Pates

I'll go, i always go regardless of venue.

So why do they have to move our round 15 game v Port, is it appease Etihad's contract of minimum number fo games per season? I'm sort of on the fence with this, i hate docklands, IMO it is the worst venue to watch any sporting event, but in saying that we will most likely make a loss at the G vs Port, and the only way that we should agree without making a fuss is if the AFL compensates us handsomely. But if not, and we do get moved, the club should make this as difficult as possible to happen. Personally i'm leaning towards just telling them to stuff it.

No karma here, just another example of some incredible guts from a kid that knows no other way to play. The Selwood incident was an accident, just as the Green incident was.

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I pretty happy with that IC bench, given what we've got available. Maric had a shocker last week, i just hope he got the jitters for finally making the cut, there have been some big wraps on him so i hope he can show something this week. Good to see Grimes back (for my dreamteam as well!)

Their utter contempt for their audience makes me sick. Take out one add and they would be able to show the team's song at the end of the match, advertise enough in advance and you can show an interstate game live while giving the loyal viewers of Better Homes and Gardens enough warning about the change (hell they might even get a few extra that turn on because they think BH&G will be shown, never underestimate the laziness of someone watching TV), and i noticed one week that they cut out about 30 seconds of GAMETIME between someone marking and kicking for goal, that is disgusting!

It's bang on true, when Ablett kicked that goal in 9 seconds i was laughing my head off! At some point you've just got to laugh because you can't always be angry, take the good when it comes and move on from the bad.

Why did they wear that top then if they were "fighting to wear their home strip". I'm dead serious when i say that if teams like Collingwood aren't willing to move with the rest of the competition on this issue then they should be made to wear pink netball bibs and if they don't then they forfeit premiership points. The home team should never have to wear an alternate strip.

- Losing Margin 98, a goal just before the siren from Robbo will save us from 100+ - Gary Ablett Jnr Possessions 38, 5 goals - Number of goals that nuff nuff Hawkins will kick against us (because they all come out and play against us! ) 3.7 his kicking will get the yips........hopefully - Number of GOOD minutes of footy played by the MFC, and in which quarter First 20 minutes after half-time, but we'll only get 2 goals out of it with inaccuracy playing a part At least we can go this week and actually enjoy watching the opposition. Beats the sort of crap Adelaide dished up yesterday. Very true, last year's hammering @ the G i was at least able to watch the best of the best at work.

I heard an interesting comment from a recently retired footballer, i think it was James Hird, who said it's no so much the kicking that's the problem it's the decision making. He used Kirk as an example of someone who's disposal you'd classify as poor, but he knows his limitations and how to work within them. I'd say our decision making is what is killing us, look at the 3rd quarter after we got our first goal, and the 4th quarter; we were quick, confident, and direct. As soon as we started doing the short chipping again we feel to our knees. The moment that ended the game was when Morton played on quickly after the crows' last behind, which was the right thing to do, and he got stuck in 5 minds as to what to do with it; if he'd gone with the first option (a player leading just beyond the defensive 50) rather than stop, look for and handball, and then chipping poorly to Moloney, well who knows. I remember the first year Jones played regular football for us he was told to go with the first option, because it's usually the best. If you move it quickly it prevents the stupid stopping, propping, and turning it over routine we see every week.

We can't control how the team plays, we can only cheer as loud as possible to let them know where there for them. But crowd numbers we can control, if our supporters are able to brave the cold for just a few hours. For crying out loud just put on a few layers and make some hot chocolate in a thermo.

Crowd for me, but i would've chose the umps if they were an option. Seriously the only positive from them was that i got so fired up that it kept me warm in the freezing cold! That said, we didn't even go goal-less against Geelong in that hammering, we were just pathetic going forward in the first 3 quarters.

My thoughts on what Bailey did with Dunn last was that he wanted Dunn to learn to be accountable, this year he will be played as a forward but can also play a role on one of the run and carry defenders that hurt us on the rebound. He's got the ability to be a handy forward IMO, but he's also hard working enough to shut down key opposition players.

Hasn't been a great start to the year for Bate, Bailey sounded him out early as someone who'll be given more responsibility and he hasn't responded well to it. I'm not going to outright bag him yet, i've seen enough in the past to tell me he's got it in him to be a very handy player for us, but at the moment he is way out of form. As for Dunn, i'm not sure why he's copping it here, i thought he was one of our better players this week and i certainly see a future for him with us.

Well done to Clint today for playing, incredibly gutsy effort. My condolences and best wishes to the Bartram family.

I was for keeping him in, purely because of structure. Him being there allows Bate and Dunn to play more natural positions. That said, with Robbo likely to return v Cats i see no reason to persist with him. It shocks me that someone who is classified a forward at AFL level can have such a disgraceful kick on him, this whole week he should be parked in front of the goals and he needs to kick 100 in a row from the same positions as today or he should never be allowed to wear a Melbourne top again. Unbelievable.

I'd say no matter who you are, if Pia was your wife you'd be batting above your average. She is stunning! And I thought Miller spoke well, so well done to him.

The big thing is that by the time we're ready to challenge for the premiership, he'll probably be retired. Not worth it IMO.

The media's reporting of the Freo saga was the very definition of a beat up, but for christ harden the F up. As has already been said on this thread, Freo is a common target on all the forums. Mainly because at practically every turn you guys have made the wrong decision. That said, you guys have dug yourselves out of a ditch and have built a good supporter base. I've never liked Freo, don't ask me why maybe it's just your terrible jumper and song, so get over everyone's comments and look forward to watching your team put in another brilliant performance.

Although his skills as a forward aren't spectacular i think the weekend showed how important it is to have someone like Newton the forward structure. If nothing else he provides a target that can bring the ball to ground. While we're on Newton, we all know his kicking is atrocious but i noticed a lot of our players, particularly Miller, were playing on even though they had a shot for goal from as close as 25-30 metres out. I know confidence must be a bit low (hopefully a little higher now!) but our players must back themselves from that distance.

I picked him at the start of the year for the B&F, so far it's a pretty good prediction i reckon! It was interesting watching his reaction to kicking that goal v Tigers, i think he misses getting those opportunities.

I thought that the idea of Melbourne v Sydney in the ANZAC day round was a fantastic idea, and i don't know why they got rid of it. To be playing for the Barrassi Cup when both teams have such a huge connection with him and with Melbourne losing Barrassi Snr in Tobruk, it felt right. Perhaps it is just the AFL wanting to make it all about the Pies and the Bombers. And it was a brilliant initiative from Bailey or whoever to get the players more involved with what ANZAC day is all about.

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His 2nd quarter was the best i've seen from him at the club, he was like a different player. Next few games are the test, he needs to back it up. No apologies, but well done on a good game.

I wasn't able to make it to the game today but listened on the radio, for about 5 minutes after that the commentators couldn't stop talking about his courage and what a shame it was. All the best Brad, i hope for the best but i'm expecting the worst.