The Backyard Charizard

I am sick to death of hearing reports of misbehaviour from our so called "Next Captain"..... It's about time this boy was told a few home truths..... Yes, he has been gifted with a great amount of skill.... But he is a senior member (albeit a young one) of a professional sporting body and he has certain responsibilities.... One good game in a final against St Kilda doesn't give him the right to think he is untouchable! You will ALL jump on my arse here and say I am over-reacting and to give him a break...... but..... Screw that! How many breaks does he need!?!?!?!?! I was booked for a lot of stupid [censored] when I was young.... Drinking, speeding, indecent exposure etc...etc... but the difference between me and the small brain of Brock, is that I learnt from my mistakes and didn't have as much riding on them!! Check your head boy! And yes! You are still a BOY.... So far from proving yourself a man it aint funny!

Thanks for that.... Obviously it will not be on TV or radio.... Well, not here in Adelaide anyway!

Where and Who are we playing this coming weekend??? Just haven't heard anything about it.... Has it been decided??

This is one of the worst statements I have ever seen or heard!!! I am a passionate Victorian and will be until the day I die.... I now live in Adelaide and cannot believe your ignorance! The SANFL is by far and away the strongest state based competition in the country! After attending years of VFL matches and now 2 years of SANFL I am totally convinced that the SANFL is better! I would be willing to bet my left [censored] on this! Nah.... Actually make it the whole damn meat and potatoes!! A good gap from even VFL standards?!?!?!?! Ha Ha Ha! Not only are you lacking excitement/positivity in your life, you are also obviously having trouble with your eyes/brain....

The kid thrives on a challenge! Didn't take him long to bust into the senior Norwood side and was quite regularly named in the best.... I have been trying to think of the last time I have been this excited about the Melbourne Football Club in December!?!?! Bring on 2008.....2009.....2010....2011..... You guys can work out the rest

He created himself a serious cult following here in Norwood! As "Flash" has at Melbourne..... Great value for money! Is a cross between "Flash" and David Rodan.... Probably the best way I could describe him.... Didn't even know he was in the draft! But now that we have picked him up it is awesome! The kid is a real rough diamond! Bailey and Co. will just have to shine him up a bit and lookout!!!

A lot of people will have no bloody idea who "Aussie" Wonaeamirri is..... I have seen him play for Norwood this year and I am excited at the fact that we got him on our list! He reminds me of one "Flash" Davey.... Just needs to work a touch on his disposal.... Found this video floating around the net.... Take a look A brief insight into "Aussie" COMMENTATORS: Towards Wonaeamirri, now free on this side of the ground is Wonaemirri, to Wonaeamirri, has to fly from behind. AUSTIN: My name is Austin Wonaeamirri, I come from an island off the coast of Darwin, from a small community called Milikapiti, that’s Melville Island Milikapiti. Everyone, mainly everyone calls it Snake Bay, so that’s where I grew up and played my footy there. I’m eighteen turning nineteen, in two months. I think I started playing football when I was about five or six. Because we live on the island we go to every grand final, you know just watching like all the like all the Tiwi island star players like the players, watching them. JAMIE: Well Austin arrived here in January and took up an AFL traineeship which involves working with our development officer on a number of different things. Mainly about going out to local schools and conducting coaching clinics but also a little bit of administration and generally helping around the club. He’s been really well accepted and works very well. AUSTIN: We just go out to schools like primary schools around the Norwood zone. Just teach them about the game and stuff. They really love it, they enjoy it and we enjoy it as well. It’s good to go out there and teach them and we rock up there and they say to me "oh", they just ask me "are you Aboriginal?", like all that stuff. TREVOR: He’s embraced the whole culture of the club pretty quickly in a sense that he’s not only just a terrific player with exciting skills but he’s a, he’s very much a team man in every sense. He’s already a cult figure, he’s earnt the respect very quickly of the playing group and all those who have come to know him. I think he’s just a likeable young man with a fair bit of substance about him. AUSTIN: It’s tougher down here, on the Islands when we play footy we just go out there and then just like run, kick to space, run in to the space. It was pretty hard like to leave, to leave like the family back on the islands and like friends. But then sometimes you just have to leave the island. You can’t stay there all your life. I do miss my mates but if you’re going to play good footy it’s time to move on and make another friend then like when footy’s over you can go back to the islands and you still have your mates there. Since I came down to Norwood, I didn’t really know them and it took me like three weeks, so I got to know them like on the training track and then like from there we’ve just been like mates. TREVOR: Look he’s got an amazing turn of speed, but he’s also got a fair bit of poise attached to his movements. He’s also a fantastic tackler of opposition players and I guess that’s where he’s earnt his spot. He’s shown enough to us this year to suggest that he can go to that next level. JAMIE: Aussie’s no doubt caught the eye of AFL scouts during this year. Just because of the way he plays, he’s exciting, he’s got some speed, he chases down players in the forward line and puts a lot of forward line pressure on, so the next step for Aussie we think will either be to be AFL drafted or at worst we think he’ll get rookie listed. AUSTIN: It’s everyone’s dream like to play at the highest level and I’m just, hopefully if I’m doing everything right and probably I just want to try and make it to the highest level in football if I can, like try my hardest. Just going to challenge myself, see where my footy can take me. COMMENTATOR: Drops it wide to Wonaeamirri, it’s going to be closed down by Poulton. Too much class there by Wonaeamirri, he’s away, he’s inside fifty. He could go all the way and he does. What a great finish, what a goal from the young man Wonaeamirri.

