montasaurus

FFS if we got rid of everyone you guys think don't put in we will be left with a team of infants, much like this board.

OK, simple question would CS get a game for the Hawks or the cats ATM with a fit list?

6 weeks away??

He is barely doing lap work at the moment according to those who have attended training.

He has done no substantive pre season and has participated in little of the group drills.

He has had a bad tear of his achilles and is around 30.

Well I know he bleeds red and blue but he is going to have to train the proverbial house down to be back in such a short time. I had understood some time ago that he would be AFL ready by the half way point of the year.

I wonder then if we can put robbo on the LTI now and if he is fit mid year use the mid year elivation to keep spencer on the list. Interesting....

Also spencer may not be up to a full season so if he was to play rd 1 he may be due for a break mid season any way. I wonder if his form continues if he will be elevated for rd 1?

Casey is the week after.

or 2 weeks? in line with the final I thought they said at the intra club game.

That dates back to October and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. As I see it, this was an intention, but, why would we need to have veterans? I simply do not believe we are in any danger of breaching our 92.5% of the salary cap, so why do something that we did not have to do when we knew we had Valenti and Spencer as rookies that we would like to play seniors?

Very good question to ask.

Surely there is a logical explaination but I keep coming up with blanks. I could understand the decision taken not to premote valenti but to keep 2 on the veterans list I just can't see the logic. I sure somebody can explain

The fact is Azz he is yet to perform. With so much hype so far on his Preseason his 1st 2 hit outs have been very dissapointing. Here's to fingers crossed!

Good:

spencer / Mclean / Grimes / backline

I thought Bell was excellent, hopefully keeps this going. I wonder how he would go up forward? Kicking would be a big question mark but otherwise?

The Club has no big decisions mid year. Its clear cut. If Spenser continues his form, then we need to elevate him. If Valenti is going to be elevated. He would have been so at the final cut for 2009.

A bit early to make this call I think.

If (a big if) jamar holds down #1 ruck and PJ continues to develop and zomer steps up at VFL level as a KPF there could be a big decision to make. I have never been a big fan of valenti but he continues to be noticed when given opportunities so again if he continues to develop and we are struggling in the middle you never know. For now lets cross our fingers zomer presses hard for selection as it will only be a good thing for our list.

Also I can't see how playing 2nds last year is relevant as he was playing at the sautner football club and any young tall forward would have struggled for a game! One of the reasons were are now where we are with casey. Surely its this year we are interested in and the one game we have seen from Zomer, he was OK-even Good.

Does anyone have the info on the next game.

I think its at vi$y park on SAT but theres no details on the MFC web site. What time, who we are playing etc.

You set a very low pass mark Monty.

If the Club is serious then it wont tolerate lairish flaccid half events from any player. He gave us nothing and is going nowhere. Our lack of obvious forward replacements should not save a player that shows not one iota of football sense and focus.

Unfortunately we have him contracted into 2010.

I think the low pass mark was set by the man in question last year.

like I said I felt there was some improvement from last year, so your right there was a very low mark. I guess what I was saying was if last year you could have marked newton for 5/100 in most games, his game sat might have been marked at 8/100 due to increased defensive pressure. A little step forward!

I do agree with you re replacements hence why VFL is the option to further development, especially if another target is found in the mean time. Zomers development will be one of the most interesting at casey this year. If he starts kicking bags the club may have a big decision mid year (spencer, Valenti, Zomer).

It will be interesting to see what happens in the practice matches over the next couple of weeks. Martin, Garland, Johnson, Green/Bruce all marking options to play deep. I like Brad Green to play deep in a brad johnson type role. Far more value then floating in the back line IMO.

I actually thought newtons game on saturday was a step forward for him. Certainly in the 1st half his defensive pressure was much better then much of 08. He just strikes me as being 1 good game away from getting the confidence he needs. I wonder if it will happen?

He has the ability, finishes well so for me is worth persiting with even if it is at VFL level. There are not many good young talls these days so until watts and jurrah can come through we have to give him an opportunity. Good chance he could be gone at the end of the year though if he doesn't step up. The other option is if spencer is elevated either jamar or PJ can play the big man role. But the way i see it neither of these guys offer any more the newton as a deep forward.

To everyone on here, give sylvia a break. It is one game after having seasons out due to injury. If in round 6 he has done nothing then start to have a go but give him time to get back.

I think the issue is not the game he played but the way he conducted himself immediately afterwards. OK its a preseason game but it was a very important game for the club. He should have been hurting, a quick hand shake and then off the ground to reflect on the loss. Just my opinion.

Its good that we finally have a list that if he is not performing a younger player should be putting pressure. So time will tell!

I'll make the Call, We Are Home!

(7/160)

Plenty of positives to take away from yesterday. DB for mine is one. I thought coached well all day, little unlucky inexperience allowed the hawks back into it but the side and coaches will take a lot away from today. Better then a flogging like this time last year.

maybe he was laughing at costing me my $3.60 at <39.5 by missing that shot! Don't mind it in the NAB cup but not in the proper season.

