Pates

I disagree with the opinion that Frawley is a poor kick, apart from the stats back me up on it, the other major difference between his kicking and and others that stuff it up is that he kicks to advantage. So even if it doesn't hit them lace out, generally they are in a much better position than there opponent. Grimes used to be a great kick, before his last long injury he would spot someone up and nail them with precision, it reckon he's down on confidence with that area atm. Blease I'd rate at as one of our best kicks, he just doesn't get enough of it to show it. And Jones has improved his kicking out of sight, but he has also changed his way of thinking, he lowers his head a lot more than others in the team. Maldonboy; I can't believe you rated Bate as one of our best kicks. For goal perhaps, but on the run he looks like he's kicking a lead balloon. Morton is a good long kick, short he butchers it trying to be too cute.

That was my thought as well, there are incidents that are deemed too much for MRP and can't have discounts attached to it. That should've applied here and it should've been minimum 4 weeks. The bloke has a fractured jaw and will be out for four weeks. With the Frawley incident, the footage on the AFL website is the first i've seen it again, and apart from it looking worse than what I thought at the game I've got to give credit to Riewoldt for staying with and clearly being concerned about Chip.

I've just made a subscription, the donations page wouldn't work. Your hard work is probably taken for granted by many on here (including me), thanks for everything you've done for this site.

If we crack 16000 I will be impressed, and this is the AFL's fault for giving us home games at this crap hole. Melbourne marketing team should've been working around the clock to think of ways to get people through the gate. Discounts on sponsor/club apparel, $1000 big screen pick out comp, free hat (for those South Park fans here!). The team isn't giving us much of a reason to go, so the club should be thinking creatively about this one.

Pretty much exactly what I would go for, and all reports say that Jamar will be right. There was also talk this week that Sellar would be right to go and he seems to be a favourite of Neelds so he could come in for MacDonald or Chip if he doesn't come up from his concussion. I'm happy with Col Garland up forward but I really think we lose too much with Rivers away from defense. I won't be pleased if he heads forward again this week.

For me I think it's the skills that are letting us down the most, there are times where we're getting into good runs and positions but stuff t up with a dead basic kick or handball.

Wow Casey love their close wins! Great to hear Green kicking a bag, home he continues it onto next week.

I'd like to think I'm a positive word but I thought we were smashed all day, the scoreboard is extremely kind. The second quarter we had about 5-10 where we were somewhat on top but again that time they missed some very getable chances. At the moment I feel Neeld is pushing sh!t up a hill, he can implement the greatest game plan ever, but there are players in our team that simply do not have the skills. We made VFL reserves grade mistakes that simply cost us goals. I'm glad we fought I out, we didn't get smashed on the scoreboard and that's something, it was one of the most frustrating games I've ever witnessed. Some points though IMO: - Garland forward works, Rivers and Magner don't - Bate (good on him for getting to 100) is not up to it - Spencer needs more time, thank god Jamar will be back next week - the game plan and thought patterns revolve around us having a power forward to can take grab, we don't have that any more so the players have to shift their thinking, Jones was the only one spotting up targets - sheparding, sheparding, sheparding!!!!! It's what the best teams do and I saw Grimes so the first genuine one all year from us!!!! That is basic.

Can't say agree with this, would've preferred to drop him and give him a full run at Casey to get some form, but will be interesting to see how he goes as the sub.

I'm really hoping that Neeld doesn't do with Watts what he did last week and put him on Riewoldt. More because he and Chip have great duals and Chip usually comes out on top, I'd really like to see Watts be given a bit of freedom to move forward a bit and make someone accountable on him. Also want to see Howe played forward, we need marking targets in the 50 and he can make bad kicks work for him.

They are talent that have become stars. Ricky, at the moment, is talent that is struggling at Casey. We've seen what he can do, it's bloody well there. 2010 he was one of our best players until he got his season ending shoulder, I think he is one that is struggling to come to terms with the Neeld style. I also think he's one that can't get into a game playing at VFL level. I hope he can, I really like him, early 2010 I saw him becoming our Stevie Johnson type player.

