Pates

Have to admit, i thought that the Pies would be bungled out in the first week. But they looked pretty good last night and i give them half a chance against a WC outfit that is underdone.

Always happy to eat humble pie when i'm wrong, this one particuarly tastes bad.

You have won four premierships in the last 7 years on the back of our club. Talk about ungrateful.

I disagree, i think the key reason why they have won those 4 premierships is more because they have had a good quality Sandringham core with the Melbourne players filling in some of the gaps. Yes, we gave them Rigoni and Read who both starred in grand finals, but unless you've got the quality out there week in week out, you won't get very far.

In fact it's a testimate to how good their core is that they did so well this year with Melbourne's injury problems.

PS. What the hell was with the kicking this week? We handed the bloody game to NB.

QUOTE(zebgrowler @ Sep 8 2007, 02:26 PM)

NO wonder Melbourne finished near the bottom of the AFL you only have to look a the pathetic display being put up by supposed much better today maybe it would . players playing for Sandy today to see why! On this form you need about ten more decent players to be any good next year.

If Sandy get beaten today I think its time for both clubs to finish the agreement I would rather the Sandringham football club go it alone and keep its honour than be beholden to a second rate spiritless AFL team.!.

I would be very sad if we were to end our relationship, and it would definately be to your detriment.

I'd like to say Jones will win it, but i think Jmac will just pip him at the post. Jones' development this year has been one of few highlights, so if he can top it off with a B&F it would be fantastic. White will come third, but i don't he's a great year. Played all the games, but for a ruckman he's been serviceable this year.

He sounds like he's really committed to the MFC, he'd have to be to leave his family in Perth. I'm really pleased with this appointment, and i think the board has done a great job at the the best people to take Melbourne forward.

Jesus Christ! I just want 2008 to come!

It shocks me that so many in the press completely overlook him as a rising star this year. Perhaps it's his demeanor, he looks about 25!

But seriously, he could well win the Melbourne B&F this year and second year winning or challenging in his clubs B&F is an awesome effort regardless of how bad a year they've had.

Well deserved, i'll be interested to see the odds for him to win the B&F.

Go Chunky Jones!

The reception given to Biz, Pickett, and Browny especially at least brought a smile to my face. It clearly meant a lot to Nathan that the Dees fans stuck around to cheer him off, and he really has given his all to this club.

Wierd night really, but at least the years over.

maybe coz he is leavin the club coz they wont get him a 3 year contract.... wouldnt surprise me.... and u guys will wonder why we wont win a premiership ever...

the guy has averaged 2.8 goals a week... and has been under an injury cloud alll year... and half u guys are sayin wwe should not give him 3

bruce 2 goals 20 possies just back from injury yer he had a shocker....

I've finally managed to decifer that into english, so here's my response. I love Robbo, he is a great story of not most skilled footballer using what he's got to his full potential, but more than that he is a top guy who his a true clubman. However this year and last year have been screwed up by injury and his muscles and ligiments aren't getting stronger, they are getting weaker.

For us to give a player who is turning 30 in November a 3 year contract, we would have to be absolutely sure we'd get the enough out of him for the full 3 years. I don't think we can have that with Robbo, we know that when he's out there he will give 100% and dive into contests but he hasn't been out there enough in this year. Offering a 2 year contract is more than fair IMO, in fact i think many clubs would try for a 1 year contract but i think he deserves better.

We gave Biz a 3 year contract and it screwed us, let's learn from that mistake.

BTW agree with you re Bruce. He still adds plenty, let's just get him fit and kicking the ball properly!

Surely Godfrey has to be axed.

I'd keep him on as depth, Batram's injury run this year shows that it's handy to have a backup and Godfrey has done pretty well this year.

The people i think should be on the move are:

Miller (Trade/Delist)

Ward (Delist)

Fergs (Trade/Delist)

CJ (Trade)

Jamar (Trade)

That said, I don't buy into the 'Lyon's mates with Chris so he will vote for him' line.

