Young Dee

I won't say I am not optimistic but I never really put a label on just how much we may improve. At this stage winning 5-7 games next year would be a great achievement and a significant improvement

Yes I rather liked the Age sponsorship but Caro had to go and [censored] that up!

......I like my cornflakes soggy

Well if we bring in a few good mids and add Mitch Clark, Hogan, Jamar a fit and improved Evans, Viney Trengove etc (I think it has a similar effect) It is our crap midfield mixed with the our crap psychological state that is to blame for our performances. (if we fix the first then the second may come along with it)

That's a great way of looking at it. PJ did say he saw this as an opportunity (as if to say we can do better than Opel).

Most weekends I only watch Melbourne games on TV and sometimes the Friday night game but this week I watched a few games and it really hit me that we are not just miles behind teams like the Swans and Geelong but every single team in the comp. Yeah you may say I was a bit slow ... I knew we were the worst in the comp (with maybe the exception of GWS) but we are just miles behind an Adelaide or Brisbane. You only had to watch the Adelaide vs Port game yesterday to realise that what we see every weekend with Melbourne looks nothing like all the other games. There was fast gameplay, pinpoint accuracy, aggression and most obvious - spread. Why is it every time we come out of the backline there is either no one there or no lose players? The Adeliade vs Port game was just so great to watch with both teams having the ability to stream out of defense and without stalling just quickly link up through the midfield with pin point kicks (without going backwards or sideways). This all got me thinking yes we are miles behind every other club, yes we should be on the bottom of the ladder, yes our midfield sucks... but just what chance do we have of improving next year? Then I begun thinking of West Coast - finished last on the ladder in 2010 and 4th in 2011. Now I don't know how they did it (was it injuries that caused 2010?) but I think that when a team is low on the ladder for a while (like us) their tails will begin to wag at the scent of victory/success. I think this was evident in this weekends game where the TV commentators where saying our bench was like a graveyard where as the GWS bench was whistling with enthusiasm and all cheering each other on etc. (difference is they smell success in the near future but we don't). I can't help but feel/hope that come the end of the year we will have at least two good established mids to add to our midfield (+ a new mid coach - Ling?). I believe the midfield is the reason for our poor performances and think we have a strong back-line and forward-line that are just waiting for the midfield to step up. Now I know we are not going to see West Coast like improvement but what do people think - with trades for 2 mids that can step straight into the midfield and make a difference while still being young enough to be part of our future? Where would that leave us. And add to that a senior player - leader/mentor from Free Agency (Dal Santo/Cooney). How did West Coast do it? Do we have any hope of improving considerably next year?..... (we can't go backwards at least) I think with good inclusions to our midfield we could have our tails wagging next year and that could just make the world of difference. Being a footballer myself I know the game is 50% psychological and right now the team is rock bottom with confidence and have nothing to play for (finals).

How can the AFL justify giving us a priority pick after we tanked to get the last one? Instead of us having to pay the $500,000 to the AFL as punishment they are giving us 2-3 million to help our faliure of developing so many high picks.

I agree - there is no shame in that. At the very least he should be relieved of the captaincy before pre season. If he was relieved of captaincy their may be a little talk but everyone would get over it quickly (just say the truth - it is so he can focus on his own footy). He can always reclaim the position in the future. It would be more embarrassing going into next year with a captain that struggles to even make it into the team.

Yes that is shown in the ladder where GWS is 1% ahead of us.

I would like to hope so (mainly so we can trade for a good mid) but Demonland has begun to think that even if we dont finish last the AFL are just going to hand us pick 1. We shouldn't just assume this because it can only end badly (e.g. we get a pp at the end of round 2). Is there any basis behind this idea we are getting pick 1?

