How do you fix Melbourne?

[00Stinger]

They need some kind of tall, athletic, freak of a footballer. A guy who leaps over his opponents and wins an All Australian at an early age. That would really help them get people excited. Now, where can they get such a footballer??

You mean Jeremy Howe?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

He doesn't resemble a drunken street bum so that's a start I guess...basic grooming doesn't make a coach (thankfully) but as I said it's a good start. Someone should remind Macca it's a tv dominated industry these days.

He's just trying to identify with the supporter base.

 

[00Stinger]

Does anyone think Neeld is the new messiah for the Demons fans? like Scully was.

Seems to be a lot of "dear leader" about it.

Do you just keep posting dribble until somebody replies?

FWIW we will finish well above you poor western suburbs jock stain of a club this year

 

[Demonic Ascent]

You mean Jeremy Howe?

Nah he's good but missing some unquantifiable attribute (he's not exotic enough).

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Melbourne supporters love anything unquantifiable. They'll rave about how good something is but when asked to provide evidence they'll give a wishy-washy answer like "oh i've spoken to people" or "Dawes provides us with elite training standards"

Nah we deal in quantifiables - erasing a $5M debt is quantifiable as is having a $10M noose around your neck.

Having Dawes as secondary support to Clark until Hogan comes on in a few years is also quantifiable considering he is a premiership winning key forward who, while no superstar, will help play a role for us and give our midfielders a target instead of just blazing away. Geting rid of Moloney will also quantifiably help in this regard.

 

[ManOfClay]

FWIW we will finish well above you poor western suburbs jock stain of a club this year

You probably said that last year, too.

No MOC, basic grooming doesn't make a coach (thankfully) but as I said it's a good start.

Grooming has nothing to do with footy at all. To try and make it so just reflects the toff stereotype your club has attributed to it.

Nah he's good but missing some unquantifiable attribute (he's not exotic enough).

I wouldn't joke about that - it seems the attitude at the MFC is good grooming and the ability to pull off wearing a blazer is a factor in recruiting. Hence Watts over Naitanui. And to a lesser degree the private schooled Scully and Trengove over that neanderthal Dustin Martin.

 

[LouisCK]

I wouldn't joke about that - it seems the attitude at the MFC is good grooming and the ability to pull off wearing a blazer is a factor in recruiting. Hence Watts over Naitanui. And to a lesser degree the private schooled Scully and Trengove over that neanderthal Dustin Martin.

Our admin know our base. A blue eyed, blonde, Brighton boy was always going to be more marketable for us than Naitanui.

The results speak for themselves. Since Watts was drafted our membership has increased by 50% and we erased 5 million dollars in debt.

On field we're slop of course, but from a marketing point of view Watts was clearly the right choice.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

You probably said that last year, too.

Grooming has nothing to do with footy at all. To try and make it so just reflects the toff stereotype your club has attributed to it.

I wouldn't joke about that - it seems the attitude at the MFC is good grooming and the ability to pull off wearing a blazer is a factor in recruiting. Hence Watts over Naitanui. And to a lesser degree the private schooled Scully and Trengove over that neanderthal Dustin Martin.

It's easy for us to say we will finish above you as I think you'll find we've done that far more times than your mob have over the journey.

Why isn't grooming a part of football? Throwing in a troll line of the "toff stereotype" does nothing to back up your arguments.

And had we chosen Dusty, would we really be better off? Our recruiting hasn't been flash, true, but to suggest all would be fine with Dusty who is someone who hasn't covered himself in glory and would probably be counter productive to the culture we are finally trying to build, is silly. Take a look at all the selections after the first 3 - outside of Butcher, who has spent more time injured than on the field, there wasn't a hell of alot on offer.

 

[Forward Press]

Take a look at all the selections after the first 3 - outside of Butcher, who has spent more time injured than on the field, there wasn't a hell of alot on offer.

Selection 20 from Freo can play, just saying. Pick 14 from Sydney played a critical role in a flag.

But I do see your point - at the moment the 2009 draft crop looks decidedly average as a whole.

 

[RandB]

Grooming has nothing to do with footy at all.

What about all the scared little kiddies on family day?

 

[Tulip]

Selection 20 from Freo can play, just saying. Pick 14 from Sydney played a critical role in a flag.

But I do see your point - at the moment the 2009 draft crop looks decidedly average as a whole.

Don't think anyone saw Fyfe coming.

 

[Tulip]

What about all the scared little kiddies on family day?

