Binmans PA

IMO, you're barely a supporter if you don't actually go along to the games and 'support' the team. It makes sense really. If you live in Melbourne and all that's stopping you from getting to games is grounds ripping you off, then that's the definition of weak. MCG's a rip off too, but I'm sure you make it to those games. Think about the food prices at the G. It's no different really from Docklands. I'm thinking around 39,000, but I hope in the 40s.

I like the white strip too, though I still prefer our proper strip. What pisses me off is that whenever we play Essendon, irrespective of whose home game it is, we always wear the alternate strip.

I think Ratten's done the same thing for Carlton. But that was after a year of tanking.

My Carlton mate tells me, they hope to play him at centre half forward and put the hack Cloke in the ruck. But with their mids, the tap may not be vital, but marking targets inside 50 will be. They hope Kreuzer will provide the other tall marking target.

I would have, but with the picks we may have come seasons end, I'd prefer two mids or one mid and a KPF.

I'm inclinded to agree. I'd just question whether a team could have long term success without a ruckman.

Another sensible post.

Agreed. I think it's still the honeymoon period. Voss's challenge will be to back this up next year. They go to the break 7-5, it's not like they're 11-1, they've still lost 5 games. Buckley hasn't had any experience coaching and it'd be an extremely HUGE gamble for us to take him on. Besides, I think Bailey is doing a good job so far.

Why are we so convinced Buckley will be a good coach? Because Michael Voss has been moderately successful so far? Great players don't necessarily make great coaches. Bailey will turn it 'round, when the pressure is on. Next year and the year after. Just wait a see. He's made some tough decisions so far, let him see out the next two or three seasons and if we see no progression (which I highly doubt), then it will be time to look around for another coach. But Bailey was selected by a highly regarded panel of experts (non-MFC people and MFC people) and I'm sure he wouldn't have beaten the other competitors, if he didn't have something special. This year is a difficult one, we need the priority picks and no matter what some supporters will tell themselves, there's no way we're not going to try and get the priority pick. This year is about playign the kids, getting games into them and by next year, we'll start our rise. Slowly.

Why do people think other teams will part so easily with their draft picks, in an already compromised draft pool? Whatsmore, some of these players haven't been good enough to get consistent games for the wooden spooners? (the likes of Dunn in particular) It defies logic...

From what I saw in the game on TV last weekend, his kicking is pretty accurate. He only missed the one set shot from memory, which was about 50 out. The rest he kicked straight through the middle.

So do I, but it's important we have a decent showing at away games too. It's about supporting the team, no matter what. I remember having to go out to Optus Oval, I hated it, but always went. This attitude has to change fellow supporters. Too many fair weathered supporters. Get along whenever it's in Melbourne. It's something like $11 with an MFC membership, if that. So money, surely isn't an issue. I really hope Jurrah debuts against the Dons too, but I'll be going irrespective of whether he plays.

I think we've got at least two or three already on the list, which with time would fill those shoes. Watts, Grimes, Sylvia, Davey, would be starters, then you've got Blease who hasn't even played yet who might come through, then there's Strauss. It's all about development and giving these kids time to develop into the class players. Not all class acts have begun like Daniel Rich. The beauty of drafting Western Australians has been visible this season in particular, with their ability to compete with the big boys, almost immediately. It comes down to their WAFL system, as apposed to our TAC cup competition. The TAC cup is a boys competition, whereas the WAFL is for men.

You must be joking? How would getting Buckley into the club be debt managing? If anything it'd put us in further debt. Buckley has always loved money (site his move from Brisbane to Collingwood) and I'm sure he'd want a packet. Furthermore, a change now would only bring further instability in the club, which at this point is finally building stability. Ridiculous. I guess there will always be knockers.

I disagree with this post entirely. Firstly, Bailey has shown the balls, he's delisted a number of senior players. Secondly, this year he has shown that reputation/experience alone will not automatically get you a game. I'd site the dropping of both Robbo one week, then Miller the previous as fine examples. Despite what some may think, you cannot simply get rid of every experienced player, you need to keep some out there, otherwise there will rarely be any direction for the younger players to aim for.

Spot on, mate. I couldn't agree with you more. Our spine (a vital part of a winning football team) right now consists of a young and inexperienced backline and an aging forward (Robbo) who is expected to hold together our entire forward half. We're an example of how difficult it is to win matches without a solid spine (FF,FB,CHB,CHF). We can hardly be blamed. Imagine taking out Franklin and Roughead, from Hawthorn's spine and simply replacing them with Robbo. They wouldn't win too many matches, I'm sure. The fact is, we're still developing youngsters all over the ground and lack experience in all areas and until we improve this (as time goes by), we won't be winning many games.

