Demons skipper James McDonald to go on

[DemonDan... 77]

I thought a Bex was a no frills Milo

LOL

That'd just give me more energy to vent!

[Tatu 416]

with out robbo there, Bruce and Mcdonald are the only players able to go on the veterans list.

it also give's the football department a year to work out MFC next captain.

[Old Gregg 1]

Robbo should have stayed ahead of Macca. We have experience in our midfield; Green, Moloney, McLean, Davey, and to a lesser extent Jones. Our forward line....is useless. Robertson would have done a lot more good next year for our developing forward line, and he is three years ahead of JMac. I understand McDonald staying now that Robbos gone, but a stupid decision in the first place.

[Guest Graham Gaunt]

I'm not here to shitestir i assure all. I've been hammered by feathers from lightweights over it @ ology for my thoughts on Robbo and Junior.

It's pretty simple to me - We cannot afford financially to give these guys (great servants yes) a double dip at superannuation.

There's no dough FFS! Another debt demo in 2010? We is poor as church meece!!!!

Junior and Robbo - Thanks and BYE!

[timD 994]

Gaunt, I don't think you are getting it. I'm thankful that Robbo played with us and sad to see him leave, BUT he's done with at the MFC. Junior arguably has more to give as captain (particularly the off-field stuff that we don't see or hear). I'm not strongly for or against him going.

[Demon Disciple 12,064]

Congratulations on Junior getting another year out of the MFC. The question is post is, why would Robbo not get a contract for 1 year, wheeras McDonald does get 1???

They contribute a similar amount to the team, which is not that much these days. Junior should have retired last year, as he doesn't influence any games. Good on him, but i think at some point next year, many of us will be questioning why he was allowed to stay on.

Sure his last 2 games have been better, but one cannot earn a contract on 2 games, most other games for the season he has been ranging from slightly less than ok to poor.

[45HG 1,539]

In my mind it was one of Robbo or Junior to go, with Bruce taking that player's place on the veteran's list.

I'm glad Junior is staying on.

[Roost It 1,434]

They contribute a similar amount to the team, which is not that much these days. Junior should have retired last year, as he doesn't influence any games. Good on him, but i think at some point next year, many of us will be questioning why he was allowed to stay on.

What does this mean? If you mean influence as in turn games in Melbourne's favour, you could delist the entire group because as yet we don't have one match winner, that's right, not one! Robertson and McDonald are two completly different players at this stage in their careers. One is all about the team and providing grunt and leadership to a group of kids whilst the other is Robertson. It's not difficult to work out.

As for Gaunt's "double dipping superannuation" comment. What a load of horse [censored]. He'll be paid a lesser amount for one more year, hardly big dollars and cheap when you look at the leadership he will provide to a group, many of whom are just out of school.

Does no one realise how important true leadership is to such a young group. Remember what you did when you were 18 - 21, wasn't always pretty was it!

Edited August 21, 2009 by Roost It

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

I think, DD, we can pretty much assume what he brings to the side is all off-field. He's never going to win matches off his own boot. He never did that. It was his ability to bring other players into the game that made him a great demon. Think back and try to put together a list of midfielders that got us to our finals appearances in the mid 2000s. There weren't many. And what there was, JMac was the one who was the most decorated. If anyone is qualified to set an example, it's him.

With that in mind, I'm buggered if I can think of any other reason that MFC would be so keen to have him next year, particularly when you consider how much criticism they'll cop for it, from members, media etc etc.

Comparing him to Robbo in the leadership and example setting stakes... there's just no competition. Robbo was the cream. We need the cake. Also, having such freaky abilities, I just wonder how relevant Robbo could be to the emerging forwards. There's only ever a couple of talls in the forward line at any one time, and he may only end up stunting the growth of Jurrah, Watts etc etc. There's more room in the midfield to hang on to one solid veteran.

[grant 10]

Im happy with the decision. Shows our club isnt completely calous and has rewarded at least one of our seasoned veterans another year

[DemonDan... 77]

Im happy with the decision. Shows our club isnt completely calous and has rewarded at least one of our seasoned veterans another year

So... considering the club would be dumb enough to say..

"well, we got rid of most of our 'oldies', let's keep one, so we're not seen as too callous"...

Do you really agree with them picking a 33 y.o whose career is 98% done, over a 29 or 30 year old, whose carrer is only 88% done? ..i'm thinking obv.-wheats, wheels or of course Robbo..

Wheels at 30 (and yeah, i know the soft-tissue history) still tackles as well as J-Mac, at 30 -would be great for the backline kids for a year.

Robbo at 30 still kicking 2 gls a game - we have no marking, goal-kicking forwards, that are established - or not still in school!!

Wheatley at 29, straight BIG kicking, running back, who can play tall or short.. or up forward!

McDonald at 33, great tackle, brings leadership and shows the way on and off the field.

Ill take any of the 1st 3, pref Robbo, and make J-Mac the ass. coach for S. West (at the same as we pay him now), so we dont lose any of that knowledge and guidance.

