Straight Sets Simon

A very accurate assessment Dan, well done.

Wait for it...

Valenti takes his chance Named in the best for the second week in a row, look what happens when you give a player a chance.

Nice avatar.

Any chance of getting the Jurrah highlights from today's game DA? I'm overseas and watching the highlights through the AFL website is painful.

See most of my posts from the past few years. EDIT: Rogue beat me to it.

Game day tactics and set up has been questionable, but see Rogue's post, would any other coach done things differently? Next year will be the big test for Bailey.

No, losing now seems to be the courageous and unselfish thing to do, but no one was saying that at the start of the season. The point is, nothing has changed and I don't want to give coach credit for now losing when it's been happening for the past two seasons. I believe that Melbourne are going to get the PP because they genuinely need it, and not because Bailey or anyone else has masterminded it. EDIT: Rogue's post hits the nail on the head.

All of the losses at the start of the year were deliberate?

It's interesting because from what I'd seen Melbourne had been rotating far too much over the past two seasons. Less rotations would have been a good thing I thought.

I didn't see the game and the disposal efficiency stat can be misleading but Valenti's was 85.71%, that doesn't seem too bad.

With regards to the PP situation, one thing must not be forgotten. This is the last proper draft for the next five or so years before the Gold Coast and West Sydney/Tasmania come in. Even if you don't like the idea of losing and picking up draft picks, you need to understand that after this season getting first hands on the best young talent will be very difficult for all teams and Melbourne need to make the most of it while they can.

I don't think Melbourne are tanking, they are just not good enough. There is a difference and people need to see that.

Valenti seemed to be quieter in the end, what happened?

I've managed to get some radio coverage going. It doesn't sound like the most exciting game.

Only just saw this post, thanks.

I can only go by the stats, but Valenti seems to be getting his fair share of the ball. How is he going?

Hindsight (or foresight in Yze_Magic's case) is a wonderful thing.

Bailey has won six games in almost two seasons with a gameplan and tactics that are questionable at best. For some reason now he is getting praised for losing, something that he has done his entire time at Melbourne. Draft picks are good (but anyone can coach badly to get first round draft picks) and come next year if Melbourne don't start winning he won't last the season. White has every right to be concerned.

Bailey has been losing for the past two years and only now people are congratulating him for it?

Why do people have the need to know what other people doing every second of the day? Besides, isn't this what is already done on Twitter?

His kicking is very good.

The moves to increase competitive balance (including the draft and salary cap) are vital to the strength of the competition, otherwise the AFL would be like the EPL where only a small handful of teams can win and even the biggest clubs are riddles with debt and rely on their Sugar Daddies. The issue however, is that if the AFL want to truly have a competitive competition they must create an even draw and broadcast times as CTD mentioned. The PP itself needs to be removed, or dramatically changed in terms of how teams are awarded them.

I didn't see the game so I can't comment directly, however if Bailey was moving players around and the result was almost a win, I would like to see more changes and more creativity like this in the future.

For all of those watching the game, is the void that Jurrah has left by not playing massive?