Cameron Bruce

[Choko 493]

The reason he didn't get an assurance from the club is not because of our track record, it's because the club was offering a 1 year contract not a 2 year contract. If we guarentee him an extention it's no different from a 2 year contract. The club was seriously burnt at the end of the Daniher era by the sudden end to great careers and is right to protect itself.

I think, and it's only my opinion, that the club was forced to act on Junior because Dunn, Bartram and possibly Bail saved their careers this season. I said in some thread at the start of this year that we didn't have enough potentially delistable players coming out of contract and that if a few found form we'd be in trouble. It gets worse next year.

Finding delistings is going to be very difficult next year. Martin and Maric look all but gone. After that it get's hard. Wonaemirri? Warnock? After that it gets REALLY hard. You either get rid of project talls after 2 years in Fitzpatrick and Gawn, break contracts, Trade players out for whatever you can get or consider Gysberts, Scully, Morton, Sylvia or Green. Everyone else is contracted until at least the end of 2012. We must delist at least 3. The club would have been negligent to be giving assurances about contract extentions in that environment. If 2 of Martin, Maric, Wonna, Warnock or, dare I say it, even Newton finish next season in our best 22, Bruce may have been in the gun.

Anyway, I'm happy the club stuck to it's guns. This will cost us a bit in the short term, but nothing in the medium to long term imo.

That's all fair enough and reasonable.

BUT: For whatever reason, people are framing it as if Cam was saying "I want to be assured that you will pick me each week". Quite frankly, that's rubbish. No player is that selfish or unrealistic, let alone someone in a leadership group. What he wanted assurance on is that he was part of the plan and that if he was still playing well, he wouldn't be forcibly retired. And I think that's fair enough.

I think there's little doubt Cam could see the writing on the wall - delistings getting harder next year, our trashing on Junior. So he made a self-interest call to go when he had currency and was wanted.

What the club stuffed up on was, NO SH*T HE MADE THAT DECISION. We got nothing for him, and we could have gotten good value from Hawks, Carlton, etc... You reap what you sow MFC, and the Junior decision was just rotten.

And for those of you who think Cam's crap, explain why he will slot into the 22 of a premiership contender in 2011?

[Choko 493]

Can those that think this situation:

Is because we shafted our captain!!

Means we can't entice and keep players at the club!!

Doesn't bode well for negotiations with Scully, Grimes et al.

....please leave the talking up to the grown ups?

Thanking you in advance

A non-sufferer of MFCSS

rpfc

I am far from a sufferer of MFCSS, and my track record will demonstrate it. I am also unfortunately a grown-up. But if you think that there is no impact in forcing your captain and selfless clubman into retirement before he is ready to go, when he is playing good footy, you are dreaming. Ask anyone what happened at the MFC when we traded Andy Lovell.

[Roost It 1,434]

The club continues to make the right decisions. You can't expect the players to be tough if the clubs weak.

[Pink Freud 378]

I don't quite understand your logic Choko.

According to the Sunday Herald Sun today -

Cameron Bruce walks out on Demons

"It is understood Bruce was happy enough with a one-year commitment, even though the Demons were offering slightly less than what he wanted.

"But he also wanted assurances and positivity about his own place as the club embarks on a determined youth drive."

You are not only suggesting this is untrue but that the real reason is that he was reluctant to commit to the club because of the way it made Junior Mac (a player three years his senior) move on at the end of the season. In other words, that Melbourne should have departed from its standard policy with veterans and offered him more security by agreeing to an extra year on his contract offer.

Either way, that would be a case of the tail wagging the dog and an unacceptable way for the club to deal in the circumstances.

I also question whether an over 30 would have much currency in the trades so I think that argument holds little water, as does your analogy with Jack Grimes.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

He will be lucky to play 12 games for his new club.

Between his mindset and soft tissue injuries.It will look great we have the extra $$$ for players with real talent.IMHO

I don't want his style of leadership/maturity infecting the young blokes.Brad Green,Beamer,Jones and Aaron Davey will do nice enough thanks.

We have put up with likes of Bruce since '64.Close enough is not good enough.I for one am sick of waiting.WE need to be ruthless.

And it's about time. Good to see some ruthlessness with dead wood. It must be remembered many of the clean out players had very long standing careers in a average to mediocre team for most of their time. Their "experience" will no longer infect the club.

[furious d 472]

I am far from a sufferer of MFCSS, and my track record will demonstrate it. I am also unfortunately a grown-up. But if you think that there is no impact in forcing your captain and selfless clubman into retirement before he is ready to go, when he is playing good footy, you are dreaming. Ask anyone what happened at the MFC when we traded Andy Lovell.

