Better still.....let's not do that.

At the start of the 2008 season and during the season many of us looked at the list and offered our opinions on who won't be at the club in 2009. Many of us had CJ as a question mark or gone by the end of 2008, 5 years and 3 good games thanks for your service.

I hate comparing us to Hawthorn, but it was only a few years ago when they had next no free to air games, Sunday games and the crap we have got from the AFL for 2009. You win you play well you get the draw you want. When to start to win you can attract good players, right now we are the worst team on and off the field. Off field the changes are happening and on field we will have another 7 new players to our list 3 of them top 20 picks, that means in 2 years we have turned around 15 players.

CJ was a bit player at best. I liked him, thought he could be handy for us, but he is not a big loss. Those losing sleep over it should place their head in the sand until the upcoming draft.

The dees did all they could, we are cash strapped and we reached out and gave him the best we could (2 years is no more than he deserves). He had other plans, he turned his back on us, I do not wish him the best elsewhere. I hope he suffers the scrutiny from other supporters for clogging up their list and salary cap.- It does happen, and he will have all eyes on him.

CJ should have done the right thing by the club and came out and said he was out from day one. We could have at least made a trade (late pick) then get zilch. He is worth more than a late pick, but a late pick is worth more than nothing!

CJ showed his true colours........ hey were not red and blue......just lots of green (moolah).

Every year I look at the list and think who would I cull and every year CJ is on the list. He finally played a few reasonable games. I would have offered him 1 year. He may go on to be a good player but you could say that about 1/2 the players we cull. Those good games may have been the peak of his career. We have to have faith that the decision makers know what they are doing. This is not a clanger that blind Freddy would have seen - it's just Chris Johnson.

Well I am concerned.

We chase players and interview them and they don't want a bar of us (eg Prismall, Warnock).

Now, we can't even retain a mid-range player at our club despite sitting down with him and trying to get him to say.

So not only are guys we are chasing refusing to play for us, but even our own are refusing to re-sign with us.

Despite people's opinions on the ability of guys like Prismall, Warnock and CJ, the trend of players not wanting to play for MFC is a bad one and it indicates that there is something NQR at the moment. And to make matters worse, we can't even delist a player that we don't want any more (Carroll). What is going on at this club!?

It can't simply be dismissed as not wanting to play for the bottom club.

We have only one hope - drafting well.

Maybe pick 1 will be the first good news story on the Demons since our elimination final win back in 2006.

Great post, i agree, something is going on at the club that we cant get these players, i have info from a reliable source what the problem is but i'm not allowed post as it will be taken off. something is NQR !!!

Great post, i agree, something is going on at the club that we cant get these players, i have info from a reliable source what the problem is but i'm not allowed post as it will be taken off. something is NQR !!!

My guess would be the senior coach??

In the end, if we are not willing to pay up the big bucks to lure players over to our club then we will not lure them. If we really wanted Prismall, or really wanted Warnock then there was a way for us to get them. It would have involved paying way over the odds for them, but we weren't willing to do that so they did not come to us.

I don't have a problem with that because the price you pay for these players is usually in excess of what value you will get for them (both in a trade and in terms of salary cap space).

If you don't want to lose players then you just pay them more or give them longer contracts. Look at what we did with the likes of Woewodin, Yze and Bizzell with 3 year contracts. We can keep these players if we want to.

However there is an associated price involved with splurging money to keep players. It means that you will lose players later on when the salary cap room dries up.

We are currently at the base of our cycle. It is not prudent to be setting an example that we will give big contracts for the future, especially for periods when we are having success. That's what Hawthorn have done and now they have a premiership and are not paying 100% of the cap. Geelong have done so too and have been dominant yet have not lost players.

I have no problem with this. Especially if giving that message results in the loss of only CJ. We nearly lost Green with this policy too, but Green is probably a unique character in this day and age - a refreshingly honourable one.

Zomer is lucky.

Wona on and Valenti to remain a rookie.....as expected.

Agree.

In addition, CJ didn't want Mfc's 2 year offer, and wanted elsewhere. Well, he's made his own bed now. May pick 51 turn out to be a great acquisition for the team.

Where have you heard that?

