Elmag

Roos isn't the problem - the problem is the list he inherited. Look back on the last 10 drafts and see the quality of players we selected or traded into the MFC. And don't start me on Neeld and co selections.... Hawthorn in 2004 finished with 4 wins (the list that year had Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Trent Croad, Campbell Brown, Chance Bateman, Brad Sewell to name a few and they picked up Roughead and Franklin at the end of the year), 2005 finished with 5 wins (picked up Xavier Ellis and Grant Birchnell), 2006 finished with 9 wins (got Cyril), then 2007 finished with 13 wins. They have actually done well with the trades into the club with Gibson, Burgoyne, Gunston. Some of their other draft picks ended up being no good. But they started off with a good base of players Roos has already got rid of 22 of the original 44 on the list and more will go this year. He is also trying to change a game style and attitude at the same time. Which players of the original group are B or above quality...Jones on his good days, Kent maybe, Watts getting there now that he has the Roos influence, ...and now I am starting the struggle. Lots of C grade players He has added a number of good players already to the list and developed some of the others - the whispers also have a couple of interesting targets to be traded into Melbourne. Remember without the AFL help of getting in Jackson and Roos the club would probably have just about folded by now.

How does a side that won 8&1/2 games last year and could have won two more, thought they had a bad season last year, turn up and serve rubbish like this year...... The media keep blaming the playing group, but I'. Not so sure

To be the best, you have to get the best coach - Malthouse is the best but won't be available next year. We will end up like St Kilda with Thomas - lots of high draft picks, and nothing to show for it. Roos or Matthews are both available now (I'd even take Craig Bellamy from the Storm ahead of Bailey). Both would build a strong support team as well. No caretaker coaches please - like many supporters. I've donated money, bought the memberships, waited patiently but I want to see improvement. Not a coach walking up and down the sideline patting the players as they come on and off the ground.

First 11 rounds - Melbourne play 8 times against teams in this years 8, while Hawthorn only play 5 times against final eight side, Geelong 5, collingwood 4, st kilda 4. Teams like Melbourne need a good start to the year to pull crowds, get confidence up and the like. Don't worry about Sunday's, Saturday's etc - it's the first 11 rounds which set up how a side is going to perform for the year

Not sure that I understand Bailey's game plan - you have an inexperienced side and you try to get them to play a game pan like Geelong. Surely you need to build them up to it. Get them to play a plan they can manage and grow with in confidence. I haven't seen too many players advance this year. Some like Jones have gone backward as their confidence lessens. Others are just holding on. My feeling is that Bailey had a great presentation - but I have seem many things that looked good in powerpoint but fail miserably. My feeling is that like Harvey, Elshaugh, Royal and a few other, Bailey is a very good assistant coach.

Saw that early this morning - the game was irrelevent - only the vote and scors given. to show how irrelevent we are becoming, Dromana football club got a feature ahead of our game. But if you offer up the rubbish and poor game plan we did yesterday, then we deserve it.

At least you have a match report - nothing in today's herald sun (that I can see anyway) -

To wipe out debt, they need to set a higher target next year - must be aimed at 35,000. Big increase I know. But more will sign up if the recruiting promises some hope - look at Carlton. Don't just aim for 30,000 otherwise 1000 more members than last year will be seen as success. Aim for 35,000 Jimmy

No team (apart from Sydney) will trade their 1st round pick for anyone off the Melbourne list - this year : you may get a side trading a second round selection, but that is a lottery. Melbourne is a bit like Essendon - had a couple of poor draft around 2001 and are now missing the right players around 23/24 (Geelong did real well on the other hand). I certainly wouldn't be shifting any player like Sylvia, McLean, Jones and the like because I ready they're just about ready to go My personal view is that like a lot of clubs, we are a good defender, good forward, nd a couple of good on-ballers away, you either get them in or develop them - St kilda may consider trading a Kosi for a ruckman and a second round pick, Sydney may trade a second round pick for another ruckman (Everitt is getting on).

