Pates

Grimes has come into it since his first quarter efforts.

Probably should be in front by more given our domination but hey if we continue on this path it'll be a very big win. I also suspect that if we continue getting these numbers the dockers just won't be able to hold us back. No mercy Dees, kill their spirit in the 3rd quarter and go for the jugular!

Might be an idea to play him in the forward line and move someone else into the middle, try to protect him from further injury. Sounds like a crack of a goal from Kent. He's had an up and down year but for the most part he has made some great strides.

Very sad to hear his contribution that quarter, Grimes's name was usually followed by "not a great kick" or "turns it over". Love the guy and love his passion but this could well be his last game if he doesn't show something.

Apart from the opening 5 minutes where the boys were asleep we absolutely dominated that quarter, while I'll never be unhappy with a 29pt lead at quarter time it really sounded like we butchered a couple of very good chances. Listening on the radio though so can't comment on what's going on from a visual perspective!

We need to start nailing the goals, scoreboard pressure is the best kind of pressure.

I'm still working my head around how Collingwood contacting him directly isn't violating the rules for contact with players who are still playing at other clubs. Surely if the Bombers were annoyed about how we're approaching the managers of the banned players then the Dogs have every right to be filthy at the Pies and Lin Jong for touring another clubs facilities and speaking with Bucks. [EDIT] Maybe the Dogs don't really see Lin Jong at the club next year anyway.

I would've been very happy for him to stay on but if you look at how Grimes has been an emergency for much of this year it's not hard to imagine Crossy being in and out of the side. We've had emergence from some good young talent and while we might not get the consistency we got with Cross I think we'll benefit from the development and those young guys will benefit from having Crossy as a mentor.

Best of luck to the both of you, a former TAFE teacher of mine had two strokes and survive. He's so gutsy with how he goes about it and has the support of a loving wife. He wrote a book on his experiences, not intending to be a shameless plug for my former teacher but I do think it's a good little read. http://littlebookofhope.com/

Pretty sure that's against the rules of the competition to approach a player directly while under contract (which is what the Bombers were getting huffy about). Wouldn't be against him coming to Melbourne but he's not the be all answer to what we're looking for.

I'm pretty sure the North game was 9 goals, so yeah. Shows more the inconsistency across a full game, most other teams if they had an 8+ goal quarter that would be enough to get them over the line.

I know Hogan recently said he was enjoying playing with Dawes but I really hope that's just in the sense it takes a larger defender away from him, Dawes as a player adds very little to the side IMO. I'm definitely one that says Pedo over Dawes, I wouldn't say Dunn over Dawes though. Pedo is just a goer and is not going to get any better but I think he adds more flexibility and for me has played more games of value in the last 12-18 months than Dawes has. I hope he is moved on at the end of the year, and if he isn't he should be on basically the smallest amount we can get him for. Failed trade for sure.

For me the Essendon game stands out as the one we're pure desire to tackle was at such odds between the two teams. They were really desperate and relentless, while we let them stroll around as if they had some infectious disease. I overall it's still better than what we've seen in the past but I would be very interested to see the stats of our forwards and how many tackles they've laid. For me the that's the crucial part of the ground for tackling, if we get the ball in there enough and are able to lock it in with pressure it creates more scoring opportunities.

I tipped Melbourne, with a fair degree of optimism, but clearly we are not at "that" level yet. The frustrating part about this is that it has dragged us back to the pack with the likes of Richmond, Collingwood, Carlton, and St Kilda (that Essendon loss with be the loss that never stops haunting us). The Fremantle game this week has just become more important, they have been (mostly) cr@p all year and we have to get the job done against them. To get to the magic target (or at least my target) of 10 wins this is one that needs to go in the can. But we have some truly terrible thinkers in our backline, so that needs to be something that is rectified over the off season. I am unsure whether Melksham is one that will help in that department but the second quarter (sadly the only quarter I actually got to see) we gifted them almost every goal they got through stupid errors or poor composure COMING OUT of defence. It's bad enough that we miss out on the opportunity to score at our end but we turn it into easy scoring chances for them.

