Earl Hood

Needs, we need a coach who knows how to build a team, Voss failed in doing so.

That is where I am assuming Voss learnt big time. There hopefully are not anymore Fevola's out there but I take your point. What we don't need is a new coach to come in and ride over the top of Todd Viney and co in the draft selections and find we are sacrificing first round kids for ageing hacks. We have been there recently for limited return.

I think Roos might like hot humid weather. Me thinks he is off our List of coaching options. Would have loved to have him but he is perhaps a bit too smart to sign up to the MFC basket case.

Sorry mate, Voss doesn't even hold a candle to Mark Williams and Rodney Eade.

I'd even rather Neil Craig.

Reasons for statements would be appreciated?

As usual we will have no clear air in which to make a sober judgement. Happens every time, we need a coach and bingo three or four other teams dump their coaches and are in the market! On the upside Voss cn be a candidate for us but really I just laugh everytime we start looking, bigger or better clubs enter the market.

It is likely the Dons may be on the look out next week as well as the Lions and then it may be WC, who knows.

Add Voss to the list of potential coaches. We could do worse. Triple premiership player, captain, Brownlow Medalist. You name it, he has done it as a player. As coach he has made mistakes yes but surely you learn from 5 years in the hot seat. Good candidate I say.

But let us make a decision soon because everytime we are in the market for a coach, at least 5 other clubs join us and compete for the available talent. It appears to be happening yet again. Could be us, Lions, WC and who else?

Weak, weak, weak. Weak on the field, weak off it. Just another small confirmation we will never be strong in any facet of this game.

No wonder all my friends laugh at the fact I support the dees.

Running out of inspiration to follow this insipid train wreck of a club. Can't even muster up the courage to fight the MRP now. Lol what joke we are!

Have to agree. We need to be strong on field and OFF FIELD PJ!!! The video indicates this charge is rubbish. There is nothing there at all. The MRP talks about an investigation which I suspect is no more than a review of the GCS medical report. Oh popped shoulder, high impact, must be someone's fault. Again video shows a melee and wrestle. We should have taken this to the tribunal if only to work out the logic of the charge. This is a kid with no priors getting the same time as CB kicking Strauss in the head and who has years of form for all the wrong reasons.

Get some G and D MFC!!!

Apparently only Trengove can do a sling tackle, take three weeks for it but since then its been dead. It may look the same but when someone like Cyril does it, it is something that is benign.

Whoops sorry unless it is Clisby in a tackle, in a melee of six or so other players and someone's shoulder pops out. Someone's been injured so there must be a culprit. Not much video but it must be the closest, identifiable Demon. Clisby your done!

Worked brilliantly for Cyril. Also bent Griffen's arm back as shown on 360 tonight.

Protected species.

Apparently only Trengove can do a sling tackle, take three weeks for it but since then its been dead. It may look the same but when someone like Cyril does it, it is something that is benign.

It's not official yet, but the club will be holding talks with Aaron Davey this week to decide what sort of send-off to give him.

Davey, in his 10th season, has been one of the most popular players in history since arriving at the club via the rookie draft in 2004.

Anyone who saw his first season under Neale Daniher will know how he took the chasing game to a new level pioneering the breakneck speed and classy ball movement that small forwards like Cyril Rioli have copied.

He wasn't as robust as The Whiz, but The Flash, as Daniher called him, lifted spirits with his ability to bring down unsuspecting defenders and use the ensuing turnover to great effect. He would have won the AFL Rising Star had Jared Rivers not had a huge first AFL season as well. He was stiff however as he finished third in Melbourne's best and fairest that season, ahead of Rivers.

In 2009 Dean Bailey moved him into the midfield to provide more run and he ended up with the Bluey Truscott Medal.

In 2010 he was pushed more into defence and in 2011 injury and a loss of confidence contributed towards him being maligned a bit in the media.

It's been a tough run for him since and his lack of muscle in today's heavy-tackling game doesn't suit his style and has meant he has spent many games as sub in the past two seasons.

But it was nice to see an article earlier in the year that talked about how he'd been invited to dinner at Mark Neeld's place. It corresponded with a purple patch of form mid-season where his silky skills were again evident.

The 30-year-old has now played 174 games and will go down as one of the club greats.

Will history rate him higher than Jeff Farmer as the club's best small forward since 1970? Adem Yze also has strong claims to that spot as well. Let us know what you think and don't forget to cheer him on at the MCG against Fremantle this Sunday.

