PaulRB

Looks like this year is a transition year or course correction in three parts. 1. Older leaders struggle + Coach struggles and is sacked. 2. New generation of leaders emerge (Watts & Trengove) + new coach is appointed 3. Club emerges stronger than ever in 2012. Perhaps this was a year we were always going to have, just happened earlier (and was uglier) than we thought it would be... Phoenix like from here ;-)) Go Dees

You are right about stats showing anything... An alternate view Games won by 9+ goals and total games won Years - 9+ goal wins - total wins 2008 - 0 - 3 wins 2009 - 1 - 4 wins 2010 - 2 - 8.5 wins 2011 - 3+ - 7.5+ (10.5 likely) wins Looks like the glass may be half full... Go Dees

In retrospect our 2011 draw was less light than first expected, i.e. we play(ed) all of the top 5 teams twice (except Geelong)... sure we also play most of the bottom 5 twice too...

Fair enough 'dee-luded', be good if we could grab one of each (young gun and quality mature mid). I'd like to think we could manage to come out of the TS fiasco undiminished...

You'd have to imagine that Jack Trengove signed up to a similar deal to that we'd be offering Tom?

From the MFC Twitter "Melbourne has raised $758,901 at its annual Foundation Heroes event at Myer Mural Hall - an outstanding effort by the red and blue faithful". Well done

Given Jack Trengove's re-signing for a further 3 years (without publicly holding the club to ransom for a year), I imagine it would be hard for him (JT) to respect how TS has played his hand this year. Well Done Jack! Nothing builds adoration from us poor fans than a young champion re-signing before they have to and demonstrating their respect for and commitment to the MFC.

Great news and JT is quality for re-signing a year out and saving us all from further GWS speculation next year... Be interesting to hear him and TS discuss their various decisions...

The challenge is that tanking can look like player development, and player development can look like tanking. For example if/when the MFC cannot make finals I'd be keen to give games to our boarder line kids (Cook, McDonald, Fitzpatrick, etc...) before the season finished. The motivation is simply to give them a taste of the top level and inspire them for the pre-season to come, yet this may look like Tanking... Hence, the Draft order needs to be set earlier in the year (i.e. after round 17) so that if clubs choose to focus on development they are not tarnished with the Tanking brush. Make the ladder at Rd 17 the draft order (incl priority), simple fix that decouples tanking and development.

The problem if TS was to leave and we get two first round as compensation is that we have to shift the launch date for our premiership window back a year (or two)... Which is a bummer.

Have the fixture have every team play each other once by Rd 17 at which time the draft order (and Priorities are set). I would add that the fixture for Rd 18-24 should not have any top 4 team play any bottom 4 team (based on the previous seasons results)... Solves Tanking and late season blowouts where a low team is trying youth Vs a top team tuning up for finals.

Love that Jack is playing back, middle and forward line, as champions and captains should be able to go where they are needed and where they can turn the contest our way (aka Judd at Carlton). Keep growing Jack. Loved the blind turn goal, made me laugh and remember why I love going to the footy.

I'm excited. Come on Melbourne. If we don't beat them we have to make them very sore and nervous about meeting us in the first final come September. Demon Love Go Dees

Why not just go to Falls in Summer (1600-1800m) with facilities...? Altitude Training - Falls Creek if the club can't afford it perhaps we should raise some money for it..? Carn Dees

Me too. Reckon Gys goes out.

Surely there are a few members with lodges at Falls Creek they could lend for the team for a couple of weeks over summer?

Lets just make sure Lynden Dunn does not go anywhere near Judd... His effort on Chappy last week seemed to feed the killing frenzy the cats were already in...

Would have said 63k but the rainy weather bring it back to 57k. Games going to be pumped all week, guaranteed entertainment from the media's perspective, i.e. Can the Dees rebound and regain their pride? And the Blues fans at feeling cockey enough to see us as lively but ultimately unsuccessful on Saturday. Allowing them the further gloat ... Big crowd. Any true MFC supporter should be keen to be at the G to see how the team we love responds...

I reckon Tom Scully's onfield leadership, discipline and understanding of playing in the middle make him a good candidate for the leadership group. Any of the new candidates need to demonstrate their credentials for the leadership by playing a match winning role in an important game. Not to many of the next generation have played to many of these to date. Saturday is the opportunity and if TS, JT, JW etc.. put their hand up and have a blinder (and he stays) I'd have him in the leadership group...

Fixed, Ta.

What about bringing in Barty to also play a midfield tight tag on Judd/Murphey with others? I worry about Silvia if Judd goes to the forward pocket to "rest". We need to tip the midfield to our advantage any way we can..?

I'd look at either Davey, Scully and Trengove to Judd. May not beat him (he is good) but quite likely to hurt them the other way if Judd does not pay them too much respect...? Do the same for Murphey?

I'd hope. IN: Davey, Scully, MacDonald, Morton. The rational is that this week that those experienced players whose performance has been sub-par or their future value questioned should be given a run this week. This list includes Dunn, Bate and Maric, all of which have kept their spots for Carlton. OUT: Nicolson, Strauss, Howe, Bate. The flip of the above logic, take the least exposed of the next generation players out, I feel that this game will be best served by those MFC players with the most to lose if they under perform. That said the above selections are based on a key assumption that all the players present themselves to play for the club cherry ripe and raring to go.

Time to turn our thoughts to Saturdays game. Melbourne fans are all resilient. This week is a huge challenge to our players. Assuming Tom is fit, we have Davie, Scully, McDonald, ... available to come into the team. Who comes in? Who goes out? And, of most interest to me is, how do we beat the bruise free blues (Blues)? Come on Dees!!!

Go back in time 42 years and make sure I didn't follow my old mans footy team...