No, he decided he wanted a flag, and he is too weak to come out and say that.

He keeps on mentioning his 'future' - he didn't get younger moving to Hawthorn...

And if you are a 224 game veteran on the coin he was on - you should take the $300k we offered. He didn't because we won't win a flag before 2012 (his last year) and that is that.

Exaclty!! Francis Leach pretty much tried to get that out of Bruce. The silence said it all

It was a brilliant moment, wasn't it?

Franc Leach is great.

I think Bruce is a True professional,,, thinks with his head, of his bank account first,,, rather than his heart, & Team Principles.

Hmm played like that too!

I have no problems with mercenaries with the proviso they acknowledge that they are . All this reinvention of a putrid and tacky period of Melb -Bruce history is just pure and utter bullish!t !

And to think some wanted him captain !! Uuuurghhhh !!

It'll be good playing the sqawkers; finally some Dees will get decent possessions through Cams inevitable coughing up of the pill !

Cerdit though where due . He, CB is obviously quite literate as he could plainly read the writing on the wall !!

Intersting sidenote really : Our (Mfc) bar must be set higher than theirs (Hfc). Good

It was a brilliant moment, wasn't it?

Franc Leach is great.

Ever since the great days on the J's, the man knows how to ask a question.

Cam Bruce GAWN to Hawthorn

Just hope GAWN doesn't and he becomes a superstar for the MFC.

He bangs on about how nothing influenced his decision and how he was just doing what was best for both parties. Blah, blah, blah...

Have I missed something here? Surely he knew he wanted to leave before trade week was over if "nothing external influenced his decision". Wouldn't it have been better for both parties if he informed the club of this so they could negotiate a trade during trade week? He'd not have had to roll the die in the pre-season draft and we could have received fair compensation for his services (surely we'd get something).

He left us and has given us nothing in return for our years of, from what I understand, generous contacts. So glad he was looking out for the MFC. Thanks for nuthin' Bruce. I hope someone mistakes your brown and yellow trackies as a urinal and gives it to you.

Moving on...

They obviously did not make the contract attractive enough.

Bruce decided he would be ruthless

Now there's real 'hand in hand' words,,, Bruce & Ruthless! really!

It was a brilliant moment, wasn't it?

Franc Leach is great.

Yes i have listened to that podcast a few times now. Cameron is not to comfortable, particularly with the Ox sitting right there.

He is going to cop a hiding in Round 2, no doubt!

with that attitude the club will be no more than a retirement village, that finishes no better than 10th each year.

Enough being Thrashed in September...I want Flags.

Cameron should have backed himself to succeed in this club..sorry we raised the bar.

SPOT ON!!!

Hi All

I'm not sure if anyone else heard this but I was listening to Kevin Bartlett and he was talking footy with one of the journo's he has on his program.He said that Cam Bruce was not happy with the Best and Fairest count.If he was top 5 he would get some sort of bonus and he was unhappy about the votes for one of the rounds,he thought he should have got 3 votes but didn't get any therefore missed out on his bonus,apparently he was very angry and the journo said that is what he had heard CB was like.That's what I heard from the journo so take it as you like but if he is like that,the Dees are better of without him.I was gutted when I heard he was leaving and then heard this and thought the young kids don't need leaders like that

Bruce has always been more concerned about remunerations than most other things.

The truth will out and it gradually is .

Rpfc's summation is solidifying by the minute.!

Not sure if that above story is true, but it seems consistent with his character.

There are few matches he played in which I would have awarded him votes, personally.

Not sure if that above story is true, but it seems consistent with his character.

There are few matches he played in which I would have awarded him votes, personally.

Yes it will be interesting to see how Cameron plays within the Hawthorn ethos.

They have always been tough ruthless Bastards in my eyes, not the style of player Bruce is.

He wouldn't want to avoid to many confrontations me thinks. Hawk supporters will fry him.

Yes it will be interesting to see how Cameron plays within the Hawthorn ethos.

They have always been tough ruthless Bastards in my eyes, not the style of player Bruce is.

