Webber

Don't forget his left boot.....which, like Tom Scully's, will find it's measure against the big boys in 10 or so games. He's got all the tricks this boy, we did VERY VERY well in picking he and Michael Evans up.

Looks a couple of inches taller, and a country mile quicker.....no disrespect to Shane Valenti. I was a fan.

Jimmy, you are simply an extraordinary human being.

A couple of years ago, I read a retrospective analysis of the correlation between injuries and season's end ladder position at each club, over something like a five year period. More specifically, the total accumulated games absent through injury, for the entire list (not just the best 22) were compared club to club over a season. The relationship between this and ladder position was remarkably linear. That is, the top teams had the fewest games lost to injury and vice versa, and there was virtually no interruption to that relationship, from top to bottom. Now this is not an attempt at excuse making, but merely an academic observation, and obviously there are many factors that fit with the analysis. The most patent being that a young list will suffer more injuries because of less mature bodies, similarly an aging list suffer from fatigue and wear injuries. Put this alongside the reality that 23 to 28 year olds have more experience, honed skills, wiser heads, and it all points to a conspiring set of realities. If you think deeper into it, as the injured players accumulate, you lose the insurance for out of form players that a fit list provides. If you have no pressure on players from underneath, then out of form players keep their spots. Also, continuity is lost, and it is hard to maintain a situation where players know each others games when you have a heavily changing personnel. Losses come, confidence ebbs, and it becomes a tough gig. This is the situation the MFC faces right now, and from a purely statistical viewpoint, our season will be very poor as a consequence. The silver lining of course, is we get more than a glimpse at the fringe/new players, and what they might give us for the future.

I totally agree, and I think we are better placed than the clubs you mentioned for the future 3 to 6 years from now. I didn't say anything about how they are coached and managed. That may well in fact change if it needs to, and we may need a better tactician and leader. That has nothing to do with their potential, merely what we are seeing from them now.

very well put btdemon.....teams lacking in confidence and results, and we surely are, become whipping boys for all manner of reasons. We ARE perceived as soft, but we HAVE seen this team play hard contested footy (both games vs. Collingwood last year?). Our skills have been lamentable recently, but we HAVE seen them play skilled attractive football (Adelaide this year). This is an issue of maturity, confidence, and consistency. I'll completely agree that for whatever reason, we're not seeing the best out of this team's potential, but I'm confident it will turn around. Jabs and blows like these sledges, shambolic tribunal decisions and injury lists will be grist to the mill for this team over the next 6 years. We need to keep the faith, because the youth nucleus of this team are hard, contest-loving footballers,(and that includes Jack Watts, whose aggression is notching up weekly) and will have success. It will not be this year, and in fact with our games lost through injury, statistically we are going to have a shocker of a year, but this is a team which WILL have success, sledging or not, and the slings and arrows will just toughen their resolve.

He has FAILED??????? This simply must be a joke!

Bailey said Gawn was in the mix BEFORE Saturday's Casey game, and then he goes BOG for Casey. Gawn WILL play on Friday, and I for one am excited about seeing him being the tallest AFL player running around in Round 11. (Sandilands still out). I would suggest that Howe being named in the best assures him a gig also, particularly in light of Bate and Petterd's form sitting somewhere near the S bend. Trengove is an obvious, and Scully will be the unknown til Thursday. Given the state of our season, these are exciting in's for a bit of a glimpse into the future, No? Just keep repeating....silver lining, silver lining, silver lining, silver lining.........

I was at the game, which is why it was sooooo apparent that the blueboys just happily ran into unmanned space to be delivered to, with a startling lack of pressure from us. With the exception of the Adelaide game, our willingness to make the opposition accountable for an entire game simply does not exist.

Same thing Nathan Jones does.....fracture something. Judd, Selwood, Mitchell on the other hand.....don't touch 'em. 6. Sylvia 5. Jones 4. Rivers 3. Watts 2. Macdonald 1. Martin

Based on last night, how could anybody drop Newton instead of Petterd? I think Newton is the biggest roaster in the spud patch, but Petterd particularly, and Bate second, were MUCH more of a liability than Newton. We are just a horribly wobbly caboose full of passengers at the moment, but due to injuries, we just can't make them accountable for their undeserving play. On form from last night, there are 6 I would drop from last night, but Petterd MUST go, and Scully(if fit) and Trengove must come back. Therefore, Out: Petterd, Evans, Nicholson (harsh, but they are underexperienced, and we need to have some experience out there. They will get more oppotunities) In: Howe, Scully, Trengove.

