binman

Team is totally unfit, can not run out a game, those that are not unfit are injured.

The high performance team is anything but that.

Misson and Craig were meant to resolve fitness and injury issues, money not well spent thus far.

Very american to like yourself - you're not a septic are you?

Fortunately, they have a bye next week to charge the batteries and regenerate.

No so fortunate for Moloney i don't think - he'll be hard pressed to stake a claim for a recall during a bye. Did he do enough in this game?

By the way, thanks KC - your Casey news is one of the best things about Demonland and one of the reasons i have switched my VFL allegiance from Port to Casey (is that allowed?)

yeah,yeah, i know rpfc. elite is probably just underselling myself, but i'm really just a modest guy (like you, lol)

elite, A grader, star, champion, superstar - so many definitions it's hard to tell one man's journey man from good solid contributor

Gees reminds me of junior school house footy

Blue Vs Red

Green Vs Gold

Next week ...ah I think you get the picture...

Bendigo Gold... Absurd!

It's a nice beer apparently

Wines at 12 is a bit of a stretch

He'll be better in a year or two

I do like and rate Watts, but will he be considered top five from his draft in years to come?

Well obviously i think so - and i will happily remind doubters when it proves to be the case

I still think he was worthy at the time of going top five, but my point is that just because they are rated top five now, doesn't always equate to very good long-term players. To be honest I was probably harsh on Trengove but his lack of pace really has for a long time concerned me.

I tried but i can't let this slide. A bit harsh on Trengove and no mention of being harsh on Watts?.

I rate Trengove, why wouldn't you. He'll be a terrific servant for the dees and i reckon next year after another full Misson pre season he'll get his zip back and be amongst our best wek in, week out. Glad we took him but i suspect he may fall a touch short of elite - A grade, which for what its worth i define as AA selection.

Watts on the other hand will definitely be an elite A grade player and by the time he is 25 will be an All Australian (something that over the years Melbourne have struggled to have). He will be star, well and truly worthy of a top 5 pick. He is already (worthy of a top 5 pick that is - worthy of number 1 for that matter).

I really look forward to the humble pie that will have to be eaten on this site by the posters who don't rate Watts or have got stuck into him.

No he's Not. He's a restricted free agent.

from: Rules of AFL FREE AGENTS list 2012

A player has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is one of the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since reaching eight seasons of service. (restricted free agent)

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club has the right to match the presented offer.

If the club matches the offer, he may choose to remain with his original club, seek a trade, or enter the Draft.

If the club does not, or can not match the offer, the player can move to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick, for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula, to apply where clubs lose more free agents than they gain in any single transfer period.

Thanks for saving me the trouble. As a poker player he sucks. If you try to bluff, better have something behind it because if you're called you look a tad silly

Right, so his MANAGER who's job it is to get the most money/years out of the club said he mayyyy go to another club....?

You know, I have a lot of interest in some magic beans too, if you want to join in on the bidding....

Stue, sorry but that's facile. He put himself out there for trade bait, via his manager yes, but his manager is him. He pays him and if he didn't authorise it then more fool him. His manager is his representative and speaks for him.

Don't get me wrong, i've got nothing against Beamer, he has plenty of credits in the bank, has been terrific at the dees and a loyal servant, but none the less he shopped himself and IIRC at a very poor time for the dees (ie when everything was bad news and we had just been flogged).

Compare that to Jamar who had much more trade value and was heavily rumoured to be going. He kept stum and quietly did the deal to stay a demon.

I have to say i was very disappointed in Beamer's effort when he came on against the tiges. he was given the opportunity to really influence that game - fresh, you'd hope fired up and against a team who was struggling - and barely fired a shot.

I suspect he won't be dropped as i think Neeld will figure it won't help. Magner more likely to go but jeez he must be close.

Should posters who go under several names buy multiple memberships (or for that matter posters with one avatar but multiple personalities)?

He'll probably be 1-2 weeks for the next month.

No i don't think so. He'll be 1-2 for the next 2-4.

In for a penny in for a pound (or if you are MFC footy side more like a pounding)

This is the worst post I have ever read.

And that's saying something.

Well done tonatopia.

Let ignore be your friend - sure (almost) troll proof protection (except when the poster with moster - not - is quoted)

I was having a chat to one of our injured players before the game, and I asked him what the difference was between a Bailey pre-season and a Neeld pre-season. His reply was that Bailey concentrated mostly on ball skills, whereas Neeld was almost purely pre-occupied with fitness.

Well, our ball skills are the worst in the league. Surely its got something to do with that

Interesting theory - except for one small problem. Under Bailey we were unfit and our skills were woeful

Spot on. When we were actually able to win it out of the middle effectively yesterday, we could score. It didn't matter who was in our forward line.

Problem is we rarely win it cleanly out of any stoppages.

