Young Dee

I think it is one of the few modern AFL rules that can actually be justified. The amount of blood does not represent the seriousness of the injury - where do you draw the line (is a little bit of blood coming from the head okay?....but then a moderate amount of blood from a nose/leg is not?) Is the umpire going to have to carry a flask to measure the amount of bleeding - it's to hard to draw a line!

I will try and get down there since I have the day off Uni. I will also try and take photos of those 4. No promises though.

I like your thinking. It's hard to believe his only 26?

Could not really find a place to post this.... The AFL continues to attempt to change our game for the sake of it. I think they believe they are evolving the game with time although I believe they would feel silly if they don't introduce rules or change our game slightly every year. It is the greatest game in the world and should be changed as little as possible. Today we are witness to an overabundance of free kick rules that has made the umpires somehow a pillar of the game. I understand and respect that some rules have been introduced to protect players although I think it has gone too far. The AFL now insists on making an interchange cap for reasons I have yet to find out, is it to make players more tired therefore further degrade their foot skills, slowing the whole game down and making it worse to watch? Then there is the induction of more teams and with it the introduction of the much loved twilight games. Who wants to go to a game late on Saturday afternoon knowing you have work/uni early the next day? I think that games should stick to the middle of the day (2:00) and night (7:00) where they belong. There is something I have grown to love about a 2:00 game, it's the build-up to the game - the breakfast reading the sport section (game preview), listening to the pre-game radio whilst driving to the MCG and then getting stuck in to some overpriced hot chips! It's a time when your not yet thinking of the tasks and work that is waiting for you on Monday - it is just the footy. These twilight games deter me from going to the games and sap some of the enthusiasm from me. With our NAB cup game being played on Saturday morning I can only hope that the AFL isn't thinking of having morning games in the real season. If this is all due to these expansion clubs well you can give them the Sunday twilight games. It's things like this that should not be changed, it is the essence of our game and before we know it we will have a rugby/American football style game - with music/entertainment at half time. The games changing to quickly and Andrew Demetriou must realise this - I do and I am only old enough to have experienced a decade + of good footy. Despite our game being 150+ years old it has stayed constant and reliable till now. It's time for Demetriou to pull his head out of the sand and wake up or someone else has to before the fundamental things that make our game great are lost. It's all up to the AFL department, lets hope Demetriou can wake up to the music - although I think he is having trouble putting his finger on why the game has lost spirit....

I think we should put this whole thing behind us, it has been put to bed. She will have to find another team to pick on she has sucked us dry!

I think this is an important game it provides us with our last real chance to test our structures/gameplan, allow players to gell with eachother, get some confidence into the group. It realy is a chance to go into round 1 with some confidence, I will be greatly disapointed if we lose this game and Neeld will not be able to use the 'lack of experience' excuse this time. I want to see a near best 22 maybe with a few exceptions (fringe players such as Jetta/Strauss).

While I think a good 'game plan' is important, I do think that it is highly overrated. Yes a good game plan will improve the team but in the end it is going to be the players instinct, fitness, skill etc that will get the team over the line. For much of the start of the 2012 season all our players seemed to do was try and kick a long ball along the boundary which would almost always result in a scramble of players at the end of the kick. The opposition would either out muscle us or use their numbers to then launch another attack inside 50. I think towards the end of last year and what we have seen from the preseason is that the players are now willing to take some risks, go down the middle of the ground (like dunns kick on weekend), the players are starting to link up with leads and not just kick the ball as high and far as possible. I believe this is a sign that Neeld has accepted the fact that his original game plan would not work, it was predictable and the ball movement was slow. If we can begin to have chains of possessions and take the game on like Hawthorn then we would already look a different team (we can only do that if our team has good fitness, decision making and disposal).

I think it all depends on the time period, if Melbourne can get to a position of winning a premiership in the next decade, we will have to do it whilst the likes of Sylvia, Clark, Jones, Frawely, Dawes etc are at the club. These players are currently leading the team and in 5 - 7 years time they will be retiering. I realise that Neeld is planning to build a team that has continued success with a list of varying ages - (Clark, Jones, Trengove, Grimes, Hogan, Viney, Toumpus) but I believe we need thouse mature (mid 20's) players to be in our premiership window and preferably no older than 28 or 29. If we really do want to win a premiership with this group I think we may have to trade some of this years draft picks for players that can have an impact now.

I wasn't really asking whether we will be a premiership side but rather was looking for opinions on whether we had the potential (considering we develop our list well and embed a winning culture)

Agree with Blease, we would get the most out of him playing as an outside mid/wing who rests up forward, although he does need to improve his disposal and defence.

Thanks for the report C and B

Don't know if anyone has posted this already but... the match recordings are up on the MFC website: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/dee-tv Q1: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-03-10/deetv-demons-v-saints-q1 Q2: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-03-10/deetv-demons-v-saints-q2 Q3: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-03-10/deetv-demons-v-saints-q3 Q4: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-03-10/deetv-demons-v-saints-q4

Yes but if we are going to win a premiership with this curent core group of players we need a star aged (22-26) to lead us. Drafting a star say next year would help the current group little. I think we should target a star or very good mifielder aged (23-26) and a possible star aged 20ish - (this is where gold coast and GWS come in handy)

Yes good point, should have said 'with the current core group of players'

Yes, I am basically asking do we have a core group of players (15-24) players that can eventually (with additions of draftees and trades etc) take us to a premiership or will the likes of Jones and Sylvia never experience a premiership? Jones and Sylvia being players in their mid 20's (centre of the team).