If anything he'd do the opposite to seem impartial. That's why he was planning on excusing himself from that interview because it's so hard to judge a mate. He had to join in in the end, otherwise there just wouldn't have been enough footy guys on the panel.

heres the plan

we are winning by 10 goals plus with 5 minutes to go, our fans sing the song, everyone cheers

mark riley makes the call, and one of our interchange players walk on to the ground and joins in the play!

head count, our score goes back to zero, we know in our hearts we have won, but we also win the priority pick/no1 pick, carlton miss out too!!!

I like it! Now THAT would be the ultimate tank, that would trump anything Carlton threw, or moreso didn't thow at us!

Honestly though, i want Melbourne to absolutely smash em'. We're probably going to win no matter what happens because even if Carlton had their best team out there they would still find a way to lose it, so let's make them remember it.

People say they have faith in the process right before we get the coach that they don't want. Here's a strange notion.....why don't you trust the club. We have gone through an exhuastive process to get the best coach available. The panel was UNANIMOUS in their selection of Bailey, doesn't that tell you something?

if anyone on this board knows footy it is me

So are you saying you know more about football than Gary Lyon, Peter Schwab, and Nathan Burke? Because clearly if you think Sheedy should've gotten the job over Bailey, than you must know more then them.

Good luck to Bailey, i don't know about anyone else here but i'm going to throw my full support behind him for next year and, hopefully, many years to come.

Are you going? yes

Crowd? 23,000

Who will win? Melbourne 78 points (Newton to kick 7)

Which camp are you in? Read my name: NO TANK!

[Edit]I would be less unhappy if we lost as long as Richmond lose, i cannot accept being wooden spooners this year, even if it does get us Kruezer. It'd just be funny to see Carlton miss out on their PP.

3 years would seem like a bit much to offer him, considering his recent run with knee injuries. I hope he can agree to two years if that's offered to him, and i think he'd take it. He really seems to love the club, it's the only one he knows and i've felt that the few times i've spoken to him.

He's given us some great highlights, i'd be really sad if he left.

He was just on then, i think i joined it half way through unfortunately.

KB was basically just reiterating all Melbourne supporters feeling about him this year, that he's been a shining beacon in a very dark time. Turns out he was a Saints supporter as a kid and he talked about how strange it was to be not only playing against his boyhood team, but playing against his idol as a kid in Robert Harvey. He said that this year he set himself a task of always being in the 22 and getting a starting midfield slot.

He learned a lot from when he played on Judd, Kerr, and Harvey. He was also asked how he dealt with the whole thing of Neale Daniher's departure, he said that he tried to just focus on his job and his role in the side rather than be drawn into it. He said it was obviously hard to see him go as Neale was the coach who gave him his start in AFL Footy.

He re-enforced the notion that the players going out on to the field this week will not be tanking, the team has always believed in the team making things better by winning games and they have tried that all year.

One final question that was given to him was whether he would grown his hair for next year, he said he might grow it over the summer and if it gets too hot for him, he'll just shave it off again.

Personally, i love the chrome dome! And I love this kid, been a good to watch all year.

The further the week goes on, the more I am warming to the idea of coming out all guns blazing and beating them by 100 plus points with half our best team out

Then there will be no hiding for Carlton, and they will lose respect forever

This will have an affect in many areas. Loss of sponsorship dollars, no players wanting to go there

if we smash them, the Carlton Football Club will forever be known as tankers and they will never recover

I completely agree with you, smash em' and smash em' hard. Let's go into next year with a winning attitude.

It'll be especially sad to see Dogga Brown, he's one of those players that you like to see do well, but he's had his moments where you wanna just tear your hair out. But you'd never question his endevour and passion, and it was a nice feeling to see him come second in a B&F because he really deserved it that year (an it was close too!).

