pitchfork

What happened last night was the worst case scenario. We had no forwards, and then our makeshift forwards were injured + MacDonald. Probably had 7 out of the ten best on the ground...strange game. * Very tough hand we were dealt, a better team manufactures goals...I reckon if the mids, as good as they were, had 10 games together then they may have been able to do it. - Only thing that grated with me was how long Roos persisted with Howe out of the goal square. It makes no sense why Howe was so useless at FF, but he should have been moved up the ground midway thru the second qtr, not late in the third.

Does anyone know if the members' scarf will be available at or outside the ground tomorrow?

Once again, Australian media has failed to understand what - 'moneyball' is/was. Simple: 'Identifying undervalued assets in order to make the most out of limited resources'. So moneyball is not recruiting Cam Pedersen. If statistics and analytics can help us work out who is undervalued - this will be of great benefit to the club. Anyone with an understanding of WAR knows that it is a useful tool to compare the overall output player vs player, but says little about what they actually did. Eg. It's great if you're saying "Gary Ablett had an awesome 2013 and here is how we can see how much better he was then any other player", but limited in identifying where a team/individual's shortcomings are. Postscript: The AFL (and champion data)'s game rating system is a joke...The system has an in built weighting. Now here is the philosophical argument in some ways. The system weights importance of impact depending on when in the game you do what you do. i.e. if there is a blowout in the first quarter and you get ten possessions in the second quarter, but the team still loses by the same margin, that ten possies will be rated less than if you got them when the 'game was on the line'. Now this may be meaningful in 'junk time', but how is a player to know that there impact at a time in the game such as this example is for nil? Footy analytics has to be more mature than Mark Robinson's weekly column

Jetta is a guy who can fill a bunch of needs in a pinch. He'll have increasing value the better the team is. There are certainly players on the full list who Neville deserves to get games over. Seems a low-risk move that the club decided to carry through some time ago.

If Roosy reckons it's worth a shot, why not? PR is the kind of coach with enough cache to be able to say 'trust me, I can control the situation...if not, it won't be a situation'. LJ was a terrific talent, and honestly in the top handful of exciting footballers to play for our club.

Most flatfooted player in the comp...the opposite of what Roos looks for in a mid.

Who cares...Tom Scully made the right choice, no doubt - he's not that good (likely because of a real knee condition) and he'll never get paid like that again. We got overs - and have spent it very well. We need a midfield, but the suggestion that Scully, Brock and Moloney would put us in a much better position is seriously overrating those guys. Great we could be finishing on 7 wins with that s***heap.

There are so many variables in footy...attrition may make this a bunch easier. But automatic ins: Clark, Hogan, Howe. I would love if Watts jumps to that, but who knows. Next years coach will be able to choose who he wants regardless of salary - Dawes, if healthy will be in the team rd 1, but if he can't fit, there will be a chance he gets dropped. Clark's game is too good to sacrifice for the sake of fitting another similar player in - it's not like we can't do with an extra mid.

Could be the next in a long line of superb VFL, not-up-to-scratch AFL players we have had. Has a lot of kinks in his game that need to be ironed out. - Turns back into play way too often thus he gets caught. This is something that is harder and harder to do as the level improves.

Foxtel sent a camera into the MCC to watch supporters rip into the Dees. Seriously, the guy was pointing his camera away from the game. Like filming mourners at a funeral. Thankfully, the nearby supporters, previously very loud, stayed dead quiet, gave the camera zero, and he moved on.

The day demonland died

I think the vast majority of people don't want to and can't watch 9 games a week...or even 2 games in a night. I'm in this category I really enjoyed it last night when I sat down around 3/4 time and was able to switch over from the Gee/Car game to the GCS/BL game when that got close. I had no favoured team and just wanted to see the best footy...the momentum of both swung a bit so was able to play a bit of footy producer. It is a really good feature, but I empathise with those that it frustrates. They do have the ability to make overlays removable, it would be good to see them do that. Now let's not start on the real issue: image quality and channel 7

I'm sorry, but this is the biggest load of crap to come out since the beginning of the season. What has occurred is horrendous and hardly needs to be referred to. However, identifying Colin Sylvia as the problem is woefully ignorant and smacks of a cheap and attractive headline. Fact is, those Melbourne supporters whose opinion I respect and who have been to games are pretty positive on Colin. The guy is running hard, particularly defensively, tackling, and unlike some others looks like he is fit enough to play at this level. He should have kicked those goals outside of 50, granted. But shining a light on Colin ahead of about 18 other guys who played on the weekend is just rubbish. I too want him to kick 4 goals a game, but that won't happen, he's not that player. But he is a good one. It's pretty difficult to play well in a team playing as bad as we are.

