Jaded No More

You can't have it both ways. Either you want to develop the list for the future, get good draft picks and build a team around our core youngsters, or you want to play ordinary senior players and lose by 5 goals instead of 15. The fact remains that apart from Green (barely), not one senior player has stood up and delivered this year. They have all been a royal disappointment, Carroll included. The other senior players still getting a game (Robbo, White, Bruce and Junior) should quite frankly count themselves lucky. So I couldn't care less how much Frawley is struggling, how hard it must be for PJ to play a key defensive role. I care that with every passing game, Garland is gaining more confidence, that Bartram is finally finding some form, that Aussie is really making a stamp on the game, that Bell is working through his form slump by pushing up the ground. In two years time nobody will care or remember that Carroll was dropped, maybe nobody will even remember who Carroll was, and in two years time we most certainly won't care what the losing margin against Adelaide was. All that is totally irrelevant to our future. What's relevant now is who can play for us in the future and make a real impact. We're slowly finding that out, and thank god our coach actually has the balls to drop under-performing senior players instead of rewarding their mediocre form. By the way, anyone who blames the game plan for our loss today needs to open their eyes and look at the way Adelaide play. They are the most well-drilled, disciplined, hard-working side in the competition. That is where we are striving to be, and if we need to remove half of our list to get there, than so be it.

And while we're at it, why isn't Chris Lamb getting a game? Seriously, what the hell is Melbourne thinking? :D

How Buckley is getting a game ahead of the likes of Dunn, is beyond me. He is terrible, simply terrible. We lie down easier than a prostitute on a Saturday night. Pathetic!

We are a pathetic rabble. We play one good quarter and it all goes down hill from there. We don't even try to look competitive, and our efforts at clearing the ball out of the backline are quite frankly embarrassing. And that Cameron Bruce, our captain and one of the highest paid players in the team can't kick an easy goal, is an absolute disgrace. Oh and has Buckley hit a single target today? Thank god for Aussie and Morton.

How was that soft free for Burton and then no holding the ball in our forward 50? Still not an excuse for why we can't actually zone properly in our back half, or win an effective clearance for that matter. And to think, Bartram is holding McLeod really well, but imagine if he starts to dominate. Heaven help us!

They both kick with the same efficiency <_< We are in some serious trouble with our backline. Sure the ball is coming in at the speed of light, but the lack of awareness and organisation down the back 50 is truly amaturish. Jeff White getting caught... I mean why aren't the players talking to each other? Brett Burton is doing my head in. Can he just once not rip us apart?! Thank god for the ray of light that is Morton, Aussie and Valenti.

2 problems: Our ruckman are so dumb they keep tapping the ball to the opposition Brett 'always tearing us a new one' Burton. No Rivers = No Backline. If his OP has flared up again, we can kiss our defensive efforts for the year goodbye. Valenti has been terrific so far.

%^*#$&!@$! Not that I don't want PJ to play, but Rivers injured = biggest disaster ever.

Last minute thoughts... we're going to lose. Whether we get humiliated or not, is another story all together. Also if Rivers doesn't play I might just cover my eyes everytime the Crows get a clearance.

%*$&%@! There goes the defence.

Unless Johnson = PJ Who made the final team? Did Whelan play?

I wonder if discipline problems have something to do with Carroll's dropping, or if its just for form reasons.

He may be a tool, but [censored] he can play. I'm sure you'd learn to love him the minute he starts ripping it apart in the red and blue. Did you hate Byron when he was playing for us?

Watched the match on TV and I must say, it felt very flat. As much as I could watch some of these players over and over again, the game itself lacked emotion and physicality. Obviously when you are playing against your teammate, you don't want to tackle them for fear of injury. That's why this concept of state footy is unlikely to ever be successful again. Players are such pricey commodities these days, and nobody wants to get injured for the sake of winning some irrelevant game. Mind you, Jonathan Brown and Brendon Fevola in the same forward line was awesome to see. How do we get them both in the red and blue???

