Straight Sets Simon

I just remember that game for Damien Gaspar's blind turn in the back pocket. Anyone else remember that? Classic. P.S. Thanks for the Jacko upload.

Nuts.

All I know is after watching Melbourne against Geelong I have a renewed confidence about the team. And if past experiences have taught me anything, that's probably not a good thing...

Not likely. IMO Carroll has a done a pretty good job this year. He's never going to be the number one defender but with a few decent players around him he is more than capable.

IN: Petterd (if fit), Whelan, Moloney (if fit), Bate OUT: Robertson, Sylvia, Garland, CJ

Was it a "jocular conversation"?

I liked it when he ran into Ablett.

I was overall pretty happy with today. POSITIVES -Aussie looked really good on debut. -Morton looked great. -Good to see McLean find the pill - but still struggling when tagged. -Paul Johnson just keeps on getting better. -Just about the best game I've seen from Wheatley - I still think he should be played more forward. -Rivers was good on return. -Despite getting a few kicked against him, I thought Carroll did well considering he was considerably out sized. -Bartel and Ablett had a relatively low impact on the game. -Bruce on Johnson was good - I really liked that he ran forward to kick those goals. NEGATIVES -Davey looks slow. -Garland. -Chris Johnson. -Sylvia looks like he doesn't give a toss. -Poor skills.

Because Melbourne's crappy facilities have been one big secret!

Those players didn't have to be chosen at those numbers.

I'm all for bringing in Valenti. I don't see him as being all that slow. He gets the ball a lot and has decent skills. Even if he isn't played in the middle as such but rather on a wing or even HFF?

Then why is Garland still playing?

Good on them I say. IMO the only time that an alternative jumper should be used is when the two teams are genuinely hard to tell apart. E.g. Melbourne V Essendon.

Thanks.

How was he promoted without someone going on the long-term injury list?

Selection: Poor. Gameplan: Too early to tell.

A dumb one at that...

Well said.

Well said.

I brought up a similar point last year when Daniher first introduced "runs and curry". It's all very well to say that Melbourne will draft / trade players to fit a gameplan and delist those who don't, but how long will that take? There is no quick fix for Melbourne at this stage, but if they keep getting smashed the way they do, things are not going to get any better, no matter how disciplined the players are. I just would have thought that a gameplan would have been brought in to play to the strengths of the team and then build on that.

FB: Whelan Carroll Bell HB: Petterd Rivers Frawley C: Moloney Jones Morton HF: Sylvia Newton Bruce FF: Green Neitz Bate Foll: Johnson McLean McDonald Int: White Bartram Dunn Maric/Buckley

So true.

I'm not saying that I'm against trading him.

I think Sylvia would dominate at another club.

I think the problem Bub is that the players look like they must do one thing when in a certain situation. For example, they must handball and run the ball out of defence, even if it is not the best option. As a result, if there isn't anyone to handball to they panic, as if they don't know what to do. Which is crap. Because they are all footballers and all got drafted becuase they know how to play football. Like you said, it's not that complex. Personally I was a bit worried when I saw the players taking written tests about the gameplan. Time will tell.