For Bizzell, that moment he got his face smashed against the roos a few years back he was never the same. His injury was aparently just as bad as Hird's when he feel on to his teammaters leg V Freo. When he came back in this year, i expected him to stay there because he was filling Rivers's role nicely, but nfortunately for him the youth policy moved him on.

It'll be sad to see you guys leave the club, and i have a feeling that they'd both be welcomed back in a heartbeat. Good luck for this weekend, and i sincerely hope we get a win for you to take with you.

Personally i love the alliance, but i live 5 minutes from TBO! :D

I cannot see that they will delist Brown, not after his form in the last 6 weeks. Yes, he can't kick and all that, but if they were to give a B&F for performance and consistency over just the last 6 weeks he would probably win it. I think its some of the younger, more highly rated players that need to take a good hard look at themselves before they can be assured of playing in the red and blue next year, something it seems some of them take for granted.

I believe he's leaving anyway, i can't see the new coach keeping him next year. I agree though, he does deserve people giving him a farewell, he almost won the B&F and he's always been a true clubman. Ward has been serviceable in his time here and always gives his all, just a shame he can't kick!

what should be done is what's best for the PLAYER !!!!...everything falls into a queue afterwards. If crook or injured...FIX THEM.. teams canworry about fieding from whats left.

Sandy are in the finals..we arent.. they wil get back a handful of players soon enuff..

A nice thought, but most players would be carrying an injury by about round 20 and still be able to play at 70-80%. If we put the likes of Dunn, CJ, Newton (if he qualifies), etc out for the year to get a head start on the surgeries than we could well be crippling a team that's been so dominant this year. I think it should be up to the player, if he really wants to play in the Sandy finals campaign, chances are he's played enough games for them to feel a part of the team and they deserve the choice.

Many young players enjoy the chance to be a aprt of a VFL finals campaign and win a premiership for Sandy, it could well be a good experience for a few of them.

It's interesting alright, but i would be disgusted if we finished bottom this year. I'm less unhappy about losing to Carlton stright up, but i still want us to play properly. Maybe i'm in the minority here, but i'd take the short term happiness of winning over the long term gain of the PP.

I hate the idea of tanking, and i can't believe any club would deliberately do it. Unfortunately i think Carlton are doing a great job of being a competitive tank engine, so i want to absolutely smash them into oblivion so that we make sure the humiliation of deliberately losing is etched in their minds.

If we lose, we lose. But ultimately, we really don't deserve it.

be careful what u ask for...

i heard a story similar to this occured in the U.K...only the guy who promised to cut off his left nut if his team lost actually did so and nearly bled to death...

he is currently being treated for psychotic illness...

Could reveal a few things about YM, though!

Brave and blasphemous at the same time if you believe the thoughts of some people around here.

On the plus side, if we do win then it'll eliminate the need to tank.

Why does everyone want or think Neitz should be rested?

He played his best game for the season last week and looked as fit as he's been all year.

Robbo on the other hand is really struggling.

Neitz seemed to be struggling to kick the ball properly the whole night, reflected by his 3.3 and one not making the distance, he also looked proppy in the way he was running. Mind you it wasn't as bad as Bate and Robbo, i can't believe that Robbo will make it into the final 22 considering how much pain he was in when he injured his knee.

I cannot believe the injury run we're having, and can't believe that Bizzle can still miss out. It really doesn't look good for him.

I'd like to see Sylvia given a run in the midfield, and maybe play Ward or Brown as our crummer in the forward line. One thing that the hight of our forwards has given us is an almost garauntee that a contest will be made so me need people at ground level.

Honestly though, i'm glad i've got to work during the match, i hope these guys can just continue the guts and determination we had in the second half. If they have a dip, i'll be happy.

I sport of agree with QC here. I hate Baker and i know he's a sniper, but for the tribunal to hand down a 4 week penalty alone, forgetting about Baker's history, they must be certain about the action. There is so much inconclusive evidence in this case that i just don't see how it can stick.

I'll be very interested to see how this plays out, there have been stranger cases thrown out this year (i'm looking at you Des Headland).