praha

"Melbourne just getting to terms with the tempo".

Started off very poorly. But we've evened out a bit now. Just sounds like for every good thing we do, Geelong do 3.

We're traveling better this year than we did the last three years with them, so yes, we are better off without them.

Yeah, but 3rd last in Melbourne, and we've played 90% of our games here.

Have you people been living in Melbourne for the past 8 or so years or what? Saturday afternoon games on 10 have ALWAYS been a delayed telecast at 3:30pm. I seriously can't believe any of you are acting surprised...

Joke of a thread. Teams always run out of puff. The fact that it was 30+ degree heat, and 70% humidity, I kind of expected at least a little bit of a fight back from the Power. Considering we're an inexperienced, young team, it was a formality, really. The fact that we weathered the storm and still won, despite having NO momentum and EVERYTHING Power touched turning to gold, is VERY encouraging. I couldn't care less that they came back. We won. A sign of a good side is when they hold off a challenge and still win, despite losing momentum and a big lead. A year ago, Power would have come back and won that game. That win probably defined our future more than any other win this season.

That is quite a sad, and true, story. A high school chum of mine plays at Essendon (won't name names) and probably three years ago he mentioned how distant the Indigenous players were from the rest of the group on a social scale. I guess that's a sign of being out of a comfort zone, and just being around people who are going through the same thing as you. A lot of people don't quite understand how different places like Melbourne are to remote towns in the NT and West. There aren't many Aborigines in Melbourne, and clubs definitely need people around to ensure that the players adapt well. We can only assume that the club is doing a good job with it. I've always been cautious of a player like Jurrah, who, I think, would have been through quite a difficult patch when he came down here initially. Once upon a time, clubs just cared about the skills have a player, and didn't really care about what they did outside the club or how they were adapting to life. Now, clubs encourage studying, part-time jobs, and do a lot of things together as a group to improve social bonding (going to the movies as a team, for example). Team dynamics are very important also. Like you said, I think the team has done a great job with our Indigenous players. We've thankfully got a player like Davey who is the leader, and he's got an amazing head on his shoulders. Players like him and Whelan really helped create a comfortable environment for players like Jurrah and Wonna.

His first game of the year, in 30+ degree heat, 70% humidity. I think we can bypass any slowness he may have had on the field. Let's see how he goes at Geelong next week.

Yes, sorry, I meant outside of Victoria. Can a mod possibly change "MCG" to "Victoria" please. Interesting nonetheless. Let's see if we can notch up our second win since 1988 (?) at Skilled Stadium

Catch-22. Taking initiative can work very well in your favour a lot of the time, but at the same time, you're defeating the purpose of having a head coach.

...July 8, 2006. Round 16 vs. Brisbane @ The Gabba. Melbourne: 14.14.98 Brisbane: 13.12.90

99,000+ will never be reached, mainly because of the MCC. The MCC is mostly responsible for games never being full houses.

I like going to Geelong to watch the Dees. I love Geelong, and I can at least handle their supporters. I don't feel anywhere near as intimidated as I have at AAMI or Subiaco. Probably won't go this year though.

Because West Coast kept kicking points?

I just threw up in my mouth a bit. Rivers is an extra man in defense-type player. Put him one-on-one and he's no good. He will throw his body on the line, and can blast through the defense with precision and skill. MacDonald is mistake-prone; Brisbane got rid of him for a reason. Rivers is a general. I think you are all forgetting his role in the team.

Eh. No excuses for today. I can accept a loss like that against a finals side, but to allow another bottom-half team to come in and outplay us on OUR ground in front of a sea of red and blue is not right and is unacceptable. I am sick of the young excuse when we have loses like these. I can handle them after a loss like last week or the Collingwood loss, but not today. Not good enough. We should have won easily today. And this club cannot counter the zone. All five of our losses have essentially come at the hands of zoning. If it happens next week and we still struggle to get the ball past the center-line for 10-20 minutes at a time, I'm going to kill a puppy.

We'll beat Collingwood. Mark my words.

Harsh, except for PJ. Considering our current forward stocks, Hughes and Bennell must stay in the team imo. Danny Hughes did enough.

He was easily one of our bests, but that's nothing to write home about in today's performance. Had 15 possessions (8 handballs), 2 goal assists, 5 marks (3 contested).

Did more around the ground, yes. Took a few strong marks, gave off some slick handballs and got some nice pick-ups around the half-forward line. Probably in our top 5 today I'd say. And he wasn't even that good. Says a lot about the team.

I was actually thinking on the way home that he would have been a handy inclusion today. I think one of the areas that let us down was the entry from the half-forward line. Miller typically plays along the flanks and wings and that's where he gets a lot of his possessions. Could have potentially been a 2-3 goal better side today if he was in imo.

I don't think it will happen. The logistics are not possible. When has a professional sporting league anywhere in the world EVER played a regular-season match so far from home? The turn-over is not possible, ESPECIALLY with a fast game like football. I can't imagine either team being particularly excited about it from the players point of view. From a marketing perspective, both teams are probably salivating at the prospect, though. And you watch The Footy Show? *gag*

So someone who has NOTHING to do with the club says a young player that has played 3 games has the wrong attitude? David Parkin is an old [censored]. I've noticed a lot of these older football commentators commenting on how his attitude must not be right if he isn't playing. Back in the days, school and body didn't matter; if you had the skills, you played in the seniors. Isn't like that anymore. If Watts' attitude wasn't right, why would he be picked to play? It's just this mentality running through the minds of the old codgers that if someone isn't playing, there must be something wrong. It's not always the case. There was nothing ever wrong with Jack Watts, it was just a matter of him being prepared to play AFL footy. David Parkin is a [censored] that is decreasing in worth in football circles. I can't believe the man still has a job in the media. He's worse than Leigh Matthews with some of the pretentious and outrageous dribble that comes out of his hole.

They've changed it.