Glenn Molloy

I've heard that Sanderson and Co thought that his legs were going a bit. Were happy for him to be on the list this year but didn't think they'd be renewing his contract in 2015 and beyond. Will be interesting to see how he goes next year to see whether or not they were correct. I just hope he continues to contribute for the duration of his contract (4 years) but even if he does it the next two years he's been a good get to help support our young midfielders.

Guys, it wasn't just Damian Barrett who made a clown of himself about this trade. What about the Herald-Sun's Mr Smug, Sam Edmund? Remember this belter of an article after Round 3? I just tweeted "Slammin Sam" to go and talk to his dumb recruiter mates now and see what they think. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/if-youre-a-melbourne-supporter-look-away-now-demons-draft-bungles-aplenty/story-fni5f91a-1226881324821

Great win. Loved the fact that we were tougher than them;.Hardwick conceded that himself. So nice to be supporting a team that gives effort at last. And for all you Neeld haters...sure, he was the wrong appointment, and clearly wasn't a great coach but some credit where it's due. He was the one who pushed the button on the Pedersen/Gysberts trade, and much more importantly, the Dawes trade. Without Dawes we don't get over the line against any of the teams we've beaten so far.

Dawes - best key forward on the ground and nailed the chances he had Vince - got plenty of the ball but also held Dangerfield to just a reasonable game which was critical Jetta - Betts had about two shots at goal....and Neville was very assured down there Grimes - First quarter intercepts ensured we held a good lead at quarter time. Great spoil in the last cancelled out the dropped chest mark with a few minutes left Viney- Grunt, pace, and poise Tyson - Clearance machine who continues to improve defensively Honourable mentions to JKH: Clever player who got us going with a fantastic first goal. Said it before...looks like our Matthew Stokes. Bail was fantastic in the first quarter and played one of his best games for it.

Though we defended really really well, and very pleased with the effort apart from a couple who Roos picked out at 3 quarter time. Just that lack of class, decision making and leg speed is hurting us. A quick line breaker at half back and a midfielder with genuine speed is needed desperately, we have guys who can win the contest in the middle (Tyson, Vince, Jones, Cross) but just don't have that polish and speed to make the most of their good work. Thought Pederson was excellent, lets hope he can keep it up, and Cross has been an absolute beauty for us. Salem looked terrific.

Lynden Dunn for sure....seems to have cut out the regular brain fades he used to have. Jack Viney -.given limited pre-season, surprised at immediate impact (if only JW attacked the pill with similar ferocity) James Frawley - surprised at forward nous

If Roos is true to his word, then Salem won't play this week. No need to rush it. I know we supporters are desperate to see young talent but I want to see him play another few good games in the 2s. Don't just bring him in after one brilliant game like we've done in the past.

Pretty sure he wasn't in the leadership group this year because he just wanted to focus on being on the park. I too am rapt with his grunt, hard work, presence, and straight talking. He does have a tendency to drop some marks that he should take and make a few errors now and again, I know Pies supporters used to get frustrated with him as a result....I just hope that we all recognise that he has some limitations and don't start tearing him down in a few weeks time if he's not clunking 10 marks and kicking 4 every week! We are a much better and tougher side with him in it and that's the main thing.

I love the forward pressure and the zip he gives us. It's a bit early in his career to be comparing him to someone by I have a feeling he could be our Matthew Stokes....a handy forward pocket/half forward who as he gets stronger, starts to play more of a midfield role. From what I understand, his endurance is already pretty good so that gives me hope that he might become a Stokes-type, and I think we'd be pleased with that!

Gibbs is pretty soft but Kreuzer isn't....just had a terrible run with injury. As for the whole Watts/Nic Nat debate....stats don't tell the whole story. Of course Watts will have more possessions than Nic Nat, he's played as a utility and in the Neeld era was often a loose man in defence. Just like stats didn't tell the whole story on Saturday when Carlton won most of them but we won the game. I think Nic Nat is a bit overrated but he's not just a highlight reel; I don't think he's fit at the moment given his limited pre-season, though I know once you go out there you can't use it as an excuse.

