Pates

It absolutely baffles me that this is a team we haven't beaten since 2006, when we were in the finals!!! Last year it felt like we did everything we could to lose to them, this year at Etihad it felt like they did everything they could to lose to us but they still came out in front. It's time. They are on our level, they are on our ground, if Saint Nick plays he will be hampered and they still heavily rely on him. This is a golden opportunity for us to knock two milestones down in one go; Saints and winning two on the trot. Viney is the sort of player I expect to back up his comments, it's the rest of the team I'm more concerned with.

....call my brother and find out whether his girlfriend has kicked him out of the house for being too loud while watching the game.

I think it can be developed, get the right people around him doing a technique that will work for longer distance. Perhaps Neita could give him a few tips, or get Jonno Brown or Carey (both who seem to have man crushes on him) down to help him develop. I don't know that he can necessarily sort it out himself, but that's why you employ coaches isn't it?

Hopefully he starts to get more penetration on his kicks as he develops. It's pretty much the only thing lacking from his game. That mark in the last quarter was simply a thing of beauty.

Bit surprised looking at the coaches votes that Viney only got the 3. Nullified Rockliff and played a very fine game of his own.

I suppose it depends on when you classify "pre-injury" as 2013 to me he was clearly playing with an injury that was hampering him badly. 2011 he was sensational. [EDIT] He was also playing under a coach that was hampering him badly!

I did say "one of". Schwarters recovery from 3 knee reco's is incredible and taking absolutely nothing away from the likes of Menzel, but Jacks return to senior footy is still far from a sure thing. He is still reasonably young so he has time on his side but think about how he was considered prior to him going down. He was considered one of the elite talents and key parts to Melbourne's future, since then a lot of footy has past him by, he's had to watch players from his draft go onwards and upwards, it would be enough for any regular person to pack it in. I'm not taking anything away from the likes of Ox, Menzel, and Clark, I would rather say he is worthy of being mentioned in their group. When you talk comebacks Jason McCartney would be my no. 1 that comes to mind.

If Jack is able to come back and play it should be lauded as one of the greatest comebacks in the games history. Such a terrible injury he's managed to get and has had zero luck during his recovery. On a different note the friendship between him and tracca is really heart warming. Really hope Trenners is given one more clean run to get his career back.

He looked proppy all game and I reckon if it hadn't been Maddie's match he would've been 50/50. By the look of him at the end of the match he'll be 50/50 again, seven day break will help him though I reckon he'll be underdone.

Next week is a chance to break two, but one in particular for me. Winning two games in a row is one of the records I really want to fall this year. Even the Blues have managed to win two games in a row this year. Also a chance to knock off the saints.

Interestingly I actaully think Dawes is doing quite well in his second ruck role, he worked hard today and did a lot of team acts. Although he got smashed in the hitouts Gawn did some good things around the ground, tells me he is growing as a player. I reckon the younger players need a bit of a spell, ANB or Stretch probably one of the first on the block for me. If Toumpas put in a good performance for Casey he should come in.

Like any young player Jesse is going to have down patches, he has had that in the previous couple of weeks but he was back to some good form today. Strangely enough though his form fluctuates with when the midfielders decided whether or not they will look to hit a leading target of just bomb it in in hope. His first year has already exceeded my expectations and he continues to grow. Next week against the saints is a real opportunity for both Jesse and Melbourne. He's already shown an ability to tear them apart, nothing like building an early liking to playing a certain team, and we can really use it to springboard the season.

Last year we lost the ugliest match of the year, I reckon this year we've won the ugliest match of the year. Although our first quarter was actually seemingly quite good in patches jeez much of the game looked terrible from both sides. Lucky for us they were inaccurate as it could've been history repeating. Always take a win, congrats to Jesse for his 4 goal haul, and another impressive performance from Viney.

I think Jamars role has been reduced to him making sure Gawn, and to a lesser extent Spencer, earn their spots in the seniors. I still rate Jamar ahead of Spencer but given that Spencer has more of a potential future he will be given more chances. I hope Mark gets another opportunity to play, potentially as a farewell, but we must push forward with Gawn.

