Little Goffy

Hmm... if we traded Miller (which, honestly, looks like it would be best for Miller) then Riewolt would be a very handy addition without causing much intereference in the team structure. The Demons have managed to keep a steady ship as far as club politics goes, despite a poor start to the season. I think it might be a good selling point to Riewolt that we have shown a few years now of no silly buggers tolerated in the club leadership and list management. Could this be the first tangible on-field benefit of Paul Gardiner's steady presidency? Certainly it's a point of difference between the Demons and Brisbane. In a funny twist, Brisbane might take Miller if they can't get Riewolt, which could be the missing piece for us to get Riewolt. Or it could be a direct trade Miller +2nd rnd pick for Riewolt. (bargain? how about Miller and Jamar for Riewolt?) Urrrr... even the thought of trade week makes both my head and my heart ache. Other question - Grant Thomas gets along well enough with Daniher doesn't he? Because you'd think Riewolt would stay in touch with him, wouldn't you? Last thing we'd want is a star player with a 'ghost coach' unsympathetic to the new club!

I'm quietly hoping that the 2003 draft will turn out as good as our incredible 1999 draft. Sylvia, Mclean, C. Johnson and Davey(rookie) vs Green, Wheatley, Bruce, Whelan and Godfrey(pre-season) Note that with Wheatley having just played his 100th and Godfrey just three games shy of also clocking 100, that would mean that all five draftees from 1999 will have passed the 100, which is a fair mark of whether they 'made it' at AFL level. There is no denying that 1999 set the shape of our team since (for better or worse), but I actually feel even better about '03 because that draft has been backed up by some good solid drafting in the years after, whereas the '99 draft preceded a drafting slump where we only did OK for a few years. Anyway, Sylvinator, you basic call looks right to me, though I would be quite so quick to tip '200 games' for everyone. Even Whelan might not make 200, and that's just been through bad luck, obviously not a shortage of ability or effort. I like the '100' line because it gets the player's name on a locker. Craig Cameron

"white colour(sic) criminal" they say. "I can not wait for these(sic) day!" "we are the loyalist(sic) football supporters, THE WORLD HAS EVER HAD!" Damn, I couldn't finish the first post. I love some of the suggestions they came up with for their revenge banner - especially "Season Dee-railed". Somebody please make a point of asking to borrow it when we're eight goals up halfway through the final term. I also liked the way they've fixed on 'what goes around comes around' as the motivation for the revenge banner, without noticing that they'd been s&^%ing everyone off with their 'Game over' banner for months before we dished it back to them. Seriously though, that 'Season Over' banner was a masterpiece, cruel perhaps, but a perfect whack at the filth and their insane arrogance. "we need a witty one liner to remind them what a shite club they really are...." they say. They need a lot more than that.

Now why didn't we think of that? Obviously anyone's brownlow odds will lengthen the week after they have Godfrey tagging them! Should've waited til after the game. Meanwhile, how freaky is it that I'm starting to have real confidence in Godfrey doing a good job week in week out?

And there is where the problem with thinking about finals is - we've all done it on here wioth our post on this subject. As soon as you start thinking about finals you start thinking about 'well, we can beat them, and we can beat them, but that will be a loss... and so on". Frankly I think it's where the Demons have fallen down a lot, like dropping two games to Carlton last year - 'we can beat them', 'we are the better team'. And then out they come with a second rate effort. I guess the big question is, would Green go back home or to training thinking 'I want to make finals, so I have to give everything to win this game, now'. That I'd be ok with. 'Demons determined to never lose again' doesn't sound too bad

I think it would be shameful of West Coast to even consider letting him go as a cheap trade. They let his mess pile up, they were his club when he got into trouble they should be his club as he gets out of it. Cousins has to take responsibility for his actions as an individual and claw his way back to respect, but West Coast have to stand by him. That's the deal between player and club, and it would be many years before I'd respect West Coast again if they don't stick by him now. Besides, with Judd leaving to the Demons they'll be needing a star midfielder.

