monoccular

??? but pity our guys have (presumably) done mad Monday and will not be up to playing this week. ??? Related topic - how long in advance did Carlscum know they were going to get the Druggies' place in the finals a few years back? Before mad Monday?

I don't watch enough of other games in detail but can anyone answer who at which teams do better v the likes of Daniher and Frankenstein and Ben Brown and Hawkins and Walker?

I may sound like a cracked record (the under 30s probably have no idea what I am talking about) but could a professional psychologist help address these predictable recurring lapses?

I must say I would have Jesse about 75% high forward including marking target for kick ins, shared with Max (if he decides to put footy ahead of media in 2018) with Tom McD doing the other 25%, both with sojourns into the mid...........unless of course that Weideman absolutely demands selection with consistent good VFL performances. Even Stuart would be better, had he not unfortunately have passed away in 2011 aged around 80.

Perhaps we need an "irony" marker.

Obviously the club see a lot more in him than does Moonshadow. I am happy for him and believe that he can refine his play - his speed is an enormous asset. Could he play wing? (When headless chook is mentioned I always think about the one who didn't play this year despite being listed, and has thankfully now slipped off into book writing, filmmaking and probably staring at himself in a big mirror anguishing about how poorly he has been treated in life, especially considering his self proclaimed and self acclaimed aristocratic status.) PS I wonder if this may suggest that Lever may not be as locked in at MFC as some believe?

Just a question - when we are not kicking in from behinds (and lets be optimistic as we always are before the shyt hits the fan late in the season), like maybe the opposition don't score a lot of behinds (hopefully not a lot at all and the deep defenders have little to do), where do you place weed the rest of the time?

Wasn't there that fairly successful NSW cricketer who was known as power points and took it on board? Or Jimma's Presumably Biff you are not a Darebin or a Yarraville councilor ? Maybe he misheard and it was really chump? Though given his outlook more likely champ.

Very damning numbers there - really the difference between a top 4 or even 2 finish with a great percentage and the September holiday we are all too accustomed to. Also an indication not of lack of talent, but of Melbourne's long standing bugbear, MENTAL SOFTNESS.

Just as we have said after almost every disappointing season for the last half century will be?? certainly should be. IF they really want it to happen and wouldn't just like it to. Such an un-Melbournian trait though. Challenge for Goodwin is to get this very basic fact through to an all too comfortable playing group

Sounds like the ND line "the boys didn't come out to play"!! Maybe MFC and Casey could share a psychologist.....the boys felt flat FCS is just no excuse, unless they actually had a flu epidemic. We hear that total BS too often at our club.

Nein?( ??) Too much credence put on statistics?

How can they be aware of this and guard against it when of course they know they have an easy game (of bruise free footy) and guaranteed victory Wow. He did get one thing spot on correct. My take us that there are many on the list who would like to be good AFL footballers, but who don't really want to put in the effort and sacrifice.

So does that mean he isn't part of the long queue of superstars knocking on Melbourne's door?

I have said it before.......misplaced arrogance throughout the club. Once again....2 years in a row now....getting ahead of ourselves. When will it end? Inability or unwillingness??? And winning those 5 would have had us well and truly in the top 4. But they were, sadly as a long suffering MFC supporter totally predictable, as the club continues to lack any semblance of ruthlessness. Those losses, and the failure to put away the likes of Saints and Bears in the closing rounds, just shows how far off we are. Can Goody force that change alone?

And you didn't mention Bernie's propensity to miss games through carelessness and suspension, which doesn't help the team one bit.

Well if we are in the box seat, I hope they use that seat with far far more commitment than they did when in the box seat going into round 23 ??

If he has been named, and gone onto the ground he surely has played. Or is this something Gil has his hand in somehow: always willing to make up rules on the run?. Surely there are positives and negatives: 'twill be very interesting.