Why can other teams handball out of traffic to an unmanned player hanging of the pack and then they are away, yet we can't? It's a question I bring up weekly that I have no anwser to. Some want to blame Royal, but I would prefer to just assume they we have the worst midfield in the league. I believed that before the season started, and I still do now.

I totally agree we have the worst midfield in the league and we are going absoloutely nowhere until it goes up several levels.

Next year our mid field will (hopefully) read: Sylvia, Jones, Viney, Boak, Caddy, Gysberts and top 5 pick from the next draft. Better.

you are probaly the most short sighted poster on this site.

tonatopia, you seem to have a real boner for neelds sacking. either a troll and if so you should be banned form the site, or more likely just have no clue about the game of footy and sport in general.

Let the ignore function set you free!

Melbourne supporters got roasted for cheering an injured Didak off at the QB. What will the papers say about the filth jeering Simpson off?

Good point. Channel 7 showed a youngish collingwood supporter (about 25 i'd guess) standing and cheering (praising wellingham i think) as Simpson was practically carried from the ground. I assume that's what he was cheering but to fair i'm not 100% sure. If so it would be great to get a still of guy and make him an example of a bastard supporter - nothing makes me more angry than someone (anyone) giving it to someone who is hurt or cheering the player who hurt him

How times have changed... 80's early 90's that's a classic example of a well executed shirt front, now he'll go for 4weeks

No way, this type of hit was never considered a well executed shirt front. Simpson was in the air marking the ball and Wellingham made no effort to mark or hit the ball away. Gone and would have been in the 80's

Billings is a gun. Underage unforts, will go high next year.

Agree on Caddy. A good player, but for what GC will ask for him, I'm sure we'll find better value elsewhere.

I don't reckon we would have to give much to GC to get Caddy as he is super keen to return to Melbourne and as he is out of contract at the end of the season he can go into the draft. That doesn't guarantee him getting to a Victorian club of course but interstate clubs will not be too keen given his desire to live in Melbourne and the Demons, Bulldogs, Saints, North and Richmond will all have picks roughly in the range where he might go you'd think (12-20?).

If he goes into the draft GC get nothing so they'll be keen to trade no doubt and i guess, like Judd, Caddy will be keen to get to help his club get the best deal. I don't know if we would give up our 12ish pick as i don't really have a sense of how good he is. We perhaps offer a second round pick and a couple of players and work in an unspoken commitment for them not nominate Viney.

I could see a scenario where we get Boak (with our pick 4 going to Port) and Caddy and after doing some sort of deal with GWS also getting Viney with a second round pick. Instant midfield, particularly when you consider we would have pick 3 still up our sleeves in that scenario.

The 3 players i mentioned, barring injury would all be ready to roll round one 2013. Add Jones, Grimes, hopefully Gysberts and a fitter Sylvia and it is starting to look like the sort of mid field a club needs to be contender.

I know Connors has a bag record but a least his Stilnox prescribed unlike Martin who got it from a friend.

I now hope we draft Wines, if only for the possible headline of "Wines, after a big night out, gets on the Stillnox"

The difference being that on match day Martin rips it up and looks to be improving - whereas Trenners struggles and looks to be declining.

Martin is the best talent to come through the ranks in a long time.

Great troll work

Tigers in recent weeks have lost Vickery for the season, Grimes for a month, King for a month and Jackson to suspension for two weeks, so certainly have their own personnel issues right now.

For mine:

Out-McDonald, Bail, Tapscott

In-Cook, Morton, Gysberts

For every one good game Tapscott plays, he has 4 or 5 where he doesnt look like anything else but someone wanting to take an opposition player out. I still dont know where he will end up playing for us (if at all)...

They won't drop Bail. Misson's injury report was interesting, very happy with how Bail played and came up after a few weeks off. He'll play. Talked about Jurrah also and seemed to suggest his ankle is ok but is getting fitness up and may not be far away (but of course that probably means 2-4)

I want the dees to pick up Vlastuin - so i can give him the nickname Rasputin and then yell out "Go Russian, give it to Rasputin"

Too late mate I am already in the sheds drinking stubbies.

PS did not notice it cfh

two sheds to the wind

Sorry I do not agree with your basic premise that we had a good team.

Have a look at the results in 2011.

The games we lost were mainly by big margins.

Where was our good team that day in Geelong

If our backline is so wonderfull how come it gets big scores kicked against it in 2011 and again this year.

Our average losing margin is 9 goals.

It is not Neeld fault.

DB bailey denuded the senior players group e.g Our captain and filled the ranks with kids.

Get used to the fact we do not have a good team.

We have a few good players, a lot of average players and almost no game breakers.

No matter who the coach is we would have the same problem.

Almost no good senior players and a bunch of kids

Old dee you've shown up the ignore loophole! I just have to learn to refuse to read silliness - i have the Hun for that (bless Ralphy's heart!) Perhaps you could selectively edit quotes in future (with whole sections deleted).