P-man

Yep. You can only put your head in the ground and say "he'll come good" for so long. It's frustrating, but probably just have to accept that he has limitations, and go from there. He still has time on his side, and I think his skills are fine. It's his leg speed and decision-making that are so restricting.

Mixed bag. Was pleasing that we evened up the clearances by the end of the game after being smashed early. JV is going to be one hell of a player, and great to see Grimes show a bit after last week. As for Trenners, not even in the ballpark of good enough from a #2 pick, or a captain for that matter. 11 tackles is commendable but there are serious concerns now as he's just not progressing. Simply too slow for the modern game. Shame about Toumpas. Really could've used a bit more silk with ball in hand. Can only assume he was not well, as was alluded to in the coverage. Disappointed with the result as that game was there to be won. Just weren't clean enough at crucial stages. Definite signs of life though.

Punch to the mouth.

Does being tempted count? I reckon we're in with a shot this week. Paddle Pops will have to be below par though.

There is also the truckload of cash dumped in front of us which, whilst "conditional", will go a long way towards correcting the hinderance we have become. I'm not about to defend the COLA afforded to Sydney because I don't agree with that either, and I've already acknowledged the advantage Geelong has with its home ground, but what of the other Victorian clubs who aren't afforded any legs up? We're never going to agree on this because we view it totally differently. I simply fail to see what is so offensive about rolling up your sleeves. I also trust you won't be bemoaning the expansion clubs after this. With the amount of assistance you are advocating, we won't exactly be worlds apart. This topic is like a vortex and I'll be relieved to see the back of it and have this matter settled. It angers me to reflect on the actions of this club in recent times, not to mention the roar of support for PPs. I'm done.

"Not one iota of difference" - why would I not take that literally? I think 3 or 4 more wins would be of greater significance than you or WJ seem to believe. Resting practically the entire case on the past with almost total disregard to the state of the team NOW is nonsensical. Competitiveness moving forward must be given heavy consideration, surely, and that is measured by how the team is competing now. I got the "we need draft assistance" part the first 6 times. I actually think it's more a case of "I'd like draft assistance", but we can differ on that. Fundamentally, in my view, this is about principle. We're all sick of following a weak as [censored] club and want to see it improve. Some see this as a means to remedying that, so why not go for it? I see it as perpetuating that weakness, looking for another easy out at the hands of someone else. We're being given what is reportedly an extremely generous assistance package, with an injection of millions after being fined 500K by the very same body looking to bail us out of the mess we created. To put out the hand AGAIN for some extra draft picks...are we still a football club or will the C now stand for Charity? And to be honest, whilst from memory you sit in the "we didn't tank" side of the debate, I think most acknowledge that we did, and there is something very on the nose about a club that acquires a priority pick through questionable means, then turns around a few years later to ask for another. And I'm not talking bout how others perceive that. I'm talking about how I perceive that, as a supporter. The state of the team? As poor as we were, two thirds of the teams would've been belted by a flying Geelong at home in the wet, so I'm not paying too much attention to that game. Previous weeks have shown a side with a great deal of improvement within it. Enough to see that there is a strong likelihood draft assistance is not as necessary as you keep stating. I will however continue to watch, and give due consideration to, the rest of the season.

Scrap it then. I'm not buying for one minute that "it doesn't alter the situation one iota". If you don't give it any weight, fine, but you're essentially saying that the remainder of this season is irrelevant to the outcome. Why then wait until the end of the year? If there is so much weight given to the previous 7 years, why wait? Purely to keep up appearances? There is a logic to waiting until the end of the season. We've already betean GWS and the Bulldogs. We beat both of them again, and for argument's sake, Gold Coast, you really think that would have NO bearing on the AFL's decision?

Demetriou has confirmed that Melbourne can't ask for a PP until season's end, nor can the AFL examine it until that point, which makes alot more sense than a situation where it had already been asked for and we'd receive an answer in the next few weeks. Those who were adamant that was the case, that's incorrect. I'd be interested if we win a few more games by season's end whether opinion on here would shift. I'm guessing not.

