Want a Flag

Yes he is originally from SA but is settled in Melbourne and wanted to stay in Victoria. That may have changed now but who knows. As an aside he recently moved into the suburb where I live and he has been around quite a bit naturally. Stating the obvious but he is absolutely huge as all these guys are when you see them up close.

Yes you are correct. I was careless in typing. They believe Gresham will end up at Melbourne as part of the whole wash up. How they come to that conclusion I don't know. However I think them wanting Grundy makes sense from their point of view.

Word I am hearing is the Saints will make a play for Grundy so Marshall can spend more time forward. They want to send Gresham to us as part of the trade.

It was every bit as bad. Our bad memories of that period have been softened by last year (at long, long last). Many would have had the experience I had. My 2 boys flatly refused to come to the football over that time - no amount of bribery would budge them. We risked losing a large part of a generation of teenage supporters. It was only the lure of upcoming MCC membership that kept them remotely interested - and it was very remote. Funnily enough all is now forgiven with them but we should never risk that debacle happening again

Looks like Jordon in the photo to me

Finally my 2 sons (25 and 22) have officially forgiven me for making them support Melbourne. It was a battle during the Neeld years and only the lure of impending MCC membership kept them on board. But we've got them for ever now. Did I actually see that or was it the sweetest dream ever?

Word around the traps is they are heavily into Ross Lyon to see if he wants to coach again. My Carlton mate got this today. He got the word of change of president a couple of weeks before it happened. Teague has lost the players is the word. He certainly looked like someone out of ideas at that press conference on Sunday - it was painful to watch

I agree about Matthews totally. The first change I wanted at the end of last season was a change in stoppage coach. Considering Max in the ruck and the ability of our midfield we get nothing like the advantage we should. Statistically we do OK but the quality of "take away" from stoppages is way less than the opposition. Opposition sides only need to win 40% of the stoppages against us and they will be in front due to the way they release and open up from stoppages compared to us. We specialise in the hack quick kick forward. We suffered right through 2019 with everybody in at the contest while the opposition had guys on the outside. We couldn't re-program our guys without changing the coaching set up first. It may be marginally better this season but I only grant marginal. Please replace the stoppage coach as an absolute priority to try to take advantage of what should be a strength. Maybe then that will feed into better connection with the forward line etc

Steven Stretch

Any chance he appeals they could give him 12 weeks

I know this has nothing to do with his comments but Watson was known by St Kilda supporters as "Minibus" - he was half a coach.

If he requested a trip to Byron, the Club was more than within its rights to say "no stay here and do your rehab properly". If they granted him that time off they are equally guilty. Hope it was a request that was denied. Does anyone know for a fact he was in Byron?

50 Year Membership fee is $15 - so a huge discount

Why take Harvey as a player. Take him as a part time coach of our small forwards and any other crumbing drills. Saves a place on the list whilst tapping into his knowledge and experience

You all know where sympathy is in the dictionary don't you - right between shite and syphilis !! Moral is - don't go looking for sympathy, just get on and fix it.

McKenzie's disposal was more of the same. Plus he is not quick. Can't have too many journeymen in the same side ie Magner. MacDonald is still a worry I reckon. That said there were positives. Hogan obviously, Viney and Toumpas hasd a taste and certainly don't look out of place. Don't forget North have been training with Geelong for a while so are more advanced and whether we like it or not Richmond are just plain better than us. In judging one game I am more concerned about lack of progress at stoppages. We are so static. Look at the way Swallow and the like hit contests at speed. Hopefully someone in the coaching staff will start drilling that into us but I haven't seen it over the past couple of years.

Whilst it was still hard to watch, our second half of the season was significantly better than the first. Didn't show up in wins but we were far more competitive for longer periods of matches and controlled bigger slabs of quarters without having the firepower up forward to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard. We will be significantly fitter than last season and be far more able to run and spread. The list has obviously been turned over with more ready to go players available straight away. A further 12 months getting used to the game plan. Only downside is I don't think Mitch is going to show up for the best part of half a season and then will take a while to hit his straps. I look forward to the improvement in all the above areas even if it doesn't mean 8 to 10 wins.

People in glass houses shouldn't get undressed with the lights on

What level of "proof" has to be met if we are to be found guilty of anything. Is it "beyond reasonable doubt" or "balance of probabilities" or simply in the opinion of the investigators. I have never seen anything which says what the hurdle is. Or do the AFL just make it up as they go along?

A 13th Flag. Sorry it just had to be said

Bigger bodies after a huge pre season Aggressive culling of the list - even if it went harder than even we thought ie. Magner and Couch as well as the other usual suspects. Drafting of skilled FAST good kicking players - prepared to wait while they develop. Hell I have waited this long New midfield coach recently out of the game

And about 50% of those possessions went straight to the opposition. Not value for money. Without giving too much away, I hope like hell we use those 2 picks very wisely.

With the last game coming up I would take the one week penalty for each and start the new season with nothing hanging over their heads. Probably be accused of tanking but I would seriously do it.

I want him moved on and replaced with someone recently out of the game. I think midfield set ups and structures have moved on a lot since Royal was playing. Sometimes our lack of accountability and apparent poor set up beggars belief. None more than the first game of the season where Brisbane must have handballed out the back of the stoppages to one or sometimes 2 free players and set up attacks so often it was enough to make you vomit. The Richmond game a couple of weeks later was no better. I know we don't have the cattle either but the set up just looks pedestrian and very easily countered or exploited by the opposition.

Yep, had a real dip and tried hard to cover the lack of numbers and rotations. Some of the decision making fell off as they got tired. Keep the kids. Well worth giving Strauss a run and Blease still offers us something. For me time to relegate those who shouldn't be there next season and try others. Joel MacDonald whilst he got a lot of it still turns it over and very often under no pressure. Assuming numbers available to come back. We really missed Watts today. Would have been important at either end.