Jaded No More

Sounds about right with Melbourne team selections this year

We train virtually next door to Collingwood, who have probably the worst injury list in the AFL. There is no doubt we need to look into and investigate the hardness/density/whatever I don't know enough about soil of the ground in the area where we train. Impact injuries are unavoidable, but we've had a lot more soft tissue and foot injuries in recent years, which are a serious worry, and injuries which didn't appear to happen in games, but develop outside of matches or following matches or at training.

We have to give Weids a go. He has been on our list for a long time now, and is developing well at Casey. He isn't getting games because it is hard to break into the team with Hogan and TMac. Now that Hogan has gone down, we need to give Weids an opportunity to see what he brings. Plus as you said, he is as good a relief ruck as Pedo. There is no point having these kids on the list for years and then when their direct competition in the side goes down, running scared. Realistically our season is cooked. Maybe we limp across the line to finals, maybe we don't. But Pedo is certainly not going to win us a final, but for Weids getting the experience is invaluable. I would be very annoyed if they don't play him for the rest of the year.

Why is he on our list if we don't play him when Hogan is injured? Pederson is not good enough to play AFL.

Weids for Hogan Hibbo for Hunt Pederson for Melksham Apart from Hogan that makes a very nice upgrade to last week.

It is extremely depressing and mentally exhausting supporting this club. Not to mention financially draining. Sigh.

Well, this season is done. Not like we were gonna win a flag anyway. But injuries have destroyed us.

I wasn't having a go at you, but your original post sounded different in the context of what he actually said, and since I am not in Perth I have no idea what was reported. It sounded like you were validating the original poster by saying this was reported in Perth, which it clearly was not.

That's very different to saying his seasons is over with a very serious injury. He could make an educated guess that his season is over, or may have heard that he is in serious doubt, but that's not the same as declaring his injury without proof.

Sorry but Jesse said yesterday on TV that he was meeting his doctor today, so how the [censored] does Basil 'big nose' Zempilas know the results before a doctor has even met with the patient? Does he have friends at the MRI clinic? Is he a doctor? It just seems either fabricated, or worst, a break of doctor patient confidentiality, to have this stuff out in the public.

As I've said before, winning is the only thing that matters. The MFC is a professional sporting organisation with one goal, to win premierships. We have been a failure, by this standard of measure for such a long time, which explains why we take small statistical victories. It's all we have. But like you @Redleg I am sick to death of stats. I want wins, I want to play finals and I want to see premierships. Nothing else matters.

I want proof before I lose my [censored].

I don't deal in Ifs and Buts. What if Betts kicked that goal 3 weeks ago? The facts are, we have lost too many close games and have not learnt from those. We also lost to St Kilda who are rubbish and we haven't won a single high-pressure game. We have improved significantly, no doubt, but not making finals in 2018 is a big big failure.

Would love Jonathan Brown to do some coaching with him in the off season.

How does Perth news know before Hogan does?

Also still non commital on staying at Melbourne long term but says he feels more settled here and goes back to Perth a lot less frequently than before.

But they are already in the team, and there is nothing stopping them now from being those targets kicking big numbers every season, least of all Hogan who is dragging away the best defender, sometimes two. Without Hogan those players won't simply get magically better, and none of them are tall enough to be KPFs, except Weids, who again has shown nothing to suggest he can replace Hogan's output now or in the near future. And if you think Hogan doesn't perform in big games, lets talk about the last time Petracca stood up and delivered in a game, any game.

It seems a lot of people are big fans of Goodwin. I'm on the fence. If we make finals this year I'll be more convinced. If given the choice between Goodwin next year or grabbing Clarkson, I know who I'd be throwing buckets of cash at. There are coaches out there getting max output from inferior lists. Goodwin is not one of those coaches. In fact, I think we have under performed again this year. My biggest issue is the lack of learning from game to game. We've had a lot of close matches this year, yet we repeat pretty much the same mistakes in each one. We are bloody lucky Betts missed that easy shot two weeks ago, or we would have lost that game as well.

We already get max output from Tmac. Weideman is a total unknown. I have yet to see him do anything at AFL level to suggest he is any good. Petracca is a bigger downhill skier than Hogan. Gawn is a full time ruckman. Will never play enough forward to kick 50. Hannan? Lol. What you're suggesting, is that by getting rid of Hogan we will magically get other players to step up and cover his 50 goals, although even with him in the team taking the best defender, neither Trac nor Weiderman nor Hannan have cracked 30 goals between them in a season.

OK lets say we could trade Hogan for Kelly who is a superstar, who does Kelly kick to up forward? Where do we get 50+ goals a season from? If we trade Hogan, we have to at the very least replace his output like for like, if not better it. If you can find me a KPF Hogan's age who will kick 50+ goals a season, every season, then I'm super open to discuss a trade.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but they had 2 players down for basically the entire match, yet spread more effectively for the entire game. They did not seem slow, fatigued, lacking run. We looked lacklustre and scared, and it didn't help that we played an out of form Hunt and an old and slow Pederson. Selections and match ups continue to mind boggle. Vanders on Alir Alir? Nobody on Hennebry at any stoppage? Fritsch down back in the last, when we were trying to attack the contest, while Heeney beautifully mopped up every kick inside 50? As someone said above, we are wasting golden chances in seasons where there are no outstanding unbeatable contenders. A wide open season, where we could have finished 2nd on the ladder, looks to be another season where we may not make finals again.

Hogan with a foot injury? Great, we all know how that goes at Melbourne.

Sure, but some people place far too much importance on the body language of a 22 year old. Imagine if Richmond went "Reiwoldt is a sook, trade him". To be honest, if you went through what he went through last year, you'd be sulking too. It's bloody human nature. And I thought he was very passionate and worked very hard yesterday, even when hampered by the ankle. He missed a few easy shots on goal, but so did Tmac. Should we trade him too? His body language has improved dramatically and it stands to reason that as he matures, so will his demeanour. Again, I want to know who people think we can trade for him that will make us BETTER. Peter Wright has kicked 59 goals since 2015. Hogan has 47 goals this year alone. Please lets not make our list worst.

The only game you can categorically say we lost because of selection is the St Kilda game this year. Frost instead of Petty and we win. That selection reeked of arrogance and lack of respect for the opposition, and it probably cost us finals.

I'm as [censored] as anyone about our constant failure to deliver under pressure and be a successful club, but trading a young gun KPF is literally the worst solution to our problems. Hogan is performing as well if not better than also any forward his age, both currently and historically. We need to look at making our list better, not worse. I want to know who everyone thinks we could realistically get for Hogan in a trade, who would categorically make us a better team. I am open to suggestions.