Pates

Bailey has been saying from the moment we picked him that his devoplment will not be rapid this year due to his school commitments, i have no idea why these people are talking about it. Must be a really slow day for football issues. Ultimately, he is young and very raw. If we wanted a walk up start we would've picked Rich.

I'll be missing it because of work as well unfortunately, but thems the breaks. Hopefully we get a win and i can watch it back afterwards.

We don't need to, because the way he's playing i'm sure Bailey and co are doing just that. And if they're not then Sylvia is the least of our problems. We as supporters and members have every right to pass judgment when we think our players aren't pulling their weight, just as you have every right to defend him if you feel he's being hard done by. Now i didn't see the Port game so i have no idea how he played, but if YM is jumping off sticking up for Sylvia then i know he played poorly again.

We need to come out next week and attack them hard and fast. They are extremely vulnerable at the moment and still young in many parts of the ground, from the opening bounce we need to smash them into the ground with ferocious tackling and hopefully we can get a forward line functioning.

At 19 years old there isn't much more he can do to put on weight, as he said he just needs to eat as much as he can and do plenty of weights at the gym. He's got a wonky kick on him but i'm still very confident that he'll become a star of the future Melbourne midfield. I had to laugh at the end of the interview when Liam Pickering said, "he's got captain material written on him, very smart kid" and i'm not so much laughing him, it's more that right after evey interview i've heard with one of "Melbourne's young guns" the interviewers always state that they are captain material!

Until he passes it off to someone else because apparently no one else could kick on Saturday. I was happy with his game, it's probably not where i'd like to see him stay, but he was MIA last week and considering the lack of penetration into our forward half, he probably wouldn't have got much of it if he didn't play that role.

WTF!!!! Why do we keep getting this BS luck. We finally get another defender to rival Rivers, and what happens!? He gets a 4 month injury. Many of you will laugh at me saying this, but in all the years i've watched to Dees the major component that we have lacked every time we seem to get a quality team, no even just a quality player, we get struck down by unlucky injuries. Man i'm [censored] off! BTW best of luck with your recovery, Colin. You will be sorely missed!

In a team devoid of forward options, he has an opportunity to have a good game here. Jetta and Bennell have been given another chance to settle into the team, both showed what they're capable of in parts but the game was going at a pace they weren't used to. I'm hoping at least one of the will be able to have more of an influence on the game, there is no doubting there's some serious talent there. Much as i'd love to tip a win for the Dees, i keep coming back to the fact that we have no forward line. Pies by 36 points, after another fade out by the boys.

49,000. Based on what was at the G last weekend for our game, i'd say we had about 16-18,000 of that 28,000 and that's a home game. That said, i hope the supporters that went last week saw enough to be encouraged to come again.

It was a terrible effort from the Roos fans yesterday, we easily out numbered and that's saying something. Also noticed that the cheersquad was back where it belonged on the wing, and behind the goals is a different membership group? Looked a hell of a lot better.

Miller didn't play well yesterday, but he created at least two or three goals through his competitive nature. I also noticed he got injured just before half time. Just saying.

Thankfully there won't be a knee jerk reaction to the loss, there'll probably keep it fairly simple actually. In: Sylvia Out: Bennell For me WOG was probably PJ, but i don't think Bailey played him well. Should of parked him as a lead up for for the second half IMO.

All right Sylvia, you think you're top of the pops? It's time to show us, dominate this week at Casey and get your ______ back in the senior side.

It's a ballsy team to name considering the experienced players we've left out and missing. But it adds another spice to the name with us debuting 4 people.

Number of wins: 6 Average losing margin: 36 points Average winning margin: 15 points B&F top 3: 1 - Davey 2 - Mclean 3 - Green Leading goal-kicker: Bate - 29 All Australian representatives: Davey Top votes at the Brownlow: McLean Best first year player: Jetta Breakthrough year (first-year players do not count): Grimes Disappointment of the year: Newton, again. Biggest area of improvement: Midfield, getting the likes of McLean, Moloney, and Davey back on the park for the year will keep us competitive Surprise packet of 2009: Stef Martin Headline of the year: QUICK AS A FLASH - Aaron Davey sets MCG on fire on Queens Birthday Best win of the year: Queens birthday Worst loss of the year: Tigers Final membership numbers: 32002

We budgeted for 30,000 members this year, so if we don't hit that mark we will lose money in that department. I would say at this stage we look almost certain to crack it, but not if we get flogged in the first round like last year. In terms of endangered species list i'd say we're on par with the Kangas and Port is ahead of both of us purely for the fact that they are an interstate club and the AFL would never let them fold. Much of our financial success will rely on the team backing up on the good work that we've done off the field, and i don't necessarily mean winning, just not getting hammered! A big coup will be if we can pull of a win this week and then face the pies with some confidence the following week. Memberships and exposure would give us plenty to hear about.

