drdrake

I don't disagree in Neitz likelyhood of retiring at the end of 2008 but if he can kick 50+ goals this year and wants to play on he should be able to. If on the other hand he decides like Hird/Voss/Buckey to retire we will all stand at the years end and applaud the man. On the rucks, they had time on the field but some of it wasn't in the ruck, White still rucked two thirds of every game. All I'm saying is that we need to give these guys the first opportunity to ruck, if PJ or Meesen can compete in ruck contests and pick up 10-15 touches a game that will do. Jamar as stated is different he will need to win a higher percentage of taps.

You make apoint Rhino about PJ and Jamar being used when White was getting flogged, nice time to be given your chance to prove you can ruck when the opposition ruckman are dominating you. Robbo started as a HFF went to CHF when the Ox retired and was only put to FF in 2004 or 5 when Neitz was out. If Robbo is such a liability we should of taken the second round pick from the dogs for him then. Robbo brings his defender to Neitz taking away his strenght and making it a pack contest. I agree though in 2002 to 2004 we became on dimentional to Neitz, but the Neitz/Robbo combination always works better when one of them is out. Power forwards will come back a coach will come up with an idea to play a forward 6 a back 6 and 6 midfielders, the team will dominate and all other coaches will follow them.

Newton is soft, he takes the easy option and looks better suited on a wing than at FF. Why would you get Robbo out of Neita's space and replace him with Newton, creates the same problem a guy leading his defender to make a good one on one contest to a pack situation. Our midfield are all clones of each other, Jones, Mclean, McDonald, Moloney, Sylvia, Green, Bruce, Bate are all one paced and slow paced at that, the fisrt five mentioned all win there own footy but besides a fit Sylvia can't burst away from the contest, the next two just run at the same speed with no aceleration and one can't kick and the last one is lazy has speed but no acceleration, which means he takes time to wind up and can look slow. Our midfield is our biggest concern if we can't get the ball deep inside 50m you wont win games no matter how is at FF

I agree Rhino on Neitz, but isn't then our problem our midfield, if they can't move the ball quick enough to take advantage of a man that will beat most fullbacks one on one why should he be under the pressure to retire. IMO he has been poorly coached for the past 4 years and this is because of an unfit Robbo, Neitz has been forced out of his comfort area as a sole FF. Robbo need to be on a flank. On the rucks, how can you be so sure about PJ and Jamar, when they do play they sit on the bench for 25mins a quarter have 5-10mins to be stars. They are sometimes thrown into positions when the team is in trouble. We don't need rucks they are over rated we need KPP, hard at it big men, there has to be another J Brown somewhere in next years draft. We will lose a lot of senior players over the next 2-3 years but not all at once.

I wish they would jsut get the process finished and get someone in. This can not be to main talking point about the MFC leading into its 150th year. The marketing of our club has been pathetic to date, Membership numbers are the lowest in the league by a long way, Our preseason form has been concerning the only thing that may save the club from being in the red is a couple of big functions to celebrate its 150th year. If we go into the red this year we will be the AFL's next relocation target.

Why is Neitz a certainty to go. I mentioned him in my post prior but why cant he kick 60 goals this year and go around again next year. Neitz is still one of the strongest forwards in the competition his main problem is our own players trying to take mark of the year on his shoulders every contest. Give Neita the square and 25m arc by himself with no Robbo or Newton getting in his space making a one on one which you would back Neita against all fullbacks. I don't like the comment keep White because we have no other options, how do we know? Can PJ/Jamar/Meesen be effective ruckman who knows we have never seen them in that position for long periods of time. I believe PJ can be just as effective as White around the ground if he was given 15-20mins per quarter, and lets face it he doesn't have to improve his ruck skills that much to match White over the past 12 mths. Meesen may be the same, Jamar will be different he needs to compete well in the ruck to justify his selection. In regards to list management if we bring 7+ 17/18 year olds to our senior list not including rookies it would want to be a deep draft. The other side is Salary cap, you lose Neitz, Yze, White, Robbo, Mcdonald, Whelan trade Bruce or Green a few boys will be in for good pay rises so we can meet our minimum payment.

