SHOW ME THE MONEY

This article hits the nail on the head. The AFL has given too many concessions.

GWS is not going to be pretty for the AFL which has in my view deeply misunderstood what it is getting into in Sydney.

Having lived in Sydney for quite a while now the one thing you learn is that it is a deeply tribal place and the West is the heartland of League.

It will be a deep and bottomless pit into which the AFL will drop money whilst doing sighnificant damage to both the Swans and traditional clubs elsewhere.

Even if I am wrong about that, where is the justice for us or any other club in the same situation where the value of a draft pick can be extinguished before a club can get back up the ladder?

Good article by Jake Niall in regards to the GWS recruiting concessions.

Tom Scully is used as the main example, although Niall does admit that it is unlikely that he would go.

This may allay some of the fears of those who suffer from MFCSS.

Short of ink on a new MFC contract, I don't really see how that article will allay such fears.

Hitler doesn't care if Melbourne or anyone else loses a young gun to these teams.

It's the almighty dollar of the TV rights deal that drives him.

The move into Western Sydney isn't so much about expanding the game but expanding the AFL's power in demanding a higher price for the TV rights. They can then keep pumping as much money into GWS as is needed...........

In the end, i believe with reasonable certainty that Melbourne will have no problems re-signing their youngsters.

Short of ink on a new MFC contract, I don't really see how that article will allay such fears.

There's nothing concrete in the article i'll give you that but consider that "most" of the industries leading journalists have a pretty reasonable inside knowledge of what goes on at the AFL clubs and who is thinking of leaving / who isn't (remember this time last year and all the talk around players going to GC17). There has been next to no discussion about Scully (or anyone else from MFC) going to GWS or anywhere else. I think he is a focussed and savvy young player who believes he will get a better deal signing in season 2011 then in season 2010 because his currency would have gone up. I don't see any sign or reason to believe that he will be playing anywhere else other than for MFC for a long time. Neither should anyone else....

As a side note it the article just highlights Andrew "Hitler" Demetriou's single-mindedness to the potential detriment of others and the fact that it is the almighty dollar through the next TV rights deal that is his primary driving force. Not whether a Victorian club/s lose one or two young guns to one of his pet teams...

In a wholistic "love of the game" (as opposed to "love of the club") point of view, is what he (Demetriou) is doing actually wrong?

I think it's in the best interests of the game.

They have erred on the side of ensuring success for the new teams, but I think that is understandable.

Would GWS be entitled to take any uncontracted players from the Suns? Or is that against the spirit of the newly created AFL rules?

I don't think we need to be too worried re Scully.

He's at a club that's about to enter a 6-7 year window of finals action, with all of the extra exposure and marketing opportunities that will come with that (likely) success.

What's more he's at a club steeped in history and traditio, playing in in front of big crowds at the G and Etihad two out of every three weeks.

The subdued and contrived atmosphere at a small ground in Sydney's west will be a major hurdle in getting good players to move there I reckon.

I don't even think GWS will seriously target Scully. He's going nowhere.

They're more likely to get guys who are a little bit older who have already achieved as much success as they're going to at their present club and want a monster 4-year contract. Saints and Cats players in particular. Guys like Bartel, Montagna, Sam Mitchell.

In a wholistic "love of the game" (as opposed to "love of the club") point of view, is what he (Demetriou) is doing actually wrong?

I think it's in the best interests of the game.

They have erred on the side of ensuring success for the new teams, but I think that is understandable.

He's treating the supporters of established clubs with contempt , that's what he's doing/what he does .

How will you feel if 1 of the new club snatches a flag before we do ?

He's treating the supporters of established clubs with contempt , that's what he's doing/what he does .

How will you feel if 1 of the new club snatches a flag before we do ?

Or worse still ... beats us in the grand finals when do end up making in our window ...

What Vlad is doing is hardly wrong - he is trying to expand the game into other sport heartlands, and you need a solid foundation to do that (otherwise you end up with Port). In saying that, other clubs are suffering from the propping up of other clubs. It's a catch-22 situation, and as a recipient of AFL handouts, we shouldn't be overly critical of other clubs being given a helping hand by the league.

Or worse still ... beats us in the grand finals when do end up making in our window ...

This has been my concern also. Having worked so hard to rebuild form the bottom up, it would be shattering if the Spice Girls of the AFL manage to snatch it from us.

One factor that gives me hope is that they will have to offload a lot of their top picks over the next 5 years as their salary cap concessions are reduced. They simply won't be able to pay that many star players.

