DV8

What are their injuries wise? I haven't heard.

Most pictured are from the dark-sky days of our recent club infamy. And most are nearing the end. Some have value on the market place. Carey goes on to say,,,, ..... " the club has also endured the cancelled training camp saga". "Who knows the true impact that has had on the playing group, but right now, they are certainly working through some mental demons." "From the outside, it seems they’re quite mentally fragile". "I don’t believe that this group carries the burden or the culture of those dark years a decade ago". "The problems at Melbourne are now more about confidence, and a lingering fear that seems to hover over the players". "It appears many are scared to make mistakes for fear of losing their spot in the team, or fear of what the coaches might say". This is close to the fear I've been referring to,,, about this club's 'modern-day-culture', of fearing the "here we go again" saga. It's my long-held view that we in the stands have all suffered a silent scarring, at the hands of repeated beatings over the past 50Yrs. I believe when this fear raises its ugly head during games; this gets carried over the air out over the field & into the ears of our on-field comrades. it unnerves many causing them to be jittery, fidgety and less composed. Hell, it makes us all feel less composed, because that's what anxiety does. And i agree R(b)G, Carey is onto something... and it does get in. into their ears and then their minds. All AFL players have to learn to cope with mental demons, anxieties, fears; but when these are supported in the negative by the heaving masses over the fence, its much more difficult for young players, most players,,, to overcome these negatives. .

Wines would be great to have in tandem. No doubt, but I think he may be made captain of Port. i would swap Gawn for wines, in a heart beat. Pity there isn't a mid year trade period this year. they've lost PRyder. We could/may well have had Wines in red'n'blue in 2018 ?

Senior, quality, onfield leaders we don't have. How many do we need; we need a spread, across our ages. Of the seniors, We did with Lew, but he's cooked now. Bernie's dusted as well. Jones is not really in the bracket of winning knowledge. He's just a fine example of work-rate. Not what i think of as a tactical leader. Garlett, well, is Jeffery. what else. ----------- Viney/TMc are the emerging leaders, who don't have enough on-field role models, for them to learn from... agricultural. That's the leadership angle.. ----------------------------- We need inside/outside mids who are capable. Both Sloane and Gaff ( Restricted), suit us, in differing ways Sloane ( Restricted), helps to fill the maturity void, between our 25Yr - 28yr olds. At 28Yrs he brings us mature leadership with vast experience, and he works both the inside and the outside. We could give him one contract (3 or 4 Yr term), that would see him through,,, which would work in well with our young guns coming thru. Re salary cap... Mahoney can balance the books, so the timing of payments work out. Gaff ( Restricted), has been mentioned of as soft-ish... but gut-runs, finds his own footy, and this year is working inside the mids as well his tackling is on the up, and generally is maturing as an all round player. I see him now as a need. ???? Luke Dahlhaus??? Lynch ( Restricted), will bring us a real option as a follower in the ruck, who will mark around the ground and rests deep forward as a potent threat. IMO he would work brilliantly with 'the Weide', who moved well the other night without staring at all... but showed he's getting closer. Did not look out of place, and i think 'Weide' will come on this season, with his game. .....2MtrPeter would be fantastic also, for deep forward, but I'm unsure of his following abilities. Maxy ( Restricted), is currently at maximum value now, and is 'a sell' at the top of the market, me thinks. I would prefer to keep TMc ( Restricted), over Gawn. TMc ( Restricted), is a strong mark around the grounds. We should be going Ball's out, after Sloane, and Lynch. ------------------ Trades out, possibility's > Gawn frees cap space. we get something back. Tyson, could be of value ? Brayshaw, ? Neal-Bullen, ? Kent,? .

No... it's a thread about our bigger needs; and surplus. We need maturity > Sloane, can run and carry, is an inside and outside mid.. We need midfield gut runners > .Gaff We need midfield marking. > Lynch, We need a mobile follower ruck type who can mark regularly in the midzone. > Lynch. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maxy, although lovable clown he is; is not a great ruck/follower. Taps are overrated unless he can put the ball in their hip pockets. Him getting tap-out stats, does not equate to clearances won. He just does not do enough around the middle of the ground that is damaging in favour of the D's. So I'm suggesting we should think about allowing him fresh pastures. in favour of us winning Lynch's services. It is the midfield marking that was our key last year, and the bollocking work Pedo did that assisted us in our prime form Mid 2017_ That work of Pedo bear and TMc, really aided our mids to run and carry, and deliver, netting us a better outcome. Maxy is too big, in this area, accept as a beanpole. Maybe the Giants could do with him. IMO we need Lynch,,, and either-or Gaff, with his newfound areas of inside work, and Sloane, ranger's inside and run work, and his maturity suits our list. .

