CBDees

At least we beat the Pies playing "away" at the "G"! The AFL should be thanked for giving us a home ground advantage against the in-form Saints (an opponent to be feared/respected in comparison to the rabble of the last two weeks)! p.s. This time next week I am looking forward to beating our three-match hoodoo and achieving a record membership for our efforts.

We will be the following week after we beat the Saints (also giving us three in a row)!

The articles are based on the premise that Pavlich is keeping the seat (& his salary) warm until the end of 2017 however also points out that why would Hogan go home to a rebuilding Club. I would just dismiss it out of hand, particularly as by then he will have had two enjoyable seasons playing alongside Petracca!

Rather than focus on Lloyd or on Brereton's criticism of Hogan perhaps we should focus on Carey's sage advice (pasted below): ______________________________________________________________ AFL great Wayne Carey has defended Jesse Hogan after the Melbourne key forward's lacklustre start to the season attracted some fierce criticism. Hogan has divided opinion sharply among some of the best key forwards in AFL history after only kicking one goal in Saturday's upset loss to Essendon. Last year's Rising Star winner also was having a quiet day in round one, before he helped spark the comeback win over GWS with three last-quarter goals. Former Essendon full forward Matthew Lloyd savaged Hogan on Monday, calling the 19-year-old's body language in the opening two matches horrific. Another former key forward great, Hawthorn star Dermott Brereton, accused Hogan of being non-competitive when the ball went to ground in the Bombers game. But Carey, the two-time North Melbourne premiership captain and an all-time great centre half-forward, said Hogan should be cut some slack. "You have to remember, this kid's 19 - he's played 22 games," Carey said on Seven's Talking Footy. "And with the body language ... I think Jesse Hogan gets really disappointed with himself more so than he does (with) teammates. "If he's not playing well - and he hasn't had a great start to the season - I just see that he gets really down. "Now, can he improve that? Absolutely." Carey noted that Hogan has put off contract talks with Melbourne until the end of the season, amid growing speculation about whether he might stay at the Demons long-term. "Let's not forget, he's just a kid and the expectations and the talk around contracts and all sorts of stuff - how's this kid meant to handle all that at just 19?," Carey said. "I think he'd like to be told how he's going - what he's doing right, what he's doing wrong. "He's a very proud young player who's set a pretty high standard already. "I think it's more about him rather than his teammates doing something wrong." Melbourne onballer Bernie Vince added that players up the ground were not doing Hogan many favours with how the ball had been delivered to him so far this season. "I'd be pretty frustrated, too ... we just need to get it in better, it's probably our fault," Vince said.

The irony is that, in contrast to the Wines vs. Toumpas debate which raged on this site for years, both Oliver and Parish seem to be the goods judging from yester day's respective debuts!

Great viewing. Better than Foxtel.

Watts - pick 1 Trengove - pick 2 Hogan (Scully#1 compensation?) also Kennedy was pick 10 for the Pies (before we swapped for Howe/Toumpas#3) p.s. And Tyson was originally pick 2 when GWS drafted him

I have seen Petracca on the park at training and I doubt that you will be disappointed when he plays his first match.

I have seen Petracca on the park at training and I doubt that you will be disappointed when he plays his first match.

Oliver is an absolute gun.i look forward to Round One when he will be in the team!

It was mentioned recently in the press and particularly good news for Port as it might free up a lazy $1M for them. Perhaps a positive spin for our Club might be the extra salary cap we have next year in addition to the new recruit in Melksham.

Or Trengove Tackle Mark III.

I knew what you were saying and Watts, M. Jones and Oliver were also applying pressure further up the ground. The other 17 teams will have a different Melbourne to contend with over the next few years!

There was a sixth guy in our forward half: Hogan!

Frankly, of the four points, I would be quite content to only hear him state the last one. It is all we need!

No harm in more than one nominee for Rising Star.

Is Kennedy still eligible? What are the criteria?

On another matter he looked awesome at training today.

There are a high note number of MCC members who religiously take out a MFC membership as well. In the MCC reserve there are the same passionate supporters every week we play there, packing the Reserve when the often other sections of the ground are nearly empty. I never miss a Dees match at the G where in contrast I haven't attended a cricket match in 49 years of MCC membership. Back onto Oliver, I can't wait to watch him debut this Saturday as we towel the Power and, like many on this thread, see him playing as many games this year as Brayshaw did but having an even greater impact. Shame it's not at the "G" but still fun down the pub with a few mates over a late counter.

I am presuming that Petracca and Trengrove might be two of the players that you referred to as 'etc'?

How many games did Voldemort play if any?

If we are getting a "top-up" on the same basis as Essendon, he will need to have been on an AFL list over the last two years!

Not too silly an idea. Not only would it: 1) allow us Cross's experience and skill, (for both MFC & Casey); 2) free up a salary in our 2016 coaching budget (which will increase our flexibility); 3) give us a player intimately familiar with Roos/Goodwin's game plan; and 4) be popular with the playing group.

Emma also had Ben Kennedy at #10, given that both Daniher and Viney were locked away as FS picks.

On current performance, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Gill took the AFL out of WADA merely so that EFC effectively did not have to incur their penalties. As it is, with top-up players etc they are trying to minimise the hurt as much as possible. If they did this, then Melksham and the others would be able to play this year also.