Doggo

Make me not smile...! :D He's a gem.

Agree with that. Could maybe add Jared Rivers to that too. Would be good for Sylvia's confidence if he were to earn a spot in the leadership group next year.

The captain doesn't have to be the most talented player on the list though. Take Todd Viney for example, he was never the most talented player, yet his leadership attributes could not be questioned. Beamer is similar in that regard. If we're going to talk consistency as being a pre-requisite for captaincy, then surely that would void Flash? I knows stats aren't the be-all and end-all, but in 5 matches this year Davey's got under 20 disposals- tagged out of the game against PA, WC, Haw + StK and just 11 disposals in round 1. Yet he's also got over 30 on 5 occassions when left unattended. He's improved immensely, is so exciting to watch, and clearly our most skilled player. But i believe the gap between his best, which is elite, and his worst, which is ordinary, is still too wide, as opposed to Moloney who works within a narrower swing of form. Davey's inability to shake a tag, and his propensity to crack the shits when placed under 'niggle' is also well known, and being captain will bring with it even more scrutiny, opposition attention, and pressure to perform. Also, IMO the captain needs to be someone who imposes himself physically on the contest. Someone to lay a big bump, smash a few bodies or stand up in a gang tackle, to inspire the troops. Davey is never going to be that type of player. In regards to Moloney's consistency, statistically speaking, he has got over 20 disposals in all but 4 matches this year (and in one of those games against PA in Adelaide, he had 18 disposals at one point in the 2nd qtr, but got a corkie didn't come back on after 1/2 time), as well as over 30 three times. Watching him closely as I do, I'd say in just 2 matches this season he has failed to get a 'pass mark': against Brisbane a few weeks ago, and in the win against Richmond. In all other matches he's been in the bests, or at least close to it. He gets the job done with a minimum of fuss and fan-fare, wins the hard-ball for outside guys like Flash, and out of all our slow inside midfielders, he's probably the quickest, and is easily the most consistent and reliable IMO. Edit: FWIW, Moloney v Davey, 2009 statistically. Moloney, 15 games, 395 disposals (120 contested) @ 24.69, 79 marks. 68 tackles. 71 clearances, 56 inside 50's. 75.81% disposal efficiency. 4 goals 3 behinds. Davey, 15 games, 373 disposals (78 contested) @ 23.31, 50 marks. 62 tackles. 30 clearances, 51 inside 50's. 76.06 disposal efficiency. 5 goals 5 behinds.

Just had a look at the replay, Richo's call was very good. Will be a great special comments man after his AFL career ends. Made good relevant calls at the appropriate times, astute observations, and showed an in depth knowledge of both teams players' roles etc. Impressed.

The AFL have introduced a rule starting at the end of this season that allows clubs to trade rookie-listed players for ND draft picks. I remember seeing an article posted up here last week about it.

Miller has a long way to go to get to the level Mooney has displayed over the last 6 or so seasons. Mooney is underrated in so many ways because people expect him, with the midfield the cats have, to be kicking 80+ goals a year. He does so much for their structure, and allows them to play the game-style that they do, so much so that he's just about the most important player they have. Not the most talented, but an integral part of their game plan and structure. Having said that, i wonder how Mooney would go at the Dees, and conversely, how Miller would go at the Cats? To be honest, i still think Cam would be slotting 40 plus goals a year at Melbourne, whereas Miller in all likeliness would still be struggling to crack 30 a year, despite the delivery he'd be getting. In regards to drafting a power forward, i hope like hell that Jake Carlisle (VM), Matthew Panos (SA) or John Butcher (VC) are still available at our 2nd round pick (17 to 20, depending on ladder positions and PP's) in the draft, although that's extremely unlikely with the dearth of KPP in this years draft. I strongly believe first 2 picks (if we have a PP) need to be used on elite mids, Scully and Trengove/Morabito etc. I'm not a huge fan of trading away pick 2 should we receive the PP, unless the right deal comes along, ie. someone like Buddy Franklin becomes available. PSD or rookie drafting a big, mature-aged (though no older than 22) power forward from the VFL, WAFL, SANFL etc could also be a left-field option.