Jesse's been a bit down since his 5 goal haul v the Saints (understandable given his age and the pathetic delivery he's been getting) but hopefully today will see a return to form for him. I am really worried about today's game, the loss last week threatens to derail all the good work we did in the first half of the year. Roos has said in the past at times he's more a psychologist than a coach at Melbourne, well this has to be the week you earn your big $$$$ Paul because the players are vulnerable to falling into old mentalities. We have to win today.

Team v Geelong B: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba C: Jimmy Toumpas, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney HF: Jack Watts, Chris Dawes, Billy Stretch F: Jeff Garlett, Jake Spencer, Angus Brayshaw FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C: Aidan Riley, Alex Neal-Bullen, Rohan Bail, Matt Jones Team v Brisbane B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta HB: Jeremy Howe, Tom McDonald, Billy Stretch C: Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Heritier Lumumba HF: Aaron vandenBerg, Chris Dawes, Jeff Garlett F: Angus Brayshaw, Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney I/C Dom Tyson, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Alex Neal-Bullen, James Harmes We have a better team out on the park than what we had vs Geelong, the boys have lost the confidence they gained during that match but if they get it back then we will win.

After last weeks terrible loss the doom and gloom feeling is well and truly back. What we dished up was a disgrace, Roos knows it and the players know it. It's all about how they respond, the Lions will feel they're a chance but we have to get back our early season form of starting confidently and putting on early scoreboard pressure. This is our must win. We win and season expectations are back on track, we lose and it's back to square one.

The hatred directed towards Howe is baffling, yeah he had an average game but to be honest I thought he still did more second and third efforts than a lot of others in the team. I don't think he'll be suspended, but then who knows with the MRP. I think the bigger problem involving Howe is our forward structure and ball movement. We seem to be creating too many clusters with no room for our forwards to lead and jump, the players aren't lowering the eyes and looking get the forwards leading to the ball. I don't see there being massive wholesale changes, 4 last week was more than what I expected. I reckon one of Harms or Stretch will be sent back and maybe one or two more in there. They'd better bloody come out breathing fire and brimstone next week, it's the least us supporters deserve.

I don't know if this was a factor in the loss, but can the club petition really hard to get the bye week to follow our Darwin game rather than the other way around every bloody year? As I said I don't know if it was a factor but I don't remember us ever winning a game after a trip up there.

Losing an un-losable match, how very Melbourne-like. I was worried about this game all week, and it was almost exactly what I expected. two weeks in a row we have gone in with game plans that clearly weren't working, bombing it in long when our forwards aren't taking marks, surely you re-think the plan and get them to lower the eyes. Tommy Mac have been innacurate but it was at least the correct way of going about it. This match and the saints loss are two games we should've won but tactically we failed. The pies game as well but I can recognise they are at least a better team than us. Lions next week is a must win, simple as that. We lose that and the progress we've made this year will be rendered meaningless.

Would have to surely, he wasn't spectacular against WC but was sensational against Geelong. That number on his back is a clear sign where the club see him, hopefully he repays the faith. Really glad to here Gus is up and about, this match on Saturday is made for him and Viney.

Looking at the weather I don't think we should be playing two ruckmen, you need one ruck and one pinch hitter to bring the ball to ground. Does sound like Harmes is likely to debut, it's rare to upgrade someone and not play him that week. There is a little bit of MFCS going on with me, ironically it's roles reversed though. Usually we're the ones coming in scrapping for some pride and dignity, the shoes on the other foot now.

Congrats to him, I look forward to seeing him in Red and Blue.

I'm over being angry at him. We beat the cats on their own turf, and truth is it was probably best for all parties he leave. His state of mind still isn't right.

I had to laugh at myself when I heard Roos's comments after the win against Geelong. After the first half he took a mark and was kicking for goal, I muttered under my breath "you'd better kick this Howe, you've done nothing all day". Turns out Roos and the coaching staff were stoked with how he went about it and couldn't believe he hadn't touched the ball. Point is I think he is one that does a lot of stuff we don't see. As to his worth to the club, difficult to say.