My ******** eye

[cannons]

My friend just sprayed hair tonic into my eye. It's burning. Oh god!!!
Anyway, I feel the board needs some more interesting discussion, so this is the thread.
What does everyone think of the list as it is currently?
Areas for improvement?
Who'll step up? Which of our young blokes will be guns?
and just general talk about next year.
I'll give my opinions after I've been to the doctor!
Thanks fellas, over to you!

 

[prankster_bateman]

Re: My fu.ckin' eye

Hey welcome to the forums.

I hope that you recover from that nasty accident.

As for your other questions. I think that Melbourne will go alright again next year.
I expect them to finish inside the 8 again next year.

 

[davey_magik]

My sympathies to your eye. I sprayed myself in the eye with deodorant once and another time I had pepper thrown in my face.
On the list I think our list is fantastic really. For me it has always been a question of mentality. All we need is to settle our backline because our defenders can take the big forwards provided we aren't chopping and changing each week.
In the list I see two areas for improvement:
-The ruck- PJ or the Russian need to stand up as a 2nd ruck. White won't be able to do it all again next year as I think he is turning 30 and although he will still probably be a very good player he needs support.
-Midfield clearances- We need Sylvia and Mclean to take another step. Brock looks to me as our main inside midfielder and I think Col can play both. Also if they take another step it takes a lot of pressure off the other midfielders.
And obviously CJ, Rivers and Fergy need to put on some weight.
The player I am looking to most next year to step up is Cameron Bruce. After a full pre-season, and hopefully less pressure with a new mentality, he should reproduce the form he had rounds 1-3 this year. I believe he could win the Brownlow provided he gets some more grit and determination in his game.
Out of our young players, I think Col, RIvers and one of Jamar/PJ will have a good year.

Realistically next year I would expect we finish in the top 5. Considering our draw I think top 4 is a very real possibility and if we can finish there after round 22 who knows what can happen.

 

[cannons]

Don't worry, the eye is fine, still a bit of redness and irritation, but its fine.

The list..
I honestly believe that it is a good list. The forward line is excellent. You have Neitz giving structure and getting the odd goal, Robbo, aaron and co kicking a few too and then you can rotate Bruce and Col through as well, so plenty of depth there.
Midfield has plenty of depth and assuming Col and Brock step up, it'll be even better. Plenty of class, a bit more mongrel and I genuinly believe it is one of the best in the competition.
I totally agree about the backs needing to stay in one place. Settle them into one specific role and , with more muscle, they'll be good. Ferguson and riv are courageous, it has class, just not enough strength.
WHO do you all think should play CHB and FB. For mine, Carrol FB and Riv CHB.

Of the young blokes, I think Col is going to be a star. I think he is the complete footballer and just needs to develop more and adjust to AFL. Brock will get more consistent, too. PJ is good, too. Can play forward and is really agile for his size. Hopefully he'll step up. I think he's far better than Jamar. as for CJ, I have absolutely no idea what he'll do. Bate might get a go, but not immediately, Dunn and Newton have a fair way to go, though.

Well, I think we coud get top 4, but we'll just have to wait and see. Sorry about the length.
Anyway, I think it's time for some eye drops...

 

[oooze]

I think I want Green AND Bruce in the forward line this year. A forward line of Neitz, Bruce, Green, Davey and Robertson would be extrmely damaging.

 

[cannons]

come on fellas, you must have some thoughts on Melbourne's future. All of this Byron Pickett's great, great grandmother stuff is a bit dry. This could spice it up a bit.
in saying you want Bruce in the forward line do you mean on a more permanent basis, or just whilst he's having a rest from the middle??

 

[davey_magik]

come on fellas, you must have some thoughts on Melbourne's future. All of this Byron Pickett's great, great grandmother stuff is a bit dry. This could spice it up a bit.
in saying you want Bruce in the forward line do you mean on a more permanent basis, or just whilst he's having a rest from the middle??

I think Bruce shouldn't be played in the middle at all. I think his best position is as a roaming HFF/Wing where he can just float around the ground. He could be part of the midfield rotation but as to players starting in the centre he shouldn't be one of them.

 

[cannons]

Who would your starting 4 be in the centre. Obviously White and then who??
I personally want Moloney, Sylvia and Mclean.
Mclean: or in and under king
Moloney: our grunt and aggression
Sylvia:So much talent. Can play as your outside mid, but also inside and is a nutcase.
Then you get Trav, Bruce and Junior rotating through. I know they are too young to do it all next year, but it's a mouthwatering prospect.

 

[HiHoEverybody]

I think Bruce shouldn't be played in the middle at all. I think his best position is as a roaming HFF/Wing where he can just float around the ground. He could be part of the midfield rotation but as to players starting in the centre he shouldn't be one of them.

Bruce shouldnt start in the middle but I do think he should spend time in there through out the game. IMO next year all comes down to how much our younger players have matured/developed (Sylvia,Mclean,Moloney,Rivers,Fergerson) If these younger guys can go to the next level we should play a bigger part in September.

 

[Marns]

Who would your starting 4 be in the centre. Obviously White and then who??
I personally want Moloney, Sylvia and Mclean.
Mclean: or in and under king
Moloney: our grunt and aggression
Sylvia:So much talent. Can play as your outside mid, but also inside and is a nutcase.
Then you get Trav, Bruce and Junior rotating through. I know they are too young to do it all next year, but it's a mouthwatering prospect.

