Left Field

At the end of 2012, Port Adelaide were at a lower point than us - both on and off the field. They were broke, uncompetitive, sacked their coach not so long before and lost some playing talent that would probably still near their best team today. Two years later, they are back to back finalists, this year are top 4 and playing a great balanced style of football. I'm not sure they can beat Hawthorn but I'm reasonably sure they will score better than 90 points which gives them some chance. They have rebuilt from hard work and astute appointments and recruiting. I reckon MFC has to get rid of the welfare mentailty. That said, I wouldn't knock back a concesssion pick.

Manly Wolves (now Giants) have won the comp here each year since being elevated two years ago from the grade below. They lost one game here this year and will win the comp again. Coach is a close mate, assistant coach is Brent Hutton. They have a great culture and pay nobody anything whereas all the other clubs do. Coincidentally, they added last year's Casey FF this year and he kicked heaps. Tyrone was on Next AFL Superstar, but is probably a bit short to make it (a very good goal sneak/midfielder at this level).

Get off the fence Biff.

We are the Melbourne Football Club. We have existed for 152 years and we have won 12 premierships. Great players have graced our fields and given their all for nothing more than being part of the club. Some of those players have won flags and others like the great Robbie Flower just gave their all. Mitch Clark played 12 games and took a few million dollars from us. Will be the most hated player in history if he screws us over.

Nice guys finish second last. Go the throat on this one please Jacko/Mahoney.

Putting aside the possibility for bans, then of course we should have a crack. He is a versatile, athletic, mid twenties tall player. We need a ruckman (for Jamar), a key forward (for Clark) and with Frawley's likely departure another tall defender. Not many blokes available that could play all 3 spots.

Oh FGS. Cannot be serious. No. Just no.

Another tenuous "Curse of the Bambino" = "Curse of Norm Smith" type article?

Just off that footage, I reckon Peter Wright looks a bit like Sam Jacobs (personally and from a playing perspective). Remember Jacobs took 6 years to become elite. Also: Positives for me are: good size he presents well as a forward reasonable speed for a big unit. Negatives for me are: Runs across the centre ruck contest every time. Experienced ruckmen would go straight at him and outjump him. Hits to advantage were rare. Even uncontested hitouts were often to the receivers feet. Set shooting will be variable because he has a big left/right wobble on approach Game sense. So keen to handpass he often put the reciever under instant pressure. All the negatives can be taught but can we afford to wait? I may well be wrong, but I can't see Roos wanting him over some quality mids.

I'd like to see Grimes play medium forward/lead up. Give Tapscott more responsibility behind the ball. And yes, I know they are not direct swaps.

My wife and 2 of my kids have had 8 total knee reconstructions between them. And our Sydney surgeon, who I might add drives a very nice car, refuses to do Lars because he told us they wear and snap in normal people (let alone athletes who load them up many times more). So if NM has had 3 good years on a Lars, his theory would have it that it would be close to EOL. That's all I'm saying. It's a huge medical risk surely. Against that, I am a huge fan and think we could certainly use his skill to improve a bit in the back half and going inside 50. But he won't be there for the next finals tilt so we may as well turn over who we have until we can find someone who can get remotely closely to hitting the side of a barn.

Not for mine. How many ACL's? 3? How many Lars? 2? Latest Lars has held up for a couple of seasons. At 29, next knee injury will be the end. Would be madness.

James was, I thought, really poor today. Don't mean to sound reactionary, but if he goes, I'm sure we can parlay the compensation pick into another mid fielder. Preferably one who can compete, hold their feet and hit targets.

Who tags Libba? Maybe that's why Nicho is in? It's always a fast track at Etihad and we aint that quick on paper. Maybe that's why Barry is in? Roughhead out and Minson rucking solo. Maybe that gives Gawn some currency (stretch their backs and ruck relief)? Certainly Riley to me looks like he needs a pre-season and to find a yard. Salem could do with a rest and Geogiou isn't multi-dimensional enough to get a start this week (unless one of Dunn or TMac has a niggle). That makes my bench Barry, Nicholson, Gawn and Terlich with Barry starting as the sub.

TMac at a good club may not yet have debuted. He is developing before our eyes rather than the VFL. I'm with Rono. A definite buy.

6 Tyson 5 Pederson 4 Jetta 3 Jones 2 TMac 1 Dunn (mostly marked down for a couple of extreme brain f@rts)

Best: V. Michie, M. Evans, J. Fitzpatrick, L. Tapscott, D. Nicholson, D. Kent. On Welsh, Roos would be telling him you need 22 players following the team structures and that it only takes one player to not play their part for the structures to fail. Seems from the above like the Melbourne boys (perhaps excluding Geogiou) were doing their part. Overall result aside, I'm pleased to see the names above putting their hands up.

The player I least want to run the ball from the backline is Terlich. Love everything about his game except his DE. Garland for Terlich (he plays tall and small anyway). Gawn for Frawley to stretch them. I'm still on the fence with Fitzy. Riley or Evans for Viney if required.

Little clubs will always stay little unless they develop the balls to challenge the AFL leadership and demand their rights. As supporters, we expect our players to go hard and not shirk a contest. We should now demand the same of Glen Bartlett and the MFC committee. Don't worry about next year''s draw, equalization, funding etc - make a stand now and appeal because this is wrong. Do it on behalf of our players, our coaches and everyone else associated with the MFC. And do it because it's right and it may take our once great game down with it.

It still seems to me that most years, a club from the bottom half rises up and into the 8. Ken Hinkley and Port Adelaide should be our model. We need better luck with injuries of course, but if we get that, we will start to improve. And who knows how far that momentum will carry us? With momentum comes serendipity - good things will just hapen. And make us a place to be for the better players rather than a place to avoid. Let's face it we just hate free agency (which is a player's association vehicle) because we are on the bones of our arse. Back to Port. After losing some players to other clubs, they have signed long term deals with a bunch of players, any of which we'd love to have.

Or get ball side of your opponent and back your wingers to get off their lines quickly to cover the spread?

Still hasn't played 10 games yet, but Dom Tyson has had over 30 touches in his first two games under Paul Roos high possession game plan. He is still a bit wasteful, but how long since we've had anyone who works hard on the inside and outside as well? No he is not getting tagged yet, but he is very young and is already taking a lot of pressure off Nathan Jones (the latter recording his two highest possession games first up). If Dom tidies up his ball use, I reckon we might finally have found a possible future A-Grader.

I had Bail in our top 10 (or so) most effective players today. Sure, his disposal is complete rubbish. But he broke the line a few times and turned us back onto the corridor (not his fault there was nothing presenting there IMHO).

You people should watch more closely. Nathan Jones was involved (and central to) at least 3 turnover goals. Surely the team total of 11 goals from turnovers is the new AFL record? Dom Tyson will be a star - our only current candidate for "elite midfielder". Toumpas is still not quick, nor is Trenners. But both can play. Cross is a dead set Barry-battler. Pederson and Spencer should never play again for MFC once we have a viable alternatives.

For me the problem with Dwayne Russell is threefold. 1. He is condescending. 2. He adds no insight to what you can see yourself and 3. He now has an increasingly irritating commentary pattern when a goal is kicked. It goes like this (a) describe the play in increasingly excited tones as a scoring opportunity presents itself (b) go to yelling volume when they shoot then pause for 3-5 seconds then © a single descriptor laced with hyperbole (often "Stunning" or "Freakish" or the like) and then (d) 3-5 seconds more silence followed by the special comments guy talking about some aspect of the build up at normal volume. Seriously - vomit.