Bingo

I'd love to see full on bruise footy(not bruise free) this weekend! Attack the ball and give it to a team mate in a better position, who then kicks to a leading forward.

Effort (or lack there of) has been talked about a lot recently and i for one think it is time for melbourne to select the guys who want to represent this once great club. I've read all the threads bashing the senior players, and unfortunatley, i think they are somewhat on the money. We need players who want to take the field, want to block for a team mate and want to win. Reading an article in the herald sun today i came across a couple of paragraphs from an Australian born Greek soccer player who plays for Olympiakos. He's name is Avraam Papadopoulos. "It's obvious, everyone knows Greece is going through some hard times at the moment but we're happy we know our profession helps people relax a little, an outlet. What we can do is give 100 per cent of ourselves." "We're happy to be playing for Olympiakos because fans are always there for us no matter what, they always have been and it's why every one of us takes pride in playing for such a club. The fans are the soul of this team." I have bolded the parts where i believe the MFC is falling down badly. We need to pick a team that will give 100%. It is increadibly difficult to support players unconditionally, when you know damn well that they don't have pride in our jumper and all we are to them is a pay cheque. But this is where we can turn it around. Starting at the selection table, get rid of those that don't want to be here and i can guarantee that 99% of supporters will be satisfied if they see our players leaving every last bit of sweat on the field. Although we don't have the biggest supporter base, we have some very passionate people, evidenced by those of us on Demonland. Our team has every reason to take pride in there effort and do it for the fans that never get to lace up a boot and grace the MCG.

Jack Viney the Next Joel Selwood?? I'm sure every club would, in hind sight, give up pick 1 for Joel.... Hopefully Jack is the same....and will be a steal at 3!

Bump... Are people happy with our KPF's now we have Clark and Sellar? Both mobile for the high pressure game and both a big get out of trouble, create a contest target. It's interesting reading back and seeing some good suggestions like Hawkins and Walker hitting their straps this year.... And others like White doing sweet F A.

As stated in the Casey Scorpions thread Cook kicked 5 goals playing for the Casey 2nds. What makes this even more positive is the fact that he kicked 5 goals 1 behind. And even more positive is the fact he did this when he only played half a game. I'm interested to see how Cook develops and i hope he can build on his return from injury and take this form into the Caset seniors and then the Dees!

This is spot on. I kept on saying to my girlfriend on Saturday night that Jones kept hitting the pack at speed! Something that i haven't seen a Melbourne player do for quite a while. It's not only important in the forward line, we also need to see this in the centre square. Then we may start seeing some meaningful centre clearances!

I thought he did what Neeld would have asked of last night... He created a contest and brought the ball to ground every time it was kicked to him. That would have been his simple instructions. I don't think he would have been expected to win the game himself, but in wet weather footy where you basically kick it long to the forwards Sellar would have been asked to bring the small crumbing players into the game. Which by the way, i thought Jones was excellent at this early in the game.

I'm a fan of Watts....but his intensity just isn't there. Tonight he was the only player not to lay a tackle! The only one! Sylvia had 5...and he was the sub Lift your game Jack

I think you're on the money... I like to think of this as the Adam Goodes (or even a Goddard quarterback style) role....the tall utility/mid with excelent vision, aerobic capacity, great skills. If people think we've missed out on our KPF then surely you can't be disappointed with a Goodes/Goddard clone? I seem to remenber Goddard looking like a spud for the first few years unitl it just clicked and began to dominate. I think it'd be pretty tough matching up on Watts if he started on a wing and pushed forward to create a mismatch in the forward line? If Martin/Clarke/Jurrah/Howe/Green were already set up as the permanent forwards then who would play on Watts? You'd need someone with height/speed and endurance to follow him. Just thinking about it Matty Richardson played some of his best footy on the wing...as long as Watts is influencing the match i don't really care where he plays.

This is the reason that he's listed as the possible third upgrade. People seem to rate him....plus we have a need for that type of player. Stupider things can happen, look at Harry Cunningham surplus to requirements at GWS now playing for sydney all from pick 93 in last years rookie draft.

So now that Nev is on the LTI list we have the room to upgrage 3 more rookies. Who do you guys think are the front rummers for the spots? I'm thinking Nicholson, Couch & Lawrence (seeing as we need a crumber). I'd also like to see how Williams goes once he's over his back injury. His pre-season training form sounded impressive before he got injured.

I wouldn't call it a motivator. But geez, if the person that literally saved our footy club...our white night, dosn't get the red and blue blood pumping then what would? Jim showed till the end what disire and hard work can achieve. Together with our new ruthless footy department, well i'm a glass half full kind of guy but i think that the MFC has all the ingredients to finish the job that jim started and get this club cilmbing back up the ladder. The press conference yesterday with the leadership group showed exactly what this great man means to our club and i'd be surprised if that doesn't carry over onto the field.

If the passing of Jim doesn't give the boys a reason to put their head over the ball and fight to the end, then nothing will. I'm going to say we'll finish 5th.

There's already a 3 page thread about this...

Can someone post an update on how Tapscott's travelling? I think he's the exact type of player that Neeld would love....also would people expect Tappy to get a run through the midfield this year?

I'd love it if Sellar found his feet as a backman...considering Adelaide are crying out for a ready made plug and play CHB/FB after losing Bock and Davis. Adelaide were playing the younger player in Davis ahead of Sellar and this may have contributed to Sellar's oftern talked about lack of confidance? The change of scenery may do him a world of good. At least we're going to have some big boys out on the ground, and i hope our younger players grow in confidance with the extra protection that they can provide.

Andrew Dunkley was one of the premier full backs....but was basically banned from kicking the ball...

Is there a reason why he hasn't been tried as a small defender? I know he's been playing midfield, but his skill set makes him sound like a Matty Whelan clone. Also has a much neater kick than Bartram.

Funny how people rate other teams hacks above our own. Bevan and Bartram have the same disposal problems...ie. can't hit the side of a barn. I'd rather have Urquhart....much more upside.

A year or 2 ago i was all for trading in Jesse White too....but the gut is a hack. My brother is a Swans supporter and the support on the Swans forums isn't good....i also went to the Swans v Hawthorn prelim a couple of weeks ago and must say that the guy isn't a power forward at all. He just doesn't hit the packs/stands and watches the play. There was occasions when you could tell he was generally supprised to get the ball...then crap himself and rush a kick. He isn't the answer to our forward line. I'd be looking at Lewis Johnston, Jordan Lisle & Callum Wilson before Jesse White.

Looking through the possible trade options in the age newspaper this morning i saw that they had Liam Anthony listed from North as possible trade bait. I think someone like that could fill a role in our midfield and i don't think he's been discussed on our board recently. He could provide some strength around the stoppages and he knows how to rack them up. Chris Knights from Adelaid is also another i'd be interested in. With David Misson on board i'd back us in to get recently injury prone players back on the park.

Chris Dawes

Adelaide must be filthy. That's an all australian last year in Bock and now Filthy Phill Davis who was pick 10 in 2008. Both CHB's. Even if the Dees do lose Scully, I'd argue that Adelaide have had it worse. At least we'd get 2 first round draft picks. GWS gets its first AFL player: Adelaide's Phil Davis

True...forgot about that one... I'd love to have Paur Roos at the Dees to instill some of that bloods culture though.