Lucifers Hero

In a few games we have done exactly that! We 'crowd the contest' but op team keeps some players back, when they win the contest they spread and run like crazy to their forwards and (often an open) goal because our defenders had come up so far they can't get back fast enough. This was very vivid vs Ess, StK, Port and Sydney. This strategy is high risk if we don't win the ball and has cost us dozens of goals all year and a few games. It is also high risk when we do win it because often Viney and Tyson try to take on the tackler or kick it out. The ops know that so they let them 'win' it and gang tackle forcing the ball free or get a free kick. (Hawthorn are the absolute masters at this). Ops half forwards are ready and expect this so as soon as the tackle happens they start to spread forward before our defenders can catch up. Again it often ends up in an easy goal. In summary, I'm not a fan of 'crowding the contest' if the op don't or if Viney and Tyson can't get the ball out faster. We have a better chance of the 'crowding the contest' strategy working when Oliver plays as he has such quick hands, god bless him. Nonetheless,opponets have figured out our strategy and know how to neutralise it. Hope we have some other tricks up our sleeve!

That sounds very circular - what if you don't get many chances to kick a goal in a game - how is a player to become a 'good reliable kick' for goal? Goal kicking is about posture and technique which should be perfected on the training track so that on game day the only variable is ground conditions.

I don't know CBDees. Would be good if we could. I would imagine the 500 memberships will be snapped up fairly quickly especially as Foundation Membership numbers would be deliberately restricted. There is certainly an opportunity to add members next year if they sell separate memberships for the Women's games. A case of wait and see, I guess.

Re the Women's Foundation Membership - From the website 'Membership' page: https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/be-part-of-history- Limited to only 500 members, this unique opportunity includes the following: - Recognition on the MFC website as a women’s team foundation member - Foundation Member Lapel pin - Foundation Member scarf - Foundation Member 2017 membership card and certificate - Team guide - Invitation to an event with the inaugural MFC Women's team in the lead up to the 2017 season - Access to 2017 Women's team games A pretty good deal!

This probably belongs in the 'Womens' Forum but that doesn't seem to get many views so thought I would post here. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-07-27/membership It is the opportunity to be a Women's Team Foundation Member. Limited to 500 members. $250 per member. A chance to get in 'on the ground floor' so to speak. The club also announced our Marquis players: Daisy Pearce and Mel Hickey. Exciting times for them and the Club.

dd, did you get the feeling Waldron was just trying to be provocative? He thought Hogan was a free agent next year and Freo could get him for nothing. Not sure what bs they feed him on Perth radio but it seems a bit short of facts.

Even if he is I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. He was so deeply involved with the EFC drug saga and Dank both during and after the saga he is the last person you would want around our young team. Didn't he also get fined/suspended for betting on an AFL game? The No DH policy needs to apply to coaching staff as well as players for us to succeed.

If we can't get a Hurley type backman player, I would prefer we poach Matthew Scarlett as our backline coach. At some stage we need people both on and off the field who have Finals and preferably recent Premiership experience. Now that Roos is off the books I would throw some of the money in Scarlett's direction. For his own sake Jake Rawlings needs to move on and get experience elsewhere and Scarlett would be the perfect replacement. Rejoins Macca so there would be some common minds working together for us. Prising him away from Cat land may be a whole different story!

Bad luck for O'Meara as he is out for the rest of the season. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/jaeger-omeara-set-to-miss-rest-of-2016-afl-season-with-knee-injury-may-have-played-final-game-for-gold-coast-suns/news-story/99c1fb4616da6915f0b8fe3dad60eb82 Reminds me of when Jonno Patton was going to leave GWS (rumoured to go to WB), was injured and signed up with Giants almost immediately. The suitor got cold feet. O'Meara may be in the same boat and will sign up with GCS soon. Unless, he is doing a 'Scully' has his deal all signed up and is now protecting himself against further injury.

I recall that before the bye Wagner had played a number of weeks with pain killing injections for a knee injury and was said to be out for up to a month. Came back after 2 weeks. Wouldn't be surprised if he is playing injured and his knee affects his kicking.

They have the gall to ask a player to walk to them in the PSD but won't let their WADA suspended players walk to other clubs as DFA's. Their double standards and hypocrisy is astounding. No matter how well they play in future that will always be a morally corrupt club.

Apologies, I reacted to the words so misinterpreted your post.