I just thought I'd share the message I sent to Mike Sheahan, in reply to his article. How's my 'formal writing'? It's easier than writing a whole new venting for here! Dear Mr. Sheahan, In your recent article for the Herald Sun you made a number of what appeared to me to be pretty shallow digs at the Melbourne Football Club. I'd like a chance to reply to a couple of the comments you made, particularly - "As has been the case for too long, the Demons don't have a real home. Their administration is at the MCG, the football department is at the Junction Oval, and there is a distinct lack of charisma (and marketing value) in the player group." I'm assuming you're aware that the MFC has made combining their facilities their top off-field priority and have been pursuing it aggressively for some time, with the target being to have a unified facility in time for the 150th anniversary season. That's next year, so hardly a stagnant project. So why did you make the comment? More to the point, why did you present the facilities situation as a part of a sustained malaise requiring action, when it is in fact a point being addressed? As for the comment about 'lack of charisma' and marketing value in the playing group, while I'm sure Lindsay Lohan would make an excellent centre-half-forward, are you seriously encouraging clubs to recruit based on, what? Sex appeal? Brilliant rhetorical flourish? Snappy one-liners? If you'd suggested the club should be doing more to raise the profile of players, I'd back you on it, but the 'distinct lack of charisma' comment is wholly pointless. A few other comments seemed a little odd - you seemed to imply that the lack of open speculation about Neale Daniher's position means nobody really cares. I could've sworn I'd heard, only a few times a season for every season since coaches became regular features of football, that it was unhelpful and disruptive for board members, players, or high-profile supporters to publicly speculate about coaching positions midway through a season. I've been taking the apparent calm as a positive sign that the Demon's aren't turning upon themselves during hard times. You also suggested that Melbourne's anointing of Brock Mclean as next captain implied such a lack of leadership that Neitz might have to stay in the position "til he's 40". Taking over the reins in 08 or 09 would place Mclean in the same age range at captaincy as Ball, Riewolt, or of course Judd, who became captain almost literally by accident. Though exceptional, it's hardly unprecedented, and the Demons used high draft picks in 2003 specifically to recruit likely leaders. To suggest that Melbourne is in trouble because Brock Mclean is considered an impending leader has probably raised many Demon fan's eyebrows and lost you some of their respect. If you really feel a need to write negative articles please try to reach for some depth, and maybe make some constructive criticisms. But shallow-researched sniping doesn't do the Demon's, your readers or your own reputation any good. Regards...

If Whelan is properly fit, in he goes for Brown, that's pretty straightforward. Yze in for Ward, to do the same job just better. But I think Bizzell out would be harsh. I see your argument but I reckon if Rocca starts to beat Bizzell then Carroll can move to him and we can work another option in for Buckley. Or we can show Rocca a mirror and make him cry. A good 3rd-man-up (Bizzell in absence of Rivers) would really screw the poos, since Rocca and Buckley are both pretty slow these days. Salivating at the prospect of Bell on Didak. A great opportunity to help the Channel Ten commentary team remember his name.

I was lucky enough to only be able to catch last weeks game on the radio, so Frawley for me is only what he showed us against Adelaide. I like. I like very much. I saw a comparison with the kind of effort and initiative we see from Paul Johnson. Good attitudes from these guys, enough indivuals like that and a whole team culture hits an upward spiral. Exciting thought that soon the Demon's defense could be their strong suit. Will take time to happen, which is just as well because it'll take a while for anyone to believe their eyes! Touch wood and all that. I reckon he'll play nine games this year - so he's still eligible for Rising star next year!

It's actually Queen Victoria's birthday. Cos she, like, suppressed the irish, massacred some arabs and africans, civilized/annexed a few 'backward peoples', and kept the Jews out of England, and that's the sort of stuff that gets you commemorated. Lizzie's a nice old bat, but aside from getting her house bombed by the Germans (she's just like the rest of us, ay) and wearing a few funny hats, she hasn't done enough to get her own 'day'. So, for next week's game, be sure to sing 'God save the Queen' for Vicky, not Lizzie.

Yeah, I'm sick of that rubbish too. I'm living in Canberra (so I deserve a break to start with) and somehow I managed to get to three of our first five games this season - that's two trips to Melbourne and a side trip up for the Sydney game. I've managed to use up all the games on my long distance membership every year since I joined (which is a while now) plus getting to our Sydney games each year. I do everything I can to catch games anyway I can, I can name our list, describe our injuries, remember who used to play for us, whose gone to other clubs, hell, I've even been to Sandingham games. But what am I saying. All this is basically normal for everyone on this site. So why the $^#% does this club have to put up with being labelled pissweak? We're a small club. We don't attract the 'blow-ins' who only skim the surface of AFL and only hear about the big clubs. With all these fringe supporters swelling clubs like Collingwood, it makes calling Melbourne supporters [censored]-weak seriously ironic, as well as just plain annoying. Up next, day grand finals will be getting called [censored]-weak because the TV ratings are lower than night grand finals. I'm proud to be a Demon, even while we're getting the rough end of the stick as AFL goes more and more commercial and cash-driven.

