pantaloons

I have no problem with it at all. He's our coach now, yes, and he's a professional. Every current AFL coach should and would have been watching the game yesterday. As such, it's a brief walk down the stairs at the G to the Collingwood club rooms to offer some consolation to a former colleague and mentor. Similarly, it was great to see Sanderson able to enjoy the victory with some of his old workmates.

Yep, we'd be dead keen to trade our fastest midfielder/half back after nursing him through 2 1/2 years with a broken leg right at the moment he's showing real promise. After all, our team is rife with leg speed and precise footskills, so he's s dime a dozen. Pick 87 should do.

Essendon $21. Just throw your money into the toilet and watch it spin down if you want some entertainment value for your dollar. Sheer lunacy.

I'll take the rioting tonight thanks!

If we're going to have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill this need, then here's another, albeit similar, idea: http://www.pro-stats.com.au/psw/web/compare_players?tid1=113&pid1=200199&year1=2011&tid2=103&pid2=2004020&year2=2011 Going strictly by the stats is always a dangerous way to go about it, but the numbers certainly don't condemn Setanta when matched up with Kosi. At a guess, he'd be on quite a bit less pay than Kosi, but would cost no less than Kosi in a trade. He fits the physical bill (2cm taller, 2kg lighter), has a bit of mongrel about him, and is in the same age bracket (6 months younger). On the downside, he only played 8 games this year in a side that could use a big key forward. Again, I'd imagine Warnock could be part of a deal there, although Carlton's key defender situation is better now than it was a couple of years ago. Regardless, he wouldn't cost the earth and would be able to fill the role if we're going down that path.

Apart from anything else, I live on Smith St. Last year I was kept awake until around 4am listening to drunken revelers outside singing Good Old Collingwood Forever off key, car horns blaring, and various other primal grunts and screams. I can live without enduring that again.

I'm so hoping for Hagdorn to write an article titled "Melbourne to not win the AFL premiership in 2012".

At least Bruce's situation offers a bit of a "the grass isn't always greener" scenario for Green to observe. Bruce will likely be delisted by the Hawks in the coming days with little fanfare or any care from Hawks fans after failing to meet the games played criteria to trigger the second year in his deal. I don't know how Bruce feels about the way his career has panned out, but surely there must be some sense of disappointment at leaving a club he'd spent 11 years at only to flame out in one season in another jumper. Obviously, late career changes aren't always a disastrous idea (Luke Ball, Stan Alves being some examples), but hopefully Green's seen the way things have turned out for his mate and can sort something out sooner rather than later.

I'd also add that if Dawes struggles to agree to terms with the Pies and they're looking to trade him, if our offer trumps Carlton's or anyone elses, then we get the deal done, regardless of whether the comp picks are involved or not.

Thanks for that. There's an article in today's Age which covers this as well: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-champ-bitter-at-finals-slip-20110924-1kr3y.html

6 out of their 10 goals coming from Cloke and Dawes helps. It's pretty easy to explain Warnock not getting a game when you look at the B & F finishes of Frawley, Rivers and Garland.

I think we need to be realistic about what it would take to prise Dawes from Collingwood. Pick 12 would be the starting point, and we'd need to throw something else in as well (third rounder / Warnock if they felt it could free Tarrant to go forward, particularly as Brown eases himself back). Good key forwards don't grow on trees, and it's likely that in nine days time he'll be a back-to-back premiership player in that role. His size, strength and the defensive aspects of his game give us something that our other forwards already mentioned don't. It probably won't happen - he'd have to be thrown some serious money to leave Collingwood in their current barnstorming state, and if Carlton are in the hunt they tend to find a way to get their "recycled" players if you catch my drift. Personally, I'd love to see him end up at Melbourne. I think it'd have a great impact on the development of Watts and Jurrah, allowing them more freedom and the ability to play roles more suited to them. Whatever we decide to do, I think pick 12 should be well and truly on the trade table. We can solve some midfield issues in the 2012 draft with Jack Viney and compo picks/O'Meara.