I'm under the impression that the top 20 runs deeper than previous years, but after that it begins to dwindle somewhat

On some threads with relevant links you will find 'experts' quoting the first two rounds to provide quality picks this year. Its been touted as running deeper this year than previous drafts all season, we've you been Eastie?

Glad CJ is leaving. Never saw him in my 22.

Great post, i agree, something is going on at the club that we cant get these players, i have info from a reliable source what the problem is but i'm not allowed post as it will be taken off. something is NQR !!!

If you can't post what's the point of hinting ? Reliable source - wish I had a dollar for every one of those I heard about in trade week !

Johnson's form entitled him to an offer of a one year contract. No more. If he thinks his performances at MFC entitled him to any more then he's farting higher than his arse. He had to wait for Brown & Ward to retire & for the club to hit its lowest point since the 70's before he could get a game.

If he wasn't Alan Johnson's son I'd have wanted him off the list two years ago when he'd shown about as much as Daniel Hayes.

In fact given he's been tapped up by & is heading for Carlton, I hope CJ's remaining career emulates that of Daniel Hayes !

CJ turns up to training more than Hayesy . . .

CJ turns up to training more than Hayesy . . .

True - had his issues that boy. Some very [censored] off parents at Ranges when he got picked up ahead of their kids

His best mates told him to his face it wasn't fair. Not his fault cos Ranges weren't going to play him - but then Derek Kickett stepped in and basically accused them of being racist and went to the AFL etc etc.

imo if Hayes had exactly the same level of talent and mindset but didn't have Aboriginal blood in him he wouldn't have been rookied

hey guys now that CJ is off our list, does that mean that our pick 67 will be used in the draft? giving us picks 1.17,19,35,51 and 67?

hey guys now that CJ is off our list, does that mean that our pick 67 will be used in the draft? giving us picks 1.17,19,35,51 and 67?

Not sure Freak, but I'd imagine they'll pass on their last selection, to ensure they have pick 1 in the PSD.

Not sure Freak, but I'd imagine they'll pass on their last selection, to ensure they have pick 1 in the PSD.

Given how poor the PSD is this year, why wouldn't they use pick 67 on a Stefan Martin unknown type and pass on the PSD where at best you are getting NQR damaged goods with no real upside?

At this point the PSD#1 is as valuable as ABC Learning shares.

At this point the PSD#1 is as valuable as ABC Learning shares.

You can say that again. However there are more kids available in ABC Learning Centres (100,000+) than NQR's in the PSD.

At this point the PSD#1 is as valuable as ABC Learning shares.

:lol:

Normally when a business collapses the mums and dads lose all their deposits/investment. The collapse of a child care center would have to be one of the few business that still allow you through the door to collect your goods

Banks can't profit from kids it seems

At this point the PSD#1 is as valuable as ABC Learning shares.

Just our luck when we finish bottom. Pity we weren't down the bottom when Nick Stevens and Jade Rawlings were the talk of the PSD about 5 years ago.

I am sure there are still a few uncontracted players out there and if we were to act aggressively it should be possible to entice one that we want, to not sign and agree to go in the PSD.

It won't happen of course.

I am sure there are still a few uncontracted players out there and if we were to act aggressively it should be possible to entice one that we want, to not sign and agree to go in the PSD.

It won't happen of course.

Are you suggesting the club wouldn't deal aggressively if a suitable player became available in the PSD?

Just our luck when we finish bottom. Pity we weren't down the bottom when Nick Stevens and Jade Rawlings were the talk of the PSD about 5 years ago.

Jade Rawlings? I'd rather this coming PSD.

I am sure there are still a few uncontracted players out there and if we were to act aggressively it should be possible to entice one that we want, to not sign and agree to go in the PSD.

Lololololol We'll get them in for another powerpoint presentation shall we? Fact is noone wants to come to our club. We are a basketcase. Off field we're in a mountain of debt and scrambling to come up with more ways to literally stay alive, not thrive, just stay alive. On field we were stone cold last and dont look a finals chance for at least another 2 years. Everyone has turned us down. There arent even any decent scraps to pick up in the PSD when we finally get the chance, let alone a decent player

Jade Rawlings? I'd rather this coming PSD.

I really can't agree with more.

Seriously. I was trying to think of a way, but its beyond me.