Bit early for this post but you just can't turn over 11 players on your list, you add three rookies that still means with out any trading you need to find 8 players plus 3 rookies. We already have 4 Valenti's on our list we don't need another slow in and under midfielder, so take him out and we need to pick 9 players up for our senior list from trading and the draft, thats over 20% of your list. You have to be a little realistic that figure is way to high, I agree Neitz, Yze and Holland from the older guys but I still think White, McDonald, Whelan have at least 1 more season. The younger guys the ones mentioned will have to improve to stay on our list. But you wouldn't go into a draft looking for more than 6 players. Trade bait, Green and Bruce have no currency you would be lucky to get a late second round early third round pick, Sylvia you may get early second round pick. We have got 22 rounds and hopefully finals before we have to consider our 2009 list.

The problem with White is he can't play any other position, sorry he can but not to AFL standard, he needs to ruck or he doesn't play. We don't know if PJ/Jamar/Meesen will cut it as ruckman and I'm afraid by the end of this year we will still not know unless they are given more opportunity, more ground time in the ruck. Unfortunately Valenti should only come on our list if Jones, Mclean, Moloney or McDonald go onto our long term injury list, we have enough inside midfielders we need some speed and class.

I watched on Saturday, not really caring if we win or lose but looking for improvement and showing signs we are almsot ready for round 1. What I saw was a group of senior players not having a crack and a group of young players trying to impress. Lets start with our senior players Yze, White, Robbo and Neita they played like they didn't want to be out there. I expected Yze to star in these games to try and cement his spot, from what I saw he should be starting at Sandy. The other three will play round one and will be better. I was impressed with some of our younger players they might not of had good days but some good signs. Mclean, Sylvia, Jones and Moloney all want the footy with the first three wanting the contest and hunting the footy. Moloney to me is more of an outside midfielder but he only makes our midfield stronger. Buckley has the much needed speed just needs to work on making the right decisions, CJ just needs to get more of the football, he has the polish once he gets it. PJ was our best big man on the park loves the contest good skills but he needs time on the ground and while White is still in favor PJ will not get that. Aussie and Weetra showed a bit and will only get better at sandy this season. Frawley is a concern looks OK at ground level but looks lost in the air, not good for a tall defender hopefully he can improve that part of his game. Miller is a CHF only and Yze is a forward pocket they are two thinks that Bailey should take away from Saturday. Also be happy to see Whelan, Rivers, Wheatley and Bartram playing form Sandy thats a handy back four add in Bell and Carroll there is your six.

This is why we have just over 18500 members with the season under three weeks away. For me I'm not concerned as long as I get my Membership by round 1 I'm happy. However, I am in a battle to keep my daughter a Demon, the in laws have brought her a Kangaroos membership and the stuff she got in their pack compared to the teddy she got in ours is swaying her to the blue and white. Gez I hope they go to the gold coast. On MMM Brawshaw is advertising Roos memberships we hear nothing.

I agree with punishing a team when they break the rules, you need to do this in the preseason because players are that delicate these days that you can't do it during the season proper. Bailey seems to be a good mix of old school/new scholl coaching. He believes in educating players and then he does this back to the 80's I love it.

I dont care about not receiving my membership pack as long as I have it for round one I'm happy. This post was to highlight what two clubs that have the same financial constraits as the MFC ae doing to increase membership sales. Our membership numbers have increase by about 300 members in 3-4 weeks between the last updates on the MFC website. This should be the peak time for membership sales. If we don't start promoting the club we will be lucky to reach 25,000 members, which on current figures will be the lowest by a few thousand. No disrespect to the $40 MCC/MFC memberships because every cent counts and good on the ones that pay this but of our membership increase last year how many was this package? Now the only membership drive I've seen is to the Vic Uni chinese students another fluff membership to bolster our membership numbers. China is a good idea, but I would of thought that being a "milestone year" your marketing focus would have been to maximise your local support.