Walls' article is painfully shallow. Whats he saying 'hey, Melbourne have some valuable players which would be great for anyone but Melbourne'. Basically it sounds like his advice is to hit the PANIC button. Stuff him. These players are Melbourne. And the Hawks got the jackpot by trading overvalued second-raters, not first raters. And Everitt, which is a 'special' case. I notice Crawford still plays for Hawthorn. Surely they should've picked up a first round pick for him?

Yep, Wheatley in good form is a valuable player. That big kick really helps us break out from defense, where we often tie ourselves in knots. For that matter, a fit and in form Bizzell is pretty handy too! I'd say a solid game worthy of keeping the spot. In fact, how good was our defense today? Very heartening. Whelan, Rivers, Bartram all to come back soonish. I'd say it's a VERY strong outfit if Frawley and Petterd continue to develop even moderately well.

From what I saw and heard, Davey had his knee in a light bandage (no ice) and was walking around alright at the end of the game. Didn't look particularly serious, but you never know with this season. Didn't hear any issue with Neitz.

I thought there might be a lot of people on here interested in this article from the HeraldSun online. Especially this quote from Steve Harris, The Demons are concerned the second-tier VFL, where listed players not playing seniors line up with a VFL "sister club", may be slowing the development of emerging talent. Melbourne chief executive Steve Harris said the alignments had created a "winning agenda versus a development agenda". "The current second-tier set-up . . . has competing agendas for AFL and VFL clubs and is a competitive imbalance and not sustainable," he said. I can practically hear people popping champagne corks around this place - Especially all the Newton, Neaves and CJ fans!

Come to think of it, I haven't heard much from Neitz in the media lately... Anyway, how would people react if Daniher came out and said 'Yeah, we've been trying to add some extra elements to our game, it's a good idea but there's been some problems implementing it. We have real issues with turnover in our assistant coaching staff and I've been having some trouble trying to manage everything from the top. Stuff it, I'm going to West Coast to get the same kind of salary working as an assistant coach, while eight other guys give minute detailed attention to every aspect of training, teamwork and skills development.' Bah. If we wanted the cash we would've merged with Hawthorn. I'd rather take a crack at it and maybe one day win as Melbourne, rather than have a good shot every year as the Demawks.

You must be kidding? 2 more years in bottom four? Honestly, I'm still not convinced we'll finish THIS season bottom four. I think it's fair to say that there will be a bit of a clean out at the end of this year, but consider who that clean out might include, anyone from - Ward, Brown, Holland, Wheatley, Ferguson, Bizzell, Godfrey, even Jamar. Some delistings, some trades maybe, there might be a reitrement or two as well, from other players. But we could lose all eight of them without making a dramatic change to our performance. (harsh) And then we'd have a Craig Cameron party in the draft, with at least fairly early picks to boost things along. (and then of course we'll be getting Judd, on a charity-case salary, with a preseason draft pick) But before you even look at that, consider what we can put out there as a 'youth' team already - FB: Bell HB: Bartram Rivers Petterd C: Moloney Bate HF: Sylvia Miller Davey F: Dunn OnB: Mclean Jones That list obviously doesn't include the players who aren't quite proven yet but seem credible - P. Johnson, C. Johnson, Newton, Frawley. Given Miller's inconsistent form, you'd have to say our main issues with the youth squad are key positions and ruck. So come on PJ, Newton and Frawley! I don't think a long term slump is on the cards. But damn, I had really hoped that the odd-year even-year thing was over...

Yep, I heard the umpire comments too - 'under pressure (blah blah)', then, the gem... 'he was paddling it to himself, he was paddling it to himself'. If that was paddling to yourself, then I reckon Byron Pickett was trying to bounce the ball, not tackling the Cornes boy at all. NNNaaaRRgggh.

