Silly narrow-sighted post.

Why?

Far better to say "McLean's manager is a dog".

All managers will be saying this year and next, to players who are comming out of contract, "Don't rush to sign, let's wait and see if GC/GWS are interested. Even if you don't move you will get a better deal from your club".

No manager has ever been accused of having loyalty to a club. They get a percentage of the player's contracts. They don't get Premiership medals, Brownlows or other recognition. Few of them make any friends (or even understand the concept). So they will be uncouraging the players to hold out for the max and use and GC/GWS offer to drive up the next deal.

Think Melbourne Storm. The players' managers knew exactly what was going on and how it was being paid. Otherwise they might not have got their cut of it, which would be inconceivable.

Far better to say "McLean's manager is a dog".

All managers will be saying this year and next, to players who are comming out of contract, "Don't rush to sign, let's wait and see if GC/GWS are interested. Even if you don't move you will get a better deal from your club".

No manager has ever been accused of having loyalty to a club. They get a percentage of the player's contracts. They don't get Premiership medals, Brownlows or other recognition. Few of them make any friends (or even understand the concept). So they will be uncouraging the players to hold out for the max and use and GC/GWS offer to drive up the next deal.

Think Melbourne Storm. The players' managers knew exactly what was going on and how it was being paid. Otherwise they might not have got their cut of it, which would be inconceivable.

What happens if Stynes and Co. say to the players, we will look after you, your pay will be as high as we can afford, lets keep this bunch of boys together and win premierships because the greatest satisfaction one can get from life is human relations and the ability to create things.

By the way, MFC is the greatest and oldest club in the land who happens to be born out of the greatest stadium in the world and wears the most beautiful colors in the world and resides in the most magnificent city in the world.

Greed just might kill your dreams.

Look at McLean and Ball, their names are mud.

What happens if Stynes and Co. say to the players, we will look after you, your pay will be as high as we can afford, lets keep this bunch of boys together and win premierships because the greatest satisfaction one can get from life is human relations and the ability to create things.

By the way, MFC is the greatest and oldest club in the land who happens to be born out of the greatest stadium in the world and wears the most beautiful colors in the world and resides in the most magnificent city in the world.

Greed just might kill your dreams.

Look at McLean and Ball, their names are mud.

I agree to a point, but the problem is the club can not say to players that they will give them a life time contract. If the player is not up to it they will be delisted. It's hard sometimes for a player to give blind loyalty when it can not be returned. Sometimes players have to treat the game as a job and look after themselves long term. McClean did that. He knoew he would not be getting a game in a few years, so he moved on.

Did I just see Tommy McNamara nominated as a likely delisting???? I don't know where some people come up with this stuff...

Hardly surprising I suppose, last year people were tossing around Rohan Bail as a delisting despite it being just his first year on the list.

Did I just see Tommy McNamara nominated as a likely delisting???? I don't know where some people come up with this stuff...

Hardly surprising I suppose, last year people were tossing around Rohan Bail as a delisting despite it being just his first year on the list.

Don't take it out of context - it was a case of him being a more likely candidate than Bruce.

Which is true.

You'd usually keep the 200 gamer over a late pick from 2 years ago that has only played a few unspectacular games.

(but if I had my way...)

I'd suggest Addam Maric is closer to delisting than Tom McNamara.

I'd suggest Addam Maric is closer to delisting than Tom McNamara.

I'd agree actually.

edit: if he wasn't already signed for 2011

Meeshan and Newton would be the first 2 gone, followed by Miller.

Bell and McNamara are likely delistings also.

Based on that, 5 players are gone, with the addition of Junior if he retires (which I reckon mightn't actually happen). I can't see why the club would want to turn the list over by any more than this seeing the position they are in at the moment, and the compromised draft with the Gold Coast and Richmond (getting the concession picks for being so dreadfully bad, not for tanking like we did last year :-))

I agree about Bell going and probably Miller also, but Newton and Meesen are on the rookie list so that wont open up any senior spots.

If I remember correctly the club has to draft three players, so if we're to promote Mckenzie and Spencer that means we have to get rid of 5!

Miller & Bell are two, say Petterd gets poached by GC17 and McDonald retires we'd have 1 final person to cull. I'd be suprised if McNamara went, he's young and is promising. PJ maybe but that would leave ruck stocks after Jamar of Martin, Spencer, Gawn and Fitzpatrick, all still very inexperienced. That's why I think it could be Bruce or maybe even Dunn as the 5th person?

With so many of our young players doing so well, how would you plan on MFC being in the best position (financially) to keep them all?

By paying them under the table ... never ever back-fires.

Seriously, over the next few years as the club becomes more successful on and off the field we will become more attractive commercially. Hopefully we can secure some lucrative marketing/promotion (Visy style) work for our big names to keep them at the club when the team is at its peak. There have to be some business people out there with a soft spot for the Dees and some very deep pockets.

......................

ps. Mclean is a dog

Pathetic comment IMO. I'm not unhappy that Gysmo is now on our list and Brock isn't, but Brock gave a lot to the MFC, both on and off the field, including substantial contributions to Debt Demolition.

