robbiefrom13

maybe we have to play Strauss. If he only gets four kicks, but they are not turnovers and they do reach one of our forwards, maybe that is an improvement. And, in the annual report, the loss of Clark and Hogan surely has got to be the over-riding story of the year. That was a very cruel blow, when - as Roos says - everything needed to go right.

Barassi was living with Norm Smith, treated sort of like a son. Apparently some stresses, but it didn't do too much harm, did it? Some school teachers can teach their own kids, and some can't. So, I don't think Viney is out of the question on grounds of Jack being there. Not that I think it looked the way you'd've wanted it to when he (ie Viney) did have the reins. Then again, back then, could you possibly say he (Viney) had a clear run at it? So, who knows...

Love this stuff! (and I AM barracking for your take on the issue! Their surviving this would be a cancer at the core of the AFL, in my opinion; I want them gone altogether, a) for the cheating generally/the club's callous use of their players/the incomprehensibly dumb players' disregard of their own health and cheating attitude to the competition, and b) for their attempt to be vindicated not by innocence but by smartarce lawyering weaseling past all facts. A victory in court for Essendon is the end of AFL, I reckon. They have to go..) (No malice bb, just enjoying the enthusiastic English. smiley face if I knew how to do it. Very much admire your tenacity on this issue too - targeting a huge issue. Definitely in the votes, for mine.)

why do they not break ranks now?

steady on, Ub - what has Tasmania done to deserve that?

I really like your thinking on this - I hope for such an outcome, not just because I hate Essendon above all others (by a long way [pi]), but also because of their dishonesty in the whole saga. I hate political-style disregard of substance in the hope of aggressive reiteration overpowering facts (think Abbott). I can't stand cheats and I can't stand people treating us like we are stupid and available to be shouted into compliance with their agendas. So, may it turn out as you say. Clean up our now-tarnished image as a sporting nation, too. How dare they! But I am fascinated by, and stalled on trying to think through, your expression "inevitably probable"...

maybe so, but it's not so easy getting those "calls" right. Remember Junior? Pederson? In the former case, it turns out he was more of an anchor; in the latter, the chain has seemingly just dissolved with a little more time in the water...

Greg Parke?

agreed. Only time I ever got hit at the footy, it was an essendon supporter. A woman, too.

chacun pour soi, neanmoins...

et chacun pour soi, salop

pressure?

I left early, after yet another free kick against us. The contest was absorbing for me, only marred by our kicking backwards instead of ATTACKING!, and by seeing Gawn unattended close to goal, and on several occasions our unmarked players in the centre, calling for the ball and being ignored. That all seemed to me to be reminiscent of Neeld's team. I accept that it was stage-fright. Seeing us scrapping for the ball and winning it is wonderful, still almost unbelievable. Seeing Collingwood miss targets because of our pressure, and our ability to shut down their run when they took off, was great stuff. Fair umpiring and there would be none of this criticism we are hearing - we'd have had a couple more goals we were robbed of, they'd have had a couple less, and with a few frees to us in general play we'd all have been hearing about "contrasting styles, playing near enough a draw, with the game played on Melbourne's terms". Disappointing result maybe, but if Watts' goals had gone though we'd have been celebrating like we haven't in years. I say, it's coming and you can't miss it. And how many frees do you think we might get next week?

"This world/game is a will to power and nothing more and Watts just doesn't have the will to win." Really? (And on Easter Sunday, too!) Whatever happens next, the fact is that Watts has been dropped before, and returned playing the better for it. A supporter would not be calling him names like some on here. "A will to power and nothing more" - thank goodness that's not the world I live in. I wonder what they'd say if you ran that sort of rhetoric past Robbie Flower, or Bruce Doull, or Peter Hudson, etc. "Triumph of the will", next - is that what we want? I'm enjoying seeing Paul Roos build his sort of culture, with his sort of values and world-view. I'll trust his approach to Jack Watts.

Somebody will get angry soon, surely. Properly angry, and remember playing football the way they set out to. "Bruise-free" do it, next week, maybe? Fitzroy had some good players playing well when they went under. This is something else. What humiliation is it has crushed them - Neeld? the blazers? something, it has to be. C'mon Roosy, work it out!

