Little Goffy

It's interesting that most of the players one the presumptive 'cut' list are 25 or older. Right now we have about 20 players under 23 years old. That will push even higher in 2016, even with a couple of Free Agents or trade-ins coming in. What does that really mean? Really just that predicting how things will go in 2016 is a mugs game, but we are at least unlikely to get worse. Bwa ha ha ha ha urk.

Well, a premiership by 300 is a reasonable aim. Maybe even in his actual 300th - 20ish games a season for 5 years should land it at about the right time. Obviously the fact that his 300th game will be such a triumph is the reason nobody in the media feels a need to talk up his 200th. #thinkpositive

Come now, Geelong are on the verge of their worst season in 12 years! They might even finish with the same number of losses as wins! One more goal last night and it would've been their third 50+ point loss in a season! How could they cope with only having the same number of 50 point wins as losses? But the real test of Geelong's character will come next season. What if they continue to stagnate in the murky celler-dwellar zone of 6th-10th place on the ladder all season? Can any serious football supporter be expected to stay loyal and firm after a second consecutive season out of the finals? But we shouldn't worry about Geelong's negativity. they have proven truly resilient over the years. Missing finals 9 times since 1989 has been a tough ride. And I'm sure that their disastrous pair of wooden spoons in '57/'58 still crush their souls every bit as much as Melbourne's golden era of the time lifts ours. Sure, they won premierships five years before that, and another one five years later, but still... tough times. Ok. I'm done with Geelong comparisons. Someone else already posted the Selwood/Jones win-loss experience.

THE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CAPS-LOCK-WORTHY JOYOUS BENCHMARKS FOR BEING HAPPY ABOUT THE DEMONS PERFORMANCE AGAINST FREMANTLE! Here are four big ambitions (and the number of times it has been achieved in last 5 games against Freo) 1. Kick at least one goal in each quarter. (twice - 2012 and 2013) 2. Lose by less than ten goals. (nope) 3. Have a goal-kicking accuracy of better than 40%. (once - 2013) 4. Kick 7 goals. (nope) I propose a drinking game! For every target we reach, finish your drink. For every target we miss by the end of the game, finish your drink, pour another, and finish that one too. I honestly think I'm losing it.

In the Hogan v Hawkins contest going on in my head, Hawkin's pretty quiet game tonight (1 goal, no contested marks midway through the fourth) means that the 'win' on both stats is within Jesse's reach. I almost don't care about the game result on sunday, just get it to Hogan every chance there is and let him finish the season No. 1 for contested marks and top 10 for goal tally. Then again, that's probably our best chance of winning, too!

Honestly, call for an investigation into Freo. And since my main 'negativity' is about how the players think it is ok to only play when they feel like it... I'm not sure I'll be all that impressed.

We're negative... because as we all know, every other club's supporters would be happy-clappy in the choir and leaving with a grin.

An interesting choice of example. Since our 2007 implosion Western Bulldogs have had only one season worse (on wins count) than Melbourne's very best season in that period. Right now they are right in the hunt for a top-4 finish. And we are getting consistently better attendance numbers than them, year by year. Got any more examples of how the Melbourne fans are 'negative'?

Lol, now what we need at the club is more sledging of opponents? Because that is definitely a sign of quality skills, team orientation, high fitness, and consistent alertness.

Indeed. Pattton was quite the moron. His Lunatic ego-driven advances around the sparesely defended wide sides of Sicily completely ignored the strategic situation, and even the pre-agreed Allied plans. While the British/Allied forces ground along against hard defences up the short east coast, Patton's arrogance saw Allied supplies and forces diverted to the terrific mission of successfully shepherding German/Italian forces back to the North-East corner, allowing them to make a protected, organised evacuation to mainland Italy, instead of being cut off and annihilated. In that particular case, misplaced speed and 'swagger' likely extended the Italian campaign duration by months and cost tens of thousands of lives. The essence of his 'boldness' was that he was convinced he was a great general, never really believed anything going wrong was his fault, and he never saw any need to improve or change, and only ever cared about his own objectives. Here's another Patton quote, if we're going that way - "I believe that a good deal of my success and a great deal of my unpopularity is due to the fact that I fought every order to take troops away from me, and frequently succeeded in holding on to them or in getting others to replace them. " Patton never sacrificed his own resources or glory for the sake of the overall objectives. As for the Melbourne Football Club, I'd prefer a great big dose of humility and resilience over some posturing 'look at me' types. They actually need to grasp they they are not such a big deal individually. They only matter as part of a team.

Just a little bit longer... just a little bit longer... just a little bit longer... Just... one... more... rebuild...

So recapping that's; 1. Execute basic skills 2. Execute basic skills 3. Don't be like Premiership Geelong, be like Premiership Hawthorn 4. Run a lot 5. Work together 6. Work together 7. Be predictable going inside 50, don't worry about the four defenders controlling the space 8. Execute basic skills 9. Don't be like Premiership Hawthorn, be like Premiership Geelong 10. Kick the ball forward even if there's no good option to kick to and a 50/50 chance it'll come sailing back over your head. This reminds me of the old 'alternate ten commandments' jokes. Y'know starts with the comfortable ones about "don't stab people in the eye" and "be excellent to eachother". Then there's the one about the moon being made of green cheese, and only having mustard on hot dogs, never tomato sauce, and definitely no onions, but also remember you must always have onions and tomato sauce on hot dogs because mustard is the work of the devil.

