Elmag

Gouga - 100% right - they play well in the soft games - trade Buce and Green

The last two weeks were an abberation - we are SOFT SOFT SOFT !!!!!!!! The under 11's at Chelsea play a harder brand of footy

Let's get serious - we have to plan for 2008 NOW! Peter Sumich should be immediately approach to coach the Demons - he's knows success and has bee around a range of coaches. He KNOWS what is required to make the top four. He wants to coach - sign him up by round 10, get the other coaches out and get planning and working on 2008. We are too easily brushed off - we are soft and need to muscle up - we need to get a couple of players - trade the soft ones - YOU know who they are

It starts this week - each week as they get to a full list they get closer. Once the first win comes the flood-gates will open. Get your money on at 500/1

I was talking with some other people over a beer tonight - How does our list (inlcuding injured players) stack up against the other teams. Our list is definitely better than Richmond, Carlton, Essendon, Lions, and Kangaroos. We probably fall around the same as Saints, Dogs, Collingwood, Crows, Swans, Cats, and Hawthorn. The top three lists are WCE, Freo, Power. Like every club, you can always improve your list - but when you basically fall into the middle group. injuries affect the final result. At the moment we have the best list ever at 15th position.

The sooner we start planning for 2008, the sooner we get games into Newton, Petterd, Frawley - the sooner we get our structure organised for 2008. Port did this last year and it is paying dividends - they will be playing finals this year, we won't as we would have to win 12 out of 15 to be a chance, so let the club announce what it is doing and move on (even if that means announcing a 1 year extension to Dniher's contract). The sooner this happens the sooner the club can get it right, and more than likely we'll win a few games pretty quickly.

I think that Melbourne should get Guy McKenna in - he was a premiership player, a stright shooter, and tough. He also would bring a group of people needed to get the current culture in the club right.

Reality check - after the next four rounds we will be either 0-8 or 1-7 - then need another 11 or 12 wins from 14 rounds to make the eight. We'd need our best 22 playing at the top of their game given the draw in the 2nd half of the year to do this. Better off getting the positives out of the season - set the structures and play the players you think will take you to the finals next season. I'd be far happier with that than see Godfrey, Brown, White, Ferguson, Holland and a couple of others being given a run every week or second week - stop regurgitating those who haven't succeeded and give the chance to another

Chris Connolly will be available Gary Lyon might consider John Longmire seems to be flavour of the month Grant Thomas isn't doing too much Shane Warne might be interested

Whatever the selectors do, don't bring any player in underdone from injury, and don't be scared of playing the kids. Also I'd love to see Bate play out of the goal square for a half - just to see how he'd go

No. 1 draft pick and no.1 pick in the trade (Chris Judd hopefully)

I only get confused - all summer we're supposed to be playing a run and carry game, but on the week end we're told that the skill levels at the club suddenly aren't up to the other teams standards - a run and carry game requires very good skills - I know that we have a few players out, but surely if you've been around the club for ten years, selected the players, determined a plan that is both what you require to win and can be carried out by your team, to have your coach say at round 3 you don't have the skills just amazes and amuses me. I think if you have been in a job and still can get it right, then it is time to move on and give another a chance.

Round 2 - bad start, the world's falling in and the only path is down - but I looked at the paper - we only one game out of the 8 and only 2 games off top place. We were only ever be somewhere between 5th and 12th - the reality is the list is not as strong as West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide or Freo (now there's a problem), and the next 8 or 9 teams are all about the same and the results depend on attitudes and injuries. After round 5 will be the time take action and take the positives listed above and then act for the rest of 2007 and on to 2008. The only way Melbourne can get into the top four is to 1. have a coach who is highly respected and knows what it takes to win flags, (my choice here is David Parkin if he wants the ultimate challenge) 2. that coach will then demand and get discipline into players to chase and work hard and clear out those who don't, and 3. recruit a key forward and mid-fielder (Cousins might be available next year - we should be hard at work now to get him, and wait for the trade for the other). Don't get me wrong, Daniher has been a good caoch, he will be sought after by other clubs, but watching the players at the 1/4 and 3/4 time huddles, his time is just about over - they're not listening and he doesn;t have success to draw upon to get them to listen.

Very simple - they hung onto the ball too long - too scared to kick quickly 50 metres down the field to a one on one - they're drilled not to kick to a contest - by the time they had to kick they were under pressure having to make pin point passes - in the last quarter they blasted down quickly to one -on-ones and got a few goals - the ST Kilda defence hadn't had time to drop back. Too often in the first three quarters St kilda had two or three loose players in defence because we moved the ball too slowly About time we pushed up the ground and re-created the pagan paddock - give Neitz and Miller a chance one-one to mark or bring the ball to ground - give Davey and bate a chance to swoop and pick up - time to take risks and change the game - we can't win a grand final with the current game plan - perhaps a radical change exploiting the no hands in back rule will work - move the ball quickly into the forward line with long kicks.

Agree - he's 19 - give him time -

Interesting first round - the teams that over possess lose more often - players drilled not to kick to a contest and therefore look to lay off to a loose player. The more times you touch it the more chances you have to stuff it up. Ask Melbourne, Richmond, Hawthorn, Kangaroos and Freeo for that matter. Given the new rules about no hands in the back, I think the long kick to a one on one or over the pack to a run on (like Pagan's paddock) will come back in. I might be old fashioned but give me a simple game plan - and one that doesn't have our players (who aren't as skilled as the top four clubs) over possessing. Remember it's only round 1