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Nothing more than my opinion, but can't see any chance of Dawes returning in 2 weeks. I'd be happy if we saw him in a month.

Your user name is fitting. If you think Tyson wasn't getting a game at GWS due to ability, you're as misinformed as your posts.

I'm sure he thinks he can win this week, so we won't do it. But it's seriously the year where I want to see every player on the senior list given 5 games in a row. Really delve in and see if anyone can stand up when given the opportunity. This list cannot be as bad as it is. You can't tell me Evans couldn't do what Byrnes did, King could do what Fitz did last 2 games even with a small frame and let Blake work on Trengoves wing. I want to see these blokes.

You often go over the top, but I think that's pretty spot on joeboy.

Watching him chase Cripps than was actually funny. He may as well have not bothered, the bloke steadying for goal moved faster than him.

Toumpas' elite foot skills on show again.

It's that attitude thats half the reason we're pathetic. There's 6 forwards and even if they're smaller than their opponent, they should run faster or harder. It's the horrific skill errors and no pressure on their midfielders that makes me sad.

Jesus, pathetic. At least try in the first quarter. This club is disgusting

It's not my first port of call but regularly supercoach is a justified number to impact on the game. The fact he's had 20 possessions and 5 tackles and 58 supercoach playing in the guts shows how little impact he has in his disposals. Him leaving was a god send.

I copped two weeks for it recently, even though it was censored so be careful!

It's quite sad. I love Demon supporters but I don't get the stuff about Clarky. Menzel from Geelong has missed 3 years in a row now and all the Cats supporters do is tweet him support and back him in. Clark keeps getting injured by being courageous in the red and blue and people like Curry want an apology and a money rebate from him?! Get a grip. If he never plays for us again it'll be extremely disappointing, but I'll be grateful that for 2 years he gave me a reason to watch us when nothing else made me want to go to games.

We had 75 interchanges. 75. We had 20% more I50's than St Kilda. We had more marks inside forward 50. We won the hitouts by 14 with our second or third string ruckman, and a VFL player backing him up. We won the tackle count despite having more of the football than St Kilda. It doesn't lessen the pain, but I have absolutely no doubt that with one forward we would've won that game. With Fitzy playing the whole game, I truly believe we would've won. But that's footy. Our biggest mistake was over possessing the football, too many times the straight running kicker was running through a gap, yet stopped to look to handball to someone. It's basic errors that are made by a team just not 100% in-line with the game plan. St Kilda have it easy, they hit pressure and put it on Roo's head. We never had that easy option and I'm excited to see the difference when we do have a structured forward line whenever that is. Not sure if it would have been able to see on the TV but especially in the first half it was very impressive to watch the game open up when we effectively switched the ball from half back through the middle and watching player's in the MFC jumper spread hard and line up with space in front of them. It was great to watch. Bail was working hard side to side, Watts was general in the middle and Fitzy was presenting well up the line. The overlap we were creating was the best football I've seen Melbourne play since 2010 when we spanked Sydney with hard run. I was absolutely distraught last night, and I got sick of telling myself the same excuses that with a forward line we coulda, shoulda, woulda. The realistic nature is last year we were the worst team and minus Michael Evans having the best quarter of his life we would have won the spoon. You lose your second best key defender and your best key forward, and you're already playing short- you're cooked. Doesn't help our sub was 160cm and weights 70 kilos either. People will tell me all week that Fitzy and Tom Mc are nobodies and them going off shouldn't have impacted the game. Let me be clear, I don't particularly rate Jack F but as soon as he went off, **** did I notice how much we needed him for structure. Never thought I'd ever say I missed him, but he was one of about 4 players we couldn't have lost, and we did. TMac was giving Riewoldt a bath, sadly Nick went on the give Frawley a bigger one. Frawls is a great defender but he's not as athletic as Tom and it showed. I'm upset we lost to the worst team on paper I've nearly ever seen. Hindsight tells me that the signs are there that this football team will be competitive. Round 16 last year I wouldn't dream to be where we are now, we were climbing Everest blind. We've taken a small body blow with this loss, but I won't start worrying until Round 16 this year and the same problems. Come on Melbourne, let's start the climb.

