DV8

leaving soon... all aboard !

A part of that ruthless edge is driven by the supporter ferocity and hunger... the players need to be hungry, but the supporters have to be insatiable. The crowd's noise/power, inspires/drives the kill. It feeds or quells, the emotion/mood/drive.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-08/after-the-siren-the-trade-that-shook-the-footy-world-in-2001 "Chris Judd, Luke Ball and Luke Hodge had had the recruiters salivating all year. The Hawks would eventually choose Hodge and would not experience even a moment of buyer's remorse. He has been one of the all-time greats of a club chock full of champions. The Croad trade remains one of the all-time great ones. The final deal also saw emerging, but homesick key defender Luke McPharlin also traded to the Dockers, with the Hawks receiving additional draft picks in return."

Hawks/Freo - Trent Croad Melbourne - Frawley Hawks - Franklin

Interesting, you mention Bernie. I hadn't considered him. But he could go around for one more, to help the 'Suns' sort through what a healthy culture looks like. They do need maturity and leadership, to straighten up many with wayward ideas. May is gone imv. And the 'Suns' should want him out... They would NOT want any senior player who is not 100% committed to the footy club, to shape its future with positivity.

I think WE at Melbourne get way too sympathetic and romantic over players who have a good story,,, but proved very little when it actually counts.

(Re Steven May) What do you think is most important to the GCSuns, at this point for their club ?

We need more speed and run, and delivery, from our mid-sized players. IMO, we cannot play too many, not with speed and high disposal quality.

I tend to think our ceiling is not much higher, if it is at all. This is why we need to continue recruiting top quality from draft and free agency, etc. They, the Pies, will be doing the same as Us. And they will come knocking for the Weide, no doubt.

There's quality and quality... a culture clean'-out is different, to a list clean-out of old players and list stoppers.

Hah, you've done the work before me 'Dnx'. great work.

The Pies have been tracking ahead of us marginally, for a few years, in a way by having more mature players than us, giving them more cohesion, and confidence in big games. They haven't been thru the ringer like we have. We've been building from a way lower base... But this was necessary in our case, due to the weak defeatist comfy culture infiltrating this club, for many a moon. Our rebuild was all about ejecting this culture. That's why it was necessary to cut so deep. To start fresh. 'They', have a lot of players in their 34Yrs to 29+Yrs age bracket which will finish soon enough. https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/tp-collingwood-magpies?year=2018&sby=15 IMO they will miss their older players finishing... than We at Mfc will with ours.

We need to improve in ALL areas. AFL footy never sleeps... nor does it stand still. Speed and marking strength + small forwards. and improved depth to vulnerable areas.

The thing with ''fugazi is, it can cause the opposite effect. It can lull innocent players into a false sense of security... and at the same time, spur the object of derision on to greater heights. Did this 'fugazi', trip up 2 teams this weekend ???

Kelly is a better thought, than Gaff. Kelly... or Whitfield, or Shiel ? either, would help the cause.

Pick 6, your kidding. Not enough to do a deal. Even if Hoges wanted out. 2 picks or Freo can zip off. Anyway who says Hogan would go to Freo, or West Aus', for that matter ? Maybe he would be tempted to go to help up on the Gold Coa$t ??? I hear they need replacements, to ante-up ? And are cashed-up. Maybe Jesse wants to play midfield with us, or wing/half-back ?

It''s time to consider a polished 'Gorilla tamer. now the footy's finished for us and we also need some more speed, and X-factor. jDegoey could have been amongst our list, from a couple of seasons back. > https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_drafts?year=2014&t=N&s=P Maybe we should go all out, to try to lure him in a years time ? He's off contract in 2020. https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pp-collingwood-magpies--jordan-de-goey We need some risk-taker types. X-Factor. ... remembering David Schwartz, and Jeff Farmer. and Alan Jakovitch__ we need one in the side, who can turn IT on.

$cully who.? Scully's wag'', maybe.? but not Tommy boy.

Past players come out of woodwork, & appear in papers... Media personalities join in the throng... everyone wants to talk the talk"", and not let the players do the walking"', and the talking"" !!! Lay off you people, (yes you mitchell, and others) and stop soaking up the media spotlight. Taking the media out of the clubs and players hands. You all each had a small part in our players lack of focus today.

In retrospect, this Martin Flanagan piece has come at the wrong time. When we needed our players feeling aggressive and feisty, and wanting blood ... We did not want them feeling all melancholy, & feeling warm, fuzzy, and longing for people & things of our past. Thanks, but not next time Martin... do this at the start of a season... not entering Finals. We wanted hardened soldiers out there today. searching for blood.

I agree McQ. King has been close to the mark, more times than most. Just like us all, he can see real spirit in-play... it's hard to miss, genuine Spirit. And like today, its easy to see when its missing. - - - - - - And we are NOT close to any Dynasty.

Get to Melbourne around midnight. I think they leave there about 6.00pm Perth time

The game-plans these days are tinkered with constantly, based on personnel available in the 22.

Critical judgements of game-plans cannot give an accurate indication of strengths or weaknesses, from a game where our boys simply were not in the mind state to perform at their best. Trying to make critical judgements on such games, is a waste of time.

Maybe that's a reflection of the level of confidence within the coaching group, and also the selectors... That they thought we need to change structure as many of us did as well... suggests they were concerned about the opposition, to bring in a raw kid not long back from a long-term injury. I think in the back of my mind, I might have thought we had done enough in one year... = satisfied with 2018 ???