Summer Blease

Experienced, durable, fit, mature bodied - We need him We have noone better at this point in time, he sometimes makes bad decisions - Deal with it Another catch 22 in an ever evolving team. In saying this I would like to clarify I appreciate Cameron Bruce and think he more than deserves his spot. Better is coming though so lets find solace in that and in the mean time support this workhorse who busts his gut for the MFC. Wish he didn't create so many turnovers with his handpasses though...

I don't see the need to belittle genuine concern over what is perceived as our future. Pot shots like these make these forums spiteful

People... please!! I believe Bennell had a good game yesterday, this is totally beside the point. He is a second year player, this is also beside the point. My suggestion of dropping him to the VFL has nothing to do with his game yesterday, it has everything to do with his lack of bravery and that alone. He doesn't like body contact, full stop! To become ruthless we need to start acting ruthless, not that a temporary drop to the VFL to address a pertinant deficiancy is being exactly ruthless, but we need to stop being so timid for once.

Made my day man Awesome post!! Don't let the fact that i'ts only 10.44 in the morning dilute that however

I think he is a consistent player who wracks up the possies and occasionaly disadvantages us by poor decision making. If we are 'on' like yesterday, they can become a little more obvious. Not knocking the bloke- we would be even in even more dire without him. Can sometimes 'sell us up the river' however. Catch 22. Whatdya do? Go Demons

That's the thing, people are seeing it as punishment for a 'mistake'. I don't see this as a mistake, a mistake is passing to a player under pressure. Mistakes are what Bruce makes. This is a personality thing, it's not premeditated it's the flight response kicking in. Were not going to lose anything by dropping him, we are in the luxurious position of having lots of kids to try anyway. I think we maybe able to fast track this issue by sending him to a league which is weaker and by virtue makes Bennell stronger. It all starts in the mind. Thoughts?

Definately not sending him as punishment, or any kind of long term venture- feel he can gain confidence by being able to 'tear it up' in the 'weaker' league and hopefully that confidence will extend into confidence in body and ability to be able to take hits and give hits. He needs to be able to dominate a contest so he can start testing his limits body wise. I think it may take longer to do this in the AFL.. once again, not punishment, maybe a neccesity. Thoughts?

Definately seems like it would be his manager's idea- i'd hate to think it was our brilliant scheme! Good work by him making us pay more and all, i'll remember to shake his hand next time I see him, and i'll take a dump on his Aston Martin he bought using our $$ he earnt based on astute decisions regarding he's and he's clients future. Nah good luck to him.

Bennell is afraid of body contact and he should be sent to the VFL to gain some much needed confidence in this regard. IMO it is very obvious to even the most novice of football observers that he lacks the courage to go back with the flight of the ball- it was very obvious in the second half yesterday when he went for that one hander running back- a braver player would have gave up any thoughts of self preservation and gone with the two dukes. It was embarrasing and little things like these can cost games. I think this creeps into Bennells game a bit more than some realise, and although it may seem ludicrous IMO some of Bennells better pasages of play originate from his want to stay as far away from his opponent, whilst grabbing the ball in an attempt to eliminate the chance of body contact. Bennell is worth persisting with but seeing as he is an AFL player he needs to get this obvious flaw stamped out of his game now with a short confidence boosting stint in the VFL. Thoughts?

Was it Jamar's managers idea to sign him to a 1 year deal this year? Smart move.. seems he's peaking!

Haha I keep forgetting about Mr Sam Blease!! I can't wait for him to get a run... if having Scully AND Blease in the same 22 doesn't send a rocket up the MFC backside nothing will!! This kid has serious pace can also get his own ball and has a great kick.. he alone is going to add so much vigour! When is he in?? Hopefully soon! You just made my day! Bring on these Pies, we're gonna beat them! Go Dees

I'll be excited when he publicly states he will never leave us and signs a 13 year deal. Irrational? Perhaps, but I will always have a fear (no matter how unfounded) that our dreams are going to become nightmares as they sometimes do. Go Demons

I just hate the fact that for Miller to be 'at his best' the team has to be at their best. What ever happened to initiative? Brad's toughness left with Neitz- he doesn't impose himself in any shape or form on the contest. I barely even knew he was there round 1- Miller can't shine if he's being depended on to shine because he is not a leader he is a second in command, and seeing as we have no chief Miller retains his spot through circumstance, not design. Once again, Miller isn't AFL quality- If a link player or a 'give and go' man is what your after, sure.. i'd rather someone who can do that (like every CHF) and also find the sticks themselves, not miss from 30 out- or shows some actual leadership and imposes themselves on a contest. Miller goes missing too much.

True. You have to admit they're bloodsucking leeches though.. misery provides them with nourishment.

Optimism. We lose by 38 points. Whatever the actual scores. 38 is the number I see. Feeling we will kick 10 goals and however many points- therefore Collingwood 98- 103 Melbourne 60-65

Maybe we can host it from South Africa/Fiji.. bag us a new Nik Nat etc.

