Generation dee

I don't know if they won that on emotion from the buddy issue giving them a bit extra, or Sydney being a bit undermanned, but they were simply awesome. Some skill errors kept Sydney in the game but they are seriously improved. On a side note, how long before sections of the media question if it was Sydney landing buddy that contributed to this loss. Especially the players squeezed out. Even getting the full list back, I'm not sure Sydney have the weapons to match hawks or freo.

Here's my point. I understand the foot seems to have healed, but I mean is the training that he is undertaking wrong? Is he doing too much running and not enough weights etc. have we tried to get him fit too quickly? Has to be a solution close by.

It's not great at all, which begs the question- why? Is it diet? Too much too soon? What's causing this?

Which begs the question- you and I are extremely disappointed about it, therefore how gutted do you think Mitch is?

You mean the load increases which are contributing to these setbacks? I reckon it's good, maybe he needs more healing than partial training. Everyone recovers different- jimmy stynes was testament to that! What would rub other guys out for a month would niggle jimmy for a day. I really hope Mitch can make a swift recovery, he comes across as being our spiritual leader, like max rooke in a sense, the whole list will get a boost if he is back playing.

Exactly right ox, if only other posters shared your views and had some more respect for the bloke.

I think with the club debeloent over the past few seasons, we could have picked any of Dangerfield, Fyfe, Natanui.. And all would be less the footballers that they are now had they arrived at Melbourne. In which case we would probably be talking about the athleticism of watts running around subiaco, blease tearing up the gabba and the like. I know there have been se disastrous selections, but poor development is the backbone of our struggles now.

What, and miss out on the "we can't be as ordinary as last year" feeling I get every preseason? Wouldn't miss that for quids! I can certainly understand those that stop following the dees, it makes every Monday that much harder going to work after getting pumped on the weekend, as well as losing interest in the game on weekends. But the optimist in me still says we will turn it around soon, and those times will be that much sweeter after going through the past 7 years, and knowing how far back we've come from. It's not easy but it's another season and we just need to keep the faith.

I'm still trying to find where in that article it mentioned either chip or Dunn leaving? Such is the outcry on here. How about we leave it to roos and the like to turn things around and show some genuine direction, in which case frawley will sign!

It's bloody tough but you are right!

What about buddy and his clothes range? Nick riewoldt as well... What about the players studying courses at uni? You mean they spend 70 hours a week at a footy club and that's not enough with various meetings, trainings and discussions? Pretty poor opinion that players can't have an interest outside of footy, be that photography or anything.

I must have misunderstood your "crock" reference. I don't mean his desire to return, I mean that he is on track to return early rounds. Not round 1, but 3, 4 or 5. Anyway you and I can talk all we want, the only people who really know are Mitch himself, and the medical team!

Understandable, given we need our best players playing more than any other club. That said, do you think posts belittling him really are justifiable? He isn't the first person to be injured nor to sign a long term deal- I use Nathan bock at Gold Coast as an example. The facts are as you pointed out he has played very little footy in his time as a dee, but the other facts are he has still not missed a game in 2014, and even if he does miss the first 3 or 4, that will be done with the intention of him being available the rest of the season. Shouldn't we give him the benifit of the doubt that he will play early, unless otherwise stated?

I definitely don't mean this disrespectfully, but how come there are so many comments like this one floating around about Mitch? It's hardly the guys fault he copped a serious injury, and at this stage he is doing everything in his power to get back, let's not forget guys like Hird and richo came back from similar. It's not like Matthew Egan where we are hearing it's going to be another 12 months- we are hearing he is doing everything possible and was doing everything right until Xmas. I understand everyone wants to see him back playing, but give the guy some credit- he is still in the leadership group and he obviously loves the club not to chuck it in and quit after his past 2 years. Can't we be positive that he WILL be back this year?

Pretentiousness? Really? You can't keep from getting personal again? All because what, I originally said we had to pay overs to attract anyone? You're a blight on demonland due to the inability to construct a good spirited debate. I won't be engaging anymore with an old man attempting to rectify his bullied childhood by compensating on a club forum. Good day.

