beelzebub

A lot of the younger lads will be tiring right about now. Those with bigger engines and can go the distance whilst still putting in respectable games will be the ones vying for the prize. Scully and Trengove ought to do well in that regard. Look for a couple of standout perforamces from either/both in the month ahead.

deja vu.... all over again !!!

The more I ponder this game the more it seems to me that we ( the tream ) need to make a statement with this game. Not just scrape through with a win, but smash our own demons with an emphatic drubbing of the Bombers. We need to raise the bar, raise the currency of these latter games. Weve got a few games left at the G ( 5 out of 8 ) with reason to think 4 are gettable, indeed even 5 if we get up good speed with some wins. Essendon is ripe for the plucking imho. Often in the past it would be us that others would circle menacingly. Well I say , stuff that, reverse that scenario ..let us be the hunters. Davey's due for a blinder, Green ought to really stamp his authority, Hi Ho Silvia ought to and should do take a few scalps on his way to a good bag. Watts ought to have the luxury of a less than first class defnce on his tail and use it to effect. Jurrah , if he plays ought to just be given carte blanche to just play his Jurrah -game , they ( Ess) will have no answer. Russian ought to give our mids first go and this is a game ( a freer flowing event I expect ) which should give the ScullGove machine a day out. If we can stamp our brand on the game in the first quarter I just dont think that Essendon currently have the peopel to stem the flow once it starts. On a dry ground the likes of Bennel Jetta ought to be able to swoop on anything brought to ground. we need to throw numbers at every early contest and just pound away. Rivs 200th wasnt much of one to remember...he has the chance to reddem. Its not just good enough to defend these days...you have to be creative and initiate attacks, not one of Jared's forte's but one he needs to develop. The backline is prety good at stopping... they need to really gel as a team and start the drive. Bate needs show his maturity now and string games together...here ya go Matty...start again with this one. Its all there for the taking...lets do it go Dees

this may be of assistance then .... Demonland...Jack Viney

I know it is revolving the record on the turntable yet again but I cant fathom for the life of me how anything isnt negotiable, esp given that they( AFL ) seem to have a set of guidelines which they then disregard when it suits. i.e ESs and Collingwood..and possibly Richmond. I think if the powers that be at our beloved MFC can come up with a good and traditionally orientated jumper utilising our heritage inspired 'new' emblem on a red background then I think we need to sell it to the nongs at AFL house. If they ..the nongs are adamant about the red , though that seems strange given Essendons atempt at a clash jumper !!, then maybe we go with a predominantly dark blue with a red version of the emblem. etc...any thing..anything other than pajama-white...its just wrong....its just not Melbourne. Again ...in business you learn....everything IS negotiable !!

other than the numbers !!

Indeed he did link

Not too bad. 1) It looks like a real footy jumper...not some fashion T and 2) fulfils my wish that it unmistakably announces itself as Melbourne.

Sorry, I for one simply dont accept that our clash/away strip needs to be fundamentaly White. Some may suggest that we decline to mention essendon and Collingwood but the minute you raise the subject of clash jumpers its inevitable that the precent that these two clubs have created must allow for a discussion of us not using White as the predominant colour.. God knows how umpies and telly viewers ever managed in pre colour days. Amazingly games involving the Filth and Kangas on muddied grounds still went ahead...amazing isnt it. Strangely the more trouble is caused by non clashing umpire strips than the club guernseys !! Melbourne and Carlton managed a plethora of games without any incident of note. Never hear of Melbourne actually clashing with StKilda. But if we cant have a red one and its white-ish then lets keep it simple...and classically classy and more importantly instantly recognisable as being Melbourne. Lets get it right and stop bugering around with it year in year out.

that would be this ? am sure Clint wont mind..itsa cleaner effort than the one i did Still reckon something along these lines but perhaps teh "New EMBLEM" in situ rather than the 'MFC" as shown here might be the goods,(as well as appropriate change for sponsors etc ) but only those who have seen the Emblem can make a judgement !! ( which would be ??)

Reading between the lines and observing murmurrings elsewhere there seems to be more than a hint of disquiet regarding Knights. Seems he's a bit change happy and the team isnt getting settled, which is quite the reverse re Bails as hes a little less prone to adhock changes and wants to build consistency. I would suspect that Hurley would be given watts but should Jurrah play then Knights has a problem ( good for us ) and this might just be the temptation that provides Bails with the impetus to indeed recall Liam. I take it Slats' nose wasnt too bad then. It will be an interesting game I reckon. Whichever team can get its act together will lead the other a merry chase. Ought to be a fairly free flowing affair. Might just come down to accuracy in front of sticks.