Just to highlight how poor our club is doing is this department My In laws are mad Kangaroos supporters, they took my daughter to their family day and signed her up as a Joey, she also has a demons membership as well. 3 days after they signed her up she got a thank you post card like mail out advising her that they send all membership packages out on the 15th of every Month. On the 19th we got her package. I upgraded my Membership in January and all I have received is my Red and Blue army stuff. Western Bulldogs have taken out the front and back full page plus the inside of those pages advertising the club and their family day in this weeks Leader local paper which I think covers most of the West. Our club needs to get more effecient in taking care of the members they have and more aggressive in promoting the club. The two clubs mentioned are in the same position financially if not worse that the MFC.

well done you are one of the 300 people who have joined up in the past three weeks according to updated figures we are just over 18,000 members, if people don't start to join we will be the club in Western Sydney. Don't kid yourselves that we will be right because we ae Melbourne a name is easy to change. If you haven't joined please do.

Healy and the group are talking informally about how they can help the club, Heals you are the CEO of a major company in Australia how about chipping in half a million in sponsership. It would be could for your winter snow range.

My would be 1)Mclean 2)Jones 3)Rivers 4)Sylvia 5)Newton 6)Frawley 7)Davey 8)Bate 9)Morton 10)Bell That would keep a good spine in Frawley Rivers Mclean Morton/Bate Newton and a few handy young players. Green and Bruce aren't our future they are good for now but we need the above group to be our core players.

I wonder if Sandy have a practice game this weekend, they could have a stronger team than the Melbourne team that goes to Cairns. I wouldn't expect any of those players to make the trip, some though will line up at Sandy if playing.

We can only hope he can get his body right and show us consistantly how good he can be. Funny our 3rd and 5th picks from that draft just can't ge their bodies right and stay fit, both have enormous talent. A few early picks from that draft have struggled Cooney is one that stands out.

PJ will play forward and 28 players are litsed only 26 will play so you would expect Jamar not to play. PJ may even play down back and Holland up forward but I cant see a match up down back for either of them, so PJ may play CHF. My line up Martin Frawley Bode Bell Garland Green Davey Jones Buckley Newton Miller Bate Aussie Robbo PJ White McDonald Valenti Meesen, Yze, Sylvia, Cheney, Warnock, Weetra, McNamara, Holland

You have three choices a the start of the season, you can be optimistic, pessimistic or realistic. My Optimistic side is that with the injuries of 2007 and all these players fit we can finish top 6, a new coach our young players will continue to improve. Our best 22 on the park is capable of beating any team in the AFL. Pessimistic side is questioning if those players that missed most of last season will be fit, Sylvia, Moloney Rivers is still on reduced OP managed programs, Mclean and Bruce injured at the moment, haven't heard much Matty Whealan, our older players won't get any better and can our younger players improve to the standard required. New game plan, coaching staff off field instability we may be lookingat bottom 4 Realistic, who knows with our record over the past 10 years and even our consistancy from quarter to quarter no supporter knows what we will get. For me though I will go into the season optimistic and just hope that our club can perform. Put it this way we couldn't play any worse than we did in 2007.

Neitz shouldn't play to earlywith a lot of footy coming up. My team Bode Frawley Martin Green Garland Bell Davey Jones Buckley Sylvia Miller Bate Weetra Newton Robertson White McDonald Moloney Meesen, Morton, Valenti, C Johnson, Holland, Yze, Wonaemirri, Maric

Caro, although I usually think she should be on the rumour pages instead of a columnist has some valid points. Turmoil is harsh but from an outsiders point of view would seem fair. We have turned over a large percentage of staff and key personal front the Football department to admin staff. As supporters of this great club a lot of us believe all the changes were necessary but if you didn't support the club and some that do would be thinking how stuffed is that club. We are starting from scratch in all areas which is a positive but what we have been able to do is get some Melbourne people back to the club. I would love for the club to find someone with not only the business abilities but also someone passionate about the MFC.

I like the sounds of an open forward line and creating space, I bet Neita wishes he had this for the past 6 seasons

One Garland, put him down back for a couple of years, get a good defensive side to his game and then put him up forward

Leadership groups are a load of rubbish anyway. All you need is captian a Vice and Deputy, the rest is over kill.