w00dy

I'd hold one up for $5,000 I might even donate half to the MFC if I win... having said that, i wasn't waving one of those signs around like a tool on Sunday...

Really? That is interesting... Perhaps he knows if he doesn't put the hard yards in he's not going to be the best, unlike VCE where he hardly studied and got in the top 0.25% of the state...

I agree, some time to learn how to play forward, and an increase in his confidence, he could be a great player... It seems he almost needs some of that arrogance many of the great forwards have.

I think long term, if he's going to make it, he needs to play in the middle... I don't think he's going to feature in our forward line, and the queue is a mile long to get a game down back... Any reason with another pre-season or two he couldn't play in the middle? A question... I was overseas when Ricky made his debut, and the reports were all very positive positive. He played across half back I believe. What did he do down there to get everyone so excited at the time?

good read there... he's a very interesting character Stef... I remember having a quick chat to him at the membership tent round 1 when he wasn't selected... seemed quite timid and shy, which is surprising, given his natural gifts... The only concern I have from reading that article is that everything has come so easy for him, will he be able to push himself to get the most out of his ability on the football field? If he's never had to really try at anything, why would football be any different? Lets hope the club help Stef get the most out of himself, because he could become anything. As for his game today, I'm glad they gave him most of the match in the forward line. He's still young to the game, especially as a forward, so he's going to have to learn the role. Still needs to learn where and when to lead, but saw improvements in this already in the 2nd half... Given his intellegence, I'd just give him a bunch of tapes of the great forwards, like Riewoldt and Buddy. Tell him to watch them, when and where they lead, and he might be able to work it out pretty from that. And by the way, how about that goal! Should've been paid the mark, should've got the free, but got neither, so he wheels round and snaps it from the pocket. As easy as you like at almost 2 metres tall...

it is disappointing... remember most of the Hawthorn supporters there tonight have all jumped on the bandwagon because they're a successful team these days... I wonder how many of them were in the 11,682 that attended Hawthorn V Port Adelaide at the MCG in 2004, when they were strugglilng like we are now... not many i would've thought

remember that big hanger he went up for in the goal square? and then hawthorn just got the ball somehow and cleared it? well Robbo took the mark, was on his back in the goal square, and tried to kick the goal whilst on his back in the goal square... the ump called play on, and the hawks cleared the ball... He would've been directly in front from the goal line, but his showboating cost us a goal...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl...5-19742,00.html the bulldogs scored 6.3.39 from centre clearances, whilst we didn't score at all... an area Bailey is definitely not happy with and has concentrated on it this week...

I think one thing people often underestimate is how even the competition really is. We've seen it with Hawthorn this year, a bad run with injuries and you're back with the pack. Given our pretty bad run with injuries the last 18 months, and the games we are getting into our younger players, there's no reason we can't make the 8 next year. There are a lot of teams, winning matches this season who aren't very good. We start to get it right, and there's no reason we can't be a lot better than a number of the teams in the comp...

We still would've had Cale Morton if we had lost that game... Rather than the draft order being: 1. Carlton - Kreuzer 2. Richmond - Cotchin 3. Carlton - trade to WC - Masten 4. Melbourne - Morton It would've been: 1. Carlton - Kreuzer / Trade to WCE for Judd 2. Richmond - Cotchin 3. Melbourne - Morton A lot of people rated Cale Morton ahead of Masten, and I think we would've taken Morton at 3 anyway. We still would've traded Johnstone for pick 14, to pick up Grimes, along with pick 18 and pick 21. We would've had Maric along with another player like Alex Rance.

2003 is the last time an A grade player was picked up in the pre-season draft, and that was Nick Stevens... And he didn't want to go to Carlton, he wanted Collingwood... we could pick up a player in this circumstance, such as Ryan O'Keefe last year. A deal couldn't be done with Hawthorn, so he could've entered the PSD. He elected to stay at Sydney... If there's another O'Keefe type player this year, and we do have pick one in the PSD, then we could try and convince them to come to Melbourne... Having said that, I wouldn't think Schwab or Stynes wouldn't have anything directly to do with it. It would be Connolly, Bailey and Prendergast dealing with any issue like this.

the one thing that Dunn has which many keep overlooking, and it's something that I'm sure everyone here agrees we need more of, and that's skill by foot... He isn't getting enough of the footy right now, but when he does have the ball in his hands, he's one of our better users... Bartram's disposal isn't up to scratch, but he seems to do his job each week... Type of player who will continue to get games for the moment, but will struggle to get a game when we're a better side in a couple of years time...

surely this isn't necessary?

I wouldn't drop Dunn, but I think he's a pretty good chance to get rubbed out this week... Out: Dunn (susp.), Petterd In: Green, Rivers

i thought the umpires were pretty good for the most part... let the game go, not picking out too many little free kicks... I had no dramas with the 50, but I agree Col should've got a free kick... having said that Robbo kicked a couple of goals from dubious free kicks earlier in the game... good job umps...

These two (mostly Bartram) shared the job on Cooney, and he didn't have a massive impact... Thought they did a good job...

also a chance to have a look at Yze running around, will be strange having him line up against us...

you'd think Ricky would be the most likely, given he's a queenslander... If we do lose anyone, remember we will be compensated by the AFL with a draft pick which we can use when we choose (ie. what year we choose) I'm likely to think that most of our players, especially our younger players, are not going to want to leave for the Gold Coast. Our list should be in great shape when this is all going down, unless they know they're not near the best 22 and looking for more opportunities... Brad Miller may be an interesting one, probably too old, and loves the Melbourne Footy Club. But with Watts in the side, Jurrah starring and possibly John Butcher wearing Red and Blue, at 27 it could be close to the end for him at Melbourne. Yet he could probably get a 3 year contract from the Gold Coast at a good tick. I really think the Gold Coast is going to struggle to attract players in their prime. Young stars or players who have their best footy behind them are the ones more likely to head up there. If you're 24 why would you want to play the best years of your career surrounded by kids? Anyway, all a long way off, and will be a very interesting time. Lets hope we don't lose anyone, and if we do they're not a significant loss...

I can say for certain BT definitely has a thing for young Addam Maric... He's mentioned him on AFL teams 3 or 4 weeks in a row now, even after his terrible game first, he was talking Maric up... Must be his nephew or something...

But hasn't been given a chance to settle. He would've spent a fair wack of his time on ground tagging, so his posession rate was never going to be massive. And one stat you left out. Disposal Efficency: 82% Not many in our team would be this high in this stat... Flash is only at 78%... The whipping boy for many around here, but unjustified for mine...

He was well behaved today BT. Didn't think he was too bad. Has got a thing for Maric does the brissle...

6. Paul Johnson 5. Cale Morton 4. Nathan Jones 3. Brent Moloney 2. Matthew Bate 1. Jamie Bennell

PJ has been great for us, got the better of Cox for mine...

said the same on Fox which is good news, hopefully he can come back in the 2nd half... Chip is injured too, if both miss next week we're all of a sudden struggling down back, with Garland, Rivers, Frawley out... lets hope they both come up okay...

why would you go to Geelong, so far away from Melbourne, yet wouldn't go to a ground just outside the melbourne CBD, and less than 6km from our traditional home ground?