Western Suburbs kids, Macca's nothing to them

 

[Forward Press]

Don't think anyone saw Fyfe coming.

If I remember correctly, we were considering Fyfe but I believe in the end it was a near no-brainer in selecting Sheppard at 7.

Going through the national draft in 2009, it makes for lousy reading. The top 10 is fairly weak so far, although injuries have curtailed the majority of them.

 

[greennick]

Anyone sick of WC supporters constantly jerking themselves and their fellow supporters off over Naitanui?

I, for one, am not tired of it.

 

[greennick]

You mean Jeremy Howe?

Except for the AA bit, yeah that fits the bill.

 

[greennick]

Nah he's good but missing some unquantifiable attribute (he's not exotic enough).

No, he's not good enough.

 

[Tulip]

No, he's not enough.

Two less years in the system than Naitanui, you know?

 

[CowboyFromHell]

If I remember correctly, we were considering Fyfe but I believe in the end it was a near no-brainer in selecting Sheppard at 7.

Going through the national draft in 2009, it makes for lousy reading. The top 10 is fairly weak so far, although injuries have curtailed the majority of them.

And that was my point. Outside of the Top 10 there are certainly players who have been terrific, but they weren't in calculations for those top 2 picks. Gysberts over Jetta and even Tapscott over Fyfe were mistakes, no doubt, but when looking at the Top 10 selections there isn't anything we truly missed out on by taking Scully and Trengove.

 

[Forward Press]

And that was my point. Outside of the Top 10 there are certainly players who have been terrific, but they weren't in calculations for those top 2 picks. Gysberts over Jetta and even Tapscott over Fyfe were mistakes, no doubt, but when looking at the Top 10 selections there isn't anything we truly missed out on by taking Scully and Trengove.

Butcher's really the only one, like you said, and even then he's had his fair share of injury concerns.

Everyone would love Fyfe at their club now but at the time he was rarely bandied around as a top 10 pick. Benefit of hindsight and all.

Scully is still very much an unknown proposition but I think in time Trengove would turn out the better of the two. Just my two cents...

 

[Tulip]

even Tapscott over Fyfe...

That was just as big a mistake, Taspcott has done nothing since his second game unfortunately and Fyfe will be a top 5 AFL player.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Butcher's really the only one, like you said, and even then he's had his fair share of injury concerns.

Everyone would love Fyfe at their club now but at the time he was rarely bandied around as a top 10 pick. Benefit of hindsight and all.

Scully is still very much an unknown proposition but I think in time Trengove would turn out the better of the two. Just my two cents...

I think Trengove will turn out the better as well as I think he has more strings to his bow, but we need him fit and out on the park consistently for him to do that.

That was just as big a mistake, Taspcott has done nothing since his second game unfortunately and Fyfe will be a top 5 AFL player.

And I agree mate. You could argue that no-one saw Fyfe coming but he has been nothing short of excellent and, as you say, Tappy has not been all that flash since he burst on to the scene a few years back.

 

[LBJ6]

That was just as big a mistake, Taspcott has done nothing since his second game unfortunately and Fyfe will be a top 5 AFL player.

When every club passes on a player I don't think you can say it was a 'mistake' to overlook him at the time, as if it was obvious. I'd just say good on Freo, they were lucky he's turned out how he has.

 

[Tulip]

When every club passes on a player I don't think you can say it was a 'mistake' to overlook him at the time, as if it was obvious. I'd just say good on Freo, they were lucky he's turned out how he has.

Reckon Tappy was a mistake, and I was mad keen on him. Wanted him at pick 11, and was ecstatic when he slid to 18. Looks like he slid for good reason: These kids all sound like the nuts in pre-draft reports, but the hype rarely equals the reality.

Not a mistake in overlooking Fyfe, more in taking Tapscott. At least he keeps JT happy.

 

[Forward Press]

When every club passes on a player I don't think you can say it was a 'mistake' to overlook him at the time, as if it was obvious. I'd just say good on Freo, they were lucky he's turned out how he has.

Yeah, Melbourne's not the only one to blame here, so if you want to mark Tapscott as a failure you shouldn't really factor in that Fyfe was taken two picks after him.

 

[ManOfClay]

It's easy for us to say we will finish above you as I think you'll find we've done that far more times than your mob have over the journey.

Even when you take into account you haven't beaten us since 2006 and despite the Dogs having their worst season in a decade they were still a game better than you?

It's easy to say you will finish above us, yes. But recent evidence shows that isn't so easy.