Lord Travis

Except when he's throwing the ball and conning umpires. But yeah if only we had players like him to show the kids how to play and the effort required.

6. Magner 5. Trengove 4. Martin 3. Watts 2. Bail 1. Howe

Pretty terrible day for the club after the terrible week and preseason we've had. The problem is I can't see where the improvement will come from. It's been 6 years now since finals, and we're still looking at bottom 4-8 with no light at the end of the tunnel. It's at the stage now where I hope we trade in a bunch of middle of the road players like Sydney just so I can see my team compete. These kids are going nowhere. I'm not proud supporting this club anymore, especially when the players aren't proud to play for it. To hear that the effort isn't there after what's happened this week, a new coach, Round 1, is heartbreaking. If anything I expected this to be the most effort I see all year. Show some [censored] heart for gods sake! I've invested decades of my life into this club. I buy memberships for family members who aren't even in the country anymore. I'm not getting any return on that investment, and now I don't enjoy watching us play. Things better change soon or I and 6 other freebie memberships every year, are done.

I love Beamer, but Cotchin is a level above him already, and he's still young. Cotchin is better than anyone on our list at present. Last night he went head to head with Judd and won. Anyone who picks up 27 touches, 8 tackles, 2 goals, while going head to head with a superstar in Judd, and does all that trying to carry a losing team...is a star. I'm hoping Trengove gets to that level. If he does we're in for a treat!

It was Pendlebury. All their big names except Cloke are now off the table. Pendles is a superstar. Wish we had someone of his quality. Hopefully we can trade our first round picks this coming draft to nab an established gun midfielder.

Bartram started as a tagger, and IMO played his best footy there. At that stage he was being talked up as Junior Mach 2. His role changed since then and he hit a few hurdles with injury and form, but Barty is all heart. He sets a really good example for teammates in regards to work ethic. While I'd love to see him tagging in the guts again, we probably need him down back more. We have a number of players who can run through the middle, albeit lacking in class, but we lack effective small defenders and forwards. Bartram can play as a small defender and shut down his opponent. I can't think of anyone else on our list that can play that role effectively at this stage.

I just want us to fight this year and earn some respect. I just read an article on afl.com.au about what the club captains think will happen this year. "Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (In 2011, the captains correctly nominated Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton, the Sydney Swans and St Kilda to play finals, but missed West Coast and Essendon) Collingwood (17), Carlton (17), Geelong (17), West Coast (17), Hawthorn (16), Fremantle (12), Sydney Swans (nine), Adelaide (eight), St Kilda (six), Western Bulldogs (two), Essendon (two), North Melbourne (two), Richmond (one), Brisbane Lions (nil), Gold Coast (nil), GWS (nil), Port Adelaide (nil), Melbourne (nil)." Not a single captain rates us to make the 8. We are dead last there. We're rated even below RIchmond in the eyes of our opposition. That really drives home how little respect we hold and how poor we've become onfield. It's time to start fighting and earning back some respect. I don't care where we finish this year, but I care about the way we play. Big losses aren't acceptable. We've been rebuilding for 5-6 years now. It's time for results. Fight Dees for gods sake!!

Trade for Dangerfield. Getting him and Viney into the midfield gives us a boost of class and aggression. We cannot afford to wait another 4-5 years for another new set of kids to develop or we'll turn into Richmond.

RIP Jimmy. You're a legend. You accomplished so much, and changed the world for the better. Sympathies to your family and friends and all mourning your loss.

I actually think he will make a decent midfielder. He didn't seem to read the play right when up forward, but when pushed up the ground I thought his awareness and recovery skills were pretty good. He'll go alright for the Tigers.

Daniher sold me as soon as we performed well in his first season at the helm, and still remains our best coach in decades. He took us to numerous finals series and a Grand Final. People always refer to the Daniher era negatively, and while we didn't win a flag, we were still a good side and should remember it more fondly considering where we are currently. Bailey was a failure all round. He was told to do a job and rebuild, and he tried to do that. It seems we didn't develop the players in his time like we should have though looking over our list. Neeld has done nothing yet. If he can get more out of our list, then he's sold me. Until then I will support him because he is our coach, but he hasn't done anything yet to convince me, and admittedly hasn't had the chance to yet. Let's wait and see him coach a few AFL games before we are sold!

While Howe looks a good talent, it's insulting to put him above Robbo. I'd say it's a safe bet he'll never kick as many goals as Robbo ever did. He was a great servant for our club, is near the top of our club goal kickers list, and literally won us games off his own boot and helped us into finals series'. At this stage, Howe is a kid who has done nothing, so to even compare him to Robbo is insulting. It really irks me when supporters talk up current players and put down past players like Robbo, Yze, Bruce and the Daniher era etc. Those players took us to our best period of football in decades. The current batch have taken us to nearly our worst. While some of them look to be good talents, that's all they are at this point until they prove otherwise. It's been too long without finals, and it's getting tiresome supporting a weak on-field club. I'll always stick by them, but it's hard to get excited by them at present.

