The Chazz

Waiting for Jack's quote "I am certainly enjoying it down back, it is so much easier than playign forward". The key point is that he said "The ball coming toward me is helping". That's becuase it comes toward him more playing in the backline for Melbourne than when he plays forward. When Jack is playing back, he is opposed to roughly the 3rd or 4th forward (given that Frawley, Rivers, the artist formally known as Garland). When Jack played forward, he was generally against the 2nd best defender. This has been flogged to death BH. I have agreed with your view to some degree (saying tha tthe backline is easier at low levels), but not at top levels, and nothing you say will change my view on that, unless you can show me your resume of how many AFL level games you played. PM me with your personal record if you would prefer, oh that's right, you don't do that. No area on the ground is easy at AFL level.

Very well said B59. You and I could walk it when we head to the pub and have that beer that you owe me!

Sedat Sir - Justin Charles - James Manson Wasn't the greatest line, but put the fear in to most, and put doubt in the minds of our American tourists whether they should come and see a game of Ausie Rules.

Truth is DC, noone other than Lowy and Arbib (and a couple of insiders no doubt) know the reason why the govt spent that much on it. When the richest bloke in the country goes to the govt and tells them this is what he is doing and this is what he wants them to do, they generally do it. No government wants to pi$$ off the wealthiest bloke, that's fact. To say that it was a vote grabbing exercise, I don't agree with, but that's your view and I respect that. I think it was more a case of Lowy promising something that he thought he had total control over, yet he was so, so wrong, and the govt ended up with egg on their face. I'm amazed at how this discussion has gone from someone looking at Arocca as a potential replacement to schwab, to me saying there were rumours about Ben Buckley being linked to the job, to then Buckley getting the blame for the failed FFA world cup bid and the state of the A League, to then his name being associated with wasting tax payers money in something that the realist would see that he had absolutely no control/say in. Wowee...

Oh dear, and you accuse me of wasting cyberspace? You better tell Neeld that the importance of winning contested possession counts, tackle counts, and clearnaces is how they used to play in the 70's and 80's and that the game has passed him by.

In hindsight, absolutely it was. At the time, Lowy and the Federal Government were riding the crest of the world cup wave, thought it would be a great idea to make a bid, and they lost. Lowy had it in his head that he/we would win, sold it to the Fed Govt, they bought it. How this argument has anything to do with Ben Buckly has got me stuffed. In regards to the Judd comparison, I guess the MFC spent our money (members money) chasing something that was never going to happen due to a corrupt competitor. How many hours and personnel did the club invest in to the Judd chase? I'd imagine there would've been a few dollars spent on it. To the same degree as the world cup bid? Of course not, our operating costs as a Club weren't even as much as what the govt put in for the WC bid. The point was that the Club spent our money on a lost cause. Any way, at this stage, I think Schwab should stay.

Why did the Melbourne Football Club chase Judd?

C'mon Old, you're better than that. Lowy pushed for that bid, what was Buckley going to do? He had no option other than going along with it, and the fact that the government put in $46m "tax payers" money was more ignorant of the Australian government than Buckley. Lowy, being the richest bloke in Australia at the time, found that his ego got in the way and in the scheme of things from a world-wide perspective, his money didn't give him the power that he was used to/expected/sold to the Aust government. (Nb. that part about tax payers $$ is directed at B59, DC and the other Old!).

Buckley is the CEO of the FFA, with the A League being just 1 part of that organisation. No doubt there are some clubs that are struggling in the A League, but it would be arguable that football/soccer in Australia is as strong as it has been for many years. The obvious success(?) of the Socceroos helps with this, but I think you will find that Buckley is a very good operator and boss of a very strong and stable organisation.

Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story RP. Are you calling the A LEague a basket case?

That's my take on it MB38. If we need to replace anyone from here on in, we start with the best and work our way back from there. Was interesting to read an article in The Age about strong rumours circling regarding Ben Buckley going to North. Bloody hell, I only suggested him about 2 weeks ago on here as a potential replacement should such a position be available at the MFC. Good to see Brayshaw reads Demonland!

Sorry you feel that way DG, obviously Daisycutter and Old Dee don't believe I wasted cyberspace. But brace yourself, because if I don't agree with something written, I will continue to "waste cyberspace" on this forum.

I understand that S475, but do you hear NFL people referring to their Quarterbacks as "rebounding defenders"? No. So why should we refer to our rebounding defenders as "quarterbacks"?

Does our team need a Quarterback, or a Point Guard? We play Aussie Rules football, there are no such positions on the ground. It's either back pocket, full back, half back flank, chentre half back, etc, etc. Our game is unique, let's keep it that way.