He was a 'last resort' option - no harm in trying him up forward for just 4 or 5 games. You disagree. Fine. No reason to be personally abusive.

If we lose Dunn, Garland, Grimes, Dawes, Lumumba, Pederson and Trengove this year we lose about 850 games experience all at once. Our whole list has only played about 2,500 total! We may get experienced players in to offset some of that loss but we can't lose that much experience. Guys like that still have a role to play to mentor our young guys at Casey from time to time. I have a vivid memory of the pics of Lumumba and Garland consoling Brayshaw and Petracca at different times. Not to mention helping the young guys at Casey win games so they get 'that winning feeling' and the confidence gained from it. We are desperately short of experience in the seniors - lets not compound it by throwing out all the experience we have at Casey.

Then why did you say 'it was one of life's great mysteries'? And it wasn't 'stupid'. There were a lot more players to go play defence than up forward at the beginning of the season. The club had little choice!!

Great news! With only a few days left till count closes that is close to our final figure. This is an 11% increase on last year and 31% in the three years since PJ and Roos arrive. And we beat the previous record by 3,000 additional members, people who have never been members before. Enormous result for the club and kudos to members who have stuck with the club and all the additional members now on board. We must keep winning this year to ensure that 39,118 renew and even more come on board.

Its important to look at that in light of our forward line options at the beginning of the season: Hogan, young and still raw. Watts had yet to blossom as a key forward. Dawes was injured and told to get his body right. Weideman and Huelett not ready. Pedersen was the only other 'semi recognised' forward. There was a gaping hole up forward and a tall was needed to plug it. The club had limited choices and Frost was the 'best' option under the circumstances. Frost has been able to revert to defence because Jack Watts has been outstanding as a tall forward.

Former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank reportedly shot in Ascot Vale. It sounds rather fishy. A charade maybe? Sell this latest story to raise cash...

Don't mind the news. Goodwin said in an interview last week that he and Hibbered are good mates (similar to Melksham). Coaches, recruiters etc need to use networks to get good players to the club but i am uneasy about this mateship thing. I prefer the coach to be and be seen to be neutral. No room for favourites if we are going up the ladder! For that reason i am ok with Hibbered staying at efc.

At last. Absolutely rapt for him, us and the club. A player who says he wants to be a one club player and shows it by signing up again.

Sorry to quote myself. Coincidentally, here is a an article describing how the Hawkes dislodge the ball from small forwards instead of tackling. Its exactly what I described above and is being called a variation of the old 'chicken wing' technique. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/how-the-hawks-have-become-the-chicken-wing-kings-to-produce-the-afls-best-forward-half-pressure/news-story/02be83f75c2665a22bd226785f9a2256 Jack Viney executed it perfectly in his Tackle of The Year on Weller. It is a perfect way to stop Lindsay Thomas and others like him from getting all those (cheating) high frees and as the Hawks do, keep the ball in play or get a free for the tackler ala Jack Viney. Maybe the Hawks learnt it from Jack

Coaches votes: 10 Tom Hickey (StK) 8 Tim Membrey (StK) 6 Jack Viney (Melb) 2 Sean Dempster (StK) 2 Jack Newnes (StK) 1 Jarryn Geary (StK) 1 Leigh Montagna (StK) Both gave 5 BOG to Hickey. Our ruck coach needs to work out some counter moves for Max as that is the 3rd time in a row that Hickey has got the better of him. We will not beat the Saints until Max prevails. Another excellent game by Jack Viney. Looks like 3 votes from each coach. Add to that his nomination for MOTY and he had a damn good game.

One of the few positives from yesterday's game. See it here https://markoftheyear.afl.com.au/vote/round/17 Courage personified! Just threw himself into the pack! If you would like to vote for him http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-07-18/viney-nominated-for-mark-of-the-year Well done, champ.

No suspension for Jesse Can accept a $1,000 fine!

Does anyone know what is up with Dawes? Didn't play/emergency vs Freo last week. Not on injury list. He was selected to play for Casey this week but spent the game in their coaches box. (Interesting that it was the Casey box and not the Seniors box...) I'm guessing he is injured. If he has missed two weeks already and will need a few weeks at Casey to get match fitness back he may struggle to get back into the team this year. So can't see him being offered another contract. Could he have already hung up his boots? Does a coaches/development role await him next year? Totally surmising.