How does Lynden Dunn have a deal for 2011, wouldn't that mean we gave him a 2 year deal before the end of last year? Surely we wouldn't have given him a 3 year before the start of 2009. It's crazy if he does.

Surely as the last 3 to sign on last year Cheney, Bartram and McNamara only got one year deals?

I wouldn't worry about this. IMO we are looking like the next Geelong.

Let's just hope we're not looking like the next Melbourne Storm...

Junior is on the Veterans' list, hence his retirement only frees up a spot on the rookie list, not the senior list.

Apparently the GWS are making a big play for Dustin Martin, offering him up to $500k a year ......

if i was Richmond I would be fuming if this happened

Not necessarily. Martin would be on a 2 yr contract (end 2011). GWS would have to give up plenty to get him - maybe 2 picks in first 15? Who knows.

Depends a lot on what is on offer. The tiges are in big rebuilding - Martin looks good , but not that good.

Cheers Dee-luded, that's good to know he's out of contract at the end of this season, with McKenzie and Spencer probably coming off the rookie list at seasons end the hard call may well need to fall on a couple of players, Bruce may be one of them?

I won't celebrate anyones departure, but I will celebrate the continuing rebirthing of this great club. I can't remember ever being more content with the direction the club has followed in a half a century of being a Demon. BUT,,,the hard work & the hard decisions are just beginning to start.

In the not too distant future some very awkward decisions will have to be made when it comes to who stays on & who misses outat each seasons end. Bruce & no doubt others positions will be considered as we continue this relentless building of the club. And so it should.

this is my take on things

mcdonald retires

bell - delist

miller - delist/gc?

then we have to find at least another spot, and you would think one for mckenzie

with newton and meeson all but gone, i could see us leaving spencer on the rookie list,

and what about the idea of putting pj/fitzpatrick/gawn onto the rookie list as jamar and 2 of pj/gawn/fitzpatrick would be enough to cover ruck stocks

then the question is what happens to petterd and gold coast? if anything at all, if nothing then another guy to the rookie list could be a option

You can't just put players on the rookie list at will.

i know you cant, but using the same system as we did with newton and meeson, in other words if we can convince them to do it, could be an option to open up a spot for mckenzie or a draft pick

how would you open up 3 spots + 1 for mckenzie?

this is my take on things

mcdonald retires

bell - delist

miller - delist/gc?

then we have to find at least another spot, and you would think one for mckenzie

with newton and meeson all but gone, i could see us leaving spencer on the rookie list,

and what about the idea of putting pj/fitzpatrick/gawn onto the rookie list as jamar and 2 of pj/gawn/fitzpatrick would be enough to cover ruck stocks

then the question is what happens to petterd and gold coast? if anything at all, if nothing then another guy to the rookie list could be a option

All of you have forgotten that Spencer is from Queensland. He could be a target.

if we do lose spencer, then it still wont help free up senior spots,

if bell and miller go, we need to find 2 more for draft pick + mckenzie, just interested in how other people would do it, preferably without paying out contracts

i know you cant, but using the same system as we did with newton and meeson, in other words if we can convince them to do it, could be an option to open up a spot for mckenzie or a draft pick

how would you open up 3 spots + 1 for mckenzie?

There's always the possibility of delisting a player (to free up the mandatory three spots) and then redrafting him, which is something that St. Kilda did relatively recently (with Callaghan I think it was). I suppose it comes down to whether we believe the 36th player on our list is worth pick 50 or so, depending on how the draft order pans out.

In any case, there's no sense worrying about it in round seven. As the season progresses, the stocks of players always rise and fall based on performance, so the choice may be easier by the end of the year. I mean, 8 weeks ago we probably didn't hold out great hopes for guys like Bail or McKenzie to be retained at the end of the year, but look at where they are in the pecking order now (hopefully Hughes is in a similar place 8 weeks from now). Give it another 14 weeks (make that 17, after we win the GF) and I think the options might be a bit more clear.

P Johnson

Miller

Bell

Those guys are all in big trouble. Hard to see them holding onto their spots.

There will inevitably be another player, as the year progresses, whose performances slip away and will come under pressure. Remember there is the ever-present spectre of GC looming over the uncontracted players as well.

Recently my thoughts have drifted towards Jared Rivers being the top of the list of potential candidates they might be looking at from us. I continue to be bemused by people's fixation on GC only being interested in players born in QLD. Scott Clayton isn't an idiot.

YEah, I've been thinking Rivers too, but as you say Clayton isn't an idiot and I think Rivers has become expendable because the game has changed & passed him by - is this the type of player Clayton will want?

(he might have to take what he can get)

I think the most likely scenario at seasons end will be:

McDonald - retire

Green - takes McDonalds spot on veterans list

Petterd - Gold Coast (I hope not though)

Miller - delist

Bell - delsit

Johnson - delist (possibly redraft with 3rd pick in National draft.)

McKenzie - promote to senior list

Spencer - promote to senior list

Green being eligible for the Veteran's List next year is an interesting point. I hadn't picked that up.

Either way it is good because it opens up 50% of his salary back into our salary cap. But if Junior or Bruce did retire at season's end then it will affect our list spots. I'm just not sure either of those blokes will be ready to go. A lot will depend on how they go injury-wise throughout the year I suspect.