Pates

Probably one instance where stats are misleading, yes HE may have hit his target but his target would've then immediately got tackled or crashed and hence the ball got turned over. I'm not in the camp of dropping him but a senior player must be better and more aware, and this is not just me using him as a scapegoat the commentators said several times that there were turnovers caused directly because of him. IMO changes are about right, for the last few years i reckon we would've had one of, if not the highest turnover of players in and out of the squad. It's time we got the team settled, Strauss is a tad unlucky but he'll be back and hopefully the two games in the seniors will give him some hunger to get back there.

I don't know about the integrity of the draw but it seems like a heavey load. IMO NAB Cup should be scrapped, let teams sort out between themselves (far in advance) who plays who in practice matches, and just have the season at the suggested 24 rounds. While we're on it, the biggest decision the AFL has to make regarding format with the new teams is the finals system. IMO it should stay exactly as it is, keep it as top 8 because at least that way there'll be prestige with making the finals, you actually have to be among the best of the comptetition to get there.

On another point with the close loss this week, the coaches need to fuel the players desire and hunger. Rather than make them dwell on it and make them depressed about letting it slip, they must make sure the passion and intensity they had going into the match is replicated v Adelaide. The anger and disappointment on Ricky Petterd's face should be motivation enough.

Thanks it does, strange to hear common sense coming from an umpire!

Bloody oath we're a chance. I always think we're a good chance v an interstate side at the G, but this time coming off a good game against the Pies and full of confidence we should be definitely come into the match believing we can win. Someone said it, but i'll say it again. What we saw yesterday needs to be backed up, it can't be a one off.

Much has been said about the crap and at times plain bizarre umpiring from Saturdays game, but i wanted to draw attention to a particular rule the not just one umpire but ALL the umpires seemed to completely and utterly ignore (and i side story to this that is actually pretty funny!). The rule i'm talk about is where a player is shepparded by an opposing player while that players teammate is about to play on or kick it after a mark. This was never more apparent than when about a minute or so before Ricky kicked that brilliant solo effort goal Collingwood were allowed to run the ball about freely thanks to that illegal sheppard. O'Brien continued to do this all day deliberately standing between the player on the mark and his teammates direction of play, never ONCE being called up for it. This poor example of umpiring actually lead to me getting one of the biggest saliva sprays i've ever had at the footy from a justifiably [censored] off Dees fan tearing into the umpires! All jokes aside, this is not a Melbourne fan just having a whine, the commentators on Fox Sports were on it all day. So FFS AFL, make sure your dumb ass maggots in yellow know the friggen rules before you put them out on the park.

That's a fair comment, and i understand that as i do rate him as one of our best players. The middle tier certainly is our biggest concern as they will be the leaders when we are challenging for the flag, but at this point i just feel today is a day when Bruce needs to step up and show us that that player from 2005 is still in there somewhere. Junior (different players, yes) has said that he has improved to a new level since Baily has come to the club, Bruce should challenge himself to regain a skill level and commitment he had not too long ago.

Having not played footy competetively i can't say this with 100% confidence, but shouldn't everyone in Red & Blue be expected to go when it's their turn? That's what i admire about the Saints and the Cats. Definitely not what i've seen the last couple of years from everyone that's pulled on a Demons guernsey.

This may seem like a random comment to make but the last few years i've been watching Bruce and he just looks like he's going through the motions. Sometimes he can have good days where he is the playmaker, controlling where we send the ball, but for the most part he appears take outside passes and give off hospital handpasses. He is meant to be a leader, but i don't see much in his game (apart from his gut running and endurance) that i'd like our future stars to take with them for their careers. Given that it's Green's 200th game, i think Bruce needs to follow his long-time teammate's example and show some courage. Run back into packs, go the hard tackle, and fetch his own ball. In 2002-2005 he did these things, he wasn't a hard player but when it was his turn to go he went with full conviction, it seems all of this stopped after THAT tackle that stuffed his shoulder. For so long people have been asking more of him, why? Because he showed us he could do it. Of all the players on our list, he frustrates me the most because he is considered a leader but all too often he turns the ball over and puts our players under preasure. If anyone should lift for Green today, it should be Bruce.

This is exactly why we gave him an extension, to stop this kind of talk. The club needs to stick to it's guns and sign him NOW. Otherwise i feel the bad press to come of it would be a hell of a lot worse than if we have an average year and come under scrutiny. The bottom line is this, the club felt he was the best man for the job 2 weeks ago, after ONE poor showing against a top 4 contender, nothing should have changed. Just sign him.

