beelzebub

With all these players putting hands up...can some now still take the stand that Melbourne wont be involved in any trading. ? All these players are going to casue knock ons and someone is bound to be offered or sought to/from Melbourne. Staker ? he's a more than handy player but not a fit into our side..Ironically he might do well with the Swannies...but could he put on their jumper ??

bingo. If I thought he would be injury free for the next 3 years..if he could regain at least half a yard.. if he concentrated a little more on what he does with the ball than niggling the opposition ( necessary..but priorities please !! lol ) then he's a keep. I just cant see it . hawthorn has shownthe way.. move players on whilst they still command some currency in the market. Its about the club...not the player

Is Doyle a D ??

Nupp !! sad isnt it !!

no..not really...would prefer Boak...but he has eyes for Carlton.. so being just a tad realistic..would be happy with Salopek. Careful what you see as obvious

and is that the most excited and animated we've seen Bailey ?? you cant help but think there really is so much to come

Bell could well be part of mutaully beneficial discussions with Port.They are going to bleed somewhat at end of season. Bell has no future at Melbourne. If he did it would have been cemented this year albeitly he's been crueled by injury. Bell needs to best his current competition for games and his time has all but ticked out. He might however provide something for Chocco who might be able to breathe new life into him as he has done with Rodan. Bell, Rivers and 34 for Salopek or Boak and pick 22

Much has been made of , with arguable merit, the notion that adeqaute forwards can be seen to be stars , champs, playing better than expected etc if they are given good service. The engine thatdrives that delivery van is the midfield. Now for me there is a simple choice. We, now, concentrate on revving up that service and provide it to a forward 50 that will include th elikes of Watts, Jurrah, Maric, Wonnaemirri , possible Bate/Martin etc or we load up the forward line with so much that they will be all but sittign arond playing cards as the ball goes 180 deg the other way....because the mids are losing their battle. We already have talent to kcik goals...we just need to give them the ball. The added thing is mids CAN and DO kick goals... Not too many KP forwards can play anywhere else... except Liam.. of course.. We have taken the time and hurt to develop players with some multifunctionality and some advocate we now get a stay at home forward. Thats just going backwards for mine.

I would be happy to explore trades for Rivers,,but Warnock's just got here ( as a better than competent player ). Theres no ral upside now with Jared...thats just footy

Youre not quite understanding htis.. Casey is a parallel development to what ever else we have. Currently we dont train exclusively at Casey, though it is used all but as such during summer. "In season" traingn is currently done so out of ATCO huts and a second rate ( by afl ) ground ( Junction Oval ). This together with runs at Goschs...its all over the place. A centralised home with associated training ground with full facilities would be marvellous.. Imagine that..the team called Melbourne right in the middle of .........Melbourne !! Casey is the icing on the cake..not the cake.

Neil Young composed his ballad "Comes a time" ,its a song about taking shelter from troubles and going out to face them again. There comes a time when you need to stop the talk...and do the walk. Melbourne (fc ) has and indeed to some degree will always , rebuild its team. It's now got to the point where there is sufficient raw and developing talent that together with established and known entities amongst its list that it ought to now be prepared to change its direction from abject change to focused improvement. You can go on forever tinkering with the list in some manic obsession to get it "right" , to get it just that ever so sweet that all the players are the best you can have. But we are not dealing with collecting swap cards we are talking about playing footy. The list is never perfect. There are too many constraints to allow that to happen. What you do is get it to the best level of preparedness and go out and play to win. There is always room for improvement and this will still be a part of the football departments instruction but the time for the sheltered approach is over. There can be no more hiding behind the veil of sacrifice for betterment. Now is the time to "do". Ironically a team called the Demons needs now to go face them. The football world will now be watching with some interest to see how we progress. Many will be waiting fervently for us to fail as that is their way. Others will be hoping we succeed as it will provide a template for their own. But in the main they are now expecting us to do something. In a way I see a comparison to parenthood. You can make all the preparations you like but it never quite goes to plan. You will have to think on your feet and react without warning to situations that manifest out of thin air. Overall you are not in total control of much of what goes on as external forces have their own timetables and priorities. You just do the best you can with what you have at hand. Yes you endeavour to better your circumstnaces but utimately you have to manage and do. So too does this team.There ought be no more consideration given to allowing underachievent be over painted with talk of draft rewards. We have reaped wins (benefits) from our plan and now its time to plan to win and benefit from them. There comes a time and that time is now.

I dont quite get the logic of some. We get someone...put a lot of effort ( ans they themselves do ) to get themselves up, improve..actually get to the point where they are dead set useful...and people want to go trading him for "potential" thats crazy.

