Jaded No More

I expect him to miss 2, setting him on his way to play his 300th in Melbourne. Can't wait for team selection on Thursday. We might just see the name Newton in the mix, and then this board will go into meltdown.

2 in 2 years? Oh my god! We should trade him to Freo. Edit: Damn you Rhino, just beat me to it!

*Inserts abuse* What will Brown's roll be? I rather bring back Whelan, so that he and Bell can take on Brown and Pettifer (will Richmond's Brown even play?) Ricky looked fine to me on Monday, but his disposal was pretty poor, which is unlike him. I think his best position is on the back flank, but Daniher hasn't played him there in a few weeks. Frawley should play on Kingsley if he plays. He will be the easiest opponent Frawley is ever likely to encounter at AFL level (and if he gets smashed, he can join the rest of the Melbourne defenders who have had their arse handed to them on a plate by Kingsley).

This has nothing to do with how much he gets paid. He is an MFC listed player, and that's all that matters. And no, it won't be the end of the world if he doesn't make it, but there is nothing sadder than watching wasted potential. I trust that we picked him up because we saw something in him, and we looked beyond the obvious problems that made other clubs not want to pick him up (despite some of the high ratings he got pre-draft). Hopefully he can get himself right off the field, because there is no way he'll make the grade on skills alone. We've had great success with rookies before... lets hope he is another good story.

Not sticking the boot in at all. Just stating the facts. He is, from all reports, a very talented kid who needs to get his head right in order to make it. I hope he does for his sake and for the club's sake. And 3 BOGs at Sandy reserves is hardly anything to get excited about. He made it onto an AFL list, so you'd very much hope he can perform at that basic level. But as you say, he can only play where he is given a game. Surely though, if he keeps performing, they will promote him. Edit: Juice kicking 3 out of 8 goals is a pretty good effort. But we are keeping a lid on him!

I edited the title of the thread to avoid anyone else needing a triple bypass after reading it. Some actual evidence/confirmation would be really good too.

It's really very cheap to get a ticket if you've got a 17-game membership (which you should all have! ). A level 3 seat costs $3.25 (Premium seats are around $27 if anyone is desperate to get a look at Matthew Lloyd's nose hair). Just make sure that when you book online, you enter your membership barcode.

That he better get his [censored] together and start repaying us the favour. If he isn't getting a game in the seniors by the end of the year, I suggest he'll be on very shakey ground.

Nah, the next person to wear the #3 for the MCF will be the great Chris Judd. :D

Bartram is in our best 22. No doubt about it.

From what I understand, Bartram has had some complications with his knee, and is unlikely to play again this year.

Yeah, I went to the snow once and didn't see any Melbourne supporters either. Mind you, I got lost in a blizzard and sprained my ankle, and thereafter decided that skiing is yet another activity which involves high levels of coordination which I just cannot participate in. Give me the MCG over ridiculously low temperatures and vigorous physical activity anyday

They confirmed on Ch.10 that he'll be a late withdrawal.

Nobody told you to shut up, but this is generally how things go. You put forward your opinion, people will argue, and you have to back it up with something.... stats, evidence, anything. Simply saying the same thing over and over doesn't actually make it true or win you credibility, it just makes you... well, Yze_Magic!

Please find the article where he said the club nearly gave up on him... I'd be really interested to read that since I know for a fact that the club had every belief in his ability even while he was injured and struggling. I think in the article you're talking about, Bell said that he himself had no confidence but that with more game time, and no injuries, his confidence has grown. I don't remember reading anything about anyone 'giving up'. Lets put it another way... In 2001 (that's 6 years ago) we drafted: 9- Luke Molan 25- Steven Armstrong 26- Aaron Rogers 55- Brad Miller Please count for me how many of these 4 are still on our list. In fact, only 50% are still on an actual AFL list. So to say we are giving up on him, or that he hasn't been given plenty of opportunity is just silly. Btw, I realised I made a mistake about Miller and Rivers being drafted the same year. Rivers was drafted a year later.

Well, it's a good thing we're not flying. It's not ideal that he won't get to play his 300th at the MCG, but at least Round 19 is our home game (why the hell do we play our home game at TD?? ) It is, when you look at is as "rest Neita" or "win games", but it isn't that black and white. As I said, they might not do anything and let him play his 300th over in Adelaide, or they might come to an agreement of some sort. He isn't exactly playing at 100% fitness anyways.

I'm almost certain they'll 'rest' him for a couple, in fact, wouldn't be surprised if he takes 2 weeks to return from his current knee problem. There is just no way that the first ever Melbourne footballer to reach 300 games will do so on enemy territory. It will have to get done in Victoria, or at least I hope so, because I'm sure we all want to be there.

*shakes head* Sucked in again I see! Belly hasn't been around as long, and hasn't been given nearly as many games to prove himself. Your point doesn't actually make sense. Time for a new one I think.

I'm not a Miller basher, in fact, I've been one of his strongest supporters as I'm a fan of his workrate and attitude. However, you can't compare Bell's development to Miller's. Bell spent the first few years at Melbourne on the injury list, and was struggling with back problems and OP up until the middle of last year. With the exception of last year, Miller has been relatively injury free the entire time he has been on our list. Miller and Rivers were drafted in the same year, one player has excelled, the other hasn't. But at pick 55, Milsy was always going to be a risk, and he has proved that his draft value was just about right. He is an ok footballer, without being spectacular, and unlike in the past, he now has some stiff competition. Bate, Dunn and even Sylvia are all better CHF propositions because they are good contested marks, they are a better kick for goal, and most importantly, they have a better goal sense, and a better football brain. These are just the facts. But I do like Miller, and I like him because he works as hard as anyone out there, and he has the right attitude about him, which is why I'd like to see him succeed at Melbourne. Will he succeed as a CHF? No, plain and simple. He doesn't have the required skill-set to play that position (which is no shame, it is probably the hardest position on the ground). I think that with a full pre-season as a defender, he could successfully take over from Holland. He has reasonable pace, he is aggressive, and as others have already noted, it is easier to defend and be led to the ball, than make the play. IMO, it is the only way he'll survive on our list beyond 2008.

That's two minutes of your life you won't be getting back!

And the explanation....

Ummm... do we want to? I call Petterd, Ricky. The many years of watching Ricky Lake instead of doing homework, have clearly paid off.

I guess CJ's injury wasn't as bad as first suspected, which is great. 426 now playing as a defender? That's an interesting move. Could he have been the next big thing after Dutchy?

No need to panic. Juice is contracted for next year, and the promotion of Garland was probably as much about giving Newton a kick up the bum, as it was about giving Garland some much needed confidence. Garland was always going to debut and get dropped, I think the idea with Juice is to bring him in and have him stay for good. At least that's the hope! One day he will have massive shoes to fill, and if he isn't going full speed at every contest, he won't get so much as a toe in.

You're confusing one bad reality show, with another. Robert 'Milsy' Mills was on Australian Idol, not Big Moron Brother. And there would be a lot of guys known as Paris if all it took to get that nickname, was to spend a night with the Hilton sister