CaptainCol

I find it hard to believe that Watts will get a game, selection should be based on form... and he doesn't have any... Conolly has said over the past week that the MFC will not rush him... nor should we... let him take his time, let him find some form in the VFL and bring him up to the majors when his confidence is high... because it wouldn't be at the moment... if you want to put more pressure on him to perform(than there already is), then yes bring him in to the side now... but if you want then you sir are an idiot! Now for my selections OUT Pettard, Bennell, Martin Pettard - Injured, shame. Bennell - Hasn't shown enough in his last two games to warrant another, as much as he breaks the lines and loves to run with the ball he doesn't get enough of it and on form, once again, should be dropped. Martin - What the MFC needs is a key forward, i don't know if Martin can fill this role at the moment, but neither can Miller or Newton, so it's possible he may keep his spot. IN Miller, Mckenzie, Bail Miller - Yes a spud, i know, but Miller plays his best footy around the wing as a lead up forward where in can quickly give it off to someone who can use the ball, like a Davey. In saying this his decision making is somewhat questionable, to say the least. McKenzie - Definately In, those who say otherwise are kidding themselves. What we lacked on the weekend was a certain hardness, North just wanted the ball that much more than us, their pressure was huge and that's where, in my opinion, lost the game. Bringing McKenzie back in will give us that much needed pressure against a team that could go all the way this year. Bail - Good in his first couple of games this year, apparently tough as nails, but two weeks out may see him brought back through the VFL, in which case i wouldn't have a clue who will come in... possibly Hughes, but definately not Watts! End Rant

I've always liked Bell, but killed us at crucial stages coming out of defence yesterday, should go back to Sandy and run himself into some kind of form... but the issue is which small defenders are up to the task?

One of your best posts ever Yze_Magic... I am with you 110% on this get Pav and it'll get us a flag in the next year or so, because we look so much better than freo right now... no wait at least they can play 3 out of 4 quarters... Pipedreams, thats all your good for Yze_Magic...

We are at the start of a very long rebuilding phase, it's going to be a very long couple of years before we are going to be competitive once more... White, Bruce, Green, Robbo in my mind won't be traded... 3 of those have played all their footy at Melbourne and i think it would be heartbreaking for them if they were traded... keep these players along with the more mature players in McDonald and co. they will help develop our rookies... Our backline is poor and it has been for quite sometime... you can't expect Warnock, Garland or Frawley bear most of the load down back in their first two or three seasons, they don't have the bodies for it... I think that Rivers will definately help out when he comes back in the next few weeks and zone off his opponent to help out Garland and Warnock, but it is a tall order for them... CJ, Weetra and Bode are far from our best 22 and i doubt they'll ever be in our best 22 so you can show them the door... I think Sylvia will probably get another season with us, but he really must shine and soon... I don't think Jones will ever be a star, some of you my disagree, but a star has the ability to win a game from their own boot and i think Melbourne doesn't have a star at all, you look at all the other teams and you can name one, two or three players who can change the outcome of a game, with Melbourne you can't these days... i think Jones will become a Junior type player, just winning the hard ball and running all day and there's nothing wrong with that... It's time to trim the fat and get rid of all the useless players, that aren't going to help us be competitive in the next few seasons... You've gotta keep White, our other ruckmen aren't any good... and Natanui, we haven't got him yet so i'd probably take him out of your signature for MFC 2009... Our forward line is going to struggle in the next few years... with Neitz (retired) and Robertson out for 12 months its going to mean that players like Holland (who may also retire), Bate, Miller and possibly Newton (trade or delist??), if he can find his brain, will cop the major defensive tags... Looking at it we're pretty much stuffed across the board, maybe apart from our midfield... its not really going to matter who we get rid of and who we get at seasons end, its still going to be a up hill battle, think Carlton of the last 5 plus years... that's where we are gonna be, a probably worse with the Gold Coast team coming in and taking the majority of the better draftee's in the next few years... It's going to be dark times ahead but there is light with players like Davey, Bate, Aussie, Jones, Morton(Will be a key position forward) and Chooka(Will Captain the club) all try hard all day and are showing plenty...