mdemon

At least there were no further injuries reported following the lads attendance at the Portsea Polo yesterday.........

Farmer is spot on - we are all well aware of the limitations of the two players mentioned. Jones has pace/tenacity but butchers the ball. Terlich has courage and marking ability but also butchers the ball. Having said that, I do not think we can fault their commitment to the cause. Hopefully our medical team will be able to ensure that we do not need to call upon their services.

Perfectly happy to 'go with the flow'. The work that the Administrators do behind the scenes to keep the site up & going is very much appreciated. Not really sure what I did with my spare time before I discovered Demonland.........

Harry Hindsight suggests that the stigma of drafting Toumpas ahead of Wines clearly justifies selecting Oliver ahead of Parish. Oliver may lack a little by way of polish and finesse by comparison with Parish but his vision, quick hands, overall strength and reliability overhead would seem to more than compensate. In any event, Roos likes big-bodied mids and this group in 2016 will define his legacy at this Club.

I would love to see that by being a player for the MFC, a young man can literally 'set himself up for life' by virtue of the incredible network of contacts that the Club provides. It can only help attract/retain quality talent that otherwise would be seduced by the tawdry blandishments of pretentious prats like "Eddie Everywhere" who continues to insist that the Lexus Centre is in fact the centre of the known universe.

Many posters have sung the praises of Peter Jackson on previous occasions but, when it is all said and done, if you can't deliver off the field, you have got SFA chance of delivering on the field. If the current trajectory is maintained, (and I am hoping that PJ commits for the next 3 years at least to reap the fruits of his labours), the much vaunted 'virtuous circle' effect should kick in and we might 'dare to dream' that we will start to resemble the powerhouses of the AFL like Hawthorn. PJ has been clear, concise & succint in his assessments of where we are, where we want to go, and what we have to do to get there. I don't recall any 'new age' BS re 'Mission Statements' or 'Visions' - just a simple, no nonsense, straightforward 'tell it as it is' commentary. Hopefully by 2017 we will be able to dispense with AFL support over & above what is commonly provided to clubs. What a significant and proud day that will be after spending the best part of the last decade being bent over waiting for any one of a number of creditors to ' tap us on the shoulder' and let us know that they have finished rogering us. If we get to that serendipitous position, the MCC should be petitioned to erect a bronze statue of PJ.

For a trade pick 54, Viv is undeniably good value. As other posters have noted, Viv has undoubtedly been squeezed out as a result of the (now clearly) regrettable re-contracting of Terlich and M.Jones. For me, Viv has significantly more upside than Terlich or Jones - his last 4 games, his effort as sub in the Feo game, and his sublimely well-weighted kick to Angus Brayshaw (who then ran on and burnt off Ziebell to snag an inspirational goal) suggested that he might just have a bit more class than is commonly attributed to him. No doubt he needs to tackle more, but I felt that he seemed to have improved his tank this year to show that he had the capacity to do the fabled 'two-way running' that the modern game seems to popularly demand. Definitely worth rookie spot for 2016 - in fact, if the draft is as shallow as frequently stated, I would have no hesitation in re-drafting Viv with a 4th or 5th round pick on a 1 year contract.

Can't see the point in shopping Toumpas for a 3rd round pick (or worse). Given the 'experts' say that this years' draft is not too flash, any untried 3rd rounder is not likely to offer anything significant. I would rather persevere for another 12 months with Toumpas

The above analysis will regrettably be true IF pick 8 ultimately delivers a better player than Melksham. Given the views of the so-called draft experts that this draft is bog ordinary, that result is by no means certain

Good news. Whilst Colin has his critics, (and on many occasions, that criticism has been justified), I still value his commitment and loyalty. Would be interested to see if Roos/Goodwin consider freshening him up by giving him a 'change of scenery' and move him forward in 2016 - if Dawes continues to stagnate, a mobile type such as Colin (who's hands do not seem to be made of concrete) could be helpful for Hogan by creating that much valued 'separation' that permits Hoges to go 'one-on-one' with his direct opponent.

Absolutely delighted to read this. Couldn't imagine anyone better to be the runner in 2016 - any message delivered by Crossy would be heavily franked with credibility & inspiration. Will also be invaluable for younger recruits by introducing them to what level of dedication & commitment is required of a successful modern day player. Great appointment by the Club

Congratulations to Frawley - the knockers and doomsayers were out in force after his insipid showing in the Qualifying Final. However, in the 3 weeks following, he has claimed 3 significant 'scalps' - Tex, Pav, and now the Coleman Medallist. That is surely not a fluke. Having said that, it still looks like a 'good ordinary' player (channeling the late, great Jack Dyer for a moment), has had his performance and status elevated because of the guys around him. For mine, Lake was better. Regrettably, as other posters have noted, Frawley's success will surely lead to other bottom of the ladder clubs regularly having their best players 'cherry picked' by the rich, powerful and successful clubs. Mediocrity for the poorer performing clubs will become entrenched. How does an up & coming club with a bunch of promising youngsters hang onto its older, better, players who become impatient for success? I appreciate that Courts frown upon Restraint of Trade type provisions in player contracts, but I would dearly love to know how the AFL proposes to respond. Introduce a rule preventing Free Agents going to clubs more than, say, 4 places above them?