Congrats to Bater. He tries hard every time and has had some memorable moments in those 100 games. All the best on the weekend.

Different personality type (and player type for that matter). Look at a lot of the recent success stories in coach, the players that they were were hard working and not necessarily the most gifted players. Great thinkers and doers. I would like to have Junior back in some capacity, if nothing else I'd just like him back because he's a great clubman. But it would depend on him liking the gameplan that Neeld puts up and working within that system. My thoughts are he wouldn't have just left Melbourne to go to Sydney for a one year adventure, I imagine he'd like to stick around to mentor the young group.

Yes I would agree that Trengove looks like he's knackered and could use a break, I'm not sure Couch would be the next choice in to replace him though as they are different players. Couch has been a frustrating case, but look at how the selectors have gone this year, a lot of of experience when possible. I feel that they are no longer gifting games to young players, they have to set a standard before they get in. And while there's plenty of argument for blooding players (which we have done in the past), I'm liking the fact that the young blokes have to earn their stripes. I'm confident that by the end of the year Couch, Cook, Tynan, and Davis will have at least a game or two under their belts. Just a taste to get them really wanting it for 2013.

It would be the funniest thing in the world to me if the gave Ratten the ass. And I would be very dissapointed if we didn't get him back as our midfield coach. If the blues have any stones they'll hold on to him.

We can't ask this of Jack, like any young player he'd be itching to be playing out on the G. If we don't want to take him with the pick we have to then so be it, but he wants to play AFL not VFL. We're acting like we'll call the bluff of GWS, I'm leaning to us not and we'll just say that we rated him in the top 3/4. There is still hope that GWS will not nominate him, what we want is there to be 2-3 absolutely top of the line no arguments best players in the draft (that don't include Jack) and give them every reason not to pick him.

He wasn't ready, came in out of necessity not because he deserved a call up. I don't know if he will make it as a footballer but boy his skills were barely VFL level. As I said though, came in because we had bring him in. Martin as well is in because we had to. We lost our no. 1 & 2 ruck combo, and brought in two back ups who have been injured for much of the year. No surprises they struggled. (I'll say this in terms of taps they both did ok)

I'm sure that quote is a massive regret from Mark, but did he say, "in 2012 we will be the hardest team to play against"? No. He said it is his aim to make Melbourne the hardest team to play against. We are the very definition of a work in progress. And IMO weare better than last year, not much but improving.

He's an interesting one. There's a lot to like about him and I reckon he's got a good future with us, but clearly he has issues with Neelds non negotiables. I hope he stays in because he has excellent speed on him, something we really lack. IMO a better option the the likes of Bail and Davey.

I'm a Neeled fan, but that Watts/Brown match up was shocking and cost us goals. We've done well considering, but we look directionless in the forward line.

Good call, it happened last year with Casey where they got into the finals and we pulled all our players out for surgery and all the rest, and it crippled them. I remember back when we were with Sandy we helped them to win 3 premierships, and I thought it created a strong bond with them but the moment we started doing what we're doing to Casey now it started to fall down. I reckon your idea of starting and finishing early for the VFL is a very good idea.

Not that I want to turn this into another tanking debate thread, but the Blues were the first of the modern day teams to truly tank (St Kilda rebuilt with high draft picks, but I wouldn't say they tanked) and look where it has gotten them. Add on the fact that they got Judd with the Visy deal and it really makes you wonder. I hate us being classified as the biggest tankers, Calrton mastered it. That's why I get so much pleasure out of where they're at.

Really happy for Jetta, hope he can get some footy into him. Jurrah doesn't seem to have improved in his prospects, I imagine they'll really take it easy with him.

Good news, after we've had all the rising stars against us it's great for us to get one back. Well deserved.

I really think they're taking their time with Cook and I don't see them breaking that course yet. I'd imagine Stef will come in for Clark more out of necessity then form, Sellar has shown himself to be able to play a role in defense but forward he looks slow and a liability. Eventually Jurrah will get fit again and hopefully come back in, but his role can't be what Mitch was or else he'll flounder like he did last year. Stef stepped up last year, hopefully he can do it again.