praha

Last year's game was the first time I'd ever left before three-quarter time. That third quarter was truly horrid. I watched all of the Essendon game last year but for the last 10 minutes. But that North game was harder to watch imo. They had given up, which was frustrating because they were in the game and playing respectable football up until half-time.

Well, the reality is that going into the match we were equal-last. Yeah, we've improved, but we're still a bottom-8 side. Going up against a top-8 side, unless it's a MASSIVE upset, it won't get the respect. IMO, consistency is key. We have the consistency in many areas, except winning.

They're about as uneducated as Richmond supporters. Probably have a bit more cash to throw around than the typical Toiges fan but Bombers fans are notoriously stupid. I remember when they beat us by 5 points in the finals in 04 they were starting to celebrate the Premiership!

That tackle turned the tide. We took control of the match from that point.

Get on it: https://mobile.twitter.com/Gaetano_Prestia/status/478114078682906624

This team is great at being not all that great. Defend well but break down and simply refuse to take the game on. I understand the defensive mindset, but is there really such a lack of talent that they can't score more? They get the space but then fluff the kick, kick it inwards, kick it above a short player, or all of the above. It's frustrating to watch. Awful. And yet, still in it. Amazing.

AFL members is terrible. May as well just get a reserved seat in GA for whatever game you want to go to. Unless you go to 3+ games a week it isn't worth it. Next year I'll keep my Gold membership but I'm getting a Trident Melbourne membership. I'm sick of AFL members. For what you pay, the services and offerings of the area are subpar.

Lol love the conspiracy theories here! It's just brand management and it appears to have nothing to do with the AFL. They have played the ad at the cricket as well. The MCG should be recognised worldwide and an exercise like this just helps that cause. Some of you are overthinking this.

Simon Godfrey epitomises the Daniher era team's problem: too many players that needed to be carried by a select few. You don't win flags with salad...I mean players like Godfrey.

Well, it either says a lot about Melbourne, or a lot about the standard of the VFL. Or both... Sylvia would be getting 30+ touches a game on an average day in the VFL. It's not surprise that the WAFL and SANFL are better leagues.

Why are talking about a Fremantle player? Guys around here really have a tough time letting go.

That quote makes me throw up in my mouth.

He is a required player, but not for more than 650k a year. TBH I suspect he'll stay. Just seems silly to jump ship now that the pieces are coming together. Hawthorn can't have too long left with such tired legs about the place.

Socialism is and always has been a way to distribute the proceeds of success to those less fortunate, not always disadvantaged. Melbourne is disadvantaged as a product of its own decisions. I hope one day Melbourne is one of the "big" clubs being punished, instead of being looked upon as a leach. The AFL tries really hard to make the league more "equal". It would be better served to invest all of this funding into direct business management education for the clubs to steer them in the right direction. ATM I just see a whole lot of money thrown at a problem that never seems to go away. I know a lot of the inner-city greenies here are going to jump down my throat but there's nothing noble about being given a leg-up in a competitive environment. If the season itself is a survival of the fittest, why isn't the league more broadly? We've hated on the club for its off-field ineptness, and those issues haven't occurred at the hand of Collingwood's or any other big club's success. The club has been a product of its own failures and imo it should have had to get through them on its own accord (and it did in some regard during the Stynes years). I mean, the success we see now is great, but it's a product of league intervention. It admittedly angers me. Sometimes i let my ego get the best of me. I hope it gets to a point where the club can survive on its own. If Hawthorn can, Melbourne can. Hawthorn were worse off than Melbourne was in the mid-90s.

Wow, Jamar! Astonishing. IMO he's playing close to AA form.

3:20pm is fine. Bit rich for Melbourne fans to be critical of the league milking networks for more money when said broadcasting cash has helped keep the club afloat. We are not in a position to be critical. Try and make a time of it. You telling me you've never gone out for dinner, or to an event, or anything at night? A late lunch/early dinner, home before 8. People hyperventilate about the time scheduling and all that jazz but reality is the times are only different by 1-2 hours and I don't see how this actually disadvantages anyone.

Are people really crying about a 3:20 start time? Sometimes I can't tell if we're living in 2014 or the 50s. The game will be finished by 6pm. What's the problem?

It's not the same thing. I think the team responded well after going out there expecting the game to be played on their terms early on. Yes they were caught out, but we won a lot of the ball early on but simply didn't capitalise, they did.

I've come to think this, also. At first I liked it because I thought the club should be proud of its history (and it should), but holding it up as justification for respect is a bit rich considering the club's lack of success over such a long period. It's time to redefine the club and we're in the middle of this, I'm not sure the current brand reflects where the club wants to go.

I use Foxtel Go when overseas. Watched the Melbourne-Adelaide game last August while in Germany. You have to hook up your Foxtel account to do this,I think it's a matter of creating an online account using your account details (like account number, name, address, all that jazz). I registered ages ago so can't quite remember the process. You might be best served to just download the FOXTEL Go app for your iPad now, and try and organise it before you leave. Although, some members hear have reported that it doesn't work for them overseas. It worked fine while I was in Germany, and I plan to watch the QB game while in LA on Foxtel Go on my iPad. http://www.foxtel.com.au/discover/foxtelgo/default.htm Give it a go. Let us know how you go!

I think it'll be 65,000-70,000. I'll be in LA for work but my girlfriend (only been in the country for 5 years!), mum and two sisters are all going. I've turned the girlfriend into a bonafide Demon! That's an extra 5 that would not have even contemplated going the past 5 years (well, my girlfriend would have come had I been in the country, I always miss QB because I'm always away for that weekend). I'm sure there are more bandwagon fans and members that normally stayed away, especially in 2012 and ESPECIALLY last year when the team was playing its worst football in 20-odd years. Still, they got 50,000+ last year, mostly Pies fans going by the replay, but I'd expect an extra 10-15k Melbourne fans this year, surely! Playing too good a brand of football to miss the club's biggest match of the season. 66,768 is my bet. EDIT: My God, they were bad last year:

We weren't asleep, it just seemed as though they underestimated how hard a running team Port is, and how effective they are in transition. We controlled the play but the Power capitalised.

Blease is done. Won't be at the club next year.

He's our Ritchie Vandenberg: a great club man and leader, but ultimately, not quite the guy you can rely on.

He's our Ritchie Vandenberg: a great club man and leader, but ultimately, not quite the guy you can rely on.