La Dee-vina Comedia

I'm not sure whether any inability to improve their physical size is solely the responsibility of the players. The club provides the players with the training facilities, dietary advice, probably supplements (I mean legal ones) and instructions on what needs to be developed. I fear that our instructions in the early years of some of these players (essentially the Bailey years) failed the players.

Actually, I think the reverse. If Tyler Roos was drafted to Melbourne I'd see Paul Roos leaving claiming a conflict of interest. When Denis Pagan was coach of North Melbourne he had difficulties with how he managed his son who was on the Kanga's list for a while. Put simply, whichever approach Pagan (senior) took, he couldn't win.

I just assumed the vote givers couldn't spell properly. There's no other logical conclusion.

And I think St Kilda is on the path to establishing its own standalone VFL team, too.

The point about being undersize is spot on. Have a look at Grimes playing against Dangerfield. Grimes looks like he's a matchstick in comparison. Howe, Watts, Grimes, Fitzpatrick and many others besides (including players no longer on our list, such as Gysberts and Morton) have, for whatever reason, remained undersize for the roles they are asked to play. I can't believe they are all just born with the type of metabolism which prevents them from bulking up.

Well said, Binman. My personal preference is for us to absorb Casey and change the name of the club to Casey Demons. Whether it changes its name eventually to Melbourne Demons is a longer term matter of little consequence other than branding. What matters is having control over the development and treatment of listed MFC players.

My year 9 maths teacher was Ken Emselle. He was a much better footballer than teacher...at least, that's how I explain my poor understanding of integrated calculus.

And it appears some are taking on roles they are not necessarily familiar with as part of a learning exercise. We have to stop thinking about Casey's success purely in 'win/loss' terms and think about it as a development squad for the MFC. As much as I want Casey to win, in reality Casey losing every game is a cost I'm prepared to put up with if it results in ongoing improvements to the depth of the MFC squad.

I avoided this thread for a while due to its heading. "Trengove, calling it now". I just assumed it was another negative thread predicting Trengove's demise. Glad that it wasn't although the usual suspects (you know who you are) have shown that they didn't learn from their grandmothers. You know, the lesson in life that says "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Illogical arrant nonsense.

Does Google translate work on Dee-luded's posts for anyone else? It's not working for me.

Similarly, the more open coaches (such as the Scott twins) will say they know what another team's gameplan is and what is required to beat it. But they may not have the capability to do so.

Loyalty requires a two-way relationship. Why should players show loyalty to their clubs when clubs have shown time and again that they see players as expendable commodities? Free agency has just swung the pendulum back a bit towards the players but clubs still hold the whip hand. Wasn't one of the reasons Ablett gave for moving to Gold Coast family related? That is, so he could be closer to his brother and father who lived there? Edit: corrected punctuation

If you're going to the Gold Coast or GWS game (why would you?) don't forget to take sunglasses to avoid the retina damage looking at those jumpers might cause.

Yes, having re-read his post I see what you mean. Should have assumed as much from his user name.

To summarise my position, if I had to choose as my senior coach between someone with coaching experience but no AFL playing experience versus someone with AFL playing experience but no coaching experience, I'd go with the one with coaching experience every time. He or she is the one with the more relevant skill set and experience for the job.

Is he? Is he feared? By whom? Is he respected? By whom (and what for?). And is he a leader? I don't see it. Forget titles. Being called a leader or being in a leadership group does not automatically make someone a leader. As I've posted before, leaders have to have followers. You can't have one without the other. And I can't see who Scully's followers might be. Mercenaries tend not to attract followers as they are seen to be self-centred and uncaring about others.

I agree that playing for 10 years under different coaches will teach a player. That clearly gives ex-players an advantage. But it doesn't automatically make them a better coach than someone who has never played. Under that logic, Peta Searle (apologies if I have the name wrong) should never have been an Assistant Coach in the VFL. Coaching is a combination of people management, list management, gameplan design, teaching, media management and a myriad of other things. Having been a player will help with gameplan design. What else?

I get it. many Demonlanders don't like Scully. But to say he's "dragging them down" and they might want "to be rid of him" is just ridiculous. Is he worth what he's being paid? No (or, at lest, not yet). Is he an OK footballer? Yes he is. Would he be getting a game in our side if he had stayed with us? Almost certainly.

Triple Brownlow medallist, Ian Stewart, spoke on 3AW this morning about his ongoing battle with this disease. I didn't hear the full interview, but he said he's not quite recovered 23 months after contracting it. I don't know whether there is any link between age and recovery time, but it's hard to imagine anyone fitter at 46 than Clarkson.

I think not having played at senior AFL level is irrelevant.

The only thing that interests me is whether the MFC is happy with the Casey arrangement and Welsh's coaching. If not, it needs to be fixed; if so, that's good enough for me.

Plus the sub, which, ironically, is the clearest role of the lot.

Mick Malthouse is pretty good at making the obtuse remark. Admittedly, that might just be for the benefit of the media. The statements he makes directly to his players might be crystal clear.

I would have thought Thompson and Roos subscribe to totally different gameplans. One is stoppage heavy while the other is a fast-flowing fluid style. For this reason only, I can't see how Thompson would be seen by Roos as his natural successor.

As has been posted already, it won't be particularly hot. I also suspect that there might not be TV quality lighting. The saddest part about this Saturday's game, in an inexcusable action of his own making, Liam Jurrah won't be there to watch.