Actually, RGRS, I don't agree. One of my favourite actors was Jack Elam. Cowboy movies, with the cast eye? I loved watching him. Never thought of him as a star, obviously. I list Jakovich, Jurrah and Watts among my favourites. I'm willing to concede I am clueless, but I'd argue that getting a kick out of fascinatingly flawed characters is not proof of that cluelessness. I find interesting characters engrossing, and Sylvia was a tease for a long time. He never did, but there was always some grounds for supposing he might. Don't be so hard on those true believers willing to admit they've had favourites based on hope, not hindsight!

Commitment and desperation - that's what we want. the rest would follow, though not necessarily today. who wins is who is desperate and committed. Only thing to be commenting on, I reckon.

I am a great Watts fan. Thing is, the conditions make no real difference, if you are committed. I once saw Robbie Flower best on the ground by daylight, against Essendon at Windy Hill in a day they should have called it off, the ground was lashed with rain and wind like you couldn't believe. Lightest built on the field, obviously, and all about skill - but he killed them. There really aren't any excuses.

Flair at MFC in the past decade = Liam Jurrah. Jurrah was clearly not valued - and for anyone who played alongside him, that must have been a message so extraordinary as to leave an impression etched deep. What would you have to have done to be acceptable, other than play pure butch? And, it was Moloney who saw through it all, first! God help us, small wonder they still look scared/scarred. C'mon Roosy, you can do it!

Roos has said that he does most of his work before the game. One thing he did before this game was turn Watts into a midfielder. Who'd thought of that before? And, if we hadn't had injuries in the game, we'd surely have won. In time, the one thing that will be remembered from Roos' first game at Melbourne will be Jack Watts' re-creation and first appearance as a classy midfielder. There should be a lot more to that story - he had all the tools and then some, in just his first appearance in the role. Nice work, Roosy!

I pretty much agree. Best for us was either Jones or Watts. One opens the game up with fluidity and creativity, the other slams himself in with frequently ineffective hanging-on-too-long. I know which I think was, and is actually, even now, more valuable. Watts is our future, he could win a Brownlow, he could tear apart a Grand Final with his superior skills. Whereas I think Jones is far easier countered, and on Saturday I don't think his contributions "turned to gold". Gotta love him, but he probably could look for the lightning handball to a team-mate more often. I mean, do you get excited when you see Jones get the ball, do you expect to see something happen? Just sayin too.

well I looked it up myself, Bbo. Round 9, 1967.

Undisputed best rover in the League at one time was Bobby Skilton, and when Melbourne played South there was a real problem about who to play on Skilton. It was the only time I ever saw Skilton, and we took Hassa Mann from the centre to try and curb the great Skilton. As I remember it, Mann kicked 7 goals. Irrelevant post, I guess - and maybe my memory is not so good - but if I do have it right, so much for great rovers!

The thing is, Roos has a track record from Sydney, and we understand something about his values and methods - but how much he can impact our team is an unknown. How much difference can a non-bullying non-butch type of coach have on a list which includes as many educated and intelligent and talented players as we have? We don't know. It is one of the most fascinating things about season 2014, I think for all football supporters - that we are going to see how much can be achieved using this very different mindset/worldview/methodology. Roos will presumably be very good at it, and perhaps he will demonstrate the value of a different, less military-styled approach. Twenty-first Century, perhaps? I am fascinated watching, it sort of tests beliefs of mine about how to get the best out of people. Particularly people of a certain type. I think Roos is primarily tapping into different things, and the question is, how far can it go? I was very interested in Jack Trengove's comments after the Richmond game - Roos attitude critical in win: Trengove I have speculatively invested in Jack Watts at 500 to 1 for the Brownlow, just in case Roos' approach delivers a real culture changer. What I am predicting is that we will pretty well immediately begin learning about a different culture of coaching; as to results, at this stage I can only hope for (not yet predict) big things. But there have been some signs, haven't there?

what do they think they'll find in it?