RalphiusMaximus

I think that's more to do with how they're being used than how they are playing. They seem to be working on a structure where the tell KPFs push up the ground and drag their KPDs away from the 50, leaving the goalscoring to the medium and small forwards. That's why we kept seeing Fritsch stuck one-out against multiple opponents in round one. They are going to rotate a few of the mid/forward types through that full forward spot while TMac and whoever else we play are pushing up to the wings. I'm not a big fan of this plan, but at least it shows that they're trying something different, and maybe if there are no talls down there they'll stop trying to bomb to the square.

Jake is easy to explain. He's a great third tall. His best game is when you have two other tall backs to take on the big forwards and he can read the play and float in as third man in the contest. Trying to play him as a KPD is taking away all of his strengths and exposing his weaknesses.

Yeah, that wasn't impressive. They really took the foot off halfway through the second and it nearly cost them. Once that hard contested pressure was removed Carlton was able to get their skillful players on the outside and started to move the ball through us. They are soft as hell, but if you give them the time and space they have the ability to hurt you. Hopefully the players learn from this and keep the pressure up for an entire match next time.

6. Petracca 5. Gawn 4. Oliver 3. Rivers 2. Hunt 1. Tomlinson

Same number of syllables as well.

Isn't this thread about 2008?

His long layoff from the game may have a positive outcome too. Alastair Lynch said that his longevity in the game was a result of being forced to take time off due to his CFS early in his career. If he really does come right we could see Bennell do a Burgoyne and keep going into his mid-30s.

I still think that's too high for him.

Can I just point out that he hasn't played for three seasons. Don't get the expectations too high. IF he plays, I'll be happy to see him get through uninjured. Anything beyond that will just be a bonus.

Get a hashtag trending and have all the fans post tributes.

The Blues will have this penciled in as a winnable game. Most sides will against us, but for them it's one of the few they have, so expect them to go hard at us.

He's not wrong. The game these days is like watching Italy play soccer.

I would prefer more on the bench to shorter quarters. The AFL have been trying to make shorter games for ages and now they have an excuse. It's no different to food companies reducing the amount in each pack but keeping the prices the same.

Hey, only taking two grabs is a bloody good effort for a guy with bricks instead of hands.

Honestly, the last thing he said sounds to me like they still don't get it. He's still talking about the advantage to be gained from just getting the ball in there and how the teams with the most i50s generally win. Those numbers are only relevant if you actually use the ball well when you deliver it. The bomb is basically a free rebound 50 for the opposition. I wonder if they have considered how often the team that gets the most goals fro rebound 50s wins the match?

Oddly enough that happened to a cousin of mine. She woke him up with a knife and a frying pan.

It's a thing of beauty.

There's not a lot of information about what actually happened. Does anyone know more than is in the article?

There's a lot of truth in that. It would be amazing if we could get the admin and coaching to stop trying to copy the successful models of other clubs, come up with our own blueprint (that works) and then stick to their guns and follow through with it.

If you look at the history of the club, right from the beginning we've been slow to adapt and embrace new realities. The MFC has had a history of relying on the prestige of being THE MFC, the FIRST club and assuming that players will just want to come here. Back when the league first agreed that players could be paid "travel expenses" for coming to games, guess which club refused to do it? Player payments. Recruiting zones. Paying players to move into different cities so they could be recruited by your club... Melbourne have always been the team that missed the boat. Then when they finally did try to do something a little bit dodgy to gain an advantage, they stuffed it up, failed to capitalise on the advantage they had worked for and then got caught out and fined half a million dollars.

You'd hope his wife is in there somewhere.

Just based on the careers they both had. There is very little between them, but Neitz played a lot more games, was captain for longer and kicked more goals per game. I think he has to take the chocolates.

Oddly, one of my favorite plays from the Ox came near the end of his career when he lived up to the nickname. He faced two tacklers, ran through the middle and they grabbed at him from either side. His size and momentum carried him through and they swung around behind him, crashed into each other and dropped like stunned mullets. Classic slapstick football.

Very tough call, but I had to go with Neitz. His Captaincy is worth more than a Brownlow.

The Ox was the great potential, but those knees ruined his career. Neitz fulfilled his potential.