praha

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.

The game was lost with 6 minutes remaining. We had the ball at half-back, 1 point down. We chip it around half-back, against the most dangerous team in the league. It was bound to go downhill from there. We turned it over and they scored a goal. Game over. Ultimately, that moment was representative of the final 10 minutes: Port took the game on, Melbourne didn't.

I agree about Queens' Birthday. I don't understand it. Your comment about Anzac Day is abhorrent: no one "celebrates" Anzac Day. Well, if the oppression and shaming of a group by race is representative of a collective interpretation of racial identity, what's "pride", specifically? Isn't it the same thing? This is kind of my point. I am not actually against the week as a recognition of culture, because culture shapes ideas and identity. I get that. I just find that in the same way collective norms have fuelled racial tension, specific recognition of race -- being "proud" of the colour of your skin -- walks the same line of division. Indigenous players, collectively, have not contributed to our game, in the same way the "white" race hasn't. Indigenous players have, on their own accords, contributed to the growth of the game. I'm just of the belief that individual growth and recognition is a great product, representative of Indigenous contribution, as opposed to a collective approach that recognises race as a product of culture (if that makes sense). I feel that in Australia we fight fire with fire. We need greater recognition of the individual, and less of divisive "pride" in race, because said pride, specifically white pride, is also what fuelled the grubs to hurl abuse at Winmar. I hope I'm making sense. It frustrates me that we can't have a discussion about racial recognition in this country without someone hyperventilating (not saying you are, thanks for the constructive response). I don't feel weeks like this have helped stamp out racism. It's a greater sense of awareness in that we judge a PERSON on their acts and character, and NOT that of the colour of their skin. Evidently, a week that highlights the colour of someone's skin seems counterproductive to me.

RACIST!

What's great about it? And for the record, I am not saying it ISN'T a great week. My problem is actually the kind of response you gave to my original post: this self-proclaimed sense of moral superiority initiated whenever someone tries to constructively challenge it. I simply want to understand what the week is ACTUALLY about, because I struggle to identify with racial pride. I find it bizarre, and I think this week actually lacks identity: is it about culture or race? Because they are different things.

Can we use this thread to vent out frustrations about the Indigenous Round?

Sign and trade I believe are possible: you can negotiate the trade and contract mutually so long as the player agrees to the trade (as you said), and then trade off the asset. I'm surprised this hasn't been more prevalent in recent years. Step 1: Negotiate trade with GWS, including contract size for Frawley Step 2: Sign Frawley Step 3: Trade Step 4: Extend Cameron contract Step 5: Profit But yeah, Frawley won't agree to a trade to GWS even for a million dollars a year. QUESTION: Would people trade Watts and a pick for Cameron?

I think in this current free agency environment if you're not prepared to sign good talent you risk falling back into mediocrity. Some of you say throwing piles of cash at someone isn't the "Roos way" but he had a number of stars on his teams with the likes of Goodes so I think it's an ignorant way to look at things. Sydney built a good culture and that doesn't mean you can't sign good talent. Free agency is an important change in the industry and the club can either be at the forefront and be prepared to pay talented players or it will bite them in the bum down the track (think of how the Chicago Bulls have struggled to sign big free agents since Jordan left, partly as a product of ownership reluctance to pay big for stars). We were paying Clark $600,000 a year so I don't see why or how Cameron isn't worth an extra $400,000. Get him.

lol check out the guy tapping Flower on the back at 5:51 with the radio glued to his ear.

They run very very well and very hard and are probably the best team atm on the transition. We have improved tenfold in this area but if we can stop their run and keep them to the boundary we are in with a chance. This is based on the team's performance against the likes of Adelaide and Richmond. If the Rounds 1-3 team show up, no chance. Anything less than 5 goals is a plus imo.

Throw 10 years at Dangerfield for $10 mil.

I was only one at the time but every Melbourne fan I know that was alive at the time relives the year with a glow in their eyes. I've watched a few games from that year. Seemed like a great time to be a fan. That said, the standards are higher, and the team is coming from a considerably further way back. I think the team is now in the 5-16 range in that they can beat anyone within that range, which is obviously very broad, but I'd say they're still towards the bottom of that list. They can beat anyone from 5th to 18th imo. But considering how on par 10-11 teams are on game day, it makes it a lot harder to make finals. I tipped 6 wins at the start of the year, they can probably win upwards of 10, but there are still some very good teams to play (Hawks, Cats, Power, North, Freo, Pies), as well as away games against the Suns, Eagles, Power. Can beat Bombers, Roos, Dogs, Lions, Giants. Reality kicks in and I'm just looking forward to seeing this team compete every week.

We don't score enough. Maybe 8-10 goals.

Does he still live in Melbourne?

Won't be surprised if Bleese is offered up for pick 30-40. IMO he has zero defensive game and even though he's been trying this part of his game at Casey, he is far from AFL standard, or at least the standard we expect of a Roos team. The fact that in his 6th season he still can't get a game is telling. I don't see why he is any more likely to stick around than Tapscott.

Can the OP provide a link to the auction site? That would be nice...