Late night posting. However I think you got my drift

Another example of impecunious interpretation from you rhino. If you backtrack a little you will see I said, and I quote "older players to set an example, and kids. Pedo falls in between". Your abject failure to elucidate why roos cannot "extract further development" from a 27 year old footballer is simply mystifying given the recent influx of mature age footballers reaching new heights later in their careers, examples being podsiadly, callinan and Stephenson. Or are you of the belief that 27 is the new 30, and once past that age you should be thrown on the proverbial scrap heap? I guess we should encourage Ablett, bartel and Mitchell should all sit this season out?You didn't consider "overs" being paid for Dawes? Or the Pederson-gysberts trade to be in North's favour? "Rubbish" being the fact we needed to entice players with bigger contracts? I'd love to see the comparative contract for Dawes and Pederson between 2012 to 2013. Another poor post with shallow thinking rhino, you be sure to fine tune your interpretation next time before "rubbishing" someone's post.

We had to "overpay" to get anyone to join us at the end of 2012, we lost a lot of ordinary players who didn't work hard enough, and replaced them with a mixture of older ordinary players who were here to set an example and kids. Pedo falls in between and he has the chance to really set himself up as a first 22 player, or an average vfl/depth player. Truth is, he will never get a better chance than having roos incoming as head coach and surrounded by genuine development coaches. Whilst he has his flaws, he deserves a chance to improve in the same manner as Strauss, blease, tapscott and bail. If they don't, 2015 will be out playing for minyip/murtoa in the Horsham league.

We don't have a part time CEO or coach. We have a full time coach and a full time CEO, both of whom are contracted and both of whom are doing a fully committed job thus far.

Fairly disappointing post "puntkick". When you take into account Peter Jackson actually sought to increase his contract until the end of 2014 after only a few months in the job, which has since culminated in the arrival of Paul Roos as well as the locking away of key sponsors. To say that the afl could make a person take a job they didn't want is simply foolhardy, the afl is hardly communist Russia forcing people to take on work against their will. Afl installed or not, they are there selling the Melbourne brand now and so far, doing a mighty job of it.

Don't worry, he comes in, says something to attack someone because they make a point he disagrees with, then leaves again. Kinda like a cold sore.

Picks 12 and 20 under previous Melbourne recruiting teams would have delivered less games than what Clark and Dawes have played. That said, when those picks were given up, no one knew Clark would get struck down like he did (people have very quickly forgotten the form he showed over the first part of 2012) and Dawes adds a professionalism to the playing group not seen for a long time. The games he got on the park he showed he is a worthwhile investment, and we should back our clubs fitness team to get them right. I see a lot of criticism at jamar for having a "flash in the pan" season warranting all Australian form, let's hope that the injury riddled seasons are a "flash in the pan" in contrast to a long prosperous and healthy career to both these players.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/30/07/16/footage-emerges-of-gold-coast-suns-brawl You really want someone of this quality at our club demonsterative? Really? You think a bloke 30 years old who still can't handle his grog, belting a 21year old while he is getting held, you think this is a positive person to have around? It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, you belt someone drunk like that when they aren't ready for it, you're a coward and thug. I've no doubt I could break the jaw of Anthony mundine if he was sloshed and unsuspecting- I guess you like that too? I'm absolutely disgusted people would talk about bringing a person like that to our club. Yes boys will be boys, yes sometimes you have a argument or a scuffle, but 2 cheap shots reaching over a guy holding him back? That's not on. As angrydemons has pointed out, what if he fell over and fell back on something, he is clearly sauced, how will he keep his balance? It doesn't matter if you're a footballer, doctor, actor or plain joe off the street- hitting someone with a cheap shot like that is cowardly and a thug act, and I hope that soon the judicial system start to take it a bit more seriously.

I've known him for years. Great bloke. Mates with everyone and the type of guy you want to play footy with. Good trainer but probably not a Daniel Cross or Nathan Jones.

The points you raise are valid, however is there a way to differentiate between a guy playing seniors at sanfl level, vs a guy playing at tac cup level? I mean, toumpas and aish wouldn't start onball every centre bounce, where as a guy like josh Kelly or Cale Morton playing tac cup are more likely to play onball longer. I've seen enough of toumpas to feel he has a big future as an afl onballer. He sees gaps for handball releases, he keeps his feet (which will only increase as he builds core strength) and he uses the ball well. I see him developing into a jimmy bartel/chad wingard type. The days of being a pure mid are gone, you need to be able to go back, half forward etc, and I think toumpas will be able to be adaptable. On a side note, has anyone seen much at training along the lines of stoppages and kick ins?