Moonshadow

Now, now, children....

Maybe your gut feel was the vindaloo you had last night. I would like him to stay.

Like Mitch did.

3 years, perhaps with incentives. Front load if possible. Avg $300k per yr. That is very generous for a second year player with skill issues. If he is the star many say, negotiate a new contract half way through his new 3 yr deal.

No chance. We will take the option to get a gun midfielder while we can. Certainty is a good thing.

Pick 1, 2, 3 or 4. The franchises will risk one of those to call our hand. They know it is as near as certain we will take him. We would do the same to them without a second thought. We've already signed him to a so-called MOU. He trains with us and his father (a club favourite) heads our draft scouting. Let's play all the bluff we can, but lets not whine when he's called at pick 3 (or 4, if GC get a priority pick).

And I fear that JV is just what GC would like - a hard, inside mid that continually feeds it out to their runners.

Only a couple of years ago Jones used to regularly butcher the ball by foot. He has worked hard to improve that to the extent he is now accurate and clever by foot (usually). It goes to show that foot skills can be improved with persistence and work. I agree that fitness helps many players, as skills are usually first to suffer when they are spent.

In for life.

Ouch!

Correct. Thanks

We would have to give up one of our first 2 picks to secure pick 1or 2 in the mini draft. Otherwise, a highly valued player (eg Watts, Frawley, Jones, etc). Too many other clubs would do this for them. Do we honestly think we're the only ones bidding for them? Let's get real and stop bandying around Bate, Morton, and any other hack we have (queue roll call now...) as trade bait for a high pick or high quality player. To get something good, you gotta generally give something of perceived equal value.

Sad how few MFC players are on that list and those few are generally terrible kicks (Frawley, Garland). We seem to attract young players recently who have a red hot go (Nico, McDonald, Magner, Bail), but who also have shite disposal and appalling decision making. Or should I say, no one else picks them up in the draft, hence their cricket score draft pick number. Time to follow the leading teams and put a high priority on disposal when recruiting, partic in the midfield. Hawks, Eagles, Filth and Cats all have many great disposers of the ball.

My love to you all.

Geez, we are a bunch of pessimists, aren't we? MFCSS??? The guy plays a few good games, steadily improving each week after having a bad run with injuries and we collectively trash him to the point where some are calling for him to be traded! No need for our opponents to play mind games in the media and try and put us down. We're doing a pretty fine job of that ourselves! Get a grip people.

I know we could list reasons why we have been so poor for so many years. Skills, decision making, recruiting, contracts, training facilities (Junction Oval), coaches, finances, culture, etc. What I want to understand is why has this happened for so long and how has this become the norm? I really don't get why just about every other club has made basic, simple, responsible decisions that have moved their club forward and created some on field success. Or at least some form of positive hope. Why do we seem to go from bad to worse year after year? Why have club structures not created a unity of purpose and drive that has resulted in on field success. False dawns are hard to take. I know we are much better off financially and Jimmy did a great job of pointing us in the right direction. But we keep falling further back in what is an ever-more cut throat, supporter-led competition. Yes, it's not that simple a matter that can be explained here. People can point to Port Adel or Brisbane (or even back to Fitzroy) and say they struggle/d as well. But I know several Bris and Port fans who wouldn't want to be in our shoes for a million bucks. It's getting very hard to keep supporting this club. But I will, of course, persist. The alternatives are too unthinkable. I love this Club, as did my father and grandfather.

Love your passion BJ, absolutely. But I don't think any of the reasons you mention are the reasons that Neeld would use as justification for selecting him in the seniors. He'd be thinking "is he ready, will he fit the team structure, can he last the full match (fitness wise), is there an adequate role for him, is this the right time for his next step, will he give impact, etc". If the answer to these (and more, but I can't think of them ATM) is yes, then perhaps. I'm sure Neeld will leave emotion out of the selection.

What about Fitzy as a forward in the seniors? Had a good game today for Casey, albeit in the ruck. But he's being groomed as a forward/ruck and seems more advanced than Cook. Not sold on throwing in Cook yet. Perhaps a game or two before the year's end, but I'd put Fitz in ahead of him at this stage.

Would love several. I suspect the better ones will re-sign with their club, be hideously over-priced or only have one good year left in them. Having said that... Hodge and Chappy thanks.

Hand balling to players who are stationary or flat footed next to their opponent gets on my goat. Happens time and time again, usually after a loose possession that has potential for an forward-going overlap. Great opportunities going wasted because of bad decision making and poor execution, sometimes under little or no real pressure. No talk when someone takes it on, resulting in a tackle that causes a turnover. Arghhhhhhhhhhhh! Talk helps awareness.

Will he be better than Watts and Nic Nat?

Simon Buckley is getting a game with the Filth reasonably regularly. Not setting the world on fire, but they are developing him. Looks much fitter and more confident than when with us. At the moment, we couldn't even develop a bad case of jock itch.

My god, Bail and Nicho's kicking are appalling. What the hell do the players do at training? Prance around like prize stallions? I've seen the Filth look far better on Goshes Paddock than we do on a Sat arvo at the G. Too many times players managed to f**k up great link work with TERRIBLE disposal. Bate and Howe were also cringe worthy. Not many positives from the day, Tigers poor kicking excepted

Hate to say it, but Spencil looked 1000 times better today than last week. Tried hard, got in front, tacked hard. Considering how shite we were, he showed more effort than many on the list. Still has the appearance and coordination of a startled giraffe on the run. Can't see him making the cut. Not wanting to compare, but Big Cox's last quarter against the Roos shows how a champion ruck can win a game on his own, just about. Spencil would do well to watch that tape.

Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane... or so said my Richmond mate today.