Good Bruce Bad Bruce

[Choko 493]

I don't understand this sentence.

All 5 of the named sides have won premierships in the past 15 years. So when we criticise how they have done things differently, we might not want to be too smug. Clearer?!

Edited November 8, 2010 by Choko

[e25 5]

But... These decisions may win us a premiership!

No one is being smug, but what relevance does previous premierships have in this conversation..?

[rpfc 27,591]

All 5 of the named sides have won premierships in the past 15 years. So when we criticise how they have done things differently, we might not want to be too smug. Clearer?!

We weren't criticising them.

We were illustrating how every club has these issues to contend with.

All clubs have players they push out the door before they are ready to leave.

Why? Because no-one wants to leave.

They envision the Churchill quote and stay past their use-by.

[Choko 493]

But... These decisions may win us a premiership!

No one is being smug, but what relevance does previous premierships have in this conversation..?

Maybe none, and of course we hope we are doing things cleverly. But it's relevant that other clubs don't treat their captains and veterants in the same way we have. Relevant to culture.

[Deeman 1,403]

All 5 sides that can rightly claim to have made more better decisions than we have over the journey, unfortunately including Collingwood.

Right and at last we are now getting better at it too!

[demoniac 1,243]

Maybe none, and of course we hope we are doing things cleverly. But it's relevant that other clubs don't treat their captains and veterants in the same way we have. Relevant to culture.

In the old days older players had to be cajoled in to playing on for another season. Most could earm more momey at a regular job or by playing/coaching at lower levels. Now they are payed so well that most will try and play on for as long as they can even when their form is faltering. I don't blame then for that but it does mean that it is necessary for the club to be proactive in getting players to retire when their time is up or to take 1 year contracts at a lower amount that reflects their declining form as they get older.

In short for mine the Bruce decision is a good one. By all accounts he was very professional in the way he trained and prepared so his leadership in that regard will be missed but other players such as Scully can also provide that. On the field I never thught he displayed much leadership so I don't think that we will see an impact there.

[Fat Tony 4,469]

This is Bad.

Sure he wasn't amazing - but provided crucial rebound whilst shutting down an opponent, week after week.

He deserved more than a 1 year contract.

Giving him only 1 year meant he could be pushed out at the end of next year, even when he knew his body would still very likely be fine. Just like poor J-Mac last year. Awful way to treat him.

We forget how many games our legends like Robbo & J-Mac won us, we should be backing them in when they say they're right to go around again.

Maybe we should focus on that rather than keeping hacks like Newton around the club. I mean, c'mon. Like he deserves to share in our success?

This upsets me. Club champions should get more than 1 year contracts if there is nothing wrong with them.

Poor form Bailey.

I agree with this. I also think Bailey is walking a fine line in terms of doing considerable damage to our club culture. Tanking in late 2009 was very distasteful but had to be done. Retiring players while they were still clearly in our best 22 was unpleasant to witness but was also the right call. However, I think Bailey now needs to turn it around and show the players (particularly those that are getting long in the tooth) that he wants us to start winning. It is impossible to motivate the team on one hand and forever play for the future on the other. The older players are not stupid and are the key leaders of our young stars. Bailey needs to now demonstrate to them that he is trying for a premiership in their window. He needs to start doing this by now picking our best 22 each week.

Moreover, I still think Bruce had a lot to offer as a player and is criminally underrated on this site. He was our leading possession winner last season, one of our best stoppers and was one of our key leaders. He was also costing us nothing in terms of a space on the list for two years. He was also one of our fittest players and, despite the rubbish written on here, he had not yet seen a major drop off in performance. While Bruce turned the ball over more often than most, he also got it 25 times per game and generally nullified his opponent. It would not surprise me if he plays another 50 games for his new club.

[drdrake 3,047]

I am starting to love the Dean Bailey attitude, you don't want to be at the MFC see you later, this is our offer this is what we believe you are worth if you don't like it close the door on the way out.

Credit to Bruce this is stability if he stayed with Melbourne and had an average year he was gone, he goes and gets a 2 year deal thats another year of good income. If I was offered a one year contract worth 300,000 and another company offered me a two year contract worth $250,000 per year I would take the two year deal.

[Mazer Rackham 14,970]

"90% of football is half mental" - RD Barassi

'Twere Yogi Berra that said that. Barassi is innocent.

The actual quote: "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical."

[Chook 14,602]

The Barassi quote, if true, actually makes mathematical sense.