First of all would just like to say that I absolutely love every piece of news I am hearing out of the MFC at the moment! The excitement is definately building and I can't wait to see the new look Melbourne Football Club in action over the next few years.... Dean Bailey is certainly one impressive bloke! Every written and spoken word brings goosebumps! I am a tad concerned with the news that he wants one Brad Miller to play with Aggression though! The bloke can certainly play when his head is screwed on straight and has the body to be a force to be reckoned with on the field..... But..... His decision making skills are not the greatest and I fear that an "AGRO" Miller (whilst playing good football) might only play a limited number of games due to suspension! There is no doubt an aggressive Miller is much better than a soft-serve Miller, but it is the question of it being a controlled aggression that worries me most! Any thoughts??

Neitz will be captain obviously, if he wants it..... But if the great man doesn't feel he can do the job then there is only one man who can! Give it to Daniel Bell..... (Sits back and waits for the storm to begin)

"Master" Bate is definately a valuable player, but he would be even more valuable if he learnt how to run at a decent pace without the ball and also gave more than 60% when trying to chase someone down!! I am not sure if he is the fastest bloke on a good day, but geez he reminds me of a lazy TJ when not in posession!! Most important player in 2008 will definately be Nathan Jones! If he can get a little bit more awareness about him and give the ball off at the first opportunity and not wait until he has avoided 2 tackles and is under immense pressure, then he will by far be our most influential.... Get on him early for the Brownlow Top 5!!!!!

Can't actually remember the source.... LOL Think it was FootyDraft.com Yeah, it was....

Dean Putt – Calder Cannons Ht: 202cm Wt: 90kg Junior position – ruck AFL position – ruck Tall athletic ruckman who can push forward and take a mark. Is a left footer and his kicking is pretty good without being outstanding. Had some games where he had a heap of hit outs but others where he didn’t fire at all. Doesn’t always do a lot around the ground but he is very agile for a big man and his pace is good. Proved to be very dangerous up forward in a number of games. Strengths: Pace and agility; Ability to push forward and kick goals; Marking Weaknesses: Doesn’t always work hard enough around the ground; Should win more hit outs than he does; Kicking can be dodgy at times as far as hitting targets goes. Question marks: Is he able to find something and improve his around the ground work? Draft Prediction: Pick 30 plus. Someone will take him and hope he can find a few gears around the ground. His ability to take a big mark up forward makes him attractive. Stats: Averaged 14 possessions and kicked 23 goals in 18 regular season games. Averaged 10 hit outs in those games.

Then it is a stain on our whole country when every media outlet continues to focus on a full-blown Junkie long after the season has ended.... And as for Adelaide being a hole..... Let's just hope this "Hole" has provided our new coach with the testicular fortitude to carry the greatest club in the world back to it's rightful spot on top of the heap!

OK.... It is seriously heating up now!! Channel 9 news in Adelaide just reported that it is apparently MELBOURNE who have offered him a two year deal.... Thoughts?????

Hot rumour doing the rounds here in Adelaide.... Scott Welsh is having trouble getting a two year deal with the Cows.... The boy has had his share of injury problems over his career and has struggled to keep his spot in the side.... Some information for those who are not in the know..... Scott Welsh Age: 28yr 10mth Games: 165 Born: December 7, 1978 Origin: West Adelaide Height: 188cm Weight: 89kg Position: Forward Season/Career Highs 2007 Highs Career Highs (Since 2000) Disposals 17 v Kangaroos, 16th Jun 2007 23 v Carlton, 11th Aug 2001 Kicks 15 v Kangaroos, 16th Jun 2007 17 v Carlton, 11th Aug 2001 Handballs 7 v Port Adelaide, 4th Aug 2007 7 v Port Adelaide, 4th Aug 2007 Marks 9 v Western Bulldogs, 19th Aug 2007 11 v Western Bulldogs, 20th Jun 2004 Goals 5 v Kangaroos, 16th Jun 2007 8 v Richmond, 18th Jun 2005 Tackles 5 v West Coast, 1st Jul 2007 8 v St Kilda, 17th Apr 2004 The rumour here is that (as with Ben Hudson) a Victorian based club is prepared to offer him the two year deal he is looking for.... Just thought it was worth a Yes or No from the Demonland folk..... I am pretty much in the No category due to the fact that he is injury prone..... The question is.... Are we the one's who have offered him this two year deal?!?!?!?!?!