He quite impressive as a bloke...very humble...but steely determined. Firstly I wish him al the success in fotball and in life outside of it. He is a proud and rightfully so ambassador of his people. I think as a club we are incredibly lucky in having him, not just for the obvious football proess he has but to be honest the limelight it brings to the club. The attention he has garnered has focused a lot of media interest on the Melbourne footy club and he is instrumental in showing us in a very favourable light. Thankyou:)

Melbourne's midfield is about to ignite... Freos is...... is.....is... hmm.. Why would Westie want to abandon this project ( MFC ) to go live amongst the great remote ? Yes Freo might like him.... they probably like lots of things they cant have

This years draft has some gems..and some roughies.. Yes, yes I hear you say dont they all !! Given that the better talent will peter out earlier thanususal I for one wonder what will be around at around 34, our 3rd round selection. In this area you are really making educated guesses. Its a little bit more than hit or miss but its not that far removed and again especially this year. This club has now shown its prepared to look well outside the box...indeed..where there is no box !! Id like the club to consider using 34 for Majak should he still be there. Some may consider this ignorant folly..and it might well be.lol... or it might be one day looked upon as inspired vision. Theres something about this guy

I think they are well aware not to weight him down. I would presume a good preseason would improve strength and tone. Still,he looks in pretty good nick.

Not particulalry advocating using any picks for Sandilands. Is highly unlikley hes going anywhere anyway as Freo are looking to secure both Sandilands and pavlich as core players whilst rebuilding.

Todays NAB rising Star winner Daniel Rich emphasises for me the value in drafting a ready to go established player. Trengove has played at the highest levelsavefor AFL. He plays SAFL . He equits himslef very well...indeed sufficinet to have won BOG. Rich also had played at State League level in WA and the benefits of thismust surely speak for themsleves. Often with a draftee there is still that elemetn of "will they realise that youthful potential" ..and will they make it amongst men. Beiing king of the kids is one thing , mixing it for real is quite different. At pick 2 you hopefully want some sort of assurance it will get results. I just cant feel so inclined with Butcher who ay wel turn ot ok, if notbetter than OK...but I want more than a tenuous promise of delivered talent and I can get that if pick 2 is used for Trengove. Im pretty well damn sure he'll play decent footy, at the very least. Not nearly so much guesswork with this lad

I would consider only picks 1 and 2 sacrosanct... everything else is for sale....at the right price... or benefit Remember...a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush !!

I cede I may have misconstrued your views re 07.. I stand, sit,corrected. That as you describe is to be avoided. Our midfiled will be indeed fortunate to haqve the likes of Scully... our forward line will relish this also You actually by means or accident raise an interesting spectre to next year... the draw. In recent years its been all over the place with no seeming desire for balance , just cowtowling to the "boys" . Im inclined to think we may well pull off 10-12 wins.. On the Bailey matter I sense he'll be offered another year prior to the madness that is trading and drafting precisely for the reasons you suggest in thatit negates the effect of the draw and posibble decisions on therun as as result.

Poor ol Bradley.. ive maligned him as muchas any but he does try. Its just not to sufficient avail most often. I think he'l either be offered a years extension as some sort of insurance whilst others develop or he'll be outshopped as part of some inglorious package ..i.e ..all but given away but possibly bettering a later pick..and Istill have a gut feeling he may well end up at Sydney in this manner.

you still dont quite get it.. Stats alone tell nothing if that arent quantified and qualified. You are offering them up as argument complete. Again.l.you have to determine when and how and to what effect. But that wonldnt suit your cause ..so you wont. The saints were poor ? hmm thats contradictory to your assertions via stats that they werent. The saints were simply getting beaten. Youcant look at the stats of the game as a whole and say they were better..look where and when they got theirs.. its particularly backended..i.e after Melbourne pulled the pin.. after many "experimental" changes were invoked, after the lads started mucking around.. Again dont let the facts worry you..just continue your blinkered portrrayal of the game. Its not juust me who saw the game this way..others here and off the forum agree, even some friends who are died in the wool Sainters. They are just a tad concerned now going into the finals. I dont hide..Im right here.. 2007 again.. how so. different people, administration,players.. resources.., but you think we are destined to repeat 07 ? Thats hardly giving any credit or kudos to the machinations of present and the desires of those entrusted to carry them out. Again where I will agre with you is 010 is still an uphill effort. we are far from 'there' yet. I will also agree to disagree.

the biggest diference between Spencer and Daw is very much a debatable quality called.... confidence. Spencer still has that...'what the hell am I doing out here "about him. Hes getting better but still has that young star struck look about himat times. I dont see that in Daw Yes, for sure, Majak hasnt played yet at teh highest level , something Spencer has, but in wathcing him ( albeity only ontape ) you can see that Daw just eats up this game. Hes very purposeful, backs himslef and given a few preseasons and good coaching thi skid will be something. I would be very happy to see him in Red and Blue. He has all the potential of a Nic Nat ..but without the awkward fumbling !!.Daw has much beter poise and balance.

+ the obvious Melbourne Robertson - delisted Whelan - retired Wheatley - delisted

Pretty well on the money. Other than picks 1 and 2 which must surely be Scully(1) and next best thing (2) ( my preference still Trengove..atm ) everything else is "connected" . Many folks are suggesting we do this or that with 18 , 34 and 50. The reality is we may not have 18,34 and 50 come draft time...We could have 29 and 60 for all we know...but have picked up someone useful and moved some cloggers on etc. In reality the prize of this draft is the package of the firsttwo picks together with teh leverage of PSD1...everything else is gravy really !!