Valenti should be a definite for this week against the swans - Johnston should be started on the ground (white needs to be transitioned to a support role). Morton needs to continue (hope his kicking returns this week). Perhaps Rivers to the long term injury list again and put in Zomer or Spencer and see how they go

Is Jonathan Brown still out of contract - suggest we make a huge play to get him? Imagine Brown, Miller, Sylvia, Davey, Wonaeamirri, all running around the forward line. I'd also go for Cousins at the same time - McLean, Jones, Cousins, Bruce, Green, Morton Backline with Garland, Frawley, Rivers, Bartam, Warnock, Whelan Get Natinui (or Rich) I still believe that we are only a couple of players, and this development season from rising up the ladder And with Brown and Cousins, imagine the membership rise and the marketing dollars

We should also go after Ben Cousins this year

Strangely I will be there - and you know, the Melbourne FC need to get Bailey to say that we will be playing one on one accountable football. The club needs to market "a line in the sand" just like Hawthorn did a couple of years ago - and from that point on Hawthorn improved. It needs to encourage a real physical, tough game against the Dockers

Memo Dean Bailey - if you want to change a game plan that's fine - but it needs to be an evolution not a revolution. The players can't change the way the play overnight - Paul Roos took three years to get the game plan he wanted in and working. In the meantime, he made sure that his players were competitive and accountable, even if they couldn't do exactly what he wanted and he evolved his team and his game plan over the three years to win a premiership. You are destroying the players's confidence, and I doubt that you have earned their respect as yet. I mean you have LOST 4 pre-season games and 6 home and away games. Get them at least competitive and accountable through man on man football - at least give the members and supporters something

The game plan needs to be very simple - and low disposal - Bailey is the problem at the moment - look at the players - totally non-committed to whatever his game plan is becuase they CAN'T do it.

Melbourne should play Monday night games in Launceston - create a new market away from Hawthorn's Tassy market - Gary Lyon mentioned this on Saturday - I reckon Melbourne should make it Monday night football from Tassy (4 Home games), plus two other Mondy night gmes interstate. The home games could be against Hawthorn, Bulldogs, Freo and Port - we don't get good crowds against 3 of those sides and the Hawthorn one could be an annual challenge. The other Monday night games could be in Sydney and Adelaide - make Mondy night the Demon's night

Is there a section on moving Melbourne FC to the Gold Coast?

While I know Geelong has some pretty skilled players, their game plan is pretty simple - put it up through the corridor, quickly into the forward line - if no-one is free put in into the hot spot, if congested carry it into the forward line (basically get it over the congested part and into a 1 on 1 contest).

I've met Roughead - he is one very impressive kid - he is pretty quick and if Hawthorn ever wanted to trade him, I'd grab him in a heartbeat

What's with Carroll - each week he goes and bumps and shoves players before the siren - tell him to go and win a contest during the match - Frawley outpointed Fevola twice in a row when he was finally moved onto him. The other clubs just think Carroll is a complete joke!!!!!!! And he is.

Time to put Ben Cousins on the target list for next year- three more good years left in him - he is better than Judd and see what Judd did for the other players last week & today when he lifted.

Neitz - a great player but needs a tap on the shoulder - he and White sould both nominate the Collingwood Queens Birthday game as their last for Melbourne - time for them both to move on - greatplayers for the club, but the game has gone past them. The game is now that quick, that in the forwrd line you just need one big physical mobile player and everyone else needs to be realy mobile - look at Haawthorn - basically all athletes (altough that Franklin guy has a bit of ability)

Simple team for this week - the Bullies are a bit smaller and we need pce around the middle. Miller was good yesterday but he is a lead up forward who can open the forward line Whelan Frawley Bruce (on Brad Johnson) Bell Rivers Dunn Buckley Chris Johnson Petterd Green Miller Robertson Weetra Neitz Morton Meeson McLean Jones Johnson Davey Bartram Grimes Sylvia would be in but isn't available - Holland would be in the backline if it wan't the bulldogs - sorry no white, no Yze, no McDonald. Moloney - we have too many of this type of one paced player already

One huge positive - there are enough passionate supporters writing about this effort being crap - there were also supporters at the game and on the radio who felt the same.

Leave the kid alone - show a bit of courage in the last quarter. What the whole side needs is to learn how to tackle and hurt - there were so many soft tackles today - some supporters near me were just laughing at how soft we were.