The club should have moved on Neitz a year earlier. We'll never know if the club made the right call on Junior but 5 weeks out for a hammy does hint that his body might have struggled. Players can't always see that it's time to go aand the club doesn't owe players pension years.

At a similar stage of their development Hawthorn sacked their skipper, Vandenburg, let Everitt walk because he wouldn't agree to a 1 year deal and enforced 1 year contracts on Crawf for the remainder of his career. Didn't turn out too bad for them.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

Some people must think we play in something like a bush league where good clubmen can play for as long as they like.

[beelzebub 23,390]

Is it Christmas already ?

[Freddy Fuschia 764]

Questions without notice.

(a) If Bruce is picked up by the Gold Coast Suns in any of the forthcoming drafts, is Melbourne entitled to compensation for losing an uncontracted player to that club? and

(B) If so, what would that compensation be?

[praha 11,253]

I'm not going to fall for it. The club is going to come out looking bad in all of this, but if a 31 year old won't accept a reasonable deal at 31 at a club he has spent his whole career at and made a crap load of money at, my bet is he already has a deal on the table from another club, or several others. You don't just walk out on a club that has your best mate, new facilities, high promise etc. etc. If he has, his ego is bigger than any of us imagined.

In saying that, this doesn't look good for the club. They've said goodbye to so many veteran players now, and it might be hard to attract free agents in future if they aren't confident they're going to be supported by the club until they retire.

[Summer Blease 0]

Cam, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, just ask CJ..

You have traded in your legacy to protect your own ego at my clubs' expense. You have shi.t all over your family of the past 10 years and concluded your career at the MFC with a little "FU" to boot.

Classy Cam.

Thanks for showing your true colours after sucking on the teet for so long. And good luck at your new club. Hopefully, for your sake they can adjust to your NQR disposal like we have learnt to..

I look forward to booing you, and Beamer putting you on your arse. That will bring me a smile!!

[Redleg 41,933]

Questions without notice.

(a) If Bruce is picked up by the Gold Coast Suns in any of the forthcoming drafts, is Melbourne entitled to compensation for losing an uncontracted player to that club? and

(B) If so, what would that compensation be?

Good point. It has been asked before and not yet answered by anyone with reference to an AFL rule. If for example he was lured to leave the Dees by the Suns and go in the PSD then surely we would be entitled to some compo. The reason this is not the case, is probably because if they wanted him, they could have done a deal with no penalty to them and left their PSD spot open. So to answer your question without the knowledge of an AFL rule, I would be pretty confident that if the Suns draft him, we will get nothing other than another player through the Rookie draft, as he was a veteran.

PS. I hope the rookie we draft has a long career with us.

[Redleg 41,933]

I don't quite understand your logic Choko.

According to the Sunday Herald Sun today -

Cameron Bruce walks out on Demons

"It is understood Bruce was happy enough with a one-year commitment, even though the Demons were offering slightly less than what he wanted.

"But he also wanted assurances and positivity about his own place as the club embarks on a determined youth drive."

You are not only suggesting this is untrue but that the real reason is that he was reluctant to commit to the club because of the way it made Junior Mac (a player three years his senior) move on at the end of the season. In other words, that Melbourne should have departed from its standard policy with veterans and offered him more security by agreeing to an extra year on his contract offer.

Either way, that would be a case of the tail wagging the dog and an unacceptable way for the club to deal in the circumstances.

I also question whether an over 30 would have much currency in the trades so I think that argument holds little water, as does your analogy with Jack Grimes.

Good post. I would imagine Cam has had the Hawks offer of probably a 2 year deal at similar money to our offer for each year, in his back pocket for a number of weeks now.

[GRUN DEE 69]

The club should have moved on Neitz a year earlier. We'll never know if the club made the right call on Junior but 5 weeks out for a hammy does hint that his body might have struggled. Players can't always see that it's time to go aand the club doesn't owe players pension years.

At a similar stage of their development Hawthorn sacked their skipper, Vandenburg, let Everitt walk because he wouldn't agree to a 1 year deal and enforced 1 year contracts on Crawf for the remainder of his career. Didn't turn out too bad for them.

Totally agree with all your comments 'Furious D'!

I have full confidence in the FD and our list management.

Don't worry fellow Dee's! We are on our path to great things. Premierships!

We have a path and will not deviate... We great have heads in place at the MFC.

We must be the youngest team in the comp. Macca & Bruce gone! You could be mistaken we are a TAC Cup side.

The baby Demon's are getting set too ignite!