He wouldn't want to avoid to many confrontations me thinks. Hawk supporters will fry him.

Yes, his physicality at the contest will certainly be under the spotlight at Hawthorn.

With Campbell Brown out and Bruce in the fans will be super critical if he baulks a contest

Amongst all the to-ing & fro-ing on this thread, I must add a "+1" to demoniac's post.

"Good list management all round for mine by the Dees. ... The whole club is focussed on winning a flag and finally there are no easy rides for senior players. Spots in the best 22 have to be earned by consistent performance not reputation. Its probably been..oh.. 46 years or so since this was truly the case."

I too cannot fault the current FD's list management, including the unfolding Bruce saga. Bruce was an ageing over-paid player in an emerging team & his place in the side was increasingly tenuous. MFC made their decision (correctly IMHO) and he's made his decision. Let's just see what happens in 2011.

Hi All

I'm not sure if anyone else heard this but I was listening to Kevin Bartlett and he was talking footy with one of the journo's he has on his program.He said that Cam Bruce was not happy with the Best and Fairest count.If he was top 5 he would get some sort of bonus and he was unhappy about the votes for one of the rounds,he thought he should have got 3 votes but didn't get any therefore missed out on his bonus,apparently he was very angry and the journo said that is what he had heard CB was like.That's what I heard from the journo so take it as you like but if he is like that,the Dees are better of without him.I was gutted when I heard he was leaving and then heard this and thought the young kids don't need leaders like that

We want people/players who are competitive/Hungry,,, pardon the pun,,, for Cups, Silverware,,, NOT watching the next stage of their salary scale in order to achieve some Self Indulgence, rather than the Club objective of satisfying all staff & members/supporters.

This should be the ONLY Thing.

Yes, his physicality at the contest will certainly be under the spotlight at Hawthorn.

With Campbell Brown out and Bruce in the fans will be super critical if he baulks a contest

Now that would have been a trade I'd consider.. Brown, a player many dislike,,, but highly influential.

This thread is an absolute embarrassment, full of keyboard warriors.

Cam Bruce was, in my opinion, Melbourne’s best player over the past 10 years. He knows that his days are numbered at Melbourne, so he has looked for an opportunity elsewhere in the hope of extending his career.

Football is his livelihood. Is anyone who is bagging him for not being a one club player going to pay his Mortgage in 2011? Anyone kicking in for McDonalds kids School fees this year? Decades ago players like Robbie Flower had jobs to go to and a life ready for when football was over, now they are professionals and they make decisions based on what is best for them and their families. Most of you praise the Club for being professional about the list management and not letting emotion get in the way, but bag a player for not making emotional decisions? Can’t have it both ways.

He was a great servant of the Club and deserves respect, he has decided to move on and it is not a huge loss to the club. Good luck to him.

No, you may be missing the point.

Yes it's a business...but you are only looking at it from the players prspective.

The club also looks at it as a business and their core business is to win flags.

Part of that is to develop and focus on the players that will achieve this goal.

I think you will find the club will do all we can to keep those that are part of our priemiership plan. Unfortunalty I don't the club and or Bruce thought he was part of that (or at least that was a year to year proposition ) and hence they parted ways.

I don't blame him for leaving and can understand why he left. I hope he finds what he is looking for at the Hawks.

But I also understand why the club didn't offer him more. We offered him 1 year on good money as that is what he was worth to us. The simple fact of the matter is that at 31 Bruce may not have been part of our bigger picture and quire frankly is not worth 2 years. If he was he would have got that on the open market, he didn't. And like any good business we didn't more for something than it is worth to us.

You also brought up white, robbo, yze. The same thing applies, if they were still viewed as capable at the top level after they were cut by us they also would have got contracts, they didn't.

The club is well aware it is a business, and the threats that exist which is why we are employing smart business tactics such as pre paying contracts and creating a surplus in our cap to guard against advances from other clubs and compete with them on business terms.

The club is making some very astute business decisions. Decisions that directly align with it's goal...to win a flag.

