Maldonboy38

6. Gawn 5. Lever 4. Langdon 3. McDonald 2. Salem 1. Hibberd

First 3 quarters we worked hard, but again our forward half field kicking and kicking for goal was appalling. Gut-wrenching, foul-language-producing, face-palming kicking that is killing me! And then, we started hitting targets and kicking goals from everywhere. Not sure what the trigger was, or where the change came from, but very glad it did. Another great team effort with great team footy to watch. Gawn, Langdon, Lever, Hibbo, Kozzie,. The best thing is we win significant moments. Love being 5-0.

The team looks a little top heavy and out of balance to me. Our forward line appears mild on paper and I hope we have enough strength and skill to make the most of our midfield strength. Disappointed about Nev but not surprised, if it is not injury or illness.

Loving watching the power forwards with the new rule changes. Darling tonight is a joy to watch. Physical, clunking marks, and that pure straight run up.

Huge Selwood fan. One of the best captains I have ever seen, and has single handedly - on numerous occasions - dragged his team kicking and screaming over the line for victory. But my daughter and I went to see the final v Geelong in 2018, sitting near the boundary. We witnessed his whinging, playing for free kicks, and getting stuck into opposition players after the ball had gone. I can't help but be impressed with him as a footballer and skipper but can't stand all the other c**p he goes on about.

Ok, I went a step too far, and now repent in sackcloth and ashes. That is a thing of total ugliness!

Great news. Clarry might actually be our best midfielder in a very long time. Right up there with Greg Wells, Gerard Healy, and in my humble opinion better than Brian Wilson, Cameron Bruce or Todd Viney.

I reflect on so many jumper, logo, colour changes from the 70's through until now - I suppose this is to be expected from a club trying to retain younger members while enduring a total lack of success over 5 decades. Navy and Red is our standard an should never be played with (so please leave the read colour alone!) Royal and Red is the best clash strip option by a long way. But to be honest, I don't give a rats ar*e. I just want to see a red and blue MFC jumper of some description hold up a premiership cup. It could be duck-egg blue and Mazda red for all I care.

I had him being delisted at the end of this year - couldn't see his best place in our starting 22, and hadn't seen improvement in 2 years. Actually, I thought he had regressed. Boy am I glad I am wrong. He is quick and tough, a lot harder physically than he looks, and a serious handful for other teams in their planning. Loving his footy this year.

There are standard places on a screen where our eyes go, and standard practices most people's mouses(?) and keyboards follow. Microsoft made their money out of the easy and intuitive interaction people have with most of their products. The AFL website totally lacks an intuitive customer interface. We have to work so hard to get the most basic and popular information That b****y annoying match centre is ok once you re in it, but an horrendous design position for the home page. As much as I love the video feeds, I also want to read articles. The default % of videos is way too high.

Chocco is as mad as a cut snake and I love him. He has a strange mix of qualities: He is a communicator. Lots of people have football smarts and experience, but very few can convey it to others in a way that helps them learn or develop. He is passionate about people and passionate about footy. He is a genuine teacher Did I mention that he is stark raving nuts? He no longer wants to be a head coach He can balance being direct and corrective, while also encouraging and positive. A rare mix Best MFC appointment since Paul Roos and THAT photo of him and Nev. Wow.

Absolute no from me. You play for a club, not a team. Enough of this "injuries ruin football". It's part of the game. Move on.

Sparrow for Melksham definitely. If either of Brown or Weid were fit, TMac would have to be in the spotlight, as much as I like what he brings to team balance. Our main struggle against Geelong will be our young forward line against their defenders. Gawn and Jackson might need to rotate through forward 50 AND the bench, to being more size and physical options.

I think we Dees supporters have become so used to turnovers, bad skills, losing games by giving up 5-6 goals in 1 quarter etc... that we now complain about small stuff too much. There are mistakes all over the ground, each week and in every game, from both teams and the umpiring - even in great games like Doggies v Eagles last week. I love that we are 3 - 0, but the most pleasing thing is we are playing great TEAM footy. There are very few occasions where we are burning our team mates, or individuals being too selfish for too long, or choosing the long bomb without thinking etc... Some of the selfless link-up footy by Jackson, Spargo, Langdon, Jones is great team footy and I love it. A big whole in our performance during Goodwin's reign has been defensive running, and by that I mean getting to the next contest in numbers when the opposition has the ball. Seeing Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon, Jordon etc... working hard to get to half-back to help out means I don't have to watch with a knot in my stomach. There is a rider of course - the three teams we have played will probably all struggle to make finals, so my lid is still firmly fixed to the jar.

Each year I have my 'quote of the year". This is the winner for 2021 so far, by the length of the Flemington Straight. Love your style Rab.

