snomed

Absolutely love the mobile skin too!

Hate to see this site go down, and it looks a lot better without ad's now!

Lloyd's 2 greatest 'acts' of strength would have to be sniping knocking out Sewell, and attempting to knock out Woewodin (but missing and knocking out Blake Caracella instead). What football advice could he provide? Stand in the goalsquare and get Hird, Long, etc to kick the ball to you and have it hit you on the chest every time. Also, why on earth would we hire a forward coach when the ball never gets in there, and when it does it is at the feet of the 200cm+ full forward we have bought?

Mark Neeld said it exactly right: "If we've got pick No.3 and Jack is rated in the top three, then that is an easy one. If we've got pick No.3 and Jack is rated in the top 10, then we'll need to have a discussion about that. "I'm learning very quickly that there is absolutely no guarantees in this industry." http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/135181/default.aspx If he turns out that he is worth pick 3, then by all means pick him. If we finish 3rd last (or should I say when) and GWS or Gold Coast try to be pricks and force us into taking him with pick 3 when he isn't worth it, then let them waste pick 1 or 2 on him, and we can use pick 3 to get what is essentially pick 2. I see no problem with that at all.

He doesn't warrant a Tom Scully like "Will he or won't he" thread (although neither did Tom Scully ). His management has said he'll wait until the end of the year - I hope we're not discussing this for all that time!

Despite the fact that the league initials spell NSL we aren't playing soccer I'd generally be fine with either way - however we have been playing the "Keeper" model in the Norm Smith league after having this same discussion several months ago (before the draft!) and it was determined then it would be a keeper league. Despite the fact that I have only 2 players I'd deem a "Keeper" I think it's too late to change the rules now - for 6 weeks people have been knocking back trades based upon how they want to mold their team both this and next year. It also makes things interesting when top players are injured for 6 weeks - do you keep them or lose them and risk someone else picking them up later in the season. So I vote no to mid season change to rules.

No - I think I win using my first draft pick to pick up Goldstein!

Fortunately I won't have the first waiver this week for a change!

I think that the past coaching team / administration has a lot to answer for, however given that we put next to no money into our coaching and fitness staff compared to what we are now putting in (or compared to what the top clubs have been doing for the past few years), they can't be entirely to blame either. Some things I do note: 1. We lack experience on the field. Trengove and Grimes may be great leaders (I beleive they are, and worthy captains compared to anyone else on the list), and can lead by example. However given that they have played a handful of games it's impossible for them to pass on their experience to the younger players. Likewise, they have nobody really to pass on experience to them. Green and Davey are the only 2 players who have more than 150 games experience on the list - and they both look like being great additions to Casey this year. Moloney and Sylvia would be expected to be the players who would also pass this experience on, but they haven't managed to get onto the park this year (other than rd 1 for Moloney) either. By contrast Geelong have 10 players on their list who have played over 150 games (7 of which are on 197 or more) - is it any wonder that their young kids are developing so fast. It was great to see Mitch Clark at one point run up the ground, get the ball over to Jones, then point up the ground and just yell at him to kick it to the 2-on-2 contest in our forward line, and Martin takes a good contested mark 25 meters out (and delivers a well needed point ) . I really don't see many other players helping instruct others what to do on the field. Wouldn't it be nice to have Junior or even Miller running around just to be able to provide guidance to our youth on field. Perhaps our list management in the last 4-5 years were a bit too fast to jump the gun thinking that our kids could suddenly fill the void of losing them and Bruce, Yze, Robbo etc etc - while most of the old crew wouldn't be playing now, perhaps in hindsight keeping them on for an extra year at the to pass on their experience to the youngsters wouldn't have been a bad thing. 2. The players haven't really had a game plan for the past few years (other than run it up the middle as fast as you can). They were allowed to play with flair and, at their best, were able to smash the lower teams. While it was great to be able to say last year that we were thumping these lower teams, and that we were more developed than them, it was quite apparent any time we had to take on the better teams that flair counted for little - we needed a better game plan. It's little co-incidence that we had something like (from memory) the 3rd biggest average winning margin (behind Geelong and Collingwood), as well as the 3rd biggest average losing margin. I do notice a massive difference this year - the players no longer play with flair - they are focused on trying to make sure that they're in the correct position (which quite often they're not), rather than using their own initiative. It is a huge learning curve, and I'm not surprised that our more experienced players are the ones struggling the most to adapt. But I think we need to give the players some time to adapt - sure we're getting smashed on almost every statistic, but the players look like they're giving everything that they have, which is also probably why they die in the arse physically. 3. I don't think it's any secret that when the new coaching and fitness staff arrived on day 1 they were pretty shocked at the level of fitness of the players compared to the elite clubs. I'm sure that they would have been hammered like they have never been before. You can't build that fitness in one pre season. I'll reserve my judgement on Neeld until the end of the year. I think he's trying to instill a new culture in the club, something that's been lacking for years (i.e. what we define as success, compared to what other teams define as success) and while he's been given more resources financially than any other past Melbourne coach which should pay dividends in the medium to long term, he has been provided with little in the way of on field leadership and experience to work with in the short term. It's a fight for him and he needs to break the wills of some players to get them playing to the standard that he expects. I don't think we need to re-build our list, but we do need which would take years, but we do need to re-build the mindset of a lot of players which should hopefully become more and more apparent as the year goes on.

Perhaps we should play skins vs shirts for the rest of the year. I can see a few benefits: 1. 'Free' jumpers for all supporters 2. No cost to the club in removing the sponsors logo (and cleaning costs) 3. After last week most of the players don't deserver to wear the red and blue.