Watching the highlights package brought back wonderful memories. Like all the VERY good players of any era (Baldock, Jesaulenko, Ablett, Fyfe), Robbie seemingly always had the ball on a proverbial string and would then proceed to make opponents look like witches hats.

Very sad anniversary - just today I had occasion to tell someone why I have a deep-seated loathing of Whorethorn. That overrated thug, Diperdomenico, crunching Robert Flower on the outer wing at Arctic Park on Preliminary Final day 1987 and rogering his shoulder. Even if Jimmy hadn't run over the mark (albeit after the siren) thereby ensuring Buckenara's after siren goal, the harsh reality was that Robbie wouldn't have run out on to the ' G' the following week. I sincerely hope the Weagles tear Hawthorn a new one.

As mentioned, someone who whilst lacking a high level of natural skill/talent, worked his butt off to get the most out of his time with us. The series of concussion issues he had to deal with a season or two ago clearly did not help but, to be brutally honest, he was always, to some degree, on 'borrowed time'. 71 games is a pretty fair return - his endurance and commitment were second to none.

Jeepers creepers - can we lay off Colin? Yes, he does have the occasional 'brain fart' but he is dedicated and committed. Rather than dicking around with trying to find a 'buddy' for Jesse up forward, how about we forget about persevering with Dawes or trying to re - mould Tommy Mac and get Col to play forward? Relieved of the responsibility of minding a key opposition forward he may just flourish. What have we got to lose?

Very solid performance over the year as a whole. AA form through April/May until that fateful game against The Filth on QB when Cloke rogered him by kicking 5 straight ('fair dinkum unbelievable'). Recovered slowly but finished the year on a high after showing commendable versatility.

Quite right MW - IIRC, Andrew Moore was ' mentioned in dispatches at the same time last year. To the surprise of many, he was retained on Port's list but I don't think he made any significant inroads towards becoming even in their best 25, let alone their best 22. Just because he can't get a game at Port doesn't necessarily mean that he will be the next Josh Kennedy if he switches clubs.

Hardtack is on the money - if nobody picks up Fitz, I would be delighted to see him rookied. May well be a bad case of 'hope over experience', but I keep thinking back to the Bulldogs game at the 'G' earlier this year when he was composed, assured, efficient (and gave Tom Boyd a 1st class rogering).

Warrior

Promising signs to see Jack Viney, Tom McDonald and Jesse Hogan in the top 5 - (bit different to seeing Terlich and Jones (M) in top 5 a couple of years ago).

No doubt that he found it increasingly difficult in recent seasons to keep up with the pace of the game but, when he got to a contest, I do not remember him ever looking like taking a backward step. Never shirked an issue and didn't mind getting down and scrapping for the ball after an inconclusive ball up. His kicking for goal was always real 'heart-in-mouth' stuff. Hope he gets a 'Ben Hudson' type chance as a mature age rookie with a team who is in contention in 2016. Congratulations and thanks, Big Fella.

Gary Hardeman - No.33 - what a champion. CHB to start with (leading to multiple Big V selections) and then displayed his versatility by becoming a mobile/damaging CHF. Had a soft spot for Gary Baker as well - No.1 on my jumper as a kid (when I met him, couldn't bring myself to tell him I had originally put it there a couple of years prior when Max Walker was my idol)

Spot on Redleg - an overly zealous understudy (Anderson) thought he could stamp his authority while the Grand Poobah was out of town. Sadly for him, instead of stamping said authority, he ended up stamping his own papers and being given the Tijuana. Altho' I am no real fan of Demetriou's, I think he massaged as soft a landing as possible for us. Harry Hindsight suggests that AA would probably like to press the rewind button on this one. BTW, why do Libba's revelations re Carltank never seem to get much airtime?

As mentioned by others, this is very much a 'mixed emotions' decision. Professionalism, dedication, and commitment personified. If you could bottle what Crossy displayed week after week, you would make a fortune. Altho his time in red & blue was only 2 seasons long, I won't forget: 1. Generally, his judgement and courage in 'filling the hole' and taking intercept marks regardless of what was coming at him; and; 2. Specifically, his Herculean effort (after being burnt by Zacharakis for 2 late goals last year against Essendon), to somehow manage to 'go again' in the dying moments and execute a centimetre perfect pass to Christian Salem who coolly/calmly slotted the winner. Heartfelt thanks for your contribution.