Last night, Carlton racked up an endlessly depressing stream of uncontested possessions. Thus, their possession stats went through the roof compared to ours. It made for woefully boring football,but was relentlessly effective against us, the turnover kings. What does it take for a team to shift it's defensive strategy to make these possessions accountable? It has to come from the coach/es. Why are we not playing contested, accountable football? Why, why, why, why?

FWIW, I spoke to an inside observer of Jack's footy at Carey, and he is apparently 'scary tough', fast and hard. I know it's only school footy, but it sounds like he might just be a chip off the old block.

Totally correct. There are a lot of blinkered posters here. His progress has been unarguably consistent, and his base level abilities (speed, coordination, decision making, marking and kicking) are becoming delightfully more apparent. He is going to be a superstar. If we can hang on to Scully, the thought of having Watts, Scully, Jones, Trengove, Gysberts, Jetta, Tapscott, McKenzie, Grimes, Garland and Frawley fit and firing in 3 to 5 years gladdens my heart. As sub-25 year olds now, and from where they are at, or have shown they will become, I truly believe they will form not only the backbone of the best team in the AFL, but will be fighting for AA positions. Add some consistency from the talented waverers like Jurrah, Bennell, Petterd, a dose of the unknown such as Tom McDonald, Max Gawn, Lucas Cook, and Jeremy Howe, and dare I say Jack Viney? (again all under 25), and some reliable seniority from Sylvia, Moloney and Rivers, and we will take A LOT of beating. There is an enormous amount of frustration about our season to date, but things will steady. Maybe not this year, and maybe not with this coach, but I see it coming. It doesn't make the North or West Coast game any the less soul destroying, but it JUST MAKES SENSE. Jack Watts is just the poster-boy for those with unrealistic early expectation syndrome, but in 3 to 5 years, he's going to be a poster-boy for a whole other reason.

Megan Fox, assuming she's the 62 year old one from Scoresby.

I think Newton actually IS Kozi! It's just some weird parallel universe/time dimension relativity thing! Have you ever seen them in a room together? No......

Ain't that the truth.....they are our nuggets, basically week in, week out.....they'll just never get the credit.

10 metres out....you're being generous! But he is hilariously woeful

6. Jones 5. Martin 4. Moloney 3. Rivers 2. Gysberts 1. McKenzie 0. Umpires.....worst season of umpiring in memory.

I thought yesterday's battle between Newton and Koschitzke for the worst player in the AFL was the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Watching Rivers just body Kosi off the incoming ball like he was flicking lint was as fascinating as it was hilarious, while Gwilt did the same to Newton. Surely he must NEVER be given another game! OUTS : Tapscott obviously, Newton, Bate (what did he offer that it wouldn't be worth debuting Howe for?), Watts (just kidding), INS: Bennell, Morton, Howe. Whatever, we are in for a massive and very ugly thumping.

the Casey player review was heavily intimating Jordie McKenzie won't be playing for the Dees this weekend. Evans or Nicholson for the upgrade I would think, and based on consistency, Evans seems likely...

Good post, and it's an interesting topic as it deals with intangibles. The lack of 'mongrel' you describe is spot on. I was saying it in my teens, and keep coming up with it in my forties.

Scully's knee is a result of a pre-existing condition. Here's the scenario....in preseason, the intention is to bring every player up to a 'peak' level of fitness. Along the way, you grade their workload based on symptom presentation. If they have no symptoms, there is NO reason to hold them back, unless you have a history of symptomatic response to a certain workload. This is why older players have a more considered approach. Tom Scully came to the club having suffered a patella fracture. He then had a preseason and played a full season ASYMPTOMATICALLY. That's a clean slate. During preseason, he would have started to present with soreness, was subsequently assessed, and found to have a stress reaction. Appropriate response and management from then. This is not anybody's fault. Compare it to Trent Croad's foot. THAT is poor management, and it ended his career.

Complete [censored]!!!! Our players take the same time to get over the same injuries as other clubs. EVERY injury is slightly different and are managed on a case by case basis. ALL our injuries this year have been impact related. This has absolutely nothing to do with fitness or physical preparation. It is bad luck and part of the game. In fact the one injury which is potentially workload or preparation related, and I'm being very presumptuous here, is Jordie McKenzie's groin. He is back ahead of time.

As a physiotherapist, I have to say this is the stupidest post I have ever seen.....EVER, and I'm not going to give it credibility by explaining why. Take it down before someone gets hurt!