Let's be honest, the draft has been compromised enough over the past five years. Looking at it objectively, a priority pick should be awarded for us to use at the start of the second round, not the first...we don't deserve picks 1,2 and 3 just because our recruiting has been terrible. So, if we lost Frawley, we would get 1, 2, 19 (priority) and 20. I think that is more than generous. 1,2 and 3 is just ridiculous.

Don't worry Sad Dee, Bailey used the word "competitive" hundreds of times, so it's actually been four coaches who've been banging on about it. I know what they mean by it but I wish they'd use a different term. It should be about WINNING the contest. Anyone can "compete", but the good individuals and teams win more contests than they lose....it's that sort of mentality that we need more than just being competitive.

We can forget landing a Dangerfield or a Mundy; they'll only come home to competitive sides. Those sides have plenty of coin to throw around too; if you're Dangerfield, would you go to the Cats for $700k a year or move to Melbourne for $900k a year? I know what I'd do. I'd like to keep Frawley but I think I'd rather pick 2 if it became a choice.

N.Jones - trying too hard Grimes - robotic and jittery Watts - sporadic, nice skills Viney- better for run Frawley - he's a backman Byrnes - tried but struggled Tyson - clever but overwhelmed Dunn - has finally matured Kent - shows a bit Cross - battled hard again Pederson - better down back Vince - needs dry track Kennedy- Harris - shows some promise McDonald - disciplined and effective Evans - dropped chest marks Howe - showed his adaptability Bail - back to Casey M.Jones - fringe/depth player Terlich - copped a spray Fitzpatrick - just too inconsistent Georgiou - hard to beat Spencer - tried but beaten

Here's the key point. Skill level and decision making. Their skill level and ability to run to the right positions, making it easier for their players to find them, is just sublime. That's the main reason we are so terrible. People keep saying that our "effort" isn't good enough. I actually thought our "effort" was ok last week (the contested ball stats give you an idea on that). You can try as hard as you like but if you fumble, don't dispose of the footy properly or take the wrong option, you'll get smashed. And that's why we got beaten by 90 points.

The media and footy experts generally continually talk about our "culture" and poor coaching (Neeld and Bailey) as the reasons why we are such a terrible side. They're factors, but the biggest one is this; we've had too many players who are simply not up to it. When you fumble constantly, drop chest marks, struggle to hit targets 15 m away, and don't run to the right spots to get the football, it doesn't matter how hard you try. It wouldn't have mattered if Norm Smith was the coach yesterday, we are dreadful with ball in hand. Our recruiting has been absolutely deplorable. Yesterday they had Darlingwe took Cook at 12. They had Shuey. We took Strauss and Blease! Unbelievable.

What I like about Tyson is that he is what I would call a natural footballer, with a footballer's brain. In other words, he knows where to go to get the ball, and he also (generally) makes the right decisions with it. Stands out like the proverbial in our team. It's a shame he's not slightly quicker but it wouldn't matter if we had some other guys in the team with pace. Only thing I query at this stage is his defensive efforts and tackling...nowhere near as good when the opposition has the ball but that's typical of kids who've been star juniors and never had to worry about defence, so that will change. Great pick up. Let's just hope Jack Viney comes in soon to add to the mix, and when he's ready, Salem becomes what we hope him to be.

They are clearly thinking of changing it (again!), only a few years after it was introduced. I would have thought there were more important things to worry about. I'm fairly ambivalent about it, I prefer the demon logo we had in the 70s and 80s but I'm not desperate to change it. The key question for me is what words do you want to be associated with Melbourne in the future!!

Hawthorn Fremantle West Coast Sydney Geelong North Melbourne Port Adelaide Richmond -------------------------- Adelaide Collingwood Essendon Gold Coast Carlton Western Bulldogs Brisbane Melbourne GWS St.Kilda The best thing about my prediction is like many, I think the Blues are in serious trouble! Would like to have the Gold Coast higher, and the only reason I have Richmond in the 8 is because their draw is favourable.