I appreciate your points regarding your view, I don't appreciate you getting personal BH. What gives you the right? PM me with your answer, because I'm sure a majority of posters on here are sick to death of it. And no, we will not find another site, we have as much right to contribute to this site as you do. Seriously, PM me so we can discuss matters privately rather than boring everyone else on the public threads. If any player on the Melbourne list finds their position easy, we're in trouble. Also, as you are obviously basing part of your opinion on what Harry Taylor said in an interview, have a listen to what Buddy said after his 13 goals, something along the lines of the midfield making his job easy.

Bloody hell, we've had 1 win for the season and already some supporters are looking at the GWS game as a chance to play fringe players and rest our better players. I await the flogging.

Really Old? Ok, maybe it's only 2 kicks. The elite performers in a lot of sports have one thing in common, and that's being able to see plays before their opposition/opponent can. I have a strong belief of this. The fact that Watts has that quality proves to me that he could possibly join similar ranks. I also think $cully has it - even in his handful of games he knew in his head where a teammate should be, handballed it there, but that player wasn't on the same thought level. When there is one small step for the MFC, it will be one giant leap for Jack Watts.

Ben, thanks for the spelling lesson. eye coodnt kare howe menny wirds eye spelled rong. The problem with you, and it's a big reason why I'm glad you don't have anything to do with the coaching/development of this club, is that you are too busy focusing on this kid's weaknesses, rather than playing to his strengths. Neeld has shown that the move to the backline is highlighting Jack's strengths, and as a result, he is playing the best footy he has in the red and blue. While we disagree, you haven't convinced me to think differently. I've given you examples of why I believe the backline isn't the easiest place on the field to play, all you've given is because it's easier to react than initiate. You have not provided any evidence in your opinion, as a result, it earns no respect from me.

In the 2005 Grand Final, Sydney won the flag by kicking 8.10.58 (the same score we kicked on Saturday night). The drawn GF of 2010 saw both Clubs kick 68 points each. Finals footy will often see low scores kicked, and the experience our team can get playing in low scoring matches like Saturday night, especially in winning sides, will only help when we start playing September footy.

See Benny boy, you do have it in you to provide an interesting reply without carrying on like a two-bob watch. Thanks for listening to my advice, makes your posts far more tolerable. However, we will have to agree to disagree. At the levels of football I've played at, the backline is the easiest place to play as, as you said, it's easier to react than initiate. But, that's why I never made it to AFL standard, where all players must have the ability to initiate or they turn out to have a career like Matt Warnock. I think you will find, if you watch him very closely, that Watts, while playing in the backline (aka in the "react" position), is doing far more initiating, hence his 3 BOG's in the last 3 weeks (approx). I'm sure you will agree that it takes a pretty special player to be able to initiate play from the backline (see Matthew Scarlett - a defender who basically won a grand final for his team). Actually, you won't agree becuase it is Watts we're talking about and you are still dirty on the fact that he was recruited as a key forward yet we are playing him the backline. Watts has the ability/potential to make any position look easy (the sooner you appreciate that the better you will feel about his drafting). At the moment he is doing it in the back half as it suits "him" at the moment. When Watts has the ball, he has that ability to know what player should get the ball in 3 kicks time, that's before he gets rid of it himself. Playing where he is, he can guide/force the team to play on the same wavelength as he is, which makes the forwards job a lot easier. Look at all the good teams, the main role of the forwards is generally to run to a certain position and mark it (not that difficult) because the defenders and midfielders are disciplined enough to kick it to certain spots each time they go forward. The MFC isn't there yet, hence why Watts is playing where he is - because our players find it more difficult playing in the backline to set up such moves forward. I remember hearing Neeld say the other day that the problem with the U18 system is that it spends so much time on teaching the kids to attack rather than defend. Why's that? Because at that level, and the demands that the AFL clubs put on the elite level juniors, it's easier for them to attack than defend. FWIW, the Harry Taylor interview (while I didn't hear it) means nothing in this arguement. He's just kicked 6 against GWS. Do you really think he'd come out and say that playing forward is "easy", considering he's played 99 games in the backline and 1 up forward? Obviosuly you did. Ask Tom Hawkins if he thinks it's easier to play forward, back or ruck.

I bet you couldn't believe your eyes when the organisers put him up at $560,000 at the start of the year? That was until you realised that they would give you that in credit if you put him in your team!!!

Melbourne Football Club - Played finals-like football. Neeld was spot on when he said contested, hard football wins you finals. We saw a brand of football on Saturday night that will win finals...one day!

Are you more a Supercoach man Old? I'd imagine you'd have Bennell as your captain?

I thought the bolded heading was something you liked. Was trying to work out why those 3 words impressed you, could only come up with the fact that he put his balls on the line playing Garland up forward, so when we got up, he and said balls celebrated due to their realtionship being saved. Am I on the wrong track RR?!

Heard a stat that it was actually a record-breaking win. The gap between us both on the ladder prior to the match (2nd v 18th = 16 spots) is a new record, beating the previous mark of 15 spots (which I believe was 1st v 16th).