montasaurus

Its a genuine big announcement for the club, a huge coup. To have spoken to a few clubs, not just us (I hope Carlton was one of them ) and to decide to commit to Melbourne's path of youth. West would love to get his hands dirty teaching the kids. The players at Melbourne should absorb his knowledge like a sponge.

Seven best & fairests at the Bulldogs, over 300 games worth of experience. They don't come around often.

Whilst the appointment is part-time, I sincerely hope his involvement with the mfc lasts longer than Brett Rattens involvement.

Also add to that at least one Brownlow that his name should have been on.....

I wonder what our newest coach would think on the subject?

Again to cover earlier ground I really believe that it is irresponsible for the club to have a simple NO stance. Surely a policy of "THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE" would stop all debates. Then if we pass on we can debate then.

Also I may have missed it, but I have not seen our snr coach comment on this issue it is only others up the chain I wonder what his views are.......... Nat Draft - agree youth policy all the way. but PSD?

Re major sponsor, I would love to hear the the MFC major sponsor to come and tell us to stay clear. Where is our major sponsor again??????

So i repeat, a club stance for the PSD should be "THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE" not "NO"

Bailey perhaps.

No doubt El-President would have had his hands near the pie as well.

No, I don't think Martin and Schwarz have real similarities. Body size maybe. But balance, leap, having a ball on a string definitely not. Did you ever see Schwarz?

I watch him from his early days down back DEFINATELY! and had a #5 on my jumper from not long after that!

forget the champion schwarta turned into look back to the real early days.

Thats why Martin needs a opportunity to show what he could be capable of. Being locked into a backman means he has no opportunity to show what magic he could be capable of unleased in a forward line with high bombs coming in ala 2005-2008. Run, jump and smash packs etc, etc. Keep in mind robbo may never be the same, miller while a very good tall is better on a lead, and juice looks fragile to me.

So the question is of martin????? - yes raw and requires development, but have real similarities to the above, am I seeing something in him that nobody else does?

if juice comes along?

Big question mark in our current side. probably more importantly if our midfield can supply juice on the chest he has a big future. He is a big unit but runs on train rails and cannot turn quick enough. Martin has the x factor that no other big man at melbourne has (PJ excepted) that could do anything and I really feel is wasted in the backline. David Schwarz was the same started back but was always going to be a better forward then back and see some real similarities in them. Body size, balance, leap, can have the ball on a string etc etc............ We need to have more strings in our arsenel

out of interest: does anyone see this as just more expenses out of the football department that we cant afford atm

Without a statement of what this is costing us there is no way we can know if this is just more expenses out of the football department that we cant afford ?

to be competitive in the future we must invest in the football department regardless of the short term cost. Midfield is the core of the business and I see this as important as the snr coach role. Time will tell if it is the right appointment but at this stage as melbourne supporters we could not be more lucky in my eyes!

hopefully west will teach both moloney and jones the art of the quick handball. it could really take jones' game to another level, because atm he is always looking to personally carry the ball out of the contest. it would also allow moloney to play inside to greater effect, rather than just crash and bash and try and kick long.

There's another bloke that could grow beyond all expectations - Simon Buckley. He has the ability to step around traffic the likes of what ablett does. With a bit of coaching (re quick handball when it is required) who knows what he could do for us. (I'm not suggesting for a minute that buckley will be as good as ablett but could be seen as an equal to jones as a midfielder)

Yeah, I'm still wary of putting Martin at CHF just yet, but i do like the look of this forward line. It has size & potency, & some decent players to rotate in there if you include Wonaemirri too.

But I still prefer having Martin as a gorilla down back.

In 2010 though when hopefully Macnamara has put on some weight...

I see your point, but Rivers, Garland, Warnok as a core should combat most tall forward lines. So therefore by having martin as well maybe too top heavy for many sides. Therefore it is important to have players that can go to either end be it garland or martin. CG's year in 08 was unbelievable i can only think of 1 bag that was kicked on him and seemed to grow as a leader down there as the year went on. So leave him be and let him take the mantle off scarlett and rutton thus releasing martin or even rivers to go forward. We have to kick goals to win games. Watts will be at least 2 years off from holding a snr spot in the forward line so Miller needs backup in the mean time and the last thing I want to see is PJ there thus allowing MJ to be 1st ruck or MJ as our 2nd tall. Therefore what do we have to loose by giving martin an opportunity to shine up forward in pre-season or early season propper?

if it doesn't work we know martin can play down back anyway.

hahaha looks like i was wrong, wasn't Darcy!

Lets hope West can talk him into coming down as a ruck coach though, as we obviously will need one

I think in the modern game the "Ruck role" is much less significant then the midfield role. If you can win more quality center clearances then your opponents you will win more games then you loose regardless of the tap stats. Therefore the midfield coach roles is paramount with ruck as a secondary role. Well thats how I would go about the structure if in DB's shoes!

therefore WELL DONE TO ALL INVOLVED. I wonder if this might have a positive effect on the number of signed members before next saturday? I hope so!

FF Maric Watts Davey

HF Miller Martin Sylvia

Probably right re maric v robbo. Sylvia v Bate is interesting, to me sylvia still has a lot to prove but bates runs are on the board. Back to the topic though I think others can see to potential of Martin as a forward more so then as a perm back. Lets hope he gets an opportunity even if its only the preseason games.

The more you read about spencer the better he is sounding.