A shame we won't see Gysberts and Blease this weekend. Have been itching to see Blease on the park for a solid run. I guess the plan is for them to both play a full match at Casey as opposed to cut down game time.

Why do people love to jump on bandwagons? I think Joseph Kony is a terrible man, and the LRA is a dreadful organization. However throwing a few dollars at an organization that has a poor track record of spending their donations is not the answer. The organisation that produced the video supports the Ugandan military, which has been accused/proven to engage in the very same tactics that are being condemned. Africa has much bigger problems than Kony and the LRA, and unless the general instability of that region is resolved then he will only be replaced by someone just as bad and the cycle will continue. Also, food for thought. The main guy in the Kony video just posing with some military holding guns and rocket launchers. Solution to stop Kony? let's give them more money for more guns! Also, guy with the rocket launcher pulling the duckface. Winner.

Great game to watch tonight. Pressure ws good from both sides for a Nab cup match. Both sides had a few missing, but god it feels good to beat Collingwood! Just on Nicho; He is fit, fast, but runs himself into trouble and has poor disposal. I love his endeavor, but I don't think he'll make it as a player. Magner on the other hand... Round 1 lock him in!

Leave him up forward to continue developing. He's going along just fine, and should continue to improve further this year.

I'm in Sydney for work at the moment staying in the CBD. Anyone know of any places that will play this? It's harder finder places here because Rugby is more popular >

Beamer is red and blue through and through. He was our best player in 2011, and has been our best on-field leader for the last few years. Any bashing of him, or any of our players, is moronic. We are here to support them. Beamer should be himself, and play whatever role he is assigned. We all know he will do whatever is best for the team because he loves the MFC like no other. If it's the captains job to rev up the team then they will do that. I know our senior leaders haven't done the best job in recent times, but people need to show some respect. They've been with the club through hard times, and knocked back offers from other clubs to stay at a club that's been woeful on-field and off-field. We all want success, but if you don't respect the players, then don't support the club.

Do we need to activate the picks to be able to trade them? I'm of the opinion that there's no point drafting more kids and waiting. The rebuild is done, now we need to start pushing for success. We haven't played finals since 2006. That's the worst the club has performed in my lifetime, and it's finals this year and onward or we'll start becoming Richmond-like. We'll take Jack Viney with whatever pick necessary, but I think we should trade the compo picks and whatever necessary for a gun midfielder. Target Pendlebury, Deledio, Dangerfield. Our forwardline and backline have lots of talent and competition for spots now, but our midfield severely lacks class, especially after losing $cully. It's so poor infact that last year it was ranked bottom 4 in pretty much all key statistics like Clearances, Inside 50s Against, Inside 50s For, 1st possessions, Contested possessions etc. Trengove aside, nobody else looks like an A-grader of the future. Gysberts has shown flashes, but other than that it is a bunch of workmen without the class to help them rise. We need midfield class. If we don't acquire more, we will never be successful.

It's a bit different though. Swan isnt much of a leader. Good footballer sure, but not a leader. Moloney rallies the troops, organizes our midfield and is always very vocal revving the boys up. Swan doesnt say a word (probably because he's too dumb to ). If Moloney didnt want to be in the leadership group, then that's fine. But if he did and he was excluded after the year he had last year, and everything he does for the club, then that's an extremely poor decision by the club. Still bloody happy for the Jacks though I think our third Jack (Watts) will be in the leadership group not far down the track also.

Great appointment! Both kids will be great leaders going forward. Moloney missing the leadership group altogether is a bit ridiculous though. He's clearly our best onfield leader, and has been for years. We all know how proud he is as a Dee, and how much stripping leadership hurt him last year. I just hope this doesnt [censored] him off too much, because he did nothing but earn his spot and win a B&F along the way! Bartram, while I love his endeavor, would be struggling to hold his place in the team wouldnt he?

It's good there was no song and dance, just a clear message that we've now got everything in place, made the necessary changes, got who we think are the right people on board, and everything now comes down to hard work. No false hope, no timelines, just we're going to go hard. I liked it. I loved Neeld and Craig. Craig is not the most expressive speaker, but he gives some really great insight and is obviously an extremely intelligent man. We're lucky to have him on board. Also great to have Greg Healy on board, who is a successful businessman and Melbourne through and through. Yet another good get in what has been probably the biggest few months of change I can remember in my time supporting the club. Neeld was right in that we're not going to die wondering!

There are a few videos on the Melbourne website under the DeeTV section. I've just watched Don Mclardys speech, but the Mark Neeld one keeps freezing about 3 mins in for me Anyone else having this issue or is it just me?

Thanks for everything Jimmy. You're a legend to us all and a great human being. Time to focus on yourself now.

Joined your league H_T. Currently called Deestroyers