Thats all I want to know however I think some will disagree with your answer (from reading the posts above)

Yes, I have been amazed by the number of people that have said no but at the same time inspired to see that even if they think we will not achieve the ultimate success with the list that we have been building since 2007 - they are still posting/following on demonland. Though if we don't succeed with this list do we have to rebuild? - Look at Collingwood which has continued adding talent to their premiership side (2012: Pick 18:Brodie Grundy, Pick 19: Ben Kennedy, Pick 20: Timothy Broomhead). Geelong is another example of a team that has experienced prolonged success while picking up talent along the way.

When I said current list I did not mean physically now! I meant in say 3-4 years with this list (and the addition of the odd draftee/free agents)

Thanks, it was just a question that I had to get off my chest (no doubt on a lot of other minds as well) It's suprisingly a topic that has not really been disscussed recently, maybe some are trying to avoid it. But it's good to hear others opinions.

Agreed anything can happen on Grand Final day or even finals. On another note If we end up being a top 4 side for 2 years I will be happy. Have never really experienced a realy successful Melbourne because I was toyoung during the 2000 GF

They both have already experienced some success (finals contenders). Yes I think when we experience some success (wins), we will quickly improve

I was thinking the same thing and I think that is partly the reason why Neeld went after - dawes, rodan, byrnes etc (fast track development - but can make room for youth in 2-3 years) We can only hope that GWS/GC face major problems (ie. they struggle once the AFL stops their funding or they lose a lot of key players). As for Port and Brisbane, I don't think we have to worry to much. I would be more worried about Richmond and North

Well that's exactly what I am saying we have been useless at developing players and if we fix this who knows where we will end up! Yes maybe dunn was not the best example but is still evidence of a change of culture and competition of spots. But I guess the main point was where will a winning culture take us, I have no doubt that it would force players such as Sylvia to stand up.

I think it's all up to our midfield, if they can stand up the defence will have less pressure and the forward will have more of it (and not just bombs inside 50) - -thats why we need players with class and vision through the mifield (jetta and toumpas). We need the midfield to be honouring the forwards leads with accurate waited kicks (like hawthorn).

After the well-known 2009 draft, myself and I think many others thought that we had built a premiership team. However after a couple of eye opening seasons I think many demonlanders have come to a realisation. Like so many of you I find myself always asking the same question will this current list (with maybe the addition of a couple trades, free agency, draft picks etc) be good enough to win a premiership. I believe we will experience success with the current list but to what extent? Will we be a top 4 team for a number of years without winning a premiership and then have to go through another rebuilding phase? I personally believe we have the talent and resources (players/coaches) to win a premiership but it will rely on the club as a whole to make the most of them (players/resources). I think if we are to succeed it will all begin with a "winning culture". With a winning culture I think players such as Jamar, Jones, Sylvia, Frawley will lift and this will lead to the development of stars (Trengove, Viney, Toumpas). However we need more than this, we need to take advantage of everything we have! With a winning culture/serious football department we need to be able to make players out of our under the radar draft picks: Taggert (pick 36) - desperately in need of midfielders with class and a good kick!, Jetta - another potential midfielder with pace, aggression and a beautiful kick - can play inside and outside while resting up forward, Sam Blease (Pick 17) - Need his pace and confidence in wing to high forward position - need to fix his disposal, Max Gawn (Pick 34) - another who has great potential it just is yet to be harnessed, Dean Kent (Pick 34) - has shown promise and talent could be a great midfield/high forward, James Strauss (Pick 19) - needs to step up and be that medium defender - with run and carry/great kick out of defence, Luke Tapscott (Pick 18) - another which has shown promise but has done little since - I like other have come to question where he fits in on our list - would like him to become like Chappy (a high forward that can go into the midfield (like Sylvia) - I think if this is going to be done he will have to tone down (to become quicker/fitter), Jack Watts (Pick 1) - we all know his weakness'/strengths - needs to get more aggressive and use his supposed talent!, Dom Barry (Pick #) - From reports has show talent, lets not let him become a Jamie Bennel (who I thought was immensely talented but just didn't want to use it). That's 8 players (more than a 1/3 of a team) who you could say are average/fringe players that have the talent to be premiership players. If we can develop/groom 4 or more of these players in to premiership players than I think with the addition of our current top 18, I think we have a chance of winning a premiership! I think our only hope lies in creating the right culture to develop young talent (a winning culture)! If we get to the point of being in finals I think we will all be blown away by the increase in devotion and desire to win (by the whole list). We have recently begun to witness what I believe is the first step to creating a winning culture, the competition for spots on the list (ie. Sellar and Pedersen). Success will only make the club greater! For example look at Nathan Jones or Lynden Dunn (Pick 15) for so long he has been nothing more than a fringe player who has continually made silly decisions but with a change of culture/coach he has been given a position down back which he seems to have cemented despite pressure for that spot (Garland, Watts, Terlich, Gilles etc). And so to cap it up yes I believe we have the potential to become a premiership side but it will require us (club/supporters etc) to take advantage of every resource whether that's turning an under the radar player such as James Strauss into the player that he has the potential to be or using a fringe player such as Pedersen to at the very least create competition for spots. So heres my starting 22: For Round 1 and beyond FB: Watts, Frawley, Stauss CHB: Dunn, McDonald, Jetta C: Blease, Jones, Toumpas CHF: Howe, Dawes, Sylvia FF: Byrnes/Barry (need small fwd), Clark, Byrnes FOLL: Jamar, McKenzie/(Need a Star), Viney INT: Trengove, Grimes, Kent EMER: Tapscott, Sellar, Rodan, Gawn, Taggert + Hogan What do you think? do we have the potential?