[furious d 472]

I'm not going to fall for it. The club is going to come out looking bad in all of this, but if a 31 year old won't accept a reasonable deal at 31 at a club he has spent his whole career at and made a crap load of money at, my bet is he already has a deal on the table from another club, or several others. You don't just walk out on a club that has your best mate, new facilities, high promise etc. etc. If he has, his ego is bigger than any of us imagined.

In saying that, this doesn't look good for the club. They've said goodbye to so many veteran players now, and it might be hard to attract free agents in future if they aren't confident they're going to be supported by the club until they retire.

How many players at any club can be confident their club will back them until THEY retire? Football is a highly competitive business and you perform or you're out the door.

If we chase a free agent it's pretty obvious we want them. You don't offer someone 3 years on good coin so you can retire them as soon as you can.

I'm amazed that so soon after the disaster that was 2007/2008, people want to return to the Daniher era policy of letting players decide when their time is up.

[DemonTux 97]

yze_magic will be drunk for the next week hearing that news.

still, I will miss yelling BRUCE when he gets the ball.... even with questions over his skill, he was still one of my most fave players. RIP CB

[ox_5 163]

To me, this is great news. Sure, he would probably be best 22, but I'm all for going with the kids. Bruce leaving gives us a chance to blood some more youngsters - Blease, Tapscott etc, maybe even Strauss can grab hold of his chance as our designated kicker off half back.

I wont miss him, thats for sure. No more hospital handpasses to Scully, nearly putting the poor kid on a stretcher.

The funny thing is, if he does go to the Hawks, they only offer 1 year deals to players over 30 also, and I would be very surprised they would change this for a player like Bruce. Crawf couldn't get one, why would Bruce.

Theres a long way to go yet, I am sure that there are more people in his ear. With Nixon as his manager he will be sucking as many dollars as he can off the poor club who takes him in off the street.

Dont let the door hit your backside on the way out Cam.

[Inner Demon 1]

Cam gets a lot of undue credit for being a leader based solely on his age and experience. Unfortunately he has always been pretty selfish and money hungry. He is a true relic of the Daniher era where the best players were considered bigger than the club and he's pushed back against the club's youth led revival in recent years in a way we didn't see from the true leaders and clubmen like Neitz & Junior. Put simply he hasn't been on board with the rest of the Club and now he's gone because of it. This is neither a sad or happy day, it's just another day that will not significantly alter the upwards trajectory of the Club either way. Don't be sucked in by claims this is a flow-on from Junior's retirement. The man himself made peace with that long ago and if he has then I don't see much basis for claims that a selfish bloke like Cam Bruce is staging some sort of ethical protest on his behalf.

[olgreydingo 51]

Ricky Nixon is a mercenary as a player manager he has one of the worst reputations as i understand, i hope Cam wasn't sucked in by Nixon's smoke and mirrors.

All the best Cam you have been a great at the MFC.

[dees189227 12,453]

Im disappointed Cameron has left. I know people have bagged his disposal and saying he wont be missed but last season he was great in the backline. The thing is if Green goes down next season with a long term injury then we are stuffed in terms of on field leadership. Davey isnt captain material until he has learnt to find a way to stop getting sucked in by his opponent and getting pushed around, Grimes is still young and we have Moloney but he can only do so much and Miller has gone. If Bruce left because of money then I would be really annoyed but obviously he wants to chase that premiership.

Maybe Bails couldnt guarantee him a full season in the 1sts which would be stupid. Or maybe at 31 Cam could see us not winning a premiership in the next few years and know that the hawks can win one. I dont begrudge him of that. We havent won a flag in 46 years. Whose to say we will win one in 2 years. We still have to prove we are a top 8 team. I think it will take longer for a flag. If he ends up at hawthorn or stkilda that wont bother me. I just dont want to see him in the black and white.

This has basically given Green the captaincy surely. I never thought I would see the day where Michael Newton is still at this club and James McDonald and Cameron Bruce have gone.

I just hope the same thing doesnt happen to Green next year and we find ourselves down the same path.

[Rogue 585]

The reason he didn't get an assurance from the club is not because of our track record, it's because the club was offering a 1 year contract not a 2 year contract. If we guarentee him an extention it's no different from a 2 year contract. The club was seriously burnt at the end of the Daniher era by the sudden end to great careers and is right to protect itself.

I think, and it's only my opinion, that the club was forced to act on Junior because Dunn, Bartram and possibly Bail saved their careers this season. I said in some thread at the start of this year that we didn't have enough potentially delistable players coming out of contract and that if a few found form we'd be in trouble. It gets worse next year.