I'm tipping he won't be the sub this week.

Flash was good, created the small defensive forward blueprint that every team now wants to have. But I think Yze and The Whiz are just ahead. Farmer was a freak, if indisciplined at times

Just wondering has anyone received their members "name" guernsey for this weeks game against Freo. I am still waiting for mine.

DECK CHAIRS?!

Mate we are well sunk, and the fish are now feeding off our corpses at the bottom of the North Atlantic!

Gee this made me laugh, great post but it is sad that it is so true. I should be crying.

Back on topic, after last weeks train wreck it should be in Davis, Magner, Strauss and maybe Nicholson but no it is Davisand McKenzie. We know what McKenzie can do but what can Magner and Couch do these days?

It seems we are more interested in drafting good prospects rather than good footballers if that makes sense, i mean of our last 10 picks maybe 2 were actually ready to go, Jack Viney and Jesse Hogan

Let's take it easy on JH and see how he goes next year before we start the hype. I am hopeful but we have been here before.

I agree that this is a huge possibility, i mean guys with no guts have no guts regardless of who coaches them, Work ethic is something that should just come naturally, it seems we go for more talented kids that aren't willing to work hard enough to exploit their talent, or the environment doesn't promote working that hard,

who knows?

There is a lot of talk here about our failure to develop our kids and I agree we have not been good at it but I still believe first round picks if you pick the right personalities should have a high level of skills (a given in the first round), be self motivated, confident in their ability and be able to organise their own "development". I think we have just picked too many kids who don't like the physical side of the game. The move from under age to adult can be a big step if you don't have a bit of mongrel aggression in your personality and we have avoided them like the plague, let us be honest. I agree you can't coach guts, you tend to be silly enough to have no fear or you are too sensible to ever un backwards into a pack. We seem to have drafted a large number of sensible people in recent years!

Couldn't agree more. Why would the AFL give us another 2 top 5 picks when we have been so absolutely awful in developing our multitude of top 20s for the last decade or more?

Fortunately PJ does seem to know what he is doing and where he is headed culture-wise: whether the club will let him do what is needed is of course another story.

Remember what Geelong and Sydney have done with so few high picks - makes me weep.

When the AFL commission sits down at the end of the season to look at possible compensation for the MFC train wreck I would like them to look at the bigger picture of equalisation in the competition. The expansion clubs have gone past us already and they still have massive added advantages coming over the next few years thanks to extra first round picks banked from the 17 year old mini drafts and exclusive access to local zones. We have a good case for extra help, perhaps in the form of a mini draft access to 17 year olds that we would be required to on trade for mature players or draft picks. Is this fair, do we deserve this? Maybe not but if the AFL want a more competitive draw they need to look at more than just the odd priority pick here and there. The AFL is currently handing out advantages to clubs like Sydney based on what? And let us remember that free agency is in general, an advantage to the clubs that are in the premiership window so the inequalities will get bigger over time.

Hopefully the recent AFL equalisation junket to the US has come back with some enlightened ideas on how to give the lower clubs a leg up.

Yes, but the AFL are in a dilemma, the Cats got 2 picks compensation for GAjnr... the Hawks & their supporters will be are understandably ropable, if they get naught for Buddy, rules or no rules...

natural justice says to me they deserve compensation if they lose Buddy... & GWS should have to pay for such a privilage.

... the trouble is if the Hawks get the number 1 pick, they may take the best Mid with it. IMO they need gun Mids, more than Power Forwards atmo.

But: if we finish bottom, & GWS then get pick 2,,, & they also have a mid 1st Rnd compensation pick available, that may just suit all parties.

There is a Different set of rules operating here. Geelong got compensation for GA Junior as we did for Scully under the rules set up for the new clubs rights to raid established clubs. Free agency is a different beast, so far the AFL hasn't offered value for money on the free agents who have moved on. We got stuff all for Maloney and Rivers but maybe because we picked up Byrne? If we had styed out of the free agency trading we my have been better compensated, who knows. But I think the AFL have made it clear that you won't be fully compensated for FA trade losses.

Brian Royal imo was as big an issue as Neeld and still is, we need to recruit the best available midfield coach for next year, not just to develop players but to help the players get some clearly defined roles, can't waste the talent we have on board plus will get at the end of this year.