9/10f = 1/2m+x

1/10f = y

where f = football, m = mental, x = other stuff, y = other, other stuff.

[agent_orange 0]

You know what all those players have in common. None of them have a Premiership Medallion. Well played MFC. When you play a hard sport you need to play hard.

No MFC player has a premiership medallion since 1964.

[Rogue 585]

Mostly through education, insight and enforcing my correct views on others.

Hah.

[John Crow Batty 8,286]

The Barassi quote, if true, actually makes mathematical sense.

9/10f = 1/2m+x

1/10f = y

where f = football, m = mental, x = other stuff, y = other, other stuff.

I didn't realise chickens were so smart:)

[Roost It 1,434]

No MFC player has a premiership medallion since 1964.

Exactly

[Roost It 1,434]

Moreover, I still think Bruce had a lot to offer as a player and is criminally underrated on this site. He was our leading possession winner last season, one of our best stoppers and was one of our key leaders. He was also costing us nothing in terms of a space on the list for two years. He was also one of our fittest players and, despite the rubbish written on here, he had not yet seen a major drop off in performance. While Bruce turned the ball over more often than most, he also got it 25 times per game and generally nullified his opponent. It would not surprise me if he plays another 50 games for his new club.

He also regularly left the hard ball for others. Sure he had his attributes but the club is marking its ground and I for one am loving it.

[Toorak 108]

Bring James McDonald out of retirement. We certainly will miss his leadership.

[John Crow Batty 8,286]

Bring James McDonald out of retirement. We certainly will miss his leadership.

How can we miss it yet. Nothings happened since since he retired.

[Demon17 4,624]

I AGREE.

All of these players should have been given extended contracts until they were ready to retire.

The club winning a premiership is not important, the important thing is making sure players who are past it are still happy to take our money in return for lacklustre performances.

I need to stick up for E25.

This is a business and the good of the club is what's important - after 11 years of being in the top 2% of salary earners in the country - for playing football FCS - when time is up, guess what - It's up.

Bruce, Robbo, Yze weren't the first to fall into this trap and Bruce won't be the last.

Just another example of the astute management and coaching positon this club now finds itself.

Pretty refreshing i reckon.

[AllenIsLord13 1]

Exactly

so waddya mean fella?

No player since 64 deserves ours, or MFC's, respect?

Must be pretty short convo's when you explain to people why you love the Deez!

[Bobby McKenzie 2,194]

he walked !!!... wanted more $$$$ and captaincy !!!!

Where exactly was captaincy ever mentioned in all this unjust move by the MFC? Simply, Bailey and Co said, "it is time to give Cam the heave ho. He's old. Offer him a ridiculous contract.That will get rid of him." They could hardly ask him to retire as well as Junior could they? Very clever and sneaky indeed.

[rpfc 27,591]

Where exactly was captaincy ever mentioned in all this unjust move by the MFC? Simply, Bailey and Co said, "it is time to give Cam the heave ho. He's old. Offer him a ridiculous contract.That will get rid of him." They could hardly ask him to retire as well as Junior could they? Very clever and sneaky indeed.

TB is excitable for sure, but screaming hypocrisy:

How do you know it was a ridiculous contract?

I will tell you one thing, Sheahan alluded to this in the Hun, Bruce has been on ridiculous coin for years.

Edited November 8, 2010 by rpfc

[H_T 2,941]

I will tell you one thing, Sheahan alluded to this in the Hun, Bruce has been on ridiculous coin for years.

The type of coin the top 15-20 players in the AFL would be on. Bruce hasn't been top 15-20. He's hardly ever been top 50 for any large period of time.

[John Crow Batty 8,286]

Extremely poor value for money considering the financial and performance hardships this club has suffered. And the cheek of the guy wanting serious big money for two more seasons to continue to play a soft 80% as he's done for years.

Edited November 9, 2010 by america de cali

[Fat Tony 4,469]

You could also argue that most of the older players on the MFC list have been overpaid in recent years given that we have been a basket case and we were forced to pay 92.5% of the salary cap. As such, I don’t think Bruce has been getting a massively disproportionate share of the MFC salary cap given his output. While he was on very good coin versus peers at other clubs, someone already at the MFC had to get the money (as no one from outside wanted to play for us).

[beelzebub 22,269]

FT that's very much the point. Circumstances conspired to inflate Bruces worth. Those circumstances have changed. That 'thud' you hear is Cam coming back to earth !!