Dr. Mubutu

If any other club's recruiter does that deal, they should be fired immediately (especially considering Academy, F/S and zone selections, pick ~6 will likely be pick ~10). I, however, will be over the moon.

If we didn't pick up Daniel Cross, we'd be pummeled by 10+ goals every week.

Hogan, Dawes and McDonald in the same forward line will give me nightmares for weeks to come.

This, I think, is the most important part. Why do we persist on Howe in the backline, where he's not a defender's bootlace, when he is obviously best used up forward? This was even referenced by Roos after the Geelong game (and yes, I too think it was lip service). If anyone can provide some sort of insight as to why we keep him in the back half of the field, and not in the forward 50 as an attacking weapon, I'd welcome any explanation. As to what the coaching staff was thinking not playing McDonald on Reiwoldt on Sunday, the less said the better.

Worst part was that we had one in the first minute.

Finally, the tough love: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-01/paul-roos-flags-delistings-at-melbourne-after-port-disappointment

Remember the game in late 2012 where our centre bounce 4 were Spencer, Bail, McKenzie and Nicholson? Those were the days.

This loss was definitely more deflating than that one, but I feel nowhere near as bad afterwards. (That perhaps shows how low we'd ebbed). IIRC, that was on Easter Sunday 2013. I was still baying for blood by the Thursday. Given their trajectory since then, the result shouldn't be surprising, but it still smarts. Start of the worst 3-week run I've experienced as a supporter. (Yes, that includes 186.)

No excuses, just over the sommelier club on here extolling the (perceived) virtues of a player not with Melbourne.

What claptrap. Viney has shown more leadership than Wines, even if only through necessity. I, for one, am sick of the self-flagellation over us not drafting Wines. He's come on, being able to be the 4th-6th best midfielder in his team, and having better players around, so when he doesn't perform, it's nowhere near as obvious. He was drafted to Port, we had our chance but pulled the trigger on Toumpas (which IIRC had all and sundry over the moon on here at the time), but to say he is a better leader than Viney on exposed form? Come on, WYL. That goes beyond revisionism.

One would hope it would be the other way around.

Jeez, that says something, considering it's basically taken word-for-word from BigFooty.

Wouldn't it be nice to support a team that doesn't roll over and die when things start to go a bit against them? Sometimes I wonder why I continue to follow this club. Oh wait, maybe it's because the members don't roll over and die when things start to go a bit against them. Maybe the players should take note......

Melbourne Football Club: Novel, unique, shlthouse.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Should be dropped to the development league until he learns to give a [censored].

As you said, he wasn't our worst today (unfortunately). How about a certain player who was apparently worth pick 7 last year?

6. Brayshaw 5. Garland 4. Hogan 3. Grimes 2. Cross 1. Spencer -$750 000 per season. Howe

I'm just saying, just because a player gets a RS nomination, doesn't mean they will turn out to be a spud (which is how the post read). For the record, I place absolutely no currency (other than whatever financial reward the actual winner gets) on the whole Rising Star hoo-ha. The actual WINNER usually goes on to have a good career, but as we all know, one nomination does not a career make.

Yes, that's all well and good, but a certain N. Jones also picked up 2 nominations for the Rising Star.

In saying that, we're yet to see the first generation of cyborg footballers, so never say never, I guess.

Given the professionalism, speed and impact of the modern game, there is almost zero chance of a player hitting 400 if they are not currently above 300, let alone any new players being durable enough to play 300. To put it in perspective, playing EVERY game, including 3 finals, makes 300 games in 12 seasons. Every. Game. It would require a massively superhuman effort to even get to 300, really. Hell, we've only had one in ~150 years!

Well I've completely ballsed it up. Apologies to all.

M. Jones following the J. Magner slide from 'raw but important mid' to 'small forward with very little pressure' to 'surplus to requirements'. In no way is this meant as a sleight to either of those two players, they were exactly what we needed at the time. But even Blind Freddy knew that if we were to improve, they should quickly be rendered NQR. As much as I love Jordie McKenzie for the same reason, circa his recruitment through to last year, if we're to move forward, we need someone who has more skills than 'having a crack'. I'll continue to stand by our #13, but unfortunately other players have surpassed his skill level on exposed form.

Actually, huge apologies to N. Jones. I'm so used to him being head and shoulders our best, that I probably mark him too harshly when he's not in the top 1-2.

6. vandenBerg 5. Hogan 4. Garlett 3. Vince 2. Spencer (who would have thought!) 1. Cross Apologies to Fitzpatrick, Pedersen and Brayshaw.