My first instinct is to go for past players... Top of list would be Viney, given he has coaching experience for a few years with Hawthorn's (lets face it, overachieving!) midfield. Hmm... Jimmy Stynes, the media would love him - the accent alone would be worth a thousand memberships. Maybe as a youth/ruck coach, rather than top job. I imagine he'd want to carry on with his youth support activities, though. Then Gary Lyon. Lots of people seem to find him very annoying. Minimal coaching experience, may not actually be interested, given he's raking in the dough and keeping his ego nice and safe commentating from the sidelines. Connolly just about IS Daniher, as far as strengths and weaknesses go. Be nice if Sting came back for some more fitness and prep work. But really, the cupboard seems a little bare as far as past players go. Maybe by next year, NEITZ!! Hey, Roos went just about straight into coaching...

I dunno about best game ever... but damn I'd be laughing! Actually, my train of thought shortly after I heard that Rivers was out, and Sylvia wouldn't be coming in was along the lines of - 'Well, we're mostly screwed... but... if we win this we'll actually have the same number of wins as supposed new permiership fancies Geelong, and probably ahead of the supposed unstoppable Fremantle...' If we win, they'll need to call a fleet of ambulances to the 'G as thousands of Demons supporters collapse into laughing fits at Geelong's expense. It took one win for them to get ahead of themselves. A win against the 2006 spoon team. We're in with a shot. We match up surprisingly well considering the circumstances.

McDonald and Jones, it's fair to say, kept us going on the ball Whelan was solid, Carroll worked hard under pressure Bell, again, was a solid performance Brown and Ward were some of our better running-creative players Green, Moloney, Miller, Robertson, Jamar, Rivers and Godfrey were mostly OK and sometimes good White & Jamar, Johnson, Wheatley and Bate all struggled But Johnstone and Davey are where I'm really worried. Gotta get that magic back, hell, they ARE our magic But seriously, "Bruce - no longer elite"? Ho hum. I'm real impressed by your bagging. No really. I can't wait to see you at training, telling it like it is to the coaching staff, who obviously are in real need of your advice...

Freaky, that ladder is pretty close to my own. From memory, I went with WC Melbourne Freo Dogs Adelaide Sydney St. Kilda Richmond the rest I made comments including 'Kangaroos to finish lower than 16th if they lose Nathan Thompson for an extended period' and 'West Coast could drink themselves if not under, then at least down the table.' I feel guilty about Nathan Thompson, and now I fear I must pity the unfortunate Kangaroos. Really hoping my dire predicitions for Essendon, Brisbane and Collingwood all come true, though!!

Surely Neitz will be aiming for 300 games at least. By my reckoning, if he could see out his career playing as 'just' a reliable 50+ goals a season FF then he'd be pretty happy. And might have a few more years left in him, too. Maybe then people might start noticing things like the way he was in the top 5 goalkickers almost every year of the 21st century. But still captain this year - he'll want to grab that premiership before he heads back down to the goalsquare! It's much more fun being the captain that took Melbourne into it's mighty new era than captain for the eight years beforehand. A side note - Has anyone else noticed how Melbourne captains tend to go in a cycle of 1 long-serving, then a short stint, then another long-serving?

Ok, I was bored... Just how important is it to come top four? Well, discounting the value of home-ground advantage, and discounting the possibility of the week of rest... If each finals game is considered a 50-50 chance (someone has to win!)... If you do a basic sequence of probability (blah blah), coming top four TRIPLES your chances compared to a mere top-eight finish. About 18% vs about 6%. I just thought I'd throw that out there - now you have the stat. If people care enough I'll show the working too. What a different one measely game can make. How big a deal do you lot think it is to get home grounds in finals? Demons lost 1 game at 'g last year, best Home advantage in the comp!

This is an old one, but when I first got down to Melbourne in 2005 (at last! Regular Football!) one of the first games I got to was Demons-Carlton at the dome. (not a good omen, you could say) Sure we lost, which was annoying, but I got a bit of amusement when a couple of dodgy looking teenagers sat down next to me and started commenting about the game. Fair enough comments, though they seemed to think they knew everthing. It wasn't until Mark Thompson sat down directly behind 'us' that I realised I was pressing for room against Gary Ablett Jr. Dodgy looking teenager, definately! Nice way to arrive for a year of constant football... I mean, living in Melbourne.