All that is rational tells me that this is not a "CEO issue". But I think part of the problem is that while Cam Schwabb is indeed a fantastic financial manager of football clubs (this is evident), something is awry that correlates to poor on field success. Time to face the music...It doesn't feel right, but it's more than a CEO thing with Schwabb, who knows the details, but it's probably time for change at CEO and board level.

The modd of the day is pretty well summed up in the ten pages above this post. * one thing I'm unsurprised at is the heat headed Colin Sylvia's way, but I really think this is misguided. Colin's game would have looked avg at best on TV. Now I'm sure that most people attended the game. But from my vantage point I think Colin made a valuable contribution. Seriously. According to AFL.com stats he made 3 tackles, but this is plain wrong. Colin tackled hard (particularly at stoppages), disposed better than most. What impressed me was the running...he actually looked like he had done a pre-season. He ran hard, much harder than the others. Yes there was one point where he was chasing a guy, but we do not play one-on-one, particularly near the boundaries. Our defence requires a team effort, beating the man is a contribution of all 18 men on the ground. It's the kind of contribution that would be rewarded by a similar team effort...I'd imagine he won't be the whipping boy inside AAMI park this week. Jack Viney is a ripper, tough and fiesty, looked great at getting the ball. But if this wasn't his first game the coach would have tore him a new one, two second quarter goals were the result of really silly desperation clearances out of their backline. Went into the corridor and came straight back. Will improve. Bit of the gary's about him. can't wait. Other than that, haven't seen a performance so insipid in a very long time.

A strange comparison - Guerra isn't exactly a gun...even Steven Armstrong has won a premiership. Gysberts, along with a few of the recent (with the notable exception of Rivers) are guys that the club didn't want, who didn't fit the ethos that (from coach down) is trying to be implemented. Players come in, players go out...Gys may have success, but the move is still the right one. Melbourne's issue has been player development and the list is indicative of that. Rivers and Scott Thompson are probably the only guys in the top team who would deserve a spot in any of the top 10 teams come finals time

this is a good read, from a few years back in the new yorker - Malcolm Gladwell http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell

Anyone notice that round 23 is the likely "number 1 pick" cup...GCS vs GWS? The league just can't help itself.

saw the new jumper in the shop a week ago...yes the jumper is more 'red' than the last two years. other than that, it's all the same - cut, design, yoke type. Tbh, I think the most important part is to have the right blue - dark, dark, dark. The red the past two years was strange, though it was clearly going for a particular something that they may have just missed. For the 'modern fabrics' this red might be the best they can get.

whatever you think about the Burqa, it's a total furfie that it imposes some serious danger in our society. It is also more commonly a reprehensible avenue for muslim-bashing. It is a minority of Muslim women who wear either Burqa or Niqab in the world, let alone Australia. This being an issue just reflects the ignorance of posters. For the record, this is legitimately an issue at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, perhaps the oldest centre of Islamic scholarship, where the institution demanded women not wear Niqab in exams. some perspective Tackling footy's silence on gays Tackling footy's silence on gays Tackling footy's silence on gays Tackling footy's silence on gays Tackling footy's silence on gays