Whilst he's no superstar, it wasn't that long ago that Duigan was part of the captaincy discussion at Carlton. He was voted into the leadership group so clearly he was rated for those attributes. He's fallen out of favour with Malthouse, but personally I've always liked the way he goes about it and am surprised he can't earn a spot on the field in what seems a dispirited group at times. He gives 110% and is absolutely fearless. For a hard nosed defender we could do alot worse than Duigan, notwithstanding the real focus is the midfield.

You just do it. It's not a choice, it's who we are. Honestly, the thought of jumping off has never occurred to me, which all things considered is a bizarre thing in itself. If you really love the club then it tests your resolve to its limits, but you keep going because in the back of your mind is that vision of success, and you have to stick through the bad times to truly savour, and indeed lay claim to the good times.

You raise some very valid points, alot of which I agree with. However I think you are too quick to dismiss the notion that this IS symptomatic of the way the MFC has been perceived, and run, for the past several years. Seeking the quick fix with cap in hand is just not something that appeals to me when I genuinely think that this club can drag itself off the canvass without draft assistance. I understand all the counter-arguments, I just am not in the "we must have it" camp. Is it a pride issue? Perhaps it is. I don't see that being the worst thing in the world. At the end of the day, if we get it then I'll immediately move my focus on how it should be used. I won't be dwelling on why we don't need it.

He actually said at one point tonight, "I think Melbourne, as funny as it sounds, is an attractive prospect for an aspiring coach". It was the equivalent of, "it's not you, it's me".

Come off it. No-one dislikes Dwayne Russell more than me, but I'm not silly enough to think that literally everything he says is invalid. It's a commonly quoted statistic. Of course there are mitigating circumstances to Geelong's success with home ground advantages, father-son, maybe even dirty Dank and The Weapon, who knows for sure (tongue planted in cheek). But to claim that they aren't a textbook example of building a list and a culture is far fetched at best. And the fact is, they've done it without bottoming out or resorting to high draft picks. We ARE the anti-Geelong. Personally I'd like to see that change, and we've turfed the muppets who have run this BUSINESS into the ground, so there's no reason why it can't.

Yes, I'm hugely impressionable. My poor corrupted mind. If only I could form an opinion of my own. Oh wait, I have.

Respect SJ. That's dedication.

The highest pick Geelong has had in the past 19 years is Pick 7. And they are enormously respected because of it. There is enough young talent in thIs list, combined with what we will get through traditional means, for the club to make a push up the ladder, as long as we get the fundamentals, the actual cause of where we are, corrected. The AFL will be proving financial assistance, rumoured to also be bankrolling our next coach, and we supposedly need draft assistance as well? Anything else while we're at it? Maybe Pendlebury, Selwood and Dangerfield, plus a Nike sponsorship deal? Those who have arrogantly dismissed anyone who DARE question us getting a priority pick should prepare themselves for disappointment. The club however will survive, either way.

Done a couple of good things. Still as skinny as ever.

He still isn't a captain's hip pocket as far as on-field leadership. I see no desperate acts. No clutch goals. I do see alot of meandering around and usually being second to the ball. Injuries or not, he's nowhere near the player we need him to be, which is A grade. Not yet anyway.

After today I think this season should be his last. I've loved him as a player but he puts in efforts like today far too often.

lol..no he wouldn't. Not even close actually. But yes, a courageous 150. He often looks our of place in this side. I shudder to think where we'd be without the two Jones boys right now.

You're a smarter man than me.

I really am tired of [censored] commentators mocking this club. Laughing at the stats.

Siren please.

i50s are 47-6 since quarter time. 47-6. Wow.

stu, you're overplaying the lack of effort. We're ahead of them in tackles and one percenters. It's not even comparable to previous efforts this year. The effort is there. The knowledge and skill is not.