Adam The God

Yeah, I guess that's what I'm asking. Do we think there'll be the typical 100 point flogging at the hands of Hawthorn.? I'd also add to your post, mate, that it will be interesting to see how our guys react (particularly the younger guys) to being broken down as a result of poor skill and decision making. Will they go into their shells or continue to show a belief in the systems that have been set up? This may very heavily come down to how well we start the season. That might sound strange or simplistic, but confidence is a great thing and if the players can see the systems at play working in the season proper, they're more likely to believe in them when times get tough, as they will invariably do at some point during the season.

Slightly random tangent, but wasn't sure where to ask it. Does anyone think we'll lose by 10 or more goals this year at any stage? Or do we have similar expectations on this to win count? I've said since last year that we'll win between 10-12 games. I think we will and that is also the expectation I would have. Nothing less than 10 wins. So what does it say about the team if they cop a 10 or more goal loss?

I think it's quite likely if it didn't appear that Goodwin had taken more of a front and centre role (something Roos and the FD have been clear to underline), the media and supporters alike may well have been making ugly noises about switching from Roos to Goodwin, just as things appear to be clicking with the former.

I don't know the inner dynamics, but having Roos and McCartney on the bench during the NAB Challenge seemed to work alright.

Yeah, that's a solid team. My one concern is that each time GWS have beaten us, they've flogged us on the outside. There's not a whole lot of pace in that team, although there is a bit across half forward, which would be tasked with stifling their defensive rebound.

Good work, mate, but I'm not convinced the first one works as well as it could. The Melbourne skyline is just not iconic enough. I'd actually have the MCG as the backing behind 'THIS IS MELBOURNE'. As for the Chinese one, not totally convinced it's culturally appropriate, but anyway.

I agree with a lot of this, but why do people keep taking it for granted that Roos will be in the box? I think he'll be on the boundary line ala his final year at the Swans and th NAB Challenge. Further, I'd argue being the calmest isn't the most important traits in a modern day coach. I've got a good mate who has worked at Hawthorn for the past decade and he says Clarkson loses his nut. We've also seen this multiple times on TV. I don't think there is a particular style that will work for every team. It's a horses for courses type deal. Happily, the Roos/Goodwin arrangement seems to be working for us.

I've always found it a bit rich listening to the 'List Analyst', a bloke who completely bungled Richmond's list. He might say the occasional piece of common sense, otherwise he's just as bad as the rest. The same with David King. He didn't last long in a Footy Department. I wonder why...

That might also say more about Col unfortunately.

Well, I think you're right in regards to GWS and the Bulldogs. I'd have us in there as well. The other two are harder to pick. I don't rate Collingwood to the same level in terms of top elite junior talent, but Treloar certainly helps their case, but I don't see the midfield depth that we'll possess. I reckon despite being crippled by more walk outs come the end of 2016, GCS will be in the mix. The AFL will want to ensure the GCS are highly competitive by that time. So I'll say the fifth team will be a team from the West, most likely West Coast. I wonder where Brisbane will land too.

FOX FOOTY - "Who's number are you putting on the back of your Melbourne jumper?" Urgh.

Where do GCS sit? I guess we're all expecting them to lose more players, in which case they might be in trouble. I don't see Sydney, but I'd agree with the rest. Funnily, I can see SOS f-ing up Carlton's picks too. I think they're gonna be in for Melbourne-like ineptness for a few more years. The bloke had so many picks to deal with at GWS and his strike rate isn't too flash. He's now got less room for mistake.

I'm saying if we're a serious football club it shouldn't matter where we play. It's not like we're playing an NT side, with a vicious away crowd that knows the ground so much better...

Okay, how about I pose this. Name five teams that will be vying for the flag in three years and what likelihood do we have of competing with them?

Yeah, it's the reality of both our lack of members, but also the massive Etihad overheads, which mean you rarely break even there, even with large crowds.

If you then compare her reporting of the MFC issues to any issues covered at the RFC and you see her bias works both ways. That for me, makes her a poor journalist.

I know we're comparing our young list with St Kilda's, but I think your point about "our top end elite juniors [being] far superior" stands across the competition. I think we're even ahead of the Bulldogs, because at least we have half a spine. They have more midfield depth, but star potential, I think we have them covered, even in the midfield. Really only GWS and GCS could compete with us on that top end elite junior talent, but both of those sides have been diluted as they've lost key A graders in Treloar and Bennell respectively, while GCS look like losing O'Meara, Prestia and possibly even Swallow. The talent those two teams had access to was always going to be spread around the competition a bit eventually, but the personnel that they've each lost has actually had a greater impact on their lists than I had anticipated. Have I missed another team that has the volume of elite juniors we have? We won't make finals this year, but I think next year (injuries permitting) we could leapfrog from 9-12 position to 8-6 position. Exciting times.

Well, I'd say that most commentators and fans had a very narrow-minded approach to the loses to the Saints over the past two years. People who were actually watching the game and thinking about the both lists could see that we were starting to assemble something, whereas the Saints were relying heavily on their older brigade. The media are very much focused on the now. They rarely look ahead at potential.

So two games this year of which I can possibly convert my Hawthorn-supporting girlfriend of nine years to Melbourne with an MFC win. I don't have high hopes though. With the exception of one match, they have owned us big time for the best part of a decade. Exactly. We have assembled an absurdly talented group of young mids and have two of our four bookends covered for the next decade. If Weiderman and Frost come along, there are our other two bookends. We can then start to poach good players from other sides in the FA and trade windows too. Amazing what a good pre-season comp can do to supporter confidence, eh?

If Hawthorn can sell their games to Tassie, we can do the same. I'd rather every game played at the 'G, but I'd also rather my club making money. This rubbish about NT=loss of premiership points, is just that. Rubbish. How anyone could have a problem with the selling of one match for $500k is beyond me. We haven't won up there because we've been an incredibly ordinary football side. There are other factors, yes, but once we're up and about we'll be winning these games and getting a $500k paycheck. I'm glad PJ is running the club. What a star.

I reckon we'll be playing finals next year too. That wasn't my point. Next 6ear we will not be challenging for the flag. I'm sorry, but that's just rubbish. He'll be 28 next season, so even if we got him he'd have 3 (?) years with him, during which time he'd prevent us from developing a younger replacement. He's too old for me, but that's just me I suppose.

That's outrageous. I had no idea they'd turned their list over as much as that.

If fit, Jack's best position will be off half back, with very occasional forays into the midfield. He's a good decision-maker, good disposer, tough and reads the play well.

If Jenkins was 24, I'd be all over him. By the time we'll be having a serious crack, he'll be 31-32. Too old. In fact, recruiting someone like him would only delay the progress of a younger option, whether that be Frost, Weiderman or someone else.

For me in this clip, he still does exactly what he does now. He marks a ball. He then takes a few steps backwards and takes a few extra seconds to assess the next kick. The game is too quick for this now. Even since 2009, the game has changed dramatically. You have to get the ball moving quickly and Grimes is literally the only one that doesn't consistently. You watch the St Kilda replay and every time he gets it, he will take a few steps back and assess the options. I've never been a fan of Grimes as a footballer as many of my posts will attest. I've liked him as a clubman and I hope he can improve his game this year, but I think he's one of those with just too many scars to re-program. I wouldn't necessarily be unhappy if they gave him a rookie spot though at the end of this year.