wisedog

And from memory the last win before that was in the 80's! Not a happy hunting ground for the Dees. There was also a draw in 2006 -Funny to think that at this time both sides were quite evenly matched... Who would have thought that 4 years later, they would be dual premiers and we would be dual wooden spooners.

Where did I write that? I'm stoked he took his opportunity, but he's been in and out of the side for 8 years and I just don't think his career at Melbourne can survive another slump.

He's played forward, he's played back. He's been touted as a future captain and he's been completely written off... multiple times. He almost reminds me of an Irish project player in terms of his development and the opportunities he's been given. I suppose as a Queenslander, that's not all that far from the truth. I didn't think we'd see him in the side again, but he's taken the opportunity and kicked a career high 5 goals. A conundrum indeed. This is it though... he won't last another slump, not at Melbourne anyway. Maybe Gold Coast will see something in him. All the best Brad.

I was keeping an eye on the betfair odds on Gameday Live. At one point in the last quarter, Port were $21 and within 15 minutes they were $1.35! Geez... what a relief though. It would have been so easy one Port got ahead to just give up, but they fought it out. What heart! But how about that Brad Miller?... what a conundrum he's been for us.

I'm just so f****** relieved we held on. Took a lot of character to get back the lead with a few minutes left. Bennell - 4 goals, Watts - 2 goals, Miller - 5 goals... Jetta on fire. There's a lot to enjoy about tonight's game. The win will do them a world of good. Bailey's fist interstate win! GOOOO DEEEEEEEESSSSSS!

I'm reluctant to stick the boot into North, because I know without the energy Jim Stynes has brought to the club, we'd probably be in the same position. We only got 13k to the MCG last year against Fremantle -it was an atrocious day, and in the midst of all that tank talk. But I agree, the fact that only 16k turned up to see a very winnable game in good conditions is very concerning.

Not even with a fit Mitchell, Franklin and Burgoyne on the park? I think they'll have a bit of a surge but finish on around 10 wins.

I think any experience at this stage is definitely worth while. I'd rather the players be overawed now rather than when we're a more realistic chance in a year or two. I doubt Essendon's finals exit had much to do with their slump. They managed to get the best out of themselves under a new coach, but ultimately they were grossly flattered by the result. To be honest, they're about where I expected them to be. Melbourne have taken the long road to success and have a far greater scope for improvement. When we 'arrive' it will be a long stay.

St Kilda - 40 Collingwood - 36 Geelong - 32 Bulldogs - 32 Port Adelaide - 32 Fremantle - 28 Sydney - 28 Melbourne - 20 Carlton - 20 Lions - 20 Hawthorn - 16 North Melbourne - 16 Essendon - 12 Adelaide - 12 West Coast - 8 Richmond - 0 I went through the whole season and had the Dees finishing on 11 wins and scraping into the finals on percentage. But realistically, I think our losses to Collingwood and Bulldogs will keep us out. Carlton will be the major threat.

Mclaren made the right call in the way I'd like to see the rule interpreted. I was unsure about the rule at the start of the 2009 season, but I really thought it was a positive change. The only way players got away with it was by 'fumbling' the ball across the line. But now, players are apparently allowed to run across the line if there's a player within 2 metres of them. Won't that just take us back to where we were in 2007? I suppose the major difference is that teams are unable to make the fast break anymore. But I just don't get it... A player is allowed to rush a behind if he's under pressure? Rushed behinds only happen when a player IS under a pressure. It's a non-rule. (...well unless a player gets clear of his opponent only to inexplicably dive across the goal line) Rush behinds should be judged the same way as deliberate out of bounds. But I agree with Caroline Wilson in that I think the penalty is too high. A ball up at the top of the square seems fair, or a set shot from 30-40.

Cheers, will edit.

Contemplating our list after the game, I realized that apart from Scully, Trengove, Grimes and a couple of late gems in Bennell and McKenzie, we really havent even begun to delve into the talent amassed over the past 3 years. None of the following players were on the field last night: Morton pick 4 Watts pick 1 Blease pick 17 Strauss pick 19 Jetta - pick 51 Gysberts pick 11 Tapscott pick 18 Bail pick 64 Fitzpatrick pick 50 Gawn pick 34 Cheney pick 53 Maric pick 21 Jurrah PSD Martin rookie draft Wonaeamerri rookie draft Im not saying all these players will make it, but many of them should -the inevitable departures of Green, Bruce and McDonald will be well covered for. The forward line is a bit of a concern at the moment. But similar to Garland, Warnock and Frawleys emergence over 2008-2009, I can see Jurrah and Watts making a similar impact in the near future. In just 9 games, Jurrah already looks to be the most potent forward weve had since Neitz. I suspect it will be difficult to shrug off the tanking tag, but thinking about Melbournes downfall during the 70s and 80s which took us from a powerhouse to battling for our existence. Aside from poor management, one of the main reasons for our lack of success was the quality of the zones we recruited from. So as I see it, any success we have in the next 10 years, we completely deserve.

We'll [censored] West Coast next week, but rolling interstate sides in 3/4 empty stadium isn't nearly as enjoyable as grinding out a win against another Vic side... Looking forward to Round 11 against Carlton!

The replays I saw on TV were inconclusive, certainly not enough evidence to overrule the original decision.

Can someone explain what happend? I saw the Green decision, but have since turned off the TV.

I have to feel for the Tigers though. Their lack of success is almost like Melbourne's horror 23 year stretch in the 70's and 80's. They were rebuilding with Carlton and Hawthorn, then with Melbourne and Freo and still they languish at the bottom of the ladder and don't look like improving. To add insult to unjury, the best they can salvage from this season is pick 4.

Nothing, but it's kind of joeboy's thing. They usually generate a couple of pages of good discussion.

Watching on the TV, Garland gave one of the North players a bit of a bump as they walked off. Firrito didn't like it so he and Sylvia carried on for a while. Nothing really in it.

Even when we were playing finals during 04 - 06 we could only ever seem to grind out a win against the Roos. To be honest, I'm not all that disappointed. I was half expecting the result and was really glad to see the fight back in the third quarter.

Both towns have populations of around 90,000, so they're probably not big enough support a new AFL club at this stage. Having said that, Burnley came into the EPL last year so who knows -There are much probably bigger financial considerations that I'm ignorant of. I know it's rich for a Melbourne supporter to talk about the relocatation of struggling clubs, but as Melbourne continues to expand there could be some real possibilties for clubs like the Bulldogs and Kangaroos to target these growth areas, while maintaining a greater part of their identity than they would in Queensland or Tasmania... With Ballarat being west of Melbourne, the Bulldogs could remain the Western Bulldogs and the Kangaroos could become the Northern Kangaroos. It's probably decades away from being feasible, but both towns are close enough for Melbourne supporters to make the games, and would generate a whole new supporter base. Living in Ballarat, I think the Ballarat/Geelong/Bendigo rivalry would be great to see and make the AFL seem much less Melbourne centric. Just an idea.

I thought Bennell was brilliant. The gameplay had been so stilted that Bennell's pace and creativity really shone through in the last. He was a real stand out.

Those Bennell and Green non-decisions in the last 5 minutes were atrocious... For the first time in about two years, I'm absolutely gutted about a loss.

Shattered. I thought Bail's kick was drifting through the posts, only to drop short! ... they don't come any more heartbreaking than that folks. What a sweet victory that would have been.

47 all up in SC... Probably a better indicator of performance.

Where was this thread last week? lol I joined your tipping comp yesterday! Is that still happening? ...I'll join the oztips one anyway since I've got an account.