Nasher

There was a clear top 6, I thought.

I went to create the "Changes for Next Week" thread and couldn't do it. Need to let this one settle a bit before I start thinking about which 1-3 players will be very stiff (depending on Garland and vandenBerg with Hogan a given).

Not to mention Stretch who is still only 18! Odd to think that the youngest player on our list played a hand in one of our best wins in yonks.

Hogan (and Garland?) available next round too. Feels like forever since our injury list has actually shrunk between matches. If both are available there are going to be two terribly stiff players playing for Casey that round.

Thirdly, even if it were true, who cares? It's just a sledge. I'm sure Jonesy is crying himself to sleep over it right now.

Had to sub someone. Liked the Toump today but thought all of ANB, Stretch and MJones were better. Bail the only other candidate really. No injuries reported that I'm aware of.

Best player - don't know about that, but he's definitely in the best form. Been a while since I've seen an MFC player white hot like he is right now.

6. Vince 5. Gawn 4. N.Jones 3. Viney 2. Brayshaw 1. Dunn Some really stiff players this week, particularly Garlett who looked really dangerous, but I thought our best 6 were clear. Had a really hard time ordering them though. Not a single passenger this week. Every player did their job. Gods, I can't stop grinning. Watching the replay and swallowing all the post match media simultaneously.

I'm in the mood for being generous, mate. That really was something else.

Sorry, I thought you all told me we were going to lose by 100? Credit to Goodvibes who picked it. So, so stoked.

Tempting.

Roos: Okay Max, today we need you to start holding those marks. Gawn: Oh, I'm supposed to hold them? Why didn't you say so earlier?

I don't understand what is happening here.

More to the point Tim, Jesse saw the correct thing to do in the circumstances. Who would have thought a player might understand the requirements of his own body more than the good folk in the stands/their lounge room?

You have a point about our core midfield being basically intact. I count 7 players in our side who aren't currently in AFL grade form though (either through inexperience or just not being that good), in addition to Tyson who has been well below his best.I don't see non-competitiveness as a foregone conclusion as others do, but we either need those midfielders to carry a herculean load, or those 7 or so players to all lift and surprise us all at once.

Resting him so that he doesn't overdo it.

He's also a better ruck, though. Tricky situation. I understand the need for more talls, but there's a big chance we're going to carry one or both of them. I'd be inclined to use Spencer in the forward line more than Gawn - firstly because Gawn has really added something in the ruck for the last few weeks, secondly because Gawn's biggest weakness is his marking, but mostly just because it's an arrangement we haven't tried before. Spencer as chief ruck with Gawn as the forward is a strategy that we've tried before and it has sucked. This way will probably suck too, but we've got to try something new to make the combination work.

I agree old dee, and with what stmj said regarding thinking of the big picture. I said earlier it is better to be disappointed for a week than to be disappointed for the remainder of the season. Jesse made the comment in the media when he withdrew last time that due to his very heavy playing weight on his young body, he requires extra care to avoid injury. If his body is saying it needs rest, we rest it. He's only a baby and we're not competing for finals, there will be plenty of time for flogging him later on, hopefully when his body is up to maintaining the rigour of AFL footy for 26 matches a year.

Harmes has been knocking on the door in the VFL. He's been a steady improver in his two years and is now approaching the upper echelons of class in the second tier comp. I understand the logic behind "no games in 2 years = gone", but the flipside is that this FD are big fans of letting kids develop at their own pace, and Harmes seems to be doing just that. I wouldn't be adverse to keeping him, even if it means a promotion to the senior list. Hunt is a different case - though it may be through no fault of his own - no progress in two years means he'll be the first to be told "sorry, thanks for trying". It's a tough game. King is a lock for third rookie year. Much as we have with Fitzpatrick and Spencer, you would persevere for as long as practically possible. I'd be putting an offer on the table to Cross right now. 1 year with game triggered option for a second, on decent money. He's still a core midfield player and should be treated as such, and is showing no signs at all of wearing out. Garland to stay if it were up to me and Fitzy to go. McKenzie, Bail et al require no further comment at this stage.

I think instead of taking the pick and running, it would look far less suspicious if we took the pick and just strolled away casually.

As disappointing as it would be, I'll settle for playing the long game with Hogan. The disappointment would have nothing on it he missed the rest of the year with the back again. We're not going to win this game anyway. Re: AAC's post : I don't take the same view on Brayshaw. No injury history, he's a mid so can be managed through rotations, and he's just starting to hit his straps form wise. I don't want to do anything to halt that momentum; every game in the seniors is an extra game of experience we need him to gain sooner rather than later.

Wouldn't it just be so Melbourne to be the first club to have to sack its senior coach before he's even been appointed?

They are, but some still do on occasion. Certainly plenty of their friends and family do.

It's the cost of posting something as a joke, that sounds exactly like the sort of thing he would say when serious.

With Pedersen broken and Dawes underdone, we need to consider bringing in another ruckman to play as a makeshift forward (Jamar or Spencer). I don't love the idea of having two specialist rucks in the side, but it's a choice between a ruckman who might give us stuff all, or an out of form, cobwebby Dawes who might give us stuff all. Ugly.