Straight Sets Simon

The Biz! Miller is EXTREMELY lucky to be playing IMO.

Great post QueenC.

He may help Melbourne win their first game of the season. That's achieving something. Bizzell was very good in '03 playing as an under-sized CHB. In '04 he started well, broke his cheek bone (face) and was not the same afterwards. In '05 he was pretty good, faded a bit during the end of the season and was unlucky to be dropped in IMO. In '06 he broke his leg. In '07 he played one game (after not playing for over a year!) got 16 possessions and looked pretty good. Yes he may be a bit slow, a bit old. But he reads the play extremely well, is generally a good disposer of the ball, has experience, is tough as nails and is a good decision maker. I'm sure that Frawley will be a very good player, but if Melbourne want to win this week then IMO they should play Bizzell. But look, that's just my opinion. EDIT: I just noticed that Frawley is named in the starting 18.

Bizzell has played one game this year after not playing for over a year because of a leg fracture. In that game he played pretty well, not great but was by no means the worst. I can't remember him being beaten by his direct opponent for a start. He did make a couple of errors, but who hasn't this year. Since playing for Sandy he has been in the best a few (not sure exactly how many) times and seeing as Rivers and Ferguson are not playing he should be in the team IMO. I'm all for giving the kids a go, but I think that Bizzell should get the nod ahead of Frawley this week.

I think I did get a bit too excited. Bizzell does deserve to play ahead of Frawley if the MFC want to be consistent with their youth policy.

Hooray for Bizzell. I don't care what anyone says, I'm happy that Bizzell is playing.

It's very high on their To Do list. Personally, I don't see why they should change it. I think it's a great tradition playing the Grand Final on a Saturday afternoon.

You just completely missed the point.

Well said Jaded.

Pickett picking up the pieces "Pickett told The Age he hoped to play at least until the end of 2008"

I like it.

Because they don't "execute" the training drills properly that are designed to help them refine their skills...

I would like to see him publicly take some responsibility.

People who want Daniher gone are supporting the team. Why do people want Daniher gone? Because they feel that he is doing a bad job. What happens when he does a bad job? The team plays bad. Thus, these people want to see Melbourne play well. If that's not supporting the club, then I don't know what is. He certainly hasn't helped!

I don't care how Daniher goes, but I want him to go as it is in the best interest of the fans and the members that we see Melbourne play good football for the rest of the year. It is clear that Melbourne will struggle to do this with Daniher at the helm.

I couldn't care less what Daniher says about the players in the media. I would just like him to take some responsibility for his coaching performances.

What do you think the game plan ought to be?

A friend of mine who knows very little about football, noted that when being interviewed before the West Coast game, Neale Daniher just looked so defeated and so down. It's hard to imagine that he instills much confidence in the playing group isn't it.

What matters most: Accurate long-kicking, bounces, centre clearances, knock-ons. What is not important: Umpiring decisions, ruck contests, tackling. It took someone to analyse the statistics of over 700 games to discover this? FFS. The problem that I have with this "research" is that they are purely talking about quantity and not quality. Yes, they mention "accurate long-kicking", but how do you define "accurate"? If you are kicking to a contest then that is accurate, you might not win the ball straight away but you are still accurate. There's too much over-analysis IMO.

I think that Green should be played in the forward line or on a wing. Preferably rotating between both. He may get a lot of kicks in the backline but I don't think he is nearly as damaging. The same goes for Davey.

OUT: Ferguson (inj), Miller, Ward, Brown, Godfrey, Yze IN: McLean, Rivers, Newton, Robertson, Bizzell, Moloney FB: Whelan Carroll Bell HB: Bizzell Rivers Petterd C: Johnstone Jones Green HF: Bruce Dunn Bate FF: Davey Neitz Robertson Foll: White McDonald McLean Int: Moloney P. Johnson Sylvia Newton

You're the Melbourne coach for a week. You have the full Melbourne list to choose from (no injuries, suspensions or hangovers). It's Round 1 and Melbourne are up against Collingwood at the MCG. 1) Which players do you select? 2) Where on the ground do you have the players / who do you play them on? (NOTE: Not just where you select the players on the team sheet, but where on the ground do you want them to stand when the ball is bounced) 3) What is your basic game day strategy? (For example: high possession, long kicking and or numbers around the ball etc.) 4) What's your overall strategy? (Are you predominantly looking to shut down the opposition and try and restrict their scoring, are you looking to attack at all costs?) 5) Anything else you want to add?

HF: Pickett/Bruce Dunn Davey/Green FF: Newton/Sylvia Neitz Robertson/Yze All you would have to do is just get the ball inside the forward 50 this lot to do something with it. How hard would it be for opposition coaches to find a good match-up for everyone in this forward line. Back to the topic, I'm all for giving Newton a run. Melbourne are 0 - 8. What's the worst that could happen?

Michael Voss please.

It's what Melbourne trained to use at Subiaco.