Excellent post. Agree all the way! It is Round 1 people! Round 1! It was a pathetic display but it was only 1 game- against a vengeful AFL force looking to take all their 2009 frustrations and display their 2010 intentions first up. Against us, the reigning wooden spooners. No excuse to not come to play but also a little justification into getting pulvarised.. I feel as supporters, even members we are a fickle bunch to say the LEAST. We expect everything, in most cases the expectations are unrealistic. Everyone loved Bailey last year and he is currently public enemy number 1 around here! Have some respect! Alot of Demon supporters want to have their cake and stuff it down their gobs simultaneously! If nothing changes in a few weeks, sure, fire at will..I just feel right now we should be supporting Bails- I feel he's earnt this right at the very least. Patience.

Bugger rules!!! / thread

Out- Miller, Spencer, Dunn In- Martin, Newton, Sylvia (or anyone who is willing to bust their ass for us) Miller is no AFL standard forward. Period. Some might argue neither is Newton- I argue this hasn't been proven- just yet. Spencer right now is not up to it- way too raw and unco right now- not sure on his long term future considering other hopefuls we just recruited. Dunne is no AFL forward either, it seems MFC are struggling to find a permanent home for this young man- another one in the gun sights..

Short and sweet; Anybody catch Football superstar/Cricket superstar etc on Foxtell? Can we get an AFL equivalent green lighted? We pillage all the 17-22 year old footballers who for whatever reason didn't attend official draft camps etc and try to find a tasty prospect through this means. Excellent tool to create awareness and become popular again also. Or is anything worth drafting out there already known about? Thoughts?

This is the main problem; Miller is a 1 trick pony. He dishes off. Wow. I'm pretty sure any side with quality deep forwards would love someone with more than 1 trick- someone who can find the sticks themselves.

Agree 100%. We need to take the 'rose couloured glasses' off for once! He is a third tall at BEST, the fact he is in our 22 and has been for the last couple of years says alot about the state we are in. Lets be honest for once- if we were supporting a stronger club Miller wouldn't be the whipping boy- he wouldn't even be on our list!

Anyone else notice that Miller used to be alot "tougher" with Neitz around, or is that just my memory playing up on me? I seem to remember him flying the flag/ basically being tougher when the Neitztar was around.. In anycase I definately feel his deficiancies have been bought to the fore seeing as he is now probably only 1 of 2 forward options currently available. Miller is a whipping boy because people expect more from him- and why shouldn't we. He is supposedly tough and has leadership qualities, where the bloody hell are they? He is one of our seniors- a senior who plays forward at that- and seeing how he's ment to show the way to the youngsters is just bloody scary. Yeah he puts in an effort endurance wise, good for him. He is only a third option up forward at the VERY BEST.. and seeing as we have no options 1 & 2 currently playing him there isn't doing squat for us, we'll be better off trying him CHB- one thing is clear, the guy DOESN'T BELONG ANYWHERE WITHIN SCORING RANGE because he has no confidence scoring whatsoever. He displays a quiters attitude infront of goal which subconciously says to the kids "if you feel you can't kick it, look for a handball to someone else who can"..hardly displaying leadership or initiative at all! Don't let the fact that Miller is a nice guy or whatever cloud your judgement on his game. The fact that he is in our 22 says so much about where we are at unfortunately. Your fooling yourself if you think Miller is anything more than an athletic lemming.

Definately don't want to hijack this thread with more forward discussions, but i'll just throw this one in quickly; Bate FF? I definately feel we need him in our team- putting round 1 down to rustyness.. Bate has the strength, and I feel his lack of agility (the guy has a turning circle of a stretch hummer) may actually better suit him in a lead from the square position. IMO Bate runs hard and deceptively quick when he gets going- may suit deep in the square- thoughts?

Let us assume we were mugged round 1 by a more aggressive team, and for whatever reason we didn't come prepared to play (doesn't make sense how an AFL footballer isn't prepared to play, but that's another story). Let us also presume that everything Dean Bailey has done up until this point has been to advantage us in the future, re high drafting. So we shall look at it this way- Round 1 is the reminder to the players just what this AFL capper is all about. Round 1 hopefully drills the message home to the players that if your not here to play, you get smashed. Tactical team tampering or 'tanking' is a thing of the past, so that can't be looked to anymore.. If we don't improve onfield, and by improve I mean more determination, effort, and less basic skill errors, then yes, indeed Bailey is in trouble. If we do improve onfield and still cant crack a win then the players need to be looked at. Although Bailey is untried as a head coach, it has been reported on multiple occasions he is a very smart man. I still have faith in him, what he has done for our list over the last few years to the detriment of his own reputation derserves him that faith alone, however by about round 10, or halfway through the season we will have a definate answer regarding Bailey being right or not. Really does highlight how weird the decision to extend his contract prematurely was- given that he hasn't actually proved he has the coaching nous to come up with much game day.