Overall I like the optimism of your post Tona, so don't take this personally but Cross was one of our best players. It really annoys me now, in the day and age of stats that we rate players subconsciously on their possessions or supercoach scores when watching the game if gives such a different picture. Cross tagged Armitage on Saturday, who is the Saints best mid by far, kept him to 11 touches playing 90% game time in the middle. Cross had 15 touches, and 11 tackles. He spanked his opponent. If Tyson, Michie or Trengove had manned up on Clint Jones, Dunstan or Farren Ray we would've been alot closer to winning the football game. It's a bit of a rant but just because Dom Tyson scored 100 supercoach didn't make his debut good. He turned the ball over very poorly 4 times. Like TAC Cup kicking errors. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he's a great player; but god I'm glad I'm not a tagger. They can't catch a break.

What a pathetic bloke. We gave him an opportunity that millions would dream of, and I bet he feels hard done by. Truth is he just wasn't good enough. I had respect for him having a crack until I've read that. Seems he blames everyone but himself for making the worst football team in history... Pity

He's desperate to get back to Geelong. He would've left last contract but they simply couldn't offer him more than 200,000 with all their older stars. This time around they've cleared Corey, Chapman, Pods and heaps more. He'll get offered below market 500k and run there. God they'll be good for years.

I think Plowman and Jaksch for our first round pick is a completely reasonable offer that would satisfy both parties. Another KPP, and another big body with 2 years development, jeez I'm salivating at the thought.

Well Strauss being rushed back in clearly suggest he's rated ahead of Clisby and Nicholson. Down to him vs Terlich for the final spot in the back line, however I'd see both of them playing Round 1, one starting on the bench. I'll be very disappointed if Byrnes plays Round 1 in front of JKH. I understand and respect the whole protecting rookies thing, but the entirely serious nature of the debate is that from limited footage, Jay gives us a far better chance of winning a football match than Shannon. As for the others, I'm excited that two of Viney, Toumpas, Matt Jones, Viv Michie arguably won't play because there are better midfielders already selected. Geez I would've loved this scenario for the last 6 years.

Rookie list these days is about 54k after the CBO last year. Add on to this that match payments for a rookie are 3,500-4,000 per game and rookies are the only ones who receive match payments for preseason games, Alex's contract worth this year is already around 65k. Play 10 games this year and he's earnt over 100,000.

Let's not forget we haven't won at Etihad in nearly a decade and last year we lost twice to GC and once to GWS, who were absolutely pathetic. Obviously I'm going in thinking we need to win, and on current standings should win, but preseason is exactly that- preseason. I hope Roos has the boys grounded, this is not going to be an easy win and we certainly won't be sitting top 4 like someone above said by rocking up.

You do know Viney didn't play last night?

The biggest win from last night was the fact we twice even three times were down by 30-odd points and fought back to be in a position to take over the game. Old Melbourne would've lost by 90 points because 3 goals in a row, and you could literally see heads bow over. Geelong have a team that trust each other, and even their young guys have 3 years playing with one and other. When the whips cracked they knew what to do, and we didn't, but we've played 2 games as a team! I finished and I was disappointed because we lost, but immediately after I realised when in the last 7 years would I be upset we lost to Geelong by 13 points. More to the fact, with a chance to win it plenty of times. I'm stoked with how last night went. Doing my best to keep my expectations reasonable, I don't want to be heartbroken if we lose winnable games, but the future looks so bright.

He made two glaringly bad ones at the start of the third quarter one where he just ran straight into a bump and turned it over, the other where he kicked it down the throat of a Geelong bloke coming out from D50. I give him exactly the same benefit of the doubt I gave Strauss last week in that it's his first hit out, but I saw nothing last night that gave him greater chance of being picked for Round 1. I'm very interested to see who gets picked to play Hawthorn. Geez I'm impressed with Terlichs ability to go back with the flight of it, he's so courageous, it just breaks my heart he has no other ability in the back 50. I'll be there really disappointed if he plays, him and Matt Jones are enormous liabilities in our kick around game plan.

Team name- BDM Sorry DV!

Last year every VFL game they praised him for his defensive work but often said he didn't get enough of the footy. Everyone said no point having good skills if you don't get enough of it. This year, he had 22 touches in the NAB Cup, and now it's defensive ability. At training on Wednesday they were training in a going away to Alice group and a not going, and Clisby was only bought into the main group after Strauss went off on the cart. Two weeks in a row he's been placed in front and for good reason. He WILL be our go to man in the back line to rebound 50. Watching the two intraclubs it's clear players are being instructed to use him coming out. God forbid Jay Kennedy Harris doesn't have two offensive tackles on here one week, Demonland will be in meltdown that he's lost his pace.

Jeez you're a piece of work.