Straight Sets Simon

OUTS: Retire – McDonald, Roberston Trade – None Delist – Bartram, Dunn, McNamara, Bell, Wheatley INS: Draft Picks - 1,2,18,34,50 Trade - None ROOKIES: Out - Zomer, Healey, Hughes Elevate - Valenti, Spencer Remain - McKenzie NOTE: I'm not sure about contract situation for most players

Rivers. Daylight. A bit more daylight. Garland. Martin. Frawley. Warnock. I know who I want in the team.

Cloke was largely ineffectual and Franklin managed to kick four before Rivers was on him so he clearly wasn't having too much trouble that day.

Rivers has taken Franklin*, Kosi and Cloke** out of the last three games he's played. If he played for any other team people would be calling for him in the All Australian team. *Franklin kicked most if not all of his goals with Frawley playing on him. ** Cloke had 20 touches, but most were up the ground where he is next to useless with less than 50% disposal efficiency.

What forward line?

As did Bizzell. I was actually thinking of this the other day and I believe that no matter who got the coaching job at Melbourne, most if not all of those would players would still have gone.

I had him ahead of Jones, I still do and on current form I have him ahead of McLean but not Moloney. He has shown as much from ten games with limited game time as just about anyone I've seen. He is the ideal replacement for McDonald when he moves on at the end of the year.

I don't normally care about this sort of stuff but Fox Sport's "Before the Bounce", when talking about the Queen's Birthday game and how Melbourne used Jack Watts to try and draw a larger crowd Barrett stated that last year Melbourne only got a crowd of around "40,000" to the game. In reality 59,548 were at the game last year. If it was a simple mistake I wouldn't mind but it was said in the context of whether or not Melbourne should continue to host the Queen's Birthday game. Poor effort, but what can you expect from a "journalist" from a celebrity gossip publication?

When Bailey keeps his word and gives him more games I'll let you know.

Buckley is a gun, won't be delisted.

Extending the contract of a coach too early that was was not warranted. I am not saying that Bailey does not warrant an extension, but that decision should be made after his three years which is more than enough time to shape a list (i.e. recruit and cull) and develop sound tactics and a game plan that will win matches.

Did we learn nothing from the Daniher experience?

Get over yourself. Classic.

Great post DeeBest.

That's because since Round 1, 2007 (when it was first brought up) Melbourne have won 9 of 55 games. EDIT: Having said all that, I'm happy for Melbourne to get picks 1 and 2 this year with the Gold Coast coming in, but after this year the term "rebuilding" had never be said again as Melbourne will (potentially) have more than enough high draft picks. Where I worry is that the style of play and the structure being used with the current playeres is all wrong. From next year, all the pressure will be on Bailey to perform match day.

I'd love to see a statistic for the number of turnovers Melbourne creates through chipping the ball short or sideways when there are no options long to ahead to go to. So often there is a turnover because the option is a bad option. However, as bad as that option is it is often the only or the best.

6. Sylvia 5. Moloney 4. Grimes 3. Davey 2. Rivers 1. Jamar

The refusal to kick the ball (the exception being Sylvia and Moloney) was terrible. However, again part of the problem was that often there was no option ahead to kick it to.

1. Melbourne can't tackle, they would have to be the worst in the league at putting on a tackle and holding it. 2. How hard is it to man-up? There are 18 players for each team on the ground but Collingwood always had players loose. 3. Why do forwards have to start centre bounces 20 metres out form goal and not on the goal line? All this does is reduce the amount of space they have to lead into if and when the ball is kicked down there. 4. Why do all the forwards have to push up the ground, instead of players running to the bench for a rest, some should just run to the goal square for a rest as it would also provide a leading target (see point 3).

Moloney wasn't bad today, he and Sylvia were the only players who would kick the ball and create opportunities for the forwards.

OUT: PJ, Jones/McLean, Bell, Bate IN: Martin, Valenti, Bennell, Jurrah

Agreed on everything.

Newtons biggest problem is he doesn't read the play well at all. His timing is all out and despite his best efforts at laying tackles and chase his opponents he is far too slow (very little acceleration) to have any significant effect. On top of that he really needs to hit the gym, has little chance of ever taking a contested mark with his frame.

It's winter FFS.

Of course the weather impacts on attendances (see the Adelaide game), but what do you want the BOM to do exactly?