For the record the point was made in order to emphasise and categorise initiatives relating to gay equality...and contrast it with multiculturalism round. While I may very well have differing views on multiculturalism to both responders, you clearly missed the point [one which if you had remained closed minded, albeit a little less closed minded you may have interpreted in your favour!]. If I were a bigger man I would cease writing but alas I am not, and I unfortunately risk this degenerating into an 'ology like thread...this is a pity, as the usually horrible Brock's points were worth being highlighted. B-H, "research it", you know not who you direct this to, and you clearly have not applied your advice. The opposition to multiculturalism expressed in these two posts does not reflect a well-considered opposition to the policies of multiculturalism [which is valid, regardless of your stance], but rather is a clearly poorly interpreted version of recent dog-whistles blown by Angela Merkel and David Cameron. The promotion of individualism and tolerance does not imply an ethic that views "all cultural behaviour is equally valid and welcome" - hence in Australia we do not permit whaling, or [insert dubious cultural behaviour here]. You so very badly 'get' what multiculturalism is and how it manifests itself. These two views are poorly expressed, and thinly devised - not something which is necessarily applied to all opposition to multiculturalism. You should have more faith in our strong and successful institutions of state, welcoming ethos, and most of all the lessons of the rather short history of the Australian federation. Sorry Nasher

Bravo Robbie, Bravo. The Bare Bones 1. This is about workplace equality 2. A community organisation has a responsibility to be inclusive. None of that has anything to do with any of the hot button issues of the day. It's the 21st century - homosexuality is not a hot button issue A Digression ** The actions of Brock McLean, the potential impact of AFL action, and the brave players that will one day eventually 'come out' will be really significant events. It says 'you're welcome in this community' and provides examples of support. LGBT (youth in particularly) feel the burden of suicide more greatly then the broader community. This surely has something to do with a feeling of not belonging. There's space for meaningful gestures. I cannot understand those who argue against multiculturalism, nor do I believe that their arguments hold much water - but if the AFL had a 'rainbow round' or something like that, it would have more in common with the 'indigenous round' and I think we'd struggle to find a half-dozen who opposes that recognition [multicultural rnd is about inclusion too, but we tend to celebrate the more established immigrant communities rather than those just begining their australian journey].

Tackling footy's silence on gays Damn, I really didn't want a reason to like Brock McLean. There is no doubt that Brock lacks tact, class, perhaps brains, and in the last twelve months has emerged as a true MFC villain. From a footballing perspective his departure was a sad one. His early years showed much promise, but in '08 and '09 he resembled a lame horse. Regardless of what's happened with the Gys, we won that trade. Which brings me to the article - and I don't want to write too much about it. Brock is no angel, but this articulation of the issue really hits the mark. Everybody in the community daily comes into contact with Homosexuals, and most everybody has a friend, family, colleague who is gay. This is a 'non-issue' issue which the AFL is being uncharacteristically retrograde on. It's just unfortunate that some individual (being the first to 'come out') has to be quite brave regarding something that is for many in the end unremarkable. some quotes: ''There's still that fear of being an outcast. I saw that with my sister and that's really sad because people shouldn't have to live with a secret as big as that. That silence can have a huge effect on them mentally.'' ''The AFL's the biggest sport in Australia. They're in a powerful position to promote equality and treating everyone the same regardless of whether they're gay or straight. They're dipping their toe in with this issue but really they need to put their whole body in.'' I still dislike you Brock.

Were we tanking - of course. Should it be punished and is it provable - of course not. All sports that share a similar draft system find that poor teams participate in uncompetitive practices once there is no hope left other than the future. This is actually a good thing for all, youngs get blooded etc. etc. No sport other than the AFL incentivises such behaviour so clearly. By offering priority picks they skewed the draft. Drafts allow all teams fair access to the recruiting pool. The priority picks changed this. 4 wins meant (prior to trades) Melbourne had pick 1,2,18... 5 wins would have resulted in 1, 17......There is no way that anyone in their right mind doesn't lose games to get the free pick. The AFL made a huge error, they should admit as much and move on.

Given the reaction of the club, Bailey, and most significantly the media I'd take the odds on more likely an AFL employee loses his job than Bailey, Connolly, and Schwabb. Regardless of what is in the report - and the little that is in the Age and the HUN would point to: not much - the fact that the AFL requires the parties to 'show reason by the end of the month to interim AFL football operations manager Gillon McLachlan as to why they should not be charged' just seems to be a process wrought with inequity. It seems that the biggest mistake anybody made was calling it "The Vault" rather than "The Meeting Room"