Cross roads for sure, but..

a consistent season could see him as being the bench mark for tough hard in and under player that we need.

Leaving the "other" guy out as enough has been said in other threads.

I have always rated both Luke Jericho, Kris Massie from Adelaide for some reason but lets face it a lge forward could be handy for a couple of years until Watts comes on as a key position player. So by this logic even though both of these guys have not done much might be worth a look for PSD or our last pick in nat.

Courtney Johns,

Aisake O'hAilpin,

Have just checked my source out. He reminded me that he did not ever say it was StKilda that was me reading in between the lines. Therefore after this very likely S.West will be at MFC. We could not be any luckier well done to all involved if this is the case!

Hird would also be handy, but unlikely I think

Thinking about it... Chris Connelly might = Peter Bell??? but I wouldn't have bell in "true champion of the game" league.

If its not Nietz, Buckley is my tip

Comrades, the older I get, the more I soften towards Collingwood - they are who they are - and the more I hate those degenerate, lying, criminal cheats at Princess Park.

Off topic a little but I wonder who would have the bigger criminal record

A - the Coolingwood Cheer Squad

Or

B - The Carlton Board

(Answer would probably be "A" as "B" would have bribed and cheated their way out of the charges!)

Just some thoughts if you have them on a big announcement expected of a "true champion of the game" to the MFC coaching panel.

Who do you think?

Scott West is my tip, but interested to find out if others know more.

I heard from a "good source" that West has already taken a job elsewhere (about two months back).

Could only be good for us if we can sign a true champion though.

Shame he has gone in my book as he had started to turn the corner last year.

But that being the case I have an extra special boo saved up for the little S#$& if he's playing agianst us next year. In fact I think he has taken the new #1 from scott thompson on my list.

DON'T WALK OUT ON US AND EXPECT NO RETRIBUTION!

If you were unhappy then put your hand up to be traded, don't deal with cheats like the CFC. I hope so much now more then ever carlton is fined out of existance when they are done for new salary cap breaches. Infact send them to west sydney!

GEEZ I HATE CARLT$T

Brock stood up this year and showed us a glimpse of what he is capable of. Unfortunatley a broken ankle cut that short as he was gathering momentum week by week.

Jones was tagged heavily with little protection. Some don't but I rate Jones' footskills and general disposal. Yes he had many glaring clangers this season (which are the ones we remember the most) but I put these down to immense pressure form the opposition, especially taggers coupled with a severe lack of protection in the middle and exhaustion as one of our few ball winners, especially the further the season went on this was glaringly evident.

This is why I cannot understand some of the crap C. Morton recieves. Maybe he has gone under the radar a bit but seriously what an incredible season for a first year 18yo from across the other side of the country. 18yo's MAKE CLANGERS UNLESS YOU ARE C. JUDD. Seriously, Morton was our main ball carrier for much of the year, or course he's going to make errors for exactly the same reasons that N. Jones does. Opposition pressure in this day and age is nigh on impossible to fully comprehend from the stands. I can't remember an 18yo making a bigger impact for this club from the get go. Imagine if he played for Geelong. he would have had all the time, space and protection in the world and would have run rings around his opponents.

Can't agree with you more, if we can get some confidence imagine what blokes like Mclean, Grimes, Morton, Jones, Buckley could be in a couple of years. Who knows with a bit of luck and a good year from our top 2 (Mclean and jones) we could even be knocking on the door of the 8.

1/ MFC should take the best possible player available. i.e., Nat draft use a good picks for good kids end of story - No Thankyou for Cusins,

But....

2/ PSD - This could be the opportunity of a lifetime for the MFC.

He was the leader on field at the eagles even when J$DD was captin.

He is a champion of our game the best midfielder I have seen with Voss a close 2nd

He is the right fit for the MFC off field with el-presidents charity work etc

He would be worth 5,000 extra fans round 1 (This could become members in a hurry)

He is a fitness machine and might lift the bar for what I rate as the laziest midfield in the AFL

He will be at a bargin price

His exposure could get a major sponsor on board good fit for TAC or Quit etc

He is a potential coach (midfield/fitness) long term as well so could be a 10yr prospect for MFC

No other recycled player will offer MFC what ben will

He will not re-offend, if he does see you later and again will show the clubs tough stance for the young list.

if MFC have the opportunity in the PSD, decided not to draft ben and he ends up somewhere else and stars I would go close to not re-joining in 2010. I am a 17yr consecutive member. It is criminal some of the responses I have read from the club re ben. Surely the old we are considering all posisibilities is the right course.

For all those others that say no because of history, get off your high horses there is a drug issue competition wide and this bloke has been made the scape goat by the press and AFL. Remember he never returned a positive test!

Can't wait to see watts on the end of bens magic later in the year!

Hi All,

I have seen something different in Martin. I can't stop talking this guy up enough. Balance, speed, height, body size etc etc.

He makes me think back to young bloke with a mop who if correct me if i am wrong started in the backline and ended up the best CHF I have seen (#5).

I was calling all late last year for martin to go forward and will continue to do so.

Who cares if he might kick a lot of points, so did the bloke who kicked a ton last year!

Spencer hopefully will get a chance to show what he can do, I think jamar's career might be on the line this year.

late 2009 onward

FF Davy, Miller, Robbo

HF Martin, Watts, Bate

This forwardline could be the best we have seen in 10yrs at melb. Just need to midfield to supply it