hoopla

Actually, I think (for whatever reason) our kick outs have improved in the last two to three weeks.

Sorry I can't see it.

Like GLFT, I am struggling to understand our plan. Too often after long delays we kick to a contest. If the main aim against Freo was to keep it away from Sandilands then we probably did OK.... but I'd like to think that our primary aim would always be a positive one. It's been awhile since we even looked like clearing the zone with speed and precision.

Yep. How dare a kid who has played 12 games of footy not stand up and carry an entire football club who played pathetically for 60 minutes.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS. Foolish post.

Just another worthless Watts basher. Have a real look at his development before you pot him. What about LJ. His defensive pressure was abysmal for a half and he looked dis interested.

Instead of singling out youngsters. If you want to put the blowtorch on anyone apply it to the leaders who should lead by example.

Ditto ( absolutely)

They're still the Kangaroos. He was just trying to reclaim the supporters who weren't happy with the direction the club was going in. Part of that was staying in Melbourne, part of that was returning to North Melbourne. It's not unfashionable, it's who they are. At the time the club's stance was firmly that they were going to stay as who they are and not sell their soul for stability. Thus as well as staying here, they re-took the North Melbourne.

The Kangaroos stand-alone name didn't work anyway.

All true .... but will they survive and prosper. They only became the Kangaroos in the first place because North Melbourne wasn't working...............

This. I'd be very surprised (overjoyed, but surprised nonetheless) if he gets promoted from the Casey reserves even within 3-4 weeks of returning from the injury.

Still , good to see that his season hasn't gawn after all.

Go "the Phantom"

Keep in mind today's / tomorrows kid members wiil one day be adults with adult revenue !!! I feel sorry for north to a degree, they're stuffed. Am truly amazed and pleased to see we are within a bulls roar of the likes of the Toiges Saints and is not unrealistic that in 5-6 years, with success on field we can rival Carlton etc well done to the club and fellow supporters

North are stuffed. Brayshaw has got a lot to answer for. After knocking back certain long-term success through a move to the Gold Coast , he neutralised efforts to broaden their appeal by changing them back from the "Kangaroos" to unfashionable "North Melb" - and now he's too paranoid to pursue the money on offer in Hobart.

The more money the club has, means there is more money that could potentially end up in the pockets of Dean Bailey and Josh Mahoney.....No thanks

Boss ... from what I have read your obsessive criticisms of Bailey and Mahoney are based on the curious theory that you have to be a champion player to be able to coach.

The extraordinary mental strength necessary to win a premiership after being dumped by two clubs - demonstrated by Josh Mahoney - is irrelevant under your theory.Over the past three years, the greatest coaching triumph was surely Clarkson's in 2008 - a very ordinary player...... and the biggest coaching stuff up may well prove to be Voss's at Brisbane in 2010 - a champion player.

Stop this negativism. Let's kill this debt so that our dedicated team of coaches can move forward with the facilities they deserve

there will not be more than 3 delisting this year, and that is because, the next draft is very sallow after the GC take the cream of the draft, so there will only be the min of player to be delisted, , newton, bell and meeson will be the only ones delisted, if we delist more then 3 there will be not much to replace them with, and that will leave our list short.

Sorry mate.... Newton and Meeson are rookies ..... so your bottom line is 2 de-listings short.

The basic 3 must surely be Bell, PJ and Miller ( who, as a Queenslander with a big body and leadership qualities, ought to be of interest to the Gold Coast)

Brad Miller !!! WHOOO HOOOO they fell for it !!!!

Actually Miller makes perfect sense.... Mt Gravatt boy returning home to Qld

Strong body...mid age... leadership qualities....just what the doctor ordered for Gold Coast.

..and his wife could get a job as a meter maid! Perfect

I have no doubt in my mind that the Club has sat down and worked out how many games we will win between now and the end of the year.

Because of this, I think we will see some very interesting, and at times, questionable selections and player positioning.

I,to, think that the club knows what it is doing. DB is definitely working to a long-term plan - rather than on maximizing our wins in 2010. I'm not sure that the club will have gone as far as nominating "on weeks" and "off weeks" ... but I'm sure that selection is being influence by plans to give some players a certain number of games over the season.

It's interesting that Maric is in the squad this week .... and I have no doubt that Tapscott will sneak in a game or two regardless of the form of others.

At the other end of the scale - I wonder what the issue is with Morton. If - as some have said his knee is still sore - he shouldn't be playing for Casey. He is being taught some sort of a lesson ... because I have no doubt he is an important part of our future.

Have heard a rumour circulating at Old Hailebury that he's going back there before season end.....from a reliable OH source, no idea if a reliable Dees source. Hoping this is crap and he's ready to return soon.

The reliable OH source may well be confusing this year with next.

Stef's disappearance from injury lists, team lists and general club propoganda is concerning - because he certainly had potential. We know that he has plenty of other career options ..... I hope retirement isn't in the offing.

Anyway he's been named FF in Casey 2nds this week. You'd like to think that he'll be busting his gut to kick a bag of goals.

Congratulations to Tom McNamara for winning this week's Demonland Missing Player competition.

