Pates

I was there, it's always depressing to look at the Melbourne area for TD games.

I have heard him being compared to Chapman, and not just in the the way he looks. If he's half as good as Chapman he'll be anything but Mediocre.

I get the feeling that Dunn's being taught his defensive capabilities and over the second half of this year will be told to become damaging on the rebound and force his opponent to be accountable. He's done really well in his role, and today Cooney became another victim of Dunn's transformation.

I don't know where to begin on this thread! Firstly i'll say i'm really pleased with Valenti's progress, i watched him a bit at Sandy last year and was glad Melbourne picked him up, i've still got a few question marks about him but today was a great step in the right direction. Secondly, some of the comments on this thread are a friggen joke. 12 months ago we were hailing him as our saviour and future captain, some of you guys give fickle a new name. With Beamer and McLean out, Jonesy is getting tagged and for such a young player i think he's handling it quite well. YM: "dumbest football on our list", you'll be eating your words along with some sweet humble pie within 12 months. I know i am RE: Miller

YES I always want to win, no matter what the outcomes my desire to see us win is always going to outweigh anything. In saying that, it would be my preferance for us to not win more than 4 games so we can get an extra pick in the top 20. This year those picks are like gold. In the end, picks 1-3 are all potential stars so it doesn't matter where we end up. I don't want the wooden spoon!

From what Miller said at the photo on Thursday, Newton has been injured for a large part of this season and he would know better than anyone that if you get injured and can't shake it than it's hard to get back to the form you'd like. In saying that, there is no doubt that Newton has to show a large work ethic this weekend, it seems that Bails has taken that approach that hard work gets rewarded and it seems to be the corner stone of our side at this time. The two wins we've had this year have come through relentless pressure and hard running (abliet for only one half v freo!), so he'd better pull his weight. Bell has been really dissapointing this year, last year i would've had him up there in the top 5 B&F at the mid point, since then (again injury interrupting) he has shown very little to warrent a solid best 22 spot. With many of our key players out for the season it gives some on the outer a chance to put their hands up and say "i want to be apart of our this clubs future". It's a good test this week, and i'll be there to spur them on!

Jimmy's clearly identified the kids as a key factor to getting the club back to it's former glory. Our Auskick levels are the lowest of any team, so him getting out there to woo future fans is a great initiative. Good stuff Jimmy!

Well done to Garland, can't say i've been sold on him since day one but he has shown some great potential this year and really looks like a footballer. Now let's try and get Morts, Valenti, and co. nominated!

I got selected, a little surprised to be honest, but still very happy to be there apart of our great club's history!

So who would be Obiwan and Darth Vader? Who's turned to the Dark side! As for Luke, at this stage i'd have to say Miller is the one who's thrived under Yoda's lessons!

You've got to wonder whether him going out there after he got injured made this injury worse, if it did then it's a massive error by the medical staff. Well done to him on getting out there, if was a fantastic and couragous effort by him but it's cost him half a season. I just hope he doesn't stuff up his pre-season.

Our ratio of passionate to bandwagon supporters is probably the best in the AFL, but we need to get the size of our whole supporter base bigger. Something that Big Jimmy has already singled out as the key to our long term future.

He's really showing something now, it's great to see all that potential being used now. I've never suggested we trade him, but i've always been unsure as to how good he'll be. Yesterday was a step in the right direction, if he can keep up the kind of work we saw yesterday he's got my vote. (Whatever that means!)

Yeah a good effort, i'd be interested to know what the club budgeted for.

Green - Best on ground. Nuff said.

It's plain and simple mate, next generation. I would be stoked to have Green as the captain next year, and i think he's earned it. But Brock is most likely going to be our main leader for the next generation and giving him the role as captain will give him extra responsibilities will solidify him in that position. IMO Brock has had as good a year as Green and has shown plenty of leadership through some difficult patches, so annointing him as the figurehead of the leadership group would probably be more about him growing into the role rather being the right person in the present for it.

I'm all for winning, and quite frankly as long as we stay under 5 wins i would be quite happy for us to NOT get the wooden spoon. Looking at it, how much of a difference will it make getting the no. 2 draft pick as opposed to no. 1? We (maybe) miss out on getting Naita and instead we get Rich or someone else we think is better, we get No. 2 in the PSD which will still put us in prime possie if Warnock elects to go that way and we don't get the shame of the wooden spoon. For christ sake it used to be everyone did everything they could to AVOID it! I LIKE WINNING! (Within reason!)

If that's not a statement to established players than i don't know what is. It's a ballsy call from Bailey, but he's not copping as much flack as i'd expect. While i'd still have him in ahead of Jamar, regardless of future plans, this really gies us a chance to have a look at how these two will perform together, because even if we get Naita or Warnock chances are they could still be working together in the early parts of next year. Good to see Valenti back in there, Bode needs to start showing something to retain his place IMO, and while i would've preferred to have Morton back in there ahead of either him or Bucks at least it's a very young team with very little game experience. Bailey's throwing them into the deep end and we're going to see who can swim. I'm not saying we're going to win, but i wouldn't count us out of it.

Brock © Bruce (vc) Green (vc) Miller Davey Moloney Jones was close, but he's still young so let him develop and then give him a leadership role.

According to Bailey, it's his stomach muscles NOT his groin. This guy just can't take a trick, why is it that when we get a real GENUINE talent he always gets cut down by injury. Can he please just be allowed to play! PS good to see they've reviewed the leadership group, Green, Davey, Beamer, Rivers, and Brocky are all great additions.

Tonight has shown exactly what happens with sam, the skit with him accending as the devil was clever as it took the [censored] out of himself. But what he did to Hutchy, who btw i don't really, with drawing on him is just ridiculous and was humiliating. I like Sam 75% of the time, but that other 25% he just a thick-headed bully. Without Eddie he has lost the plot and has no control. I can't believe i'm saying this, but i enjoyed it more having Billy as the "funny man".

It was good, i mean he showed that he doesn't really know much about the club (calling Bailey "bisket"!). But any publicity is great, and he was able to make light of our situation. If the allies win next tuesday i hope he attibutes it to his training with Melbourne! How funny was it when he was trying to scratch off Lyon's name on the locker!

You know i've been thinking about this, and a couple of years ago my dad lost his Demon hat when he went to India. Maybe this prince picked it up and has become a life-long supporter of our great club!

1. McLean 2. Green 3. Bruce 4. Wheatley 5. Jones If we get Davey fit i recon he'll make a play for the top 3-5 spots, Miller could be thereabouts as well, he's been much improved this year and is clearly a favourite of Bailey. Morton and Wona will fight it out for best first year player, and Garland would surely be most improved. Best Sandy player would have to be Valenti at this stage and i can't see him being chased unless he gets a regular spot in the seniors.

Not to nitpick or anything, but Big Jimmy didn't play a grand final. He would've played one had he not crossed the mark in that Hawthorn prelim (a heartbreaking thing to even think about). He's still ahead though!