Some of our best games were with Tommy at deep forward /FF. And the Bears game aside, where he was not the subject of any defensive attention at all, Hogan has given more as a NIck Riewoldt style CHF with license to roam. Particularly if Lever did happen to come across, Tommy could easily be freed. And if JW4 stays, a wing / linkage role should suit us well.

Thanks Brock....we can now look forward to another big fine for not breaking any rules. But Champion Data says they are the best in the business

But ultimately it is the players in the ground who have to play smart, play hard and win the bloody game that must be won! They, collectively, let themselves, the club and most importantly the supporters down massively on Saturday. Absolutely no excuses. Opposition struggling, everything to gain by winning.......pfffffft! Had it been against a top team it would perhaps have been understandable though not necessarily excusable. Repeatably and predictably, our teams go out when playing 'inferior' teams thinking it will be an easy romp in the park, and repeatedly and predictably either lose or fail to kill. It is ingrained and in my mind is a sign of misplaced pseudo-arrogance. How it can be stemmed is way beyond me, but stemmed it must be. The team as a whole is just weak minded.

Absolutely having a fit and healthy full list from which to choose would have made a huge difference. And in several games early game ending injuries to key players probably cost wins. And as it turns out any one of those wins would see us still in the contest. These are our core, and what they need to do us perform at their peaks consistently Good points - but big question, can killer instinct be instilled or taught, or is it innate as in Viney? And can (inappropriate*) arrogance and hubris be taken out without lessening performance On this, does the team need a psychologist to help get the very best from every player? I believe we did have one a long time ago but ND thought the idea was crap - "I am the psychologist and motivator" - and sacked them. Not sure of the details or if there is one now. * inappropriate arrogance can harm....not referring to players like Frankenstein (and Carey the football player not the civilian) who can get away with it because they are just so good, and curbing their arrogance would be detrimental.

Pretty tough - Pet is hard at it and generally a great user of the ball, and far more dedicated than Col. The only similarity could be that CP5 just needs to put in one good preseason then will star consistently. And of course one big omission from our listed players for 2017 Lumumba - all about H (again, still)

H the narcissist decided he didn't want to play immediately after list lodgement, thus remains on our list. A true definition of list clogger. An appalling acquisition.

One of few, I suspect. What your list is implying is that Oscar is the main cause of our inability to win games against bottom teams, games we are expected to win. Grossly unfair. Chicken or egg? 1954-64 players, coaches, supporters all expected, in fact knew, that we would win (most of the time) Into 1965 supporters still expected, but through the middle of that winter (could be a modern Shakespearian 'winter of our discontent') the players and coaches (TGNS and his successor) started to know this wouldn't happen. So, the team started being negative, became habitual losers, then the supporters realized against their greatest expectations that the team was becoming just that, habitual losers. So it was not the supporters who changed their mindset - the club and the team changed their mindset. And it must be the club, and the team by relentless unyielding efforts particularly on the field by predictably winning games in which we are favorites, and winning them well with no let up in final quarters or in final moments of quarters (NM, CFC, CFC, LIONS, STK, GC$ Freo) but also off the field such as demanding better, more equitable promotional opportunities like prime time games, equitable 6 day breaks, byes after Darwin (as long as that fixture must exist), that in turn will increase supporters' expectations and optimism. Too many times have we supporters been promised so much, seen some openings developing, only to be cut down by repeated insipid 'performances' (using the word very loosely) to which expressions such as 'drinking their own bath water' or 'getting ahead of themselves' clearly applies. The playing group lack leadership, leadership that demands ruthlessness. They seem easily contented by narrowly beating the wooden spooner, when keeping their feet on the throats of the bears would almost certainly ensured us seeing finals action this year a but hey, contracts are not overly performance based, so a dollar for a win is the same as a dollar for a loss, so.....????? The whole club psyche is shot, and every next time it happens, down it goes further into the abyss. More than Kelly, or Lever, the club needs a full time sports psychologist to work with the coaches and the players, and the also work with the recruiters. The club cannot go on forever being happy with honorable losses against teams below us