Liked the effort, frustrated by the turnovers but recognise that we are in a much better place this year by having a) some genuine ballwinners in Tyson, Vince and Cross and b) we've got a plan to try and find the best option rather than thumping it down the line. Some turnovers were basic skill execution, made by the usual culprits, but often it was poor decision making that got us into problems in the first place. In trying to keep hold of the ball in the backline, too often we try to switch to the other side and go a long way backwards in doing so (e.g. from the HBF to the opposite Back Pocket). If we don't have numbers on that opposite side, then teams can press up and we're in a worse position than when we started. I realise that occasionally you need to go backwards to switch play or open the play but I just think we could take the game on a bit more on occasion from half back and be prepared to kick it forward to a 1 on 1 or 2 on 2 contest, moving it quickly rather than being stagnant. Our lack of pace doesn't help us in this regard. Geelong's ball movement through the corridor was so much better than ours but given their quality, not unexpected. We're getting there, and much more positive than the last couple of years

Adelaide - Used to really hate them, particularly when the crow throw was going around but lack of recent success probably means I'm ambivalent. Brisbane - Fitzroy were my second team so like them as a result of that but otherwise pretty ambivalent Carlton - Can't stand them. They were bearable when they were struggling but their supporters just have this ridiculous sense of entitlement, and the Board still runs the club like it's the 1980s where you pay players with brown paper bags and dodgy deals (Judd, Malthouse). I think they're in trouble over the next few years though which is fantastic Collingwood - Bizarrely, don't mind them, apart from Alex Fasolo who is an absolute tool. Their supporters are just a bit dumb really, but I like the way they play on-field, always seem to have a crack. Essendon - Rabid supporters at the games; really liked them in the 80s but cannot stand them now. Third most hated. Fremantle - Like them. Seem to have a traditional supporter base despite being an expansion team. I think Ross Lyon is superb despite the criticism of his game plan. Geelong - Getting a bit cocky (on and off field) but I suppose you would when you win 3 flags in 6 years. Huge respect for them. Gold Coast - Meh. Don't think I'll like them as they get better, but they have some super exciting kids. GWS - Would have been Meh as well except for Sheedy influence. Hope they take forever to make finals. Hawthorn - Absolutely despise. So many bandwagon fans it's not funny; and it's been that way since my school days. How many Hawk fans do you know who never seemed to be vaguely interested in the game and all of a sudden love a winner? Give us grief constantly about the merger when the facts are that our vote was rorted (Bill Guest, lock out at Dallas Brooks Hall) and we would have voted no as well. North Melbourne - Probably up there as my fourth most despised, mainly because they always have a chip on their shoulder about something. And Brad Scott. Port Adelaide - Don't like them much but like Kenny Hinkley and the way they've fought back from the scrapheap. Richmond - Hate them when we play against them with their moronic fans but love it when they are playing at the G and get on a roll. Wouldn't mind too much if they had success. St Kilda - Probably my second favourite team, despite all the off field drama over the last few years. Absolutely dead set stiff not to have won a flag in '09 or '10, so I feel a bit for them. Sydney - Admire the way they go about it but I lost a bit of respect with the Buddy coup. The cost of living allowance has clearly helped them enormously. West Coast - Don't like them much but don't hate them. Western Bulldogs - Lack of success means that I can kind of identify with them!

I am only going on TAC cup vision so I defer to the recruiters but to me, if Scharenberg slides, we should definitely take him...otherwise it's Salem for mine. Moves well and his kicking looks sublime. I'm sick of watching turnover merchants wearing the red and blue!!

Hates a chat does Bernie. Could talk the legs off a chair!

And we have GWS at Skoda in Round 3. Chance to make a really good start to the year.

Whilst I agree that 2011 draft was symptomatic of BP's poor recruiting record, he left pretty much straight after the draft - it was pretty clear to me that he was told what type of players to recruit by Neeld, and that he disagreed with Neeld's philosophy. They had some videos on Dee TV of the process and you could tell even then that BP was frustrated - it was almost as if he'd idenitified some players to pick and then Neeld came in and said "no way, it's these types or else". Given both of their track records, even if BP had more say in the recruiting that year, I suspect the success of our drafting wouldn't have been any different!!