I must admit that I'm at the cross-roads with this club at the moment. It's not our on-field performances that worry me, I sat through the Hawthorn game yesterday, and saw where we really stand.

My issue is that if we start letting guys like Sylvia go, we are finished. Let's say Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn or one of those sides pick him up. He will be amazing. We need to keep him long enough for our youth to improve and then he will really stand out.

If Sylvia goes, I go. The rest of you can wait for our next premiership in 50 years. If Scully is too expensive to keep, I can wear that, as distasteful as it is. But NOT SYLVIA!

I must admit that I'm at the cross-roads with this club at the moment. It's not our on-field performances that worry me, I sat through the Hawthorn game yesterday, and saw where we really stand.

My issue is that if we start letting guys like Sylvia go, we are finished. Let's say Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn or one of those sides pick him up. He will be amazing. We need to keep him long enough for our youth to improve and then he will really stand out.

If Sylvia goes, I go. The rest of you can wait for our next premiership in 50 years. If Scully is too expensive to keep, I can wear that, as distasteful as it is. But NOT SYLVIA!

agree

I must admit that I'm at the cross-roads with this club at the moment. It's not our on-field performances that worry me, I sat through the Hawthorn game yesterday, and saw where we really stand.

My issue is that if we start letting guys like Sylvia go, we are finished. Let's say Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn or one of those sides pick him up. He will be amazing. We need to keep him long enough for our youth to improve and then he will really stand out.

If Sylvia goes, I go. The rest of you can wait for our next premiership in 50 years. If Scully is too expensive to keep, I can wear that, as distasteful as it is. But NOT SYLVIA!

Agree 100% on that paragraph. However, after more than half a century of being a devoted Dees supporter, I am not about to let my emotions rule and jump ship. Better days are definitely ahead, but they will come much sooner if we can keep the likes of Sylvia on board and bring in one or two more experienced heads (do you think Hawthorn would agree to a secondment of Buddy for a season or two?).

I must admit that I'm at the cross-roads with this club at the moment. It's not our on-field performances that worry me, I sat through the Hawthorn game yesterday, and saw where we really stand.

My issue is that if we start letting guys like Sylvia go, we are finished. Let's say Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn or one of those sides pick him up. He will be amazing. We need to keep him long enough for our youth to improve and then he will really stand out.

If Sylvia goes, I go. The rest of you can wait for our next premiership in 50 years. If Scully is too expensive to keep, I can wear that, as distasteful as it is. But NOT SYLVIA!

You'll stay Dawson. I think they'll negotiate and agree accordingly in due course and Sylvia will remain at Melbourne.

Sylvia should be on more than Scully for his next contract. He should be in the top few earners at the club. He is a much better player than Scully right now - great disposal, kicks goals, can play forward and midfield, damages the opposition, in his prime, everything that Scully is not. If Melbourne had to lose one, I prefer we keep Sylvia.

I agree. Sylvia is an absolute MUST re-sign priority. IMO much more than Scully (where at least we'll get some really good compensation in return).

Over the next few years, assuming we actually start making the finals (hard to imagine after yesterday), Sylvia is exactly the type of player we will need. He is definitely worth $450K a year too (if the report is true) - I'd rather lock him away for five years on $450K per year rather than Scully for 5 years on $600K per year.

If Sylvia goes, I go.

Yeah. You're cool.

A real fan doesn't have "crossroads" moments like you. Thick and thin. Hey... at least we don't follow Richmond.

As for this Sylvia/Scully "crossroads" talk...

3-4 years ago we had nothing. No money, president, our list was a shambles... I remember thinking then that the clubs' solution of turning over the entire list (except Green, Jamar, and maybe one or two others) over the following 3-4 years, and basically raping the draft, was only going to be the beginning.

This whole Sylvia/Scully thing is part of the second phase of the plan. The first one was to recruit them and develop them. Phase two was the rise up the ladder, where we knew EVERY club would come in and try to nick our players with more money, and promises of game-time, training facilities etc etc. With phase three being the period we're at top 4, and are threatening for a flag.

The point here is not that Sylvia and Scully are negotiating, or under threat of leaving. The point is that we're OBVIOUSLY on the right track if Melbourne is seen as a club with vast stocks of approachable, affordable talent.

You know what would be the WORST thing? If Melbourne was NOT being attacked for its list.

This is all part of the plan, and I reckon the club deserves a pat on the back at times for the fact that Sylvia and Scully are the ONLY two stars that are under threat. Nobody mentions the fact that Trengove signed up voluntarily, despite the fact he's shown just as much as Scully. And no-one mentions the fact that Watts isn't being spoken about as leaving, or even that probably our best player of the future, Chip Frawley, got in so early that everyone MISSED him signing.

I'm not saying I want Sylvia or Scully to go. Mostly because we're spoilt with our trades of recent years... like Trav and Brock. I fear that if they go, they'll have a lot of success. And yes, the idea that the best talent in Melbourne is considered approachable... but the best talent at Collingwood is untouchable really doesn't sit well with me... But let's not get all up in a huff about this. If Scully is a player who's only playing for the money, then am I the only one that thinks we might be better off without him? Yes Sylvia will be a gun anywhere he goes, but if he's gone, he's gone... we'll be compensated for a trade there too. What if they gave us White, or Reid, Or Johnson off their list for Sylvia?

It's not all doom and gloom. This was ALL part of the plan, and was all predicted a long while ago. It's not like the board didn't see it coming.

lol

My support of the Dees isn't dependent on us keeping Tom Scully OR Colin Sylvia.

I want to keep them both, on a price that allows us to do the things we want to do (sign up Trengove, target a star in FA).

The club knows that keeping Colin is important, but at the right price. If he thinks he could get an extra $50k elsewhere and leave us after we kept him going through his constant injuries and personal issues then that is his issue.

As a fan, I want to keep our best players, but if they don't want to stay then my next question isn't "who else am I going to support?" it's "let's wring all we can out of this guy's value."

Wants $500,000 a year to play for the Dees.

End of joke.

Wants $500,000 a year to play for the Dees.

End of joke.

Thanks Col for making me look stupid I actually thought you were better than that but you're not; trade asap.

$500k hahahahahahaha