He's working hard, just not in form, as the team isn't, collectively. When it clicks, we will all fire.

really. Oscar. Lever & Kitchen will throw the sink at him. Its the bummers small goods that's the concern. And that stringer.

self belief is what makes ALL the difference in talented but struggling young players. don't you ever ! look within the words, to search for the meaning ? or you haven't discovered this yourself, yet.

We lack senior leadership, and we also lack quality gut run. Midfield Marking is missing from our team stats, big time... I truly do not think Gawn Maxi-mouse can do it, on a regular basis. He does lack the intensity required for finals matches. Far too Nice. ========== Wattsy worth ? Thoughts ?

It's not so much individual, IIt's a team confidence thing due to us lacking enough senior leaders around the 27 Yr bracket. We have oldies,, and newbie leaders; with little in the prime.

belief; self; a funny thing, happened on the way to the 'G'.

And he's a senior leader now... who is playing like a baby boy. He is NOT showing the way forward, as a 28Yr old regular senior player should be. ... more in the mold of, watts his name again. lackluster efforts.

relax macca, we've got this one !

Garlett has to be dropped, for not turning up for 2018.

Bs: Hibberd, OMc, Wagner HB: Smith, Lever, Brayshaw CL: Lewis, Hogan, Hunt HF: Melksham, TMc, Jones Fs: Spargo, Weideman, Harmes Foll: MGawn, Tyson, Oliver I/C: Vince, Hannan, Salem, TSmith,,,,,,, (e) Fritsch Jetta(rest) Garlett, Neal-Bullen

Jones - never stops trying Jetta - just a shadow McDonald - disciplined and impressive needs more intensity Hibberd - brave but flawed Oliver - mostly wasted possessions Salem - soft under pressure Tyson - missing second half Hogan - played with heart Stretch - just a plodder Brayshaw - just a game Harmes - continued poor season Petracca - talents are wasted Vince - game has passed Neal-Bullen - irrelevant and fading Gawn - effective but friendless useless in play Kent - quiet before injury good 1st Qtr Lever - 4 solid quarters mistakes but improving Wagner - disappeared after first a good game Weideman -little to excite something to build-on Hunt - continues downward spiral Garlett - waste of selection Melksham - kept us in-it

very disappointed in ANB this year. just plod plod plodding along. Harmes is just outa form like Jetta is/was. Garlett looks lazy for some reason. no where near as committed as last year.? I would play Lever as a defensive wing intercept and midfield marking option. And have frost accompany Oscar. Oscar needs to step up, again, and develop a bit more intensity around the loose ball. Max Gawn is sooo-far overrated in AFL, its ridiculous. Hes just tall, thats all. can't catch,, can't field,, cant run,, can't play.. Swap Gawn for Lynch or 2MtrPeter.

Nah, I think its the opposite. I think he knows its for one game only this time around. I think TMc is due back in,,, against the bummers, 5 days after we play the Tiges. Sam will go back to Casey, after the D's/Tiges match.

They weren't expecting, 'from him', they were investing in him. the expectation will arise when he's ready,,, to pay some back. Installments, hex, whatever you want to call it. We are paying now to teach him. to develop him, so he can return favour. he didn't arrive gift wrapped. Is Fritz ready? is Salem ready, is Wagner ready? is stretch ready? Was Oscar ready in 2016/17 ? Was Gawn ready in 2015 ?

Caseys food leaves them all behind.

He's never been right spuda, ever since Dermie left him face down in the mud.

IF we're ever going to become a top Power club, then we have to EAT UP this sort of media garb',,, and spit back in their faces. Via onfield actions. and OFF-Field as well with our admins. Not come onto the forums whinging about the media. This stuff should be fire for our Hunger. not a bellyache.

With respect, I think the term with "bullies" is just wrong, when used for the Melbourne footy club. We are not bullies in any sense within the AFL. I wish we could be termed bullies on the field, but sadly we are not. Front running team, yes, we go well when our opponents do not. But when the torch is applied, we go missing. This is what we have to change out our spots for,,, scales, not fur.

not looking with an open viewpoint. looking thru a glass onion. so many can't see, what they do not want to see. the forward who maybe a defender in waiting. or the defender who maybe a wingman?

there's no 'A', yet. experimenting. searching for the balance; How can we have a set plan a or b,,, when we aren't yet settled Re best 22, as regulars. Its too soon. We will make finals without a real setup. Just not in stone, yet.