Who is he mates with at Melbourne? I think he and Watts are close - may depend on What Watts does. If I was him or Watts I wouldn't be signing any contracts until I knew what I was getting into (so I wouldn't blame him if he waited to see if we show improvement next year)

Agreed - he should be left at Casey until he consistently dominates (like Strauss). Or he is to be given consecutive games at AFL (he just shouldn't be going in and out of the team on a weekly basis - neither should any of our players)

I just don't get it! Why not just let him play the last few games of the season in the back pocket? What have we got to lose? (Would much rather him than a Dunn or Pedersen)

Agreed - you need a captain that actually leads by example. I think Neeld was trying to be a bit fancy when he appointed the two Jacks (trying to sell the idea that we are a young team)

And I think Viney made a statement on the weekend. He was orgasmic - I swear I saw him diving in under everyone in the center square and dish it out like 10 times and yet the age said he only had 4 clearances (bull). He will be a great player for sure and we would probably be just as excited as we are about Hogan if he had not been injured both last year and this year. ......Viney and Hogan for captain next year? (jks)

I hope it doesn't come to that otherwise it would mean that in 3 years time our midfield is still shitt! (with exception of Kent). We need to stop playing players out of position and just get some continuity if we are to ever improve.

Yep I had the exact same reaction after I watched the north vs Geelong game. We are so far behind the comp that we may never be able to catch up.

Nathan Jones And Viney can hold their heads high. The rest of the team need to pull up their shorts cause they just got dacked by the worst team in the comp. 3 word analysis for the players that turned up today: Nathan Jones: should be captain Jack Viney: absolute [censored] champion

Really want Tappy to have a break out game. We really need all the midfielders we can get and if he slims down/improves his tank there is no reason he can't be a good mid for us going forward. Most of our mids can't kick or lack aggression but he has both of those and instead lacks a speed and the ability to get possessions (probably reflects his unsuitable body for a mid)

Looking at our back 6 today I think we can find a place for him. Backs: Lynden Dunn Cameron Pedersen Dean Terlich Half backs: Colin Garland Tom McDonald Mitch Clisby Obviously Frawley would come in and replace Pedersen when fit and that results in us having four tall defenders in Frawley, Garland, McDonald and Dunn. Most games we will only need 3 tall defenders so Dunn would be the first to be dropped. Clisby seems to have shown enough to suggest he has a future and I like Terlich but unsure if he has the finesse to be in a good side. For some reason I see Clisby as a normal young draftee and Terlich more of a mature age draftee with less potential for improvement (probably because he is losing his hair but they are the same age). Hopefully our back line will look something like this next year: Backs: James Strauss James Frawley Dean Terlich??? - or Grimes? (185cm, 85kg, 23yr) (193cm, 96kg, 24yr) (186cm, 85kg, 23yr) Half backs: Colin Garland Tom McDonald Mitch Clisby (191cm, 90kg 25yr) (194cm, 92kg, 20yr) (182cm, 75kg, 23yr)

???? "SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PAUL ROOS' BEST MELBOURNE TEAM" "FILL IN THE BLANKS: PAUL ROOS' MELBOURNE TEAM FOR ROUND 1 NEXT YEAR"

Yer I have considered getting the recordings of Baileys and Neelds press conferences and listening in bed to help me get to sleep.

I would say very very very far from secure! After watching the cats game I realized we are absolutely miles behind the competition to the point that we may never be able to catch up again. The great thing about footy though is that it can change quickly. As for Melbourne merging - then I would follow the merged club. If Melbourne folded then I would most likely follow another club and I am not ashamed to say it. I wouldn't turn my back on the greatest sport in the world. Yes you have sad moments, yes you have magical moments but there is never a dull moment and along the way you make great fiends and share a great passion for the game.

Interesting to see he has Grimes as a a HB and Watts on the wing. I have to agree with him and don't think Grimes will ever be a great mid (but serviceable) and Watts will be a great wingman when he puts on a bit more weight and is better at pack marks. Surprised we haven't even tried Grimes in the back line since putting him in the midfield but then again our midfield needs all the help it can get and our back line is fairly strong. I just find myself loving every word that comes out of Roos mouth.

That just doesn't make sense though. Whats he waiting for.... Strauss to get 20-25+ touches a game ... oh wait he has and all season. If it is a confidence thing why are guys like Toumpas, Kent and Clisby getting games? It is just an odd one and doesn't really make sense. It could be that they are waiting for him to improve an area of his game (like blease) - maybe his one on one work?