Yeah, sure is. We could possibly throw Byron in there to add even more toughness to the center. My mouth is watering.

 

[davey_magik]

Who would your starting 4 be in the centre. Obviously White and then who??
I personally want Moloney, Sylvia and Mclean.
Mclean: or in and under king
Moloney: our grunt and aggression
Sylvia:So much talent. Can play as your outside mid, but also inside and is a nutcase.
Then you get Trav, Bruce and Junior rotating through. I know they are too young to do it all next year, but it's a mouthwatering prospect.

Agree with that. Moloney already has cemented his spot starting in the centre and Mclean has started there before this year as well.
Give those three a run in the centre in the pre-season matches. Also agree on Sylvia. As a midfielder, he has every single skill there is.
And as Marns said, we can throw Choppy in there as well.

 

[AllStar7]

I think Bruce shouldn't be played in the middle at all. I think his best position is as a roaming HFF/Wing where he can just float around the ground. He could be part of the midfield rotation but as to players starting in the centre he shouldn't be one of them.

Until we establish a midfield capable of winning a clearance, Bruce will stay in the middle. He might not be brilliant at it, but he can get his own ball. He did it well at the start of last season, but was sadly injured.

Sylvia, McLean, Moloney and Bell all have the ability to develop into inside midfielders, but that will take time. Until they do, we just don't have the luxury of playing Bruce on a half forward flank.... unless you want to see the likes of Godfrey rotated through the middle.

Our list is good, it has talent but its not balanced enough. Too many soft outsiders, not enough tough insiders. We can't win a clearance to save ourselves, which means players like Yze, Green and so on are useless. Hopefully the recruiting of players like McLean and Sylvia will ensure that this area is rectified quickly, because until it does we ain't winning a flag.

Our backline will also become less of an issue if we start winning the ball in the middle, and the defenders come under less pressure. Forward line is ok, but we need to find a replacement for Neita and hope that Milsy can start kicking goals. Holland has a year left in him, and even with that, he is no good. We need another crumbing forward, less reliance on Robbo and Neita and Yze to find his balls again. He has the luxury of napping in a forward pocket, so he needs to make full use of it.
A back-up ruckman would also be nice, you know in case someone decides to kick Whitey in the face.

We are not far off, but we have much improvement left.

 

[davey_magik]

Until we establish a midfield capable of winning a clearance, Bruce will stay in the middle. He might not be brilliant at it, but he can get his own ball. He did it well at the start of last season, but was sadly injured.

Sylvia, McLean, Moloney and Bell all have the ability to develop into inside midfielders, but that will take time. Until they do, we just don't have the luxury of playing Bruce on a half forward flank.... unless you want to see the likes of Godfrey rotated through the middle.

Our list is good, it has talent but its not balanced enough. Too many soft outsiders, not enough tough insiders. We can't win a clearance to save ourselves, which means players like Yze, Green and so on are useless. Hopefully the recruiting of players like McLean and Sylvia will ensure that this area is rectified quickly, because until it does we ain't winning a flag.

Our backline will also become less of an issue if we start winning the ball in the middle, and the defenders come under less pressure. Forward line is ok, but we need to find a replacement for Neita and hope that Milsy can start kicking goals. Holland has a year left in him, and even with that, he is no good. We need another crumbing forward, less reliance on Robbo and Neita and Yze to find his balls again. He has the luxury of napping in a forward pocket, so he needs to make full use of it.
A back-up ruckman would also be nice, you know in case someone decides to kick Whitey in the face.

We are not far off, but we have much improvement left.

Providing Yze is fit for next year he can be our no.1 crumber with Flash playing further up the ground. Pickett can also crumb but he would also be better utilised up the ground.
Hopefully PJ can lift next year and replace Holland as he has a lot more potential and just needs to transfer it to AFL and take a few more contested marks.
Next year I think McLean can play full-time midfield as he showed it in glimpses this year and provided he does a full pre-season he should be OK. Moloney will also benefit from doing his second full pre-season.
Bell I think should hopefully play 15+ games and as for Sylvia he is a bit of an unknown. He could play every game and be our best midfielder or play around 18 or so and show a few glimpses. We all know he has the talent, but he might still be another year off.

 

[cannons]

on these young blokes, Mclean seems to be pretty well developed and just needs to adjust to playing AFL. So I think he'll be good.
PJ, to be honest, I think he's a gem. He's got mobility, agility and good speed for a big bloke, so he just needs too polish his game and, once again, adjust to AFL.
Bell is pretty solid. Can see him playing a Bizzel type role in the future, once he improves his awareness and decisions. That'll take a while, though as it's hard to teach.
Sylvia, I agree, could play well next year or take a while. I think he has more scope for improvement as he's so gifted.

With Col and brock, they both play well when they spend a lot of time in the middle. it's when there are rotated on and off they struggle. Anyway, they'll be stars of the future, no doubt.

 

[cannons]

Does anyone know any results or times from pre season training??

 

[davey_magik]

Does anyone know any results or times from pre season training??

McLean won the 4k time trial (Godders didn't run) and Jamar won the 2k time trial.