pantaloons

This Tuesday at 2.45am we've got Melbourne's epic 50-point comeback against Freo from 2008 on 7Two. Set the recorders, folks.

"We're going for a look that says 'cuddle me'."

Surely all of this grandstanding over picking up Ball in the draft is now a waste of time. Picking him up with a free crack in the PSD is one thing, but wasting an extremely valuable pick in 11 or 18 on a guy who will struggle to get a game with us in 3 or 4 years time when we're in flag mode would be an absolute joke and the sort of short-sighted list management that costs a club dearly. I don't mind the club considering all their options carefully, but I will be absolutely livid if we pick up Ball at 18. He will not be the difference between us winning a flag and not. Will the kid we pick at 18be that difference? Who knows. It's a riskier choice but a far better option in my opinion, one far more likely to lead to a flag, rather than a slightly better ladder position for the next 3 years.

If Ball nominates for the ND, then we can move on. The beauty of picking him up in the PSD was that we got a quality 25 year old, experienced player. He's probably got 5 years left max, so he'd only be a part of our early success. Picking him up in order to get 5 years max at 18 when we could get a 10 year player would be a waste. I can see the other opinion - the 18th pick is speculative whereas we know what we'll get with Ball, but he's made his intent clear by not nominating for the PSD, so let's move on. I sincerely hope he gets picked up before 30 though. Not because its Collingwood, but I can't stand players shafting their clubs.

I had Sheehan's chat on in the background, and found it pretty average. Giving so little cyberspace to a club that has 4 picks in the top 18 was a bit like ignoring Geelong in Grand Final week. Mind you, I don't know how much you can discuss three weeks out from draft week without going insane. Predictions are great, but I'll be more interested in dissections of our draft choices after the event.

It's been interesting seeing a bit in the papers recently about Hawthorn's policy of drafting for needs. I'd suggest the key forward position is an area of need for us as we look to build a premiership contender, with someone of size required alongside Watts and Jurrah. Given that two midfield dynamos are a virtual lock for 1 and 2, I'd be very interested in securing the second or third best tall in the draft at 11. I'm no expert on the U18s players and I couldn't tell the difference between Aaron Black and Barry White, but if he or one of the other very few highly-touted key forwards in this year's draft pool are expected to become a gun, then I'm in. Beyond that, I'd not be so specific about 'needs' at 18 but would be looking tall again at 34 IF there was suitable tall timber available. If we want a gun forward in this year's draft, then we're going to be settling for less if we wait 7 picks until 18 I reckon.

Yep. I actually went to the last ever game there (Hawks v Swans) in '99. Like the crafty villain in a horror movie, I wanted to make sure it was dead.

No danger of that happening! Like many of us old enough, I was there and once was quite enough thank you. I'll check the guide fairly regularly and try to keep folks informed when there's a Melbourne win coming up on the schedule.

I just thought I'd throw it out there that Channel 7 Two seems to be playing classic AFL games during the wee small hours on an almost nightly basis. They had the 2007 Melbourne-North game on last night (North leads by 35 in the last quarter, we storm back to take a 6 point lead only to lose by 1). Anyway, I'll be checking the guide fairly regularly in the hope of seeing some great Melbourne wins this offseason. I couldn't find any Melbourne games I'm interesting in seeing for the rest of the week, though they do have 45 minutes of the 87 prelim on the weekend.

I felt from the outset that St. Kilda was still a very real option for Ball. Melbourne was always the only other realistic option, and by the time we're beginning our triple hat-trick premiership blast from 2013-2017 he won't be good enough to make the side. I can see why beginning another rebuild and then not seeing the fruit of it doesn't appeal to him. Having said that, I can also see why Brent Moloney will likely rupture Ball's spleen in a crunching tackle next year.

Absolutely sensational draw on a number of fronts: 1. First and foremost, as supporters of the Melbourne Football Club, we should be elated that we have 14 games at our MCG. That is a fantastic result and the biggest concern for me every year. 2. We play Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Collingwood and Brisbane twice. We've avoided playing the top 3 twice, and get Richmond, North and Port twice. 3. We have only 10 Sunday games in 2010, down from 13 in 2009. Only 4 of these are home games. 4. The Foxtel games haven't increased. 5. Only 5 interstate games. Anything fewer than 6 is a miracle for the MFC. For a team that has been absolute garbage on field the last three years and has attracted pathetic crowds during this time, the draw is almost a joke in our favour. Beautiful. I half expect the AFL to turn around and say "only joking - here's 6 interstate game, 11 MCG games, 15 Sunday games and the top 3 twice".

I agree. I've thought Carlton should have a crack at him since they dumped Fev. The article describes Carlton's forwardline as "a highly unpredictable Carlton attack". That should read "most shambolic forwardline ever assembled". Robbo is not a long term move, but he is the only move if they want to play in the finals in 2010. He will be their only legitimate goalkicking forward.