Terlich (paid out), Bail. Riley and McKenzie are the players out in the first 'rinse' as i see it. Jamar, Howe and Dawes are three players who are also potential movers for various reasons. Howe is lining up to be the overrated exiting Demon of 2015, in the proud Johnstone/Scully/Sylvia/Frawley tradition. So I'm anticipating 6 players out, which is enough for one off-season with an allegedly weak draft. That gives Grimes and Garland one more year to heal their scars, or at worst be depth behind Salem and Junior. Hopefully this all translates into 4 draft picks (including one boosted by the Howe trade) and 2 free agents coming in. That's where things really get complex.

A quick look through my stash of depressing or angry songs, looking for nominations. Bob Dylan, Not Dark Yet Faith No More, Last Cup of Sorrow Aimee Mann - Wise up Actually, Last Cup of Sorrow through stadium speakers could be brutally satisfying. Although the ambiguity about it being either 'make a new start' or 'kill yourself' could be a problem. Or, ideal. Geez, it's growing on me.

Based on the skill, speed and audacity of women's team, I think you're barking up the wrong gonad. Maybe what we need is someone to convince the men's team that they aren't already champions and that, like the women, becoming excellent at football is going to require that they break down their assumptions and really focus on doing things professionally. Have the humility to acknowledge that their kicking action / decision making / balance / running style / etc needs to be worked on if they are going to be a true AFL player. This lesson was learnt during the Spanish Civil War - women recruits made better guerillas because they never assumed they already knew things, and they got on with learning how to shoot, sandbag and scrounge. Incredibly, I'm really thinking that even after 8 years of abject failure, what the Melbourne Football Club needs is a massive dose of humility.

I'm currently unemployed, looking to get back into work after a Master's Degree, and have had to keep putting off and putting off getting a membership until I finally managed to have enough, on the last day of valid annual membership purchases, to scrape an armchair membership to keep my 14 year run going. The equivalent of about 3, maybe 4 weeks of 'not just bills and food' money. Back when I could afford it I gave wads of cash to the debt demolition fund in multiple years, I gave to the Mt Theo community fund in Jurrah's home town, I attended the crazy 'Demon Summit', and it just goes on. I give and give and give, anything I can that might be useful, and like the other members who have stayed firm, I'm not getting much back. - Players who play when they feel like do not deserve six-figure income job security for years in advance. - A coach who has not shown a single new or appropriately tailored tactic, training method or even an original excuse does not deserve a million dollars a year. Bring me in for $50k and I'll arrange for the rest of the cash to go to specialist skills coaches. Could watch lolcats the rest of the time and make more difference. Right now the only strong point in this club is the supporter's outrageous level of commitment, and I fear it is currently only running on the basis of the 'sunk costs fallacy'.

The only way this can get worse is if we turn things around in the second half. It might make the scoreline look better, but it would also underline just how... something, I dunno, y'know what I mean? Whatever. F' it.

Carlton's top players came out and set the tone and the whole team has come with them. I can't help wondering, maybe that playing group just has some kind of rage response to former premiership coaches brought into clubs as overpaid consultants? Hell, if Roos didn't have his reputation behind him, he'd be on the skids right now.

MODERATORS I'm going to make an unusual suggestion. After this game, could you please open a new thread that is set to not censor foul language. I think we are all going to need it.

Casboult out actually makes me feel a little better. He's just the kind of oversized unreliable key forward that has a tendency to have their one really good game each year against us. Partly because we haven't had anyone to match up on that type since... Ben Holland? Losing Casboult means that we now have a very suitable match-up for all their forwards, even with Jetta out. They have so few really dangerous midfielders that I'm confident that our cluster of defensively capable midfielders can close that threat down. Their defense is short. If Hogan gets the measure of Michael Jamison... look out.

There's the makings of a great group of leaders coming through. Already shown calm heads, refusal to give up, and willingness to play according to the team. Hard to say who will emerge as the next captain.Two years from now we could be saying Jack Trengove again.

Would be the first time any team had tanked themselves out of the finals contention! But, I guess they realised that playing us at Etihad was going to end their chances anyway.

Is this round currently ontrack for the highest aggregate margin of all time? Just ticked over 200 points after 3 games..

It's a funny coincidence that you mention Collingwood, and specifically Sidebottom, Pendlebury and Swan. They all had excellent games today. Ahhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. It feels great to reinforce my belief in prioritising 'actually having a best 22 on the field' at the same time as laughing til I fart at Collingwood's expense..

If I recall correctly, the Gettysburg Address was only about 250 words long. Probably why it is so well known. As for Garland - - If "Category 1" is players who clearly aren't going to be AFL standard and should be cut at the end of 2015 - And "Category 2" includes players who are making a barely adequate contribution right now, but who we must hope will either improve or be overtaken by kids soon. Then Garland slots into category 2 at the moment. Not for just dumping in a year with at least half a dozen cuts coming already, but definitely needs to improve to survive any longer than 2016.