I'd disagree with this statement. Jamar's had two set shots at goal in two weeks and has missed both of them comfortably. Particularly, in the St Kilda game, his goal would have been very handy. He's always been a shocking kick and it's somewhere he's going to need to improve. As for my positives on the first half of the year... Bennell, Morton, Grimes, Davey, Frawley and Sylvia's last four weeks. It's also been good to see Moloney getting more of the ball. Moloney, Jones and McLean are all proving they have much potential, but as some of you correctly pointed out, need to improve their disposal efficiency. If they could just do that in the second half of the season, they'd certainly all move into the positives for me, this season. Getting games into a lot of our youngsters has been a plus also. Oh and Meesen showed some brief, but good signs. Off the field, I'm overjoyed with our football department: Jimmy and all his men and women, working tirelessly, in order to save the club, I love. So the new sponsors, new facilities and other new arrangements and plans are major wins for me. Now to the negatives... The injury to Garland has been a massive blow to our defensive half and I was really looking forward to seeing him play again this year. Aussie's injury setback is in the same boat for me. Lack of leadership on Monday was a big eye opener for me. I thought we'd come on leaps and bounds, in terms of leadership, but we certainly lacked it that day. Crowd attendances as usual, give me the irites, but I suppose the fair weathered ones will jump on when we start to win. PJ has been a disappointment too. Seeing his kick down Sylvia's throat against the Pies made it even harder to take in a way. He has some much potential, he NEEDS to start delivering. I'm sure there are more, but at 1.20 on a Friday night, with work in the morning, that's about it for me.

Good point. You don't have to be in the 'leadership group' to provide leadership.

What you're saying is true, Rogue. We're no different from any other. That said, I don't actually think we'll gain that many more new members (maybe 5,000 more, or 10,000 if we get an NT deal going), once we start to win, however we will certainly draw bigger crowds. I'd expect our current numbers to grow by about 10-15,000 with a winning formula and if we were to win a premiership early on in the peace, like the Hawks did, I believe we could probably go very close to the 50,000 members mark.

Adem Yze and Jeff White just to name a few.

Thanks. Doesn't mean he can't play the following Friday though does it? He didn't play at all last week, so they've got to get some game time into him.

Slight tangent here, but has anyone been watching Brock play for the last 3 or 4 years? I like Brock, I think he can become one of our top players, but he's never been quick, he's always been slow. That was obvious from the start. Nor was his disposal all that accurate either. Granted, I think his disposal is at a career low at the moment. I dislike digging players, but surely people didn't just notice it this year? The Bailey game plan might also be exposing Brock's lack of pace, with the attribute of run and carry required in our team. I still believe, however that if we get some quick players around him, his ball winning ability will push him through, as that is the one thing about Brock that is unquestionable. In reading a few of these posts, I was just thinking how quickly Sylvia has managed to win me over. He's still not entirely there yet, but I thought he was a lost cause at the beginning of this year, but his last 4 rounds have been nothing short of superb. I'm certainly in his corner now. And having shown his true potential, I hope he continues this. I would not be at all surprised if he polls votes in at least 3 of the last 4 matches, we've played.

This is an interesting post. I'm still having trouble believing we didn't play Bennell against the Pies, so I'd certainly bring him back in and I'd say, with Essendon's pace, we'll need Bennell across half back. He's easily the quickest player I've seen. Furthermore, Grimes and Cheney would struggle with the pace of some Bombers. I also liked what I saw of Jetta again, the other day. I would have been playing him all year, but perhaps he'll get his chance again, in Round 12? I'd still play Maric, but maybe drop Cheney? I wouldn't have a clue who to drop, in order to bring Jurrah in though, because Bate was in our best last week, yet he would seem the perfect interchange.

I wouldn't be surprised if they come out and beat the Eagles. Someone has to win.

IMO there's no doubt Bailey is a good player developer, but whether he has the tactics to win games regularly, is something that we'll see over 2010-2011. I don't think we'll be able to judge him too heavily next season either. I'd imagine we'll win between 6 and 9 games (in 2010) and with a young list that'll be a solid start. The following year, you'd want to be winning between 10 and 12 games. If we can do that, then I reckon I'd have confidence in Bailey taking us the long road. Bailey seems to be in touch with what I'm generally thinking about the team, so I have a lot of trust in his selection and player development. It's sometimes his tactics I question, but like I've said, it's pointless judging him on that at the moment, give nwhere our list is at. 2009 is about improving and developing the list. I think most people at Melbourne understand that we're still going to be lowly positioned on the ladder this year, no matter how many we win. Winning more than 5 or 6 is not realistic with this young list. But next year, I'll be expecting the above.