Finding delistings is going to be very difficult next year. Martin and Maric look all but gone. After that it get's hard. Wonaemirri? Warnock? After that it gets REALLY hard. You either get rid of project talls after 2 years in Fitzpatrick and Gawn, break contracts, Trade players out for whatever you can get or consider Gysberts, Scully, Morton, Sylvia or Green. Everyone else is contracted until at least the end of 2012. We must delist at least 3. The club would have been negligent to be giving assurances about contract extentions in that environment. If 2 of Martin, Maric, Wonna, Warnock or, dare I say it, even Newton finish next season in our best 22, Bruce may have been in the gun.

Anyway, I'm happy the club stuck to it's guns. This will cost us a bit in the short term, but nothing in the medium to long term imo.

Jetta says hi. I doubt it'll be hard - you only need to get rid of three. How long is Strauss contracted for? He's another, but he may have just got two years. Newton is a rookie, so he's irrelevant.

Im disappointed Cameron has left. I know people have bagged his disposal and saying he wont be missed but last season he was great in the backline. The thing is if Green goes down next season with a long term injury then we are stuffed in terms of on field leadership.

Some would say that Bruce is part of the reason our on-field leadership has been poor over the years...

[DeeM 42]

unlike most, i dont like this.

Yes its probably good for the club. But what are our young players ment to think, when they see one of our best, our captain and Vice-captain get pushed out......

This may hurt us.....

Good lucky Brucey. I've always rated you

[Choko 493]

Cam gets a lot of undue credit for being a leader based solely on his age and experience. Unfortunately he has always been pretty selfish and money hungry. He is a true relic of the Daniher era where the best players were considered bigger than the club and he's pushed back against the club's youth led revival in recent years in a way we didn't see from the true leaders and clubmen like Neitz & Junior. Put simply he hasn't been on board with the rest of the Club and now he's gone because of it. This is neither a sad or happy day, it's just another day that will not significantly alter the upwards trajectory of the Club either way. Don't be sucked in by claims this is a flow-on from Junior's retirement. The man himself made peace with that long ago and if he has then I don't see much basis for claims that a selfish bloke like Cam Bruce is staging some sort of ethical protest on his behalf.

Honestly mate, u should be embarrassed by that.

Cam made a decision in his self interest, as you and I do every day.

It's not a question of making an ethical protest, its a question of the interests if his career. I think he's made the wrong choices, but that's beside the point.

But your accusations that cam has pushed back against the youth led revival is simply made up to promote yourself. There are a number of players who nominate cam as a role model. Also, whilst he was never captain material, you're being a keyboard hero suggesting he offered no leadership except his age. His work ethic and honesty was very much valued.

We will move on from him, he's hardly indispensable, but don't speak rubbish.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

unlike most, i dont like this.

Yes its probably good for the club. But what are our young players ment to think, when they see one of our best, our captain and Vice-captain get pushed out......

This may hurt us.....

Good lucky Brucey. I've always rated you

Our young players will look at Green, who at 29 is most likely going to be our new captain.

This has nothing to do with age, and everything to do with wise list management. Bruce simply wasn't good enough in his later years to warrant a longer contract or a guaranteed spot in the side. In fact, nobody is ever guaranteed a spot in the side.

This is the nature of footy. Players come and players go. If the rest of the group can't deal with that, I suggest they go look for a new profession. We have done nothing wrong by Bruce, it was simply a matter of two parties not coming to a mutual agreement. It is not our job as a club to bend over backwards to keep someone who is on the fringes.

[Inner Demon 1]

Honestly mate, u should be embarrassed by that.

Cam made a decision in his self interest, as you and I do every day.

It's not a question of making an ethical protest, its a question of the interests if his career. I think he's made the wrong choices, but that's beside the point.

But your accusations that cam has pushed back against the youth led revival is simply made up to promote yourself. There are a number of players who nominate cam as a role model. Also, whilst he was never captain material, you're being a keyboard hero suggesting he offered no leadership except his age. His work ethic and honesty was very much valued.

We will move on from him, he's hardly indispensable, but don't speak rubbish.

Not made up accusations at all. Yes, Cam is a good trainer and in that sense he had leadership qualities insofar as setting an example for how to be a professional footballer. That's not in question. But he was never a promoter of clubmanship and very much a holdout of the old ways where the players were not expected to be a part of a bigger footy club culture, but rather told they were more important than that. He has often been heard in recent years talking through gritted teeth about the youth culture at the club and resented that he was no longer the one with his name up in lights. These are observations made from close range, not the grandstand. He has and always will be on the "What the club do for me" side of the fence as opposed to "what can I do for the club".