The key issue there is that FIFA wouldn't need to stage matches at Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park or Wrigley field where MLB matches take place. What we're facing would be akin to the NFL being asked to slide aside for 8 weeks, as it would be football stadiums in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, amongst others that would be used for soccer. We'll never know for sure because NFL season doesn't conflict with the World Cup, but the only way I could see the NFL changing its schedule for the World Cup is if FIFA handed over a few billion dollars.

Honestly - a four week "quarantining" period before the World Cup begins? Have they got three-year olds performing the manual labour? I love the World Cup as much as the next person, but an 8-week break is a significant dent in the season. If we do actually get the event, I'd certainly hope that the main grounds are available for at the very least 2 of the 4 weeks prior to the event, giving the AFL six weeks without the main venues. This could be a time where they have some split rounds, and promote playing in smaller markets, such as Geelong, Tassie, Darwin and Cairns as a positive. FIFA has been a notoriously corrupt and pig-headed organisation, so I wouldn't expect any favours or common sense from them. If the Olympics don't have to be held in the same month every Olympiad, then the World Cup can certainly move. The weather will be putrid in June/July here - they'll have the worst of our cold and rain. Even if the tournament was moved a couple of months either way - to April or September - we'd be able to have an early or late season instead of gutting a hole in the middle. I'd like to see something worked out. Having the World Cup here would be sensational. However I doubt that any other country has ever been asked to sacrifice as much in regards to existing sporting schedules to hold the event.

At times I've probably taken for granted that The Age has devoted a journalist to the Melbourne Football Club this year. It's been terrific to have a yearful of positive media directed at the Dees. Can you imagine the uproar on here if Flanagan had been posted to Collingwood this year? We'd be using the paper as fish and chip wrappers. In an era where we've found it difficult to get our 'brand' out there, it has got to be a huge plus. Who knows exactly what this translates to in terms of supporters gained or public perception, but it's certainly a positive and I'm thankful to The Age for it.

Great work, Jaded. You might want to change the established year from 1859 to 1858 though.

That a was a truly dunce-worthy performance by Jon Ralph. The only 'decision' Richmond have to make regarding Luke Ball is whether to take him in the ND if he chooses to try his luck in there. Ralph's assertion that he could 'choose' Richmond over Melbourne in the PSD despite Melbourne being able to match his financial requirements was absurd. As its been all along, Ball can re-sign with the Saints, try his luck in the ND or come to Melbourne in the PSD. I can only hope that the Richmond brainstrust are wasting precious brain cells on how to get Ball in the PSD rather than focusing on something constructive. As for the argument over the respective midfields, which one would you rather take? Cousins is their best and can't have long to go, I like Foley and Cotchin, Tambling despite his improvements this season is ordinary, and I hate to think of the treatment Delidio would get on here if he was a Melbourne player. I don't see a whole lot to be positive about for them, but maybe that's because I don't watch them closely. Then again, the more astute Richmond supporters I know have indicated that they have very little to look forward to in the next few years. Or, you could take the midfield with abundant promise, and set to acquire the two standout elite talents from this year's draft to complement the stockpile of young talent brought to the club in the last few drafts. Any advantage Richmond has over us in the midfield is set to be overrun very swiftly.

1. Davey 2. Moloney 3. Sylvia 4. Bruce 5. Warnock Reasonable gaps between Davey and Moloney and then Moloney and Sylvia. After that it will be fairly even.

I may have skipped the ruling on the rookie list, so forgive me, but if we re-rookie Spencer, can he be picked up by another club this off-season? I'd just assumed we would need to upgrade him before the draft.

I doubt they'd be given one-year contracts for 2010, which is the only way they'd be out the door at the end of '10. It's not impossible, but I'd be very surprised. Bartram's a fair chance to get the chop now and then it's between T-Mac and Cheney for the last spot in my view. I'd like two more vacancies for pick 34 and Spencer.

Nobody would doubt Buckley's pace, but his skills and decision-making were a massive liability.

Well, make that 2 more delistings of the 3 remaining. As per brettmcg's thread on the LS and the article on the MFC's website, Buckley's been delisted. Thanks for your service, Simon. Hopefully he continues to follow the Dees with a passion.

I look at the four players and think that in some ways, each of them would be stiff to be delisted. Reaslistically though, would any of them get anywhere near our premiership-aspiring sides of 2012-2017? We have to at the very least give three of these blokes the chop to make room for the 5 ND picks, Spencer and PSD1. Missing out on pick 34 is not an option for mine.

There are only so many times you can go to the well with this sort of stuff. Hopefully the club can continue to be creative about the way we erase the debt.

No for the Dees. Bryan should be, and probably is, pursuing an NFL punting career now.