I am so never talking to you again, you traitor In all honesty I am very surprised and disappointed with Belly's form this season. I was expecting him to continue to grow and excel after his performance in 07. All pre-season reports also indicated that he was on track for a great season under Bailey. Not sure whether he is carrying some sort of injury, or whether he is simply out of form. Would I entertain trading him? Of course I would if the price was right. However given that Whelan is so injury prone and coming to the end of his career, and given that Belly played so well as a small/medium defender last year, I'm just hoping that he finds his 2007 form very quickly. His speed and disposal fit in with Bailey's game plan quite well, or at least they should.

Our love child is wondering why you left him off the list. Gone off the Belly Bandwagon have you? <_<

Brian Taylor thinks the sun shines out of Leon Davis' behind, yet he doesn't rate Aussie. A wet garbage bag > Brian Taylor's opinion.

Mine I think are pretty obvious. Will defend: Brock- I just love everything he embodies (on the field at least ) Rivers- Not that he ever needs defending Bell- Sort of adopted him early on. I like his attitude and the fact that he fought back from a long list of injuries to star last year. Miller- Not a superstar, but a good strong leader who works incredibly hard and is totally selfless. Robbo- Find it very difficult not to defend him, even though he's been pretty poor this season. Have a bond with him that can't be broken... a champion human being. Will not defend: Yze- His on-field application shits me. Lots of talent, zero accountability for the rest of the team. Bruce- I'm not a hater but I also don't overrate him like many do. Is a hard worker with a good footy brain but his skills are simply ordinary. Also not a leader. Sylvia- Don't buy into the whole 'number 3 draft pick'. He has talents sure, but his desire seems questionable to me. Does some selfish, silly things both on and off the field. From outside the club, I am a big Jonathan Brown and Matthew Richardson defender. I cop a lot of [censored] for my adoration of Richo. I mostly just feel sorry for him.

Jamar has always been a good tap ruckman, always. Even when he got a grand total of 1 possession a match, his ruck work was adequate. His game on Sunday was terrific, but the reason it was terrific is because he actually did something when he wasn't rucking. As Nasher said, he used his body to block for others and he even got his own ball which is exactly what he should be doing on a consistent basis. If we're serious about building for the future, both Jamar and PJ need to play equal time in the ruck for the rest of the year. White can play up forward or as a spare man in defence.

The first 6 rounds have been appalling, but the problem is that some people have very short memories. The same things were being said about Carlton and Richmond not long ago, at around the same time as we were being branded 'the best Victorian team'. Lets not completely blow things our of proportion. We have been disgraceful for 6 weeks, and we will continue to perform poorly this year no doubt. However, we are not the first or the last team to go through a really bad patch and when it is another team's turn, the same thing will be written about them. Pointless sensationalism at it's best.

I think the move to Casey is a fantastic opportunity for growth. While the new facilities in the heart of the city are important, we are not going to gain any new members in the CBD. Moving to Casey, even if it's only during summer, will enable us to not only have a permanent training spot while our own stadium is being built, but is also a chance to recruit supporters and create a base of followers outside of Melbourne's inner suburbs.

Made the same pact with another Melbourne supporter when I was 12 (a bit premature!), and even though we don't speak anymore, the pact is still on. However, I will definitely wait until I sober up from the post-premiership celebrations before any tattooing gets done. Don't want to end up with a huge tattoo of Brock McLean on my arse! :D

There isn't a chance in hell they'll drop Bruce. For one he had a good game on the weekend, besides, the minute he was named acting captain, his chances of being dropped reduced to about 1%. In: Whelan Out: Bartram Poor kid is really struggling to impact games. Maybe he just needs a good confidence boost at Sandy following his horrid injury run.

I think I've only ever left a game early twice in my life. Dad kept telling me we're going to win, and I laughed at him. He was going to put money on us and I told him not to... oops

Rivers actually averages 7 1%s a match. He is currently 6th in the league for average 1%s.