Binmans PA

I'd be keeping the pick. Unless an absolute gun full forward was on the market -- Buddy is about the only one I'd go for.

I don't need to say it now.

I disagree. I don't think we change our game style particularly much in the wet weather. I'm not saying I know the answer, but perhaps it could have something to do with us still taking the game on (playing our usual run and carry style) and the opposition playing safe football?

How can you rank Gysberts after only two games? He may turn out to be an even better player than Boak.

Fair enough.:D Time will tell, I suppose.

Very good point, Nasher. Aerobic capacity seems to be a big issue. This will come with time. He certainly has to have a big pre season though.

As I keep saying, it's not a structural issue. It's a work ethic issue. If we don't work hard enough up the ground, then our plan falls down. When our midfielders aren't switched on everything else breaks down, unless our backs are really rebounding strongly (Frawley, Grimes etc). It's the overlap and run and carry, which creates our exciting footy. Without any of the former, our forwardline is made to look ordinary. When our plan works, they're made to look very good (ie the Port game). I don't deny there needs to be a Plan B, but let's learn the Plan A first. Gain more consistency with it and then once we've got that mastered, Plan B is the go. Like Geelong, they started with their Plan A in the mid 2000s and started to win more games than they lost. But they had no Plan B and so lost out in the Prelims. They spent the next two or three seasons developing their Plan B and finally in 07 everything clicked. That's what we need to follow.

Watts was drafted at the age of 17, unlike Riewoldt. That's what jnrmac meant. Effectively, he is playing his first season, as his first season, he was concentrating on his schooling.

People still don't seem to understand -- results won't come over night. It's going to take at least one or two (perhaps more) seasons to get the forwardline chemistry right. Just as it did with the backline. Warnock, Frawley and Garland all looked ordinary in their early careers, but with games under their belt, they've become essentials to our long term plan. The same should therefore be expected of our forwardline. Give players like Watts time. We still have LJ, Tappscott and Petterd to come in. Once we've pumped 40 odd games into these kids, then we can judge them. Until then, to make judgements just proves a lack of footballing experience, on behalf of shortsighted supporters.

Well said. Wholeheartedly agree.

I disagree. This is the sort of post that could really apply to anyone that's not in the team atm. Very predictable post. Where is player A? The match committee have dropped the ball with regards to player A, as our forwardline couldn't function. Nothing about our midfielders or backmen lacking the intensity to run and create, in order to allow our forwardline to perform effectively in the first place! Dunn may be worth a game next week, but he didn't do enough to retain his spot in the first place and so dropping him was the right decision. He has now played one good game (I haven't been keeping up with Casey stuff over the past couple of weeks -- has he been playing well or was it just this one game?), it was bound to happen -- a supporter criticising the match committee for not playing a player who rightly didn't deserve to keep his spot a couple of weeks ago. Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad Dunn has played a good game, but it means [censored] all if he can't translate it to senior footy. So whilst I'm glad he's put his hand up, that's all it is atm. He's putting his name in front of the selectors and that's what a player who's been on the list for five-ish years should be doing (at the very least).

I think our gameplan requires a 22 player effort. You only have to look at the games we've played well in this season - we've had even contributions across the ground. In all of those games players have been running hard for each other, making space, position, demanding the ball and delivery quickly up the ground. Our gameplan looks very good and is extremely exciting to watch when it comes off, but when we're off, we're really off. Our lack of intensity and willingness to run and provide for team mates can be minimal at best (in our weaker games). This amazingly is where our forwardline is made to look ordinary, lacking direction and structure. But it's actually the backs and midfielders responsibility to run and create from the other half of the ground. Particularly, when we play such a counter attacking game. So when the backs and midfielders basically refuse to work hard, our structures fall down everywhere else. We won the clearances today (I'm pretty sure), as we did the hit outs, but our disposal efficiency was in the mid 30s (in comparison to 72% Carlton). This poor delivery made it incredibly difficult for the forwardline to function, but more crucial to our demise was the lack of intensity, not necessarily in the packs and scrummages, but on the outside. We look like a bottom four side when we don't work hard for each other. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but if we're to have any chance next week, we have to bring the intensity that we showed against them earlier in the season. You can tell oh so very early whether we're switched on or not. Today it was obvious after witnessing the first goal that we hadn't turned up to play.

He does a lot of pointing for someone who regularly turns the ball over or is almost always caught in possession of it. It amazed me to hear today that he is actually leading the competition for clearances. It's the ball use, as you say RR which is really letting him down.

1. His lower body is not yet strong enough to keep his feet consistently and so forfeits a lot of competitions he's involved in. It's incredibly frustrating to watch from a supporters point of view and it is costing us a lot of important contests. 2. He is yet to master his leading patterns and how to attract the ball and where the best position to receive the ball is. I'm confident with 20 to 30 games under his belt he'll improve this area of his game. 3. The delivery to him has often been below ordinary. A number of times today, he lead one way and the player with the ball kicked in the other way, so Jack then had to quickly turn around and make position for the new trajectory.

Warnock is in our best 22, but he was beaten last week and his omission proves you'll have to be consistent to get a game in this side and that can only be a good thing. Bate had to come back in and Wonna isn't fit, so another tick for the selection panel, for me. It was obvious Trenners and Sculls would come back in, it would be nice to see McKenzie in there, but our midfield is looking so promising with Trenners, Scully, Gysberts and then Grimes and Morton able to play through there. I can't wait for tomorrow.

Rubbish article. It's such horrible, horrible paper.

I did notice and said exactly the same thing.

Big man. Feel good being sexist? Reinforce your manhood? Good on you. I think there's a point where MFC supporters expect a little too much. I'm fine with pointing out the players that aren't up to it, because those tough decisions need to be made in order to form a premiership winning side, but even the most one-eyed neutral supporter can see he's going to be a star of the competition.

Good read. Well said, bring on Carlton!

You need discipline for the midfield...Grimes is a gun. He makes some errors here and there, but he's playing in defence and hasn't yet played 25 games. I'm not against releasing him into the midfield, but I think there is still more to be learnt down back.

Our Jet has been fantastic in the games he's played this season. Deceptively quick and strong. He's a very clever player too. I'm loving him at the moment. The pressure applied today by JB, Jet, Flash and at times Aussie was great to see.

Yes, I agree. He does rise more to a challenge. It's frustrating. I think he did a couple of fantastic things today. He just needs to do them consistently for four quarters, every week, against top opposition. That'll make him A grade. He has the ability, it's all about the desire and mindset

Nice article. Anyone notice that the HUN couldn't spell Moloney's name either?

Gys was fantastic. One of his handballs at one stage today reminded me of Scully. Lightening and I think it went to Sylvia who set up one of our scoring shots. Can't wait to see him line up next week against Carlton. Who the hell goes out? I know who I'd take out, but I doubt it'll happen.

I thought he was very ordinary. He may have been second in possessions for us, but he's on the fringe in my book. With Gysberts, Scully, Trengove, Grimes, Morton etc playing in the midfield, we'll only have room for one tough, in and under and I'd say Jones has him, simply because he's generally a better kick than Moloney and he's not as one dimensional. Moloney may love the club (and good on him), but sometimes I wonder why there's so much love for him on here and little for others that deserve more praise than he. IMO he's a very ho-hum footballer.