In terms of immediate future i don't expect much from us this year, the fact that some of the players are coming out and actually saying that results and ladder position aren't a focus this year leads me to believe that they can see the areas in which we'll struggle (highlighted by Jarka). The hole left by Neitz was all too obvious last year and i just can't see who's going to help us to kick a winning score. Sylvia is probably the most likely here, he consistent(ish) last year with kicking 1-2 goals but his kicking in front of goal isn't up to it and he doesn't create as many opportunities as Buddy to make this alright. Newton is, well, nothing atm. After late 2007 we all expected him to flourish, and it hasn't happened, the club gave him a two year extension on his contract so maybe they see something we don't. Bate has been earmarked as a target this year, but goes missing. That said, i think this could be a break out year for him and it could come from being a focal point. We all know what Robbo can do, but he's had a horrible injury and will take time to get back to physical and match fitness. Miller was good last year, but i still think his best position is CHF, still needs to kick more goals. The small forwards are where we have some gems; I foresee Davey being more of a midfielder who kicks goals, but it's the likes of Wona, Maric, and Jetta that i'm looking forward to seeing. Will be very interested to see how Aussie goes this year after bursting onto the scene in '08. I didn't mean to make this a negative post, but it sort of came out that way. It answer to your question, yes i think we can get excited and optimistic, but we have to remain vigilant because we are still the most vulnerable club in the AFL and we must give Vlad every reason NOT to make us fold. My prediction of wins is between 4-7 for the year (to win 5 would be a disaster!).

I'm going to start my post a rant, so my apologies to anyone that actually reads it! I am sick to death of the AFL changing rules. I love soccer, it's the post popular sport in the world and one of the key reasons i think it continues to win support is that it hasn't changed. The only rule i can think of that was brought in in my time is an add-on to the off-side rule (which i won't go into). Now i love AFL as much if not more than soccer, but the game has changed an incredible amount in 17 years or so that i've watched it. Some of rules have been successful, others IMO have been completely un-necessary. But for once, FOR ONCE, i had hoped that they would leave the game alone for one season. But no. Now we've got to deal with the deliberate rush behind rule, and IMO of all the rule changes to happen over my years, THIS is one rule too many that just isn't needed. Rushing behinds has been a tried and true method of defense for 150 years, and after one season where Bowden rushed a few extra behinds at the end of the game to win a tight one (brilliant IMO), and the Hawks rushed a ridiculous amount of behinds in the GF, two games where it was in the spotlight, the rules have been changed. The tactics of a defender have to now change, there is no longer a safety with the line, and yet again close games could be decided by an umpire with a rule that leaves a lot up to interpretation. But the ultimate question i'm going to pose is this; did it need to be done? I was all for the outlawing of head high contact because neck injuries where becoming too common. The center circle ruck rule i was against because it hindered White, but it has prevented many injuries to the knees of ruckman. These rules were brought in because they needed to be. The rushed behind rule didn't, and the worst part is that they didn't cave to any pressure, they just decided that they'd do it. They couldn't wait just ONE SEASON to see if it was going to be an overused tactic? Even Kevin Bartlett, who is on the rules committee, didn't think it was needed. The funny thing is that i think all it would've taken is for a team to lose by less than a goal after conceding 10 rushed behinds to realise one thing, you do it at your own peril. So we yet again enter a new season with new rules, i'm still pumped to see my beloved Dees march out on to the MCG, but i just hope i'll recognise the game i loved last year. I'm going to finish the post with a request, what rules do you think they'll have brought in in 20 years? They can be serious or wacky! For me: - a time clock for kicking for goal once you enter the forward 50 - kicking backwards is automatically play-on, the AFL is itching to get this one in - zonal positioning, sort of like netball where certain players aren't allowed in different areas - capped interchange - bump outlawed

I did a short film documentary last year on 5 football fans and Angelo was one of them, he's an absolutely top bloke and really friendly to talk to. But most of all he bleeds red and blue, and he wears his mohawk for home games at the G, i don't think he wears it for away games.

:angry: Dammit! I'm sick of seeing players that i see so much talent and hope in get injured like this! Especially when i put him in my dreamteam! :angry:

Picture says a thousands words! And i agree. I'm a self confessed Colin basher but this is a fairly minor issue IMO. Yes, it's unprofessional and brings bad press to the club just after having some really positive press, but he made a mistake and if it was a big one he would've been suspended for the real season. I'm dissapointed, but not massively angry. Just get it right, Colin!

Finally an article that reflects the fact that we won, not the Lion's lost! Of course, it had to come from the MFC website! http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsart...54/default.aspx

What sort of a crowd do you expect for that game? We got a pretty damn good turn out for our intra-club match, and i've noticed that attendance at other MFC events this year are up? I am very hopeful that i'll be able to go to that game and i wouldn't mind knowing if it's worth my while going a bit earlier to get a park. Really looking forward to seeing the boys in action.

Wow, i knew that year was bad, but jeez! Just our luck, we couldn't bottom out in the Judd year could we!

You damn right that's one of the reasons he attracts so much attention from us, we used our first draft pick at no. 3 for him and whether you want to admit it or not it was an investment. Right now i would say we've got very minimal return for that investment, not to mention the $$$$$ that we've spent on him trying to get fit (not his fault i understand). In my first post that i wrote here i said i'm done waiting; i won't stop supporting him or praising him when he does good things, but i'm not going to defend him or be any more patient with him. He could be anything, and i mean possibly the highest high or the lowest low.