Woo Hoo! Been looking forward to this starting again since it ended last year - because this means footy season is about to start! Am signed up - I'll even remember to be at the draft this year so I don't (embarrassingly) muck up the times like I did last year

Haha just realised there was consolation finals! Mind you not sure how legit they are - both myself and the guys I've played against the last 2 weeks haven't been touching our teams! Good luck to the finalists! Good to see my bro get knocked out last weekend - I don't think I would have heard the end of it had he won Been a fun and firey year - looking forward to next year! (And I promise to set the draft to auto pick in case I am not at the computer next time )

I just want to highlight some of the trades that have been sent to me throughout the year from people who are the SAME PEOPLE who complain about trades that Robbo and myself have made (current rankings in brackets - the left is what I had, the right what they were offering). OMR: Jude Bolton (15)for Richard Tambling (283) High Tower: Paddy Ryder (98)for Brent Reilly (161) (yes - this was AFTER the Ryder / Gray trade was vetoed) OMR: Andrew Swallow (18)for Eddie Betts (190)and Leon Davis (287) High Tower: Colin Sylvia (51)for Brent Reilly (161) High Tower: Colin Sylvia (51)for Quinten Lynch (198) and Brent Reilly (161) High Tower: Colin Sylvia (51)for Chris Mayne (177) High Tower: Nick Smith (209) and Colin Sylvia (51) for Chris Mayne (177)and Cale Morton (317)(who's played 10 games) High Tower: Colin Sylvia (51)and Scott Thompson (50) for Hamish Hartlett (56) and David Hille (106) OMR: Jude Bolton (15)for Robbie Gray (57)and Thomas Lynch (210) A bit rich continuously throwing this rubbish my way then the stirring up the veto-trigger happy players to veto trades which involve the same players you have been chasing all year. It seems that even when I am offered CONSIDERABLY better offers you think it's an unfair trade completely forgetting what YOU valued the same players at before hand (or in some cases afterwards). I think my venting is over - frustrating day at the G today

Is it just me or does Max Gawn's head look like an NBA Jam player with big head mode turned on? Great pics thanks for posting!

Even after hearing from SnomeD not convinced. Sylvia & Andy Swallow far outweigh "Dodgy string Watson" & the 2011 version of Brad Green & of course if you do win through to the GF Watson can't play. I wont be voting against this however Robbo 24 now looks to be in a very powerful position. Good Luck both of you for the remainder of the season. Alas the trade got vetoed anyway - am throwing some trades out for backmen - i'm prepared to take a bit of a hit stats wise - obviously if the hits too big it'll just get vetoed anyway - so if you have a decent backman then swallow, sylvia, moloney, bolton up for grabs! Snomed's BASEMENT BARGAIN DEAL OF THE SEASON! On another note - up in Darwin to watch the dees last night -what a great city! Have now seen the dees play everywhere except Perth (try to see one i/s game a year) - by far the best place of the lot!! To those who vetoed the trade - enjoy the cold weather down there

As ive said on u.f. Im in desperate need for a backman - watsons a walk up start and should be back next week but in any case ive got an abundance of midfielders - green v sylvia not that much difference in last few weeks but green kicks goals which i also need grahams career is over imo and jensch was dominating at the time i pressed accept - didnt realise he would come off injured but thats life - hopefully he plays next week! Ranking wise there is a difference but stats wise not all that much difference - im gaining in areas that i need to imo

Dunn has been useless since he grew that stupid mo - shouldn't be allowed back on the team until he has a shave!

I'll be there - if that's not enough to motivate people then I don't know what is! B) In all seriousness, I can't believe the excuses that are being used here - the ground is a few train stations further away from the MCG - you don't have to walk as far from the station, it's under cover if it rains - it's not like we're playing at princess park or some crappy dilapidated stadium! For years I've stood up for dees supporters for all of the stereotypes that everyone from other teams talk about - now I need to go and apologise to all of the because they were clearly right! Sure - people work, have other commitments, can't afford it - fair enough - but for people who just can't be bothered unless it's at the MCG HARDEN THE ^&*% UP AND GET DOWN THERE! No use complaining next week (if we lose which we shouldn't!) that the Dees didn't turn up to Etihad when you couldn't be bothered turning up yourselves!! Seriously every time I leave there I can't talk for a week because I have to scream / cheer that much louder to make up for the fact there are only a few thousand of us at the game!

The thing that impresses me the most about Watts is not so much how he's playing but it's his attitude. When he started he seemed like he was just cruising - you could watch him and compare him to Scully and Trengove - he had about 10% of their effort - he seemed to be happy to have been drafted at number 1 and that's all he was hoping to achieve - little effort or enthusiasm. All has changed in the past month or so - Take a look at his face here http://www.afl.com.au/video/tabid/76/contentid/366812/brilliant+goal+from+watts/default.aspx - so awesome to see him getting so fired up! I was perplexed when Bailey made him the sub against Gold Coast - I thought what better game to get your confidence up but they left him on the bench - could be the coaching move of the year though - Jack's hit back and since then every game has been the best of his career - I love going to the game and just watching him even when the balls not near him - his effort has increased 1000% - and he's constantly directing traffic telling teammates where to go - and he's only going to get better!

On another note anyone looking to trade a decent backman for Brent Moloney?

Lol - he could have left us with a bit of tension for the game! Well done Range Rover! Well deserved win!

Biggest joke of all time.

how does such an absurd topic get 86 posts? Well 87 now

He has to wait until the goal umpire signals the behind - I was at the game and didn't see the replay so not sure if he did or not - given how quickly he kicked it out he may have been a second or 2 too quick

Can only pray he starts as a sub, or that he gets subbed off with 7 kicks Has had 3 games with more than 10, 3 games with less this year... hoping he has a massive handball day (and less than 4 free kicks)!