Good post Disciple. Agree with all points re: Davey, McDonald. Just one point of conjecture though- have a look at a replay of yesterdays game and tell me that Brent Moloney's leadership doesn't stand out like a beacon? On a day when we were totally outclassed against the best midfield in the business, Moloney seemed to be the only player who stood up and said: "I don't care if you guys are Geelong with your amazing winning record and your stars, etc etc. I'm here to play and I'm not scared of you". Now, this might've been because of his past affiliation with Geelong, but to me it stood out so clearly that he was the only one who felt that he was equal to his opponent. Our other senior players and club-leaders in Green, Bruce, McLean, McDonald all seemed almost in awe of their midfield opponents, whereas Beamer saw them as nothing other than his peers. Although he mightn't have the talent of an Ablett or Selwood, it wasn't going to hold him back. To do that against the best in the biz sets a high benchmark for all others around him. It's not the first time he's stood up when all others have sunk, and it's this sort of real on-field leadership which, to me, makes him #1 candidate for the job next year, in my eyes. Provided his body holds up, he could have a very successful long-term captaincy. Reminds me a lot of Todd Viney, does Beamer, all guts, determination, passion and self-belief. Will go close to winning the B&F this year too, which will only help his case.

Jack Grimes?

Oooooooh... that's gotta hurt!

I concur the majority of thoughts here. Did not like her tone of voice, calling style, pace (always 2 or 3 players behind where the ball was), lack of knowledge of players names, and most of all, her bias. There was one point in the game where Geelong turned it over and she made an audible "ohhhh" sound. Unprofessional and very inexperienced. No good.

Agree re: punchable head. LOL To be honest, i've never really liked or rated Minson (or Hudson) all that much either, but Minson's influence on the game last night could not be questioned. Uncharacteristically, his foot skills and decision-making were very clean, and he setup up at least 3 or 4 shots on goal thru penetrating kicks inside 50. Not to mention strong marks around the ground. I haven't seen stats from that match, but wouldn't be surprised if he got over 20 disposals, majority effective.

Minson played a ripper yesterday. Did some really good things against the Bombers.

Moloney for me. Today's game further fortifies his case IMO. Strong and tough, wins his own footy and uses it well, leads by example and is so passionate about the club. Just about the only midfielder we had who held his own today. Green would be stiff to miss out, but is probably too old now, McLean needs to concentrate on form and fitness, and it's too early to call on Sylvia. Another good year or two and he might be considered. Being sidelined thru suspension doesn't help his case. Davey could get it; he's already unofficially the captain of the indegenous players, but i still have concerns about his ability to beat a tag. Think he should concentrate on playing good footy firstly, and being a mentor for the likes of Jurrah, Jetta, Bennell and Aussie. The club captaincy might be too much pressure for the Flash. Could be wrong, but he doesn't strike me as one who'd cope all that well with the added attention and pressure. Beamer just looks hungry and ready for it.

McLean was dreadful today. Thought a bit harsh on Morton who played a reasonable game, Bate, who did alright under the circumstances, and Jetta, who was one of our best in the 1st half. A bit generous to Dunn too i thought, he was just average at best today IMO.

Agree Kelly Underwood's commentary was pretty poor. Her inexperience really stood out. Going by the telecast, my votes: 6. Moloney 5. Grimes 4. Bartram 3. Morton 2. Jurrah 1. Davey

Very powerful words there from a great man. Heart-wrenching yet so positive and full of hope, great read. Jimmy is an amazing man, father and husband, and an inspiration to us all. It's been said thousands of times already in the last couple of weeks, but i wish him all the best in his recovery. Would be a great shame to lose such a wonderful person; not just to the MFC and footy, but to the wider community, the reach foundation, and most importantly his family and friends. GET WELL JIMMY! We'll seeya at the MFC Gala Ball, mate.

Agree! Would love it if Todd came back and coached us to our next flag! Would be a great, romantic story, of a former club champion and captain, serving his apprentiship in several different assistant roles, before coming back home and bringing us lucky #13.

