Webber

There's an extraordinary degree of latitude being given to Michael Newton out there. I've seen EVERY game he's played for the Dee's since 2008, and probably 5 on TV for Sandy/Casey, and without wanting to be harsh, he is unequivocally the least deserving player currently getting a game for any club in the AFL. At no stage, EVER, have I seen him warrant reselection, and that includes his 'mark of the year' game. Strangely though, I expect him to be reselected this week, but would love to know the reason. By contrast, Stefan Martin is a 4th year footballer, and I mean 4th year since he started playing the game at all, is an athletic freak, and, which is something people forget, was an excellent tall defender in his first year. Then they started floating him around ruck and forward last year, which threw him off a bit. Clearly the reason for this, and the fact he has been contracted til the end of 2011, is to fashion him into a tall forward. This frankly excites me. His speed, leap, growing footy skills and judgement, will come to fruition in the future. It there is one thing that Stynes, Scwab, Connolly and Bailey seem to be, it is VERY committed to their vision, and they will not be rushed for short term appeasement.

I reckon most of the opinions here are a work in progress....or should that be regress.

Go easy on the speculations guys. I am a physiotherapist, and Liam Jurrah has had a shoulder reconstruction. When you dislocate the shoulder, the supportive tissues at the front of the shoulder are torn, and the cartilage 'ring' which rims the socket (which is more like a dish really) is also usually torn. The problem you have without surgery is that the joint is 'unstable'. Any degree of force on the upper arm at the top (the ball of the humerus) will again dislocate the shoulder. This means the ball sits in front of the socket, unable to go back on its own. Surgery involves reattaching the cartilage rim, repairing and tightening the supportive tissues (ligaments and capsule) and basically 'double-breasting' one of the muscles at the front of the joint to reinforce it even further. The time to rehabilitate is longer than some other surgeries because not only are you dealing with the tissue repair (a natural process), but more time consuming is returning full range of movement. Rotate your own arms around and you'll quickly realise it has an enormous scope. It is inherently a very lax joint so needs to be secure. Also, because there is a period of immobilisation, strength needs to be regained. Liam Jurrah's quoted time frame to return is ambitious, but rest assured if anybody is going to acheive it, a professional footballer will. Also, his pre-injury strength was at a level that maximises the speed of recovery. Addam Maric and James Strauss both had the same surgeries toward the end of last season. Daniel Bell dislocated his A-C joint, the junction between the Acromion (the end of the shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone). There are degrees of injury. Grade 1 is a week out if that, Grade 2 is 3 to 4 weeks. Grade 3, a complete seperation of the ends, means surgery (depending), but also time to heal the fully ruptured ligaments involved. 6 to 8 weeks. Both of them will fully recover, and while there may be flexibility on the dates, particularly for LJ, they'll be there.

Satyricon and Calabrese boy are on the money. I signed up to Demonland only yesterday, having supported since I was born or as long as I can remember, whichever comes first! So whilst we as Melbourne supporters are used to disappointment, frustration and the never-ending cycle of expectation, we should also be practised at patience. Having spent an hour reading posts yesterday, and trying to be as dispassionate as possible, it is frankly staggering to read the array of sometimes irrational responses to a 9 goal beating by a team with a beautifully embedded game-day method. Even with their injuries and suspensions, the extent to which Hawthorn are successfully marshalled by Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Brown, is infective. Their new boys shine because the confidence is palpable and the method reliable, and the rest is history. None of this diminishes the failings of the Dees, which are palpable and hard to watch, but perspective is what we require. As is so often seen in teams developing a 'core' playing group, where 18 of the 22 pick themselves week in, week out, confidence is the key factor. This is so clearly seen with both Geelong, Hawthorn and the Doggies over the last few years. Dean Bailey is indisputably right when he says these guys need time on the ground, and time together, and that just hasn't been the case for the last 2 years. The turnover rate of players at the club in the last 2 years has been dizzying, and it is mad to expect a unified, slick machine as a result. Even desperation, commitment and 'do or die' effort are a product of unification and confidence. Let them become "A TEAM", and view each week with that in mind. The pain gives the pleasure meaning (apologies to C.S.Lewis), and in an odd way I enjoy experiencing the process, because I know that first future victory against Collingwood (it won't be this week)will be sweeter than pineapple marinated in honey. Lastly, for some of you to start bagging Cameron Bruce (no game time for the previous 3 weeks) and James McDonald (in the context of the need for senior stability) is just jaw-dropping. All I could think whilst reading this, is that if Brad Green had been the one to have an 'off-day', he'd be on the recieving end as well. Time to step back and see the bigger picture.