La Dee-vina Comedia

Get to a higher level of fitness

I'm curious. Why is Jamar ignored as a possible captain? I voted 'No' for Frawley as I don't think he suits the off-field demands (eg, media). I also think all the Jacks are too young, although all of Grimes, Trengove and Watts could be future captains. Jamar seems to fit the current requirement. He plays like a leader, isn't too young to demand the respect of his peers and speaks well publicly. And by the time he's finished (as captain and/or player), one of the Jacks should be ready to take over. Anyway, he's my choice.

And it wouldn't surprise me If Malthouse likes the idea of making Nathan Buckley's job that much harder by losing his (Malthouse's) assistants.

Long bow to draw. How do you know (if indeed it's true) the story got passed around that way. There are countless other pathways including player and coach managers, media spies and people who happen to be in the right place at the right time to see a meeting occur. Not to mention phone hacking!

Sportsnews First Adds fat to the fire (although they can't spell)

It's just been pointed out to me that the top six teams from 2010 will all have new coaches in 2012. Collingwood - tick; St Kilda - tick; Geelong - tick; Bulldogs - tick; Freo - tick...and who is the other team? (Adelaide? Or have I been living in a bad dream all this time and it was Melbourne...)

Don't feel too sorry for St Kilda. R Lyon has just done to them what they did to Grant Thomas and Malcolm Blight before him. And, I suspect the change in coach may well be just what they need anyway. It's not dissimilar to Geelong's situation where the coach moved on and the playing list seems revitalised. The losers in this are clearly Mark Harvey and potentially Freo and R Lyon if it all turns pear-shaped. Of course, if Freo now wins a premiership under this new arrangement they'll be happy and so will the coach. But Lyon will need to make it work, because if it doesn't it will be his last chance.

Careful. There is some suggestion on this site that some doctors might share medical information. Unless it's a part of their obligation (eg, specialist referral) I would expect medical ethics to prevail and information not be shared. To say otherwise might be defamatory.

I'm not sure whether MFC ever publicly committed to using its first pick on Viney. If we move away from the Viney situation for a moment, in theory, a club could decide it wanted a particular FS selection but that it didn't believe he was worth more than, say, a third round pick. So, if another club decided to offer a first round pick, the club with the potential FS pick could decline to exercise it leaving the club that was prepared to take him with their first round pick obliged to pick him. In that way, FS picks are more likely to go at "market rate" rather than as a bargain - as occurred for Geelong with Ablett and Scarlett. Except for clear, stand out, first round standard picks, I think FS selections are fraught with difficulty for clubs. If they exercise the option and the player doesn't make it, it may seem like a waste (no disrespect intended, but Brayden Shaw, son of Tony fits in this category as, in time, may Ayce Cordy); if they don't exercise the option, and the player turns into a star, the club looks foolish (to a lesser degree, Marcus Picken, son of Bill fits in here). I guess that's why you pay for full time recruiting staff.

Not quite what you asked, but 'the flop' comes to mind.

As good as it is, he missed a golden opportunity at the end. I was expecting Mein Fuhrer to finish with "At least Schwartz is a f*#@ng German name!"

I'm not sure whether you mean the expansion of the competition, the uncontracted players issue or the compensation formula, but I doubt much of it was actually "developed by Demetriou". I'm certain the expansion was an AFL Commission decision, of which Demetriou is just one vote and didn't the clubs support the proposal for access to uncontracted players? And if I recall correctly a sub-committee of club officials, I think including Cameron Schwab, developed the compensation formula. What I find particularly interesting, though, is the respective attitudes of MFC and GWS. MFC doesn't want to compromise its relationship with its other players by paying over the odds. GWS has taken the alternative approach and decided that mercenaries will be paid significantly more than homegrown talent. If Scully doesn't deliver, not only will GWS have blown a large amount of cash, it will have other players wondering why their contracts are comparatively skinny. Long term contracts sometimes work (Judd) and sometimes don't (Mercuri) and are a high risk strategy.I know which club I'd rather be managing.

Actually, Scully going to GWS might also encourage the AFL to have two Melb v GWS games next year. Poor commercially for MFC, but perhaps a positive on the scoreboard.

Looking at this from another perspective, if Channel 7 is required to show a GWS game on a Friday night, perhaps Melb v GWS will be the game they'll pick. On the same logic, of course, they could pick GWS v Bulldogs/Fremantle/Adelaide, but you'd think from Channel 7's point of view the Scully factor would provide a better marketing opportunity than any of Ward/Palmer/Davis. Of course, GWS may still poach a bigger scalp (Goddard, perhaps?) but in the meantime, if I were Channel 7 and had to have a GWS game on Friday night, this is the one - and probably the only one - I'd choose.

Scully owes us nothing for giving him an opportunity. Under the draft system, it's the other way around - he had no choice when he started and it was up to us to convince him to stay. That we couldn't convince him is not necessarily a significant failure on our behalf. And if you want to develop a conspiracy theory, why not float the idea that MFC didn't try that hard to compete because of his dodgy knee! On balance, if we get a first round draft pick and an extra early pick, I think we'll do OK. Or, rather, if we draft well with those picks, we'll do OK. Of course, while I think the GWS announcement will confirm Scully has signed - if he hasn't, the MFC has done exceptionally well to keep him. And the Herald Sun will be severely embarrassed. And that would make it a truly memorable day.

If a cliche is defined as something that's said over and over again, surely "Cale Morton needs to put on some kilos over summer" must be one. We've been saying it for years.

If we want players with names which are fun to say we should follow in the footsteps of GCS and GWS and raid the NRL for Fui Fui Moi Moi.(I have no idea if I spelt that name correctly). Or trade for Steele Sidebottom - voted in an online poll, I believe, as the funniest name in sport.

I'm not sure about this. Drafted players have no choice about where they end up. Locking them in for three years without any ability for them to negotiate pay or conditions would seem akin to slavery.

Betting on sport is safer than betting on politics... Why sport has more integrity than politics

Maybe he's announcing Mark Williams is the next coach of Melbourne, just like Mark Williams announced Dean Bailey's appointment. What's that...irony? symmetry? irrelevancy?

Insert here humorous reference to Eddie Murphy and jokes.

This

Pleased with: Jacks Trengove and Watts, Martin, McKenzie and Howe Disappointed with: Davey, Jurrah, Morton and Green

All those who predicted 'Lyon' should be disqualified until they make clear which Lyon they mean! I'm going with Mark Williams (not our assistant coach and not the ex-Hawk/Bomber...just to be clear)

6. Moloney 5. Trengove 4. McKenzie 3. Frawley 2. Howe 1. Bate (great first half)