drdrake

6. McDonald 5. Sylvia 4. Warnock 3. Mclean 2. Garland 1. Green

On Jack Grimes, its almost mid year do you think the club is better off not playing him this year and ensure his body is 100% for next season. We don't have a good record with our first round picks staying fit.

For an underperforming team we are averaging 33186 at home games but we have 6 to go in Melb, Collingwood, Richmond, North Melbourne, Brisbane, Geelong and WCE we should be able to maintain this average if not lift it a little.

I would love to get Hurley and Watts hopefully Watts will be around second round. Two book ends. We don't need a ruck or another midfielder we need KPP. Our Rucks OK not great but will get us by we will have 5 on our list White, Jamar, PJ, Meesen, Spencer plus Martin. We still haven't seen Maric, Grimes or Cheny add them to Mclean, Jones, Sylvia, Valenti, McDonald, Moloney, Buckley, Davey, Morton, CJ, Petterd, Bartram, Bate, Dunn, Green, Bruce and I'm sure I've missed a couple we have midfielders agree we need another fast highly skilled ball magnet but look at the below KPP Backs Frawley, Rivers, Warnock, Garland, Martin Forwards Robbo, Miller, Bate, Newton, Dunn Now you tell me which areas are our weakest.

If White can't play for Neita he wont play this week same as Robbo. Even if Rivers is fit give him another week off In Sylvia, CJ Out Robbo, Bartram

IMO the Miller/Bate playing accross half forward together is working great, both present hard and we are starting to use them. Moloney hard great but needs to get smarter with his disposals. Bell was good except for that shot on goal.

I went to the game early today to watch a very entertaining Vic metro V Vic Country U18 championship, I made notes on some interesting players but dropped my record. Paying particular attention to what we need KPP I noted three good prospect and another developing player Hurley no 18 Vic Metro has sensational foot skills played at full back and I didn't see his opponents get a kick. Has leader written all over him didn't get a lot of it but when he did was composed and hit targets. Watts No 4 Vic Metro took a great pack mark at the end of the game went back and kicked the winning goal just before the final siren. Good Mark and kicks well. McKernan No 8 or 9 Vic Metro Cory's younger brother, played in the ruck and rucked well but will be to small at AFL level but he moves well took some good marks. Rockliff No30 or 33 for Vic Country but was their best KPP. Roughead for Vic Country looked OK along with Sidebottom. Heyne (I Think) No 20 Vic Country, took what would be mark of the round if he was playing AFL this week a one handed screamer, moves well more like a HFF than KPP. If you want speed draft Zaharakis. Someone raw was I think No 20 or 30 from Vic Metro tall blond, natural athlete needs to work on his skills but has good potential.

Golly, where did you sit? Unfortunatle the Yellow and poo brown dominated the Red and Blue in the crowd

6. Mclean 5. Green 4. Bate 3. Davey 2. Aussie 1. Garland I also thought Buckley was good today and I can see Valenti becoming a good player for us. I still believe we can't play him, Mclean, Moloney, Jones and McDonald in the same team and I reckon he will replace Moloney.

Unfortunately Golly, the Hawthorn supporters did turn up today, I sit in the Southern stand and looking accross at our reserved seats in the new stand they were only one third full. The greatest servent of the since Robbie Flower retires and not even our members show up. I bagged Jeff Kennett on Friday but after today he had every reason to line us up. To all you band wagon front running supporters you not only missed your chance to say good bye to Neita but you also missed a snapshot of our future, and it was extremely positive.

Frawley gets first crack, we drafted him to be a full back play him there.

Thanks Jeff, any MFC supporter that can get to the game should to show this loud mouth ego just how passionate we are. Not like his weak hawks supporters that accept him selling 4 home games to Tasmania. With out that money Jeff you also would be begging the AFL for money or maybe that is your grand plan to relocate hawthorn to Tasmania your already play 36% of your home games there. Just like when you were premier selling things off to hide the true state of your finances.

The club smart by doing this on Suinday and not Queens Birthday, Queens Birthday we will get 60-75,000 regardless. On Sunday the club IMO would have budgeted on 35-40K turning up. With Hawthorn flying and now with Neita retiring the club would by hoping for 55-60,000 to attend. A bit extra cash in the bank. Neita can still lead the walk to the G on Queens birthday as well.

In the 80's there was no reward for finishing done the bottom, today with the draft structure if you need to re-build you are better of finishing last or close to it.

We can do what St Kilda has done and instead of retiring someone we put the on the long term injury list. Holland or Yze would be the best picks, but by promoting Valenti, I don't think the club expects Grimes to be fit this year.

Is he retiring too

We are not going to be in a position to reach top 4 for at least 3-4 years my point is that Bruce will more than likely not be on our list before we are any threat.

I work very close to the Junction Oval, on the way home tonight Melb was training and Carroll was walking laps by himself, must have been injuried and the way he was walking he isn't playing for a couple of weeks.

He can get the footy no question and until 2004/5 that was good enough but today's game disposal skills are the most important thing, if you turn the footy over you get hurt on the scoreboard. Bruce has acheive great things for a pick 60 odd but he doesn't have the foot skills that is required. We all need to stop living in the past, I look at the players standing behind Neita at this press conference, none of them will help in a playing capacity us win a flag or even finish top four. They have in the past been competitive and we have made a GF and played some finals but they are the past. Cam Bruce included. lets face it we were very bad last year and even worse this year and besides TJ we have the same core senior players, Bruce, White, Neitz, Robbo, Yze, Green, Carroll, McDonald. Stop living in the past, see beyond players acheivements and open your eyes to what is best for the club in the future.

No way this week, we will get 60-70K + against the Pies, lets get this game up at the same level.

Farewell to a club champion, and lets use it to get 65,000 to the MCG on Sunday. Get permission to let Neita lead his team through the banner one last time, lap of honour, a giant number 9 comes in from the stands. Turn a 40K crowd into at 60K plus.

Not until he earns it. This number should be earnt not just handed out.

Hawthorn identified that there current senior players would not win them a flag, they may finish 6-10 th on the ladder but never progress. They got rid of Thompson, Croad, Hay, Everate for first round picks and got a few priority picks, plus croad back for nothing. We on the other hand have had chances to get rid of players for good picks but we kept them because we were happy to finish 6-8th for 3-4 years. Last year we made one big call with Trav, could have been 2 with Robbo, but with Neita retiring and Newton disappearing we need Robbo.

Lucky I have Bateman in my dream team then. Who mentioned Martin on Franklin, I only mentioned he should be brought in if Rivers isn't fit at the expense of Jamar. Frawley gets first crack at Buddy, if he fails Warnock next, then Garland, then Rivers/Martin. Bartram goes to Bateman.

No one one our current list, this honour should be kept for the next champion of our club. At the moment nobody on our list is that.