La Dee-vina Comedia

Of course, you realise if you were looking at the same clip on the WELCOME TO DEMONLAND - HERETIER LUMUMBA page, you'd be able to argue how clever Heretier was not to over-commit and he was just unlucky that Garlett kicked a goal from an impossible angle.

Gee I love this annual debate about who should be on the banner. The relative value of players is very much clouded by who people have seen in their lifetimes. Why not go left field and put up 12 AFL Premiership Cups and an empty pedestal to be filled by the 13th? (Actually, I don't really care. I enjoy what Demonland (ie, Andy) provides for us and am quite happy to leave it in his hands.)

I doubt there was anyone at Demonland who didn't think trading Brock McLean for pick 11 wasn't great value for us at the time. (Sorry - three negatives in one sentence. Let's try it this way: I suspect almost everyone at Demonland thought trading Brock McLean for pick 11 was a great trade for us at the time.) Everything else is peripheral.

Just to stir the pot once more, I think its equally logical to argue that it's likely impossible to stuff up so many draft choices, so the development of said draftees must be the problem.

I've been saying for a while that the body shapes of our homegrown talent is poor. Now here's the proof. Either Watts is far too skinny or Roos has been in a decent paddock (or pink is not his colour).

To be honest, I was surprised he didn't find a new home during trade week. I would have thought Richmond might have been interested. But that the he didn't suggests that either (a) he's not as good a footballer as I thought or (b) just not good enough to overcome the concerns associated with his off field problems. A number of posters question whether off field matters. It does. Clubs have limited resources (personnel and money) and if they have to spend too much on one player it reduces resources available to other players. North Melbourne allegedly engaged a minder to accompany Wayne Carey - but there's a big difference in looking after one of the best players the competition has ever seen and a player of questionable skills and quality.

I think there are plenty of ex-AFL players with an intimate knowledge of the VFL. Whether they'll make decent commentators is another thing. I see Channel 7 using it as a breeding ground for the next generation of commentators. So I would expect to see Brad Sewell and Nick Maxwell doing special comments next year.

Not sure the second ruck will play from the bench. Limited rotations pressure coaches to play the second ruck, usually in the forward pocket, for considerable portions of any game. If Jamar continues as 1st ruck, I could see Gawn playing a lot in the forward line in 2015.

Actually, remembered by me as the sole contested mark stat for Melbourne in Bailey's first game as coach.

I'm doubtful those of us born after 1952 will ever see a King's Birthday Holiday. I expect that public holiday to be abolished and replaced with something else...whether it's a public holiday before Grand Final day or something else.

Victoria goes to the polls at the end of November and current indications are that the ALP lead by Daniel Andrews will topple the incumbent Lib/Nat coalition lead by Denis Napthine. Andrews has promised a public holiday will be created for the Friday prior to the Grand Final. My suspicion is that he will do this by getting rid of the Queen's Birthday public holiday. I have no evidence to support this, but Andrews is cunning and abolishing the QB holiday will (1) placate business who would otherwise complain about an additional public holiday and (2) help promote the republican cause. Even if I'm wrong, I don't see the QB holiday existing for much longer anyway. I expect it will be abolished once Her Majesty departs this mortal coil. We need to be developing a strategy for an alternative blockbuster game to replace what I think will be taken from us, not by the AFL, but eventually by politicians. I'm just fearful it will happen sooner, rather than later.

Any truth in the rumour he wanted to come to Melbourne to be called "H" rather than the "Haitch" he kept being called at Collingwood?

I'll take at face value that Clark's medical advice was not to return to his old workplace as to do so might risk a return of depression. On that basis, Clark was never coming back to us and we've effectively got Lumumba for nothing. I can't see how that's a negative for us.

Excuse my ignorance, but does the club have an award named after Robert Flower? I mean no disrespect at all to those who awards are already named after and do not want any of them to be displaced, but if there's not an award in his name surely we should have one. If there is not already a Robert Flower trophy or medal, what do people think would be an appropriate award which would honour our universally accepted best player of the last 50 years?

I think I'd be prepared to part with picks 2 and 3 for both Josh Kennedys.

You could have argued that Jack Watts wasn't fully committed to enough contests last season so in a philosophical sense wanted to get fully involved in 2015 thereby looking to join the red and the blue.

Hey, come on. One riddle at a time, please. Otherwise we'll have mass confusion on this site.

I just always assumed with a name like "Stretch" he'll always look light for his height.

So, I appreciate every case is different, but who has come back from navicular injuries and who hasn't? Was Garland's a navicular injury? James Hird? Who else? And whatever the outcome - and I hope he plays for Melbourne again - if nothing else he will always be listed as a captain of the MFC.

Jaded, I appreciate you probably don't want to be described as an "old cow"...but science dictates you can't be either a young or an old bull, either.

...who would probably be wise to stay at Hawthorn if they want to keep him. A contract that pays him reasonably well few just a few games a year here and there is about par for his capabilities. Any other team may be far more ruthless about cutting him as soon as his contract expires.

OK, so Nasher's just turned 31 (Happy birthday, by the way). Haven't I read somewhere else he's got four kids? Fair effort.

I remember Tom Flower playing a few games for Melbourne. But I didn't know Rob had another brother, Jim. Did he ever play football at the highest level?

What's his right foot like? Onballers really need to be able to distribute on both sides of the body. It's OK to have a dominant side, but without the option of going the other way it can severely limit their effectiveness.

Agree. Yet there is no similarity with the way they play. Two completely different styles but with the apparent same love for the guernsey.