supporters have won 10 Flags in the last 50 years, no sympathy. They can get stuffed.