Older demon

Read Jane02's comment on page 1 her source is impeccable, Max injured his calf last Sunday. Someone also posted, Jan Phelan at AFL tweeted mentioning a sore calf so her source is pretty good too. Cannot say more

Sorry guys Jane02 is right on the money as is Jan Phelan, definitely not a light load week.

Not sure with Nic Nat but Lever re injured the knee previously operate on. This link to a YouTube video explains why it takes 10 months min to heal and strengthen

He can take as long as he likes. The disturbing trend this season has been the repeat ACL injuries. Scharenberg is now in for his 3rd ACL and I doubt there is any hamstring tendon left to use as a graft. Nic Nat for a 2nd time and all to simple leg movements not unlike Lever. I am surprised there hasn't been a greater deveopment with the carbon fibre grafts given there have been so many repeat ACL injuries

I am not sure any AFL player is soft but Tex is directing his enegy in the wrong direction. Footage and commentary from "On the Couch" tonight, Tex showed trying to bully and get stuck into Max with in your face finger pointing, bumping and shaping up especially when they were 20 points up. As Roos said Max ignored it all and calmly went about his business getting 66 hit outs and another BOG while Walker was huffing and puffing and going nowhere. He didn't fire a shot in the grand final and has been below par this season

Note ANB scored a vote from one of the coaches on saturday night. Obviously a different opinion to some on this topic.

Jamie still works out at the same gym and he coaches a local VAFA team. He is still in top nick and kills the rowing machine but I suspect his footy career has left him with some dogey knees and playing footy would not appeal. he did pull on the boots a few years ago whencoaching at St Bedes Mentone when al their ruckmen were injured. He couldn't walk for a week.

A lot will depend on the weather in my opinion. The Crows play tall with McGovern in and Tex, Lynch and Jenkins but Collingwood smashed them earlier with fast movement and handball on a wet night highlighting how top heavy that combo is. I want MFC to play our brand and not bring blokes in to cover their height. Let them make changes to try and cover our guns.

WEll they have thrown bucket loads of cash at everyone else why not Angus he is in brilliant form.

Don't expect the ruck bloodbath predicted. I expect Stanley to contest the bounce and throw ins and jump into Max constantly and Blicavs to hadow Max wherever he goes around the ground. Henderson, Kolodjasnij and Stewart will take on Tommy and Jess. All coaches agree that Scott is the hardest tactcian to take on. I hope Jennings and Goody have plotted a surprise for him as he set the win up in round 1 with their first half tactics that blew our defence away. Bernie named as rover suggests he will be tagging someone and I hope it is Danger and he gets right in his face, legally of course.

I hope they return Bernie to a run with role. Either Danger or Selwood with Bernie in their back pocket all day. He did get under the skin of a few last year. I still like Wagner in for Hibberd despite misgivings he may not have Hibberds skill but he knows the role he has to play and causes minimal disruption. 2 years ago the Dogs ket replacing their gun payers with role players who performed their job and got them to a G.F. This is as much about replacing like with like in a role and team structure and game plan. Sydney do it better than anyone. Someone gets injured and the replacement may not star but know and fill their role. Hanneberry, Jack, McVeigh & Grundy all missed last week but who would know. They stuck to their game plan and the ins played their role.

Aaron Hall of Gold Coast, quick outside mide who will be a lot cheaper. Weideman is being groomed as the 2nd ruck. Dalhaus doesn't impress and I think Gaff and McGovern will be too expensive. The loss of Naitanui complicates things as now they need Lycett more than Gaff or McGovern. They may be less inclined to stick with Gaff

1. Max Gawn 2. Angus Brayshaw dead heat Clayton Oliver 4. Jesse Hogan 2. Jake Melksham 1. Christian Salem

There is a lot that can happen in the next 7 weeks but a quick look at the ladder predictor makes me believe it will com down (like last year) to the last game against GWS. The draw they had gives them 2 points we tend to overlook when the wins column shows up. I suspect it will be the same scenariuo as last year, must win last game at the G to sneak into the 8 and rely on other teams to win. I don't feel confident against the Cats at GMBH, I cannot remember the last time we beat the Swans and Eagles at home with all their forwards back. No easy and maybe 9th again

6. Oliver 5. Brayshaw 4. Gawn 3. Salem 2. Fritch 1. Petracca Apologies to Viney, Harmes & Stretch

A week earlier Bevo gave the dogs the mother of all sprays after their loss to the Kangas while everyone canned Goody for accepting Melbourne's loss to Port and his content with how we played. This week Goody gives it to them big time post match roast and everyone thinks, so what! It is all talk. He cannot win. Most agree that roasting post match only has an impact maybe once a season and constantly doing it loses the players and its effect. I am not defending Goodwin as this game was also lost at the selection table and picking Petty was in hindsight an error as he wasn't ready From a source who was present post match, Goodwin certainly did give it to them and no one was spared with the exception of Max. Last night Lewis accepted he didn't have his best game Sunday but finished stating that on a day when they played badly theyb lost by 2 points. He also let us know the harshest critics were from within at the review which was equally as brutal and honest on Monday morning Face it since Lever go injured we have not sorted out the defence both in personell and game play. I hope they find a solution and soon

6. Gawn - by the length of the MCG 5. Fritsch - our only forward today 4. Harmes - gut busting running 3. Viney - should never be wasted tagging someone 2. Hibberd 1. Oliver

As well as Fyfe doing his hammy, Sandilands pulled out just before the start of the game with a calf injury he did in the warm-up. Out Sandilands, Fyfe

Petty should not have been played. To watch him after the siren trudge on the ground with his head down was miserable. He was thrown to the wolves and his confidence will be shot. Harmes was patting him on the back but Petty knew he had had a mare. Joel Smith wasn't much better and mad too many mistakes and was continually outmarked. Dec or Frost should have been the option. Weid stays as he rucked ok and is the best 2nd ruck option relieving Max. His game wasn't as bad as ssome state here. Lewis is too slow for the backline unless he is an extra. The wing is as far back as he should go. Spargo must return

The proposed parkland is where the club held its family day this season. It is a great location and much better suited to being an open park and oval. The only drawback is it is on quite a slope so no jokes about downhill skiers plaease.

Jane02 wont kiss and tell but I will. Same source close to the Gaff family. If he returns to Melbourne MFC is preferred location. As RFA the Eagles can match whatever he is offered but historically very few if any clubs match offers made to RFA's. Sorry Jane

If Gaff returns to Melbourne it will only to play with MFC despite what others offer atm.

The only way Murphy would be shipped off by carlton as a FA is to get compensation picks. Whilst no-one knows the exact formula, a lot is related to the size of the contract. To gain high draft pick compo Murphy would have to get a fat pay check and long contract, which at his age is not going to happen. Spend our money on Jetta, Gus, Harmes & Oscar and go after a RFA aroung 26 years of age.

Just another fluffy opinion piece. Not based on any serious journalistic info just expressing his opinion wgich we all think is no good

The throw away line in the news articles is that this has the approval of the AFL. Last week on radio one pundit stated that PJ favoured a succession plan as did some at MFC but the AFL did not like this idea, for whatever reason. Maybe they thought Mahoney was a risk or lacked experience. Pert's credentials are impeccable and far more advanced than any of the internal candidates. In some ways the AFL still owns MFC and dictates our fixture, where we play and who we appoint to senior positions. There is still a little way to go before we start dictating who we play and when and where. This has AFL all over it