There's nothing stopping Neeta nor Robbo from involving themselves in our resurgence. Hope they do

Fair call unles Jones turns into a really good tagger..... a possibility

Grimes to miss 3 weeks Grimes to miss 3 McDonald out for 1 more could have been worse I guess !!

what in the world do they feed kids these days ?? even Liberatore is nigh on a "Collingwood 6 feet" !!! lol Im 6'2..and even my own son ( not 17 yet ) is 6'4".. some big lads there...crikey !!

but of course..!!lol

thats pretty much what I and others have been saying all along

just by way of interest...how far out can a club flag interest as per father /son ?

last things first..as it were. I think the Dees are really looking to get some points here and there and avoid an unexpected 3rd piece of cutlery. As to the rest... I would agree neither forward line is lighting up theworld atm but we have a little more upside should Bailey get adventurous.With thepossible/probable ommiting of Slattery...and subsequent rejigging the Bomber defence is going to work harder,( though some ( Bombers ) might relish his absence..lol ).Pears missing wont help the cause either.Hurley could be Ok. Their forward line ought to on paper gain from the recalling of Neagle and had he not been coming up agaisnt one of the better defences going around then this indeed would prove advantageous to the windy Hill mob. Casey figured him out and so shall we. Gumby is just Gumby as is so up and down its hard to precisely define his threat. If Ryder , Watson and McVeigh pull together its game on. If any have an off day ( again ) Ess will have a torid day. Both teams are a bit like 6 cyl engines running on 4. If we can keep banging it into the 50 ( somewhat uncharacteristically I concede ) then the visitors will go away empty handed. Dont see either side besting the other by any great amount, probably 2-3 goals and I think in our favour.

""Knights said forward Jay Neagle, who's non-appearance since Round 1 was one of the topics raised in the media, would return to the team this week."" HS today

and the prize goes to ....... I think we're al jumping the gun a bit here. Am sure the club is keeping in good with the Viney clan and when its appropriate things will happen. Pretty sure he'll listen to his old man too. Just depends on what that will be lol. we have a good list, we will be a lot better in 2 years time, he'll have played some senior footy no doubt with the Roosters and all things being equal will probably slot right in just as Trengove has. Looking good Lets not worry hey

I like Bail, balance poise and agood head for decisions. He can , and does, have it within to take a game on and we need players like that. A good user of the ball and a handy kick either end. Seemed to be growing in confidence and belief in being there til his recent injury. sleeper? might be waking up !!!

Damn shame !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you got some real problems then

Quite right in that he doesnt HAVE to lead up the ground...but he can and does. Whomever are assigned him his task will be take them out of their defences effectiveness by leading them a merry run around. The trick I feel is to not present the opposition with predictability. Bate can be a more stay at home forward but he to can just as happily play a lead up KPP role. The danger for essendon is if we keep the forward fifty fluid and open. If we congest it..or allow them to then they can have some hope to shutting down our scoreboard. This was where Petterd and Aussie gave us options by making the poskets dangerous..we need to make them so again. Id try Bennell and jeta in respective pockets. Bring Davey back out towards the wing playing a HFF. Sylvia on a Wing. Bail on other and Bruce at HBF. of course everything's fluid but thatd be the nature of lineup . We cant let Essendon get settled into the game.. We need intensity from the first bounce and a lead at half time as they will try and get back into it. Hopefully our good 3rd quarter reord wil remain intact and their 4th quarter lacking. Happy to take a grubby win here

You dont need to beat Ryder..just negate his effectiveness by blanketting their link men. Keep a close eye on Watson.( expect that will be Jones's assignment for the week ) Essendon get slopy when put under the pump ( but then so do we) so its a battle of the minds here. Keep them wide. They go to water around the paint coughing up a lot of silly turnovers ( again sounds like some other team I know.lol ) Fletcher will certainly bolster their defence with Slatery out , but then Slats has been crap fo most of the year so no biggee. We will need to drag the ol' man away from the square..Another good reason to introduce Jurrah back into the lineup otherwise Knight's decisions on manups is too easy. McVeigh will be their litmus on the day I feel. Close attention to him required...and dare I say it Bruce might be just the bloke. Strangley I think they are more worried about us than we them!!!