And getting rid of of Junior and Cam is hardly going to see us gain any momentum in 2011. I think we will struggle due to our serious lack of EXPERIENCE. BTW for those who think Bruce walked out consider his comment that Bailey and co showed complete CONTEMPT towards him. Akin to them saying,"Thanks mate for 11 great seasons, here is the door." Fitness, not age, should have been considered here and Bruce certainly doesn't have any fitness problems. I mean, is 31 really ancient? Remember Robert Harvey and Craig Bradley? They were in their late 30's and still playing great footy. Sad also to see the comments here of the old Bruce knockers. They just can't help themselves with all their completely inaccurate crap about him as a player.

Remember Robert Harvey and Craig Bradley?

Harvey - 2 brownlows

Bradley - 3 flags

Apples with oranges. Please ...

Harvey - 2 brownlows

Bradley - 3 flags

Apples with oranges. Please ...

Was I trying to compare Bruce 's ability with theirs? No way, I was just pointing out that one can play well beyond the age of 30 and continue to play well.

This thread is an absolute embarrassment, full of keyboard warriors.

Cam Bruce was, in my opinion, Melbourne’s best player over the past 10 years. He knows that his days are numbered at Melbourne, so he has looked for an opportunity elsewhere in the hope of extending his career.

Football is his livelihood. Is anyone who is bagging him for not being a one club player going to pay his Mortgage in 2011? Anyone kicking in for McDonalds kids School fees this year? Decades ago players like Robbie Flower had jobs to go to and a life ready for when football was over, now they are professionals and they make decisions based on what is best for them and their families. Most of you praise the Club for being professional about the list management and not letting emotion get in the way, but bag a player for not making emotional decisions? Can’t have it both ways.

He was a great servant of the Club and deserves respect, he has decided to move on and it is not a huge loss to the club. Good luck to him.

Keyboard warriors?

You've just embarrassed yourself.

This is a football forum for people to give opinions.

It seems most people's opinion is that he was soft and overrated.

You disagree. Not need to introduce insults.

And getting rid of of Junior and Cam is hardly going to see us gain any momentum in 2011. I think we will struggle due to our serious lack of EXPERIENCE. BTW for those who think Bruce walked out consider his comment that Bailey and co showed complete CONTEMPT towards him. Akin to them saying,"Thanks mate for 11 great seasons, here is the door." Fitness, not age, should have been considered here and Bruce certainly doesn't have any fitness problems. I mean, is 31 really ancient? Remember Robert Harvey and Craig Bradley? They were in their late 30's and still playing great footy. Sad also to see the comments here of the old Bruce knockers. They just can't help themselves with all their completely inaccurate crap about him as a player.

I have said before we won't miss his hot potatoe and hospital handpasses putting team mates under pressure.

That is not to dismiss his contribution - no-one gets 200 games without having something to offer - he won his own ball, gave us drive through the middle, and took on highly rated opponents and often did the job on them.

But I also listened to the Leach/Ox interview and that question Leach asked about finals said it all - in the end CB was most concerned with how it went for CB.

I'd like to think that there is something honorable in playing out your time with one club and playing a part in preparing future success even if you yourself were not going to be there to participate directly - that was the least of CB's opportunity, and he spurned it.

More fool him.

This thread is an absolute embarrassment, full of keyboard warriors.

Cam Bruce was, in my opinion, Melbourne’s best player over the past 10 years. He knows that his days are numbered at Melbourne, so he has looked for an opportunity elsewhere in the hope of extending his career.

Football is his livelihood. Is anyone who is bagging him for not being a one club player going to pay his Mortgage in 2011? Anyone kicking in for McDonalds kids School fees this year? Decades ago players like Robbie Flower had jobs to go to and a life ready for when football was over, now they are professionals and they make decisions based on what is best for them and their families. Most of you praise the Club for being professional about the list management and not letting emotion get in the way, but bag a player for not making emotional decisions? Can’t have it both ways.

He was a great servant of the Club and deserves respect, he has decided to move on and it is not a huge loss to the club. Good luck to him.

Apart from your thoughts that he won't be a huge loss, I thought your comments were spot on. A fair minded poster at last!