What Vlad is doing is hardly wrong - he is trying to expand the game into other sport heartlands, and you need a solid foundation to do that (otherwise you end up with Port). In saying that, other clubs are suffering from the propping up of other clubs. It's a catch-22 situation, and as a recipient of AFL handouts, we shouldn't be overly critical of other clubs being given a helping hand by the league.

As for being a hand out recipient it all depends on the chicken and egg

Is it a handout or are they returning the "clubs" money to the clubs?

The clubs handed over control to the AFL to represent them (the clubs). Sorta like the feds collecting the GST then handing it out to the states with a little bit of adjustment here and there

The AFL want you to think it is a generous handout from a benevolent charity - don't be fooled. No clubs, no AFL (yes, I know, and vice-a-versa). They also reward themselves quite handsomely too.

Bottom line. Never feel like a social security recipient re AFL grants

This whole situation comes across to me as Timing. The Timing for our "Bottom Out" if it had to be done, it was at the right time. Did Vlad speak on our lack of meaning or that we stood for nothing, knowing that Plan B would rise? It feels to me with all the changes, that we the Oldest Club is almost the 3rd new team in the AFL as well, albeit with our proud history intact.

at least as we are building our Forward business plan on & off the field we are fully aware of what these new clubs represent and how much of a head start they have been given. Particularly with Casey and its Growth we can almost do the same thing.

The MFC has never tried to grow like this before, If we all treat it as a major challenge (supporters included) i hope we can make it a positive in the near future.

As far as player retention is concerned, maybe that is why the History of the club has been promoted so heavily along with the Future to help make the Demons a Home players want to stay at as much as the supporters. This is all new ground for everyone, so the answers are not known.

I just hope when the Demons play Gold Coast or GWS at home, a big crowd turns up so they feel intimidated. The players can then do their stuff.

I genuinely think (not just hope) that our guns are more likely to stick around if we become a dominant/contending side. It has to count for something to be on the G with a side with such talent. Jurrah alone would be enough to make me stay! However, the pull of the coin is deadly as proven by Judd and Ablett

at least you'd reckon Grimes, McKenzie and Jurrah should be safe given their history with the club

I genuinely think (not just hope) that our guns are more likely to stick around if we become a dominant/contending side. It has to count for something to be on the G with a side with such talent. Jurrah alone would be enough to make me stay! However, the pull of the coin is deadly as proven by Judd and Ablett

at least you'd reckon Grimes, McKenzie and Jurrah should be safe given their history with the club

I would add Ricky Petterd into that group of players you mentioned, our club Doctors saved his life remember, and i would hope that was a major factor in him staying a Demon rather than going back to the Gold Coast.

When someone saves your life, you remember that each day.

This may allay some of the fears of those who suffer from MFCSS.

OH!

I FINALLY figured out what that stands for... Jeez...

I would add Ricky Petterd into that group of players you mentioned, our club Doctors saved his life remember, and i would hope that was a major factor in him staying a Demon rather than going back to the Gold Coast.

When someone saves your life, you remember that each day.

True

Except if he wasn't playing that match in the first place it would have never happened...scary thought though. I don't think it was even considered, simply we have a brighter future earlier than the GC.

True

Except if he wasn't playing that match in the first place it would have never happened...scary thought though. I don't think it was even considered, simply we have a brighter future earlier than the GC.

Ricky is a Professional Footballer so i would have thought his medical condition would have had at least a bearing on his decision, it is just my opinion-but i have had many dealings with doctors, Hospitals etc, and i assure you-you do not forget a close call.

If we were all to scared to do things, we would never get out of bed each day.

You guys may also be missing the oft-forgotten rule that if a club official saves your life, you then owe your life to serving that club.

at least you'd reckon Grimes, McKenzie and Jurrah should be safe given their history with the club

What history do you mean?

You guys may also be missing the oft-forgotten rule that if a club official saves your life, you then owe your life to serving that club.

Just like in Toy Story. "You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful."

What history do you mean?

well, Grimes is a supporter, I know that meant nothing to Juddas but that doesn't mean Grimes is the same. Also, Juddy didn't leave us, he was never here.

McKenzie already knocked back a better offer from the Crows in order to stay with us, even though it could have meant the end of his career and has now forged his way into a regular

Jurrah came from obscurity to a completely alien environment and was embraced and looked after by the club, and made an unlikely explosion into AFL relevance

maybe none of that counts for anything but i like the think they are a little bit safer than Watts/Scully/Morton/Frawley/Trengove