Surely tho, being callous doesn't come into it.

I dont know whats up.. but i suspect something is!!

[Bruce Almighty 0]

I'd expect that's exactly what will happen, unless of course we can trade for him.

i will be so [censored] if that happens, but i trust the footy department and what they are doing

[grant 10]

So... considering the club would be dumb enough to say..

"well, we got rid of most of our 'oldies', let's keep one, so we're not seen as too callous"...

Do you really agree with them picking a 33 y.o whose career is 98% done, over a 29 or 30 year old, whose carrer is only 88% done? ..i'm thinking obv.-wheats, wheels or of course Robbo..

Wheels at 30 (and yeah, i know the soft-tissue history) still tackles as well as J-Mac, at 30 -would be great for the backline kids for a year.

Robbo at 30 still kicking 2 gls a game - we have no marking, goal-kicking forwards, that are established - or not still in school!!

Wheatley at 29, straight BIG kicking, running back, who can play tall or short.. or up forward!

McDonald at 33, great tackle, brings leadership and shows the way on and off the field.

Ill take any of the 1st 3, pref Robbo, and make J-Mac the ass. coach for S. West (at the same as we pay him now), so we dont lose any of that knowledge and guidance.

Surely tho, being callous doesn't come into it.

I dont know whats up.. but i suspect something is!!

Ye I agree with you, and obviously the tone of my post wasnt communicated well enough because Iam not happy that we have delisted so many hard at it servants of the club, but decided to keep JMac. I think he was spared obviously because of what he does off field etc, and largely because he is the captain and it doesnt look good for our image to axe him like that. Having said that, the club needs to act in its best interests, and the many delistings are most likely the correct decision, I just hope we dont develop a reputation for it.

Robbo said something along these lines in his retirement press interview, "the club looks after you, aside from the fact Iam getting fired".

[Adam The God 30,120]

Perhaps Club's view would be different if he was not the captain and there was a ready candidate for the captaincy

I wonder if we'd keep him on simply because there may not be a stand out captain to take his place? He'll be on the vetrans list and therefore pretty cheap to keep on. Maybe Grimes could get the captaincy in his third year?

[Hyphen 8]

Thank you to those who happened to notice that the captain's recent form has been good. In fact his past month has been first class. I thought he was gone, like many others, but he has shown he is capable of going around again.

We should be grateful.

Another batch of young players will learn how to prepare themselves for AFL football; they will see how to conduct themselves with integrity; they will realise the value of selflessness; they will understand what it means to play for the Melbourne Football Cub; and they will better players and people for it.

[Adelaide Demon 0]

I would just like to say that his kicking on his 'weaker' foot (left) is as accomplished as I've seen in a Melbourne jumper for some time.

[Sir Why You Little 36,963]

RR - What's a 'BEX'??

A chill pill or headache tablet to reduce fever. Rest up.

HaHa "Bex is Better"

[Bay Riffin 1,472]

From an insiders perspective, he actually has had all the attributes of great footballers mentally with a greater will to win than most and very competitive when the ball is in dispute. He never did however have the other attributes of many midfielders at AFL level i.e disposal and athletic ability.

Yet he still competed well.

He is an ideal coach 'on the job' to our youngsters and I believe if you watch him one on one, has as good a technique as anyone at winning a contested ball.

I was leaning to letting him go, but with fewer older types, he may be necessary for one more year.

[Tatu 416]

Again, Bailey obviously begs to differ.

I don't see how you can make such a call. Leadership aside, the club wouldn't pick McDonald if they didn't think he would be able to play to a required level or such that he was being given a "charity" spot in the side. Not a good message for the players and not a good situation to keep a player.

We are NOT any other club and quite frankly that question gets bandied around from time to time too often about players with little regard to context. We are MFC and we have our own priorities and goals and it would not be prudent by the club to not ensure we have the best possible group of young players as we go forward. Given the circumstances, the MFC brains trust beleives that he is good enough to play for our team and that is all that matters - but if you really want a team I'll say Port, I'll take McDonald over Josh Carr atm. McDonald is not going to be consistently cutting it up next year, you don't expect that from a 33 yr old but that isn't the point. He can play at a good level though as we have seen in the last month. We are talking one more year here not a 3 yr contract. He is on the veterans list ffs so the cost is minimal for such a potential gain with our list going forward. I admit that I am a touch surprised at how keen the club was to re-sign him but that's the point isn't it? - I'm on the outside and they are the inner sanctum and if they were that keen to sign him then he must be doing something right and play a very important role that many of us may not understand.

agree...

[pringle 42]

I was hoping that he would retire, as I don't think he will get a regular game next year. It would be better for Macca to retire woth dignity. However it doesn't make any difference to our playing list. This is for the following reasons:

1) Only Robbo or Macca could be our 2nd (with Bruce) veteran. Veterans do not take the place of a listed player (nor rookie I think). So we don't actually lose the opportunity to draft another youngster.