They may see him that way, but it's only based on potential and expectation, not output. And 'good, ordinary' is a good ranking in my eyes, which probably is misunderstood.

And I've always enjoyed ranking players. It's not a teacher thing.

Consistant output yes I would agree, but I think enough of us have seen him string a few or many games together that are the equal of any A player but then gets injured. I am convinced if he plays 20 games this year we will be talking him up at the end of the year (B+F chance).

I've decided that I've been too negative of late and resolve to not make one more negative comment for the rest of the year.

Call me Mr Positive from here.

Thats good to hear H, I used to be a bit hard on MFC when things were not going well but I have found I enjoy the game in general a whole lot more for where we are at not where we should be at.

Therefore tonights game and the rest of the year is a opportunity to watch players who have been fringe or under performing given an opportunity to start stepping up. If not we have the exciting youngsters eager to take their place. Its been a while!

Got the dees for $3.60 under 39.5 points last night. Pretty good odds I think with the hawks being under done!

maybe there is logic behind not playing the 1st year players in rd 1 NAB. If we loose not many clubs will get a look at them in the coming weeks and we might be able to suprise a couple of clubs early season proper. If we win, they can put pressure on the selection table.

Good to see sanity prevail. Now lets let the wrecking ball loose in 09!

Maxwell made a reckless tackle and got what he deserved although i would have given him 6 weeks

Tackling is a skill just like any other part of our game

We must protect the head

So what your suggesting what maxwell did was in the same bracket as what barry hall did? Surely the punishment must fit the crime. The head high contact was accidental in that only a shoulder was used and he did not jump into his opponent.

BH hit was as intentional as you will ever see so which is worse? By 6 weeks your suggesting their the same bracket. I think maxwell will finish up with 1-2 weeks, probably the right outcome the way the rules now are.

If Mr A.D. changed Mission's mind, why didn't he change it so they became our sponsor?

Would have the doggies been worse off then us in 12mths without it?

jnr will start for his first official game as captain!

from the hawks web site- Please note the Club will not play an intra-club practice match. They will have to be underdone!

"The Hawks will take on Melbourne in Launceston on Saturday with a squad containing 13 premiership players.

Notable absentees include Luke Hodge, Lance Franklin, Jordan Lewis and Trent Croad who are all on the comeback trail from injury.

Of the newcomers, there will be plenty of interest in debutant Ryan Schoenmakers, the club's first-round draft pick from last year.

Fellow draftee Liam Shiels has also been named as have rookies Haydn Kiel, Luke Breust, Riley Milne, Garry Moss, Matthew Suckling and Cameron Stokes."

Hawthorn (from)

2. Jarryd Roughead

5. Sam Mitchell

6. Mark Williams

7. Michael Osborne

10. Chance Bateman

11. Clinton Young

12. Brad Sewell

13. Simon Taylor

14. Grant Birchall

16. Beau Dowler

18. Brent Guerra

19. Mitchell Thorp

21. Ben McGlynn

22. Travis Tuck

25. Ryan Schoenmakers

26. Liam Shiels

27. Stephen Gilham

28. Garry Moss

30. Campbell Brown

31. Stuart Dew

32. Josh Kennedy

33. Cyril Rioli

35. Jarryd Morton

37. Brendan Whitecross

42. Matthew Suckling

44. Cameron Stokes

45. Riley Milne

46. Haydn Kiel

47. Luke Breust

So your not joking. You really couldn't care less about our first official hit out of the year. I cant wait to see the boys play.

Maybe time is better spent sipping on chardonnay on a summers night and then missing the middle season while being at bulla?

Im pretty shocked that someone who comes on here and posts as often as you do isn't inching at the thought of seeing the boys play.

I'm sure this feeling is the minority of melb supporters. While we would all love to see our new kids this weekend, every dees supporter or member would have to see the logic in fielding the strongest possible side. To say your not interested or find this boring I think your watching the wrong sport.

best result we could have being that we don't have a sponser! Great PR, hopefully a bit more can be made of this before the weeks out.

Hey,

Correct me if I'm completely wrong and I concocted this in my crazy mind, but wasn't Hamish Blake (annointed by G.Lyon himself on the footy show) now a fully fledged Melbourne supporter/member and was going to be involved in marketing the club to the younger generation?

While I never listen to fox fm, hes is a ratings smash and one of the funniest blokes going around who has wide spread genuine appeal and I thought that this was going to be a great way to reach new members?

So far I haven't seen anything utilising him?

Pherhaps it was arranged before the board takeover and its not a direction we are going in?

Anyone know whats going on here?

redman

I really hope he can get us quality air time, but keep in mind he works for one of the most comercialised media organisations around. He may not have an ability to regulary plug our club, breach of contract?

At the same time when he is on that show on ch10 maybe the club should try to get him to wear one of our new members polo's. It will certainly stand out! especially if we have a win on sat night