Should we throw a bucket load of cash at Ratten for mid coach? He was good for us once before.

Was at the game. We just don't work hard enough,they were too fast on the outside and our disposal across the team is crap.

Craig got out coached. Who picked 3 talls when they are all light runners at GWS?

Garland was limping around all game should not have been out there.

It was just awful.

How were we ever going to win this one? It reminded me of Neelds first game for us against Brisbane where there was no way we could win just kicking it high up along thenboundary line. I watched today's game on TV and all we did in the firt half was pick the ball up and kick it long into the forward line. No system, no thinking, no skill, no running. I mean where is the game plan. We could never win this one with Craig's plan. I am thinking Neil Craig may be as much of the problem as Neeld ever was. The two of them together were probably toxic.

The club that beat us today had the first five picks in the 2011 National Draft and 9 of the first 14 and yet today was its first win of its second season.

I think it's time for the AFL to get serious with the sort of draft assistance it's prepared to hand out to this club to help get it back on its feet.

Draft assistance alone isn't going to do the trick but without 2 to 4 mini draft or priority picks I can't see us breaking through for a long time.

Agree absolutely. The AFL has a big problem with the inequalities in the weekly draws. The MFC is an impediment to the competition as PJ has stated. How do we make the competition more equal? It's more than the odd priority pick in my opinion. Yet all the other clubs are adamant that we don't deserve help. It's not about deserving, it's about equalisation, the AFL has been or have given a leg up to all the clubs outside Victoria t some stage to set them up. We can do everything we can to get the off field stuff right and that will be great but it still boils down to the on field cattle to make us competitive and we are still miles off the mark in my opinion. How we got here is history, our uncanny ability to work our way through, what 7 drafts, picking out the duds in the first round. You couldn't do that if you tried but we managed

Unfortunately give us a priority pick and I am sure we will stuff that up as well.

He's been working with J Cameron...

I am sure that made all the difference, not that Cameron is 195 cm, highly mobile and a natural forward.

We need the right people running the club. Without them the draft means stuff all.

We need some footballers with some grunt as well!!!

I have faith in Peter Jackson. To date I have been very impressed with the passion shown to get this club back to greatness.

I, personally believe that at years end we make some radical list changes. Concider the following:

Keep:

Jones

Dawes

Viney

Frawley

Clark

Sylvia

Blease

Garland

McDonald

Grimes

Gawn

Howe

M.Jones

Fitzpatrick

Trade:

Watts - Attract a 2nd round pick

Toumpas - Attract a 2nd round pick

Trengove - Attract a 2nd round pick

McKenzie - Attract a 4th round pick

Dunn - Attract a 4th round pick

Tapscott - Attract a 3th round pick

Jetta - Attract a 4th round pick

Jamar - Attract a 4th round pick

Or bundle, buy in bulk we might get a better pick.

The rest: Well they are not worth anything. Pick 50% that you keep on the list, delist the other 50%

This list is not AFL standard and unless ruthless calculated ricks are taken to solve our list, the club will continue to fail. I doubt we would be compeditive against half the VFL. When is the last time you saw a team going through this many years of losses (both on and off field)? Lets start from scratch; new coach & line coaches, new recruitment officer, new CEO, board, president. Start from scratch and implement changes to ensure the MFC will experience some sucsess. Lets face it, this team we currently have wont take us far even with a proven coach. Chris Scott, David Shwartz and other media personalities (Gerard Weightley) all believe the MFC will not be sucsessful or consistant for 10 years. If we think we can make history with this current team then I just dont see it. In 10 years this list will have turned over. Frawley, Garland, Grimes, Jones all entering their final years if not retired. While I dont suggest trading thoes four players, we have been shown that great teams recruit young players around born leaders with AFL experience.

Just trade the dead wood. It's just rotting waste!

I am glad you are not my stockbroker. Trading early first rounders or late second rounders e.g. Toumpas, Watts is not a great way to get ahead. But I agree this playing list sh&ts me big time! Over paid pampered so and so's who will keep burning coaches until something or someone transforms the whole place.

Lucky we have PJ, where would we be without him?, been a godsend.

