Choko

I think the big push for this Saturday was that everyone should come, and they should wear their MFC jumpers, no matter how old the jumper is. So pull out your Drake woolen jumper (or earlier - pre-dates me!) and be there.

Nah man, not saying you have to like Bailey, just make it your opinion rather than someone else's perception. Then we can have a reasoned debate. And FWIW, I have hated the past month and think that we have taken enormous steps backwards as a club in the past month, but that will happen when senior players are not good leaders and the youngsters fade due to the sheer physicality. The only thing that's important is that we get games into the youngsters to see who is up to it and so they learn and develop. Bailey is doing that for mine.

What do you mean "from what you hear"? You have eyes! Have your own view. Don't just repeat someone else's stereotype. People thought Clarkson had on game plan back on 05/06. Turns out he had no cattle and was developing a list, then the game plan came to fruition. I personally like the way we are trying to play. We have no forward line, so we can't just blaze away, but we try to keep the forward 50 open, we try to play on and use the corridor, and our backline is starting to take shape.

I am just gutted. Obviously, firstly, hoping this is untrue and if true, that Jim has a speedy and full recovery. Secondly, if true it is a shocking day for the MFC. Truly shocking. Jim is an ambitious and coalition building president. He has done more to unite the club than any predecessor in 50 years. I think he would be irreplaceable and I fear the consequences on our future. As others have said, Lyon or Neitz, but moreso Lyon or someone of his calibre, must roll up his sleeves and do the job that must be done. Having been involved in some MFC things in the past couple of weeks, if this is true I would say no-one saw it coming until very recently.

Nice sentiments, but nowhere near reality. We can no more tell the AFL to get stuffed than you can drive down Kings Way at 80km/h in peak hour. Whilst we are the whipping boys, we will have to bend over and take it. We don't have to pretend to like it, but we do have to take it. Unfortunately.

I think most of us would be best advised to watch that video in the privacy of our bedrooms.

I think it is the improvement of the backline that is should be the focus. With the possible exception of WC, all premiers have a superb defence. Not just defence in the backline, but "frontal" defence too. It is clear to me that our players are far more defensive and accountable over the ground. We have also been competitive in more games for longer this year than last, and we are doing it with the youngest side in the AFL. I agree that there is a way to go in the forward line and we need some genuine class and pace through the middle, but we are showing in my view a lot of positive signs.

Jeff is quite right. It is the AFL that keeps changing the rules and interpretations. It is the AFL that agrees to have umps miked up. It is the AFL that puts numbers on umpires backs. It is the AFL that fines Rivers for the most trivial rubbish of clipping the heel of an umpire whose flight path was unpredicatable. It is the AFL that bans umpires from speaking to the media, thereby adding oxygen to the fire. It is therefore the AFL that must take responsibility for the focus on umpires.

I agree that this thread is a farce for a whole host of reasons. I also agree that Morton has a huge upside and I do not think we made a mistake drafting him. However, to me his disposal on the weekend and at various other times this year has been so diabolical, that he should probably have a spell in the 2s. The guy couldn't hit Moloney 25m in the clear. Coupled with a bit of a shirk on the weekend, it suggests to me that he may be low on confidence. A run in the 2s with a kicking role off half back may be what he needs.

Bennythejet: I think your response demonstrates your inability to empathise. I deduce therefore that you were dropped as a baby, and you probably also never crawled. I think that will affect you latitudinally (some would say longitudinally, but I like to think of you more as a latitudinal person due to your preference for no frills discussion). Perhaps it can be linked back to your Mum - did she make fun of your early baldness? My predictor and fear Benny is that you will never reach your posting potential due to your propensity to your eratic use of full stops.. .. ....

Fool

Easy. Bartram continually turns the ball over by foot. Most opposition goals are scored through turnover. He also doesn't take the game on enough. Jetta is still learning his craft, but has not demonstrated an ability to be front and square and read off the packs, and his miss from straight in front in the last quarter against Adelaide was terrible.

I think that used to be true of Dunn, but in fairness, I can't point to examples this year.

Haha amen.

You compare Morton to James Hird in your sign off - don't talk about kicking skills when you compare Cale to the worst kick in our side.

That ranks only second to Licuria and malthouse crying like little pansies on GF day! I could watch that last 5 mins again & again!

He is without doubt intended to be a small crumbing forward. At the sponsors event last year he was being interviewed by Bailey, who asked him what his dream in footy is, and he said "to be a stinking rat goalsneak like Stevie Milne!!!" If he ends up developing as a midfielder, good on him, but no doubt he is meant to be a forward.

People are being a bit harsh on Bater. The guy is 192cm and still learning the game. He does have to close the gap on the difference between his good and bad games, but he is far from inept at ground level for a bloke that height and I haven't seen much to suggest he is afraid of the physicality of the game.

It's pretty obvious isn't it? If Colin played that way every week, we would accept the mistakes with the upside. He will always make mistakes because he has a very high opinion of his abilities. But hey, so do a lot of players. But if the application is there and he delivers that performance every week, we will be happy. BUT.... he has done it once this year, and it was against poor opposition.

I thought Petterd was super yesterday. It is pretty clear that if he can stay injury and incident free, there is only upside in him. What I love is that he is aggressive and gutsy.

Problem is, of course, that we "have to" give him a go because we just re-signed him for 2 or 3 years.

There is no way anyone in the side, even including Sir Colin Sylvia, should be dropped if Newton is getting a game. I cannot stand the way he goes about his footy. Lazy, lairises, plays from behind, unaccountable, poor work ethic and an unreliable shot for goal. What do we stand for, for goodness sakes.

I'm nervous now! I am caught between wanting him to dropped and needing him to play!!! Go Colin!

Drop Sylvia and I'll buy the 1350 remaining memberships!

I think we will be beaten handsomely. And the funny thing about that is, we would be doing Richmondson a massive favour if we beat them! Richmond is not up to it when immense pressure is put on their backs and mids. We do not put defensive pressure on in our forward half. So they won't make the same skill errors against us. I think N. Brown will have a day out. Best of all, we are in a win-win. If we lose, Wallet keeps his job (funny!) and we move closer to our picks. If we win, we can collect Richmond memberships on our way out, laughing hysterically.