There aren't too many things is the current world of AFL that would give me more pleasure! Even if they just scraped into the 8 and went out straight away.

I think tomorrow needs to be a real statement game, it's a good opportunity against a quality team at home with us being the only game for the day. I feel like if we're in the hunt at 3 quarter time then we might be able to have a little more run in the legs with us having the bye last week. It'll be a big day for them with it being the anniversary of Phil Walsh passing, but we just need to focus on what we can control and hopefully Gawn puts on another masterclass to give our mids first use.

It's a very different situation. For one given she lives there and the new state of play with the womens game this gives players a lot of uncertainty around their jobs. At least her being in the same zone as where she lives gives her the chance to retain some sort of normality. There's also a fairly large difference between the cash that will be thrown at Jesse at the end of his contract. That said as long as we get Daisey, the rest can sort themselves out.

Won't be in Red and Blue next year, no chance. That is sad, he was one of my favourite players but like so many others the club stuffed up a good thing and couldn't take the good potential and turn it into a consistent AFL player. He's a symbol of the old MFC, sad as that sounds. I hope he gets to 100 games, really should've played against the Swans. I'm not saying him in there would've made the difference but he'd earned a spot and the conditions suited him more IMO. Not really sure where he'd go to be honest though, maybe Richmond? They always seem to be a home to delisted/traded Melbourne players, and his brother is there.

We've all been hurt so many times, us mentally and then the poor buggers out on the field. I think he's preparing for the worst so he doesn't get hurt again!

I think they're basically on the same chance as us, with a slightly easier run home. Can see them getting 10-11 wins but no more. Won't be at all surprised if they finish higher than us, there's been a lot of talk about us but in my eyes we are yet to prove ourselves. A stupid, pathetic, disgraceful, sickening loss to Essendon has hamstrung us for the entire year and aside from pinching the win vs GWS in round 1 (minus Cameron) we haven't beaten anyone of note. They got that big win against the Cats and that can be the catalyst (not pun intended) for their improvement. But as said above, the difference between their best and worst is too big (bigger than ours IMO) and I also feel they are too reliant on older players who will be gone in the next 2 years. We are at least too reliant on younger players who will only get better and more consistent.

Rusty normally I'd share your outlook and of course we have be careful not to place any undue pressure on him, but despite what he said in the article he does have swagger and confidence, and when you combine that with his natural abilities I honestly feel he will get to that game breaker level. I think some of the pumping of his tyres at this stage are a bit premature, with articles and the way commentators gush over him, but just as people are sick of BT and "The Package" I think other teams fans will get sick of hearing the commentators go nuts over him.

He's something we've lacked for almost as long as I can remember. He's a game breaker, he's someone that when the game is on the line you want it in his hands and he wants it in his hands. He'll be the one that'll pluck that incredible goal out of nothing, or burst through the pack at the last stoppage of the game and deliver it lace out to Hogan. He will win games off his own boot. And he's ours.

How the rest of the year goes will heavily hinge on next week v Adelaide. I feel like Adelaide is a very good team when they click, I also feel that at the G we can beat them. If we get that win I can see the confidence lifting in the team to win more that have been difficult for us in the past. I still see 10 wins for the year, that Essendon loss has cost us a real shot at seeing finals this year. That was every bit the disaster a lot of us thought it would be.

I'd agree with that assessment. A lot of so called experts have been very quick to say we've turned a corner. I feel more like we're at the corner we just haven't made that next step. For the last half of the year the players need to set themselves to get that breakout win, I feel it can happen but we need everyone pulling in the same direction. That said I also believe this year has been a step ahead in the development, when we're hot we're hot and let's also not forget we were so close to coming away with the win against North when they were red hot. But yes, IMO we still haven't turned the corner.

Very true, most of the games we've lost have been from poor defensive work starting in the forward line and allowing easy passage into the oppositions attack. Saints and Bulldogs being the perfect example, I didn't see the game but it sounds like the Sydney game as well.