Books, Tweets and $500 Grand Contracts

[Range Rover 1,935]

A biography at the age of 23 (Jurrah)

Celebrity tweeting and a self-congratulatory website (Jones)

Digging your heels in for a half million per year contract (Sylvia)

Just a few examples and this will no doubt be howled down by the usual apologists, but it all comes under the rubric of .....

GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF.

Please God get us in someone who will rip out this primadonna culture and take our so-called heroes down a peg or three.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Range Rover

[Adam The God 30,249]

I take it your username is ironic, otherwise you're part of the "culture".

[DeeSpencer 25,697]

A biography at the age of 23 (Jurrah)

Celebrity tweeting and a self-congratulatory website (Jones)

Digging your heels in for a half million per year contract (Sylvia)

Just a few examples and this will no doubt be howled down by the usual apologists, but it all comes under the rubric of .....

GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF.

Please God get us in someone who will rip out this primadonna culture and take our so-called heroes down a peg or three.

Jurrah's book - I agree, although I doubt Liam had much say in it. Jones - I disagree, the website is common practice these days and his tweeting is very restrained these days, especially this year. Syliva - well I'm not sure about this. When he sees Scully getting 1mil from GWS and rumours that we'll pay him 600-800 what is Sylvia meant to do. Say don't worry I'll play for 250?

[rhaz 342]

Harry Obrien has his own website, is on TV all the bloody time and is obsessed with twitter. Nick Maxwell does special comments for channel 7 frequently and has a book out. Didn't seem to hurt them last year (or this year).

[titan_uranus 25,018]

Harry Obrien has his own website, is on TV all the bloody time and is obsessed with twitter. Nick Maxwell does special comments for channel 7 frequently and has a book out. Didn't seem to hurt them last year (or this year).

It's easy to do what you want when you're a half-decent footballer in a half-decent side, let alone a good player like O'Brien in a super team like Collingwood.

RR's points aren't entirely ridiculous. Sylvia isn't the star he should be.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Jurrah's book - I agree, although I doubt Liam had much say in it. Jones - I disagree, the website is common practice these days and his tweeting is very restrained these days, especially this year. Syliva - well I'm not sure about this. When he sees Scully getting 1mil from GWS and rumours that we'll pay him 600-800 what is Sylvia meant to do. Say don't worry I'll play for 250?

- Jurrah approved the book.

- Jones is one of a small handful of AFL players to have a website dedicated to themselves, joining the ranks of latter-day saint Harry O (who at least has played in some finals and won a flag with his side).

- Sylvia is the most overrated, overhyped 'star' in the AFL. Yet we Melbourne supporters sit back and marvel at his mundane exploits.

As I said, three examples, but part of a broader cultural malaise at our club.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Range Rover

[Range Rover 1,935]

Harry Obrien has his own website, is on TV all the bloody time and is obsessed with twitter. Nick Maxwell does special comments for channel 7 frequently and has a book out. Didn't seem to hurt them last year (or this year).

Point underlined, thank you.

Winners and premiership players are grinners!

[Footynut 302]

I just couldnt agree more....

Sylvia is one of a pack of senior players who are downhill skiers...

He is one of the few players with some real body on him yet we rarely see him prepared to get under packs and bust them open...

Doesnt deserve the money he wants...no where near an A grader....

[Sir Why You Little 37,035]

A biography at the age of 23 (Jurrah)

Celebrity tweeting and a self-congratulatory website (Jones)

Digging your heels in for a half million per year contract (Sylvia)

Just a few examples and this will no doubt be howled down by the usual apologists, but it all comes under the rubric of .....

GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF.

Please God get us in someone who will rip out this primadonna culture and take our so-called heroes down a peg or three.

i agree with most of this...although Jurrah's book is more his journey down to melbourne.

But yes it is all a little cosy for the players....They need to challenge each other, very harshly and demand results...not just apologize for being average.

[Little Goffy 14,542]

I'd love to see Sylvia justify a contract one cent more than Jordie McKenzie's.

