Grapeviney

Am I being too optimistic?

Yes.

The supporters who take notice of things like drafting and the improvement of TMac and Blease etc are pretty much the rusted-on members anyway.

The fence-sitters and fair-weather supporters we need to improve our tally will not join as members till we start winning games consistently.

I'd be surprised if mebership didn't fall again in 2013

only time will tell whether our window for bottoming out has closed

who knows, maybe we can conjure a way to keep it prised open for another year or two

jay viney's hair was an important part of the blonde-tipped melbourne midfield culture of the late 80's

Seems a lot Sartre and better skilled than Bennell, also taller.

also has a better understanding of philosophy apparently

Watched rd 5 Saints, a really good game I have it on HD so when im sad and negative I will watch it and believe again. Go demons

Easy to fortget that after Barty's brilliant goal late in the 3rd we were only a few points down .. i agree that there is hope to be found even among the ruins of 2012

Not sure if it's been mentioned here before, but any club considering Wellingham needs to be mindful of the fact that he badly damaged his fringe recently, according to this report ...

http://thedailymaggot.com/?p=2604

Wonder if Norm is still stewing - posthumously - over Froggy's defiance of team rules..

apparently Phil Scully ran 11th.

no, this is a mistake.. phil scully doesn't run anywhere

I was more a chillum man myself

yummm. charas please...

I'd have to say that I enjoy footy more now than ever before. Now, if only the Dees could play a part in it all...

me too willo

i hate watching other teams playing good finals footy on our home ground in front of big crowds..

i long for the day when we play in a big game again, one that is the talk of the town all week and draws 80,000 to the 'G to witness edge-of-your seat exciting footy

"Players raffle, 3 for 2 dollars"...

RIP Dudley

Garry Lyon's goal against the Meth Coast in '88 at waverley was pretty dam good!!

yes, as was his massive torp against Carlscum two weeks later in the Prelim.

was from inside the centre square if you don't mind !

Or Tex's Chainsaw Massacre

this is too good to leave languishing on the first page

You don't have to pass comment on every comment or article that comes out of the club, which is obviously for the consumption of the average supporter

as opposed to the holier-than-thou types who frequent this place ..

Surely this is the earliest ever "the boys are raring to go for the new season" fluff article ever written. I'll believe it when I see it, Grimesy.

I hear what you're saying Chook and has been discussed elsewhere (the trengove reality check comments), the club has its media obligations including the provision of fluff to supporters.

But I detect - in Grimes' comments and those of others - a deep-seated belief in the path the club / team is on.

JG is evidently a good communicator but I'm inclined to think there is core group of players and staff who have genuinely bought in to the vision and are convinced they are on the path to success.

I find it intriguing that a player with just 13 wins from 53 games feels like his timing at the club is perfect.

If that makes me a sucker, then so be it ... it's not like I haven't been seduced by (false) hope before!

All we've heard for three years is how this bloke is a supposed 'leader' of his people yet he can't offer up a simple thank you in public to the MFC.

.. so becaue he hasn't thanked the MFC publicly he is somehow less of a leader among his people ?

and you think I'm not making sense !

Where is the public statemen of thanks and gratitude from Liam to the club that stood by him?

Pfft. Stick your post where the sun don't shine.

Why does Liam need to make a public announcement of thanks and gratitude?

Presumably so some people can feel good about themselves and the way they supported a 'troubled' indigenous player... Implicit in this is the qualification that such players are only deserving of our support if they conform to our norms on etiquette and behaviour..

If you'd read Rudeboy's book - try pages 131 & 132 - you'd know that a whole different set of norms apply. The word thank you doesn't even exist in the Walpiri language. At one point, Ian Flack was worried because players who had been trying to help Liam around the club were miffed that he never thanked them. Rudeboy pointed out that in all the time LJ had lived with him, he'd never once said thank you.. there was no need to..because it's all about obligations and reciprocity - you do what you're required to do and there is no need for pleases and thank-yous

In any case, who's to say he hasn't said thank the club privately?

Welcome aboard American Demon,

There's plenty of great games you can order through this mob - http://www.sportsdelivered.com/afl-name-a-game/

As Grun Dee said above the 1994 finals matches against Carlton and Footscray (Western Bulldogs now) show us playing some pretty exciting footy.

Another recommendation would be the Elimination Final from 1987, Melbourne v Nth Melbourne. We hadn't played finals in 23 years and just exploded!

My question to you is why would so many players re-sign this year if was Neeld is so thoroughly on the nose? Howe, Jones, McKenzie, Jamar, Blease, McDonald, Tapscott etc all chose to stay this year when all of them would have some measure of currency on the trade market. Neeld rides Blease harder than just about anybody else from all reports, yet he re-signed.

spot on Devo

at this stage, when i look at the 'staying' and 'going' columns, i'm more than happy with the ledger (love for jurrah notwithstanding)

imagine the panic and outrage we'd have on here if jones and howe had not yet resigned

Let's just hope they actually remember how to play an attacking brand of footy..

i don't think there's any doubt about this P_Man

You only need to look at the first quarter against Adelaide last week to see that we have the ability to move the ball quickly and efficiently.

There have been flashes of it throughout the season and I think once the side is fitter and stronger they will be able to sustain this style of play - while fulfilling their defensive duties too - for longer periods.

Didn't the club run a "give robbie flower one last chance to play in the finals" campaign?

It worked!

Maybe we can rebadge it as: "give Melbourne one last chance to play in the finals".

But Sam do not mention the book on Demonland as they do not want it promoted on here. As Garry Lyon said at the book launch every Melbourne person should have a copy.

So Sam do not mention the book even though you probably helped produce it and went through hell reliving the memories.

not surw what you're on about Sdemon53

http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/30973-jim-stynes-autobiography/page__p__600891__hl__book#entry600891

the orange outfit is most suitable for the witches hat that he is

Won't be playing.

Let the club explain...

gee, thanks for sharing..

The man credited with 11 premierships, and someone who played an instrumental role in the development of many a young footballer, has passed away from cancer, according to the 'Hun this morning.

Jordan was also a Victorian cricketer who almost made the national team.

Nurtured many a Melbourne footballer in his successful u-19 sides, including the late great Jim Stynes when he first arrived from Ireland.

Slug's last call