1. Robbie. 2. Hardeman (so often the forgotten man of the MFC. He outmarked and outplayed the great full forwards of Hudson, Wade, McKenna etc... As a young kid, Melbourne were rarely on tv but the radio commentators used to love him) 3. Brett Lovett. Looked like a plodder but was an absolute gun off half back. Reliable, attacking, incredible team player. 4. Schwartz. Every skill, physically intimidating, great shot for goal, towering mark. 5. Farmer. Next in line: Lyon, Davey, or Gawn.

We have to do our very best to keep him. Not "give him what he wants", but something close to it. I agree that he has some parts of his game that need improving - like handballing to team mates who are too close and already under pressure, and trying to get around the tackle when he had a first option to give a releasing handball - but the rest of his game is simply a joy to watch. He plays at full pace, has amazing quick and accurate hands, his kicking has become a weapon, he runs all day, and racks up possessions bringing team mates into the game. He reminds me a bit of Stephen Tingay, although Tingay was more a kicking player. And there seems to be genuine camaraderie between him, Gawn, Trac and Brayshaw. Lots of reasons to fight hard to keep him.

I clearly remember all the ruckmen on that list. Dempsey was a freak, an absolute freak and thrashed every opponent he played against most weeks. His defensive marking was his trade mark, and his tap work was just so accurate. Madden was basically a giant goal-kicking, high marking midfielder who changed ruck play. He was the first I remember who jumped early into his opponent for serious hangtime, and then palmed it in a range of full 360 degrees, including behind his head while he was in the air. Moore was so athletic who, like Madden, had midfielder qualities. He could change the momentum of a game by doing ridiculous superstar things like Toby Greene or Dusty Martin. He was probably the most spectacular of this list. Cox the same; at his size he should have been awkward kicking on the run, but he was a beautiful kick. He served it up from hand and foot bringing Cousins, Judd etc... into the game. I am a bit protective of this list, and few make it on. Max earns his spot for being so consistent, by his impact in moment or periods of a game, but also for his tap work. Some people on this chat are critical of his tapping. That is actual praise because opposition are treating him like their own ruckman, understanding their own rucks have little to no chance to win much against him.

I have been holding myself back for a while now, but I think I am ready to elevate Gawn into a very elite group of ruckmen. Best I have seen in order: Gary Dempsey Simon Madden Peter Moore Dean Cox I am fairly happy to move Max Gawn into no.5 in this group. Watching him is pure pleasure. His tap work is as good as Dempsey, his field running as good as Cox, his kicking is now as relaible as Moore. I doubt his marking will get to the heights of Madden, but he is a very, very good mark. Absolute gun is our Max and I also need to eat humble pie about his captaincy; I wasn't a fan of his appointment but his leadership is first class.

Brayshaw is my favourite current Dees player. When he is on I love his hardness, and his run and carry. But he has been really poor in rounds 1 and 2. I will cut him some slack because he has had little preseason, but the pressure on positions makes his place in the 22 shaky. Melksham in for him is a real possibility but would rather see Brayshaw recover his form. Fritsch is killing me - don't know what to do about his goal kicking. No way do we stuff up good team balance and ream effort by bringing in Vandenberg or Hibberd just for the sake of it.

The brother-in-law of a friend played 50 games with the Dees, and I got to go in the rooms prior to a game versus Essendon while Carl was coach. We won by about 5 goals (I think) and sung "bye bye Bombers" to the cricket chant popular at the time "Come on Aussie come on, come on"! It is a long time ago now, but I remember him as a well spoken, excellent coach who the players adored. He surprised me with how calm, articulate and teacher-like he was. It felt like he left all the biffo and "bigger than life" stuff until he was out on the field. But he was VERY physically intimidating and everyone walked taller while he was on the ground.

Two things important for us to do well if we want to win: 1. Defensive spread from our midfielders. Freo waltzed around us in numbers through the middle of the ground and they achieved 50+ inside 50's. However, at one point we had Jordon, Sparrow and Bradshaw at some centre bounces which didn't help. Viney in is a massive bonus if he is fit. 2. If we hit our targets inside 50, we win. On Saturday, our delivery into 50 and set shot goal kicking was embarrassing.

Yes, but they did it at the mark.

Love this rule. I refuse to call it a new rule, because it is basically a return to what everyone did for the first 130 years until coaches pulled in ideas from other sports. It is simple - you "man the mark". And look at the run and flow of the game, look at the shots on goal!

As a coach, I highly rate Buckley. His teams have often played good footy. As a people-person or people-manager, I can't actually remember anyone as bad as him unless you mention Mark Neeld or Scott Watters. He is woeful. He has to stop thinking of them as footballer entities, and interact with them as people. Add in a CEO who appears has risen to the level of his incompetence, and the Pies are in serious trouble as a club. Can't wait to hear Eddie's spin in this - could be the best comedy act of 2021.