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It's almost 4:00am. I am still angry and upset. Feeling numb too. And yes, I can't sleep! Arggghhh!!! 😫 I actually made a post like this 12 months ago. Saying it was a wasted season. It caused a bit of controversy, but I had to get off my chest the way that I felt! I think in someways it is yet again a wasted season in 2023. However, finishing top 4 again and "almost" beating Collingwood and "almost" beating Carlton leaves a lot of "what ifs" and hypothetical scenarios of what we should have and could have done differently. So close yet so far! Talk about misfortune! In the end it is probably more a wasted opportunity. Something which I hope really BURNS in the guts of all the Melbourne players and coaching staff. Especially as for the past 2 seasons we were a good chance to win the Premiership. Luck definitely was a factor too. Having injuries at bad times. Losing Harry Petty and Jake Melksham really had a detrimental affect on our forwardline. Yet we still could of won our finals games if we had better execution into the forwardline and we had kicked more goals than we did behinds! Poor kicking is poor football! Another embarassing factor is that we will now be known as "chokers" in big finals matches! Especially going out in straight sets 2 finals series in a row! What bad luck! How incredibly frustrating too! The harsh truth is, many opposition supporters and the general football public as well as the football media still don't respect us. Our 2021 AFL Premiership, while wonderful, was won over in Perth. We need to win the AFL Premiership at the MCG. By holding that Premiership cup up in front of a Melbourne crowd we will finally be able to shut up those who ridicule us. That is the only way to prove the naysayers wrong! I hope that all the Melbourne players go and get far away from football and have a nice long enjoyable break. But they also come back fit and ready with a determined resolve to make sure that in 2024 we will become AFL Premiers. It is now all about a Premiership or bust at the MCG for the Melbourne players! The rest of us fanatical Melbourne Demons supporters who simply can't accept the phrase "it's only a game" will try and cool down over time and then distract ourselves with the upcoming trade and drafting periods later in a few weeks time. As @Demonland has mentioned many times, MFCSS is a real phenomenon......it effects many of us. It literally drives us insane and causes pain, agony and sleepless nights. The only cure is more Premierships! GO DEMONS IN 2024!!! 🔴🔵👹

Interesting that the ‘Misson effect’ is spreading. Ex-Demons Watts, Hogan and Dom Tyson all out for stints at their respective clubs. Tyson now TBC with a calf.

Got along to training this morning. I believe the whole list was present save for Mitch King. Arrived to see a "sore / tightness" group jogging slow laps comprising Viney, Kent, Salem, Vince, Terlich IIRC. The rehab group consisted of JKH (hammy strapped) and Jeffy doing some quick hands handballing. Jeffy later proceeded to walk a couple of laps and then disappear. Not self evident that he'll be playing this week but perhaps just giving the ankle maximum rest. Pencil must have been lurking there too somewhere as I saw him later on in the session walking around the boundary. Oscar McDonald didn't participate in training and just jogged a few laps. Training consisted of the usual skills sessions. Highlights for me were: 1) Ben Newton looked sharp and must be close to a game with Casey; 2) Dawes participated fully and can't be far away; 3) Trengove showed no signs of any lingering impact from the hit out at Casey; 4) Petracca very enthusiastic and hit up Weed and others on a number of occasions with what's quickly becoming a trade-mark ie low, hard & accurate passes.....not quite Flash like but elements to be sure.; 5) a great camaraderie across the group with a high level of self assuredness ahead of what looms as a massive game against a backs to the wall Pies unit. The other interesting facet was a couple of media outlets being present, including Stevo who stayed for the whole session. So presumably a selection story brewing?

If you consider our current position, which other team would be performing well without: First pick FF (Hogan) First pick CHF (Dawes) First pick ruck (Jamar) First and second picks ruck/forward (Clark, Gawn) Equal first KP defender (garland) That would be roughy, hale, McEvoy, Gibson + from the Hawks, for example. How do you think other teams would go? Do we lack depth, or is this just too much for any team to cover? I know we are 'spineless' ATM....but this is ridiculous...

Melbourne Rohan Bail (concussion) - test Neville Jetta (ankle) - test Brad Green (hip) - 2-3 weeks Michael Evans (back) - 2-4 weeks Liam Jurrah (ankle) - 2-4 weeks Clint Bartram (knee) - season Mitch Clark (foot) - season Max Gawn (knee) - season Rory Taggert (back) - indefinite

Round 10 injury list James Frawley (foot) - test Clint Bartram (knee) - test Brad Green (lung) - test Stef Martin (quadriceps) - test James Strauss (leg) - test Josh Tynan (foot) - 1 week Leigh Williams (virus) - 2 weeks Jordan Gysberts (jaw) - 2-4 weeks Liam Jurrah (ankle) - 2-4 weeks Neville Jetta (ankle) - indefinite Michael Evans (back) - indefinite Rory Taggert (back) - indefinite Max Gawn (knee) - season http://www.melbourne...96/default.aspx Someone normally pops up a thread about this each week so I figured I'd post it.

According to the MFC website, if Jurrah hits his targets this week he will return through the VFL when the Scorps host Nth Ballarat. Great excuse to get out to Casey! http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/133897/default.aspx

Good teams, whether they be flag winning teams or just good, honest sides have a group of senior players that determine their destiny. Let's discuss ours. I thought we could have a bit of a look at: the level of our senior players compared to the competition, and the number of important players that have had an uninterrupted, or nearly uninterrupted, Pre-Season. Senior players, using the benchmark of 23+ years old and 70+ games of experience, consist of; Green, Moloney, Rivers, Davey, Sylvia, Jamar, MacDonald, Batram, Bate, Dunn, Frawley, Jones and Clark. Important players is subjective of course, but I see as; the senior players minus MacDonald and Dunn (Bate and Batram seem to be seen as important to our new FD), Trengove, Grimes, Frawley, Jurrah, Garland, Martin, and McKenzie. At a basic level - how good is this group in 2012 and how fit are they heading into the season. From what I can gather, those from this group that have had an interrupted pre-season: Davey, Grimes, Jurrah, and McKenzie. Nearly uninterrupted: Moloney, Clark, and Trengove. With the rest having uninterrupted Pre-Seasons. I don't think our senior players are good enough to take us where we want to go, but I think they will have a better 2012 than 2011 for two reasons - they were awful in 2012 and Bate, Batram, and Clark have bolstered the ranks of the senior players for 2012 with the FD looking to these three older bodies to have a consistent role in the side. However, they don't stack up against the best yet, and they can barely keep their head above water against middling sides. We are set for a frustrating 2012. I guess I have two questions: have I classified players' Pre-Seasons correctly, and where do you think they will take us in 2012?