Driving home from work this arvo I heard an interesting caller to the Sport Show on 5aa! This bloke is American and apparently he was speaking to his mate who lives in San Diego.... His mate asked him "Who is this Ben Cousins guy? Geez, he can sure kick a football!!" The caller refused to name any clubs/names but it seems that maybe Ben is having a punt with an NFL side.... Just a rumour that I found interesting.... Darren Bennett's name was mentioned during the call....

Just driving home from work here in Adelaide and listening to KG on 5aa.... The only station that has a sports drive show.... They are spewing at the fact that Melbourne are guaranteed to get John Meesan! The reason they are spewing..... Adelaide have only been offered a 3rd or 4th round draft pick!!! LOL..... Well done to the MFC trading team.... Now lets just rub it in and give them the 4th rounder!!! Great pick-up in trade week if you ask me!!!

You don't need to worry about this at Melbourne, where the competition's born loser had its lowly place on the AFL totem reaffirmed when Judd said no. This would be going up in the changerooms over the summer if I was coach!! It would be in big letters where all players could see it! It is stuff like this that has created great teams!! Prove to the knockers, that we're not the Dockers!

Only trade today that is a definate.... Marty Mattner (Crows) to Sydney.... In return the Crows will probably look at getting the Swans first or second pick.... Most likely their 2nd!!

Just a little story.... I broke my scaphoid in 3 places during this season.... It was Rnd 7 and I did it in the 2nd Qtr after I spoilt the ball from HB and then the CHF fell on top of me.... I lost all movement in my wrist within 1 minute.... I then played the rest of the match (in unbelievable pain) in the ruck and had no use of my right hand.... Tapping with the left for a right handed bloke is more difficult than it sounds.... After the match, one of the opposition players came up and went to shake my hand.... Not thinking, I offered mine and the pain I felt was nothing short of krazy! I went straight to hospital after the match and it showed up straight away on X-Rays.... Full cast for 6 weeks.... Then bone grafts from my hip when it didn't heal.... Full cast for another 6 weeks.... Physio twice a week since.... I have retired.... At the ripe old age of 29.... I have been told that I can play next season as long as I wear a protective wrist guard.... I am glad the Brock story is false.... Can be a nasty little injury! Tiny bone... but apparently one of the more difficult ones to seriously break! I guess I was just lucky!

Has everyone forgotten a little movie called..... ROCKY!!

I like it.... I like it a lot!! Great post dude.... I am hurt that we have been strung along by the so called "Messiah" Screw him and screw Collingwood!! As for the future.... It looks just as bright as it did 3 weeks ago.... We are in for one helluva ride people!!

Not a hope in hell.... I am extremely confident that we will play finals in `08.... I just can't wait to see what the boys run out with in Round 1 after a pre-season with Mr Bailey and a new outlook on footy!!!

These few lines are absolute GOLD! At the end of the day, it is us.... that's right.... US that have stuck with our beloved football team.... Through thick and thin..... Through good times, and more often than not in my life, bad times..... But we aren't going anywhere! We aren't going to jump off OUR team and support another because they have a better chance of playing finals, or better facilities, or more prominent figure-heads! We ARE the Melbourne Football Club.... The oldest football club in the world.... We ARE the people whose hearts beat true for the red and the blue! Chris Judd..... You are not and have never been IMHO a supporter of our great club! Your parents may be.... But you are certainly not! Mark my words boy..... You will regret this decision! When we are Top 4 each year and when our Coach and Captain hold that premiership cup in the air on that last day in September.... You will be left searching deep inside yourself and wishing it was you who had delivered the Holy Grail back to it's rightful owner! [censored] Weak Mr Judd!!! The MFC.... It's board.... It's coaching staff.... It's players.... And it's supporters will move on and enjoy the ride we are about to take.... And you.... You will be left with the knowledge that you chose the easy way out!! This is my last post regarding you and our great club! May God have mercy on your soul....

Obviously we were not that beloved.....