I know there's always a designated area of seats reserved specially for the cheersquad, however i have sat in the vicinity for no extra charge in the past, i dunno perhaps it was just because it a relatively empty area anyway (depressing i know!). I hold a reserve seat membership, i've always preferred sitting on the win and in the old red seat zone, i've longed for the days of them bringing the cheersquad back to the red seat area! Ah well, i'll play this weekend by ear and see how i go.

I haven't been to an away on my own in quite a while, and given that it's against Collingwood i'm kind of keen to at least sit with my own kind. The last time i did this i sat with the Cheersquad at general admission prices, it was open slather until it filled up. Is this still the case or do i have to pay extra (which i don't mind) and should i pre-book them? Alternatively is there another "Melbourne" area to sit in? (other than the MCC!) Thanks in advance.

This time if we get two early chances against Collingwood, we have to put them away. It's amazing how different we look when we get on the board, we seem to just build in confidence and back ourselves. Maybe it's because we have such a young group but we must get off to at least a reasonable start or else we'll just be blown out of the water again and it'll be over by half time.

Perhaps i'm out of line saying this but i also think that because we've been down for so long, mediocre performances have been more acceptable and tolerated by players in that middle bracket. Where the likes of Jones, Moloney, Rivers, Davey, Bate, and Sylvia are at is where they should be hitting their straps and becoming top line players. Thus far only Davey and Sylvia have really shown us that. We definitely need more out of this group, i believe that Moloney, Rivers, and Bate can certainly take the next step becoming our A-graders, Jones i like but i have this suspicion that he will never be anything more than a handy work-horse player (probably to take over from Junior). One of the most concerning things i found watching what i saw (and i didn't see the whole game) was that we got smashed in the midfield and we didn't get enough ball inside 50. Now we know our forward line is pathetic, suddenly giving a 1 year contract to Robbo doesn't seem so silly, but it doesn't matter how good your forwards are, if you're not winning the ball in the midfield then there is no chance of us having enough inside 50s. I missed out on seeing the game this week (live), so despite the terrible performance and the fact that Collingwood beat the crap out of the Bulldogs, i'm still looking forward to see the Dees this weekend!

I partly agree with this article, although i don't think it's well written. We have put too much on the shoulders of the likes of Watts and Jurrah, but having said that as soon as Watts came to the club Bailey made it clear that we weren't to expect things of him in 2009. Jurrah i didn't agree with us giving him no. 24, i thought he'd made 48 his own and that there was no reason to put him up the pecking order. Scully and Trengove i believe are different stories, both are practically ready made players and have very level heads on them. Expectations are high from them but thus far they've proven to be capable of handling it. Pathetic for this reporter to be lumping in Jurrah's shoulder injury with this though.

More pics:

Some pictures from the day:

Be great to get it just so we can rub it in the face of Pies fans! It would be really positive press for the club, but having said that it wouldn't be the worse loss of the year if he didn't come to our match!

I'll be going, looking forward to it. It'll be my first time at Casey fields so i'm very interested to have a look at it, and i'll be taking plenty of photos to post on here.

At the time the Wizard leaving was devastating for me. He came out during the contract negotiations and said he wanted to be a life member of Melbourne and that there was no chance of him going, then bam! He was gone! And then the next year he beat us after the siren!

Yep i did hear you, and you said pretty much exactly what i was thinking.

What a load, he had nothing! He just said, "oh no i was just thinking out loud about possible developments for next year". Apparently he reckons that Cuddles Connolly might want to coach again and Dean Baily will have to improve a lot next year to get an extension (no sh!t Sherlock!). What a joke, i reckon he might've heard a rumour and then found out it was BS so he trying to cover his ass.

So far he's said nothing about Melbourne. Will keep listening till he leaves, a bit annoyed though that he say, "rumblings at Melbourne tune in next week for more".

After he nominated for the ND and refused to speak to us i was of the opinion that we should forget about getting him, siting his lack of desire to come to us and disrespect at not even hearing us out. But now i'm glad to hear that the club is taking the fron that if he is the best available we should get him, and that is now my opinion.

Taking Ball at 11 would undo to good deal we got with Brock, I might be able to handle taking him at 18 but i'd prefer not to.