Adam The God

I sat on the MCC members wing. Didn't hear a single boo.

I agree with your first paragraph, cannot with your second, Pates. It was extremely poor coaching from Craig. He left arguably Freo's most damaging player, S Hill loose in defence. It was weak and defeatist from very early on. He should have kept Watts up forward, thus manning that loose man. Playing Watts back simply means that he's allowed to play in an even more negative and less physical fashion.

My worry is with the other captain. Grimes is still a horrible decision maker. Trenners still looks slow but I love his endeavour. He'd be first on the team sheet every week for me, along with Col Garland and J Viney.

I'm another MFC supporter who has stuck up for Jack countless times throughout his career, but given what he has said in the press over the last week, his effort today was thoroughly deplorable. Today he was again laconic and avoided contests all day. He's not a combative player, but has more tantalising attributes than Sylvia of '08-'10. I think he's been dealt with harshly by our club on a number of occasions. Mismanaged is probably a better way of putting it. However, if you're going to demand high standards of the club, you must deliver yourself on gameday. If you don't, you won't get support from me. Talk about 'cheek'.

There was a moment today where a couple of vigorous Viney efforts visibly lifted team mates around him. It increased their appetite for tackling at that particular stoppage. It was brilliant. LEADERSHIP. He's a little ripper.

Pet hate. "Somethink". Outside of that and early nerves, he spoke quite well.

His defensive efforts all year have been rubbish. He jogs around. His lack of work rate cost us at least one goal today. I watched him jog five metres behind his man. He could see his man was going to get it and did nothing. His opponent put the skates on, received the ball and Howe couldn't catch him. I agree. He's only tradeable if you can get something decent in return, but the way he's going, his value will continue to diminish.

King of the Internet. Lol. This is a great post.

McLean, Moloney and Jones would be better than what we've got, but sooooo slow and one dimensional.

It's Roos or Williams or bust for mine. Don't rate Craig or Eade.

Offer four years and big contract. Don't pay overs with a pick or player of Watts' calibre. Imagine if we could add Martin and Sewell to our midfield. It doesn't look finals bound, but it looks competitive.

I would not trade Boyd for Sloane if that was the indirect plan. One could be an A grade key position player and the other is a good, solid B grade mid. Sorry, it'd be an ordinary deal on our behalf.

I'm not sure how the trade rule works. If Prestia re-signed this season, can the GCS trade him in the same year? Would love Prestia. More than Swallow. I'd do pick 2 for Prestia every day of the week. The new, faster Brad Sewell. If we could get Swallow for Watts and we got Prestia for pick 2, we'd do that deal. I am inclined to keep Watts though. I think he could offer us something special.

People need to stop being impatient and let the club do its thing. Everything has to be okayed by the AFL, so that is certainly holding things up and for the better. No brash decisions. Get the make up of the board right.

We said we'd take him if he was still there at 35, instead we took Bennell and Sloane went to Adelaide at 41 IIRC.

I'd do pick 2 for Swalllow, but I wouldn't add Watts too. I'm not sure I'd do Sloane for pick 2. I feel like Swallow has more upside than Sloane. Besides, Sloane would probably say no after the way we allegedly treated him pre draft.

I thought Kent offered more than Howe would have.

At least it's better than how the Roos thread has gone.

Why are there people still complaining that Roos' game style is ugly to watch? For one, he'd be pushing a different style now. It's 2013, not 2005 or 2010. It would be on the back though of strong, hard running, fierceness at the ball, discipline and courage. What horrible traits to have. And secondly, if Roos got us winning, yes, that's right. I said winning, not one MFC supporter should give a toss about the game style. That is the aim of the game. We have witnessed seven seasons of absolute crap. How about choosing to win for a change?

I don't mind it, although I wouldn't trade Watts for simply a draft pick. I'd also go really hard at Sewell.

As with Clark and Dawes, our only attractiveness at the moment is money. That's how we get Taylor Adams. Offer him a three year $400,000 deal. That's a lot of money for a young mid. Perhaps even add an extra year on that deal. These are the types that will turn around our fortunes quickly and the perfect age bracket.

I agree to an extent here. Once we inject some experience and class into our midfield, we will improve drastically. Our list is in better shape than many outsiders and indeed MFC supporters think. We just have an absolutely dearth of talent and experience in the most important place on the ground. Anyway, the part I disagree with is that the midfield is 'the easiest part of a list to put together'. Everyone says this, but to me it's a bit of a fallacy. I turned 26 in June and during my 26 years of supporting the MFC, I cannot recall us ever having an elite midfield. We've had front running midfields with some B graders that have had A grade years, but never consistent champs. That's what this club needs if it's to seriously challenge in this league. The rest of the pieces are slowly falling into the right place, but Cotchin's game against Hawthorn on Saturday highlighted further the importance of dominant midfielders, who can stand up against the very best opposition. We need A graders. We need at least two A graders to start with and then they will elevate someone like Nathan Jones to A grade. It's easier said than done. I won't go into who we should target specifically, because I've banged on about that across a couple of other threads, but on the whole, I agree that we certainly have the makings (ie potential) of a very good list. It's all about development, experience and game plans. We may appear soulless at the moment, but it was never going to turn around quickly. It takes a good HOF, a top-line coach that can instigate change and the continued support of the AFL to ensure our board and football club have the support they need to turn it around.

I respectfully disagree, BB. You only have to look at Trengove's U18 video to see he was clearly drafted as a 'boiler room type mid', as you put it. With his lack of anaerobic and aerobic power, he's simply not a chance of winning consistent clearances at the moment. I haven't given up hope of JT becoming a solid clearance player. Where I think he'll flourish will be on the outside. He's still young and seemingly crippled by OP. I don't hold the same hope for Grimes, but his ball winning ability tells me he could one day be suited to the 'boiler room'.

Every time Grimes gets the ball he makes his possession redundant by turning it over. Look, I'll retract the 'plodder' comment, Chook, but I maintain the same view as TU. If his kicking doesn't improve, he will never reach B grade. Jobe Watson couldn't kick either and he's turned it around, so there is hope.

Flexibility is modern footy though, BB. Players will be played and asked to play in multiple positions. Further, there's no way either of these guys aren't mids. They certainly are. They're just struggling at the moment.