diesel

A loss should never be acceptable, even if it is against the reigning premier, but why would there be 5 changes after the weekends game/ And with players who did FA at Sandy? Lets keep it real! In: Bate & Moloney (if ready) Out: Robbo, CJ Robbo needs to become team oriented. CJ should have an extended run before the end of the year to see if he's up to it. There is better available now.

Was very funny and it was pretty hard for the Geelong supporters to come back since we were supposed to be losing by 200 points. I know the Girlong fans around me were annoyed. When they kicked a few in a row at the end of the second quarter they were all saying "here we go". By the end of the match the umpires were enemy No.1 What a pack of whingers, we all know marginal frees get paid these days. It's been like that for a few years and didn't hurt Geelong last year.

Hey Billy. Were you part of the group standing up the back singing the song during the third quarter?

Welcome back buddy. I hope that you have ben left to get cherry ripe and play the rest of the season healthy. Sure you don't have a twin to play CHF?

I found myself using the word today talking to fellow supporters. Oh well! Beats the crap out of the expression, "we didn't come to play".

If I don't see Judd linked closely to Pratt sometime down the track I'll go he! (if it isn't happening already).

Judd was overlooked by some because of injuries! Kreuzer was picked No. 1 with an injury which will be managed going forward. If you just picked blokes who are fit and ready to go straight up you won't neccesarily get the players you want or the best, long term.

Imagine the deals you could do outside the salary cap if your club was headed by the director of a company known to bend to the rules <_<

The red & blue army will have served a purpose in providing a data base which will no doubt be used to encourage people to become members. In that regard having this follow up ad to become a member makes good sense. Pretty good lateral thinking IMO, the type that most here are asking for!

John Ralph, et al searching for assessments of our list and further signs of dissent. Bite me Ralphy!!!

Me thinks this is a pre-emptive strike by the author to annoit Brucey as captain.

Standing on the terrace at the city end feeling optimistic, probably changing to misty-optic as the afternoon goes on (apologies to D Cometti)

Is this a case of one club having the resources and one not? Is the guy still at the club? If not it is possible he never passed on your details and we would be glad therefore he has gone. If he is still there then he needs a kick along so I would have told the club.

Having a permanent base would be a far bigger issue than the travel. Given most players seem to live in the inner s/e suburbs it is straight down the south eastern freeway and probably wouldn''t take much longer than Judds drives through town to Princes Park.

That would seal it for me

To qoute the journalist "After eight years of failing to move games to maximise crowds, the AFL barely needs to state that its accepted policy is not to switch games to allow the most numbers of fans to attend matches." What the article indicates to me is that Gough would like to have the Essendon/Geelong game at the 'G' and Melbourne/Bulldogs moved to the Dome. Remember, Gough is acting in the interests of the MCG as an entity not the MCC's dwindling number of aligned MFC supporters and certainly not Melbourne. Also he is a former Carlton CEO so I doubt he would give two hoots about the MFC.

The MFC has a historical connection with the MCG. We don't own it or pay their bills therefore I think this notion adopted by Paul Gardner that there will always be an MFC in the AFL and we will always play home games at the MCG is encouraging MFC followers to put their heads in the sand. I don't dispute our connection with the MCG but it is becoming more and more tenuous with each passing year.

There are two issues here. First, if we continue to play at the MCG in front of small crowds (I think the break even figure is about 24,000) then the club will continue to bleed. We have to write the AFL a cheque for the shortfall. Playing at the Dome instead is not an alternative for us (as the writer may be hinting) because crowds will still not meet operating costs. The second issue in the article is the situation where The Dome is filled to capacity for games such as Essendon v Geelong. I couldn't care less. Those and other clubs have arrangements to play games at the Dome and any loss of revenue is offset by selling reserved seats and compensation from the AFL paid to Dome clients. If the public miss out then bad luck. the days of rocking up to the footy and expecting a seat are gone, unless of course you follow the MFC. MFC supporters and some members and MCC members (some of whom barrack for but don't support the MFC) need to collectively pull their fingers out. How is it we can pull huge red & blue crowds on Queens Birthday but not other times?

Balmes' cattle weren't up to his possession game style, ND uncomplicated it so the transition was always going to be easier. ND also benefitted from the return of a host of players who were injured in '97. Don't forget by '99 we were shizen again.

The lack of a crumbing forward was one of the more glaring deficiencies of yesterday. If DB persists with Davey in the midfield then he needs to look at this issue as well. Personally I agree that he should play forward occasionally pushing up the ground, his skills and creativity are much better under less pressure.

What concerns me most about those grab quotes is reference by Miller to inexperience whereas yesterday the older players in the side were equally as bad, if not worse because of the lack of leadership shown by them. In all honesty everything went wrong and there is no need to go through point by point. I suppose with the media there though they have to say something. All that should have been said was along the lines of "it's wasn't good enough, we apologise to the members/sponsors and we will put it right".

That takes the cake, can't get much lower than to have a go at a kid in his first game.

It is, and Carlton are now subscribed to it. Libba was right depsite the AFL's denials. I encourage a curse on them, couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of merchant bankers.

Can't disagree here. I think PG has to stop painting a rosy picture. Our latent supporters (particularly those who are well connected) need a wake up call. If memory serves me correctly we tried to do a deal with Tasmania during Joe Gutnicks reign. What we probably lacked and Hawthorn had through Kennett is connections that has seen a substantial amount of Tassie taxpayers hard earned helping prop up an AFL club. I doubt this deal will be renewed and the income stream for Hawthorn will therefore not be sustainable. Unfortunately president of an AFL club is a part time, voluntary job although there are good profile entertainment & perks! The CEO is responsible for the day to day running and building the business. There was obviously disatisfaction throughout the MFC at how this was going and hence change became neccesary. Hopefully they get it right, time will tell. There are some who say that the ND issue should have been dealt with many rounds earlier i.e. sacking. In the heat of increasing media speculation from the fact that everyone knew ND he was dead man walking it was appropriate IMO to announce a review of his position. ND then fell on his sword.

What would you have done differently to rescue us from this malaise if you were in Paul Gardners position?