"Um.... I'm totally hot and the chicks dig me, he's just a 'ranga with a bunch of hard-ball-gets'.

Head. Pull. In. On that count, for sure.

Jones I can't have a problem with because he puts in full efforts consistently.

Jurrah... seriously? What are you criticising here? That other people find him fascinating? Or maybe you are annoyed but his constant stream of long and expansive media interviews?

[e25 5]

Terrible OP.

Jurrah's book - about how he came to be playing AFL at all, not about his career to date.

Jones' website - clever self promotion to create a brand to aid his earning power post-football career.

Sylvia - greedy player possibly, but you're going on rumour & innuendo (which we all know you thrive on).

Range Rover, you've really missed the mark on this one.

Again.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Terrible OP.

Jurrah's book - about how he came to be playing AFL at all, not about his career to date.

Jones' website - clever self promotion to create a brand to aid his earning power post-football career.

Sylvia - greedy player possibly, but you're going on rumour & innuendo (which we all know you thrive on).

Range Rover, you've really missed the mark on this one.

Again.

Ever seen Glengarry Glenross E25? There's a scene at the beginning where millionaire real estate agent Alec Baldwin tells perennial ne'er-do-well Jack Lemmon to ... "put that coffee down ... coffee's for closers only".

What he means is ... to the victor go the spoils. You got to earn your stripes in that or any other business.

You don't understand the OP because you don't comprehend what excellence actually means.

Like the apologist that you are.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Range Rover

[praha 11,240]

Ever seen Glengarry Glenross E25? There's a scene at the beginning where millionaire real estate agent Alec Baldwin tells perennial ne'er-do-well Jack Lemmon to ... "put that coffee down ... coffee's for closers only".

What he means is ... to the victor go the spoils. You got to earn your stripes in that or any other business.

You don't understand the OP because you don't comprehend what excellence actually means.

Like the apologist that you are.

lol spot on! Sums up this club, really. Thinks it's better than what it is, and as soon as you say something bad about it: "OMG YOU RICHMOND SUPPORTER YOU!"

Club has been anything but the pinnacle of success.

[Range Rover 1,935]

lol spot on! Sums up this club, really. Thinks it's better than what it is, and as soon as you say something bad about it: "OMG YOU RICHMOND SUPPORTER YOU!"

Club has been anything but the pinnacle of success.

Patrick Smith sums it up perfectly in his article on us today in The Australian ...

"The worry for Melbourne (the club, its officials, administrators, coaches and players) is that it does and says nothing. It is not defined by anyone or anything.

It is not cranky or aggressive. As a team it is not prolific but nor is it a spendthrift. It is not admirable. Nor is it feared. Not respected, not skilled, neither quick nor slow.

It is Melbourne, a collection of less than memorable players and personalities. Playing quickly forgotten football. It has a place in the AFL but it has no presence."

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Patrick Smith sums it up perfectly in his article on us today in The Australian ...

"The worry for Melbourne (the club, its officials, administrators, coaches and players) is that it does and says nothing. It is not defined by anyone or anything.

It is not cranky or aggressive. As a team it is not prolific but nor is it a spendthrift. It is not admirable. Nor is it feared. Not respected, not skilled, neither quick nor slow.

It is Melbourne, a collection of less than memorable players and personalities. Playing quickly forgotten football. It has a place in the AFL but it has no presence."

The truth hurts, Patrick is spot on.

I share your frustration RR, don't know if I agree on the Jurrah and Jones issues.

Do you really think it's affecting their ability to peform on the field? (Player's have got

to keep themselves occupied outside of footy don't they?)

As a club we have definitely accepted mediocrity for far, far too long. The amount of 'talk' I've heard is

sickening. We must assign a coach that is hard-nosed and can rebuild the culture of this club.

The young player's (Watts, Trengove and Scully) must develop in that kind of an environment for us to even begin to think about competing in the last week's of September. If they don't, they will simply turn out to be the next Brad Green's, Robertson's, Yze's, Davey's, Bruce's of this club.

Edited July 31, 2011 by stevethemanjordan