Rogue

Gold.

Absolutely.

If it's the article I'm thinking of, it was an AFL.com.au author. No one from the MFC wrote the assessment and I wouldn't be taking it as any more a confirmation that Meesen's getting delisted as the opinions of posters here.

Blease is probably the untried guy I'm most hopeful will make it - I think a player with his strenghts would fit in with our side very nicely.

I second your modification

Great call.

The finals system should stay the same. It certainly doesn't need to be expanded!

Players don't have a 'right' to choose their time of departure, no matter how good. Johnson went on too long, but the WB were right to 'roll the dice' - as RR put it - on Aker, Johnson, etc. Eade should go to Essendon while he can still land a senior coaching role.

^Bring the above stats out next time people complain about our attendance on a miserable day. We were talking Collingwood and a final!

I'm pretty sure TMac is younger. I'd be interested to see what he could do as a lead-up forward, playing a link role. That said, he's depth. We've got plenty of talented guys that can't fit into our best 22 at the moment.

Even if Jamar won't be around when we're having a crack at a flag - and this is debatable - we're not going to be helped if we get smashed every week in the ruck, as Jaded has said. Look at who else we have in the ruck...

I think it's far easier to point to problems in your own team's list simply because you know it better. I don't know how much you've seen of North, but it might be worth pointing out that while they've beaten us twice they have a significantly lower percentage. They've been pretty woeful at times, particularly against better sides: * 39 v 143 St Kilda * 91 v 157 Collingwood * 57 v 127 WB * 78 v 139 Fremantle (at Freo) * 72 v 145 WB * 63 v 115 St Kilda As others have said, they get a bit out of some guys that are coming to the end of their career. At 32, Harvey's a star who can still really influence the outcome of a game, but he won't be around for too much longer. With all due respect to McDonald and Bruce, they're not in the same class.

So many discussions on Demonland are proof to the very opposite - just look at all the Demonland threads asserting that X will be a star, captain or 200-game player. Bell and Miller, who have just shunted off, are but two of the examples. Others have languished at Casey most of this season.

He injured his calf (and was using crutches after the game).

I reckon you're jumping the gun on Richmond. Let's put the performance in context - it was round 22, neither side could make finals, a flaky Port were interstate and still won.

We were massively over-rated and it was obvious. We had a demographic hole in our list and our better players were on the decline. (...and no, I'm not just a Monday expert - I created a thread to that effect after the 2006 season ended).

IIRC the first player mentioned is Bail, and the author says he deserves to be a best 22 player, which I found a bit off. Pretty good effort, though.

I think that's a valid concern - when I think Lynch I think marks on a long lead and long but inaccurate kicks. I'm sure he's taken an overhead mark before, but I can't recall seeing it.

OP: Good post. I can see why you might feel Trengove's been pretty disappointing - he's only around 3rd in betting on the Rising Star nomination, and he's had a couple of quiet games. These kinds of questions are hardly unique to the supporters of MFC, Nasher. Furthermore, I have no doubt that most MFC supporters do think Trengove will 'make it'.

Come off it. Morton's only ~20 years old and has played some good footy, while there are at least 10 guys to delist before Bate over the next couple of list culls , as things stand now. As for trading, while most guys are available for the right price, I have to ask what we're going to get for Bate if the consensus is that Bate isn't in the best 22 of a 10th ranked team..?

Good changes. I don't think it's a 'last chance' for a couple, no. You could mount a case for Newton, but most of the others are best 22 or thereabouts. As for everyone else, only McDonald won't be offered a 2010 contract IMO.

Perfect fit for Casey? We could have another Sautner.

I think our biggest problem recently has been clearances/stoppages, and that's no surprise for a young side at the end of a long season. With regards structure, I think it was pretty similar to the week before. Newton replacing PJ kept the structure the same in that respect. Morton's a runner in the same vein as Bail, who he was going to replace (until Sylvia was a late out). You could make the argument that Warnock coming into the backline changed the structure, but we were probably hoping to have someone like a Garland play a more offensive role. The one thing about the 'game plan' I don't like is that our forward structure doesn't hold deep enough. I think that it's our forwards getting sucked into play, as DB has also commented that we should have guys deeper at times. What I don't like is that we end up turning it over through the middle because there's no one to kick to, or kicking long to out-numbered forwards (how many times did we try and go through Wona at half-forward vs Hawthorn, expecting him to mark long kicks against 2-3 defenders?).

Miller has said he will play for the Scorpions this week: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/101077/default.aspx Good to hear, and probably better for him to rip it up in the VFL anyway. As for ins, JoelMac and Sylvia might return from injury if fit, while Bate seems to be the only one demanding a game based on VFL form.

For a fair while I've thought we should go with Green and I still think he is our best option. In the twilight of his career he can hand over to the kid we think is the best prospect, be that Grimes or someone else.