[to be eligible the player must not be named in the MFC team or a Casey team and, at the same time not be on the official injury list]

McNamara takes over from our previous Demonland Missing Player Stef Martin who has now been located and resumes this week at Casey after taking a month off for no particular reason.

Excellent initiative.

I'd be surprised if Max "the Phantom" Gawn( Going Going ....) isn't a regular winner of this award down the track

One from a pies fan and the other likely to be a pie......years of tanking? Not likely......I think Collingwood people quickly forget that they put all their players away in cotton wool from the middle of 2004, a year after playing off in a Grand Final for the 2nd time in 3 years!!. They got Pendlebury at pick 5 and Dale Thomas as a PRIORITY PICK!! HELLO?!!

Absolutely. Collingwood in 2004 were the original tankers. Let's take every opportunity to remind the footy world about the way they engineered their fall that year.

Good Post

Does anyone know what happins with his treatment? Does he require more surgery?

Today's twitter that 2 old tumors are back suggests that he will need more surgery. However the fact that no new tumors have emerged is much better news than I had feared.

Keep fighting Jimmy .. we're all with you.

Heard on the news.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

NO!!

Details please??

Hang in there Jimma

Very harsh on watts. Didnt have a great game by any means but was far from a liability

Ridiculous to call him a liability.Watts was guilty of a couple of clangers - but gave us some direction with his leads in the middle stages. Kicked a goal and was directly responsible for another. A useful contribution overall.

If there is one thing we cannot fault Melbourne FC for at the moment is actually listening to the supporters.

If only we could actually return the favour sometimes.

Well said.

Posted on Twitter

"Had a few comments about our forward line. Project it forward a few years with a developed Jurrah, Watts, Bennell, Jetta, Morton +++"

Interesting to see Morton on his list, the club must see him as a future forward, but no Petterd. Maybe he means that Petterd does not need the development of the others, or maybe he will not be there, or maybe I'm reading more into it than intended and he just didn't name all of the forward line.

This is just a general note about our future prospects.... it ends ++!!

I wouldn't take any of the names - or omissions - literally

lol. OMG. Not accountable, undisciplined. My God.

Jack Grimes? The Melbourne guy? Number 16? Far out, you blokes watch a different game to me!

... and a very different game to me..

Is this thread a script for Monty Python?

Theres a lot of emotional value about this( these) games but scrutinies from a cold hard reality have we really gone there firstly for the money then set about justifying it with all the wrappings ?? Would we have even gone there at all had we been more financial ?

I think this needs some more consideration going forward

This has been an excellent discussion ( thanks R&B&T for raising the question) . Many good points both ways.

I fully support the initiative in our current circumstances - but whether or not we continue depends upon the fixture. I think I have heard DB say that in future we will ask that the game precede the mid-season break.If the AFL agrees to this then the benefits must surely outweigh the costs.

It is interesting that we only have our "toe in the water" - with an agreement to play 2 yrs in every 3.There is an argument to say that if you are going to do it then you should do it properly. Do we want to build a strong base there - or are we really just helping Port consolidate its presence? It would seem to make more sense to do it before the break every year.

I'm sure that what is in there is accurate if its sourced. That was the point of the thread. To get definitive contract data, not speculation or rumours. So yes, if there's a source then it's a sure date.

Thankyou Titan.

On that basis , Johnson, Bell and Miller ( Gold Coast?) are certainly under the pump.

It is interesting that Jamar only got a one year contract at the end of last year. As things stand he is critical to our plans for the next 3-5 years. I hope the Gold Coast isn't full of Russians(?)

Giant Billboard on the highway in from the airport.

The standard Red and Blue symbol with

"Melbourne, Birthplace of Football'.

Nah, wouldn't really grow the numbers too much. But it would be a lovely 'here we are deal with it' statement.

There is now a big Hawks sign on the Monash freeway. Are they wasting their money .... or have they undertaken research which demonstrates that brand advertising actually works?

Not you again. Darren Cuthbertson I presume ? Lay off Hoopla.

Good pick up High Tower. I reckon you are right

I tried to get a thread going that I hoped would be stickied so that we'd have a list of players' contracts that could be updated when news broke of signings etc. That way instead of the speculation and/or rumours flying around we would have had a definitive list. This was the attempt: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17779

Maybe this thread could take that role?

Thankyou for this. Are you sure the list is accurate?

I thought that Bartram only got a one year contract at the end of last season. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking on my part

Hoopla: Do you honestly think that MFC will win a premiership with Bailey in the coach's box?

I believe that he is the best person to take this group forward over the next couple of years - and am in no doubt that the quickest way to defer our next premiership would be to throw him out now as you seem to suggest.

Thank goodness you are not the boss

Still doesn't change my opinion on Bailey. In my opinion, he was a rubbish player and an awful coach.

I can't believe that after our performances against Coll, Bris. and the Dogs, there is a thread bagging Bailey.We were always going to be up and down this year.As to the forward line ....most of our future forwards weren't available for selection!!

The problem on Saturday was a lack of intensity everywhere - particularly at the stoppages . No forward set-up is going to kick goals if it doesn't receive quality ball from the midfield.