2) I think most here agree that whilst it was heartbreaking to let Robbo go, it was never going to be beneficial to keep him on the list. He may have got some games next year and may have performed well, but I think we all agree that we should get as many games as possible into forwards like Jurrah, Watts and other youngsters (who will be there during our next finals campaign) rather than continuing to play oldies like Robbo.

3) If Macca plays on next year and remains captain, we have another year to decide who should be his successor. So far no-one really stands out as a monty for the job. We all have an inkling about McLean, Grimes etc, but none of these guys are ready as yet. Lets give them some more time (and potentially a dress rehearsal if Macca gets injured or dropped) before potentially making a 5 or more year decision on a player to lead us on a premiership tilt.

4) Yes he may take a youngster's spot in the selected side, but we could do far worse than having a player on the field who gives his heart and soul to the club and sets a great example for his team-mates week in and week out. And if he eventually loses his spot in the team due to poor form or his body giving way, we lose very little. Don't forget that whilst it is great to give young midfielders a chance to get experience, they do need to earn their spot in the team as well. If they can edge out a club legend like Macca, then they have certainly earned their spot in the side, and that's the kind of competitive culture we want at the club. (and yes, I know you could say the same about forwards needing to compete for spots and Robbo being the equivalent of Macca as an example in the forward line, but it was one or the other, and nothing to lose with regards to spots on the list by keeping one of them).

So in essence, we had to choose 1 of Robbo and Macca FOR 1 YEAR ONLY (neither were ever going to be worthwhile keeping any longer) and we went with the captain. Not too many problems with that.

And FWIW, I hope he starts the season in the team, but gets overtaken by hungry youngsters who follow his example and steal his spot off him by year's end on the back of spectacular AFL standard performances. If that happens, we may even push for finals next year. I probably started reading this thread with the opinion that he should have retired, but as it stands, I'm not that unhappy. What really peeves me off is what's happening in the cricket at the moment. Absolutely pathetic. I'm embarrassed to be an Australian at the moment!!!

[dreamin' man 0]

He is an ideal coach 'on the job' to our youngsters and I believe if you watch him one on one, has as good a technique as anyone at winning a contested ball.

I was leaning to letting him go, but with fewer older types, he may be necessary for one more year.

I've long admired him for putting his body on the line, though he's relatively slight, & he's a natural, if quiet, leader. I noticed on the TV coverage on Sunday that when Tom Mac had that kick for goal, as the seconds ticked towards quarter-time, JMac ran to be next to him & was obviously encouraging him to go for it. Result? TM's first goal.

[Don24 103]

I would think there are two reasons J Mac was kept over Robbo.

1 He is the captain and obviously a much better role model on and off field for our young list.

2 (and probably most important) He is versatile and can play a number of roles and as such can simply be part of the rotations. Robbo on the other hand can only play as a key forward target. By keeping robbo it takes up a valuable place as a key target in the forward line that one of Jurrah Watts garland or Martin will now be able to play. I think bailey would rather give the young guys a go at gaining experience down forward. J Mac on the other hand can slip into either midfield rotations, run with roles, backline or wherever there is a need for some experience and not get in the way of any younger players development.

[The Emblem 1]

The age of these players has nothing to do with why they were asked to retire. Whelan and Wheatley retired with the bodies of 45 year olds. Robertson was gently nudged because the club needs TEAM players. As good as he has been the current model of player is not Russell. Bailey is building a team that plays 100% of the game as a team, with each player contributing to a strong defensive game, much like Geelong and the Saints and every other great team for that matter. James McDonald is this player. Sure he's older but Harvey retired at 37 so it meens little. McDonald's body isn't failing him, he had one injured knee this year and since he recovered has been playing good football.

He will most likely play a backline roll and I for one will love watching his toughness and team game down back.

He is quite likely the most underrated player this club has had over the last 10 year's and if you actually watched him play you'd realise he easily makes our best 22, and would get a game at most other clubs for that matter. Teams are picked by FD's not posters on club forum's.

Well said Roost It, Junior has been playing well since his overcoming his knee niggles and is in our best 22 and can squeeze out another year. He is also a player who has excelled at the 1% er's and has extracted the maximum out of his ability.

Right now have a squad of highly talented youngsters with premiership potential going forward. To realise this potential we must establish a culture whereby each individual player takes it upon themselves to do "whatever it takes" to improve themselves as footballers and extract every ounce of ability they have out of their minds and bodies.

I believe that Junior is the right man to lead this cultural change because he is the embodiment of this attitude.

[Jarka 767]

It's actually not a bad decision by the club, we're going to lose a fair amount of experience this year so it makes sense to keep soemone who provides the type of leadership we're desperately needing. It also gives the coaching staff another year to make an assesment on who will be the next captain. The only issue will be whether he can hold his spot throughout the whole season, next year we'll have alot of younger guys fighting for spots in the midfield (Blease, Scully, Strauss, Grimes, Morton, McKenzie and potentially Trengove as well) so it makes sense.

[Roost It 1,434]

Played another Captain's game today.