P-man

Blicavs is quality but the media's love affair with him is nearing Rioli levels. Did I hear Ling declare him to be better than Jim Stynes or did I mishear?

Best of luck Biz.

I like this team. Dees by 4 goals.

Gawn and King will be the ruck combo from 2017 onwards. The Max Attack. It was just meant to be.

Looking at these teams on paper, we should win and win pretty well. Then you remember it's at Etihad and everything goes out the window. 20 games in a row. TWENTY ffs.

Loving those ins.

Go back and read your post. You are the one who brought a personal element by spouting this often repeated nonsense of supporters being "obsessed" with wanting to play the youngsters too early, and "not learning lessons of the past", inferring that it is driven by some irrational desire to want to push players before they are ready. If that's your attitude, in return, you can cop being called paranoid on the chin. There are near countless examples of first year players who have hit the ground running. What has happened in the past under a different coaching regime is irrelevant. As to your arguments as to why he shouldn't be played yet (which you should've started with in the first place), fair enough. Pre-seasons are important at this stage of their career and as I said, if he's deemed not physically ready so be it. Given the form he has shown it would still be up for strong consideration I would've thought. I don't accept your second argument re body type. Brayshaw is no vandenBerg. The difference between him and ANB is negligible and both have shown an ability to compete against mature bodies for some time. Having watched Roos views now, I agree that Roos doesn't sound overly keen on playing him just yet.

Same. I don't recall him even being mentioned.

Jesus I'm sick of this rubbish. Firstly, it's not one game. Secondly, Brayshaw played early and has retained his spot. What makes ANB any different? Both have shown they can compete against senior bodies. If Roos deems him not ready then so be it, but don't paint it as some over anxiousness to play young players. The issue is YOUR paranoia about ruining young players by exposing them too early because of the past. Entertain the notion that maybe a player like Neal-Bullen will benefit from the experience.

Out: Garland (inj), vandenBerg (inj), Newton, M Jones In; Grimes, Tyson, Neal-Bullen, Michie FB: Fitzpatrick, Dunn, Jetta HB: Lumumba, T. McDonald, Grimes C: Toumpas, N Jones, Vince HF: Watts, Pedersen, Viney FF: Howe, Hogan, Garlett R: Gawn, Tyson, Brayshaw INT: Neal-Bullen, Michie, Cross S: Riley

Laxman at his absolute peak sits alongside Mark Waugh as the finest stroke maker I've seen. Sublime.

I don't get how it just doesn't happen. Perhaps that's my naivety, but how it can be allowed to go on for an entire half, all because the players supposedly "didn't listen", is beyond me. It's surely a very simple instruction for Player X to move onto Oxley. After the first couple of minutes of it not happening, maybe just repeat the instruction..? Anyhow, game's done. It is still an odd explanation.

You've seen more decades of waiting than most, so I get where you're coming from. But there are excuses and there are realities. The margin was at risk of blowing out not once but twice, and both times it was clawed back through honest work rate. I make no apologies for being pleasantly surprised by that. Fighting tooth and nail to stay in the contest has been a rarity for Melbourne sides in tthe past five years or more. We rid ourselves of the stupid errors, which will come with development and fundamentally more skillful players wearing the jumper, we'll be winning that game and alot more like it. Stopping a kid from taking 14 marks floating free as a bird in the backline wouldn't hurt either,

I know you do mate, but the post match discussions would be pretty brief if they were reduced to "we lost". Looking at why we lost, areas for improvement, and areas we excelled is all on the path towards becoming a better side.

I think jumbo's point was that we were stiff to have Cloke kicking as straight as he has in a couple of years, not that we were stiff to lose the game. Cloke was in rare form. On another day he would've likely sprayed a few.

Watts had one of his better games for the season, and in terms of his work in close, one of his best to date. If he can show more of the physicality he showed yesterday, a lot of the noise will die down. It's not a high bar, but it will do. His pace over 20 metres is a weapon he needs to exploit a lot more often. It surprises me everytime he hits the jets just how quick he is for his size. Re Newton, if a a player of his ilk replaces the likes of M Jones on the list as depth, we're moving in the right direction.

Tyson and ANB absolutely come in IMO. Grimes and Michie should be in the mix. I actually think Grimes' leadership would've added something to the back six today. Outs will depend on injuries to Vanders, Viney or (god forbid) both. M Jones, Newton and Riley on the fringe. Fitz was okay aside from the inexplicable tunnelball move. Dawes must come back via Casey and earn his spot.

When Cloke is on, he's near unstoppable. Today he was on. Haven't seen every Pies game this season but it was surely his best so far. We were unlucky in that sense.

Perfectly summarised.

6. Vince 5. N Jones 4. Brayshaw 3. Viney 2. Cross 1. Howe Gawn unlucky, but that turnover from a shank late in the game is etched in my mind. Scores from turnovers just killed us today, as well as the inability to punish the opposition when the shoe was on the other foot.

LJ is still just 26 years old. Hm...

Extremely lucky. Howe's effort last week left a lot to be desired. He was however pretty good the week before, in fact Roos himself said it was his best game of the season, which makes the return to the backline a bit of a head scratcher. I'll believe it when they actually walk to their positions on the ground. Team sheets can be deceiving at the best of times.

This is certainly the most frustrating part of watching Melbourne play. More frustrating than watching teams canter through the middle of the ground, it is the stagnant, uncertain way we move the football. Of those three reasons you've given, the third is something you'd expect at junior levels of sports. Anyone scared to make a mistake does not belong at the professional level. I think one of the reasons Grimes being dropped has annoyed so many on here is that, on top of his decent form of late, he takes the game on. He continues to back himself and his ability, so while he may frustrate at times, supporters see this in him. You will take that every time over a player who is afraid to do the same and at least give themselves and their teammates a chance.

Never apologise KC. Your efforts are stellar. The Max King reports are almost as exciting as the ANB reports (or are we officially callng him "The Business"? Cause I pretty much love that nickname)

Agreed, but you've gotta milk whatever you can as an MFC supporter, right down to the last drop. Having the wood over Essendon and to a lesser degree Richmond falls into that category.