I've been thinking this one over trying to find the simplest solution. I believe deep down that Demetriou does know there is a problem, he's just putting on a brave face to the media, trying to cover his own arse. Too proud to be wrong. Therefore, if changes are to be made while he is in control, i think they'll minimal, simple yet effective changes. Somehow, i don't see that being a lottery, or a PP awarded at round 15, or anything else that strays too far from the current system. IMO they're most likely to just scrap the PP before the first round altogether, for teams with consecutive <5 win seasons. If you finish last with less than 5 wins, you get pick 1 and PP after 1st round (pick 17). If you have less than 5 wins in consecutive years, you still get a PP, but, like everyone else, it'll be after the first round. No reward for 2 bad years in a row. That way, it wouldn't matter what u did the year before in regards to winning less than 5. So 2 consecutive poor years becomes a non-issue. In cases such as ours and WCE this year, our incentive to tank would be no greater than that of Freo, Richmond, NM, Sydney, or anyone else who's likely to finish near the bottom. Tanking will still occur, obviously, but the reward for losing will be significantly lessened. That said, if you're crap (and let's be honest, to win less than 5 in a year means you are crap), you still get one of the top 17-20 picks in the draft. It's not as good as top 3 obviously, but chances are, it will still be a quality player. If this were the current system now, would you as a supporter, still feel it completely neccessary to tank, for the 17th best talent, instead of the 2nd best?

And big Spencer too!

As did I.

I really appreciated the alignment between Sandy and MFC, used to love going down to TBO. At the time when i heard about the "phone call", i was less than pleased. I'm glad to know that it was indeed a hoax. I really rated Summers, still do, but had lost a lot of respect for him, so very glad it was a hoax! Sandy are a great club. No hard feelings on this end... Thanks Zebraman.

Not true, how can anyone forget Bell's breath-taking performance against Adelaide at the 'G in 2007? Got the 3 Brownlow votes that day, and looked like he'd well and truly "arrived".

Not including current players, and at only 24, my early footy memories are from '91 onwards, although I didn't really take a keen interest until around '96. So i'd say: 3rd, Andrew Leoncelli, 146 games, 66 goals. No real justification behind this selection, as there were many much better players, but was a personal favorite. Loved his attack on the footy, and thought he was very underrated during the peak of his career (1998 to 2002). A genuine tough nut, who loved getting his hands dirty, laying a tackle and kicked a few great goals. Who could forget his goal with 5 seconds left on the clock to beat Adelaide at Football Park back in '01 i think it was. I don't think we've won one there since. 2nd, Todd Viney, 233 games, 92 goals. I think you summed Viney up perfectly. All guts and determination. I remember thinking he was huuuuge when i met him at age 7, way back in '91. Admired the way he went about his footy, and i see a lot of Todd in Brent Moloney today (except Beamer uses it much better). A big tank of a bloke, ready to smash bodies and the first to stick up for his team-mates. A real "heart-and-soul" type who got the most out of his limited ability. 1st, Stephen Tingay, 162 games, 84 goals. Stinger was an out-and-out GUN, and one of the flashiest, hardest, and most exciting midfielders i've seen in my time supporting MFC. He would have been the Chris Judd-equivalent of the early-mid 90's, IMO. So sadly cruelled by injuries, well on his way to becoming a genuine champion, but rarely played from '96 onwards. Apologies to: Adem Yze, just missed out on 3rd spot. Unfortunately these days is remembered more for his soft efforts, selfishness and being a front-runner, but at his best, Yze was a fantastic, freakish talent, and his contribution to the club should never be forgotten. Woey was fantastic until his Brownlow hangover that effectively ended his career. Another remembered more for all the wrong reasons. Travis Johnstone was good, but he never got the most out of himself and was the complete opposite to guys like Todd and 'Chelly. Played for himself first and foremost, the team was secondary. Easily the most talented since at least Stinger, but largely a waste. Glenn Lovett deserves honorable mention too, although i don't remember much of his best footy from the early 90's, but i loved how he went about it later in his career, right until the end, despite injury after injury. Not a midfielder, but i always had a soft spot for Steven Febey. Actually, both the Febey brothers were favourties of mine.

I'll admit i haven't been a huge Bruce fan in recent year (although i don't consider myself a "Bruce-basher" either), but i have to agree with that comment, dandeeman. His last 2 matches have been excellent.

Bugger. The way Sandy have been going lately, wouldn't surprise me if they missed finals this year too. Casey definitely look finals-bound at this stage. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see. Might end up facing off in a spiteful and bloody final later in the year!