8. Just win.

And from today's Age: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/neeld-talks-tough-on-demons-plans-20110917-1kf7g.html "The Demons have yet to make a decision on Neeld's support staff, although Viney, formerly the club's development coach, could continue to have a senior role alongside Neeld after impressing in five matches as a caretaker. However, Viney's son, Jack, will join the club in the 2012 draft, meaning there could be a conflict. The role of fellow assistants, including Scott West, Brian Royal, Mark Williams and Josh Mahoney, remains unclear. Schwab said Melbourne had yet to determine whether they would look to secure a senior assistant for Neeld in the mould of a Mark Thompson. The Demons have spoken with former Adelaide coach Neil Craig. It's understood Craig would have joined Melbourne had West Coast assistant Scott Burns won the Demons role."

It is what it is, is it? If the reports are accurate and Neeld is officially announced tomorrow, then I hope Sheehan's right and Craig is coming along as an assistant as well. Like others have noted, it's an appointment I can't feel elated or shattered by at the moment. My primary emotion is a bit of disappointment as the repressed optimistic corner of my brain had very much hoped that there might be some slight chance Malthouse would be coming on board, but not to be. Given the fact I needed to see a picture of him online tonight to find out what he looks like, I'm clearly not up to date with his capabilities as a coach. Like Bailey, he's been a part of a successful outfit as an assistant, has been spoken of highly by his senior coach, and is supposed to be up to speed with the current game, whatever that means. What cannot be overstated is the importance of the unknown - can he motivate, inspire and get the best out of his players on match day as well as preparing them as best as possible throughout the year. The intangibles of being able to communicate your message and have your players want to execute it to the fullest is crucial. I don't know if Neeld has this ability, or if he doesn't. All I can control right now as a supporter is putting my hand in my pocket for membership money for myself and the family, and lending my loud voice for inane burbling on matchday. I'll fulfill my duty as best I can, and hopefully Neeld is more than up to the task as our new coach.

Ouch. This whole thing has a real cinematic criminal mastermind feel to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMuXwdUS_Lc

Burns wouldn't be coaching his son at the MFC. Obviously it doesn't affect my support, financial and otherwise, of the club, but I couldn't get overly aroused by this appointment at this stage. We can talk ourselves into getting excited about the appointment of any current assistant, but we wouldn't have a clue as to which of them would be a great coach and fit with the Dees.

I'm not concerned about what tonight's developments say about the MFC. I'd revisit this thread though if Mick Malthouse takes the senior coaching gig of a club other than Melbourne for 2012.

Thanks Jack. A third round pick would be somewhere between pick 45 and 62. Warnock's future has to be limited with us due to being behind Frawley, Garland and Rivers, but I'd be disappointed to see him walk for nothing. He could walk into a couple of teams' backlines, and the possibility's surely there to be able to package him in some sort of deal with GWS. Hawthorn's third round pick (58 or 60) wouldn't excite me at all. I think there's more to be gained in looking to sweeten up a deal for Jaguar O'Meara, however that might end up looking.

Agreed. I just feel sad about it. I never like seeing Melbourne players I've enjoyed watching run around in other colours. Despite McDonald's work ethic and character, he's not going to be setting the world on fire, and I'll be burning images of him in a GWS guernsey from my retina. A smaller scale version of Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards.

Mark Williams should be on that list. Despite his insanity and penchant for erratic and disruptive behaviour, I think he'll be looked at. Premiership coach with a modest list.

It was on Channel 10 reported as an 'exclusive' by Rob Waters.

According to Channel 10 sport, the AFL just announced we will get 2 first rounders as compensation. Um, 1 and 2 please.

Depressing. Can we afford to wait until after the Grand Final to chase Malthouse? If we can't get him, then we're in the poop on the doorstep of trade week. Very, very disappointing. Full credit to Melbourne for putting in the offers to exactly the right people in Clarkson and Lyon. I think I'm more disappointed in this than LeTom's departure.

"Lyon is believed to be preparing to tell his Saints players that he will most likely head to Melbourne." Most likely? So he's preparing to tell his team that he's most likely leaving for Melbourne? "Yeah, sorry guys. I'm probably going to Melbourne. Thought you might like to know. I'll let you know when I've made my mind up." Encouraging stuff in the general tone of the article, but I'll save the happy dance until he's signed. Still a bit pessimistic about the probability of it happening, but there are plenty of good reasons for him to come across. Make it happen, Dees.