Listened to PJ on SEN on crunch time this morning and he talked about the need for player development on and off the field. Sounded good but then he talked of the need to get the likes of D Brereton down to the club on a part time basis to mentor young Hogan and generally that we haven't been developing the kids. What are the current full time assistants doing then? Leigh Brown, Jade Rawlings? Part time greats to provide guidance might be nice but surely that is not going to turn some of our boys around. I really struggle with this development issue; what more can we do for these kids, full time training regimes, fitness gurus, elite facilities, specialist coaches? What does proper development look like?

I am looking for hope, for some realistic answers but I am not hearing them yet. We are putting a lot on a change of coach, I hope that is the answer. But I am really despairing of this playing list, poor skills, no grunt, no passion.

Having midfielders who know what they are doing can only help the young kids.

If we had Tapscott and Blease running through the midfield and getting kicks as our best players, they'd learn nothing.

These types learn for Magner and Couch, that is why they are vital to have around.

Not only that, it gives any forwards a chance to kick some goals, as we see with Hogan.

Plus, when Viney was at Casey, he was in the midfield whenever he liked, so it's just a case of us having no other young mids coming through.

Stark might get a run in the there next year, but he needs to put on some size or he'll get flat stanlied.

There is a lot of talk about player development and our poor record in this area. Jet Jackson spoke of our failure in this area last night. Can someone spell out exactly what this development looks like? For the past three years we have been at AMMI with all its state of art facilities, we have Dave Misson flogging them, we train every day with numerous assistant specialist coaches. What are we not developing?

My simple mind thinks that first round picks should be able to manage their own development as long as they have access to reasonabe training regimes. Later draft selections may need mentoring, specialist training and time to develop and then a specific role to play.

Gee wiz we had some great players in the 90's who had to train at Junction Oval with nothing but an oval and some balls to kick. Would Garry Lyon, Nietz, the Ox and Todd Viney not be competitive today because they weren't accessing the elite facilities at AAMI? I don't think so.

PJ talked of player development and culture a la Geelong and Sydney as what we need to replicate. The more I look at the elite teams the more I think young player development is optimised when a club has the luxury to play their young guns for 40 or so games in the VFL and then bring them in for a game with a Stevie J, josh Kelly and Joel Selwood playing around them in a winning side. That is positive player development. Interestingly only a few clubs can meet those criteria, the ones that already have a group of hardened, elite champions to show the way.

Melbourne does not have those resources and one of our big problems has been our lack of hard arsed, talented, experienced leaders from the Daniher era. Once Neitz retired and we sent Junior packing that was about it. We thought our best option was to draft as much young first round draftees as possible. As we know we drafted a succession of kids who had one thing in common, they all needed and were looking for leadership! No ambitious, confident, physically hard draftees for us just nice, supposedly skilled athletes. We continue to pay the price for these drafting decisions. Neeld pissing off the senior group and then losing the likes of Maloney and Rivers just made things worse.

We won!!! At last. Almost threw my phone through the wall in the last 10 mins - the AFL app was the only access I had tonight. But we won!!!!

Did we just hold off breaking our own record of losing from 40 points up in the last quarter against Essendon back in 1993 I think? We were 45 up and all but threw it. Anyway we held on this time but really why is it so hard to get a win around here?

Watched most of this game, it's nice to feel good about a side and watch players playing well for a change.

It's all been said about Hogan. His kicking action is really weird and doesn't look great (I feel like his follow-through is average), but who gives a rat's, really?

Pedersen was outstanding. For whatever reason, he's on the giant list of Melbourne players who have been fine at VFL level but inadequate at AFL level. He looked a class above and a leader today. Played the kind of game we should be seeing consistently from him or Dunn in the seniors.

Magner and Couch are two honest footballers, but Magner's body language was appalling today, and his decision-making at times woeful. Couch's clearance work is fantastic, which obviously Melbourne is crying out for, but his disposal is shocking, truly awful. I can see why neither are getting games, though I do sympathise and at times wonder if we could at least give them a shot in a season which is long gone. It must be tough on them to see some players get rewarded based on one or two noticeable games whilst they consistently go about their business, and when we're battling in the middle, some clearance work would be appreciated. But on what I saw today, the extra speed and intensity of AFL football would be far too much for Couch, whilst Magner's not going anywhere whilst he cracks the sooks like he did today.

What is it about MFC listed players and poor kicking skills? Can't full time professional footballers learn to kick accurately with some practice and advice. I'm not talking elite kicking for distance, trajectory or precision which some have and others never will Have. I am talking about the ability to pass a ball 20 or 30 meters to a target or at least to the target's advantage.